With Her Last Breath (28 page)

“Let’s see.” Nick leaned forward and with his other hand picked up the telephone. He cradled the receiver between his head and shoulder and punched out JoAnn’s number.

JoAnn was at first glad to hear who he was and then sullen when asked about Ed.

“Tell him, JoAnn,” Ed ordered roughly.

When she confirmed his alibi, Nick released Ed and studied him. The bartender was too nervous, taking another shot of whiskey. His eyes darted away from Nick’s. Nick stood slowly, fighting his anger. “Everything better check out, Ed. Or I’ll be back. And if you know anything about this, you’d better tell me. Think it over.”

When Maggie entered the police station, Nick at her side, she took his hand. He immediately brought it to his lips. “Lorenzo is my cousin. He’ll believe what you say. Calm down. You’re shaking.”

“I’ve been in police stations before. The experiences weren’t pleasant. Do you think I should say something about Leo’s attack?”

“It’s up to you. This is just the initial interview of all people involved in the winery. The lock had been broken, and Eugene had forgotten to turn on the security system, so there will be more questions after the crime scene people do their job. Let him do his job, Maggie. He’s a small tourist town police chief, but he’s got a real feel for people.”

Nick never left Maggie, his hand big and firm around hers, and Lorenzo briskly skimmed through the paperwork. When he was finished, he said softly, “Take it easy, Maggie. Nick tells me you’re not too fond of police and that you once had a bad time proving a point to them. You’re not under suspicion; this is just standard. I had to interview Eugene and got some cock-and-bull about how well he fought off his attacker, and
I pretended to take notes on that, too. This could take days, so just relax and let us do our job. Nick, there are rubber boot prints all over that place. Size ten.”

Lorenzo looked at Maggie and then back at Nick. “If anyone you know has a grudge against either one of you, think about giving me that information. And Nick, the smell is so bad in there that the guys are requesting fans, so be prepared for an even bigger electricity bill.”

On their way to Eugene at the clinic, Maggie said, “Your cousin suspects I’m not telling him something.”

“He’s leaving that up to you. You’re pale and shaking. Take it easy while you visit Eugene, okay? I’ve got to meet Lorenzo at the winery. He’s going to let me into the office for some files and paperwork I can do at home.”

“Do you need me—?”

“I always need you. See you tonight at the house—you’re staying with me, right?”

Maggie placed a shallow box of Rosa’s food on Nick’s kitchen counter. “Dee Dee has just collected Eugene from the clinic. I helped move him into her house. He’ll need some of his things from his apartment. When I left, she was holding his hand and fussing over him. I couldn’t tell if his smile was a leer or pain. How are you, Nick?”

She glanced at Dante, who had just passed her with one of Rosa’s hot casseroles. At eleven o’clock at night, Nick’s house was well lit, and he was seated at the kitchen table amid a mass of papers. The crumpled papers on the floor showed his frustration.

“I’m disgusted. I should have had a better security system, one with automatic timing, and I let an old man—a really good friend—get hurt. There’s no way to fill these new orders now. Some of the equipment needs repair. We couldn’t bottle, even if we had full tanks and barrels. Whoever it was wore gloves and fireman’s boots. What he didn’t break, he contaminated or emptied—rammed a forklift right through the cellar. It will take years to rebuild our customer base.
We’ve just shipped some case goods, but not enough to hold future shelf space and facing. This year’s crop isn’t going to stop ripening and it has to be processed. With what? The equipment is going to take a fortune to repair—I could lose the whole place.”

When Maggie came to stand behind him, smoothing his shoulders, Nick leaned his head back against her and closed his eyes. He rubbed Scout’s ears as the dog’s head lay on his thigh. He sighed roughly. “It’s been a long day. I’m glad you’re here.”

Dante slid into a chair. He placed three glasses on the table, and with an expert twist of the corkscrew lifted the cork out of Nick’s best wine, reserved for family use. He poured it into the glasses and spoke thoughtfully. “Size ten farmer’s rubber boots. Tracks everywhere. They’re probably in the lake by now. He would have had wine stain all over him, so he probably wore some kind of gear. They’re pretty certain it was one man by the tracks. Could have been someone on drugs…when they couldn’t find cash in the receipt drawer, they lost control. But since you don’t keep cash on hand when closed, that theory doesn’t work. You do a lot of credit card and check business, not that much cash anyway.”

Nick shook his head. “I don’t think it was Ed. But I think he knows something—and I think he’s afraid. I think he’d take a beating from me rather than talk.”

“I don’t think it was Ed, either. He might be a heavy breather, trying to intimidate women—”

Nick’s head jerked away from her body and he stared up at her. “Has he been calling you?”

“Beth
and
me. A man like him won’t just walk away—”

“And you didn’t tell me.”

“I didn’t think it was important. I’ve had a lot worse come across telephone lines and so has Beth.”

“You should have told me. But oh, no. You’re used to handling your own problems, right?”

“And you’re understandably upset about Eugene and the winery, so let’s just stick to the problem at hand, okay?”

“If you two will stop arguing long enough, I have an idea. Lorna is pretty steamed about you and Maggie—”

Maggie shook her head. “She might have gone into my camper when I wasn’t there, but I don’t think she would have done anything like this. She’s honest in what she wants, not sneaky.”

Nick’s hand grasped Maggie’s wrist, and he brought her to sit on his lap. “What’s this about your camper?” he demanded.

“Lorna left it very neat. She just wanted me to know that she could get to me when she wanted. It’s an old game. When I got home the other day, Lorna was parked right outside the camper, waiting. I don’t know why she wanted my family pictures, but I understand she’s had a hard life. Maybe she wanted—”

Both men were staring at her blankly.

“Lorna? Neat? You’ve got to be kidding,” Dante said finally. “Her housekeepers are always complaining. They usually don’t stay long.”

“She broke into your camper and you didn’t tell me.” Nick’s words were spaced, accusing her.

“It’s nothing to worry about. Nothing was broken. She’s just pushing her weight around, that’s all, nudging me.”

Nick looked at Dante. “They have a bet about me. Maggie won’t tell me what it is. Maggie handles everything in her life and doesn’t want anyone else in her business. Things will have to change after we’re married.”

Maggie stared at him. “Nick—”

“I don’t have anything to offer now, but a big mess. But I’ll be back on my feet. I’ve done it before. You like puttering around a house and doing laundry. You can do that here, if you want—with my ring on your finger. What did you think? That I would let what we have go?”

When Maggie shook her head no, Nick looked back at his brother. “Don’t mind her. It’s going to take a while to set in. She’s stubborn that way. We haven’t even had a real date yet.”

Maggie had tried to halt Nick’s flow of words, but he wasn’t about to stop. So she took the only action available to her. She lifted her glass and raised it over his head, slowly letting the wine fall, drop by drop, onto his shaggy head.

He settled in to ignore her reaction, but his arm held her tight against him. He licked the wine from his lips. “I am not in a good mood, Maggie. It’s been a long day. Just sit still and let me hold you. If you want to argue, please save it for much, much later.”

Nick looked so gloomy that Maggie couldn’t help reaching out to dab away the wine she’d spilled on his head. She kissed him lightly. “Later, then. But don’t think you’re going to get away with that.”

He was silent for a moment and then he said, “About Leo Knute. He wasn’t exactly happy. He did a lot of threatening. Maybe he’s come back to make good. But it’s up to you, Maggie, if you want to tell Lorenzo. He’ll get there, sooner or later, just by talking to Eugene and others and fitting the pieces together. It’s a stretch for you, but this time you might trust the law.”

“I have been thinking that I would.”

“Leo was mad enough. But he should know what will happen if he tries anything again. But then maybe he’s sent a professional.” Dante swirled his wine and then sipped it. His look at Nick said his thoughts were serious. “Maybe it’s time you told her. Maybe they want Scout. When she went for Leo, and it took everything I had to haul her off him.”

Holding Maggie in his arms, Nick tensed. “Big mouth. She’s got enough on her plate with Celeste’s—”

“Tell me what?” Maggie caught Nick’s hair in her fist and tugged it back, looking down at him. “What about my dog?” she demanded, and sensed that the tension in the room had shifted once again.

Nick sighed tiredly. “Someone was at the restaurant, claiming that Scout was his. It could have been anyone faking ownership papers. She’s been around town enough and she’s a good-looking dog. Mom ran him off. Dante can’t find
where he is staying. The guy is probably gone by now. They didn’t want to bother Lorenzo with something so small. He’s got enough problems with tourists letting off steam, and that underage bunch on drugs.”

“Scout took after the man. She’s become a town pet, especially with the geriatric crowd, and the children love to shake hands with her. Other than that night with Leo Knute, she’s a gentle dog.”

“Sometimes the threat in a person’s voice will trigger a reaction like that,” Nick added. “Especially if the person is holding something in his hand, like that leash. If it is Leo’s doing, then we’d better keep Scout close. She’s gotten into a routine of checking on the shops while you’re at the gym, especially Marco’s.”

Maggie tore away, shivering with reaction. Flashes of Scout, muddy and unfed, with the wariness of a mistreated animal that had taken a very short time of loving to overcome, played in Maggie’s mind.

Was the man Brent Templeton? Was it possible that he could have come after them?

Brent was obsessively neat. He couldn’t bear to step into spilled wine, or mess up the office…But he was capable of using someone to do his dirty work. Brent was very good at that…

She wrapped her arms around herself, her fears leaping within her. A tide of memories washed over her as she clasped her locket. “What…what did he look like?”

The brothers studied her as Dante said, “Tall, thin, walks with a limp, thin gray sandy-colored hair, narrow face, broken nose, scar along one cheek. Has a sickly look. Not a friendly guy. A loner.”

The description didn’t match Brent. Hours spent in a gym had honed his muscles; facials and Jamaican holidays kept him smooth and tan. He moved with a slick, winning confidence, and he was never alone, always surrounded by powerful people and those who needed them. He preyed upon the latter, twisting their lives so poisonously that—

Glenda…

Nick rose and came to stand beside her. He took her hand between his. “You’re ice-cold. Do you know this guy?”

She shook her head. She fought to dismiss her terror and yet it nagged, nipping at her. With his money and vanity, a fitness addict with resources, he wouldn’t have scars or a limp. Brent would never have allowed himself to look other than perfect, and he was very smooth. His easygoing, friendly manner concealed a deadly predator who liked to play games. “No, of course not. But I think I saw that same man when I sailed with Dante. It’s just been a long day. Where do you think he is now?”

“We’ve been hunting for him. My guess is that he left town after the incident at the restaurant. Mom has threatened to put the evil eye on him, but don’t tell Dad. Nick, Maggie stayed with Eugene the whole time. She hasn’t eaten, but a little that Mom urged into her,” Dante said softly. “She’s always taking care of other people, but she forgets about herself.”

Nick drew her against him, holding her in his safe way. “Maggie, what you tell Lorenzo is up to you. But if this investigation opens up and Leo is proven to be involved, there’s a question of withholding information.”

Maggie didn’t want Nick or Dante to be held to blame for her decision. “I’ll call him in the morning—anything to help.”

“Call him now. He’s working on this full time to help me hurrying through this investigation and get that yellow crime-scene tape removed. I’ve got to get up and running before that crop comes in. Dante, I’ll take care of her. Let’s see about good old Leo—what he’s been up to. You took down the information from his wallet, Dante. After Maggie calls Lorenzo, give it to him.”

Brent had waited for the concealing cloud-covered night; he’d carefully timed the movements of the coast guard and land patrols. The small town’s police and a team of investiga
tors were working full time with investigators at the winery, and that distraction served Brent’s night adventures.

Before Brent had married well, he’d worked the wealthy resort docks, and the experience had served him well. He motored a small fishing boat out onto the lake and checked the cables around Leo Knute’s tarp-wrapped body. A sizable incision in Leo’s midsection, plus the added weight of the sunken boat, would ensure that the body didn’t resurface.

According to Brent’s directions to Ed, this particular fishing boat had a large hole in the bottom, crudely repaired and already leaking. Another boat, tied to the side, would be Brent’s ride back to shore. Ed knew only that Brent needed to dispose of something.

Ed—a pitiful excuse for a man—feared Brent now, feared what he knew and what he could do. The bartender was in too deep to get out now, fearing Brent and his “connections.” At first, Ed had latched onto the idea of getting Scout, breeding her for the money, and his desire for revenge against Maggie still simmered. Using that, Brent had snared Ed’s alliance and help.