Page 110 of Juniper Bean Resorts to Murder

“My brother,” Lionel says through gritted teeth, his hands white-knuckled around the now-empty glass of water, “is capable of a great many things. He can be genuinely kind and charming. But he can also be genuinely cruel and manipulative. He’s volatile like that. He’s not malicious—except toward me,” he adds with a bitter laugh. “But I have no doubt that he will easily dispose of anyone who threatens him. I imagine—” He breaks off, swallowing hard. “I imagine if my brother ever killed anyone, he would cry afterward. But he would do it again without hesitation if he thought he needed to.”

I just look at him for a second, trying to gauge his sincerity, trying to think through everything I know and everything I suspect. I jump, though, when Aiden speaks for the first time.

“You know this, and yet you’re letting him work at a school?”

Lionel bristles. “I keep an eye on him—”

“Not closely enough, it seems,” Aiden snaps.

“All right,” I say, reaching up quickly to pat Aiden’s hand on my shoulder. “All right. Let’s calm down.”

Aiden sighs. “Are you willing to take a paternity test?” he says, and I’m not surprised to hear him still sounding abrasive, bordering on combative.

Lionel bristles again as his eyes jump back and forth between Aiden and me, but then he sighs. “If you’ll sign an NDA…then yes. I’m not your father, Miss Bean, but I do need to know if my brother is.” He pauses, then adds, “You’re absolutely sure that Sandra von Meller is dead?”

“Technically, no,” Aiden says. “We didn’t see a coroner pronouncing her dead. And the sheriff didn’t find a body. But she hasn’t been seen since, and I don’t see how it’s possible that she survived. There was…” He clears his throat. “There was a head wound, and she was motionless.”

“And not breathing,” I add quietly. “I held my fingers under her nose.” I pause. “Andyou’reabsolutely sure that you’re not my father?”

“Your mother and I never slept together,” he says with finality. “But more than that…” He trails off delicately before saying, “I am unable to have children.”

I swallow. I wondered about that. “All right.”

Lionel nods briskly. “Let me see what I can do.” Then he looks at me. “Don’t move. I’ll call for my lawyer.”

26

IN WHICH AIDEN LOSES SHAKESPEARE

Lionel Astor and Juniper don’t end up submitting a paternity test. Instead they submit samples for an avuncular DNA test—a test that will tell them if Lionel is Juniper’s uncle. I didn’t realize that was a thing, but apparently it is. If he’s her father, the test will reveal that as well, based on a number of genetic markers. It must be sweet being rich and well-connected, because Lionel has an NDA drawn up and ready for us to sign within two hours of our meeting, stating that with the exception of law enforcement, we’re not allowed to disclose to anyone the potential relationship between Lionel and Juniper, or the fact that he and his wife apparently can’t have kids.

Personally, I think he’s telling the truth, at least about not being her father. Granted, I’m not an expert on body language or anything like that, and I don’t trust the honesty of a politician, but in this matter, he seems sincere—especially since he was so ready and willing to take the DNA test. He seems just as disturbed as Juniper does about what might have happened to her mother; it’s that, more than anything, that convinces me. It’s clear that he cared for Nora Bean.

News spreads fast about the disappearance of Sandra von Meller. Lionel’s clearly been successful in convincing Tonya to report her daughter missing; it’s all over the local news and in the local gazette. Sheriff Garrity calls Juniper and me in to give our statements, looking both sheepish and defiant, and I don’t hold myself back from giving him a swift dressing-down. Once I’m done with that, though, I tell him everything I know. Juniper takes even longer than I do when she talks to him, and by the time the two of us head home for the day, the sun is setting.

“I’m so tired,” Juniper says when we get inside. She throws herself face-first onto the couch, groaning on impact. “But my brain won’t shut up.” Her stocking-clad feet dangle off the edge of the sofa, wiggling to the beat of some unheard song. She’s got on a skirt made of corduroy, a dark red color, with a white turtleneck underneath. It doesn’t look comfortable, but I can admit it’s veryher.

“I know,” I say, my voice grim. “Mine won’t either. We should try to get some sleep, though. Maybe take some Benadryl or something.”

“Meh,” she says, turning her head so that she’s looking at me. “I’ve got some insomnia medication somewhere. It makes me kind of loopy, but it works well.”

“Take that,” I say, nodding.

“I don’t like feeling groggy when I wake up.”

“Are you going to be able to sleep on your own?” Because I know I won’t. My mind is racing with everything that’s happened. I’m still having trouble reconciling my friend Rocco with Juniper’s potential psycho father Rocco.

“No,” she says in a dull voice. “I’ll stare at the ceiling and jump every time I see a shadow.”

I shrug. “Your call.” Then I sit down on the couch, right on top of her legs. “I’ll just rest here until you decide.”

She laughs, wiggling her legs. “You’re such a child.”

“Am I?” I say with a grin. I let her continue to muscle her legs back and forth until she finally manages to topple me off of her. I slide to the floor, still smiling. Then I look over my shoulder at her. She’s sitting up now.

“Hey,” she says, her eyes sparkling, her hair somehow extra pink. “I like you.”

“Yeah,” I say as my smile fades into something softer. “I like you too.” These aren’t words I’m used to saying; I don’t have these kinds of conversations. But this thing with Juniper…I’ve fallen into it. Slipped into it, really, with astonishing ease. Maybe because she found her way here first, and I simply held on for dear life while she dragged me along after her.

---