Glancing toward the garage, she spotted Jarrett at an open garage door studying the MG.
“Jarrett’s at the garage,” Caprice said. “Do you want to come with me to talk to him?”
“You might get more out of him if I’m not with you. Why don’t I take a look at the tasting room and events room if they’re open?”
“If they aren’t, maybe Jarrett can open them for us.”
“If you don’t make an enemy of him first.” There was amusement in her aunt’s voice.
“I’ll try not to do that.”
“I know, but it’s hard to keep doubts about someone from showing on your face. Like your dad, you really can’t lie well.”
“Speaking about showing emotion on your face, are you nervous about seeing Uncle Dom again after all these years?”
Marie’s expression sobered. “Not nervous, exactly. He and I haven’t been in touch at all. I know your dad called and visited him over those years, but Dom wouldn’t talk to Nana. After I moved away, I thought about him, but I didn’t know if he’d want to hear from me. So we’ll see if tonight’s dinner at your mom’s is a reunion or a clash of hurt feelings. I know how Mama was hurt when he married Ronnie, and then when she kept him from his family. Mama thought a man should stand up for what he believed in and so did I.”
Marie was right about how Nana had felt. Caprice said, “Uncle Dom believed in keeping his wife happy, but I do think he regrets that now.”
They were at the tasting room and Caprice left Marie there when they saw that the door was open. Her aunt said to her, “You text me or call me if there’s a problem. Or do you want to keep the line open?”
“I don’t think there’s a need for that. I have my phone in my pocket and I’ll keep it open to my contacts screen.”
Her aunt said, “Good luck,” and opened the door to the tasting room.
Caprice walked around the tasting room to the gardens. As she passed the bubbling fountain, she saw Jarrett running his hand over the MG. Maybe he was thinking about the amount of money Michelle could collect from the sale of the cars. Or maybe he was just admiring them. It was hard to know.
Jarrett noticed her approaching and gave a wave. He didn’t look as if he were doing anything he shouldn’t, but then that just might be his surface charm.
“Are you thinking of driving one?” she teased. He studied the cars in the garage. “No. I’m just wondering why Travis had to buy so many, or have so many restored. He was collecting them as if he was collecting Hummels.” Jarrett shook his head. “I just don’t get it. There are so many things about my brother I didn’t understand. But that was true of my father too.”
Jarrett’s openness always surprised Caprice. As he did seem to be open, she asked, “When are you going back to Maryland?”
“My mother wants me to stay another week. She’s trying to convince me to take over the winery with Michelle.”
“Have you talked to Michelle about it?”
With a shrug, he explained, “I don’t know if I’d even think about doing it. So there doesn’t seem much point in discussing it. On the other hand, I’m not sure Michelle wants to keep the winery. So much of it probably reminds her of Travis, good and bad memories. She’s worried about getting a job to pay basic expenses. If you’re here to see her, she’s on an interview this morning about a nursing position. But there’s no way she can run the winery and work too. She’s looking at all options, I suppose.”
Caprice wanted information from Jarrett that he might not want to give. The best way she knew to get it was just blurt out the question. She might take him off guard. “Did you know what was going on between Michelle and Dion Genet?”
Jarrett’s eyes widened for a moment and he hesitated. “I knew. I wonder if the police know.”
This time Caprice shrugged. “If I could find out about it, they can too.”
Jarrett muttered, “Travis was such a bastard to her. That day he accused me of making a pass at Michelle, it just tore her apart that he’d even think that. I was just comforting her after a trying day. She had a lot of them with him. She began to hate her life with Travis.”
“Because he wasn’t the man she thought she married?”
“That was a huge part of it.” Jarrett’s voice had gone deep and somber.
Caprice felt there was something Jarrett wasn’t telling her. Did he know Michelle well enough to believe whether she would or wouldn’t kill her husband? But she decided information gathering was an art. You had to know when to push and when not to push. If she wanted Jarrett to give her or anyone else information later, she should stop now.
“The reason why I’m here is that I brought my aunt along to see the tasting room and the events room. She’s in the tasting room now. Is it all right if we take a little tour?”
“Neil’s probably in the tasting room. Sure, you can take a tour. If he’s not there and you need me to open the events room, just come get me. I’m inventorying the cars and exactly what Travis had here. Michelle needs to get some resell prices.”
“Sounds good,” Caprice responded.
Jarrett nodded and picked up a clipboard that he had laid on the roof of the car. She supposed he really was taking inventory.
For Michelle’s sake? Or for his own?
* * *
That evening Grant picked up Caprice and her aunt. Caprice had thought that was the better way to go so Marie could meet Grant and Patches before they set foot in the De Luca family boisterousness. The three of them had had coffee and spent about an hour talking. Grant and her aunt seemed to get along right away, and Caprice was glad of that. No, it wasn’t a given that everybody on Caprice’s side of the aisle would like Grant. She had no illusions about that. But her aunt seemed to connect with Grant on a deeper level than the surface.
When they walked into her mom’s house, everyone but Nana and her mom were in the living room. When Uncle Dom saw Marie, Caprice noticed that Dulcina patted his arm. Caprice supposed that was a signal of some kind or else just a touch of support.
Caprice’s gaze met Vince’s. She was so annoyed with him. Roz had refused to come tonight and had actually gone out of town to visit a friend. The truth was—Caprice didn’t know if she could keep her annoyance in check.
As Grant unleashed Patches and Lady and the cockers went to say hello to Blitz who lay in the sunroom off the living room, Marie stood frozen in the doorway. She took in everyone gathered there from Bella and Joe, Megan, Timmy, and Benny, to Vince, to Dom and Dulcina, to Nikki and Brett. The first thing she did was go to Brett. “Since I know most of these other people, I’ll talk to the people I don’t know first. I suppose you’re Nikki’s Brett?”
Caprice noticed Nikki flush. “Aunt Marie,” Nikki said, “This is Brett Carstead.”
“I surmised as much,” Marie said. “He’s a detective with the Kismet PD who Caprice helps once in a while.”
Brett’s lips quirked up in a smile and he extended his hand. “It’s good to meet you. Sometimes I’m not sure if Caprice helps me or I help her.”
Next Aunt Marie headed for Dulcina but Dom stood. Then he closed the gap between them and gave his sister a huge hug. “It’s good to see you, Marie. I’m sorry for all the years I stayed quiet.”
Caprice could see that Marie had tears in her eyes when she leaned away so she could study him. “You’re looking good, Dom. Life must agree with you.”
“It does since I moved to Kismet.”
“Caprice tells me you’re pet sitting now.”
“I am. I like it better than I ever did financial work. How about you? Are you making jewelry?”
“I am. A few shops in Santa Fe and Taos sell it.”
“There’s someone I want you to meet,” Dom said, taking a step back and motioning to Dulcina. “This is Dulcina.”
Standing, Dulcina extended her hand. “It’s good to meet you. Dom has told me stories about your growing-up years.”
“You mean how he got into trouble much too easily.�
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Dulcina laughed and any tension that might have been there dissipated.
Just then her mom and Nana came into the room. There was more hugging and chatter and De Luca chaos.
Caprice leaned close to Grant. “I’m going to pull Vince aside.”
After remaining silent for a beat, he asked, “Are you sure you want to do that now?”
He was giving her the chance to reconsider. “I do, because the conversation will be over with and won’t get lost in the shuffle. We’ll be able to enjoy dinner.”
“I don’t think Vince is enjoying much these days,” Grant muttered.
When Caprice angled toward Vince and caught his elbow to lead him into the sunroom, she saw that Grant was right. Her brother looked pale and tired.
“You look awful,” Caprice told him.
“Gee, thanks, Sis.”
“I can see you’re just as miserable as Roz.”
“Don’t start on me again. I know I have to make her a real part of my life if I want to keep her, and I do want to keep her if it’s not too late. But there are a few things I have to do before I can talk to Roz. Believe me, I’ll make this right as soon as I can.”
Caprice wondered about those few things he had to do but decided not to question him. Nevertheless, she did have something to tell him. “I suppose some of those things you have to do concern Michelle.”
His jaw jutted forward. “She’s my client.”
“Did you know she’s having an affair with Dion Genet?”
Vince looked totally surprised. “No, I didn’t. Are you sure about that?”
“I confirmed it with Jarrett and with Dion himself. It’s possible she murdered Travis so they wouldn’t fight over everything in a divorce.”
“That’s not Michelle,” Vince protested.
“All right, but I thought you should know. If you ask her about it, maybe she’ll come clean with you. Have you talked with Jarrett much?”
“I had one interview session with him. Why?”
“Because I think there’s something he’s not telling us or the police. I want to see him again and poke a little more.”
“He could be your killer just as easy as Michelle. Be careful.”
“I will.”
Vince was silent for a few moments and they both just listened to the conversations and chatter in the living room. Finally, he said, “I want Roz to be here meeting Aunt Marie. I want her beside me at your wedding. I’ll tell you the first thing I have to do. I have to convince Michelle to call the defense attorney I recommended for her. I’m not going to give her a choice.”
Caprice wasn’t sure how that would go. But sometimes her brother had more tact than she gave him credit for. Maybe she’d say a rosary tonight that Vince could untangle this mess.
* * *
Caprice took her Aunt Marie out for lunch the next day to the Sunflower Diner in order to show her a favorite Kismet watering hole. They walked inside and the hostess greeted Caprice by name. After she’d shown them to one of the front booths, her Aunt Marie asked, “Do you come in often?”
“Often enough. We brought Grant’s parents here for dinner when they first visited Kismet.”
“How did they like it?”
“To tell you the truth, I’m not sure. I do know they don’t like anything pretentious so that’s why Grant suggested here.”
The waitress, a redhead in her twenties with a pixie cut, whose nametag read SUSAN, brought them menus and asked about drink orders. After they ordered drinks, they studied the menus. “I’m still full from the meal last night,” Marie said. “I think I’ll just have their corn chowder and a salad.”
“That sounds good,” Caprice agreed. “I do want to be able to fit into my wedding gown.”
Marie smiled. “I can’t wait to see you in it.”
“Now that our wedding is getting closer, I just want it to happen. It seems that Grant and I have been waiting forever, even though we just got engaged last fall.”
“Nikki told me you’re being very traditional about this wedding. It’s not as if the two of you are living together. Your wedding is going to change both your lives.” Marie winked. “And because you’re traditional, I know how much that wedding night is going to mean.”
“I guess Nikki doesn’t believe my business is private.”
“Not with family,” Marie reminded her. “Everybody knows you two haven’t slept together yet. I think it’s admirable.”
Caprice felt herself blushing. Even though she was a modern woman and considered herself able to talk about anything, it still embarrassed her to talk about it with her aunt.
Caprice studied her aunt for a moment and then asked, “Why haven’t you ever gotten married?”
“I was in love once a long time ago when I first moved to New Mexico. That was a big change for me. It was almost like starting my life over again. I met someone at a flea market where I was first selling my necklaces and bracelets. He had a spirit of adventure and his passion was his motorcycle. You should have seen me riding on the back of it. The only thing I could compare it to would be riding a horse at a full gallop.”
“What was his name?”
“His name was Jorge.”
Caprice unrolled her silverware from the white paper napkin and placed the napkin on her lap. “I don’t remember the family ever discussing this.”
“That’s because they didn’t know. They still don’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because Jorge was killed on that motorcycle two years after I met him.”
Caprice reached out to her aunt and took her hand. “I’m so sorry. Why didn’t you tell anyone?”
“Believe it or not, Dom and I were the closest growing up. I felt betrayed when he married and then didn’t keep in touch. I was very hurt. The truth was, as you said, I didn’t want anybody in my business. The fact that I was in New Mexico kept me separate. I didn’t need all the De Lucas descending on me to give me condolences. You know I’m not like that. I know you enjoy your family gatherings once a month, but they always made me feel claustrophobic.”
“I suppose I can see that, especially if you’re a very private person.”
“From what you’ve told me about Grant, I’m surprised he’s comfortable there.”
“He started enjoying De Luca gatherings when he and Vince were in law school. I think because he wasn’t close to his own family, he liked being part of the De Lucas.”
“I hope he continues to like it because it’s going to be a way of life for the two of you.”
Caprice fingered her fork, thinking about the future. “He was really cut off emotionally from everyone for a long time because of his daughter drowning and his marriage breaking up. But then, little by little, it was as if he came alive again. I think one of the turning points was when he adopted Patches.”
“You e-mailed me about that situation. I’m glad you found the owner of that cocker and homes for all of her babies.”
The waitress returned for their orders and they gave them. After the waitress had gone, Caprice told her aunt, “The pie here is really good . . . just in case you’re interested.”
“I bet it’s not as good as Mama’s.”
“Probably not,” Caprice agreed.
Customers had been coming and going as Caprice and her aunt talked. Suddenly, however, a shadow fell over Caprice. At first, she thought the waitress had come back with a question. But when she looked up, she couldn’t have been more shocked. A man was standing at their table and one she recognized—Andrei Moldavan.
“Hello, Mr. Moldavan,” she said to let him know she recognized him.
“Your name is De Luca, isn’t it?” he asked in an almost belligerent attitude.
“Caprice De Luca. And this is my aunt, Marie De Luca.”
“I’m not making no social call. I just happened to see you here and I thought you should know something.”
The hairs at Caprice’s neck prickled when she talked to this man, but she
was in a public place with her aunt and nothing bad was going to happen. “Just what do you think I should know? Something about Travis’s murder?”
Her aunt’s dark-brown eyes went wide at Caprice’s question to Moldavan. Maybe she shouldn’t have asked it, but she couldn’t understand why he was stopping to talk to her.
“This don’t have nothing to do with the murder. I just want to tell you that your reception will be the last one at Rambling Vines. I’m going to put in an offer to buy the place so I can shut it down.”
Caprice’s astonishment must have shown on her face. She’d never expected that he had that kind of money.
He must have translated her expression accurately because he wagged his finger at her. “Don’t you underestimate me. I made my money in the stock market during the tech boom. I had a plumbing business in Baltimore and I moved here for peace and quiet. That’s what I’m going to get again. You can tell Michelle Dodd my offer will be coming in and she’d better take it because she won’t get another one like it.” His face redder than it should be, he turned away from the table and stalked out of the restaurant.
“You know that man?” her aunt asked her.
“He’s a neighbor to the winery. He has both religious concerns—he doesn’t like the dancing and the music—and personal concerns. He hates the traffic that the winery causes.”
“He certainly seems mean enough to commit murder,” Marie said.
Caprice was thinking that same thing when her cell phone played. When she took it out of her pocket and studied the screen, she told Marie, “It’s Grant.”
Her aunt waved for her to take it.
“Hi,” she said a bit breathless. The thought of him always made her breathless.
“Can you talk?” he asked.
“I’m at lunch with Aunt Marie at the Sunflower Diner, but yes, I can talk. What do you need?”
“I picked up Holden at the airport. Can you come to dinner tonight at my place? I’m cooking.”
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