The Best Man to Trust

CHAPTER Nine



“There’s no one here,” Tom concluded.

“I don’t think so, either,” Meredith agreed. He couldn’t tell if what he heard in her voice was relief or simply exhaustion.

Either one would make sense. They’d spent hours going through Sutton Hall from top to bottom, finally winding up here, in the ballroom in the west wing.

They stood in the middle of the ballroom floor, dwarfed by the massive space that stretched two stories high and half the length of the wing. On one side of the room was a stage they’d already checked. There was a skylight high overhead and windows covered nearly half of the outside wall. All that could be seen beyond them was an impenetrable whiteness. He thought he could hear the faint sound of the wind howling in the distance. Or maybe it was just the emptiness of the room echoing around them, he thought, his skin suddenly prickling with unease.

“There are certainly a lot of hiding places around here,” he noted.

“I guess that’s the downside of how big it is.”

“This place really is incredible, though,” Tom said, leaning back to scan his surroundings.

“It is, isn’t it?” Meredith said, a wistful, almost resigned note in her voice.

Tom glanced over at her. Her expression was heavy with sadness. It had to be impossible for her not to remember how this amazing place had been touched by so much ugliness.

It was a shame, too. He wasn’t exaggerating—Sutton Hall really was extraordinary, he thought, craning his head to peer up into the high ceilings. From the massive ballroom to the tower bedrooms, the library to the atrium, the place was more like an actual castle than anything he ever would have expected to find in this country—or outside of a storybook. There were moments when they’d come upon a sight so amazing he’d nearly forgotten the purpose for their search and simply wanted to take in his surroundings.

Unfortunately, reality had always returned soon enough, reminding him exactly why they were doing this.

“I’m guessing you weren’t planning on using this space for Scott and Rachel.”

“No,” Meredith agreed. “It seemed a bit much with only the six of you. I know Rachel was excited to see the ballroom, but we were going to use more intimate spaces for the wedding events. The atrium in the back of the manor seemed like a good choice, and the library is lovely.”

“Still, seems like a shame not to be able to put this to use.”

She nodded. “It does. When I first came up with the idea of holding weddings here, I imagined all these big events that could really take advantage of such a magnificent space. But most of the weddings that planned to come here were smaller, like Scott and Rachel’s. In retrospect, it does make sense. It would be harder to get a large group of people to travel all the way to such a remote location.” She gave her head a small shake. “I guess this really was a bad idea.”

Before he could say anything she started to turn away. “I think we’re done here.”

They made their way out of the room, Meredith stopping to lock the doors behind them. Despite the massive amount of territory they’d covered, there were no doubt places they hadn’t reached. It would likely take days to conduct a thorough search of every inch of Sutton Hall. Even so, they hadn’t detected any signs there was anyone else on the premises who wasn’t supposed to be here. For the time being, and without any evidence otherwise, Tom was inclined to believe that meant there really wasn’t anyone else here.

Which meant the killer was most likely someone they were already aware of. Either one of the members of Meredith’s staff—

Or one of his old friends.

A sense of resignation settled over him at the thought. He still didn’t want to believe it was possible. But the longer he thought about it, the more he knew he had to.

“Can I ask you something?” Tom asked as they made their way down the corridor toward the front foyer.

“Sure.”

“Why didn’t you ask Rick to help us with the search?”

A guilty flush colored her cheeks. “I wasn’t sure if I should. He’s pretty much had the run of the place for the past several days, so if there was somebody here, he should have already known about it.”

“And if there was somebody here, that would mean he was keeping it from you, and probably was involved with that person being here in the first place.”

“Exactly,” she allowed. “Now that it looks like there’s no one else here, I hate that I didn’t automatically trust him, but I didn’t think I could afford to. Not if there was even a chance...”

“But you trust me?”

She glanced over at him, her gaze direct and unguarded. “I do,” she said simply.

Her unquestioned confidence struck him hard. A mixture of awe and pride and pleasure like nothing he’d ever felt before filled him in the face of her approval.

They reached the main staircase in the front hall. As they descended the stairs, Tom glanced up at the portrait hanging on the wall above the landing halfway down. He’d noticed it before but hadn’t paid much attention to it. It depicted a couple, a bride and groom on their wedding day from the looks of it. The image seemed to loom over him and Meredith, oppressive and unsettling. Given everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours, it was an eerie reminder of exactly what had brought them all here—and of Scott and Rachel’s wedding that wouldn’t take place.

Meredith must have noticed his attention. “That’s the previous owner of Sutton Hall, Jacob Sutton, and his wife, Kathleen, on their wedding day,” she explained.

“Is that where you got the idea to hold weddings here?” he asked, coming to a stop on the landing.

“Actually, yes.”

Tom took in the smiling faces of the bride and groom, the joy seeming to radiate from them and out of the portrait. It was impossible not to think of Scott and Rachel. Even when they finally did manage to get married, they likely wouldn’t be able to take as much joy in it as this couple had. The moment would inevitably be colored by what had happened here.

“They look happy,” he observed.

“From what I was told, they were. For a few years at least.”

Tom didn’t miss the note of sadness that had entered her voice. “What happened to them?”

“She was killed in a car accident about five years into their marriage. He never got over it. He lived the rest of his life here alone.”

Tom studied the face of the fresh-faced groom in the portrait. He really did look happy, his hand clasping his bride’s, his smile broad and beaming. Tom tried to imagine him as an older man, tragic and alone in this massive mansion. He couldn’t do it, or maybe he just didn’t want to. “That’s really sad,” he murmured, the words feeling inadequate to convey how true it was.

“Yes, it is,” Meredith said softly. “When we first came here and I heard their story, I actually thought it was incredibly romantic, the idea of a love that didn’t die even though one of the people in it had. But now I think about him in this huge house, shut away from everyone and everything, and it just seems like a waste. I doubt Kathleen would have wanted him to live like that. Not if she truly loved him.”

“It’s almost like he was hiding from the world,” Tom said.

It was only an idle observation. He wasn’t entirely sure why he’d said it at all. But it seemed to strike a chord in her. He glanced over in time to see her wince, her expression tightening as she slowly lowered her eyes.

And he understood, a burst of sorrow shafting through him.

Is that what you’re doing here, Meredith Sutton? he wondered, his gut clenching. Hiding?

He couldn’t really blame her. After what she’d been through, withdrawing from the world probably would have seemed like a relief. Maybe she’d needed that, needed the time and space to recover. Maybe she hadn’t even known that was what she was doing, though, from her reaction, she seemed to be considering the possibility now.

Seeing the sadness on her face, he wished he hadn’t said it. “Or maybe he just didn’t feel the need to leave,” Tom said, striving to lighten the tone. “This place is pretty amazing. Who would want to leave if they didn’t have to?”

She forced an unconvincing smile. “I’m sure you’ve seen some amazing places with your job.”

“That’s true. But this place is certainly something special.”

“That it is.”

“What about you?” he asked, still hoping to distract her, if only for a moment. “Did you ever want to travel?”

“Always,” she admitted. “But after Brad and I got married, it never seemed to happen. My brother, Adam, used to travel a lot for work and he’d send me postcards and souvenirs from the places he visited. It was nice to get a little taste of those places.”

“But still not the same as seeing them yourself.”

“No,” she conceded.

“Maybe someday you will.”

“Maybe,” she said, her tone noncommittal. She gave herself a little shake. “We should go. We’ve been away from the others for a while. I want to check on everyone.”

His pulse instantly kicked into a higher gear at the comment. She had a point. It had been hours since they’d seen any of the others. Anything could have happened. “Good idea.”

She quickly turned away, crossing the landing to move up the other part of the staircase that led to the east wing and their rooms.

He moved to follow her, glancing toward the front of the hall as he did. It was the middle of the day. The light coming through the front windows in the foyer should have been bright, but it wasn’t. It was murky, diffuse, a reminder of the storm that engulfed them, filtering out the sun.

Tom had no trouble understanding her reluctance to discuss the future.

At the moment, they couldn’t even escape this place, let alone go anywhere else.

Simply making it through the next several days seemed like enough of a goal.

* * *

REACHING THE SECOND-FLOOR landing, Meredith took in the row of closed doors that met her eyes. Everything looked calm and undisturbed, with no ugly surprises waiting in the hall this time. She hoped that was a good sign. She and Tom had been gone for hours, making their way through the house. Anything could have happened since then.

There was only one way to find out. Fighting a prickle of unease, she quickly moved to the bridal suite and knocked on the door.

The moments that passed without an immediate answer seemed to last forever, her pulse picking up every second she waited.

Finally Scott’s voice came from the other side of the door. “Who is it?”

“Meredith. And Tom,” she added, almost as an afterthought. Maybe his presence would alleviate any reluctance they might feel about answering the door to her.

A few seconds later, the door opened slightly. Scott peered out to confirm it was them before opening it all the way. Rachel was visible behind him, pacing the floor in the center of the room.

Meredith didn’t miss the way Scott’s gaze shifted between the two of them, a speculative gleam in his eyes. “Hey. What’s going on?”

“I just wanted to see how you both were doing.”

“How do you think we’re doing?” Rachel snapped. As she voiced the question she came to a sudden stop, turning to face them. Her arms folded over her chest, she looked as if she was holding herself tightly, her face tense and pale.

“We’re hanging in there,” Scott answered, a hint of apology in his eyes. “We’re still a bit on edge.”

“It’s okay,” Meredith assured him. “I understand.”

“We went through the house,” Tom said. “There doesn’t appear to be any sign of anyone else in here that we don’t know about.”

“So most likely it’s someone we are aware of,” Rachel concluded. She hesitated for an instant before adding grimly, “Someone who works here.”

“I trust my staff completely,” Meredith said.

“The same way you trusted the last staff who worked for you?” Rachel returned. Her tone was less spiteful than Jessica’s, the question blunt and matter-of-fact, which only made it sting more.

Meredith didn’t let her reaction show on her face. “More,” she replied firmly.

“And I trust my friends,” Rachel said without hesitation, her voice unyielding.

“Neither Ellen nor Rick had any reason to want to hurt Haley—or anyone else.”

“And you think one of us did?”

“You tell me,” Meredith responded without rancor. “Did either of you give any more thought to why someone would want to hurt Haley?”

“None of us would!” Rachel insisted, her voice harsh with intensity. The answer was so immediate, so absolute, that Meredith believed she meant it. She just had to wonder if it was because Rachel had seriously considered it and dismissed the possibility, or because she was refusing to consider it at all.

Meredith glanced at Scott. He gave his head a small shake. “I’m sorry. We have thought about it. I honestly don’t know why anyone would have wanted to hurt her, let alone kill her.”

He sounded so genuine Meredith figured she had no choice but to believe him—for now. Pressing him was unlikely to get her a different answer.

She turned her attention back to Rachel. Remembering the exchange she’d witnessed between Rachel and Jessica in the hall that morning, Meredith was tempted to mention it. But she had to wonder how honest the woman would be with her fiancé in the room. She was going to have to find some way to talk to Rachel alone. It wasn’t going to be easy. It was doubtful that Scott would want to leave his bride-to-be alone with anyone else anytime soon.

Meredith managed a smile. “Well, I’m glad you’re both all right. I’m sure lunch will be ready soon. I’ll let you both know when it is.”

“Thank you,” Scott said warmly. “That sounds great.”

Meredith couldn’t help but be grateful for his calmness. As soon as the feeling registered, she immediately experienced a flicker of doubt. Rachel’s agitation certainly made sense given the circumstances. As much as she appreciated it, Scott’s calmness was the more unusual response in the face of everything that was happening. Maybe she should consider that suspicious....

She studied his face, trying to determine if there was something else there. She couldn’t read anything in his eyes other than the openness that seemed to radiate from him.

Behind him Rachel had started to pace the room again. Meredith watched her for a moment before Scott closed the door.

She was about to move down the hall when the one of the doors slowly began to open. Her wariness growing, she watched as Jessica poked her head out an instant later. Eyes wide, she glanced in both directions. As soon as she spotted them, her gaze narrowed, the now familiar contempt entering her eyes when they landed on Meredith. Straightening, she stepped all the way out into the hallway, allowing them to see she still had that bookend clutched in her right hand.

“I see you two are still together,” she noted. “What’s going on?”

“I’m just checking on everybody, making sure you’re holding up okay.”

Jessica’s mouth twisted in a sneer. “Making sure we’re still alive?”

Meredith forced a smile. “That, too,” she admitted. “What are you doing?”

“Going to the bathroom, since my room doesn’t have one of its own,” she griped. Pulling her door shut, she turned the knob to make sure it was locked. With one last look of distaste at Meredith, she started to turn away.

Meredith suddenly remembered the question she hadn’t been able to ask Rachel moments ago. The bride wasn’t the only one who could answer it. “Jessica?”

Her shoulders tensing, Jessica stopped and shot a glance back at them. “What?”

“When I saw you and Rachel talking this morning, you looked really upset, even angry with her. Do you mind if I ask what you were talking about?”

The woman’s face flushed an angry red. “As a matter of fact, yes, I do mind.”

“Really?” Tom asked. “Some might think that means you have something to hide.”

“I don’t care what some people think, and I definitely don’t care what either of you think. It’s none of your business.”

“One of your best friends was murdered and the killer is still on the loose.”

“This has nothing to do with that. I was just angry at her for bringing us here.”

“That’s all it was?” Meredith asked, unable to hide her skepticism.

“I just said so, didn’t I?” Jessica snapped.

“You know, we could always ask Rachel.”

Meredith had hoped to provoke a reaction out of her. Instead, the anger slowly faded from Jessica’s face. She lifted her chin, her lips settling back into a smirk. Even before she spoke, Meredith understood. Whatever it was, Jessica didn’t think Rachel would tell them.

“Go ahead. I don’t care what you do.”

Spinning on her heel, she quickly hurried down the hall away from them, dashing into the bathroom and slamming the door behind her.

The noise echoed down the hallway. Meredith let out a long, slow breath, fighting the frustration and disappointment churning in her belly. Jessica was the last person she would have expected to cooperate with her, but that didn’t make her refusal any less discouraging. They needed answers—badly.

“What was that about?” Tom asked.

Meredith suddenly realized she’d never told Tom about the scene she’d witnessed. “After I cleaned up the dishes from breakfast, I saw her and Rachel talking in the hallway. Or, more accurately, it looked like she was berating Rachel, although they were too far away and speaking too low for me to hear what they were saying.”

“You think it could be something related to the murder?”

“I don’t know,” Meredith admitted. “But given the circumstances I had to at least ask, in case there was any chance it was.”

“Why didn’t you ask Rachel when we saw her?”

“I wasn’t sure how open she would be in front of Scott. To be honest, I don’t know how much she’ll admit even if he isn’t there, but I have to try. Hopefully, I can get a moment alone with her soon.” She looked up at him. “Unless you think she’d be more likely to talk to you.”

He frowned, considering the question. “I can certainly try if I get a chance to speak with her privately. But I can’t be sure she’ll talk to me about it, either.”

“It all might be nothing.” Meredith sighed.

Unfortunately, at the moment, nothing was exactly what they had.