Lucy had pulled out her phone, looking down at the screen. “Oh. I got a text from Mr. Roberts himself. He says he wants me to know I’ll be safe if I take the job.” She looked up, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “He says he’ll make sure I have any representation I need. He’s going to protect Van and me. He’s not making us go through this alone.”
Relief flooded Michael as the elevator dinged and opened. It was good to know Lucy was going to get her chance. This job was important to her, and he couldn’t stand the thought that it would be over before she’d been able to show how good she would be at it. “I’m glad to know that. Another reason for you to listen to Gemma. If she says it’s okay to answer a question, then it is.”
They entered and the doors closed again. “I thought Nate could share the interview he did that night. How many times will I have to answer the same questions?”
“Hopefully only once more.” Michael didn’t want to tell her it could be a hundred times if the investigators decided to zero in on her. He intended to make sure that didn’t happen. “I want to know more about where the Foster siblings were the day of the party.”
“It was weird that they were there,” Lucy admitted. “I didn’t think that was the kind of party they would be interested in. They were the only villa guests who attended. In fact, there were several private parties going on at the other villas.”
“I don’t know how popular they are with the other guests.” Ty wrapped an arm around her waist. “I suspect no one wanted Brock around.”
Michael shook his head. “That’s not the way that world works. Brock had power, and that means no one in his world would refuse him. How do you think he ended up being such a dick bag?”
“I agree with Michael,” Lucy said. “Men like that go where they want. And the whole family has connections. It doesn’t make sense they would come and hang with a bunch of locals and regular guests.”
“Unless they wanted to make sure their plan was working,” Ty said with a huff.
“How could they make sure by going to the party?” Lucy asked.
Michael had been thinking about this all morning. The Fosters had taken a table in the back and hadn’t mingled with the other guests. He’d checked up on them because he’d wanted to make damn sure their older brother didn’t join them. “If I was the killer, I would want to make sure no one else used that bottle of Scotch. The killer needed it in a place where he or she could reliably expect that it would make it up to Brock when he called for it. But I think whoever did this specifically wanted Lucy to be the one to take it. That’s why he or she moved it from the main bar.”
The doors opened directly into the Roberts’ suite, and they could smell coffee and hear the hum of people talking.
Nate wore his full uniform and stood in the elegant entryway talking to a dark-haired man in a crisply pressed suit. Nate turned their way and nodded. “Ah, here she is. Agent Slate, this is Lucy Carson and her…”
Nate hesitated as if trying to figure out how to handle the out-of-towner.
“Boyfriends? Or are you husbands?” Slate’s lips curved up. “I’ve been in Bliss before, Sheriff, though I worked with Rye Harper when he was in office. You’re not going to shock me, though it was a fun conversation with my partner. She’s new.”
A woman with honey blonde hair stepped into the entryway. She was also in a suit, though hers was feminine. She looked to be in her late twenties and wore her hair in a stylish bob. “I’m learning a lot today. And, girl, good for you. They do threesomes right in this town. Good morning. I’m Agent Joy Wallace. Thank you for coming in on such short notice.”
“Well, it wasn’t like we were going anywhere,” Lucy said, shaking the woman’s hand. “I’m surprised you made it in so quickly.”
“Me, too. It was not what I planned on doing this weekend. We came in via helicopter. It was the single most frightening twenty minutes of my life,” Agent Wallace said with a frown.
“It was safe,” Agent Slate argued. “I wouldn’t have let you on that chopper if it hadn’t been. But it was very windy. I personally would have waited until Monday, but they’re holding our feet to the fire with this one. Hence, we’re grateful for you being willing to talk.”
“Not without me, she won’t.” Gemma looked peppy this morning. She had a notebook in hand. “I’ve been doing some research with Nell, but I can take a break to make sure Lucy doesn’t do anything that might make this tougher on her.”