Bougainvillea (14 page)

Jen sighed softly again. “I'm so sorry, Kit. I guess your mom was pretty…promiscuous.”

Kit stared at the water in front of her. “I think she was killed, Jen.”

Jen looked around. “Murdered?”

“Yep.”

“By someone here?”

“Who else?”

“Lord, don't say that too loudly!”

“Well, I'm not!” Kit said with exasperation. She waved a hand around them. “Who else is here?”

Jen waved a hand around as well. “Storage shed over there, bushes—lots and lots of bushes!—all around us.” She shook her head. “Kit, I'm sorry, I know it hurts. But apparently your mother was sleeping around. She was really, really drunk that night, and she considered herself an Olympic swimmer, so it sounds. She went into the water to cool off…and she died.”

Kit shook her head. “I don't think so. She was leaving the next morning. There was probably some kind of a terrible showdown, and she came out here, and…”

“And what?”

“I don't know from there,” Kit admitted. “Wish I knew who she'd been sleeping with!”

“You can be a lot more nosy, you know. Except that, well, if someone here killed her, you're going to have to be very careful.”

“Why?” Kit asked dryly. “She's been cremated. No one will ever dig her back up again.”

“True, but still. If she threatened someone…they might get scared.”

Kit stared at the water. “I intend to be careful. But I also intend to get the truth.”

Jen spun around suddenly, staring at the brush.

“What?”

“I heard rustling.”

“Rustling?”

“Yeah, you know, bushes moving.”

“The place is filled with birds, squirrels and possums,” Kit said. “Besides, Thor isn't barking.”

Just then, the puppy spun around on his gangling legs and stared past the tiled path toward the bushes and started barking.

“There!”

Kit arched a brow to Jen. “He barks at squirrels, birds and possums!” she said.

“I think someone was there,” Jen said.

Kit felt a shiver sweep through her. “Maybe it's time to go in, shower and change.” She began gathering up their things.

Back at Kit's house, Jen was finishing up her shower when the phone rang. It was Shelley. She had had only a half-day of classes and it had turned out that Eli was off as well. They wanted Kit and Jen to come over and join them and their dad for a barbecue lunch.

Jen liked the prospect. She was enjoying the attention she was receiving from both Eli and Josh.

“Would I really want to marry a cop, though?” Jen mused.

“Is it that serious?” Kit teased.

“You always have to take everything into consideration. Now, Josh. He's a mover. I like that. Are we driving over?”

“No—there's a little path to their place, and then a wooden gate that we jump.”

“Pants would be in order then, huh?” Jen said.

As large as the Bougainvillea property was, the Callahan place was small. The lot size was no more than ten thousand square feet, but the house was charming, typically Mediterranean. The large porch boasted a huge barbecue, with a small, kidney-shaped pool stretching out, uncovered, in the yard beyond.

When they were seated and Kit had taken her first bite of hamburger, she nearly choked as Jen said, “Hey, you guys, you were around all those years ago when Kit's mom died. So sad. And tragic. And strange.”

Silence surrounded the table. Everyone stared at Jen, who shrugged. “Naturally, Kit is suspicious about it all. What do you think? Especially you, Eli. You're a cop.”

“I'm not homicide,” Eli said, staring at Kit. “You really think someone killed her?”

“I didn't say that, exactly,” Kit told him uncomfortably.

Eli shrugged. “Might have been foul play. Wow. It was a long time ago. I was just a kid. But if so, why? Dumb question, I guess. Why not? She really could flaunt her assets—and temper.” Eli spoke calmly, and didn't seem at all shocked or worried.

“Don't get her thinking such a thing, son!” Martin protested. “Kit, your mama drowned.”

“But she was sleeping with someone, cheating on my dad, when she died,” Kit said softly.

“Oh, Kit! Trust me, Mark Delaney loved her no matter what!” Eli said. “Your father would have never killed your mother.”

“I never thought my father killed her!” Kit protested. She realized they were all staring at her sadly. Why not? She had to wonder. Mark Delaney would have
been the injured party if his wife was having an affair. They were supposedly leaving, yes. But what if he had just been sick to death of her cheating on him time and again, and truly wanted a break—for his daughter, and himself?

“No!” she said firmly. “I knew my father too well. I would bet my life that he would have never hurt her.” She leaned forward suddenly. “But I think I understand now why he never wanted to come back—and why he never mentioned it to me, or suggested that I had relatives who might want to see me. My dad might have suspected something, and that could be why he was determined to keep me away from Bougainvillea.”

“Kit, that's kind of speculative and wild,” Martin warned her.

She shrugged. “Eli, okay, so you're not homicide. Doesn't the way she died seem a little suspicious to you?”

“Kit, I was a teenager at the time. We were all stunned and brokenhearted, that's all I really remember. But like you said, your dad adored her. He didn't kill her, and he was the affronted party. So who would have done it?” Eli asked her sympathetically.

“I don't know. But I'd like to find out,” Kit said evenly.

“Well, let's face it, both Kaitlin and Lenore hated her,” Jen pointed out. She shivered. “Even I get vibes from those two!”

Eli set an arm around her shoulder, laughing. “They're a pair of prime bitches, but hardly lethal!” he said.

Kit kept silent. She wasn't so certain.

* * *

Seamus signed the contract, then David added his signature, binding them to a deal to design and build two sailing ships for Mario Marius, one of the newest—and richest—Latin singing sensations to have made the crossover to American music.

“Kit's friend is leaving Sunday,” Seamus said as they left the office. “I thought we'd get the Callahans and the family and head out for a day on
The Sea Star
.”

“Sounds nice. Strange, I haven't had her out sailing yet.”

“I haven't been out in a long time myself,” Seamus told him. “I miss the water when I'm not right on it for any length of time.”

The valet brought their company car, a handsome Cadillac. David slipped into the driver's seat. In a few minutes, they were out of the Brickell area offices, and heading through the winding trails back to the Grove.

“I'm going to tell Kit the truth soon,” Seamus said.

“The truth?” David said, frowning.

“That she's my child,” Seamus said softly.

David nearly drove off the road. He regained control of the car just in time to avoid massacring a group of palms.

“You didn't know?” Seamus said, nonplussed. “I thought you did.” He shrugged. “I was sure everyone knew—or suspected.”

David was silent several minutes. “Seamus, if you tell her, it's going to be for yourself—not for her. She loved Mark. Really loved him. Let her keep that memory.”

“People have to know the truth,” Seamus said.

“Why?”

“Because I intend to leave Bougainvillea to the both of you.”

“Seamus, don't do it,” David said uneasily.

“Why?”

David took a moment to answer. “What if someone killed Marina?”

“Like my brother?”

“No. We both knew Mark. He was patient beyond endurance. And in the end, Marina knew that. I think she really intended to start a new life with him, far away from here.”

“Then, who would have killed her?” Seamus demanded.

“Don't say anything. Don't ruin it all for Kit, please. Let her keep what she has.”

Seamus was silent. David prayed that he was seeing the wisdom of his words.

* * *

Saturday started out brilliantly. The day was clear and beautiful, the seas were calm.
The Sea Star
was one of the finest sailboats Sea Life had ever produced, and luckily, the family had maintained her.

For the first time in a while, Kit realized, she was feeling exceptionally light, as if her world was completely normal. Kaitlin and Lenore were both in high spirits. Lenore even admitted that she thought Thor was cute and well behaved on the boat. Kit was amused to see that even Seamus acted like a little boy on the boat, allowing David to captain her, but running around to set the sails at the appropriate times, and enjoying the race with the perfect breeze.

They anchored out by one of the islands in the bay, and laughed as they walked the picnic items to shore. Jen began squalling and nearly dropped the six-pack of beer she was carrying when a crab crawled over her bare feet. Kit laughed as both Josh and Eli rushed to her rescue.

“Now this,” Michael announced, gnawing on a piece of fried chicken, “is the way to live. Just sailing. Feeling the breeze. Finding an island.”

“No cable television, no whirlpool tub for a good soak, no hairdressers, no movie theaters—ugh!” Lenore told her husband.

He laughed, setting an arm around his wife's shoulders and pulling her close. “Once upon a time, you just needed me—not the hairdresser!” he told her.

She flushed, as if slightly embarrassed by his display of emotion, then she smiled. “Maybe we could sail part of the year, and have movies and theaters and hairdressers the other part of the year.”

“Hey, maybe,” Michael said with surprise and pleasure.

“I don't know what any of you are talking about—living at Bougainvillea is like living in Paradise,” Jen said, shaking her head.

“You can always come back down, you know. You're always invited,” Josh told her.

“Always,” Seamus agreed. “Any friend of my girl is a friend of the family,” he added, beaming at Kit.

Kit noticed the mood change then, as if a bolt of lightning had struck.

Kaitlin suddenly rose in all her platinum, regal glory and glared at Seamus. “
Your
girl. Kit, Kit, Kit. It was
always Kit—and before that, Marina.” She turned and glared at Michael. “Doesn't this all ever infuriate you, as well?”

“Kaitlin, stop!” David warned angrily.

“Stop! Oh, yeah, right. Because you're just the wonder boy. The only one around here who isn't part and parcel of Seamus Delaney's lechery.”

“Kaitlin!” David had come to his feet. Kit was startled by the knotted tension in his body. Afraid that he was about to walk around and deck the woman, she grabbed his arm.

“David?” she said softly, not knowing what was going on.

Kaitlin glared at Kit then, pure hatred in her eyes. “Ever since you've come along, he wants to throttle me. It didn't use to be like that.” She turned abruptly. “Michael, get some balls up! Hey, you're the legitimate child, right? Someone, tell Kit the truth. See if her friend, Jen, wants to come back to Paradise then!” Kaitlin locked her gaze on Kit once again. “Guess what, Kit? Your precious father wasn't really your father. Seamus Delaney is. Mark married your pregnant mother instead of Seamus because Seamus's wife was still alive at the time. Which is the same reason why, of course, he couldn't marry
my
mother, either. That's right—I'm his daughter, too. The great, proud, Seamus Delany! Responsible for all his deeds! So he supports us all. But Marina was the one who finally spit in his face. He couldn't keep her. He's still in love with her after all these years, and determined that he'll have her back one way or another. David knew that—why the hell do you think he married you, instead of just inviting you
down? Hell, you're going to be the next generation of Sea Life. Seamus will leave the whole damned thing you. His precious girl. The rest of his children can go rot!”

She spun around, kicking up sand as she headed down the beach.

Dead silence reigned for an eternity. Kit could only stand there, stunned.

Then David turned to Kit and spoke earnestly. “Mark Delaney loved you with his whole heart. He raised you. He was your father, do you understand? He was your father.”

Kit hadn't really grasped the truth of all that had been said until David spoke. Then shock set in. And denial.

And then…

She stood on shaky legs. “I really think the picnic is over,” she said softly, and started to turn around, but then stopped. She knew that what Kaitlin had said was the truth—she just knew it instinctively.

She should have walked away as she had intended. But she didn't. She stood her ground, and she looked around the lot of them.

“That's why my mother died, isn't it? Because I was Seamus's child, and she knew too much about all of you. She would have told him the truth about anything he wanted to know.” She knew this was crazy. She should never be saying such things, not to this group. But the sudden announcement Kaitlin had made had shocked her to the core.

“One of you killed my mother,” she stated flatly.

“Kit! No!” Seamus protested.

David was up and behind her by then, slipping his arms around her. She shook off his touch, squared her shoulders, and headed for the boat.

“I'd say this picnic was definitely over. Thor! Come,
now!
”

The puppy had never really obeyed a command before. But this time, even the dog listened to her.

She strode back toward the water where
The Sea Star
was docked, the Dane right on her heels.

She sat at the front of the boat, stiff and straight, the puppy at her side. She heard the men shouting orders back and forth as they raised the anchor.

They didn't sail back to Bougainvillea.