Lauer gave a quick nod. “It’s possible.”
After Lauer had left, Robert put his head on his hands. “What a calamity. I still can’t believe it. And poor Romero.” His voice broke. He took a deep breath and a sob escaped him. He felt Janice’s hand on his back and lifted his head.
“I know it’s terrible,” Janice said. “We’ll have to take care of Juanita and Nora. This is such a blow to them.”
“Where are they now?” Robert asked, wiping a tear from his face.
Janice gave him a quick hug. “They’re staying with Juanita’s sister and family in San Luis Obispo. I’ll check on them later.”
“Lauer said he was going to question everybody on the estate, including the family.” Robert shrugged. “I guess that’s normal procedure.”
Chapter 23
Matthew, his face red and scrunched, burst into Sofia and Nicholas’s home.
“Hey, Matt, what’s the matter with you?” Nicholas stared at his brother. “You’re all hot and bothered.”
Nicholas and Sofia had just finished their lunch. Sofia was sitting on the sofa, holding Henry and getting him ready for his nap.
“You’d be hot and bothered, too, if you experienced what I had to go through just now,” Matthew said.
“Come on, bro, get it out or you’ll pop a vein.”
“Fucking asshole.” Matthew plopped himself down on the sofa, then put his hand over his mouth. “Sorry, shouldn’t curse like that in front of little Henry.” His facial expression changed from angry to loving, as he gently touched the baby’s head. Henry’s face broke into a smile and he waved his arms, unperturbed by his uncle’s upheaval.
“I’ll put him down for his nap. You two can talk it out.” Sofia patted Matthew on the shoulder. She carried Henry into the nursery.
“Want some coffee?” Nicholas asked Matthew.
“No, I’m keyed up enough as it is. But get some for yourself.” Matthew got up and walked to the window. Nicholas went into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of espresso. When he came back, he sat on the sofa. “Sit down and relax.”
Matthew, however, remained standing, then began to pace. “So, you know, we all get questioned by Lauer. I understand. He asks me if I had any money problems, if I sold the stolen wine illegally. I’m getting pissed, but I still kind of get it that probably everybody gets asked that.”
“Okay, so what’s so upsetting?” Nicholas tried to understand his brother’s fury.
“Well, then he told me he heard I had a possible paternity suit hanging over my head. Which may cost me a lot of money, so, perhaps I was looking for ways to increase my bottom-line. Bottom-line? The arrogant son of a … And how does he know about the paternity business?” Matthew sat down again.
Nicholas stared at his brother. “Paternity what? What are you talking about?”
Matthew hesitated, then sat down, leaned forward, propped his elbows on his knees, and covered his face with his hands. “I may have fathered a child,” he mumbled.
“What? Now, you lost me,” Nicholas said. “I assume it’s Marcia you’re talking about. Is she pregnant? You broke up a while ago. I don’t get it. And why didn’t you tell us?”
Matthew waved his hand dismissively. “I would’ve told you once I knew myself what’s really going on. I didn’t want Dad to know before it was certain one way or the other. So, please don’t tell him. And, to be honest, I was ashamed. I mean who gets pregnant by accident in the twenty-first century?”
“Okay, but what does this have to do with stealing wine?”
“Exactly, that’s what I told stupid Lauer, too. But anyway, I guess I should start from the beginning.”
Sofia came into the room, carrying a cup of espresso. She sat next to Nicholas. “No coffee for you, Matt?”
Matthew shook his head.
Nicholas snorted. “He doesn’t need coffee. He’s already keyed up beyond repair.”
Another sigh from Matthew. “Anyway, here’s what happened.” He told Nicholas and Sofia about Marcia claiming she was pregnant and that it was his. He asked her to do a paternity test, one of those you can do before the baby is born. She agreed, but then never got back to him. He was still waiting to hear from her.
“Oh, my God.” Sofia said. “What would you do if the baby was yours?”
Matthew shrugged. “Pay up I guess, child support. I’m not going to marry her, that’s for sure. We don’t love each other. She was seeing other guys on the side. But, of course, I’d need to support the child.”
“Okay. We’ll talk about this later,” Nicholas said. “But why would Lauer think you stole the wine?”
“To sell it and make extra money, of course. And since they discovered that the stolen wine was stored at the shed, he thinks I might have burned it down to destroy the evidence. They did find bottles that were still intact after the fire and they are the Cabs that went missing.”
Nicholas got up, walked over to his brother, put his hand on his shoulder, and gave him an encouraging squeeze. “Matt, even if it was true about the paternity case and that you needed money, you’re only one of many people on this estate who could profit from extra cash. I’m sure Lauer will question everybody. We could be suspects, too. We probably are. Including Dad. So just calm down, be honest, and cooperate. They’ll find the guilty party. I know you didn’t do it.”
“Then why did he question me first?” Matthew said in a low voice.
“How do you know you were first? He may have questioned some of staff, too.” Nicholas said.
Sofia took a sip of coffee. “Matthew, if you really were going to be a father, you know we’ll help you. The family will support you.”
Matthew nodded. “Thanks. I still think Marcia’s wrong, but I need to get this checked. I need to talk to her again. She needs to do that test. Anyway, guys, I’m sorry for just barging in and spreading my anger.”
“It’s okay, Matt. We understand,” Sofia said. “If it was your child, would you want to be involved at all, you know, in his or her upbringing?”
Matthew lifted his hands, then let them fall on his knees. “I don’t know. It seems all so unreal. But I guess if it really was my child … well, yes, I’d like to be involved. I mean it’s not the baby’s fault … oh, God, what have I gotten myself into?” He covered his face with his hands for a moment, then looked up. “Anyway, I need to go. I haven’t done a stitch of work today because of all this upset.” Matthew got up, patted Nicholas on the back, kissed Sofia’s cheek, and left.
Nicholas followed his brother to the door and watched him walk away. “He looks like he carries the world on his back,” he said to Sofia.
“What a mess. I hope this paternity thing is going to be settled soon. Poor Matt.” Sofia glanced at Nicholas, opened her mouth, then closed it again.
“What?” Nicholas asked.
“Oh, it’s impossible. Do you think it could be true?”
“Which?” Nicholas gave a quick sharp laugh that didn’t sound happy. “His being a dad or him having stolen the wine and burned down the shed?”
“You don’t really believe he could’ve done that.” Sofia stared at him.
Nicholas exhaled deeply. “Not really. Then again, he’s been acting strange lately. And he has some very mixed feelings toward Dad. Also, he seems to always need more money. He says it’s for the estate. That’s what I always thought. But what if …. No, I don’t even want to go there.”
He looked at Sofia. She stared at him but didn’t say anything.
Chapter 24
“Any news?” Robert eyed David Lauer sharply. The two sat in Robert’s home office.
“Some, yes.” Lauer gave a quick smile when Janice brought in two cups of coffee. “Thank you, ma’am.”
“Anyway, we found the person who wrote the letters.” Lauer looked from Janice to Robert. “You were right with your suspicion. It was Mrs. Selby.”
“I knew it, damn it. That crazy woman.” Robert inhaled sharply. “But did she do the rest?
”
Lauer shook his head. “No, she clearly wasn’t involved in the wine theft and sale, and she has a solid alibi for the night the shed burned. Mrs. Selby strikes me as emotionally and mentally unstable, but I doubt she has the capacity to organize the kind of theft and sale that’s taking place. I also don’t think she’s that vindictive or violent. She’ll be charged with harassment and we’ll put a restraining order on her to keep her away from your estate and your family. You most likely won’t have to deal with her anymore.”
“So, what about the rest, the wine theft and so on?” Robert asked.
“Nothing definite yet, but we’re looking at everything.”
“I need to leave,” Janice said. “You can fill me in later.”
“Okay, see you later,” Robert said.
Lauer got up and nodded a farewell to Janice. He was always polite and gentlemanly in an old-fashioned way. The sheriff and other people familiar with Lauer had told Robert, however, that he was ruthless and unswerving in his pursuit of criminals. And Robert saw it in his stern and penetrating gray eyes.
After Janice had left, Lauer cleared his throat. “One thing I did notice. A few people among your staff and your family seem to be short of cash and could probably profit from some extra money.”
“Oh? Who?” Robert asked.
“Ken Miller, your accountant, for instance, has been complaining about lack of money, according to some witnesses. His wife seems to be somewhat of a spendthrift. He, too, might need some extra cash.”
“Ken?” Robert waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. “I don’t think so. He asked me for a raise a year ago, and I granted it. If he needed money, he’d tell me. He’s a loyal and long-term employee. No, I don’t think he has anything to do with it.” He paused, then continued, his voice tense. “The sooner this is cleared up, the sooner we can go on with our lives. This is a terrible thing hanging over the whole estate, my family and employees. We need to find the answer.”
“We’re doing our best, believe me,” Lauer continued. He sat up straight. “There’s a death involved, which makes our investigation even more critical.”
“What about Adam Winter?” Robert asked. “As I told you his uncle is a criminal and he must hate me. I was instrumental in his getting fired. What if he asked his nephew to steal from me, just out of spite, maybe?”
“But didn’t the wine begin to disappear before he was hired?” Lauer asked.
“Well … we first discovered it in July, which was after Adam began to work here. But it could’ve started before. We don’t really know.”
“Okay. So, Adam, too, is a possible suspect. We’ll look into his background as well.” Lauer faced him with slightly narrowed eyes. “One of the things we need to do is check people’s financial transactions, you know bank statements, looking for unusual amounts deposited or withdrawn. That’s just common procedure. That would help us narrow down possible suspects.”
Robert nodded.
“And I have to remind you that members of your family are among the suspects as well. Both of your sons could have a motive. They have some financial burdens, where some extra money could’ve helped.”
Robert knitted his brows. “What do you mean?”
“Well, for instance, your older son, Nicholas, and his wife have a pretty steep mortgage that seems to worry them. At least, that was my impression.”
“Yes, but they’re doing all right. And even if they’d run into problems, I as well as my father would help them out. Nicholas is not the kind of person who would resort to being a small-time thief. And there’s no way he would sell our wine illegally, and he certainly wouldn’t burn down a building.” Robert talked himself into anger. “What are you implying?”
Lauer held up his hand. “I’m not implying anything. First of all, we don’t know yet if the wine was stolen and sold by the same person. There could be two people involved, or more. And also we don’t know if that person or those people burnt down the shed. It looks that way, but it’s by no means certain.”
“What about my other son? Matthew doesn’t have any money problems I know of,” Robert said.
“He has a possible paternity suit looming over him,” Lauer said.
“What? What are you talking about?” Robert stared at him.
“You didn’t know about it?” Lauer gave him a penetrating look.
Robert jumped up from his chair, almost knocking it over. “I had no idea. I’m sorry. I’m totally confused. Listen, I need to go. I need to talk to my family. Obviously, I don’t know the first thing about them. But even if that’s true, about Matthew and … he’d never do anything like this.” Robert’s heart was racing. Or would he?
“Well, you may not be the most impartial judge when it comes to your family. I understand. Again, these are all just conjectures. The whole thing is very murky and we’re at the beginning of our investigation.”
“Okay, can we talk later? I really need to go.”
“Certainly. It’s late anyway. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Lauer got up gave a quick smile, then left.
Robert stared at Lauer leaving without really seeing him. “Matthew? What the heck…?” He grabbed his cell phone and tried to call Matthew but only got his voicemail. “Damn him.” He tossed his phone into his pocket and hurried toward Matthew’s house, but his son wasn’t home.
Robert took a deep breath, trying to calm down, and walked home. He yanked the door open and rushed inside, almost bumping into Janice.
“Did you know about Matthew’s paternity suit?” he yelled at his wife. “What the hell is going on, and why didn’t I know about it?”
“Calm down.” Janice held up her hands. “I just found out a couple of days ago myself, and he asked me not to tell you. He wanted to do it himself. Besides, there isn’t a paternity suit yet. It’s just that Marcia claims she’s pregnant and that Matt might be the father.”
“And that’s not important enough to let me know?” Robert yelled at the top of his voice. “I had to find out from David Lauer, for God’s sake. How embarrassing.”
“Is this all you care about? How not knowing your own family makes you look?” Janice faced him. “If you paid a little more attention to the people around you instead of to your business—”
“Oh, for God’s sake.” Robert rushed out of the room and the house and slammed the door. Deep down, he knew though that his wife was right. He looked around at his estate, the fields of grapes, full of ripening fruit, his own Tuscan style home, the thin strip of purple on the horizon, reflection of the sun that had set a few hours ago. And yet, despite all that beauty, of all he had achieved, he felt a growing emptiness in his heart.
He walked along fields of grapes toward his parents’ home. When he arrived at their house, there was no light shining through the windows. He glanced at his watch. It was past ten o’clock. He knew that his parents went to bed fairly early. Not wanting to wake them up, he sat down on one of the garden chairs on their patio.
Robert glanced at the dark fields around him. The grapevines along the hill on the left rustled lightly in the evening breeze. He propped his elbows on his knees and covered his face with his hands. He took deep breaths to calm his racing heard, then looked up again.
He tried to bring some order into his tumultuous thoughts. Matthew a father? What would that mean? And could this make him so desperate that he … no, he just couldn’t believe it. And Nicholas? No way. Ken? Robert had noticed his gloomy mood, and once he had overheard him talking to a friend on the phone, complaining about his wife’s spending habits and their deteriorating relationship. Would he have wanted to make extra money by stealing and selling wine?
If Robert was honest with himself, he had to admit that he knew very little about his employees, or his family for that matter. He had always assumed everything was basically all right. He had been focusing on making his wine famous and left the people on the estate to their own devices. Obviously, that had been a mistake.
Chapter 25
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br /> Robert gazed out the living room window of his home. It was early in the morning, the sun showing its first rays on the horizon. He usually enjoyed the early morning hours when everything was still fresh. Now, however, a cloud of gloom and sadness hovered over the estate. He couldn’t get the image of Romero’s burning body and the pain and despair in Juanita’s and Nora’s eyes out of his mind. He had barely slept all night, thinking about the crisis with Matthew and the whole rest of it, wine theft and all.
Janice opened the kitchen door and brought him a cup of coffee he gratefully accepted. “How do you want your eggs,” she asked.
“Not hungry,” he muttered.
“Come on, Robert, you need to eat.” Janice put her arm around him. “We need to carry on. This whole thing is a catastrophe, but it’s not the end of the world.”
Robert couldn’t help a quick smile. His wife was always the down-to-earth voice in a crisis. “Okay,” he said. “But no eggs for me, just some toast.”
“Have you been able to talk to Matt?” she asked.
Robert groaned. “No, I tried last night, but he wasn’t home. Besides, I was too upset and angry about this whole thing. We probably would’ve just yelled at each other.” He gave Janice a pained look. “Honey, I don’t know how to talk to Matt anymore.”
Janice squeezed his arm lightly. “How about in a civil way without yelling at him? And how about listening to him. I mean really listening?”
Robert hesitated. “Am I really that bad?”
Janice chuckled. “There’s definitely room for improvement, but I love you anyway. And besides, it’s not all your fault. Matthew is too hotheaded himself. You know like father, like son.”
“What are we going to do if he really is a father?” Robert asked with a sinking heart.
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