Page 43 of Death in the Family
“How could he not be doing his part? Didn’t Jasper come up with a whole new marketing plan?”
“A plan they didn’t ask for that spent money they don’t have.They hate that he’s around now, and they hate that he’s trying to help them.”
“If Flynn and Bebe don’t want his help, what do they want?”
Ned looked at me like I was a moron. “His money,” he said. “Flynn and Bebe are vultures, and they think Jasper’s an easy meal.”
Where there’s money, there’s someone reaching for the pot. What I’d told Camilla was true. She and Norton thought a ransom note was on the way... but what if this attempt at extortion was an inside job? Jasper was careful with his finances, and according to his grandmother, he had savings to spare. But all three siblings had received an inheritance just two years ago. It didn’t add up.
“Why would they need Jasper’s money?”
“I told you, the company’s tanking.”
“Bebe implied it’s a temporary slump.”
“She’s lying. After Baldwin and Rachel died, Flynn found out the company was deep in debt. He had to pay off a bunch of suppliers and creditors. Bebe pitched in, but it wasn’t enough. Flynn’s trying to keep it quiet, but I’m pretty sure they’re gonna declare bankruptcy. Long story short, they’re screwed.”
The Sinclairs’ wealth, the posh apartments in the city, their status as the heads of an iconic Garment District institution, the family legacy... all of it hinged on keeping Sinclair Fabrics afloat, and by Ned’s account, it was sinking fast. They were the picture of prosperity, among the Thousand Islands’ most elite residents, on par with railroad tycoon George Pullman and Isaac Singer with his sewing machines—according to Tim. I couldn’t imagine them losing it all. Or how desperate they must be to keep it.
I looked around the library I’d spent so many hours in. Withits rich wood built-ins and enormous collection of hardback books, the room was stunning. The whole island was. “There has to be more family money than that. This place must be worth a fortune.”
“Sure it is. It’s a goddamn gold mine. But Tern belongs to Camilla.”
“Can’t she loan Flynn and Bebe the money to get the business back on its feet?”
He flinched and said, “How should I know?”
Camilla. The previous day, when Jasper and Abella planned to play cards with Camilla, it was Ned they’d chosen to round out the game. In his interview, Flynn told me Ned encouraged him to drop in on Camilla. Ned knew she’d been waiting for Flynn to arrive at the island. That meant Ned had spent time with her already.
“I know Camilla’s sick,” I said. “There’ll be an inheritance soon. Why would Flynn and Bebe need Jasper’s savings if they have more money coming to them?”
“Not my family, not my problem. Look, that’s all I know.” Ned leaned back in his chair and tried to look confident. “We done?”
I’d gone into the interview believing Ned Yeboah was pivotal to the case. He’d been disingenuous with Flynn, and his behavior on the island was troublesome. Yes, he’d shown loyalty to Jasper and Abella, his besties from the city. As for Bebe, the woman he was sleeping with, he’d just called her a liar.
I wanted to believe Ned was an honorable person. I don’t know any hardened criminals who voluntarily spend their weekends cleaning up dog poop. I had to admit, though: the man was starting to piss me off. I’d waited all day to talk to him, and while he’dgiven me more to work with than the others, he was still holding out. Flynn, Bebe, Abella, Miles... every road led back to Ned.
“You wanna be done?” I said. “Okay, let’s finish with a recap. Jasper’s been missing for hours and that’s blood up there on his sheets, a lot of it. He was here last night, and now he’s not. This house is filled with his closest family and friends. I have a hard time believing not one of you knows what happened here.”
I tented my fingers and studied his face. “It’s been a long day, Ned, and I’ve conducted a lot of interviews. Would you care to know what I found when I grilled the others? I found you. You and Bebe.” I nodded at the window. “Out there, in that shed.”
Ned’s face opened up in surprise, and I felt a prickle of fear. Was it possible I was wrong? “You’re having an affair with her,” I said, pushing harder. “You’re sleeping with Bebe behind Flynn’s and Jasper’s backs, and yesterday somebody caught you. There was no mistaking what they saw. I have to tell you, Ned, it’s been suggested you might not have been so sorry to wake up and find Jasper gone. That maybe you had something to do with our missing person and his blood.”
“That’s bullshit. Who said that?”
“You say Jasper’s a good friend, but it looks to me like you used him to get to Flynn and now Bebe.”
“That’s not true. I didn’t do that.” Ned’s long fingers clawed at his knees.
I was wired and my senses hummed—my questions were getting to him, at last. “You put Abby’s boyfriend’s life at risk when you went out to that shed.”
“Don’t you talk about her,” he said in a fierce voice. “Don’t you say her name.”
“How do you think she felt when she saw you fucking Jasper’s sister? Because she did see, Ned. It was Abby out there, not him.”
In a flurry of movement Ned got to his feet—and I reached for my gun. The burn, the gauze, the pain, none of it mattered when my fingers made contact with the pistol grip. In a fraction of a second I was looking down the barrel at Ned.
“Fuck! Don’t shoot!” cried Ned. “I was just gonna leave, that’s all!”
