Secrets Of The A-List (Episode 3 Of 12). Donna Hill

She clasped the shawl in her fist. She would have to let it all play out. At this point, no one was above her suspicion.

      * * *

      Guilt knotted in Joe’s stomach. Flashes of screaming and twisted metal snapped like synapses in his head. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the replay on TV of the yellow tape roping off the accident site and the emergency and police vehicles with their spinning lights and piercing sirens that flooded the area. But what would forever remain as his personal nightmare was seeing Harrison’s battered, bloodied, limp body airlifted from what looked like a level of hell. The press were vultures, capitalizing on pain. Harrison’s accident was all Joe’s fault. He should have never set that asshole PI on Harrison’s tail. Now the PI was unreachable. The cell phone was turned off, there was no activity at his office, and Joe had no idea how to contact him. He knew what the others didn’t—the PI had been on that highway the day of the accident, and he’d driven off and left Harrison to die. All Joe could think was the worst. He blinked the images away.

      “I’m no replacement for Harrison, by any stretch of the imagination, but he trusted me,” Joe said.

      “Apparently not very much,” Luc countered.

      Joe took the barb in stride. “I’m sure Harrison had his reasons. He is a very complicated man. All I’m asking is that you trust me. I want to find out what really happened as much as each of you do, and I’ll protect this family and its legacy with my life.”

      “Hmm, very noble,” Elana said while she absently twisted her radiant-cut red diamond engagement ring. The rare gem rivaled her mother’s, which pleased Elana to no end. Even though she had her doubts about her impending nuptials, she had no doubts about how much she loved her ring. If things went south she wondered if Thom would let her keep the ring.

      “You stand to gain a lot if this whole thing goes sideways,” Luc said.

      Joe visibly bristled. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

      Rafe kept his own counsel and watched the dynamics unfold.

      “I won’t have you talking like that to Joe,” Mariella snapped. “He’s been at your father’s side for years.” She glanced at Joe and clasped his upper bicep. “If Harrison put his faith in you, so will I.”

      He smiled with gratitude at Mariella. “I’ll get to the bottom of all this. I promise you.” He turned to the family. “I promise all of you.”