Trey

It is only a matter of time before Mandy realizes that the clothes she packed for Geneva are a little too warm for the French Riviera. If Liv has taught me anything, it is to anticipate such issues and head them off in advance. I just ordered a fitting for Mandy, so someone will be stopping by the hotel about three o’clock to take her measurements. I intend to spoil this girl in more ways than one.

“What’s the surprise?” she asks, giving me a flirty smile.

“Someone will be stopping by later this afternoon to take your measurements,” I inform her.

“My measurements? For what?” She gives me a perplexed scowl.

“You will need some lighter clothes,” I reply. I can tell my insightfulness has caught her off guard. “You’ll be able to go online and place an order for whatever you think you will need for the week.”

“Oh yeah, I suppose it will be too warm for the clothes I packed. Where should I have them sent?” she asks, realizing that we are basically gypsies for the moment.

“They will be waiting for you when we check-in at the hotel,” I reply, ushering her into the privacy of our suite. “Make sure you pick out some skimpy lingerie.” I lean in to give her a kiss of encouragement.

“Mmm,” she moans. “You just let me know what you want to see me in.”

“Right now, I just want to see you out of those.” We both begin popping buttons and stripping each other down in a storm of passion. The look in her eyes tells me that I’m not the only one whose hormones are raging. “Easy on the buttons, I kinda like this shirt,” I tease her.

Within seconds, I have her on the bed and once again feel her silky soft skin against mine. Her intoxicating scent greets me as I kiss my way along her neck and down her perfect cleavage. Another wave of lust washes over me, which inspires my lips to continue tracking down the center of her body. Her toned stomach muscles flex in response to my touch, so I pause to tease her belly button with my tongue.

“That tickles,” she giggles, grabbing hold of my hair.

A sudden knock on the door destroys the moment and startles both of us. “Shit, they must be early for your measurements,” I surmise as Mandy grabs her dress and beeline’s it to the bathroom. “Hold on, I’m coming!” I yell after a second series of knocks, scrambling to get my pants and shirt back on.

“Mr. Addison?” A female uniformed police officer asks, throwing me for a loop.

“Yes. I’m Trey Addison,” I clarify, thinking maybe they were looking for Tyler.

“Mr. Addison, I’m officer Martello and this is Detective Kelly. Can we come in and ask you a few questions concerning your father’s death?” Both she and Detective Kelly seem casual, so I agree and lead them into the sitting room.

“Wow, this is quite a suite you’ve got here,” Detective Kelly remarks. “It’s a little bigger than the ones I cram into when I travel with the wife and kids. No need for a rollaway, huh?” He chuckles and glances over at Martello.

“Yes, it’s a nice suite. Would you like a bottled water or anything?” I offer, trying to extend them a little courtesy.

“No, thanks, we just ate,” Officer Martello replies with a wave of her hand.

Mandy

Hearing the visitors introduce themselves as an officer and a detective, I finish getting dressed and creep over to the doorway to sneak a peak. I’m shocked to see two officers from the NYPD. Detective Kelly is dressed in plain clothes and is plunking away on an iPad with one finger.

“I have been told that you were in Geneva at the time of your father’s death, correct?” he asks while scrolling through his electronic notes.

“Yes, I was attending a meeting with the CEO of a biotech firm that I invested in,” he affirms.

“Did you or did you not, layover at Westchester County Airport before flying to Geneva?” A steely glare suddenly replaces the friendly facade.

“Yes, we stopped to refuel and pick up a passenger who joined us for the flight to Switzerland,” Trey replies confidently. “That jet holds just enough fuel to make it across, so I can’t fly direct from California.”

“I see,” the detective replies adding it to his notes. “Is this the passenger you picked up?” He holds up the iPad for Trey, while both Officer Martello and I watch his reaction. He remains perfectly composed.

“Yes, that’s Mandy Grayson,” he replies in a cool and calm manner.

“And this blonde is your girlfriend?” He shows him a picture of Liv that was taken when she entered the airport.

“My ex-girlfriend, yes.” Trey seems to know exactly where this is headed. I can tell by the little crease in the center of his forehead that he is thinking ahead to the next possible question.

“What is the relationship between you and this girl, Mandy?” He flips back to the picture of me.

“It’s complicated,” Trey says with a chuckle. “She was a friend of Liv’s, but since that day we have become close.”

“In the past five days?” he asks sarcastically.

“It seems like much longer than that, but yes.” Trey reaches up and begins rubbing his forehead. He should know better than that; it’s a sign of duress.

Officer Martello picks up on it immediately as well. “Is something bothering you?” she asks.

“Yeah, I was just thinking about Liv. That didn’t end very well.” He looks directly at them once again. “I don’t like to hurt people.”

“Okay, well I just have one last thing for you,” Detective Kelly adds, moving quickly past the emotional moment. “The one person we can’t place is this man.” He holds the iPad up for him again. “He never entered the airport, so we don’t have a high resolution image of him.”

“He is a friend of mine,” Trey answers with no additional explanation.

“And his name?”

“Why is his name relevant?” Trey asks with a puzzled look on his face. He is doing a great job of controlling his emotions. I wonder if he ever took acting lessons?

“Because when the man arrived, he was only carrying some sort of envelope in his hand.” The detective shows Trey another picture, before flipping to the next. “But then he leaves with a briefcase.”

“That sounds like normal business to me.” Trey shrugs and gives him a blank look.

“Here’s something you probably didn’t see.” The detective smiles and flips to the next picture. “Here is where you said goodbye to him.” He begins to flip through a series of pictures. “And after you head back to the plane your buddy opens the briefcase, takes out a stack of bills, examines them and shoves them into his pocket.”

Even though Trey looks calm, he has to be stunned by Jake’s stupidity, but so far he hasn’t even flinched. “Yeah, those were extremely rare documents that I purchased from him. I actually got them for a pretty fair price,” he says, coming up with a plausible explanation on the spot.

“And you had to pay for them with a briefcase of cash?” Officer Martello chimes in. “Is that how you normally do business?”

“No.” Trey laughs. “I normally do business just like everyone else. However, he told me I would get a five percent discount if I paid him in cash, so I did.” He turns his palms toward them and raises his hands. “Is paying with cash a crime?”

“It all depends upon what was in those documents.” Detective Kelly sneers. “Some people have speculated that the money was a down payment for taking out a hit on your father.”

“Really? That’s what this is about?” Trey bursts out laughing. “Oh my God! If I were taking out a hit on my old man, would I give someone a briefcase full of cash in broad daylight? You two must think I’m an idiot. Well, I’m far from an idiot!”

“We aren’t implying anything,” Officer Martello scoffs. “We just thought that the timing of this transaction was incredibly coincidental.”

“Unfucking believable, have you been talking to my brother or something? If so, you might want to take a good look at what he has been up to as well. Even his fiancé is becoming suspicious of him.” Trey shakes his head and turns away from the officers. “First the media, then him and now the fucking NYPD. I’m calling my attorney in the morning and putting an end to all of this bullshit.”

“We aren’t here to accuse you Mr. Addison,” Detective Kelly exclaims. “I’m sure you would like to see us get to the bottom of this too.”

“Of course! But I guarantee you, I had nothing to do with it,” he says confronting them directly once again. “Absolutely nothing!”

“But from what I’ve read in the papers, the two of you weren’t getting along,” Detective Kelly counters. “And with him gone, you just became one of the richest men in the world.”

“Yeah, and so did my brother,” Trey replies struggling to maintain an even keel. “If there is nothing else, I would like to get on with my day.”

“We are going to need a copy of those documents that you say you purchased,” Officer Martello adds. “Just to corroborate your story.”

“I already delivered them to a third party in Switzerland, but I’ll see if my attorney can retrieve a copy of them for you.” Trey gives the officers a cooperative smile.

“Oh and are you going to be in the city for a while, just in case we have additional questions?” the detective asks on his way out.

“No. I’m going to Monaco tomorrow for Grand Prix week, but I’ll give you my attorney’s card.” He retrieves a business card from his wallet and hands it to him. “You can contact him if you need anything.”

“Perry Walters,” officer Martello utters in disbelief. “The best money can buy. I’ll bet you just put him on retainer, didn’t you?”

Trey stands there in silence with a slightly smug look on his face.

“The Monaco Grand Prix,” the detective muses. “God, it must be nice to become a billionaire over night.”

“I think it’s actually going to be quite an adjustment,” Trey replies politely, despite the snide nature of his remark. “I don’t think it’s actually hit me yet. It’s not like I was poor before this happened, but I am definitely being thrust into a whole new world.”

“I’m sure you will adjust just fine, sir,” Officer Martello says with a chuckle. “You’ll have to forgive Detective Kelly. He has always had it in for the one-percenters.”

“Honestly, so have I,” Trey replies. “I don’t have very much in common with most of them.”

After they leave, Trey turns his back to the door, leaning back against it. “Holy fuck,” he mutters, looking up at the ceiling.

“Don’t worry, Trey, you’ve got this,” I assure him while slipping my arms around his waist. “You handled them like a seasoned pro. I was impressed.”