“Gavin had been drinking. I could smell the alcohol on his breath.”
“Was that a common thing with him?”
“No, it wasn’t. It was unusual.” She played with the hem of her shirt. “I was in the kitchen with Isobel, chatting about this and that, when we suddenly heard a terrible noise. Crashing and the breaking of furniture. So we quickly made our way over to the study, and there he was, lying on the floor next to his desk: Dean had taken a bad fall, and hit his head against the corner of the desk. Gavin was in a real state, screaming that he’d killed his brother. So I called an ambulance, but by the time they arrived, Gavin was gone.”
“Gone where?”
“The police later determined that he’d returned home, collected money and his passport, and had driven himself to East Hampton Airport, where he boarded the company’s private jet to New York JFK, where he took a flight to Mexico. They lost track of him after that.”
“And he’s never been in touch with his wife or your family since?”
She shook her head.“Gone without a trace.”
“Why was Gavin so upset with your husband that night?” asked Odelia.
“He never said, and obviously Dean couldn’t tell us what happened, since he was declared dead by the first responders. But it must have had something to do with the company. You see, when Bill, my father-in-law, retired, he decided to put Dean in charge of the Droba Group, with Gavin as his second-in-command. His official title was CFO, Chief Financial Officer, while Dean was appointed CEO. And that never sat well with Gavin. He felt slighted and passed over by his dad, even though Dean was older and more experienced and had been with the company longer, since Gavin had enjoyed a gap yearafter college, and had traveled around the world while Dean had stayed home and worked for his dad all that time.”
“Sibling rivalry,” said Chase, nodding.
“Sad business, and not my family’s finest hour, but there you have it. Though I still don’t see what this could have to do with what happened to Isobel.”
“Alison told us she hired a detective agency to track down her dad,” said Odelia. “Is it possible that Gavin came back, and somehow killed his wife?”
“No way,” said Michele. “Gavin and Isobel were a devoted couple. Gavin would never do anything to harm his wife. Did…” She hesitated. “Did this detective Alison hired find out what happened to Gavin?”
“Unfortunately no. But they’re still looking.”
“I see. Isobel never told me about this.”
“She didn’t know. This was Alison’s idea. She wants to find her dad.”
“Of course. She misses her dad. She was so young when it happened.”
“Did Bill ever try to find his son?” asked Chase.
“Maybe he did. You’d have to ask him. He never mentioned anything to me. I guess he understood why Gavin would run away, after what happened to Dean.”
“I checked, and he’s still wanted for questioning in connection to the events that transpired that night. Which might be the reason he hasn’t been in touch.”
“It was an accident, detective. Gavin had no intention of causing Dean’s death.”
We all looked up when the sounds of a quarrel reached our ears. It sounded like a man and a woman fighting, and screaming at each other at the top of their lungs. Those present shared a look, then got up as one man, and hurried out.
CHAPTER 23
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After finishing their doubles game against the Alemans, Vena and Glenn, Perlita had immediately returned to the room to take a shower while Nate decided to head down to the kitchen for a snack. And she’d just entered the room when Nate’s phone buzzed and almost fell off the little piecrust table near the window. She nudged it back toward the middle of the table, and as she did, the message caught her eye. Stunned, she grabbed the phone to take a closer look.
And it was at that moment that her husband entered the room, a Snickers bar in hand, of which he’d already taken a big bite, and was chewing happily.
“What the hell!” she screamed, and threw the phone at his face.
He ducked just in time, causing the phone to hit the door with a thwack.“Hey!” he said. “Watch it!”
“Izzy Price?! You’re cheating on me with Izzy?!”
Nathan’s jaw dropped. “I’m—what are you talking about?”
“I saw the message, Nate. ‘I’m naked and thinking of you?’ What the hell, Nate!”
“I-I can explain,” he said, holding up his hands in a gesture of defense, just in case she decided to throw something else at him. Like a table or a chair.
“How long has this been going on?” she demanded. “How long?!”
“Six months,” he said sheepishly.
“Six months!”
He nodded, and carefully picked up his phone and checked to see if it still worked.
“I want a divorce,” she said, causing him to blanch.
“But, honey!”
“Don’t you honey me,” she said, pointing a menacing finger at her husband. “You’re having an affair with my main artist and your main client. How dare you!”
“You’re one to talk,” he scoffed. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’ve been up to.”
She was momentarily taken aback by this comeback.“What are you talking about?”