Grayson (10 page)

“Nothing happened,” she lied.

Nate made a sound that could have meant anything and joined Grayson on the porch as he rang the doorbell. Eve stayed just behind them. A maid wearing a uniform opened the door, and without saying a word, she ushered them through the marble-floored foyer and into a sitting room where two men waited for them.

The room was decorated in varying shades of white and cream. A stark contrast to the floor-to-ceiling Christmas tree that was practically smothered in shiny blood-red ornaments. After the real blood she’d seen today, the sight of those ornaments twisted her stomach a little.

Eve recognized both men in the room—Claude from his photos in the newspapers and Sebastian from the picture she’d taken of him at the rodeo. Both men were dressed in suits. Claude’s was black. His son’s, a dark gray. Both men were sipping something from cut-crystal glasses that looked and smelled expensive.

“Sheriff Grayson Ryland,” he said, stepping ahead of Nate and her. “This is my brother, Lt. Nate Ryland from SAPD, and Eve Warren.”

“Ah, Ms. Warren, the woman who took the photo in question,” Sebastian quickly supplied. He crossed the room and shook all of their hands. His expression and greeting were friendly enough, but Eve wondered just how long that would last.

The friendly demeanor didn’t extend to the other Collier in the room. Claude was a carbon copy of his son, but he was at least twenty pounds thinner and his scowl bunched up his otherwise classic features. His navy blue eyes were narrowed, and he watched them as if they were thieves about to run off with the family silver. He also didn’t ask them to sit, probably because he hoped this would be a short visit. Or maybe he was just naturally rude.

“Yes, I took the picture,” Eve answered when Sebastian continued to stare at her. “How did you know about that?”

That question earned her scolding looks from Nate and Grayson, who obviously didn’t want her involved in this questioning, but Sebastian only flashed that thousand-watt smile. A smile that probably worked wonders on his business associates, but to her it felt slimy.

Just like the man himself.

“A journalist friend told me,” Sebastian volunteered. “I understand it was going to be printed in tomorrow’s newspaper. But then you managed to ID the unfortunate victim.”

“Yes,” Grayson verified. He kept his gaze pinned to Sebastian. “Mind explaining what you and your
handyman
were doing in the photo with Nina Manning?”

Sebastian opened his mouth to answer, but his father’s voice boomed through the room. “Leon Ames is not my handyman. I fired him three days ago.”

Grayson and Nate exchanged glances. “Why?” Grayson demanded.

Claude shrugged as if the answer wasn’t important. He responded only after Grayson continued to stare at him. “Erratic behavior,” Claude finally supplied. The man couldn’t have sounded snootier if he’d tried. “I expect impeccable behavior from my employees, and Leon didn’t live up to that.”

“How so?” Grayson pressed.

Claude blew out an irritated breath. “If you must know, he used one of the family cars to run a personal errand. I questioned him, he lied about it and I dismissed him. End of story.”

Grayson matched the irritated breath response. “No. It’s not the end of it. Because the day before you fired him, Leon and your son were photographed with a woman who was murdered.”

“I can explain that,” Sebastian offered, still sounding very cooperative. “I went to the charity rodeo, and I ran into Leon and the woman. I believe they were lovers.”

“Lovers?” Grayson again. “Leon was twice her age.”

Claude flexed his eyebrows. “Then, maybe
lover
isn’t the right term. I think the woman was a pro. She was hitting up Leon for cash.”

Since Nina did indeed have a record for prostitution, that could be true, but Eve wasn’t about to believe him. Sebastian almost certainly wouldn’t admit if he’d been the one who hired Nina for her
services.

“Tell me everything you remember about the meeting,” Grayson demanded, looking directly at Sebastian.

Sebastian took a sip of his drink and gave another nonchalant lift of his shoulder. “As I said, I went to the charity rodeo so I could make a donation and ran into Leon. The woman was with him, and they seemed to be, well, cozy.”

“In the picture they appeared to be angry,” Grayson fired back.

“That came later.” Sebastian didn’t hesitate. “The woman’s attitude became less friendly when Leon refused to give her money.”

Grayson stepped closer to Sebastian. “Did she say what the money was for?”

Sebastian shook his head. “I didn’t listen to their conversation, Sheriff. The woman was obviously low-rent. Probably high on drugs. Once I realized that, I moved away and let them finish their discussion. I didn’t want to be seen in that kind of company.”

“Did it seem as if Leon knew Nina before this meeting?” Nate asked.

“I’m not sure.” Sebastian finished his drink in one gulp.

“You should be talking to Leon’s friends about that,” Claude interrupted. “I won’t have my family’s good name dragged through the mud for the likes of Leon Ames.”

Grayson gave him a flat look. “I don’t suppose you have the names of Leon’s friends?”

Claude’s mouth twisted as if he’d tasted something bitter. “I do not make it a habit of delving into the personal lives of my employees.” He slapped his glass onto the table. “And that’s the end of this interview. Anything else goes through our family attorneys.”

Sebastian gave an embarrassed smile. “I’ve already told you everything I know.”

“Not quite.” Despite Claude’s rude dismissal, Grayson stayed put. “When’s the last time you saw Leon and the dead woman?”

“Probably just a few minutes after Miss Warren here snapped the photo. I left, and I have no idea where they went.” Sebastian checked his watch. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get ready for our guests. We’re having a small Christmas gathering here tonight.”

“If you remember anything else about the encounter with Nina and Leon,” Grayson said to Sebastian, “I want you to call me.” He extracted a business card from his jacket pocket and dropped it on the glass end table. “I’ll also need you to go to SAPD and give a written statement.”

Sebastian groaned softly. “Please tell me that can wait until after the holidays. Christmas is only three days away.”

“And SAPD will be open all day,” Grayson fired back. “A woman is dead, and she deserves justice. I need that statement and anything else you can remember about Leon’s friends.”

“Of course,” Sebastian finally agreed, but he was no longer so cordial. His mouth tightened.

Both father and son turned to walk out, but they stopped when the sound of a woman’s high heels echoed through the room. They all turned in the direction of the sound, and Eve spotted a curvy blonde in a plunging liquid-silver dress, who was making her way toward them. She, too, had a drink in a crystal highball glass, and she was teetering on five-inch red heels that were the exact color of the Christmas ornaments.

“Claude, you didn’t tell me that we had guests.” She clucked her tongue and smiled first at Grayson. Then, Nate. She didn’t even spare Eve a glance.

“They’re not guests,” Claude snapped. “They’re cops. And they were just leaving.”

“Leaving?” The woman gave a quick fake pout. “Well, let me introduce myself. I’m Annabel Collier, Claude’s wife.” Her cherry-lacquered smile went south when she glanced at Sebastian. “And I’m his stepmother.”

Eve hadn’t studied the background info on Annabel, but she was betting that stepmother and son were close to the same age. Annabel was clearly a trophy wife.

A drunk one.

“The maid was about to show them out,” Claude reiterated, and just like that, the maid appeared in the doorway of the sitting room.

“I can do that,” Annabel volunteered. She hooked her arm through Grayson’s, and Eve didn’t think it was her imagination that the woman pressed the side of her double Ds against Grayson’s chest.

“Isn’t the estate beautiful this time of year?” Annabel babbled on. Some of her drink sloshed onto the floor and the toes of those red stilettos. “I love all the sparkles and the presents. Claude is very generous with presents, you know. I peeked, and all I can say is five carats, platinum setting.” She punctuated that with a drunken giggle.

Behind them, Eve heard Claude mumble something, but both Sebastian and he stayed put as Annabel escorted Grayson to the door. Nate and Eve followed, and Eve wondered if she could trip the bimbo who was hanging all over Grayson. Since Grayson and she weren’t together, it didn’t make sense to be jealous, but Eve felt it anyway.

Annabel threw open the door, and the cold December wind poured into the foyer and rustled the shimmering gold wreath. Despite her strapless dress she stepped onto the porch with them. She glanced over her shoulder, and when her gaze returned to them, she was a changed woman. No bimbo smile, and her sapphire-blue eyes were suddenly intense.

Eve was too dumbfounded to do anything but watch, which was probably a good thing.

Annabel plucked something from her cleavage and pressed it into Grayson’s hand, which she pretended to shake. “The Colliers have secrets,” she whispered, her bottom lip trembling. “Deadly ones.”

Annabel giggled again, sliding right back into the persona of the drunken trophy wife. “Happy Holidays,” she told them as she stepped back inside. She gave Grayson one last pleading look, and then shut the door.

“What was that all about?” Nate mumbled.

But Grayson didn’t answer. He hurried off the porch and toward the car. So did Nate and Eve. He waited until they were outside the gates and away from the security cameras that dotted the fence.

Then Grayson opened his hand so that Nate and Eve could see what Annabel had given him.

Eve stared it and shook her head.

What the heck was going on, and why had Annabel given them
this?

Chapter Eleven

Grayson was several steps beyond exhaustion, but he kept his eyes on the road. It was nearly dark, and the temperature had dropped, and the last thing he needed was to wreck another car today.

“Anything?” he asked Eve again.

It was a question he’d asked her several times since they’d left San Antonio nearly a half hour earlier. Most of that time, Eve had been using the laptop that she’d picked up from her condo so she could view the pictures.

Pictures on the tiny memory card that Annabel had given them.

Grayson had already emailed a copy of the card’s contents to the crime lab in Austin, but he wanted to have a closer look for himself as to what Annabel had considered important enough to pass along to a sheriff who was investigating her husband and stepson.

Eve shifted the laptop to a position so that Grayson could see. He glanced at the screen and saw the thumbnails of the photographs. There were dozens of them.

“Annabel obviously likes to take pictures, but I think I finally have them sorted,” Eve mumbled. She tapped the ones in the first row. “These are shots taken in what appears to be Claude’s office. My guess is Annabel took them with a hidden camera mounted somewhere in the room because the angle never changes.”

“Anything incriminating?” Grayson asked.

“Hard to tell. Claude’s obviously having a discussion with this dark-haired woman, but there’s nothing sexual going on. I think they’re arguing.”

Grayson agreed. Everything about their body language conveyed anger, not romance. “I need to find out who that woman is.” And the crime lab could maybe help with that.

“Well, I think we can rule her out as a mistress. Claude seems to prefer women half his age, and this woman looks to be about fifty.” Eve enlarged the photos on the next row, and she made a sound of surprise.

“What?” Grayson asked. He didn’t want to fully take his eyes off the road, but Eve’s reaction grabbed his attention.

“There are a dozen or more shots taken in a hotel lobby. An expensive hotel, judging from the decor. And there’s Nina.” She pointed to the next series of pictures. “Nina’s not alone, either. Both Claude and Sebastian are there with her.”

Eve met his gaze. “That means Sebastian lied about never having seen Nina.”

Yeah. Annabel had been right about family secrets. Was this what she’d meant?

“Is a lie enough to arrest Sebastian?” Eve asked.

“No. With his money and connections, we need more. We need a motive.” Grayson turned off the highway and onto the ranch road that would take him home.

She huffed and pushed her hair from her face. Eve was obviously exhausted, too. Even with the watery light from the laptop screen, he could see the dark circles beneath her eyes. He could also see how damn attractive she was, and he wondered if there was ever a time he wouldn’t look at her and think just that.

“Maybe Sebastian and Nina were lovers?” Eve tossed out there. She was obviously unaware that he was sneaking glimpses of not just the photographs but of her. “Maybe Sebastian snapped when he found out his lover also had a romantic interest in his father?”

Grayson shook his head. “That doesn’t look like a lover’s encounter. Even though it’s possible that one or both had sex with her, and Nina was trying to blackmail them. After all, Claude did say he wouldn’t have his family’s good name dragged through the mud. Maybe this was his way of making sure that didn’t happen.”

And Claude could have hired Leon to kill a blackmailing Nina.

But then why was Sebastian in the picture?

Better yet, why had Annabel given him this incriminating evidence?

Grayson wasn’t sure, but he intended to find out. He’d already requested a more detailed background check on Nina and all the Colliers, including Annabel.

“There are some pictures taken at the charity rodeo,” Eve let him know. “Not mine. These are ones that An nabel or someone else shot. High angle, zoom lens. She was probably in the top seats of the stadium.”

Maybe so that the men wouldn’t notice her, which meant that Annabel probably knew she was snapping pictures of something incriminating.