Page 84 of Murder on the Upper East Side

Elle frowned, then laced her fingers together in her lap.

‘I’m serious. I know you’re trying to protect Bash, and I believe he didn’t know what his father and Winslow were up to. But I need the whole story, Elle.’

Elle glowered. ‘Fine.Henry and Richard had a mutually beneficial, and highly illegal, financial arrangement. As CFO, Edward oversaw the accounts.’ She shifted her legs, and chiffon rustled around her. ‘I didn’t know what was going on behind the scenes at Beaumont when Edward and I were together, but I’m no dummy. I knew Edward was involved insomethingillicit, and he had no intention of cleaning up his act. When I launched Harrington Strategic Insight, I ended things.’

‘Okay…’

‘Anyway, Bash took over the company, and Edward left to join a firm on Wall Street. Those two havenever seen eye to eye – and Bash has been trying to clean up Edward’s mess ever since. When Edward settled into his new position, he wanted to establish a new arrangement, but Henry’s political ambitions complicated things.’

‘As in, when Winslow went from being a billionaire to a billionaire planning a run for public office?’

‘Precisely. So Edward went to Madison instead. She told me they met at some Italian social club in Brooklyn, where Henry’s a member. Edward had put together a new portfolio of opportunities for Madison and Henry to review.’

Hannah frowned. ‘You’re going to have to spell it out for me.’

Elle rolled her eyes. ‘Private information Edward had access to, through his job. Opportunities for insider trading.’

Hannah’s mind spun. ‘You’re saying that Oliver knows the truth about all of this – Henry’s dirty dealings with Beaumont Capital, and now with Edward at his new firm?’

‘Yes. Bash has his faults, but he’s squeaky clean when it comes to Beaumont’s finances. He laid it all out for Oliver soon after Winslow made his mayoral bid public.’

‘Okay, following. And in retribution, Madison orchestrated Oliver’s firing from Winslow’s campaign and began a crusade against his vlog. I get how that would be motive – but how does Oliver know it was Madison pulling the strings?’

Elle’s voice was flat. ‘Because I told him.’

‘What – why?’

‘After Teddie opened up to me about the real reason for our breakup, I wasfurious. Sure, Madison and I had a friendly competition going while we were at Prescott, but sabotaging my future was a bridge too far. So, I told Oliver the truth: Madison had gotten him fired, and she was behind his rapidly declining follower count. I thought Oliver might trash talk her on his little vlog, that maybe he’d go after her Instagram account in retaliation. Some petty drama. I didn’t think he’dkillher.’

‘And you’resureit was Oliver you saw outside the ladies’ room tonight?’

Madison nodded. ‘Positive. That green tux practically glows in the dark. He murdered Madison, and it’s my fault. Look, I was mad as hell, but I didn’t want herdead. That’s why I need you, Hannah.’

Here it was. The thing Elle wanted.

Hannah winced. ‘Me?’

‘The detectives don’t have enough to make an arrest. Just the backstory I told them, and, according to Bash, several eyewitness accounts of Oliver in the hallway. But you know as well as I do that Madison’s murder is going to get pinned onyouif the cops don’t ID the real killer.’

Hannah swallowed. Yes, she was well aware.

‘And you want to save my ass why?’

Elle smirked. ‘This isn’t about you. Madison could be cruel, and fucking infuriating, but she was still myfriend. She didn’t deserve to die. And there’ll be no justice if the wrong person gets locked up for her murder.’

‘Okay,’ Hannah said slowly. She believed that. But what the hell was she supposed to do about it?Shehadn’t seen Oliver in the hallway. And everything she’d learned tonight was second-hand. Gossip. If Oliver had really killed Madison, there was no way she’d willingly go down for his crime. Trouble was, she had nothing concrete, nothing Elle hadn’t already brought to the detectives.

Unless… Something nagged at Hannah. Something she’d buried ten years ago.

‘Of everyone here tonight, you’re the closest to Oliver.’ Elle’s voice was pleading now. ‘You were friends at school. I’ve seen you together multiple times tonight. So please, Hannah, I need you to think – is there anything else the detectives should know? Anything at all?’

3127 May 2017

Hannah shoved herself to a sitting position on the sofa and glared down at her traitorous gold shoes.

‘How long have you been there?’ Madison asked.

‘Huh?’ Hannah rubbed at her eyes. ‘I think I fell asleep.’