by Kathi Daley
I let out a long breath. “Okay. I’m sorry I was worried and interrupted your date. Have a wonderful day.” I hung up, then hugged my phone to my chest. If Mom and Romero really were in Kalispell, I probably didn’t need to worry about her today. Now all I had to do, I decided, was come up with an excuse to stop by my mother’s that evening.
My mind was elsewhere, but I’d been doing this route for so long, I could do it in my sleep. I plastered on a fake smile and prepared a canned response to allow myself to hurry along should anyone attempt to make small talk. I wanted to get as much done as quickly as I could before lunch so I’d have as much time as I needed to work on the mystery of Luciana Parisi’s death.
Tony was waiting in the park when Tilly and I arrived. In addition to his laptop, he had a bag from the deli down the street and two colas. My heart filled with gratitude at the ease with which he dropped whatever it was he’d planned to do that day to come running the minute I needed him. I owed him so much more than mere thanks, but right then, that was all I had to give him.
“Thanks for meeting me,” I said before kissing him on the cheek and taking a seat at a picnic table.
“You know I’ll come running whenever you need me.” Tony handed me a paper-wrapped sandwich. “Eat this while we talk. This is, after all, your lunch break.”
I looked at the wrapped package in my hand. My stomach rumbled. I wanted to say I wasn’t hungry, but Tony would know better. Besides, he’d gone to all the trouble to buy the dang thing, the least I could do was try to choke down a few bites. I unwrapped the sandwich and took a small bite. Turkey, no mayo, extra pickles; just the way I liked it. “Do you have news?” I asked after swallowing and taking a sip of my cola.
“Yes and no.” Tony opened his laptop. He had some sort of satellite internet that allowed him to get online anywhere. He logged on while I took another bite of the sandwich. “I spoke to my friend with the connections, asking if he’d had a chance to look in to things for me. He said he’d managed to speak to one of the men who investigated the murder seven years ago. Before Longorian confessed, it was this man’s opinion it was Luciana’s brother, Stefano, who’d killed her, although he was never able to prove it.”
I frowned. “Her brother? Why?”
“It turns out, the same year Romero and Luciana became engaged, the Montenegro Winery took first place in the regional wine competition over the Parisi Winery, which had won the competition the previous five years. There was wide speculation among the management of the Parisi Winery that Luciana had shared with her fiancé the Parisi family recipe that had helped them win the competition in the past. Stefano insisted Romero’s family had used the recipe he’d stolen to make adjustments to his wine to take back the title the two families had been fighting over for a century.”
“But to kill your own sister over a wine competition?”
“I know it seems hard to believe, but there wasn’t just a business rivalry between the two families but a century of hatred as well. A hatred that runs so deeply isn’t easily dispelled. According to the investigator, Luciana’s father and brother all but disowned her when she became engaged to a Montenegro.”
I took a moment to consider this. It made me feel so sick, I had to push my sandwich aside. “Okay, so Luciana was murdered and her father blamed Romero, who claimed to be innocent but couldn’t provide a solid alibi. The investigator didn’t really suspect Romero because he thought Luciana’s brother did it and didn’t push the matter. Why did the investigator consider Stefano a suspect in the first place? He must have had more to base his suspicion on than anger between brother and sister.”
“It seems Stefano had a record. A history of meeting frustration with violence. He’d been arrested seven times for beating someone to the point of unconsciousness. In all seven cases, financial compensation was offered to the victim and Stefano avoided jailtime. Those close to Stefano were loyal to him, probably partially out of fear. The investigator was trying to find proof that Stefano was guilty of the murder when Longorian confessed, and the investigation into Stefano was dropped. When Longorian died and the case was reopened, the investigator picked up where he’d left off and began speaking to people connected with Stefano. Most wouldn’t talk, but the investigator found one vineyard worker—a man who’d worked for the Parisis for over forty years—who was willing to make an anonymous statement. He said Luciana came to the vineyard on the night she died. She met her father in the caverns, where they aged the wine. He didn’t hear what was said, but he sensed something was wrong and stayed to watch. An hour later, Luciana came out of the cavern, got into her car, and drove away. Stefano, who had been lurking nearby, got into his own car and followed her. The vineyard worker had no idea what happened afterward, but he’d passed Stefano as he walked to the parking area, and he said he was obviously enraged. So enraged that he was pretty sure Stefano hadn’t even seen him.”
“I guess that would make Stefano a suspect. Were there others?”
“My contact said the local police looked at five people. In the end, they had it narrowed down to Stefano and Romero, but they never found proof that either was guilty. Then Longorian confessed, and they stopped looking.”
I let everything Tony had said sink in. If Luciana had given away family secrets, and by doing so hurt the business, I could see why her father and brother might be angry with her, but kill her?
“I know Luciana died in her home. Was there sign of forced entry?” I asked.
Tony typed some commands into his computer, then pulled up a file. “I managed to obtain the original homicide report. According to the investigator, the front door was unlocked and the security system turned off when her body was found. The report doesn’t say whether they believed she hadn’t turned on the security system and locked the door when she came home, or if someone unlocked the door, turned off the system, killed her, and then left without locking up behind them.”
“It sounds like they’re no closer to solving the case now than they were seven years ago.” I bent my arms so my elbows were on the table and groaned.
“Again, yes and no. My contact says there’s buzz that there might be new evidence. But it’s all very hush-hush. He said he’d poke around and let me know if he comes up with anything.”
I put my hand on Tony’s. “Thanks for digging into this. I’m not loving the fact that Romero is in town, but my mom said he’s leaving early in the morning. Hopefully, this short visit won’t be repeated until after Luciana’s murder is solved.”
Tony squeezed my hand. “Finish your sandwich. I know when you get stressed you forget to eat, but you need to keep up your energy.”
“Yes, Mom.” I smiled and took a bite of my sandwich.
Tony unwrapped his sandwich and began to eat as well. “I thought I might head over to finish your patio garden as long as I’m in town.”
“Fine by me. The spare key is under the rock, where it always is.”
“Don’t you think you should move it from time to time?”
“Why? The only people who ever use it are you and Mike. There’s nothing of value in the cabin, so there’s no reason for anyone to want to break in. Besides, I have two ferocious attack cats on duty, just in case.”
Tony laughed. “Yes, I guess you do have a certain level of feline protection. Still, it might be best to put the spare key in a more secure location. In fact, maybe we should install a keypad on your door like I have on mine.”
I took a sip of my soda. “You have thousands and thousands of dollars’ worth of computer and electronic equipment justifying your high-tech security system. The entire contents of my cabin wouldn’t appraise for half of just one of your gadgets. I think a key under a rock is fine.”
“I was thinking more about the need to protect the people and animals who live in the cabin. Your place is pretty isolated.”
“I’m fine. We’re fine. We don’t need some fancy security system.”
Tony shrugged. “Okay. Whatever you think is
best.”
Chapter 15
Saturday, May 12
Saturday dawned bright and sunny, making it the perfect day for doggy speed dating. Brady had selected twelve dogs to participate, and the potential new parents had each been given the number of a pen from which to start their rotation. It was a fast-paced game, but it seemed humans and dogs alike were having a wonderful time. More than twelve humans showed up for the event, so Brady had needed to add a few additional stops— just rest stops, really—so the number of stops and the number of people matched up.
Each potential dog parent had filled out an application before the event, and it was my duty to review the applications, approve those I knew and felt comfortable with, and flag the applications of those I didn’t know, so we could look in to their home environment and background. There were those who thought we went a bit overboard with our background checks, but Brady and I both felt it was our responsibility to make sure the dogs ended up in happy homes where they’d be well cared for.
“I’ve cleared thirteen of the fifteen applicants,” I said to Brady as we waited for the people who showed up to complete the entire rotation. “There are two applicants I don’t know, though they have local addresses: Silvia Waterman and Rafe Wharton. Do you know either of them?”
“I know Silvia. Her sheltie passed away a couple of months ago. She did everything possible to save her, and I could see they were well bonded. I think you can add her to the approved pile.” Brady frowned. “The name Rafe Wharton doesn’t ring a bell.”
“It looks like he just moved to White Eagle a few weeks ago.” I reviewed the entire application. “He lives in a cabin not far from mine.” I looked at Brady. “Tony is at my place, working on some patio furniture. I’ll call him to see if he can run by the cabin to check for the fence Mr. Wharton claims to have. If it checks out, maybe you can interview him if he decides to adopt today.”
“Okay, that sounds good.” Brady looked at his watch. “Did I tell you that Jimmy committed to adopting Jagger and Bowie?”
No.” I smiled. “I’m so glad that worked out.”
“I took your suggestion about having Jimmy come out and work with me and the boys this week. Once Jimmy and Destiny got in the water with the boys, it was obvious the chemistry between humans and dogs was strong. Jimmy and Destiny had the brothers on the SUP boards and sitting quietly by the end of the day. Jimmy is coming by this afternoon to complete the paperwork. If he shows up while I’m occupied, there’s a folder with his name on it in the box under the table.”
“Okay. If I see him, I’ll get it to him.”
Running an adoption clinic with fifteen humans looking at twelve dogs took a lot longer than either Brady or I had anticipated, so it was already late afternoon by the time the people who’d chosen dogs to adopt had been processed. Jimmy had shown up, filled out the paperwork, and headed to the shelter, where a volunteer waited to turn his new buddies over to him. I was sorry I hadn’t had the chance to say good-bye to the brothers, but I figured they’d be hanging out at the beach with Jimmy and Destiny this summer, so I could stop by at some point to say hello to everyone.
“I think that was a success,” Brady said as we loaded the three dogs that hadn’t been adopted into Brady’s van.
“It was really fun, and I’m happy with all the matches.” I looked at the mixed breed dog I’d just loaded into the van. “I wonder if we should try selective training and adoption for Scooter. This is the third adoption event he’s participated in and he still hasn’t found a forever home.”
“We need to quell his need to bark at everything, and he could probably benefit from some behavior training,” Brady said. “I noticed a couple of people showed interest in him initially, before he decided to serenade us for thirty minutes straight.”
“I’m game to work with him next week. I’d really love to find him a home. I’ll bring Tilly. She’s turning out to be a heck of a dog trainer.”
Brady laughed. “Sounds good. How’s Monday after you get off work?”
“That works.” I closed the van door when all the dogs were inside. “I should get going. Have a good weekend.”
“You too. And thanks again for everything.”
I glanced in the rearview mirror as I pulled away. It had been an exhausting but wonderful day. There was something so rewarding about being instrumental in matching the right human with the right dog.
Tony was sitting on the deck steps sipping a beer when I arrived at the cabin. Tilly and Titan jogged over to greet me as I pulled into the drive and parked. A quick glance at the deck behind Tony revealed he’d painted not only the rocker but the hanging porch swing as well. I’d loved my little cabin from the moment I’d seen it, but now with my pretty blue deck furniture, which complemented the darker blue garden boxes filled with brightly colored flowers, it really felt like a home.
“Oh, Tony,” I gushed. “It looks exactly the way I pictured it. It’s perfect.”
Tony smiled. “I thought things came out very well. You have an eye for color. When you first said you were going with blue I wasn’t sure how I’d like it, but now that everything has been painted and the flowers are planted, I can see the picture you had in your mind was perfect. How was the adoption event?”
I sat down on the step next to Tony. I was itching to try out my newly painted chair, but I’d need to let it dry first. “It was really great. We managed to place nine of the twelve dogs with really good people.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I hate to think of all the shelter animals out there waiting for forever homes.”
“Yeah. It is sad. Brady has a new neuter-and-spay program he hopes will get more folks to become responsible pet owners. Not only is the procedure free for anyone who asks, but he’s offering free shots and free checkups for a year to anyone who brings their pet in for alteration.”
“Sounds like that might get him some attention.”
“He just started the program at the beginning of the month, but he said he has more procedures scheduled than he and Lilly can manage. He’s thinking of bringing in an intern to help out over the summer.” I turned as my house phone rang. “I should get that. Then I’ll grab my own beer and come back out to join you.”
Inside, I picked up the handset to my landline.
“Hello, dear. How was the clinic?”
“It went really well,” I said to my mother. “It was pretty exhausting, but nine dogs who didn’t have homes this morning have them now.”
“That’s wonderful. Listen, I’m calling to let you know there’ll be one more guest for dinner tomorrow. Romero finished his business in Spokane and has decided to come back to White Eagle for a few days before he goes home. He’ll be here later this evening, so I invited him to join us tomorrow. I hope that’s all right.”
I wanted to say no, but how could I? “Of course that’s fine. It is, after all, Mother’s Day. Have you told Mike that Romero is in town?”
Mom hesitated and then said, “Not yet. You know how protective he is. I’m a little worried about how he’ll react to my friendship with Romero. You’ve been so understanding, I hoped maybe you could pave the way, talk to him about the visit. He listens to you, and I’m not up for an argument about my social life.”
I closed my eyes and counted to ten. I so didn’t want to have this conversation with Mike. “Yeah, okay, I can do that if you’d like. You can consider it my Mother’s Day gift to you because I never did get around to buying you anything.”
Mom laughed. “Thank you, sweetheart. I knew I could count on you. Are we still on for one-thirty?”
I considered the fact that because we still hadn’t tracked down Chip, Tony and I had decided to show up at the bench at noon and hope he was there. “Actually, I might need to move it back a bit. Tony and I are planning to try to meet Chip at noon. We aren’t a hundred percent sure that’s where he’ll be expecting to meet his mother, but it’s our best bet. Would it be okay if we had dinner a little later? Maybe three?”
“That would be fine with me. It’s a nice thing you kids are doing. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I hung up the phone. “Crap, crap, crap.”
“Something wrong?” Tony, who was standing in the doorway, asked.
“That was my mom. Romero is coming back to White Eagle tonight. And if that weren’t bad enough, my mom wants me to talk to Mike and smooth the way, so he won’t make a scene tomorrow. I don’t suppose you have any news on the Parisi investigation since we spoke?”
“Actually, I do. Let’s take a walk and I’ll bring you up to date.”
“A walk sounds nice. Let me grab my other shoes.”
Tony and I walked for a good five minutes, enjoying the perfection of the spring day, before either of us spoke. The warm weather had accelerated the snowmelt, and every river, stream, and seasonal creek was overflowing with the cool, clear water that ran down from the mountains. Titan and Tilly were having a wonderful time splashing in the shallow creeks and streams. We had decided to avoid the river, so we didn’t need to worry about the dogs trying to cool off on a hot spring day.
“Okay, what do you know?” I asked after a few minutes longer.
“My contact said Luciana’s brother was able to provide an alibi for the time of Luciana’s murder. It seems after he left the vineyard behind Luciana, he went to visit his mistress, who, like he, was and still is married to someone else. During the initial investigation, he refused to provide an alibi. I guess this time he changed his mind.”
“So now we’re back to Romero as the only suspect?”
“No. In fact, an arrest has been made.”
I stopped walking. “Really? Who?”
“The vineyard worker who told the police about Stefano in the first place. It occurred to the investigator that the timing of the eyewitness report was odd. Luciana was killed seven years ago. If this man, who’d been working for the Parisi family for decades, saw Stefano follow Luciana and believed he may have killed her, why did he wait so long to tell what he saw?”