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Claudia’s phone vibrated as she and Scott were headed to the ship’s casino.
“Hello?”
“Claudia. Oh, thank goodness.” It was Emily, and she sounded like she was crying.
“What’s wrong?” Claudia demanded, her heart in her throat.
“The medical examiner determined Chad’s cause of death,” Emily told her. “He was suffocated. And judging by the way the investigators treated Kyle just now, he’s their main person of interest. They think he killed his own cousin!”
“That’s...not good,” Claudia replied. She didn’t add that the same thought had crossed her mind once or twice. She had been trying her best not to fixate on the awful possibility that perhaps her best friend had married a cold-blooded killer.
“What do we do?” Emily asked, practically hyperventilating. “Should we contact the embassy or a lawyer or something? I feel so out of my element. I’m panicking.”
“Did the investigators say anything else?”
“Umm...they said Chad had defensive wounds. Except they couldn’t tell if they were actually defensive wounds or if they were the result of an unrelated violent incident. In other words, the fistfight he got into with Kyle shortly before he died.”
“Emily, you saw what Chad was wearing when, uh...when his body was discovered, right?”
“Yes.”
“Was he wearing the same clothes as the night before, when he went to dinner with Kyle?”
“Hang on, I’ll ask him. He’s brushing his teeth.” Emily set the phone down and Claudia heard the muffled sound of voices. A moment later, she returned. She sounded upset when she spoke. “Claudia.”
“Yes?”
“Chad was wearing the same clothes.”
“Okay. So we know he was probably killed the evening before I found him. Most likely right after his fight with Kyle.”
“It doesn’t mean Kyle did it!” Emily hissed.
“What?” Claudia’s eyes widened. “I wasn’t trying to imply he did.”
“But you were thinking that. I know you were,” Emily said in an accusatory tone. She lowered her voice so Kyle wouldn’t overhear. “Look, Claudia, I know you’re not happy about my marriage. You don’t like Kyle for some reason and -”
“I’ve never said that,” Claudia interjected.
“You didn’t have to say it. It’s written all over your face any time his name comes up.”
Claudia didn’t know how to respond. She supposed her best friend wasn’t totally wrong.
“All I’m asking is that you trust me,” Emily said, her voice sounding miles and miles away even though she was on the same ship. “Kyle is a good man. A great man. I may not have known him for long, but I know he isn’t a murderer. He didn’t kill Chad.”
“Okay.”
“Is that really all you have to say?”
“I don’t know what else you want me to say?”
“I want you to help!” Emily exploded, her frustration evident. “You always pride yourself on thinking outside the box, so do it now. What are we and the investigators overlooking? We’ve got to be missing something...someone...please, I need you,” she whined.
“What were Kyle and Chad fighting about that night?” Claudia asked.
Emily went quiet. “It was a family thing,” she said.
“What kind of family thing?” Claudia pressed. “If you want my help, you need to tell me everything you know.”
Emily sighed. “Hang on, I’m going to step into the hallway so Kyle doesn’t overhear me.” There was a brief commotion as she changed locations. “Okay, so it was about money,” she said when she came back on the line.
“What about money?”
“You’re going to think I married into an awful, dysfunctional family if I tell you.”
“Just tell me,” Claudia urged, beginning to lose patience.
“Chad had a habit of overspending. He lived large, even when he didn’t have the means to. His father had always paid for his lifestyle; he was kind of spoiled that way. But when his father retired and handed over the keys to the bar, he made it clear that Chad needed to start paying his own way.”
“And let me guess...that didn’t happen.”
“Right. He bought too many brand name clothes or went on one too many vacations. I don’t know, exactly. But he ran into money problems. So he pressured his brother to lend him some money.”
“Ashton?”
“Yeah. Ashton has made a small fortune buying and selling cryptocurrency or something. I don’t know the specifics, exactly, but he does really well for himself. You’ve probably noticed he’s kind of an introverted, nerdy guy. But in his case, being a nerd has paid off big time.”
“I see. Alright, so Ashton agreed to the loan and then what happened?”
“Chad didn’t pay him back as promised. One month turned into two, and so on. It quickly became clear that Chad had no intention of repaying his brother. It had been a sore spot between the two of them for a while.”
“And that’s what the fight was about?”
“Kyle, Chad and Ashton went out for dinner and drinks. Somehow the topic came up in conversation and things got incredibly heated. According to Kyle, Chad became aggressive and threatening toward Ashton. I guess it was a common occurrence - ever since they were kids, Chad had bullied Ashton.”
“Sounds like a nice guy,” Claudia said sarcastically.
“I know. So anyway, Chad took a swing at Ashton. Thankfully, he was pretty drunk and he missed. But that was when Kyle intervened. Ashton is a scrawny little guy. There’s no way he could hold his own in a physical altercation with his brother. Kyle felt like it was an unfair fight, so he tried to break things up.”
“And then what happened?”
“Chad flipped out and sucker punched Kyle. And things escalated from there. They were kicked out of the steakhouse and continued to go at it for a bit outside.”
“Got it. What happened after the fight?”
“Kyle came to find me. He thinks he remembers Ashton leaving, but he says it’s all a blur. He’s pretty sure Chad made a beeline to the nearest bar.”
“What can you tell me about Ashton?” Claudia asked curiously.
“Hmm, I don’t know. I don’t know him much better than I knew Chad. He’s quiet, introverted, a bit socially awkward. Kyle feels protective toward him on account of how his father always treated him.”
“How did Ashton’s dad treat him?”
“He was like a second class citizen,” Emily explained. “Chad was the perfect son who could do no wrong. Ashton was basically a huge disappointment. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with him, necessarily. It’s that Kyle’s uncle values things like charisma and good looks over intellect and introspection.”
“Interesting. Do you think -”
“Oh, Kyle is looking for me. I can hear him calling my name. I’ve gotta go,” Emily said. “Please, if you think of anything that could help clear Kyle’s name, let me know.”
“What was that all about?” Scott asked as Claudia hung up.
“Chad was suffocated to death.”
“You mean smothered?”
“I guess. And Kyle is the main person of interest.”
“Jeez,” Scott shook his head. “I’m guessing Emily isn’t taking it well?”
“She’s insisting Kyle is innocent.”
“What do you think?” Scott asked curiously.
Claudia hesitated. “Don’t repeat this to anyone,” she cautioned.
“I won’t,” Scott promised.
Even so, Claudia was reluctant to speak her mind. Finally, she admitted, “Emily has had poor judgment in the past when it comes to men. I’m not convinced this time is any different. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if it turns out Kyle did kill his cousin.”
