Page 51 of Carbon

“What reason?”

“Well, mainly the fact that he’s disappeared. And a number of guests at the party last night saw her leave with a man fitting his description.”

“I saw her with that man too, but it wasn’t Beau.”

Robinson fixed me with a hard stare. “How do you know that? He had one of those masks on, and Mr. Davies admitted he crashed the party.”

Shit. I’d dropped myself right in it there. “I didn’t know him that well, but my sister would never have gone anywhere with him.”

“Why not?”

“Because he didn’t have enough money.” Hell, that made her sound like a materialistic cow.

“Perhaps she made an exception?”

“I don’t think so. Not when there were so many other men for her to choose from.” No, that painted her as a slut, which didn’t help either. “Beau fitted some shelves in our apartment earlier in the week, and Angie was there while he did it. She said at the time that she admired his physique, but she’d never act on the attraction because he was a member of staff.”

“So, Mr. Davies spent time alone with your sister recently?”

Dammit, couldn’t I say anything right? “Yes, but she spent time with plenty of other men too. Maybe you should look into them as well?”

“We will. And where were you while these shelves were being installed?”

“Out with Gregory Fitzgerald.”

“He’s your boyfriend?”

“He’s a friend.”

“Your father seemed to think it was more serious than that.”

“With the greatest respect, my father has no idea what goes on in my life or my sister’s.” I realised I’d used the present tense, and a tear leaked out through a crack in my mask. Detective Bell held out a box of tissues, and I grabbed a handful. “I want to go home.”

No, actually I didn’t. Because home would be full of Angie’s things—her rainbow of post-it notes in our shared study, the shoes she left all over the hallway, her bottles of vitamins on the kitchen counter. The cracks grew into chasms as the tears became a waterfall, and the two men looked at each other.

“Are you okay?” Robinson asked me, which was possibly the most stupid question in all eternity.

“Just leave me alone.”

The door to my room opened, and I recognised the newcomer in the suit as Sidney, my father’s lawyer.

“What the devil do you think you’re doing?” he snapped.

“Relax, we’re only asking Miss Fordham a few questions,” Robinson said. “She’s a witness, not a suspect.”

“And look at the state you’ve left her in. You don’t say another word to her without me being present.”

As the two chagrined detectives shuffled from the room, Sidney perched on the visitor’s chair next to the bed. “Shall I get the nurse, child?”

“No, I just want to be on my own.”

He patted my hand in a grandfatherly way and leaned back. “I’ll sit here for a bit in case those two donkeys decide to come back. They know full well they shouldn’t have pushed you into answering questions like that, not so soon after the tragedy.”

I concentrated on slowing my breathing, and my pulse gradually slackened. Had I said anything that could hurt Ben? I sure hoped not. Nothing would bring my sister back, but if the man I loved ended up losing his life over this as well, I’d never forgive myself. Where was he? Did he have enough money? Somewhere to stay? I realised how little I knew about him. Did he have friends he could turn to?

“Will you be okay on your own for a while?” Sidney asked. “I need to deal with your mother.”

I thought I detected a slight eye roll, and I couldn’t blame him. Mother on a good day was bad enough, but after this?

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