Wishbones (21 page)

"I won't ask again until the movie is done. Now, let me tell you everything the vet said. Chablis is in good hands."

"How badly is she hurt?" I was almost afraid to ask.

"He patched the hole in her lung and put the ribs back in place. She's going to be delicate for a while, but she should heal perfectly and be back to new in a couple of months."

It was going to be hard to contain Sweetie and Chablis--the two were such mischief-makers. But we'd manage it. And Chablis would heal.

"When I find the person who did this, I'm going to do something vile." It wasn't a threat, it was a promise.

"I'll hold them for you." Graf held out the hammer. "We can break every bone in his feet."

He was kidding, but it made me feel better. He knew how to give emotional support to a Mississippi woman.

"Graf, let's not talk about children publicly. Tinkie wants a child, but there's a medical problem." I wondered if Graf could really understand that longing. "She hasn't been able to conceive. If something happens to Chablis . . ."

He put his arm around me and directed me toward the stairs and our bedroom. "I don't know how we can help with
a conception problem, but if we can, we certainly will. But for now, let's get some sleep. I took care of the peepholes in the tapestry in your room."

I opened the door and saw my best pair of red lace panties tacked over the tapestry. My laughter rang through the huge old room, and I knew that the release would allow me to sleep.

"Chablis, my precious baby." Tinkie stroked Chablis's head as she reclined, torso bandaged, in a kennel. An IV fed into one of her tiny little veins, but her eyes were alert and she licked Tinkie's hand.

Tinkie turned to the veterinarian. "Thank you, Doctor. Thank you."

"She's a lucky little dog. Not all animals are so fortunate to have someone who loves them or who can afford medical care." He started to turn away.

Tinkie caught his arm. "On my next private investigation case, I'm going to donate all of my salary to your clinic, for health care for indigent animals."

He was very solemn. "Thank you, Mrs. Richmond. I thank you for those who can't speak."

"I'll check on Chablis later today."

Tinkie and I hurried out to the car. I had to be on the set by nine, and we were cutting it close. "Chablis is healing, so how are you?" I asked her.

The knot on her head was swollen and ugly, and I was glad she couldn't go home to Oscar looking like she might hatch a Mini-Me from her temple. Oscar's tolerance for the private investigative work Tinkie did never ceased to amaze me. He'd married the daughter of the owner of the town bank. Tinkie was the epitome of a sorority girl--long on social skills and masterful at manipulating men. She wrote the Daddy's Girl manual. But she was also smart and loyal and brave and really good at math. And Oscar had begun to recognize
those qualities and step aside as she developed them. Injuries, though, rattled his conviction to leave her alone.

"Tinkie, can you remember anything from last night?" I told her Graf's supposition of the chain of events.

"He's right. I made it all the way to the panel, and I couldn't figure out how to open the door. I was so focused on that, I didn't see who snuck up behind me." She felt the knot. "What the hell did they hit me with?"

"Your assailant didn't leave a weapon in the passageway."

Tinkie bit her bottom lip. "Someone had been in there before me. The dust was all disturbed and cobwebs had been knocked down."

"We'll find this person. I'm just sorry your trip home is delayed. I know you want to take Chablis somewhere safe."

"To be honest, Sarah Booth, that's not what I want at all." She turned her beautiful blue eyes on me and I saw contained fury. "I want to find the son of a bitch who kicked my dog hard enough to break her ribs, and I want to make them pay."

"That's one thing that you and I and Graf agree on." I pulled into the driveway of the mansion just in time to see Ricardo talking animatedly with Daniel Martinez, the security guy. It looked as if they were having a heated argument.

"I'll check that out," Tinkie said. "You get ready to work."

I did just that, and when Sally had my makeup on and Dallas had me dressed, I hurried down to the set. Graf met me with a worried look. "Federico's not feeling well. He's nauseated."

My gut took a dive. "Damn it, I dropped the ball. If someone is trying to destroy the film, it stands to reason they might go after him. Do you think he's been poisoned?"

Graf shook his head. "He insists he's fine. He said Jovan gave him something to sleep and he must have had a bad reaction to it. The thing is, Jovan is sick, too."

"We need to get that prescription checked." I looked around. Tinkie and Daniel were nowhere in sight. "Is Jovan
in her room?" After the attack on Tinkie, I didn't know if it was safe for the model to be alone in the house.

"She was out here a moment ago, bringing some medicine for Federico. She was a little green around the gills, but she was ambulatory."

"Let's get these scenes done. We've got to find out who's doing this." I started toward the set.

"Sarah Booth." The tone of his voice stopped me. When I saw the worry in his eyes, I couldn't resist touching his face.

"What is it?"

"When I went to the set, Ricardo was talking with his father. He was upset and loud. He thinks his father has had Estelle committed."

"Where did he get that idea?" I couldn't read Ricardo, but I was going to give it another try.

"I don't know," Graf said. "He sounded worried."

"What did Federico do?"

"He told Ricardo that if Estelle showed up here again, he would have her arrested. That really bent Ricardo. He stormed off."

"I think I'll have a word with him." Ricardo was standing in the shade of a tree drinking a bottle of water. He still looked hot and angry. And worried.

Graf lifted my hand to his lips. "I'm due on the set and you're up next. If you want to wait in your room . . ."

I kissed him, lightly but with a serious promise of more. "I'm not the kind of actress who hides in her trailer waiting to be called."

"Behave, Sarah Booth, I need to concentrate on being Ned."

I watched him go back to his mark as Federico resumed his place and waved everyone back into position. Ricardo remained in his spot, sulkily smoking a cigarette. When I approached, he gave me a bored look.

"Do you know something about Estelle?" I asked.

"Why bother answering. No one believes me."

"If your sister is still in town, I'm worried that she'll harm someone."

He exhaled cigarette smoke and stared at me as if he could assess my sincerity. "Daniel Martinez was looking for her last night while everyone was gone."

"The security guy?"

"He has a crush on her. She stood him up for a date a few days ago, and he's been going by her place, calling her cell phone, questioning her roommate."

"And?"

"No one has seen her. The cell phone has gone dead." Ricardo lit another cigarette, pretending to a nonchalance I saw through like smoked glass.

"Have you talked to Estelle?"

He shook his head. "Not for days. She was upset that Dad had her removed from the property."

"She's been in some of the secret passages, harassing me and others."

One shoulder came up and dropped. "She's angry, okay. But it isn't like her to disappear." He swallowed and finally looked at me. "I'm worried about her. Look, there's someone in the house." He dared me to interrupt him with a look. "Someone who doesn't belong there. I heard something this morning . . ."

I didn't know whether to believe him or not. "We've searched the secret passageways. We've searched all the rooms except for those on the third floor, and we're going there when the filming is over for today. If someone is hiding in the house, we'll find them."

"I tried to follow the noises, but I couldn't. No matter where I looked, there was no one."

"Ricardo, if you're messing with me, don't. Someone hurt my friend last night. It was serious."

Concern was quickly replaced with anger. "I knew you wouldn't listen. No one does. Did you ever think that might be the reason Estelle is so mad? No one listens!" He crushed out his cigarette and stalked away.

By the end of the day's shooting, light had fled the sky, leaving bruised mango colors on the horizon. I was exhausted, and even Graf looked fatigued. Federico, a shade of bilious green, disappeared into the suite of rooms he shared with Jovan, who'd been resting most of the afternoon.

Tinkie was waiting for us in the kitchen with a pitcher of homemade lemonade and glasses filled with ice. It had been a long time since I'd tasted something that good. It was the perfect blend of tart and sweet, and it took me back to long-ago summer days when my mother would pack a hamper with sandwiches and lemonade and take me to one of the small amber creeks that fed the Tallahatchie River.

These were times my mother earmarked just for us--girl time. And she would talk of her love of the land and my father and her dreams for me to be successful and happy at whatever I chose. Jitty had said my folks were proud of me. I so hoped she was correct.

I put the past aside, and Tinkie, Graf, and I took our drinks outside to the patio where we were relatively sure no one could overhear us.

Tinkie's face was aglow. Not even the goose egg at her hairline could detract from her joy. "I spoke with the veterinarian,
and he said I could get Chablis in a day or so." Tinkie played with the swirl of lemon peel decorating her glass and a shadow fell over her features. "He said if we hadn't acted so quickly, she would have died."

"But she'll be good as new, right?" I asked. "No permanent side effects?" Chablis could not be crippled.

Tinkie sighed. "He's almost positive. But he's cautious."

"Chablis is tough," Graf said. "She'll heal."

"I want to go home." Tinkie blinked back her tears. "I take Oscar for granted sometimes, but I realize how much I rely on him. He's irascible and self-involved, but he's also there when I need to lean on him, and I've got to say, I'm feeling like letting him play the big, strong he-man."

"That's what the best relationships are about--you rely on each other," Graf said softly. He reached across the table and picked up my hand. "I know you miss Oscar. As soon as Chablis can travel, we'll get you a flight home."

"But that's like abandoning Sarah Booth with this criminal stalking the film crew." Tinkie put her hand over ours and squeezed. "I may be short, but I'm generally the one who saves Sarah Booth's behind."

"True," I easily agreed. "She's arrived in the nick of time more than once. If it weren't for Tinkie and Sweetie, I'd be dead. But on this case, which I might point out isn't really a case since no one is paying us, I think the film is the target."

Tinkie swirled her drink. "I'm not in the film, but I was still hurt. If we could find Estelle, I'd feel a lot better."

And so would I, but Tinkie needed to go home as soon as she could. She didn't need to hang around, worrying about a young woman who might or might not be in trouble.

"I have some news," Graf said. "Federico said something today about wrapping the filming here tomorrow. He's ready to head back to L.A."

That was news to me, and I must have looked shocked.

"He was planning on filming some of the other interior
scenes around here, but he says he can do it as well on one of the studio lots. He wants to leave. This whole thing with Estelle so angry and Jovan getting injured--it's taken a toll on him." Graf drained his glass.

The idea of going back to California should have excited me, but it didn't. There were still questions unanswered about this house and what was going on. "I didn't expect to leave so quickly." The truth was, the sooner everyone was out of that house, the better. Still, I found myself reluctant to go.

Graf stood up and stretched. "I want to visit Chablis." He checked his watch. "The clinic is open late this evening. Tinkie, what about a trip to cheer the patient?"

"Wild horses couldn't stop me." She jumped to her feet. They both turned to me.

"You two go ahead. I want to talk to Ricardo again."

Graf put his hands on my shoulders. "Are you sure you want to stay here alone?"

"I'm not alone. Federico and Jovan are here. The security guards are outside. I saw Daniel Martinez walking toward the gate not half an hour ago. I think Ricardo may open up to me if I'm alone."

"Good luck," Tinkie said. "He's like a split personality. All charming one minute, and then all surly and rude the next. At the best of times, he's not the most forthcoming person I've ever met."

"That's why I want to talk to him. He sounded genuinely upset earlier. He said no one ever listened to him or Estelle. I want to give it a try. If he's got something to say, I want to hear it."

Graf came up behind me and pulled me against his chest. "Be careful. Take Sweetie with you wherever you go."

"That's a promise."