Page 58 of Sunburned

I pulled the note from my purse and handed it to him. His face darkened as he scanned it. “Goddammit,” he said.

I tucked the note back into my bag as the taxi pulled through the gates of Le Rêve and Cody handed the cabbie a wad of cash. “You’ll be here tomorrow?” he asked as we climbed out of the car. “It would be good for the three of us to sit down, make sure we’re all on the same page.”

As much as it pained me to be in the same room with Tyson, I knew he was right. “I’ll be here if you want me to be,” I promised.

I bade Cody good night in the foyer, then padded across the smooth floor to my room, a tornado of apprehension churning inside me.Tyson was going to lose his shit when he found out I’d told Cody about the blackmail.

I collapsed on my bed and took out my phone, again hitting Download on the images of the arrest report Rosa had sent. Finally the pictures started to populate, one by one.

I zoomed in on the pages of Cody’s arrest report, looking for some indication of the evidence that had been turned in. I found it in the handwritten notes toward the bottom of the second page:

Digital copy of video dated 8/2 included in evidence shows fraudulent program devised and run by suspect.

I pulled up my calendar app and scrolled back eleven years. August the second was a Sunday, the day after I caught Tyson cheating on me Saturday night. The day after he beat the shit out of Cody for not covering for him.

Tyson had played it so well, placing the blame for Cody’s arrest on Ian. We’d both believed it, and I knew Cody did still, or there was no way in hell he’d be working for Tyson. But it was a lie. Ian hadn’t been the one to turn Cody in, Tyson had.

If Cody found out, he might very well betray his brother the same way Tyson had him. I didn’t have hard evidence of the falsified environmental reports Tyson had ordered, but Cody did, and if he discovered his own brother had been the one to send him to jail all those years ago, there would be nothing stopping him from turning those documents over to the authorities, which would destroy De-Sal.

I felt a surge of triumph, realizing that this knowledge gave me the upper hand.

It was time to fight fire with fire, before Tyson made good on any of his threats toward me. And I needed to do it now, while I was still fortified by rancor and champagne, before I lost my nerve. I didn’t want to engage with Tyson, didn’t want to give him the chance to respond. No, I wanted to have the last word tonight. Let him sleep on it, contemplate what damage I could inflict.

I was practically giddy as the printer in my room churned out the pages. I didn’t need to leave a note with the arrest report, nor did I need to make any threats; Tyson’s imagination would do the work, just as it had with the news article about Ian’s foot. All I had to do was provide the information, folded neatly and left on his pillow.

Sweet dreams, asshole.

Chapter 17

I was shocked when I awoke in the morning to find I’d slept a full seven hours. It was past ten o’clock, and I felt remarkably good despite the copious amount of alcohol I’d consumed the previous evening. Then I remembered my altercation with Tyson, and my hangxiety reared its ugly head with a roar. I suddenly felt ill.

I also vaguely remembered telling Cody why Tyson had invited me down here. And then…the envelope I’d left on Tyson’s pillow. I groaned, burying my head under my own pillow. But I didn’t regret my decision. I’d be free to leave now, just as soon as Cody and I had the chat I’d promised him with Tyson.

I shakily popped three Advil and guzzled the entire bottle of water next to my bed. I checked my phone, my stomach doing a flip as I recognized the number for the police station in my messages. The voicemail was short:

“Audrey, it’s Deanna. I know you’re out of the country, but we’ve opened an investigation into Ian Kelley’s death, and need you to come on down to make a statement when you return. Give me a call and we’ll arrange a time.”

Her voice was professional but calm, and in the bright light of day,I was glad to find my pulse didn’t skyrocket the way it had last night when I got Rosa’s message. I’d known this was coming. And yes, I’d been caught backfooted by Tyson’s accusations when I got down here, but now that I had some leverage, Tyson, Cody, and I would talk like civilized adults today, like we should have to begin with. Everything was going to be fine.

At least that’s what I’d keep telling myself.

I was desperate for coffee, but I also didn’t want to face anyone before I’d pulled myself together, so I showered and put on enough makeup to conceal the dark circles beneath my eyes before exiting my room.

The first person I saw was Laurent. He was wearing his uniform of khaki trousers and a white button-down, cleaning up the remains of breakfast with the chef and another server. He flashed a professional smile as I entered the kitchen, and immediately I was in that alleyway again, my hands tangled in his hair, his body pressed to mine.

“Good morning, Audrey,” he said breezily.

“Good morning,” I replied, flushed.

“Would you like some coffee?”

“Definitely,” I answered, trying and failing to match his casual attitude. “Merci.”

As he prepared my coffee, I turned to survey the veranda. Cody was on his laptop on the couch facing the view while Allison swam laps in the pool, moving so gracefully through the water that it was hard not to stare. Jennifer was parked on a lounger in a sun hat with the same book she’d been reading yesterday, next to Gisèle and Samira, who both appeared to be asleep on their stomachs, their long limbs splayed at odd angles. Tyson was nowhere to be seen.

Laurent appeared at my side, coffee in hand. “Thank you,” I said, taking it from him.

He nodded, his gaze slipping away from mine too quickly. He certainly was doing a good job of treating me like any other guest this morning. So good, I wondered if he thought last night was a mistake.

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