Page 72 of Nothing Breaks Like A Heart

I shook my head in disbelief. "If she's dead, she didn't fall. Someone killed her." I frowned. "But who would kill her? I was so sure she was the one trying to kill me. Now she's dead, and I'm alive? I'm…stunned."

"Well, based on what you said, the person most likely to have killed her would be Andrew. If he thought she was trying to hurt you, and she was refusing to leave, they could have gotten into an argument. Maybe he shoved her. Maybe she fell. Either way, she ended up dead. Now, she's no longer a threat to you or to him."

"She did tell me she would make Andrew pay, but she didn't say for what." I felt sick to my stomach. "I can't believe any of this is happening. I can't believe someone killed her."

"I didn't say someone; I said Andrew. It sounds like they had issues that went beyond you."

"Andrew has never shown even a hint of violence. He's not a guy who yells or gets into fights. He's calm and controlled, and he's always looking for the upside." I stopped, realizing I was defending him again, and maybe what I was saying wasn't even true. I had seen more anger in him the last few days than I'd ever seen before.

"People often have more than one side," Ethan said. "Andrew had opportunity. He was out last night until midnight. At any rate, the coroner will figure out time of death, and then we'll determine where everyone was at that time."

"What did the Carringtons say? Did you talk to Victor?"

"Yes. I spoke to all three of them. They're very shaken up, to say the least."

"This is horrible. I didn't like Allison, and I wanted her to leave, but I never thought she'd die."

"The local sheriff's office has asked for help from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. A detective will be arriving at some point to investigate. If he or she asks you questions about Allison, you should be careful what you say to him because the only other person who had a motive to kill her is probably you."

I stiffened at his words. "That's crazy."

"Think about it, Lauren. You're in marketing. You understand spin. Your husband's ex shows up at your wedding, is flirting with him, trashes your bridal suite, pushes you into the water, is ruining everything, and you just want her to leave. You want someone to get her off the island."

My stomach churned even more at his words. "So, I killed her, or I told Andrew to do it?"

"Like I said, you should be careful what you say."

"I understand. What is Victor going to do? Will he call off the grand opening? Will he cancel all the reservations? His VIPs are coming in today. Tomorrow is the ribbon cutting, the kickoff party, and numerous other events. But how can we open the resort when there's been a murder on the grounds?"

"First, it's not being called a murder, but an accident. It will be reported that a designer working on the villa had an unfortunate accident and fell in a construction area she wasn't supposed to be in. And that the rest of the resort is in great condition, blah, blah, blah."

His words made total sense. That's exactly how it would be spun. And I'd be a part of that spin. I'd be called on to distract everyone with my romantic wedding story. "They're going to need me and Andrew to put on an even bigger show now. Victor won't want you questioning Andrew. Pointing a finger at him will be too risky," I said.

"I'm sure you're right. The investigation will have to be done quietly, but it will be done." He paused as the door handle turned, and Andrew walked in.

He was wearing running pants and a T-shirt that showed sweaty patches on his chest and under his arms. His face was also red and sweaty. He'd definitely gone for a run, which was actually a little odd, because I was the runner, not him. He usually preferred to go to the gym and do the elliptical or lift weights, but today he'd gone for a long run with his friend, and even that seemed suspicious.

"What are you doing here, Mr. Stark?" he asked.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news," Ethan said. "Your friend, Allison McGuire, died last night."

Andrew sucked in a breath. I watched him closely, thinking if he were guilty, he'd certainly show it in some way, but all I saw was shock in his eyes and tension in the taut lines of his jaw. "I don't understand. Did you say Allison is dead?"

"Yes. She slipped off a balcony at one of the villas under construction. It appeared to happen sometime last night, but she wasn't found until this morning."

Andrew bit down on his bottom lip as he shook his head in confusion. "You're sure she's dead?"

"I'm afraid so. Do you know what she was doing there?"

"She was working on interior designs to show Victor," Andrew said. "She had permission to go into the model. Is that where she was?"

"She was found in front of that building, yes."

Andrew shook his head again, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "How could she have slipped off the balcony?"

"The railings were not yet installed, and the flooring was temporary."

"Are you sure it was an accident?" Andrew asked.

---