Page 77 of Last Date

He gritted his teeth. “Hold on to your hat because this is a bizarre tale. If Captain Roscoe lives, he’s definitely doing time.”

I tucked my legs underneath me. “I’m listening.”

“Do you mind if I take my tie and jacket off? I’ve been wearing the same clothes for eighteen plus hours.”

“Go ahead.” I watched as he slipped out of his coat and pulled off his tie. My pulse sped up because it was like a little mini striptease act that ended way too soon.

He leaned back against the couch, looking more relaxed. “That’s better.”

“You can take your shoes off, if you want.” Since he’d apologized, I was feeling more hospitable.

He smiled and toed them off. “Thanks. I almost feel human now.”

“So, tell me what you know,” I said softly.

“Okay.” He cleared his throat. “Well, to begin with, Elon isn’t Elon.”

I widened my eyes. “Yes he is. His DNA matched Ken’s.”

Merrick winced. “That’s because Kenneth Green was a naughty boy, and he had another son out of wedlock.”

“What?” I hissed.

“Elon, whose real name is Timothy, by the way, is Kenneth’s biological son, but Mary isn’t his mother.”

“I don’t believe this.” I blinked at him. “So, Allister was right? Elon was a fake?”

“Yes.”

“So, Elon, or Timothy, killed Allister?”

“He swears he didn’t.”

“Hmmm.”

“Elon says it wasn’t him. He does admit to being there that night though, which is partly why Captain Roscoe went ballistic and tried to kill him. Captain Roscoe saw him on the dock right before you came aboard. He’s convinced Timothy killed Allister.”

Realization dawned on me. “Was Elon the guy in the gray hoodie?” The build of that guy matched Elon’s.

Merrick nodded. “Yes. He snuck on the boat to confront Allister about the DNA test. But he swears Allister passed out while they were arguing and hit his head. He says he didn’t touch him, which forensics seems to support. There was no trace of Timothy’s DNA on the body.”

“But they argued?”

“Yes, Allister knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Timothy wasn’t Elon returned.” Merrick frowned. “Which mystified the kid. He couldn’t understand how Allister was so certain he wasn’t Elon.”

“So Allister asked for the DNA test, not realizing Timothy would pass it?”

“Apparently. He was positive Timothy was a fake. He didn’t know his father had strayed.”

“My God. This is nuts,” I said softly.

“It gets weirder.”

“Seriously?” I shivered. “I’m already freaked-out.”

“Yes.”

I wrinkled my brow. “So, Bob must have killed Allister? He had the morphine, right?”