Death by Fortune by Brittany E. Brinegar

Author:Brittany E. Brinegar [Brittany E. Brinegar]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Britt Lizz Publishing
Published: 2024-03-25T00:00:00+00:00

11

Sibling Rivalries

Not deterred by O’Malley’s outburst in the kitchen, I loitered around the mansion with Ginger as she enjoyed new sights and smells. I strolled the outside gardens and admired the spring flowers blooming from the front of the house and across the expansive lawn to the street. I strained for the roar of cars almost a half mile away. The place nestled well away from the prying eyes of neighbors.

Rambling to the backyard, the yard transitioned to pure white sand. The cool, salty, ocean breeze hit my face as I leaned on the boardwalk railing. I adjusted my straw hat to block the sun and gathered my thoughts. Hypnotized by the crashing surf, I kicked off my Oxfords. The damp sand cushioned my bare feet, soothing the ache from the workout Jaclyn put me through on the tennis court. I waded to the edge, ankle-deep, and let the waves wash back and forth.

Droplets of seawater sprayed into my face, carried by gusts. Seagulls cawed overhead, yelling at me for interfering with their fishing. Ginger barked at them as they flew near her. She leaped into the air and almost snagged one of the shocked birds.

My eyes drifted closed. Was the case as straightforward as it appeared? Jaclyn, the jilted wife, shoved her husband from the railing. Accident or not, she dragged him into his office and tried to make it look like suicide.

Margo suspected her from the beginning and the facts fell into line. Even Jaclyn’s lies and anger toward Darby pointed to her guilt. But we lacked the hard-hitting evidence to impress a jury. And something told me without it, twelve men would fall for beautiful Jaclyn’s sob story and find her innocent.

As Ginger inched near the water and barked at the waves, I contemplated fetching my swimsuit. Mother thought the red suit scandalous since it showed so much leg. I thought it was cute and also free enough to allow for swimming in something other than the heavy wool bloomers most of society insisted girls wear.

My toes sank in the sand and I let my mind wander for five minutes. I ran through every aspect of the case but I couldn’t fit the puzzle pieces together. I shook my head to keep from falling asleep while standing upright. I needed to make more progress before Margo and Tobias returned to my mess. But how?

I splashed in the ankle-deep water and twirled to the guesthouse. Something sparkled behind me and I caught Georgie waving on the balcony, his watch glistening in the sunshine. Winnie, on the veranda below, mimicked her brother’s motion. I eased closer to understand the shouted words drowned out by the ocean.

“Join me for tea?” Winnie asked.

“I’d love to.” I padded through the comfortable sand to my shoes and whistled for Ginger to follow. By the time I made my way to the deck, Georgie converged with me.

He clapped his hands. “What a wonderful day. Simply a splendid afternoon.”

He obviously hadn’t spoken to his sister-in-law, butler, or maid.

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