That night I fell asleep early, exhausted from all the amount of surprises the day brought. But woke up to Billy knocking at my door.
"Come on! We're going to check all the new information we gathered with Aro and that girl, Emily."
I was still half asleep so I asked. "Who's Emily?"
"That girl who Aro has investigating outside the island. His right hand. I'm sad to admit that I felt horrible when she mentioned Jacob would be there, even though he'll only be bringing the forensics results, I was disappointed. I really wanted more for my nephew than just being a messenger, but he's so immature." He shook his head.
"Give me ten and I'll be there. Where are you getting together by the way?" I said while scrubbing my eyes with my palms.
"At the manager's office. Poor guy must hate us by now."
"Nah. He's just worried about the reputation of the hotel after this."
"Ok, breakfast will be there too. I'm sure you need some coffee." He closed the door and left.
I walked to the shower and tried to be fast but I was still too tired. Maybe this kind of job, investigating wasn't for me. And I used to think being second to Uncle Marcus was stressful!
I tried to stay in the shower five minutes more, letting the hot water to sooth me, but someone was already calling to my room. I had to rush.
When I opened the door, everybody was already there, with a cup of coffee and a scrambled eggs sandwich. yummy! Insert sarcasm.
My uncle noticed my distaste for the breakfast because he called me on it. "What did you expect? Pancakes with sausage? It would take so much time and would get the office messy! You have to remember that one man works in here and he's kind enough to lend us the space. Now take out the stick up in your ass and eat!"
Admonished, I walked to desk and took a cup of coffee and a sandwich. It wasnt so bad, it had bits of bacon on the inside.
I devoured my food while ignoring the muffled conversations going around me.
"... and he said he had to sedate her because she was inconsolable. I get it, it was her first dead body, but come on! How shielded you have to be had lived to react like that! And don't forget how harsh she was with Bella before, just that time when Bella saw her husband's dead body!" That was Angela complaining to my uncle about someone whom I didn't really care.
"Yeah, I know he can be a pain in the ass. Just think you'll only have to deal with him for a few more days." Jessica was talking to someone on the phone, she had the speaker on and I could barely hear the answers she was getting.
"I know! Just because his uncle is here he thinks we're obliged to wait for him." That voice... I heard it before. It was so sexy and nice. Wait a minute! Are they talking about me? I wasn't that late.
"No, we're all here." I should pay attention, because I missed what the voice said, Jessica was answering and fiddlingwith the buttons on the phone.
"Ok, Jacob finally got there. Let's start." Jessica said out loud and now I realized she was talking to Emily. And I was glad that the one who kept them waiting was Jacob and not me.
Aro stood up and paced. "Well, before I ask Jacob for the forensic results, I'd like to mention that I like to thank everyone for helping us. I'm aware that DEA agents and the local police aren't at my disposal but sure had helped with solving th case. Now Jacob, what do you have for us?"
Jacob voice sounded faint. "The coroner stablished that Tanya died first, from a shot wound received on the left side of her face. The time of death was stablished between twelve am and two o'clock in the afternoon. I'm going to spare you the technical details, but just know her blood analysis showed she had a lot to drink that morning."
He shut up for a second, letting us assimilate the information.
"Michael was shot seconds later. And I mean someone must had shot him because he only held the gun we found in his hands. Both bullets were shot from a similar but different gun. He didn't have any residuals of alcohol in his blood."
Now you could hear the general gasp. It wasn't like we didn't know someone killed them, now we had the certainty.
"Tell me what happened to Riley, did you find more clues as of how he got in the empty side of the hotel?" Emily asked.
Billy told her how they found the body and then he nudged me to continue. I told her what the cook told me yesterday and what the manager found. Jacob confirmed that Riley may had tried to fight but his hand wound was made with the propeller from the boat. The bump on his head though, indicated that whomever killed him, rendered him unconscious first and then tied him. Riley fought but finally got hung. So we gather that it was a man, a strong one."
"How awful!" Jessica said.
"Don't feel sympathy for him. He was a renowned dealer who betrayed his earlier partners." Aro told her.
"Now, let me interrupt you. I have some interesting details to add." That was Emily. "One old friend of mine called me last night with news, and that's why we can't leave this office. She found a man who gave her information about Michael's deals."
This time her information was met with absolute silence.
"The man is in his death-bed, he's dying from cancer and he wanted to release the bits of information he gathered on Michael before passing away. He claims to be Michael's half-brother, different mother same father."
"But we thought Michael didn't have any relatives alive!" Billy exclaimed.
"I don't think Michael was glad to find he had a brother from another woman." I told them.
"Michael's father worked for the Schiaffellis, the mob family. Michael was more ambitious and went to college before he worked for them and this guy just dropped school and went for the easy money."
"So the Schiaffellis are responsible for this murders?"
"No. This man told us a very interesting story. We know Michael was working for the Schiaffellis. Guess what, the Schiafellis didn't ask him to bring Riley to their side. As a matter of fact, they didn't want anything to do with Riley. So the whole bringing Riley here and helping him to get a new identity was Michael and Tanya's plan only. I think they wanted to do this operation on the side. Now I got a few more details but I want to ask first if Bella or Edward are present?"
"No, they're not. Why Emily?" Aro wondered.
"Because this new information is kind of... disheartening. We traced Michael and Tanya bank accounts, they disposed of 70% of the funds and transferred them to a new account. They were stupid because it wasn't on the Cayman Island or somewhere where nobody could trace them. Anyway, we also found mails between them where they planned to fake their deaths and guess what? Place the guilt on Edward and Bella. Tanya even faked a few pictures with bruises on her arms to make Edward appear as a violent man. 20% of their assets were deposited in two accounts on the name of Bella and Edward. So they were trying to help Riley to disappear so the three of them establish somewhere faraway and start again. Leaving Bella and Edward to face the consequences."
Now we were shocked. Those two were so evil! I didn't want to say it, but I feel glad someone got rid them.
"This guy was nice enough to tell us his story, because he thought we were blaming Bella and Edward. He didn't want to die and leave them taking the blunt from Michael's actions." Emily huffed. "According to him, the Schiaffellys weren't trying to get rid of Michael despite having an inkling about his plans. They wanted him to lure Riley to work with him and then when their operation was going on, they would get them and swept Riley's contacts. He said otherwise those contacts wouldn't have worked with them. His orders were to keep tabs on Michael because they knew he was about to bolt."
"Are you sure they didn't send the killer?" I asked.
"Hmm, according to this guy, no. Look, I have old friends in organized crime division over me, trying to get this murder linked to that family since you found the bodies. They can't. And now this guy clearly points that they wanted Michael alive, well, my guess is that one of the former friends of Riley were the responsibles. Now to have the way to prove this..." Emily answered.
Aro was nodding sadly, it was exactly what he said to me.
"So what else we have to get this man?"
Jacob sighed. "We don't have anything to help us find if was tall or short, from the first murders. Now about the second, they are still working on it but they think the man is less than 6 feet tall after looking at the pictures of the marks we found on the floor of the room."
"That could be anyone! Most of the guests arent tall!" Jessica exclaimed.
"So, are we closer to the truth?" Billy asked.
"We shortened our suspects list." I said.
"Yeah, Mr. 6'2''." My uncle teased.
I glared at him. "And we know the Schiafellis weren't the master mind behind it."
Aro chuckled. "Don't take it seriously. He's only joking. But you're right. We have less suspects."
"Carlisle, James," Angela was counting.
"With that beer belly? No, James is out." Billy joked.
"Joham is too strong, maybe he is the culprit, but I feel bad, he's a nice man." Jessica added.
"All our suspects are nice men." I said.
"Emmett is too tall so he's also out." Billy said but I wasn't sure if he was joking.
Aro cleared his throat. "I wouldn't be so fast to discard any suspect. Even Rosalie is tall and strong enough and she hated Michael too. No, I wouldn't discard any of the guests. Emily since you're still working with your contacts, get in motion Plan B."
Emily just answered with a soft. "Ok, if you think so."
Someone knocked on the door. It was the manager.
"Excuse me, I hope I'm not intruding..."
Aro shook his head. "We already finished. What can I do for you?"
"Remember what I asked you yesterday, the casino party?"
Aro nodded.
"I was wondering if my plans were fine, because I received notice of a storm coming and I have to set which employees are to stay here to help and which may leave the island. It will be easier for me to keep controlled the hotel if every guest is at the party." Poor Ben was wriggling his hands, he was so stressed.
Aro took a look around us. "Well, we have to give Emily time to set plan B, so if everybody agrees the party can go on."
We all agreed.
Ben added. "If one of you plans to leave the island... well, the weather is going to get bad in a couple of hours, so the employees will leave in thirty minutes. If anyone chose to leave that's the time to do it."
Aro answered. "No, we're all staying." He looked around but we knew we had to stay.
"Ok, now I'll leave to set everything for this evening. The restaurant will work as usual but the beach and the pool are out of commission for today." And with that last bit of information, Ben left.
"So, where were we?" Billy teased.
"Remembering we still have a killer loose on the island. Now, tell me what is plan B?" Angela asked Aro.
"Emily is going to expand her sources, let's just say she's going to search for an old friend of her family. He may have some answers."
Expect next chapter tonight. :)