by Ginger Ring
“What is it?” She took a sip. The heat and alcohol warmed her from cheeks to toes.
“It’s a new bourbon we’re trying out. Do you like it? Oh, and it has some lemon and honey in there too.” One of the new ventures Roman was involved in to make the family business more legit was a winery.
“I know you’re making wine, but bourbon too?”
“It never hurts to branch off in other areas.” Madison beamed as her husband wrapped an arm around her waist from behind.
Valentina took another drink to take her mind off the love birds. It did the trick, but soon Ryan’s smile flashed again in her mind.
“You must really like it.” Her sister-in-law’s eyes sparkled.
“Huh?”
“You have this dreamy look on your face.” Nothing seemed to get past Madison, and as Valentina sneaked a peek at her brother, it was obvious he noticed her reaction as well.
Roman’s phone sounded and he walked off to take the call.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Val?” Madison titled her head, worry lines crossing her forehead.
“Yes, yes. I’m just distracted. That’s probably one of the reasons I didn’t see that deer.” She exhaled loudly and scrunched up her nose. “Things didn’t go very well with my father today.”
“They never do with Roman and him either.” Madison motioned to her husband before embracing Val and whispering in her ear. “Tomorrow, you and me. We’re going to the spa.”
“That sounds heavenly,” she whispered back. A massage would be wonderful. Her muscles ached from being so uptight. Although she could also think of another, more pleasurable way to unwind, but that would involve a certain cop who seemed to want nothing to do with her. “It’s a date.”
“Great.” Madison glanced down at Val’s now empty glass. “Would you like another?”
“Ah, no. Another one and I’ll need help getting up the stairs.” She eased herself down into the nearest chair. “Oh no. I left my bags in the squad car.”
“It’s all taken care of,” Roman announced as he came back in the room. “Donavan realized he still had them. He came back and flagged one of the guards down in the driveway. Should be here any minute.”
“Ryan?” Her heart fluttered.
“No, your bags.” Her brother stepped in front of her and narrowed his eyes. “Madison, would you mind if I had a word with my sister alone?”
“Not at all.” She kissed his cheek. “I was about to turn in anyway. I’ll see you upstairs. Night, Val. See you in the morning.”
Valentina nodded and then crossed her arms in front of her chest. Roman wanting to speak to her alone was never a good thing.
“Yes?” She crossed her legs and cocked her head.
“Don’t yes me. What the hell happened?”
“What do you mean what happened? I hit a damn deer.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about. You were supposed to stay in Chicago.” He stared down at her, his hands on his hips.
“So you’ve spoken to Father?”
“Yes, he wanted you to stay and work for the family.”
Valentina rose to her feet. “I can work for the family here. But that is the extent of my family obligation. I will not accept any personal arrangements, if you know what I mean.”
It was slight but Roman winced. Roman had been promised to marry the daughter of one of the other families. It was either that or be killed. Who would have ever in a million years thought that at the last minute the impending bride would end up being the one he really loved. Valentina, on the other hand, would not be so lucky. Ryan was on the right side of the law and he was Irish. There was no way her father would ever see him as anything but.
“You don’t have to remind me of what almost happened to me. You can stay here as long as you want.”
Val’s shoulders relaxed and she smiled. “Thanks, but I plan on getting a place of my own and starting my own law office.”
“What about your obligations to Firenza?”
“That’s another reason I had to leave. It’s going to take a while to build up a clientele so I’m only going to be at the law office a few days a week. That will leave plenty of time to keep up with things at Firenza.”
“Good. I’ll have Arlo find you a place to stay.”
“No.” She stomped her foot. It was childish but she was tired and cranky.
“No?” He lifted one eyebrow.
“No. Thanks for the help, but I need to start doing things on my own. I told Father I wanted my independence and I wouldn’t be very self-sufficient if I relied on you to do everything for me.”
Roman groaned and wandered over to stand by the fire. “Fair enough.”
Valentina gave her brother a quick hug and, after spying Arlo entering the front door with her bags, headed his way. Roman reached out, grabbed her wrist, and stopped her in her tracks.
“One more thing.”
“What?” The grip on her arm tightened.
“Keep your distance from Donavan.”
“What? Why?” She tried to shake off his hand but he held tight. “It’s a small town. We’re bound to bump into each other.”
“It’s dangerous,” Roman warned.
“Dangerous? He’s a cop. I would think I would be safer around him than anyone.” She avoided meeting his eyes. “Not that I would be around him or anything.”
“You are interested. I’ve caught you staring at him many times. Hell, I even saw on your Facebook page that you were following the Lake Genoa Police Department page.”
“I’m a lawyer. It’s important for me to stay on top of all things legal and what’s happening in the community.”
“Don’t lie to me.” A lesser man would be shaking in his shoes, but Val was his sister and knew he would never hurt her. Twisting out of his grip in a move Roman had taught her, Val turned and pointed her finger in his face.
“I’m not lying. You want the truth?”
“Yes.” He waved a confused-looking Arlo back out the door he came in.
“Am I intrigued with the man? Yes. Do I think he is handsome? Hell yes. Do I think he would ever date someone like me?” She frowned. “No.”
“And why the hell not?” Roman grumbled as he walked to the bar and poured himself one of those wicked strong bourbons.
“You know why.”
“No, I don’t. Any man would be proud to have you in his life. I just don’t want it to be him.”
“Well, I don’t think you have anything to worry about, then.” She picked up her purse and headed over to her bags. “It’s obvious that he isn’t interested in me.”
“Obviously, he’s smart but has piss pour taste in women.”
Her brother was trying to make her feel better despite the fact that he wanted her to have nothing to do with Ryan.
“Well, you and I both know the main reason he would die before having a relationship with me.”
Roman turned to face her. “Oh, yeah? And what is that?”
“Because our father would probably kill him if he ever touched me.”
Chapter Four
Ryan
Ryan’s hopes for a quiet rest of the evening were dashed as soon as the next call came in—an unknown disturbance in the town’s only trailer park. Lake Genoa was a tourist town in the southeastern part of Wisconsin. In the summer, the place was practically bursting with travelers from the windy city of Chicago. Very few of those visitors would ever dream of stepping foot in this poor neighborhood. It may have been called Lake Shore Park, but there was no water in sight.
He hit the siren and the car’s red and blue lights reflected off the windows of the houses he passed as he sped toward that part of town. Apparently, another squad was already on scene but they were not giving much info over the radio. That was not a good sign.
It didn’t take long for him to get to Lake Shore Park. Already, a few of the residents were outside their homes, some in bathrobes and others in coats or orange hunting jackets. Tyler, a young
man Ryan had dealt with before, could be seen in the shadows. The light from his phone lit up his face. He was probably hoping to catch something he could send to the local news. The youngster hated cops. Hell, if the brat would keep his nose clean, they’d never have to see each other again.
After notifying dispatch that he’d reached the scene, Ryan got out of the car.
“Better watch your step, pig. I got you on video,” Tyler taunted.
He flashed him a big, fake smile and kept walking. Who had time for this shit? A screen door squeaked. Ryan slowed when he spied Nathan, one of his fellow patrolmen, step out the front door of the trailer. Even in the dim light he could see his face was pale.
“Nate. What’ve we got?” Ryan said in a hushed tone.
Nate narrowed his eyes at Ty.
Ryan turned and pointed his finger at the boy with the phone. “You. Go home. Now.”
Ty gave him a middle finger and stomped off.
Taking a deep breath, Ryan returned his attention back to Nate. “What’s up?”
“It’s Tracy Martin.”
The name was familiar but he couldn’t place a face.
“The new cashier at the dairy mart.”
He finally pictured the petite blonde clearly. “This her home?” He nodded his head toward the trailer.
“Yeah. The owners called when she didn’t show. Had the weekend off but was supposed to be in today. Said she never misses work.” Nate scratched his forehead. “Door was locked so we looked in the window and noticed her lying on the floor. We broke the door down.” His voice cracked. “Tracy was on the floor. Dead.” Nathan shook his head. “She’s my age. I just don’t understand it.”
“What the hell?” Ryan’s fatigue vanished. Finding someone dead was, thankfully, an uncommon thing in this small town, usually only happening with the elderly. Tracy had to be twenty-five or twenty-six. What could have caused her death?
“What happened? Any sign of a struggle or foul play?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. Looks like she fell and hit her head. I don’t think she was involved with anyone. At least her boss didn’t think so when I asked if they’d checked all the places she might be.” He cursed and glanced down at his feet. “I guess I should tell you this.”
“What is it?” The night was getting stranger by the minute.
“We went out a couple times.” Nathan looked him in the eye. “Nothing too serious but we did have a good time together. I just can’t believe she is gone.”
“I’m sorry.” It was clear that her death had affected him. “Anything else you need to tell me before I go in?”
“No, but it’s not pretty.” The pitch of his voice got higher with each word.
“Death scenes never are.” Ryan placed a hand on the other man’s shoulder. “Well, I better take a look.”
“I’ve called the coroner and the funeral home.” Nate followed on his heels.
“Has anyone else been in the place since you got here?”
“Just the super, Danny, and me. She’s in there taking some photos.”
“Good.” Ryan took one last glance at the faces of those around the neighborhood before stepping into Tracy’s home. They were just staring, looks of confusion and concern on their faces.
The trailer was small but clean. Everything seemed normal, except for the dead body in the middle of the floor. The ugly carpet was short and now featured a small blood stain beneath the head of the victim.
Danny, short for Danielle, was the only female member of the Genoa police force. The lightness of her skin reflected the light from the overhead ceiling fan. So intent on her job, she jumped when the door slammed behind Ryan and Nate. The blue latex gloves she sported were a stark contrast to the black camera in her hand.
The dead woman lay on her back on the floor. Dark streams of mascara ran down her otherwise perfectly painted face. She appeared to be wearing leggings, a fuzzy sweater, and some high heels. Had she planned on going out for the night? A basket of laundry sat nearby, as well as some boxes. It appeared as if she fell and hit her head, but there was nothing lying on the floor in that area that would cause someone to trip.
“Damn,” Ryan cursed, and his fellow officer raised her eyes to meet his.
“Damn is right. This is some fucked up shit.” Danielle may have looked like a Playboy center fold dressed in a uniform, but she had more street smarts than anyone on the force. She also swore like a sailor. “Looks like trauma to the head—the corner of the table appears to be the impact object.”
“Do you think it was accidental or intentional?” The blueish color of the skin along the back of her neck suggested that she had died in that position.
“Hard to tell at this point.” She snapped some more photos. “But there’s a pillow lying on the floor next to the body. I also found something.”
Danny pointed to the book on the counter. “It’s here. In the appointment book. I guess she was old school and wrote everything down instead of keeping it on her phone.” She tapped a gloved finger on the cover. “She had a date with someone by the name of A. Man at nine on Friday night.”
“Did you find anyone or any places with A in their names in the book or on her phone?”
“I will take them with me and do a search. I have to get back to the station soon.”
“Good job.” His heart ached for the woman on the floor. A life cut short was never easy to see. He dreaded contacting her family to give them the horrible news. “Get me the next of kin as well.”
“Don’t worry. Nate and I can do that.”
“Thanks. I’ll stay here, then.” The woman would not be left alone. She deserved to have someone with her. “Nate, how long before the coroner will be here?”
He hoped Nathan wouldn’t vomit. The guy looked green around the gills and was inching toward the door. It was hard enough being around dead bodies, let alone someone you knew. A sickening smell had settled in the tiny room, making it difficult for all of them to take deep breaths. Tracy had been like this for a few days as least.
“Dr. Bob’s already on the way, should be here any minute now. At least that was what the answering service said.”
In their county, anyone could be elected coroner despite having no medical experience. They just had to show up at the scene, pronounce the person dead, and notify family members after signing the death certificate. At least the current holder of the title had some medical experience, even if it was more of the animal variety. Dr. Robert Hutter was the large animal veterinarian at the Hoof and Paws vet clinic, but everyone just called him Dr. Bob. The county’s last coroner was a used car salesman who drank himself to death.
“Do you think it could be a homicide?” Danny stood up. “I have an odd feeling about this.”
“I’m not ruling anything out.”
He didn’t know Tracy well but the dairy mart was open twenty-four hours a day. After he finished up here, he’d be stopping by to see what her coworkers had to say. Maybe some late-night customer followed her home. The door was locked from inside but she could have let someone in. A young woman didn’t just fall and kill herself every day. It didn’t add up.
“The funeral home is here to remove the body.” Nate popped his head outside the screen door. What a relief it would be to be outside in the cool, crisp air. The stuffiness and stench of the room was getting to him also. A few beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
“They’ll have to wait until the coroner gets here. Get me an ETA from Dr. Bob’s answering service now.”
Ryan’s cell phone buzzed. It was a text from an unknown number.
Thanks again for coming to my rescue. Val
At first it shocked him that she had his number, but then he remembered giving her his card when Madison experienced a break-in at her store. The message was a welcome escape from where he stood now. Any other time, he’d call back just to hear her voice. Despite the fact they had no future, one could dream.
His gaze fell to the young woman
on the floor in front of him. It was lonely in the presence of a deceased person, even if it was someone you didn’t know well. Now was definitely not the time to call Valentina.
“I got ahold of the vet. He’s on the way. Had to deliver a breech calf.”
Living in a rural area was never boring, that was for sure. Ryan took a blanket off the couch and laid it over Tracy’s body. Danny had taken enough photos—she deserved her dignity.
“Thanks, Nate.”
Ryan tucked the phone back in his pocket. It was late, he’d call Valentina tomorrow. Tracy deserved all his attention right now. He’d find out what happened if it took all night.
Valentina
Once she made up her mind, things moved fast. After a few days relaxing at her brother’s house it was time to move out. Valentina patted her purse that held the newly signed lease for a small downtown office space. Despite her claim for independence, the vacant spot Madison suggested for her was just too good to pass up. She also found a place to live. It was one of those old turn-of-the-century mansions in the historic district.
She could see clients in the morning, if she had any, and head off to work at Firenza for the rest of the day. Heck, her new home was so close to both, Valentina could walk to each place. Her next stop was the local auto dealership. It wasn’t well known but her family was big into car sales. Some vehicles just came with more than the usual add-ons. This time, however, she was buying from someone else. There would be no more relying on her family if she was going to make her own way in life.
After a few signatures, Valentina left her little red sports car, dents and all, in the lot and drove off in a shiny new silver four-wheel-drive pickup. If her parents and friends could see her, they would be shocked, to say the least.
Valentina parked her new vehicle in front of the tourism office where Madison worked. It was sunny but still a chilly fall day. She straightened her scarf in the visor mirror and studied her makeup. She never knew who she might run in to, but chances were it wouldn’t be the handsome officer who came to her rescue Monday night. Valentina slammed the truck door harder than planned. The same handsome officer who never bothered to return her text.