Cliffhanger (The Belinda & Bennett Mysteries, Book One) (13 page)

"Bentails?"
Belinda laughed. She gave Victoria the scant updates she had and the highlight
of the moment was definitely the newsboy cap. She left out the part where she
kissed him. She didn't know if it would go anywhere after that last
conversation.

"Belinda,
how very personal of you, tugging on his cap." Victoria didn't know the
half of it. It felt like nothing to Belinda after lip locking with him in the
middle of the street.

"It happened
involuntarily. I did not mean to do that."

"It didn't
seem to bother him."

No, that didn't
seem to bother him, but neither did the kiss until they started talking about
it. Belinda rotated one of the crystal bar glasses, creating a rainbow on the
wall. They were close to the only things in that cabinet that regularly saw the
outside world. "I told him about Mark."

"Doesn't he
already know about the accident?"

Belinda raised
her eyebrows.

"Oh...you
mean...oh..." Victoria nodded. "And?"

"He was very
chill about the whole thing."

"Excellent."

"Then he
told me he's prejudiced against rich women." Belinda gave her the gist of
the conversation, surprising herself with how detached she sounded. "I
guess he wouldn't care too much for the story behind these being that it
involved our kind and all." Belinda carefully encased one of the bar
glasses in tissue paper, and gently set it down in a box especially for them.

"He got
burned obviously. He'll come around."

Belinda shrugged
and reached for another bar glass, but it slipped from her grasp, spinning
toward the wood floor in slow motion. Belinda recoiled as it shattered at her
feet, the sound splitting through her skull. Neither of them moved, and Belinda
stared helplessly at the shards of crystal scattered around them.

"I'll go get
the vacuum," Victoria said.

"What am I
supposed to tell them?"

Victoria stopped
mid-step. "It's just a glass, Bels."

"It's not
just a glass!" Belinda's voice escalated to a shriek and she picked up one
of the shards, shaped like an icicle, and held it up. "It's a special
honeymoon glass. The ones my dad searched Europe for and spent oodles of money
to buy because nobody sold them in Paris and he wanted Mom to have a complete
set!" Belinda started to choke. "How am I supposed to tell them that
I broke one?"

Victoria pulled
her up from the floor, forcing Belinda into a seat. "What's going on here
with Kyle is not your fault."

"It's all my
fault." Belinda covered her face. "I should never have..." She
sobbed, Victoria stroking her hair and whispering it would be okay. "We're
a matching set. How am I supposed to—"

"Shh." Victoria held her tight, trying to get her to think more positively. "You haven't lost
Kyle. It's not going down like that. It's just not. You're supposed to meet up
with Bennett and the detective later, right?"

Belinda nodded,
catching tears dripping off her chin. "We couldn't come up with a meeting
place though."

"They could
come to my house."

Belinda blinked.
"Are you serious?"

"Sure! Come
on over after dinner. I'll have Dan pick up something for dessert." Victoria smiled, dabbing at Belinda's eye with a tissue.

"You just
want to see him in his newsboy cap."

"You know
it."

Belinda smiled.
"He did look awfully cute."

"Mmm...happy
thoughts." Victoria kissed her forehead.

The doorbell rang
and they both jumped. Belinda rolled her eyes and got up to answer while Victoria dug out the vacuum.

It was Stellan of
all people, and he didn't look too good. Haggard and sallow like he hadn't
slept in days, but he seemed sincerely concerned about Belinda and her brother.
He chewed on his lip after Belinda let it slip that the police suspected Kyle
fled to Rio. Or, wherever. Rio just sounded good. She didn't really mean to say
that, but she was tired and it was too hard to control herself.

"I spent a
lot of time with Kyle on a small space," Stellan said moments later,
"and I can't see him running. We disagreed a lot, and if there's one thing
I learned about him, it's that he's not afraid to go head-to-head."

Belinda felt like
there was more that he wanted to say.

"Can I help
you move anything?" Stellan glanced at the boxes nearby.

Surprised,
Belinda mumbled something and Stellan stacked a couple of boxes in his arms and
trailed after her through the front yard and into the carriage house, which had
the same gambrel-style roof as the main house and had a loft bedroom and open
downstairs, including a kitchen and bathroom.

"Why was
Jeff here anyway?" Belinda said. They set the boxes all the way in the
back and returned for more. "He didn't tell me."

Stellan looked
surprised at that remark. Maybe he didn't know that she'd spoken to Jeff again.
"Jeff knew I'd be in town for the reunion, and he wanted to see me."

"He couldn't
visit you in New York?"

"I think it
was just good timing for him. Portside or New York—it's pretty much the same
difference coming from San Francisco."

Belinda cocked
her head to the side. "So he didn't come for some other reason?"

"Such
as?"

"I'm not
sure, but he was worried about something."

Stellan kept
quiet behind her, picking up another box. "Business, probably. I know the
work stress got to him."

Belinda tilted
her head. "No, I'm pretty sure it was more on a personal level."

"How can you
be sure?"

"Because he
asked to talk to me. We had an appointment for the next day."

Stellan's box
slipped from his grip and he tried to get a firmer hold on it by tapping it
back into place with his knee. "Did he say what he wanted to talk
about?" Stellan sounded pretty nervous, and Belinda couldn't say she
didn't enjoy that to a degree.

"No
specifics, but he really didn't want anyone to overhear. Or even see him
talking to me I think."

Stellan lost his
balance and after bouncing around a few times, both boxes crashed on the ground
right in front of the carriage house. Belinda set her boxes down and dashed
over, muttering under her breath. Stellan apologized, trying to help salvage
the items that toppled out. His forehead looked damp, and his hands were
shaking.

"Are you all
right?" Belinda shoved the items back into the box. At least it was just
all of Kyle's swill.

Stellan's mouth
gaped in a smile. "I think I'm turning into Jeff."

"Why would
that happen?"

Stellan laughed nervously,
playing with the edges of a notebook on top of the pile.

"Stell,"
Belinda hesitated. It might be a risky move, but with Kyle missing... "I
overheard you and Jeff talking at the party. You told him to stick with the
original plan and keep quiet."

Stellan
swallowed. "So you know."

Belinda's eyes
widened, but she tried to stay cool.

Stellan closed
his eyes. "I'm glad actually. I should have let him talk a long time
ago."

"Maybe...maybe
it's time for that."

Stellan nodded,
picking up a random piece of rope in Kyle's belongings. "Mark was already
dead when Jeff and I got there."

Chapter 16

The news that
Stellan and Jeff got to
Sea Stud
early that morning to find Mark already
dead in the water nearly made Belinda pass out. But it got better. Scared out
of their wits, Stellan, against Jeff's better judgment, decided that they
should go out as planned and then call for help out on the water and pretend
like it was an accident.

Belinda's skin
turned gray as Stellan told his story. "Why didn't you just call the
police?" Belinda said, wanting to pull Stellan's hair out. And her own.
She had been so stupid.

"I was
scared. Mark and I had a pretty open blowout at the club earlier that week. I
didn't think they'd believe us. Besides, it could have been an accident."

Belinda had
forgotten about their fight. "Did you fight about Mark's plans with
Kyle?"

"What?
No." Stellan looked confused. "It was business-related. I wanted him
to invest in something, but he refused and got kind of angry about the whole
thing."

"Maybe
because it was illegal?"

Stellan looked
shocked.

"Honestly,
Stell. Did you think we all thought you were squeaky clean? I'm taking it you
managed to get Jeff involved in something more recently."

"I think he
wanted out." He averted his eyes, but he looked sad.

"I should
hope so. And you should get out too, before someone kills you."

Stellan drew his
lips out into a hard line. "I don't think that's why he died."

"Was it
because of Mark? Maybe Jeff knew who killed him. Have you thought of that?
Maybe that's why he was such a wreck. And none of us...none of us would give
him the time of day."

Belinda wanted to
pick up one of the boxes and throw it across the yard. And then she did.
Stellan just watched as she heaved Kyle's box of junk and tossed it into the
air. She probably intended to hurl it like a football to the other side of the
green near the garden shed, but it wound up just a few feet away, froze on its
side for a few seconds and then plummeted right side up, most of the stuff
still inside. It was more noise than mess.

Victoria came
running out of the front door to see what had happened. Belinda kicked at the
objects on the ground, but her aim failed and most barely moved from their
original positions.

"I think
she's having some sort of meltdown," Stellan said.

Victoria glared
at him. "Of course she is idiot." Victoria stood back as Belinda
flung her leg out. "What happened, sweetie? You had calmed down a few
minutes ago."

"It's
me," Stellan said quickly. "I've upset her." He retrieved
something from his back pocket with his other hand and gave it to Belinda. A
business card. "This is a friend of mine. He may be able to help with
Kyle. Just tell him that I referred you."

Belinda eyed him
suspiciously. She was about to ask how exactly this "friend" of his
could help when Stellan stood up straight and gazed out near the shed. Jarrett
skulked near the tree line of their properties, looking a little beat up.

"Do you want
me to go deal with him?" Stellan said.

"I can deal
with Jarrett." Belinda felt along the edge of the business card, wondering
how this private investigator would help. "Thanks for the
assistance."

If Jarrett's nose
could talk, it would have a whale of a story and a laundry list of complaints.
Jarrett squeezed his nostrils together, holding his head back to stop the blood
pouring out of his nose. She'd caught him trying to sneak onto his property via
hers, probably to avoid his mom. Belinda had already asked him what happened,
and gotten some mumbled reply about a fight with a band member. She wasn't sure
if she could believe him or not. Lily came to mind and what he'd been doing
with her. She couldn't picture Lily beating him up, but maybe there was someone
else involved.

He'd taken off
his shoes, but not before leaving a defined mud print in the foyer. The shape
and pattern looked just like the one she found before by the side door.

"Do you take
that cut through a lot?" Belinda said.

Jarrett rolled
his eyes to the side to see her. "I know it's technically trespassing—"

"I'm not so
concerned with that, but I am concerned that it looks like you may have been in
my house—when I wasn't." Belinda folded her arms.

Jarrett slowly
brought his head back down, keeping his now wide eyes on Belinda. "Are you
gonna call the police?"

"That
depends."

"On
what?"

"On whether
you tell me why you were here and what you were doing."

Jarrett exhaled
loudly. "I just wanted to check on you."

"So you came
in even though no one answered?"

"You've had
some—incidents—lately. I was worried you couldn't answer."

"That's very
sweet of you, but there's a little matter of a lump of money you were carrying
around in your backpack too." Belinda got closer, at eye level with him
sitting on the counter. "It didn't look like the kind of cash you would
just happen to have on you. I know you're waiting tables down on one of the
wharves."

Jarrett
swallowed. "My parents. I got it from my parents."

"They're
generous." Belinda tried to make eye contact with him, but he refused to
oblige her.

"Yes, they
are." Jarrett jumped off the countertop. "I should get rolling."

Belinda's eyes
widened innocently. "So soon? Your nose is still looking a little
nasty."

Jarrett laughed
nervously. "It's stopped bleeding."

"Make sure
to clean yourself up before your mom sees you."

Jarrett nodded,
opening the side door.

"And
Jarrett."

He stopped and
turned.

"Be careful
with Lily," Belinda said. "She can be...conniving."

Shock shot
through Jarrett's blue eyes and he quickly turned and left. Belinda mulled over
the mud print. Jarrett had been inside after Kyle's arrest but before the
circuit board fire and she already knew that he could break into their house
without leaving obvious signs.

"What do you
think he was really doing here?" Victoria returned from the shadows.

Belinda kept her
eyes where he'd been sitting. "Let's check and see if anything's
missing."

"But you
don't think he took anything, do you?"

"I wish I
did." Belinda glanced at Victoria sadly. "I think he did
something."

~ * ~

Bennett and Jonas
met them at Victoria's that night. Victoria grinned at Bennett in his newsboy
cap and Belinda couldn't stop from smiling herself. Victoria mouthed,
"It's so cute!" behind his back and Belinda nodded emphatically.
Hadn't she told Victoria earlier? After saying his hellos and chitchatting for
a few minutes, Dan vanished upstairs and they didn't see him again. Victoria sat in their circle, all too eager to hear what was going on. She sliced up a
tiramisu in the middle of the table, dishing it out to each of them.

Belinda was
nervous about how Bennett would treat her after their cold parting, but his
eyes softened when she appeared behind Victoria, and her heart relaxed. Maybe
he didn't hate her after all.

"I like your
friends," Jonas said to Belinda, piling his spoon with the layers of
coffee-soaked cake and mascarpone. "I wish Bennett had met you
sooner."

"I do serve
up a mean store bought cake," Victoria said.

"We should
take it upstairs and gather around on your bed," Belinda said with her
mouth full.

Victoria
snickered. "Invade Dan's sanctuary? That would make for an interesting
night."

Bennett watched
Belinda curiously as she laughed at Victoria's remark, barely touching his
cake. Jonas had already scarfed down his first piece and started on a second.
Though Belinda was getting all too used to Bennett's intensity, tonight it made
her self-conscious. Residual effects of their argument, she guessed.

"Why
not?" Belinda said. "It would be good for him."

"Why would
you say that?" Bennett said.

Belinda
snickered. "He needs to be bombarded by people now and again. Keeps him on
his toes."

"Like you,
Bennett," Jonas said, grinning when his friend's steel eyes locked on him.
"So, Stellan's news is a game changer."

Belinda and
Victoria lit up.

"I can't say
Stellan's reasoning for withholding that information makes sense to me,"
he pushed his plate aside and folded his hands on the floral tablecloth,
"but they were just out of high school and dabbling in something they
shouldn't have been."

"Still
are," Belinda muttered.

"We don't
have a way to verify anything he's said so far," Jonas said, eyeing
Bennett quickly, "but honestly it sounds more realistic than a seasoned
sailor just dying randomly on a perfectly nice day." Jonas rubbed his
forehead. "It would be nice if the files on the sailing accident were a
little more extensive."

"They're
not?" Belinda said.

"It was
considered a pretty straightforward accident, which between us, I think had
something to do with their families." He sighed. Belinda glanced at
Bennett. Maybe he was right. Maybe some of them were baboons. "We could
use that boat."

Belinda perked
up. "My brother inherited it."

"We
know," Jonas said forlornly. "But it's not where your brother says it
should be, and there's no trace of it anywhere else."

Belinda looked
puzzled, distress coloring her features. Victoria shook her head
sympathetically, taking Belinda's hand.

"Belinda,"
Jonas said, "where was your brother the day of the accident? Really?"

What did he mean
by really? Belinda switched from twirling her napkin to shredding it
systematically while Bennett watched her in fascination. She didn't want to
cry. Not again with Bennett sitting right next to her, but all the secrecy was
starting to get to her.

Belinda looked to
Victoria and they stared at each other making subtle eye and head movements
for a few seconds. Jonas and Bennett just looked on, glancing at each other
sideways once in a while to see if the other had any clue about what they were
doing.

Somehow Belinda
and Victoria established what to do in their non-conversation and they both
finally acknowledged Bennett and Jonas again.

"Kyle and
Mark planned to sail around the world. They were mapping it out that
summer..." Belinda's eyes turned dreamy the way they had on the Ocean
Walk. "Bennett, you asked me once if I had good memories of Portside.
Those are good memories. Mark spent a ton of time at our house that summer and
he and Kyle would spread their navigational charts all over the living room
floor. Dad would grill burgers and we'd all just sit outside for hours talking
about where they'd go."

Victoria nodded
soberly. "They made a good team."

"Kyle and
Mark met with a potential sponsor for their around-the-world trip."
Belinda tried to not think about it as she talked to stay detached. So far, it
was working. "They had planned to do this since elementary school, but
Lily had fought to get Mark to do what she was doing—go to law school."

"Mark didn't
love the idea and they argued a lot," Victoria said. "People were
whispering that their relationship was on the tipping point."

Belinda lowered
her eyes. Now came the really not-so-fun part of the story. "A rumor
started going around that Mark and I were...involved. With each other."
Belinda didn't dare raise her eyes from the table. It was bad enough feeling
Bennett watching her, never mind seeing those intense peepers of his.

Victoria picked
up the story. "It caused a massive hullabaloo in our circle."

Jonas arched an
eyebrow. "What does this have to do with the previous sailing sponsor
story exactly?"

Belinda sighed
dramatically, still keeping her eyes on the tablecloth. It was a little
annoying that neither of them knew anything about these people. "Lily's
father happened to be good friends with the potential sponsor, and subsequently
decimated their chances of winning him over.

"Mark and
Kyle fought about it, and that's why Kyle didn't go with them that day. They
were still mad at each other."

"Did Kyle
think Mark had something to do with the rumor?" Jonas said.

"No."
Belinda heard her voice give and stopped to take a drink. "They were both
just frustrated."

Jonas glanced at
Bennett, but his eyes were glued to Fawn Eyes.

"Anyway,"
Belinda said, hoping to switch topics, "I think their fight was the last
time they spoke, and that's why Kyle feels so guilty. It's why he doesn't sail;
it's why he's let
Sea Stud
rot in stor—" Belinda felt like she'd
been hit by lightening. "—age. Storage." She sipped more water,
hoping to finish the conversation fast. Why hadn't she thought of it before? If
Kyle was going to hide, it made perfect sense. Perfect. Sense.

Belinda smiled at
the detective, eyeing her suspiciously, and shrugged. That was the end of her
story. Or what she was telling for the night.

She knew where
Kyle was.