Behind Boardroom Doors Page 12

  RJ shook his head. “With everything that’s going on, the last thing we need is more worry. And considering that our current situation was precipitated by my dad’s illegitimate son, you’d think I’d be more careful.” He wasn’t looking at her, but right past her, into the living room.

  Our child wouldn’t be illegitimate if you married me. The thought penetrated her brain before she had a chance to stop it. The man right in front of her looked like he had no intention of marrying anyone, ever. Just as his sister had warned her.

  “How soon will we know?” He turned his gaze back to her, where it hit her like a blow.

  “Uh, I think it’s at least a month.” Didn’t you have to miss a period, or something? She’d never been in a position to worry about it before. Her periods were as regular as tax bills. She hugged her robe about her. The mood had morphed from fevered excitement to worry and regret. “I guess I should get ready for work.” Where she’d be sitting outside his office all day, knowing he was in there wishing he’d never met her and hoping and praying that she wasn’t pregnant with his child.

  The reality of the situation settled like a stone in her stomach.

  “I’m sorry, Brooke.” The pain in his blue eyes scratched a tiny hole in her soul. She wanted to say, “Don’t worry about it,” or something equally banal, but RJ’s grim countenance made her keep her platitudes to herself. She turned and walked back to the bedroom, each footstep feeling like a mile. She managed to shower and climb into the clean suit she’d left there. Her eyes looked hollow as she brushed her teeth at RJ’s sink. She’d been tiptoeing along, enjoying her romance with RJ and skirting all conflict for as long as she could. She’d finally hit that game board chute she’d worried about, and now she’d landed in a heap back at the bottom of the board, sitting on a pile of shattered dreams with an aching heart.

  “Oh, Brooke, I won’t say I told you so.” Evie sat opposite Brooke on the sofa in her living room, sympathy in her big brown eyes and her freshly made martini sitting un-sipped in her hand. “But I had a feeling something like this would happen. I’ve never heard of anyone having an affair with the boss and going on to enjoy decades of happy marriage afterwards.”

  Brooke put her own martini down on the coffee table. Making it had been a welcome distraction, but she didn’t have the heart to drink it. Besides, alcohol might make her more emotional, which was definitely not a good thing right now. And there was the possibility that she might be pregnant, which meant she shouldn’t be drinking at all. “Trust me, I know! I never intended to have an affair with him. It just happened. I knew it wasn’t a good idea from the moment we first kissed, but it was so…” She groped around her brain for words.

  Perfect…magical…dreamy…wonderful…sensual…amazing…

  She didn’t feel like voicing any of those out loud right now.

  “I’ve told you before that I see a pattern in your relationships.” Evie drew her brows together slightly, the way she did when she was about to get serious.

  “What relationships? I haven’t had a date in over a year.”

  “Is it that long? Well, you did say you wanted to take a break. And I don’t blame you, after the blond guy.”

  “Sam.” Brooke grimaced slightly. “He seemed sweet at first.”

  “He seemed needy.” Evie sipped her drink. “He was needy. I think that’s why you were drawn to him. He wanted someone to tell all his problems to, a shoulder to cry on and someone to have lots of warm sympathy sex with.”

  Brooke chuckled. “Not lots of sex. Trust me.”

  “And that guy you dated in college, Ricky. He was seriously high maintenance. I’m not sure how you managed to attend your classes and hold a job while tending to his many needs.”

  “RJ’s not needy. He’s extremely capable, independent, brilliant....”

  “And going through the biggest personal crisis of his life. At any other time he’d probably be a different person, but in the last few weeks he’s been a strapping, muscular bag of needs, and you’ve been doing your best to meet them all.”

  “You are right about the strapping and muscular part.” A tiny smile tugged at her lips. Then she wiped it away. “I was crazy about RJ for years. Long before all this latest drama. I can’t believe I forgot all about contraception and gave him yet another thing to worry about. If only I could turn back the clock and—”

  “Stop trying to save everybody.”

  “My desire to save everybody may be what makes me such a good executive assistant.”

  “Then stop doing it at work, too. I thought you wanted to move into management.”

  Brooke stared at her untouched martini. “I hope I still have a job to go to. If RJ gets tired of dating me he’s not going to want to see my face every day.”

  “So, apply for another job before it happens. Didn’t you say the HR lady thought you had potential for promotion?”

  “I think she was just trying to let me down easy when I got passed over for the Events job. She did tell me to come back and try again, though. She almost hinted that RJ wasn’t willing to give me up just yet.”

  “What?” Evie sat up. “Did you ask him about it?”

  “No.” Brooke sighed. “I never even told him I’d applied. I thought it would be awkward if I got rejected.”

  “You’d better believe he knew about it. His family owns the company.” Evie raised a brow. “They’d better not try any funny business, especially if you’re pregnant. Then you’ll really need the job.”

  “I know.” Brooke hugged herself. “I’ve heard pregnant women can’t even get health insurance these days unless it’s through an employer.”

  “Don’t panic yet. You don’t even know if you are pregnant.” Evie leaned forwards and rested her chin on tented hands. “Would you marry him?”

  Brooke shrank under her inquiring stare. “You mean if I was pregnant?”

  “Yes, and he decided to be a gentleman and face up to his responsibilities.”

  Brooke pulled further back into her chair. “Not if it was an obligation for him.” What a horrible thought. That RJ might feel compelled to marry her out of duty. “I’d hate that.”

  Not that he’d seemed at all inclined to propose this morning. His grim expression still haunted her mind, and he’d managed to be out of the office most of the day in “meetings” that weren’t on the calendar. They’d made no more after-work plans.

  Maybe this was the end?

  Perhaps he’d simply grow more distant and there’d be no more mention of kisses or weekends in the mountains. They’d go back to sharing memos and emails, rather than hugs and sly glances.

  Her hands grew cold just thinking about it.

  Or worse, maybe he’d want her out of sight. She might get transferred to a “crucial position” at the dockyard, or maybe even one of the overseas offices. She’d lose her job—and her health insurance—just when she needed them most.

  “Don’t look so grim.” Evie tapped her hand, drawing her back into the present. “No one’s died yet!”

  “Except RJ’s father.”

  Evie grimaced. “I forgot. Poor RJ, he really does have it coming at him from all angles. Do they still think his mom did it?”

  “Apparently so. She’s still being held without bail.”

  “I bet if you could spring her you’d make him the happiest man alive.”

  “I’d love to, but that would mean knowing who murdered his dad.” She didn’t want to admit, even to Evie, that she was the person responsible for his mom being arrested. “Apparently there’s a paper log kept at the security desk of everyone who enters and leaves the building, but the page for that day is missing.”

  “The killer must have taken it.”

  “I’d imagine so.” The killer had been in the building
with her that night. She suppressed a shiver. “It’s scary knowing there’s someone out there who could kill Reginald Kincaid in cold blood.”

  “And no one knows why.”

  “That’s the weirdest part. I know RJ has suspicions about Reginald’s oldest son, Jack, who he left a huge stake in the company to. He keeps his distance from the rest of the family, almost as if he has something to hide.”

  “Sounds very guilty.”

  “But apparently Reginald knew, or at least suspected, that someone was out to get him. He wrote letters to all the family members, to be read in the event of his death. If he suspected his son Jack, why would he leave him almost half his company?”

  “Maybe it was RJ?” Evie lifted a brow. Humor glittered in her eyes, which was enough to prevent Brooke getting upset.

  “Yes, and maybe he’ll kill me next so I won’t sue him for sexual harassment. His brother Matthew actually warned him I might do that.”

  “Would you?” Evie’s eyes widened.

  “Never. It was utterly consensual so I’d be a real loser if I sued.”

  “Might be easier than winning the lottery, though.”

  “I’d rather take my chances with the Powerball.”

  “I notice how you deftly dodged my question about RJ being the murderer. Just for the sake of argument, he does have motive. Maybe he found out about his dad’s second family and was so mad he wanted revenge?”

  Brooke shook her head. “That’s not his style. He’s too smart to risk spending his life in prison, for one thing. And he really loved his dad. It’s easy to see. He told me about all the time they spent together at their cabin in the woods, and how much he misses him every day.” Her heart filled with emotion just thinking about the look in his eyes when he spoke of his father.

  “Shame, because discovering he’s a killer would really help you go off him if things turn sour.”

  “Maybe this crisis will help us grow together.”

  “See, there you go again, looking for troubled waters to pour oil on. You need to find a nice, uncomplicated guy without a care in the world,” Evie said.

  “Except that I’m in love with RJ.” She said it aloud, needing to admit it to her best friend as well as herself. The word love gave her a rush as it sounded in the air of her condo. “I truly am.”

  “I can tell.” Evie tilted her head and gave Brooke a sympathetic look. “Go on. Call him. You know you want to.” She looked at Brooke’s phone where it sat on the coffee table next to her keys.

  A rush of adrenaline prickled Brooke’s fingers and toes. Did she dare? Maybe he’d be thrilled to hear from her and tell her to come on over. Then they could spend the night making love in his big bed and share a sleepy breakfast in their robes before walking to work together.

  She picked up the phone and dialed his number.

  “Who?” RJ stood up violently from his chair and shoved his hand through his hair. Matt was in his office, along with Laurel and corporate investigator Nikki Thomas. Tall, with shoulder-length black hair and blunt bangs that framed intense blue eyes, Nikki had found the private investigator RJ had hired to look into the murder. Tony Ramos, a tall man with a shaved head and a way of making you feel he could read every thought in your head. “We all know someone saw Mom here on the night of the murder. She told me so herself, but who the hell was it and why won’t anyone tell me?”

  “Yeah, who was it?” Matt paced in front of the door. They were all on edge, as the D.A.’s office had just turned down their umpteenth request for bail.

  “Brooke Nichols.”

  The name fell like a stone in the crowded office. All eyes swiveled to RJ.

  “You’re kidding me.” He looked from Matt to Laurel. Everyone in the room seemed frozen to the spot. He felt his head begin to pound. “It couldn’t be Brooke. She would have said something.”

  Laurel swallowed, and Matt looked down at the carpet.

  “You got this information from the police?” Anger and confusion rose and snarled in his chest. His phone started vibrating in his pocket, and he reached in to turn it off.

  Ramos nodded. “Yes. They interviewed all the employees the next day, and there were only five people in the building after seven that evening. Unfortunately security only had people sign in on a paper log, and—as we all know—it went missing. These are the people who admitted to being there, and Jimmy, the security guard who was on duty that night, said these are also the only people he remembers seeing. Alex Woods, the night shipping clerk, Reginald himself, his wife, Elizabeth, and Brooke Nichols.”

  RJ blew out a hard breath. Brooke, the person he trusted more than anyone else in the world, had kept this from him. “Why didn’t she tell me?”

  “Maybe because she was afraid you’d react like this?” Laurel raised a brow. “All she did was tell the truth, RJ. Would you have wanted her to lie?”

  “None of the others saw Mom?”

  “Jimmy says she waved hello. Nothing out of the ordinary. Apparently Brooke later told the investigating officer Mrs. Kincaid seemed anxious, or stressed.”

  “Dammit.” RJ banged his fist on the desk. “Poor Mom stuck in that place with all those criminals because of a thoughtless comment. Brooke couldn’t possibly suspect Mom.”

  “I’m sure she doesn’t, RJ.” Matt rubbed his eyes. “This situation is a giant quicksand swamp that everyone is getting sucked into. What we need is to find the real killer. Any news on that, Tony?”

  “The police have eliminated all the other people who were here from their inquiries, and I admit I’ve done the same. The only possibility is an intruder no one saw.”

  “We have security on the desk 24/7,” said RJ. “We’re in a competitive business, and shipping containers can hold a lifetime’s worth of trouble so we’re ultra conscious of who comes and goes from this building and all our other facilities. Everyone has to come through the lobby. There’s no other way into the building.”

  The investigator narrowed his sharp eyes. “I’ve checked all the windows and the former cargo doors that were sealed shut. The building is as tight as one of your container ships. The assailant could only have come through the lobby. He also must have removed the log page at some point. Jimmy says the only time the desk is left unattended is when he goes to the bathroom. He said he always bolts the lobby doors before leaving the desk, and he’s sure he did so that night.” Tony looked from Laurel to RJ. “But when he came back from the can and went to unlock the door, the bolt was pulled.”

  “So someone left the building while he was in the bathroom.” Laurel’s hand flew to her mouth. “And it wasn’t Mom because Jimmy said she left much earlier.”

  “Exactly,” Nikki chimed in. “The big snag is, other than Jimmy’s word, there’s no concrete proof of when she left the building, and even if there was proof, she came and left right around the time of the murder.”

  “When did Brooke leave?” RJ’s gut churned. He hated that she was now involved in this mess. His fury at her deception was tempered by worry that she’d be somehow implicated.

  “She left at the same time as your mother. They came down in the elevator together. Apparently Brooke got on the elevator as Mrs. Kincaid came down from visiting your dad’s office.”

  “But Brooke isn’t a suspect.”

  “Nope. Never was.”

  RJ felt a small wave of relief. Then his head started to ache again when he wondered why she’d never told him any of this. They’d been intimate in every way. He’d shared stories about his dad that he’d never told anyone, and she never mentioned that she’d said anything to the police. Her behavior was bizarre and troubling, especially since the subject had been discussed openly with her in the room, including at the family dinner. Why had she kept such crucial information from him?

  And what
if she was pregnant, right now, with his baby? Choosing to have a baby was a huge, lifetime responsibility that should grow from careful thought and planning, not spring from a steamy night of sex. The situation was further complicated by him being her boss. At this point, that was a nightmare. He couldn’t keep a straight face while she walked in and out of his office with letters and files, acting like everything was completely normal and they’d never done more than hold hands.

  “RJ, are you still with us?”

  “What?” He realized Matt had been talking to him.

  “Tony wants to know if he should talk to Brooke, hear exactly what she told the police.”

  “No. I’ll talk to her myself.” He’d avoided her all day, wary of the effect her big green eyes had on him, but there was no avoiding the conversation they needed to have right now.

  He tried hard to tug his attention back to the reason for this meeting. “We need to find out more about the suspected intruder. Has the building been combed for fingerprints?”

  Tony shrugged. “This office building is fifty years old. There are tens of thousands of fingerprints on every surface.”

  “Dad redecorated his office not long ago.” Laurel spoke up. “And surely the killer was in there.”

  “The police went over the office during the initial investigation. I’ll talk to them about our new theory of a separate intruder who hid in the building and see what they have.” Tony typed something into his laptop.

  “Jack Sinclair is still top of my list.” RJ looked from Tony to Nikki. “And now apparently he’s spreading the word that he plans to use his new shares to make changes in the company. Nikki, didn’t you say his car was parked in a nearby lot on the night of the murder?”

  “Uh, I’m not sure it was his car. The police are still looking into it.”

  “You can use your skills to dig into his corporate activities and see if he’s been working to damage our company.”