Bound By Secrets (The Dresden Island Book 2) (The Dresden Island Series) Read online

  Bound By Secrets

  The Dresden Island Series

  Book 2 of 4

  by Clara Lewis

  Copyright © 2021 Clara Lewis – All rights Reserved

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of the trademarks is not authorized, associated with or sponsored by the trademark owners.

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  Description

  Olivia thought she was done with Dresden. However, the discovery of a second victim in the same grave as the first caused her to change her mind.

  If the first body wasn’t Poppy, is it possible that the second one is?

  As Olivia waits for the body to be identified, she is presented with another case—one that she saw happen. A well-known socialite has been poisoned at the very event hosted to congratulate Olivia on her success with the previous case.

  Assisted by Sheriff Jordan Peters and eventually her fellow investigator Marion Porter, Olivia will have to investigate the scheming circle of socialites and uncover their secrets. Once again, she will have to interact with the very people she has left behind. Meanwhile, Olivia is exposed to a new danger.

  Olivia may have stumbled onto something that she shouldn’t have, and someone out there is determined to silence her.

  Amid all the chaos among the elite and constantly averting danger, can Olivia keep it together before the results come in?

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 1

  Olivia struggled to breathe.

  For what seemed like forever, she heard nothing more than the blood pounding in her ears. When it had been discovered that the body found on the estate wasn't Poppy but rather, someone else, Olivia felt relief.

  When they had finally captured the murderer and Olivia returned to pack her bags, she felt free. She could rekindle the hope that, maybe, Poppy was still alive somewhere.

  Now, another body had turned up, in the same place Ruth was found.

  Olivia plunged her hand into her pocket and gripped the silver locket. Jordan had been with her that day. Although this locket was technically supposed to be taken in as evidence, Jordan had let her keep it.

  What was Poppy’s locket doing in a grave?

  “Hey, are you okay?”

  Jordan’s voice brought Olivia out of her thoughts. Slowly, she could hear everything again. As she adjusted to the sounds of people’s chatter and music, her eyes focused on Jordan who leaned on the table looking concerned.

  “Yeah, I really just want to sleep now,” she said, smiling bitterly.

  Olivia looked at Jordan and noticed he had a suit on. Her eyebrow raised as she struggled to stop herself from giggling.

  “I know, I know, but the invitation said formal wear,” Jordan said defensively, “I had to look for this among my high school stuff.”

  “I didn't say anything,” Olivia said, chuckling.

  Suddenly her visage grew grim again.

  “Hey, snap out of it,” Jordan waved a hand in front of her face.

  Olivia moved it away and asked, “How long will it take before they identify the body?”

  Jordan looked away and fiddled with his champagne glass.

  “Usually, it would take about six weeks, but since the body has been there for years, it may take longer.”

  Olivia’s mood worsened.

  The Barlowes had insisted that if she were to stay, they would throw her a party, to thank her for her help in solving the case. Now here she was, tired and uncomfortable in a dress she didn't want to buy in the first place.

  It felt wrong to have fun. She couldn't pretend that everything was fine, not when the fear of Poppy being dead had been revived. Olivia lifted her fingers to her temple and winced. Another headache.

  Eventually, Olivia decided to leave. She picked up her clutch and put on the shoes she had thrown under the table.

  Even as she reached the entrance of the building, no one even noticed her. Looking back one more time, Olivia felt out of place and wanted nothing more than to leave Dresden.

  She turned her head and proceeded out the door into the cold air.

  Suddenly, a piercing scream rang throughout the building.

  Olivia hurried back and found a group of people surrounding a woman’s body slumped over the table. She made eye contact with Jordan who politely told the crowd to back away. Jordan grabbed his phone and requested for backup. This venue needed to be evacuated immediately.

  She removed her jacket and placed it over a chair as she kneeled next to the body. Olivia’s eyes widened when she recognized who it was.

  “Help me get her on the floor," Olivia instructed Jordan.

  A few minutes later, a group of policemen entered the building and began to evacuate the guests. Jordan ran to them to help. Meanwhile, Olivia put two fingers on the woman’s neck and waited for a pulse.

  Nothing.

  Olivia frowned.

  “She’s dead.” Olivia reported as Jordan stood next to her.

  “I see,” Jordan said gruffly. “The ambulance will be here soon, so all we have to do now is wait.”

  Olivia walked over to a nearby table and grabbed a glass of champagne. Tonight was going to be a long night.

  She looked outside the window. The snow was starting to settle, and she worried if it would cause problems for the ambulance.

  “They’re going to take some time; we’ll have to wait a bit longer,” Jordan said, looking at his watch.

  He turned his head to Olivia.

  “I can ask one of the guys to send you to your hotel, Hudson. You don’t have to be here.”

  “I’m on another case, but that case left me with six weeks of not being able to do a thing. I want to do something," Olivia said as she shrugged.

  “You don’t have to pay me,” she added quickly.

  Jordan seemed to consider her words, and after a while he nodded.

  “Great! So, tell me, why would anyone want to kill the Betty DeVos?”

  Chapter 2

  “I have a list of suspects,” said Olivia handing Jordan a napkin.

  Jordan looked her dead in the eye as he paused eating. Olivia ignored his reaction. Her appetite was lost. She looked down at her plate and pushed it toward Jordan who took it without question.

  “The
coroner’s office won’t be open till tomorrow, so we won’t be able to get any results until Monday.”

  “It’s all right, I’ll start with questioning the suspects tomorrow.”

  Jordan raised an eyebrow.

  “Don’t you rest?” he asked her.

  “No,” Olivia said with a smile as she straightened her notes and walked to the car.

  Jordan had been surprised when he saw that Madison James, Dresden’s sweetheart, was the first suspect on Olivia’s list. The poor man looked distraught, but Olivia knew full well what Madison was like. The woman wasn’t an actress, but she certainly had the looks and abilities of one. If it came down to power and influence, she would trample on anything to keep her status elevated.

  After their last conversation, Madison had given Olivia a business card. Olivia looked at it and dialed her number. Madison was irritated, not at being accused of being a suspect but rather that her schedule was interrupted.

  Olivia had almost laughed at the absurdity of her reaction.

  Olivia waited at an empty table in the secluded part of the cafe and looked at her watch. Madison was late.

  “I’ll give her an hour," Olivia mumbled to herself while reaching for her cup of coffee.

  “Olivia?”

  Olivia looked up from her notes and smiled at Liam. He returned the smile. . . well, his version of what a smile was. He gestured to the seat in front of her and asked if it was available.

  “For now… I’m waiting for somebody, but you can sit down.”

  This time, instead of the silence being awkward, Olivia felt comfortable. There was still this air of tension, but it wasn’t as bad as the last time she’d had to interact with Liam.

  A gust of cold wind entered the cafe, causing everyone to look at the door. Madison walked in and greeted a group of her friends. Her eyes searched the cafe for Olivia, and she frowned ever so slightly when she realized the table Olivia chose was in the back.

  Olivia had deliberately chosen a table far from the others. Seeing as Madison loved attention, she would most likely put on some sort of show to get reactions from those around her.

  Madison’s eyes zeroed in on Liam who sat quietly and drank his coffee. He’d barely talked to Olivia, so it was no surprise that he didn’t even acknowledge Madison’s presence.

  “William? It’s so nice to see you!” she exclaimed.

  Olivia watched Liam look around uncomfortably. This triggered in her an immediate need to help him.

  “Ms. James, I thought you had forgotten.”

  Madison’s smile didn't falter. She turned to Olivia and greeted her with the same enthusiasm. Olivia nodded in response.

  “I would prefer if we could get started immediately," Olivia said, making eye contact with Liam and silently telling him to escape.

  Liam gave a grateful nod and excused himself from the group.

  “Thank you," he said quietly and left.

  Madison sat down with a huff and crossed her arms.

  “I’m not a fan of being accused of murder twice," she said, dropping her friendly demeanor.

  “I bet,” said Olivia. “Now can you tell me why I should believe you didn’t kill Betty DeVos?”

  Olivia leaned on the table and waited for a response. Madison did not appreciate the sarcasm.

  Olivia made a show of looking through her notes.

  “I did some research and asked around. The way I see it, Betty is an even bigger threat than Ruth ever was to you.”

  “What do you mean?” Madison asked and glared.

  “Well, she’s been a socialite far longer than you have. One word from her and you’d lose your position in the committee. Doesn't that scare you?”

  Madison avoided eye contact, looking off to the side. That was enough confirmation for Olivia to believe that Betty intimidated Madison. However, the question was, did Betty intimidate Madison enough to get herself killed?

  The socialites were a different kind of vicious. Some might say it was safer being thrown into a pit of vipers. At the moment, Madison held the crown. She was younger, beautiful and could charm her way through anything.

  What Betty lacked in charm and youth, she made up for with her wealth and status. She was second only to the Barlowes, and they seemed to respect her. It was only reasonable to see Madison’s contempt with Betty. She couldn’t seem to win anything.

  “I’d prefer it if you answer, Ms. James. The cafe is far more comfortable than the interrogation room they have at the station.”

  “Let me direct you in the proper direction Ms. Hudson,” Madison retorted. "Once again, you’re looking at the wrong person.”

  Olivia raised her eyebrow, unsure whether to believe the woman across from her or not.

  Madison sighed.

  “Yes, I admit it Betty was intimidating, but that was only because she watched over the rest of us like a hawk. She loved drama. Once she found out something about you, she would make sure you were the entertainment at the next luncheon. The woman wasn’t nice, and I like to keep my life private.”

  Madison’s face was turning red.

  As Olivia opened her mouth to respond, Madison cut her off.

  “And I suggest you start looking into someone named Keri-Anne Taylor. I just know she’s hiding something.”

  Madison grabbed her purse and made a phone call to her driver. As she got up, her chair scraped across the floor, causing most of those in the cafe to direct their attention to her. Madison quickly smiled and apologized sweetly for the interruption, but Olivia could see the grip on her purse tighten.

  Olivia put her hand out.

  “We’re not finished Ms. James.”

  Madison glared.

  “Yes, we are. The next time you talk to me will be through my lawyer. Now if you’ll excuse me.”

  Chapter 3

  “How did it go?” Jordan asked Olivia as soon as she got into the car.

  Olivia rubbed her temples and groaned.

  “Terrible,” she replied, “she lawyered up.”

  Jordan whistled and backed out of the parking lot.

  “So where to?” Jordan asked as soon as they were on the road.

  “Is there a place where I can rent a car? I’ve been using you as my personal chauffeur and it just doesn’t seem right.”

  Olivia rubbed the back of her neck as she chuckled nervously, but Jordan only nodded in agreement.

  “I’ll take you to the one with the greatest deals, but it’s all the way across town. Are you okay with that?”

  On the way to the dealership, Olivia couldn't help but wonder who Keri-Anne was. She was familiar with most of the Dresden residents. After all, she had lived here for almost eighteen years.

  “Hey, Jordan,” Olivia suddenly asked, breaking the silence in the car, “do you know Keri-Anne James?”

  Jordan looked thoughtful at first and Olivia’s first thought was that Madison had been messing with her. He then snapped his fingers.

  “Yes, I remember her. She’s one of the newer residents, and let me tell you; she’s got the older residents worried.”

  “Worried how?” Olivia asked.

  She dug into her bag and retrieved her phone. With her notes at the ready, she nodded for Jordan to continue.

  “Well as you know, most of the residents here built their wealth from the ground up. It was either that or they inherited their fortune. This girl did neither. They wondered where she got her money from.”

  “How long has she been staying here?”

  “About a year. She started attending functions almost immediately, but she wasn’t accepted as easily. Not in the way Ruth was, it seemed that there was something about her that rubbed others the wrong way.”

  Olivia sighed and leaned back into her seat.

  “Do you know where she lives?”

  Even though Dresden was primarily a town where the wealthy stayed, the town was still divided. The first thing tourists would see when driving through the residential areas were large houses
lining the street. However, the richer someone was, the more isolated their houses.

  Such was the case with the Barlowes. They had acres of their own land far away from the public. Olivia began to wonder what Keri-Anne did to be able to afford a place this far away from the town.

  Olivia wrapped the scarf around her neck tighter. The wind was especially harsh, and the fog made it difficult for her to drive to Keri-Anne’s estate.

  Houses in this area were mainly ancestral homes. People were proud of their familial ties and they made sure the rest knew which family they belonged to. One of the ways they could show their prominence was to keep these old buildings pristine and in the exact state they were in when first built. Keri-Anne’s home had none of that.

  Despite the weather making it difficult to see anything, Keri-Anne’s house stood out. It was big—too big for one person—and it was flashy. Anyone could see it was brand new.

  Keri-Anne answered the door dressed in furs and jewelry. With a smile, she invited Olivia inside. As Olivia entered the house, she noticed a few designer shopping bags by the door.

  “Oh, just step over those, I haven’t gotten the time to sort through them," Keri-Anne called out from the kitchen.

  As Olivia stepped into the kitchen, Keri-Anne directed her to a barstool by the counter.

  “Would you like a drink?” she asked as she moved behind the bar.

  Olivia looked at her watch. It was eleven in the morning.

  “No thanks, I’m still working.” Olivia smiled.

  Keri-Anne smiled back and continued to work in silence. Olivia took this time to look around. There was nothing in the house that screamed modest. Everything, from the appliances to the furniture, she could see were state of the art.

  One glaring detail Olivia noticed was that everything still smelled new. Olivia compared it to getting a new car.

  “Ms. Taylor? Would it be all right if I asked you some questions?”

  Keri-Anne took a seat beside Olivia and nodded. Upon closer inspection, Olivia was clearly older.