In Between by Kate Wilhelm

“A book Alex said he was writing. I haven’t seen it, but according to Malcolm, it is egregiously false in many ways, a slanderous attack on our company, with the sole purpose of harming Malcolm and various associates. False accusations, phony emails, doctored scientific studies…” He stopped and glanced again at Alex.
    â€œHe’ll say Alex is a disgruntled son,” Lori said, suddenly at Sam’s side.
    â€œKids aren’t disgruntled. They’re estranged. Employees are disgruntled,” Sam said. “What are you doing back here?”
    She made a gesture with her thumb to indicate out there and said, “They all have their story and they’re sticking to the script. Movie, shoot some pool, drinks, bed. Pinky, Royce, and Colonel looked in on Vicente before they went to bed. No strange noises. No gun shots. It won’t matter what they tell the cops. What they say to each other is where the dirt will be shoveled.”
    Sam held his finger to his lips and looked at Royce, who was speaking.
    â€œI haven’t even seen the manuscript, but it was enough to make Malcolm change his will, cut Alex out all the way.” He sighed and shook his head. “Anyway, last night I woke up because it was too warm in the room. I opened the door to outside, to let in some air. I heard footsteps on the walkway above me and going down the stairs at the end of the walkway. I went over to the rail to see what was going on. Alex was hurrying to the side of the building, carrying something.”
    â€œNext he’ll say it was a dastardly attack,” Lori said. “Shooting a man in the back.”
    â€œPeople don’t say dastardly,” Sam said.
    â€œYou could see that it was Alex Vicente?” Conkling asked.
    â€œNo doubt about it. There’s a light at each landing. Such a cowardly attack,” Royce said in a despairing voice. “It must have happened after I closed the door again. I didn’t hear a shot.”
    â€œBullshit,” Lori said. “I’m going to see what the new widow and Cruella are up to.” She drifted to the bedroom door and vanished.
    â€œDo you know of anyone who wanted to harm Mr. Vicente?” Conkling asked.
    Royce shook his head. “Everyone liked him. Except maybe Alex. They were estranged, you see. And that damn book Alex was writing, probably out of spite. He was pretty furious, got up and left the table before dinner was even over. An ugly scene, awkward for everyone.”
    Sam wished Lori had stayed long enough to hear Royce say “estranged.” He looked at Alex out on the walkway and drifted out to see if the voices were carrying that far. They were.
    â€œI don’t know what’s in the book,” Royce was saying. “Enough to make Malcolm turn on him finally.”
    â€œWhat was Alex Vicente carrying?” Conkling asked.
    â€œI don’t know. I couldn’t see what it was. I thought it was clothes, maybe his suit, maybe not.”
    â€œWhat time was that?”
    â€œI don’t know. I’d been asleep. I didn’t look at the clock or turn on the light.”
    â€œSam! Come on in here,” Lori called from the bedroom. He joined her.
    â€œListen,” she said, nodding toward Marilyn, who was talking in a low voice to her daughter. Louise was leaning in close, both sitting in chairs near the glass door.
    â€œWe knew it would blow up sooner or later and we prepared. He was going to retire next year at this time, on his sixty-fifth birthday. Just retire and move to Zurich.”
    â€œMother, you have to keep quiet about those plans. Let all this end first, and it will. No one will publish that book, not if Alex is charged with the murder of his father.”
    â€œFor God’s sake, Louise, don’t talk like that! Alex isn’t a murderer.”
    â€œFace it, Mother. No one else had a motive. Father was indispensable at the company. People here last night were