Page 35 of Dirty Liars

“Oh, no,” Aidan said shocked. “Nothing like that. I’d lose my scholarship.”

“Dorinda told us you were finishing up about the same time that she left,” I said.

“That’s true,” he said. “I like Dorinda. She treats all the college kids like they’re her own. Brings us snacks and keeps up with what we’re doing. It’s a real family here.”

“So if you were almost finished setting the scene on the deck why did it take you another hour and a half to leave?”

Aidan winced and said, “You see, there’s this girl. Her name’s Andi, and she works in the pro shop over there.” He pointed toward the clubhouse by the first green. “I had a break scheduled right after I finished at the honeymoon villa, and she was just getting off shift. So, uhh, she met me out there and we, uhh…”

He scratched at the back of his neck awkwardly. “I’d nicked an extra bottle of champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries and set everything up so it was real romantic. She likes that kind of stuff. And that deck is epic, even at night. They’ve got those big lounger beds and you can see the stars and hear the waterfalls, and then there’s all the lights in the trees.”

“We didn’t find any other golf carts at the honeymoon villa until Mr. Harris arrived with the victims later that night. How did she meet you there?”

“Oh,” he said, understanding. “She rode one of the bicycles. Anyone can use them all over the property.”

“Did you notice anyone else around the villa while you were there? Did you hear anyone come inside?”

If possible his face flushed even more. “I, uh, didn’t see or hear anything else. But I, uh, wasn’t really paying attention.”

“Did you notice anything when you left?” I asked.

“No,” he said. “We were in a hurry to get everything back in place and get out of there. I’d lost track of time and I was still on shift. I had to tell my manager that I’d gotten sick and had been in the bathroom the whole time. I loaded Andi’s bike up on the back of the golf cart and I dropped her off at the staff parking lot so she could get home. My manager told me to go home early after I told him I’d been sick. I feel bad about that.”

“Is Andi working today?” Jack asked.

“Yeah, Sundays are busy days on the golf course,” he said. “I guess you’re going to need to ask her about everything I told you.”

“Just checking off boxes to try and find who murdered those people,” Jack said, handing him a card. “If you think of anything else give me a call.”

* * *

We stopped by the pro shop on the way to our next interview and talked to Andi Belding. She was a pretty, athletic-looking girl who blushed prettily when we asked her about Aidan, but she’d confirmed his alibi down to him dropping her at the staff parking lot.

“Who’s next on the list?” Jack asked.

“Donna and Edward Kelso,” I said. “And look where they’re staying? In the Dowager Villa.”

“Am I to assume that it’s located close to our murder site?” he asked.

“This is why you make the big bucks,” I said. “It’s the bungalow closest to the honeymoon villa. Turn left here and follow the path. You’ll eventually run into it.”

When Jack pulled up in front of the Dowager Villa, I noticed it was a smaller version of the honeymoon villa, featuring the same stone and glass design as the main resort. The villa had a wooden deck that wrapped around its entirety, giving it a cozy yet elegant feel. Nestled among the trees, it offered a picturesque view of the eighteenth hole from the front and the serene expanse of the Potomac River from the back.

“You think they’re here or out playing lawn darts somewhere?” I asked.

“There’s a golf cart pulled around to the side,” Jack said. “Maybe we’ll get lucky. How far of a walk do you think it is to the honeymoon villa from here?”

“Maybe ten minutes, fifteen at the most,” I said. “It’s just around that bend in the path.”

It turns out we were lucky. The front door opened and an older couple stepped out, obviously heading out for some kind of activity. They certainly didn’t look like they were overly upset at the news that the bride and groom from the wedding they’d just attended had been murdered a villa down from them. But different people handled the news of murder in different ways.

“Mr. and Mrs. Kelso?” Jack asked, showing his badge.

“That’s us,” Mr. Kelso said, studying Jack’s badge intently. He was a distinguished, portly man with wavy silver hair and a bushy salt-and-pepper mustache. He was a couple of inches shorter than his wife and dressed in black swim trunks and a red guayabera shirt. His expression was curious, but not necessarily friendly.

“I’m Sheriff Lawson,” Jack said. “This is Dr. Graves. She’s the coroner for King George County. We need to ask you some questions about Theo and Chloe Vasilios.”

“We’ve got an appointment at the spa,” Mrs. Kelso said.

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