“Yeah, he’s in the living room, supposedly playing with the baby butmostly watching the game. Come on back.”
Jessie followed the woman back, silently marveling at how fit shelooked only months after having a baby. It seemed that she’d been using some ofthe family’s substantial wealth to maximize her personal trainingopportunities.
When they stepped into the living room, it took a second to locateTheo. The carpet was covered in toys, mats, stuffed animals, and multiplebouncy contraptions. Eventually she located him, sitting on the floor with hisback resting against the couch. An adorable little girl was trying to climb uphis chest and neck to yank his hair, just out of her reach. He accepted itwithout complaint, his eyes focused on the football game on the large screen onthe wall.
“Hello, Mr. Aldridge,” Jessie said in a soothing voice she hoped wouldn’tupset the baby. “Good to see you again.”
Aldridge looked over at her and she could tell that the feeling wasn’tmutual.
“I thought you couldn’t come here after I called my lawyer.”
“That only applies to police,” Ariana volunteered on her behalf.
Jessie moved forward and sat on the edge of the couch. The baby eyedher curiously as she pulled three drool-covered fingers out of her mouth andpointed at her.
“I’ve actually just come from seeing the Landers,” she said as she gavethe little girl a goofy smile, which got a happy cackle in response. “They werereceptive to my visit when I indicated that I thought I could help square awaytheir alibi.”
“What was that alibi?” Ariana asked curiously.
“I’m sorry,” Jessie said, trying to sound genuinely regretful. “I’mafraid I can’t share that with you. I assured them discretion, just as I wouldwith you. That’s why I’d like to speak to Mr. Aldridge privately. I want toafford him the same level of confidentiality. I still very much want to speakwith you, Mrs. Aldridge. But since you weren’t on the island at the time inquestion, I don’t want to taint your recollection with your husband’sdescription of events. You understand.”
“Sure,” Ariana replied, though it didn’t look like she did. “It’s time forGinny’s afternoon nap anyway. I’ll put her down so you two can talk.”
She picked up the baby, who screeched in opposition, and left. Whenthey were gone, Jessie turned to Theo, who didn’t look excited to have thisconversation. She got the impression he would have said “no” flat out if hiswife hadn’t been there.
“I think we should find somewhere more private to talk, Mr. Aldridge,”she told him. “This discussion could address some sensitive issues that youmight want to keep private.”
“Why should I talk to you at all?” he asked, barely containing hisbelligerence.
She smiled as if he’d asked if she’d like a cookie.
“Because I might be able to formally remove you from our suspect list.Is that something you’d be interested in?”
He scowled at her but didn’t speak. Instead, he got up and motioned forher to follow him down the hall, where he opened the door to what looked likehis office. When she entered he closed it behind her.
“Don’t lock it, please,” she instructed.
He raised his eyebrows, apparently surprised at the insinuation thatshe might not be safe alone in his presence. But he said nothing as he walkedaround to the other side of his desk and sat down. She took a seat in one ofthe plush leather chairs facing him.
“I don’t know how long we have before your wife returns,” she told him.“And I suspect you’d prefer she not hear what I have to say, so I’ll get rightto the point: I know where you were last night.”
Though his eyes got wide, his voice was calm when he responded.
“I already told you where I was,” he countered. “I even gave you a listof people and places.”
“You gave me a laundry list without any specifics about when you werewhere and with whom. But some of your friends helped nail it down for me.”
Theo Aldridge’s face turned ashen but he didn’t reply so Jessie pressedon.
“Your good friends, Marin and Barry, indicated that they spent somequality time in their room with you. Does that comport with your recollection?”
“You can’t…no one is supposed to…please—” he stuttered, seeminglyunsure how to respond.
“I’m not trying to mess up your marriage, Mr. Aldridge,” she told him,sensing his concern. “I don’t care about your little group’s cardinal ruleabout intermingling. And I don’t need to know the particulars of whatactivities you engaged in and with whom. That’s not my business. What I need toknow is if you were in their hotel suite from ten p.m. until Melissa Ferrostarted screaming. And one more thing you should know before you answer: theLanders say they took video.”
He stood up and pressed his hands on his desk, palms down. He lookedlike he might faint. Jessie got to her feet as well.
“I was just curious to see what it was all about,” he said, his voice amix of fear and confusion. “Ari had gone home. I had a lot to drink. Theyinvited me up when they were leaving the bar. One thing led to another. I’venever done anything like that before.”
“I’m not your priest, Mr. Aldridge,” she said, refusing to be suckedinto his psychodrama. “I just need to know if you were all in that room from thetime you left the bar until you heard the screams.”
He paused for a moment, as if he was debating whether he could stillfind a way out of this. Then, seeming to sense he couldn’t, he nodded.
“I was there. I was in their room the whole time. I didn’t haveanything to do with Gabby’s death. I swear.”
Before she could reply, Jessie heard a bang behind her. She spun aroundto see that the office door had been thrown open. Ariana Aldridge was standingin the doorway with the baby in her arms and fury in her eyes.
“You bastard,” she yelled as she advanced on him.
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
Jessie tried
