Read Online Murder Under the Italian Moon by Maria Grazia Swan - Free Book Online
Authors: Maria Grazia Swan
Ads: Link
only the local news. It was ruled an accidental death. Ruby reached for the gun Tom had been cleaning. The thing went off and hit Tom in the back of the skull. He died instantly. Here is my problem: I can't find Ruby. Do you know where she might be? When did you get the car? Kyle, where is your car?" Images of the Porsche parked in the garage the night before crossed my mind. I needed to let him talk. He rose and walked around the room. He looked like he was trying to work out the timeline for himself before telling me anything. I waited.
"We traded," he said.
"You traded what?"
"We traded cars, my Porsche for her Ferrari."
I shook my head. This was a car, not a toy. I couldn't believe he "traded" his car for hers so casually. I closed my eyes, found my composure and spoke with a strained voice. "Kyle, this is serious. You need to sit and tell me the whole story. Start from the beginning. I want dates and places. This is important." The last sentence came out a little louder than intended. He took a deep breath and launched into his story.
"Ruby came to Palm Springs. She showed up at the hotel, late, a few nights ago." He paused to count on his fingers. "Three nights ago. You know Ruby, all bubbly and excited, said she had to make a delivery for Tom out of state. She was on her way back and knew we were filming in Palm Springs, so she decided to stop and say hi."
"And?"
He paced, still avoiding my eyes. Not a good sign.
"Kyle," I shouted, and fought to control my voice. I could almost hear his brain processing what I had told him about the shooting, and wondering why Ruby hadn't mentioned it to him.
"That's why."
"Why what?"
"All the mystery, the games…" He looked straight into my eyes. "Ruby acted strangely the entire time she was there to see me. It felt uncomfortable. She cracked jokes and made her usual snarky comments, but she sounded different. Like her heart wasn't in it. She told me that the Ferrari had been broken into, things taken, and that Tom was mad. He wanted to get rid of the car. Pronto. She knew how much I liked the Testarossa and the fact that I was in Palm Springs was a good omen. Those were her exact words." Kyle cradled his head in his hands. "We had drinks in the hotel bar—she said she wanted a martini something bad—and then she got really sleepy. I had a suite, so I took her up to my room and let her crash on my bed. I ended up sleeping on the couch in the sitting area watching a movie. In fact, I slept terribly that night. My back was all kinked up from the couch, and I had a terrible headache. I arrived late to work since my alarm wasn't set." He got up and paced the room, avoided looking at me. "Ruby had left when I got up. There was an envelope on my night table, with the keys to the Ferrari and a note saying she had to go, she had taken the Porsche and we could work out the legalities later. I was going to call the Russells when you got home."
"The Russells' phone hasn't worked in days, and last night the house burned to the ground. Did you try her cell?"
His face turned white. He sat on the couch again, pulled something from his pants pocket and placed it on the coffee table. "Ruby's cell phone." He pointed to the small object he had laid next to the crystal bowl. "She left it in Palm Springs, in my hotel room."
A long pause. I waited.
"Did you say the house burned? How? Mom, you think it was an accident?"
We looked at each other, our eyes mirroring the same thoughts. How did the house burn? And where was Ruby with the Porsche?
"Kyle, I have a bad feeling about this whole situation. We need to tell the authorities. Did you check to see if Ruby left something else in the car?"
He shook his head. "I was so excited, wanted to show you the Ferrari. She never mentioned Tom being dead or her being the one who killed him. You think she's using?" He looked at me, searching my eyes for answers.
"You mean drugs? I doubt it. I haven't seen her in over a month, but I doubt it. Let's
"We traded," he said.
"You traded what?"
"We traded cars, my Porsche for her Ferrari."
I shook my head. This was a car, not a toy. I couldn't believe he "traded" his car for hers so casually. I closed my eyes, found my composure and spoke with a strained voice. "Kyle, this is serious. You need to sit and tell me the whole story. Start from the beginning. I want dates and places. This is important." The last sentence came out a little louder than intended. He took a deep breath and launched into his story.
"Ruby came to Palm Springs. She showed up at the hotel, late, a few nights ago." He paused to count on his fingers. "Three nights ago. You know Ruby, all bubbly and excited, said she had to make a delivery for Tom out of state. She was on her way back and knew we were filming in Palm Springs, so she decided to stop and say hi."
"And?"
He paced, still avoiding my eyes. Not a good sign.
"Kyle," I shouted, and fought to control my voice. I could almost hear his brain processing what I had told him about the shooting, and wondering why Ruby hadn't mentioned it to him.
"That's why."
"Why what?"
"All the mystery, the games…" He looked straight into my eyes. "Ruby acted strangely the entire time she was there to see me. It felt uncomfortable. She cracked jokes and made her usual snarky comments, but she sounded different. Like her heart wasn't in it. She told me that the Ferrari had been broken into, things taken, and that Tom was mad. He wanted to get rid of the car. Pronto. She knew how much I liked the Testarossa and the fact that I was in Palm Springs was a good omen. Those were her exact words." Kyle cradled his head in his hands. "We had drinks in the hotel bar—she said she wanted a martini something bad—and then she got really sleepy. I had a suite, so I took her up to my room and let her crash on my bed. I ended up sleeping on the couch in the sitting area watching a movie. In fact, I slept terribly that night. My back was all kinked up from the couch, and I had a terrible headache. I arrived late to work since my alarm wasn't set." He got up and paced the room, avoided looking at me. "Ruby had left when I got up. There was an envelope on my night table, with the keys to the Ferrari and a note saying she had to go, she had taken the Porsche and we could work out the legalities later. I was going to call the Russells when you got home."
"The Russells' phone hasn't worked in days, and last night the house burned to the ground. Did you try her cell?"
His face turned white. He sat on the couch again, pulled something from his pants pocket and placed it on the coffee table. "Ruby's cell phone." He pointed to the small object he had laid next to the crystal bowl. "She left it in Palm Springs, in my hotel room."
A long pause. I waited.
"Did you say the house burned? How? Mom, you think it was an accident?"
We looked at each other, our eyes mirroring the same thoughts. How did the house burn? And where was Ruby with the Porsche?
"Kyle, I have a bad feeling about this whole situation. We need to tell the authorities. Did you check to see if Ruby left something else in the car?"
He shook his head. "I was so excited, wanted to show you the Ferrari. She never mentioned Tom being dead or her being the one who killed him. You think she's using?" He looked at me, searching my eyes for answers.
"You mean drugs? I doubt it. I haven't seen her in over a month, but I doubt it. Let's
Similar Books
