Death Takes a Holiday (26 page)

Stiffening her back,
Meredith carefully closed her book and stood up. “I plan to stay as far away from you as I possibly can.” She turned around and reached for the door handle.

“Where are you going, Merry?”

“I’m going to my room.”

L
ucas stood up. “It’s not safe,” he said, sticking his hands into his pockets. “We should all stay together.”

Tracy looked up sharply. “Why? The only danger is from Jack and
he probably froze to death outside last night. Isn’t that right, Lucas? That is what you think, isn’t it?”

Lucas frowned.

“Tell me, what happened when you chased after Jack last night?” Tracy asked, growing angrier by the second. “Did you find him?”

Lucas didn’t answer her.
Instead, he turned and followed Meredith out of the car leaving Tracy and Grace alone.

“
I’m sorry for my outburst,” Tracy said. “It’s just . . . I guess I’m just afraid . . .” She snapped her mouth shut and shook her head.

“
Of what? That Lucas killed Jack and dragged his body outside?” Grace guessed.

Deflated,
Tracy leaned back. “I don’t know what to think. Something must have happened to Jack and Henry.”

“Even if Lucas had killed Jack and tried to throw the body off the train
, he would have been taking a big risk on getting caught. Of course, maybe he did and that’s why the chef was killed,” Grace said thinking aloud.

Tracy grimaced.

“Why did you invite Lucas to come along?”

“
Lucas saw the invitation and invited himself. I thought it would be a good bonding experience for him and Robert. They haven’t been getting along lately.”

“Were they fighting over the company?”

Tracy nodded. “They have been fighting over everything. The company, money, control . . . the weather. It didn’t matter. Even if they agreed on a topic they would find something to argue about. They fought so much this past year.” Her eyes welled up. “He doesn’t care about anyone . . . except maybe Meredith. I hate to say this, but it’s his family’s fault. Victor was too lenient with him. So was Robert. Anytime Lucas made a mistake, they would rush in to fix it. I hate that. If you do something wrong, I think you should be a strong enough person to admit it and accept the consequences.” Her face reddening, she threw Grace an apologetic glance. “I’m just as guilty. I should have said something earlier, but . . .”

Grace waited patiently
as the other woman hesitated. Coming to some decision, Tracy reached into her purse and pulled out a tube of lipstick which she handed to Grace.

Grace removed the cap and twisted the end. Only a small amount of red lipstick remained
and what was left was smashed into the tube.

Tracy shook her head in irritation. “
My favorite one, too. You can’t find that color anymore. They discontinued it.”

Grace looked at her in surprise. Out of everyone on the train, Tracy was the last person she suspected of leaving a threatening message on a mirror. She just seemed
too classy for that type of thing. A rage-filled, lipstick-smeared death threat just seemed out of character. A strongly worded letter seemed much more her style. “Why would you—”

“
It wasn’t me,” Tracy said quickly and with a hint of outrage that Grace would even entertain the thought of her doing such thing. “It was Lucas. He absolutely hates Steve and blames him for Merry leaving him.”

“
If you knew he left the message, why didn’t you say anything before this?”

Tracy made a face. “
Because we’ve always protected Lucas. As soon as Robert had found out what he done, he went to Henry and paid him a little extra to make it disappear.”

“
So, he did wipe it off the mirror yesterday morning,” Grace said irritably.

“I’m sorry, Grace. Robert had a talk with
Lucas and told him to leave Steve alone.” Tracy sat back and looked out the window. “He was just so angry when Steve accused him of stealing and then when Merry left him . . . It was just awful. I was scared to death that he might do something to hurt Steve. I even called Mr. Wellington to warn him.” Tracy shook her head. “Robert was furious.”

“Why?”

“Kirby pride. They all have it. He didn’t want anyone to know how upset Lucas really was. I was so relieved when Mr. Wellington told me he had sent Steve away to Italy until Lucas calmed down some.”

“He doesn’t seem like he’s gotten
any calmer.”

“
No, and it scares me. I love Lucas. He’s family. I don’t want to see him throw his life away over some silly girl who couldn’t care less about him. I also don’t want Steve to get hurt. I didn’t get to spend much time with him, but he always struck me as a very nice man. He was very considerate after the fire,” Tracy said nervously tugging on the sleeve of her blouse.

“You don’t seem to like Meredith that much. Why?”

“All she was after was Lucas’ money. She doesn’t care about him.” She pointed toward the sleeping car. “I’m trying to keep Lucas calm and she keeps twisting the knife even deeper.” Disgusted, Tracy shook her head. “If she cared about him, she would sit down and talk to him. Not only for his sake, but Steve’s, as well.”

“Well,
I can understand her being upset with Lucas. He was cheating on her.”

Eyes flashing, Tracy sat up straighter in her chair. “Felicity is still passing that rumor around
, isn’t she? Lucas and I were not having an affair.”

“Why were you sleeping in the guest house?”

“It was so hot in that house. Merry liked to keep the temperature set at eighty-eight. I just couldn’t take it anymore so I decided to sleep there.”

Grace bit her lip, not quite sure how to ask the question that had been on her mind since sitting down with Tracy. She finally decided to come out with it. “
Do you think Lucas could have killed Victor?”

Surprise written across her face, Tracy immediately said,
“No, of course not. Why would he? He didn’t inherit anything.”

“He could have killed him out of revenge.
”

Tracy looked at her in
confusion. “For what?”

“
Victor killed Lucas’ mother. Ellen Kirby.”

Blanching, Tracy’s mouth dropped open. She sat there in stunned
silence for a couple of seconds before recovering her voice. “Where did you hear that?”

Not wanting to reveal that Felicity was the source of that particular piece of information,
Grace simply said that it was just a rumor she had heard.

Tracy’s brow furrowed.
“I don’t know who you’ve been talking to, but that’s not true. Robert and Lucas told me that she abandoned the family,” she said quietly. She took a deep breath. “Victor wasn’t the ogre, Felicity would have you believe. In my senior year of high school, two significant things happened. One, I began dating Robert Kirby and two, my parents passed away in a car accident. I was devastated. I depended on them for everything. It got so bad after they died . . . There were times I thought I would never be happy again. Do you know what Victor did?”

Grace shook her head.

“He brought me into his home. I was just his son’s girlfriend, but he welcomed me into his home like I was a member of the family. He paid for my apartment, my tuition, my clothes . . . He even walked me down the aisle when I married Robert the very next year. And he never once asked for anything in return. He didn’t have to do that, but he did. Despite what others may tell you, deep down he was a good man.” She shook her head in disbelief. “I just don’t believe Victor would have killed Ellen.” She leaned back and glanced out the window. “Has Lucas heard this story?”

“I don’t know,” Grace said hesitantly. “I’m still trying to work that out.”

Tracy pursed her lips together. “I hate rumors. All they do is upset people.” She rose to her feet. “I’m sure Victor didn’t kill Ellen. Whoever fed you that line is obviously trying to mislead you. I suggest you go back and talk to them again and find out why they lied to you.”

*

Asa Wellington sat alone at one of the tables in the dining car. He smiled brightly as Kyle approached. “So, what have you discovered, Kyle?”

“Well, not much more than before,” Kyle lied.

Asa tsked. “I would have thought you would have spoken to Felicity and Parker by now, or at least Lucas. The fact that we haven’t found Jack or the conductor yet, concerns me. Sara didn’t find any tracks leading away from the train last night. So, that begs the question, where did Henry and Jack disappear to?”

“I was thinking . . .
,” Kyle started off hesitantly, “what if there is a secret compartment here on the train? If there is, it stands to reason that Henry would know about it and could have helped Jack hide.”

Wellington nodded. “
That’s what I’ve suspected all along.”

Kyle’s eyes narrowed.
He shifted restlessly on his feet. “Jack could have just left his hiding place long enough to kill—”

Wellington shook his head. “Let’s not dismiss the other suspects quite so early.
What I would suggest is that you start building a small biography of each passenger.”

“I thought you were certain it was Jack.”

“Hmm. Did I say that?”

Unsure if the
detective was being sarcastic or not, Kyle hesitated. “No, not exactly,” he said slowly sitting down across from the detective.

“Good.” Wellington nodded slightly before reaching a hand into his breast pocket and pulling out a small notebook and pen which he handed to Kyle. “Start with Parker
, but get him away from Felicity. You’d be surprised how easy—”

“Well,” Kyle said
, taking the notebook and pen, “I thought I could start with you.”

“With me?”

“Why not?
” Kyle asked. “You were actually the closest to Robert Kirby when he died.”

“But I was unconscious.”

“Yeah, pretty much all night,” Kyle said with a slight edge to his voice.

Wellington leaned back in his chair
and crossed his arms. “I read about you in the papers. That business at the reunion . . . Brilliant piece of detection, Kyle.”

“Thank you
, but to be honest, my friend Grace—”

Wellington held up his hand. “I understand completely. Modesty and discretion are the hallmarks of our profession. As I always tell my people, it doesn’t matter who solves the crime
, as long as it gets solved.”

“I agree. Grace figured out that—”

“Your loyalty to your friend is admirable, my boy. But there’s no need to be so modest with me. I’ve been watching you, Kyle. Let me say that I’m very impressed with what I’ve seen. Very impressed.”

“Thank you,” Kyle said suspiciously, wondering what he had done since the murder that was so impressive. “But to get back to my question—”

“Good! Very good. Never let a suspect distract you.”

“Are yo
u a suspect?” Kyle asked.

“Am I?”

“That’s what I’m asking you.”

“Hmm. Quite.”

“Is that a yes?”

“No,”
Wellington answered politely. “I’m sorry, no.”

Kyle sat still for a few seconds wondering which question the man
had actually answered. He shook his head and decided to press on. “Tell me something, how was the hot chocolate?”

Asa Wellington gave Kyle a half smil
e. “Interesting question. Why do you ask?”

“Well, I distinctly remember you telling Robert that you weren’t interested.”

Wellington’s smile turned into a broad grin. “Very good, Kyle. What else did I do that night?”

“I saw you playing poker with Robert, Steve and Sara a few minutes later.”

“Anything else?”

Kyle shrugged helplessly.

Wellington shook his head in disappointment. “Could I have changed my mind while you were in the kitchen with Ms. Holliday?”

“Did you?”

Wellington didn’t answer. Instead, he posed a question of his own. “Or could someone have slipped something into my drink while I was in the restroom?” When Kyle didn’t answer, he said, “Perhaps if you had been paying more attention to what was going on around you and a little less attention to the pretty red head that you’re obviously in love with, you would be able to tell me,” he chided gently. “But no matter. Why don’t you go talk to Sara—”

Realizing he wasn’t getting anywhere, Kyle stood up suddenly. Adopting the same chiding voice Wellington had used on him, Kyle said, “Perhaps if you had been paying more attention
to your surroundings and not sound asleep a few feet away from the victim, you would have been able to stop Robert’s murder. If you had then you wouldn’t need me to do all your legwork.”

Wellington
quickly grabbed Kyle’s wrist and pulled him closer. Kyle was surprised at how strong the detective was. “Kyle, I’m trying to teach you.”