Chapter 13
Megan tugged her hand away from Nico as soon as they were away from the crush of people in the backyard. “I don’t think so, honey. You only manhandle me when I give you permission.”
“Don’t honey me.” Nico was pissed. “Did you ask my permission to interrogate my cousin?”
“I wasn’t interrogating Frank—”
“He doesn’t even realize it because you’re so damn charming.” Nico crossed his arms over his chest. “What did he tell you? Nothing. He told you nothing because when it comes to my family, there is nothing to tell.”
“It’s been nearly a week now. Katherine had a vision about someone being buried in a shallow grave, and there’s blood at the scene. You ready to take the gloves off?”
Megan could tell she’d shocked him.
“What?” Nico blinked. “When did Katherine—?”
“The day before Drew came and talked to me about the blood.”
Nico said, “And you think someone in my family could be responsible for that? For murder?”
“I don’t think anything yet!” Megan stepped forward and got in his space. “But the only reason someone would rob you is if they knew the Poulsard grapes are special. And according to you, the only people who knew that information were Henry and a couple of family members.”
“So what are you saying? You think my own family stole from me? And murdered someone to cover it up?”
“Maybe something spun out of control! Maybe someone they hired got violent and they were defending themselves. For that matter, maybe they didn’t think of it as stealing.”
“How could you not think of it as stealing when you break into my greenhouse, take the project I’ve been working on for three years, and—”
“They could have thought they were keeping you from making a horrible mistake. They could have been trying to do something good and something went wrong. I don’t know, and neither will you if you won’t let me question them.”
Nico was silent, but he was no longer fuming.
“I need to question them” —Megan kept pressing— “particularly your cousin Kellan, because he sounds like someone we really need to talk to.”
“Kellan is my family. They’re all my family. And Dusis don’t steal from each other. I don’t know what kind of family you came from, but no one in my family would steal from me.”
She ignored the swipe at her family and turned toward her car. The wind had picked up, and the breeze coming off the ocean was thick with fog. She was shivering in her bright spring outfit.
“Okay,” Megan said, “you think about how you know I’m right while I get my jacket from the car, because I’m cold now.” She turned and walked to her Mercedes, but she heard Nico following her.
Megan shouted over her shoulder. “You don’t have to follow me. I don’t think I’m going to run into any vulnerable family members between here and my Mercedes.”
“You’re saying they don’t have faith in me.”
Megan stopped in her tracks and turned. “What?”
Nico’s jaw was set at a stubborn angle. “You think they don’t have faith in me and how I run the winery. That’s the only reason they’d interfere, and I refuse to think that.”
She didn’t stop walking. “That is not what I’m saying.”
“I knocked heads with my father for years over what direction to go and how to make that place really special. Not just making jug wine or house wine for Gina’s restaurant but going to the next level. I spent the first fifteen years of my career being questioned at every single turn, and I finally proved myself. I finally convinced them that I knew what I was doing, and I earned their trust.”
“Nico, all I have to do is talk to your family to see how proud they are of all the work you’ve put in and what you’ve made of that place. What I’m saying is—”
“That one of them could be trying to sabotage that.” Nico’s voice got quieter. “That’s what you’re saying.” He turned and looked back at the party, then turned his face to the ocean in the distance. “You should get your coat.”
Megan walked the last few steps to her car, unlocked it, and grabbed her jacket from the back seat. She threw it over her shoulders, grateful for the warm lining, and walked back to Nico. At the last minute, she turned and felt for the car’s energy, tuning into it as if a fine thread connected her hand and the car door. With a flick of her wrist, she shut it behind her.
“How do you do that?” he asked. “And if you can do that, why can’t you open the car door from a distance too?”
“Opening the door takes a level of focus I haven’t really gotten down yet. You have to press in the button and then pull it to open. It all has to happen at pretty much the same time, which makes it more like conducting an orchestra than playing an instrument.”
“But shoving something?”
“Like bangin’ on a big bass drum.” She smiled. “Brute force is easy.” Megan stood beside him, keeping her cold hands stuffed in the pockets and staring over the dark hills that stepped down toward the coast. “You know, for our fifth wedding anniversary, Rodney and I went to Disney World.”
Nico frowned. “Disney World?”
“Yep. Ask me why a woman in her twenties who just found out she was pregnant with her first baby would want to go to Disney World on what would probably be her last adult vacation in years.”
“I am genuinely curious about this.”
“I didn’t.” Megan looked up at him. “I wanted to go to New York. I’d always wanted to go to New York. Listen to the street performers in the subways. See a show on Broadway. Eat a hot dog in Central Park. Wander around the Met for hours. I’d never been before. I didn’t go until just a few years ago, in fact.”
“So why did you go to Disney World?”
“Because Rodney asked my mama where I’d always wanted to go for a trip, and even though my mama knew I always wanted to go to New York, she told him Disney World.”
Nico frowned. “Why?”
“Because she was scared. She’d read all these terrible stories about crime in the city and decided that it wasn’t a good place for me to go. Wasn’t safe enough. I’d probably get mugged in the subway or something.”
“I’m pretty sure there are more serial killers in Florida than there are in New York.”
“Well, she wasn’t thinking about that. She wasn’t thinking about me at all except for keeping me safe in the best way she could think of.” Megan pulled her hands out of her pockets and breathed out on them, trying to warm them up. “And if you asked her, she would have told you that I really wanted to go to Disney World. She’d be convinced of it. She would have sworn up and down that Disney World was what I always wanted because New York was dangerous and I was carrying a new baby and isn’t that a better idea?”
Nico was silent.
“It wasn’t because she didn’t love me. Or respect me. It was about her own fears. I know that now. But that whole trip, all I could think of was New York and how I’d always wanted to go. And if I’d said something to my mother, she would have been flabbergasted because she knew—she knew—she was doing exactly the right thing.”
“You’re saying family makes executive decisions for us sometimes.”
“And most of them are based in love. Even if it doesn’t feel that way.”
“So you think my cousin Kellan—”
“Oh no, I think that one might be a sneaky little shit. I’m not sure; I just have a feeling, and I need to question him first.”
Nico pursed his lips, and Megan forced her eyes away.
Down, Sugar.
“Yeah.” He finally spoke. “Kellan can be a sneaky little shit.”
“But the rest of them?” Megan said. “The rest, I’m sure, are lovely.”
Adam’s car was already in the drive when Megan and Cami arrived at the house. Dusi Sunday dinner had gone late into the night, and while Trina and Adam had wanted to return home, Cami had been having too much fun with he
r friend Deirdre and wanted to stay.
And Megan? Well, she’d maybe played a few more rounds of horseshoes with Nico before her telekinesis had begun to wane.
She was tired and more than a little on edge. She’d been sitting with Nico most of the night, and she knew there were many pairs of Dusi eyes on her, wondering what she was doing with the most available cousin in the clan. Strangely enough, the eyes that were so visible to her seemed to faze Nico not one bit. He kept Megan close through the evening, sneaking little asides into her ear and clearly leaning into the friendly side of their friendly professional relationship.
He also told anyone and everyone who would listen that Megan would be starting her own business and wasn’t working for Dusi Heritage exclusively anymore.
Over and over, she caught him looking at her, slipping her little smiles, and touching her hand or her arm casually.
In short, Sugar was about ready to hunt the man down and have her way with him. Megan’s libido was raring, but Sugar got a bucket of cold water dumped on her when Rodney’s car pulled up behind Megan’s in the driveway.
Cami shot her a look, and her lip was slightly curled. “What’s he doing here?”
“I have no idea.” Megan leaned over and kissed her daughter’s forehead. “Why don’t you just say good night quickly and go to bed? It’s your bedtime anyway.”
Her daughter rushed out of the car, gave her father a quick wave, and shouted, “Good night!” as she walked in the house.
Megan got out of her Mercedes and walked to the end of the driveway to see what Rodney wanted. “Hey. What’s up? I thought we’d talked about you coming over here without texting.”
Rodney was wearing a dark blue golf shirt and a pair of khaki slacks. His hair was combed into a neat wave on top of his head, and his shoes were bright white and spotless.
Perfectly Rodney from head to toe.
“I haven’t done that in months,” he said. “And I’ve been texting you for a few days and you haven’t gotten back to me.”
“I’ve been busy and the kids are with me this week, so I know it’s not about them.” Which means you have no reason to be harassing me with texts and phone calls. “Is this about your new girlfriend?”
“Yes. This is about Angela.” He had the grace to look embarrassed. “I know that you met her the other day and she told you we were dating.”
“And?”
“I’m sorry you had to find out that way. I should have told you myself.”
Megan frowned. “Why would I feel any kind of way about you dating someone new?” She smirked. “Honey, you were dating new people before we even split up. Remember?” She couldn’t resist. She shifted her hip and sent a shove of energy toward Rodney’s cheeky convertible, making the alarm trip and go wild.
He scrambled for the key, quickly turning the alarm off before it caused a scene with the neighbors. “I don’t know why it always does that when you’re around.”
“Just around me?” She pressed her lips together. “That’s strange. You know, sometimes they set those sensors so high—”
“I’ve had them checked like three times now.” He was scowling at the car. “Forget about the alarm. I’m dating Angela Calvo. And I think it’s serious. That’s why I want the kids to meet her.”
“Oh.” Megan kept her eyes wide and guileless. “More serious than Amber? Or… Crystal. I can’t remember her name. Or um… Casey? More serious than her? Maybe more serious than Layla? That was the one who was just a few years older than our oldest daughter. Remember her?”
Rodney’s nostrils flared. “Listen, we’re not married anymore—”
Megan barked out a laugh. “You can say that again.”
“—and I’ve moved on. I don’t know what you feel right now, Megan.” The corner of his mouth turned up. “I’m sure you have some bitterness because you’re alone and I traded you in for a new model.”
She held up a hand. “Oh no. You can fuck right off with that nonsense, Rodney Tucker Carpenter. I was always too good for you, and we both know it.”
He shrugged. “Whatever makes you feel better. I just know that your resentment toward the other women I’ve dated shouldn’t color your view of Angela. She’d like to meet you for lunch to get to know you better, and I think that’s really gracious of her. She’s classy, Megan. She comes from… well, from a quality family.”
Was she supposed to laugh? Throw something at him? Megan set his car alarm off again.
“This fucking—!” Rodney let loose a stream of curses as he dropped his keys while trying to get them out of his pocket so he could turn off the alarm.
“Careful,” Megan said. “You wouldn’t want Angela’s ‘quality family’ to hear that mouth.”
“Will you go to lunch with her or not?” Rodney was losing his wits as Megan set off the car alarm over and over. As soon as he turned it off, she set it going again. Neighbors were peeking out the front doors.
Megan waved to each one. “Sorry, Mrs. Barrens! I apologize, Mr. Lopez. I’m not sure what’s wrong with Rodney’s car.” She pointed to her ears. “I’m sorry for the noise, Mr. Rainer. I’m sure Rodney will be gone soon.”
“Will you just” —Rodney shoved his keys in the ignition and the alarm finally turned off— “meet the woman for lunch? She’d like to get to know you better so you feel more comfortable letting the kids meet her.”
“The kids can do whatever they want. You know I’ve never limited your visitation. If you want this woman to spend time with them—”
“I realize that, but Trina won’t see me at all. Adam is seventeen now, and Cami follows everything Adam and Trina do.”
“Oh.” She nodded. “I see. You want me to like your new girlfriend so our kids will like her too.”
“I don’t care if you like her or not.” Rodney’s face was bright red. “She cares. And I’m trying to convince this woman that my kids don’t hate me, okay?”
Oh, you pitiful man. Looks like the consequences of your own actions are finally catching up with you.
Megan didn’t have to do anything. After all, Rodney was the asshole. The kids had good heads on their shoulders, so if Angela Calvo was a decent person, they’d see that eventually.
Still… it wouldn’t be a bad thing to figure out how serious this was. Megan was tired of the ups and downs of her ex dating and her kids being along for the ride. Maybe Angela wasn’t that into Rodney. Then Megan could issue her a stern warning and move on with her life, knowing she’d spared another woman the same headache she’d survived.
She smiled at the red-faced man in her driveway. “Sure, Rodney. I’ll meet with her. Give her my number and tell her to text me.” Megan turned to go into the house as Rodney started his car and reversed down the driveway, finally leaving their neighborhood in relative peace.
Her phone buzzed in her purse.
Good Lord, that was fast. Was Angela Calvo texting her already?
She pulled out her phone and nearly did an excited boogie on the front porch.
It wasn’t Angela, it was Val.
I’m in, you sweet Georgia peach. Sully and I will drive to the coast day after tomorrow. Better find a place for his giant truck to park.
Chapter 14
Katherine sat across the table from Megan, her keen eyes watching silently as Megan fidgeted. They were drinking coffee at the North Beach Bistro, where Angela Calvo was meeting them for lunch in a little over fifteen minutes. Katherine had finished the sketch of the man she’d seen in her vision and given a copy to Megan.
“He might be Latino?” Megan said. “Definitely white or Latino.”
“I would say yes. Latino was my first impression as well.”
“He’s not familiar to me. You?”
“Nothing. I’ve run through everyone I can think of from the university, especially the biology department, and from the wineries I’ve visited.”
“He’s very… average-looking.”
Katherine nodded. “He is.”
Katherine hadn’t taken her eyes off Megan.
“What?” Megan asked.
“I’m just curious why you wanted me here. I could have dropped off the sketch. Or you could have come to pick it up. Why did you want me at lunch?”
“Because… it’s Angela Calvo, and she was kind of a suspect in the vine theft.”
Katherine looked confused. “I thought we’d eliminated her. Despite her reputation, Professor Njoku and I confirmed that her land doesn’t have the right soil composition to grow Poulsard.”
“You know she also owns other property. Like that resort north of town at Dolphin Cove. I drove up a couple of days ago and checked. I definitely saw some greenhouse-looking things.”
And impeccable landscaping which… would explain the greenhouses.
The resort also had a crystal-blue pool, steaming hot pools, and ocean-view spa cabanas.
She really needed a spa day.
“I suppose it’s still a possibility,” Katherine said. “What would her motive be?”
“Um… messing with Nico?”
Katherine seemed to consider that. “For what purpose?”
“To… get revenge for not being able to steal the wine caves?”
Katherine nodded thoughtfully. “Though Angela Calvo maintained that she didn’t know anything about the wine caves or about her fiancé’s goal of tricking Nico into selling his land.”
“She says that, but why should we believe her?”
Katherine asked, “Why shouldn’t we?”
Megan slumped. “I don’t know. I just don’t want to meet this woman by myself. I’d ask Toni to come because I know you’re busy—and I’d love to pry into what on earth this woman sees in Rodney—but she’s not feeling well, and I don’t want to stress her out.”
Fate Interrupted: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Novel (Moonstone Cove Book 3) Page 11