Page 155 of Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds

Tristan looked at them, confused.

I could feel Parker’s and Amber’s eyes on me, and it was clear Parker recognized what I had.

“Those are mine!” he screamed. “I will sue you, you little bitch!”

He jumped up, knocking several glasses over, scrambling to take the papers from Tristan, who dropped them as he puthis hands up to defend himself. I quickly bent down and gathered up the pages, frustrated that Tristan didn’t understand what they were.

Jason rushed to my side in a protective gesture. “Watch it,” he said to Parker with a ferocity I didn’t expect from him. “You’re on thin ice, Briggs.”

Parker did a double take as if he, too, couldn’t believe the cold anger radiating from the bartender. He stared at Jason as if it was the first time he’d ever laid eyes on him. I really hoped Jason didn’t get himself fired.

Parker made a move toward the papers, and I put them behind my back.

“She stole those papers from me!” Parker said.

“Diana stole them,” I corrected him. “And now I know why.”

“Diana stole them and blackmailed me,” Parker said, the veins bulging in his neck. “When I wouldn’t pay, she came here and hid them. They’re still mine.”

Tristan couldn’t mask his interest. “What are they?” he asked.

I said, “Documents that prove Parker Briggs stole an idea from Ethan Valentine three years ago.”

Tristan looked at me. Then his eyes flickered to Jason.

“Ms. Harden had them? That’s why she was at his house?”

Everyone was arguing around the table, David and Doug in shocked surprise, Mr. and Mrs. Kent with loud chatter. Then Parker made another move to grab the papers from me, stumbled, and fell into the table, causing it to collapse, plates and food flying. Mr. Kent grabbed his wife and whirled her away in an impressively smooth move. Luis scooted his chair back but didn’t get up. Amber started talking at the same time Parker wailed, and I couldn’t understand what either of them were saying.

“Jason,” I said over the commotion as something clicked in my mind. “Did you tell anyone that Diana went to Ethan’s house on Sunday night?”

He shook his head. “No.”

“You didn’t tell Tristan when I left the boat?”

“I was worried that someone was trying to sabotage the resort. We talked about that—about the cell tower, the boat, and Georgie—” Jason narrowed his eyes at Tristan, as if he’d had the exact same thought I had.

I turned to Tristan. “How did you know Diana was at Ethan Valentine’s the night she died?”

“I— That’s not what I meant. Kalise! Leesa! Clean up!”

“Tristan?” Jason demanded. “What did you do?”

Chapter Thirty-Six

“You don’t have to justify yourself to me. You did what you did.”

—Sue Grafton,A Is for Alibi

Tristan killed Diana Harden. I was sure of it.

And he killed Gino Garmon to cover it up. All the puzzle pieces fell into place, mostly. He was trying to protect the island’s owner from blackmail, not realizing that the documents Diana had would help Valentine in the long run.

“Nothing!” Tristan exclaimed. “Everyone, sit down. Kalise! Bring a team over to clean this up, get new plates. Everything is fine!”

No one moved.

Tristan was sweating.

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