Prodigal Son

Chapter 23

Once again, they called and waited for the police. This time they came with their sirens on.

A crowd of curious bystanders, reporters, and news crews pressed against the wooden barricades set up by the police. They shouted questions any time someone stepped too close. Any hope Moira's dry statement yesterday would quell interest about the Queen family and Felicity was gone. Too many events had piled on. The press would be relentless now.

The detectives already handling the shooting and yesterday's break in arrived with an agenda. They took a statement from Mr. Johnson and let him leave, but questioned them repeatedly. When asked if they knew the victim, Felicity's answer momentarily surprised Oliver, but he rolled with it and agreed he'd never met the man before. He didn't think it would have mattered whose body was found. For a while, the detectives seemed ready to bring him in for further interrogation even after he and Felicity alibied each other.

The ME on scene put Patel's death somewhere between three AM and dawn. They would have been firmly tucked in at the hotel by then, but it took confirming their time at Verdant and when he checked in at the Starling Shore Inn before they were allowed to go.

Backing his truck through the mob of paparazzi was tricky and the delay gave some the time to jump in their vehicles and follow them. There was no way to shake them in the city, so he headed to the one place it wouldn't matter. Power shopping would have to wait.

When the gates of the Queen mansion closed behind them, Oliver felt as much locked in as the press was locked out. Being back at the mansion wasn't what either of them wanted, but with a murderer now added to the mix, he wasn't willing to take unnecessary chances without a good reason.

Marcus, ever vigilant, opened the door before Felicity could knock and, out of nowhere, Thea swooped in and gave each of them a hug as if she hadn't seen them in months.

"Oh my God! Is it true? You found a dead body?"

"Technically, my insurance rep found him. I wonder if my rates will go up."

"Yes," Oliver answered Thea, "he was inside Felicity's place."

"Did we know who it was?"

"About that," Felicity pulled Thea a few more steps away to ensure no one was listening, "have you talked to Tommy since last night?"

"No," Thea shook her head. "Not even so much then. Verdant closed about an hour and a half after you guys left. I helped a bit with the clean-up, but I was out of there by two-thirty. Tommy was on his phone the whole time."

"Any idea who with?"

"Ah, I know he talked to some local hotel managers. Tommy was still trying to find Patel. Mostly though, I think Tommy was leaving messages on the guy's phone."

"What kind of messages?" Oliver asked, though he had a pretty good idea.

"The 'call me back, I need to see you, you dirty snake' kind. Tommy was pissed. You know how upset he was." Thea crossed her arms and frowned. "Why are you asking all these questions?"

"One more thing. Do you have any idea where Tommy is now? He's not answering his phone."

"I would have thought still asleep at Verdant. What's going on?"

Oliver exchanged a glance with Felicity and then gently held Thea by her shoulders. "The man they found dead in Felicity's townhome was Tommy's business partner."

She blanched. "Oh God! You aren't suggesting that Tommy had anything to do with that! I mean, he was flipping out, but Tommy is not a killer."

"We're more worried about what the police are going to think when sooner or later they make the connection."