by Joni Folger
After a beat, the entire table erupted into a cacophony of laughter, and even Ross cracked a reluctant smile. “Thanks, Gram,” he said with a chuckle. “That’s just what I needed to hear to give my ego a boost.”
Abigail cackled then and sent him a mischievous look. “Oh, you know I’m just having some fun with you. Y’all are my little darlins—each and every one of you.”
They made it through dinner and were well into Miss Abigail’s delicious pecan pie when Ross’s wife, Caroline, finally came in.
“Sorry I’m so late. Caleb isn’t feeling well. I think he may have picked up a bug,” she said, referring to their six-year-old son. She sat down next to Ross. “I wanted to make sure he was asleep before heading this way. Ethan gave me some grief over the whole thing, too. He was pretty miffed that this family dinner was too late for them to attend. Plus, he didn’t think he should have to go to bed half an hour early just because Caleb did. After all, he is two years older.”
“That’s my boy,” Ross added with a laugh.
She shook her head. “I think they were both asleep before their little heads hit their pillows. I had Sancia come over and sit with them so I could come over here for a bit.”
“It must be convenient having your babysitter living just up the road on the property,” C.C. said.
“Yes. Having Sancia and Carlos so close is great. That the Maderas live and work here at the vineyard has been a huge plus,” Caroline replied, “especially now that I’m helping out at the Wine Barrel several days a week.”
“Are you hungry, honey?” Miss Abby asked. “I can heat you up a plate. There’s plenty.”
“Oh, no. Gosh, don’t trouble yourself, Gram. I ate with the boys earlier. But I wouldn’t mind a slice of that yummy pecan pie of yours.”
“You got it,” Miss Abby said before rising to fetch Caroline a plate.
It seemed like such a normal family dinner that Jackson almost put the investigation out of his mind. But it wasn’t long before it reared its ugly head. And of course, Ross had to be the one to bring it up.
“So Jax, any news about Grace’s or Divia’s murders?”
So much for a normal evening with family.
Jackson slowly lowered his fork to his plate. Leave it to Ross to put it so bluntly with Grace not even cold and C.C. sitting right there.
“Ross! For crying out loud,” Elise said with a frown.
“What?” he asked leaning back in his chair.
She heaved a sigh and shook her head. “Can’t we go a measly few hours and at least get through dinner without talking about homicide?”
“Well, geez, El,” Ross complained. “Weren’t you the one who started this whole ‘let’s keep our eyes and ears open’ thing? I thought you’d want to know the latest news.”
“And I thought you’d be more subtle and compassionate.” She made a face. “And thanks, way to throw me under the bus … yet again.”
“That’s enough, you two,” Miss Abby said. “Ignore them and their foolishness, Jackson. They’re just bein’ nosy. I know you have to be careful what you say about your cases.”
Wiping his mouth with his napkin, Jackson figured he’d better get on with it. He’d waited long enough. “Well, now that he’s brought it up, there are a few things we need to talk about, Miss Abby.”
“Ah-ha!” Ross said, pointing a finger in Jackson’s direction. “I knew it.”
“Hush, Ross.” Abigail slowly sank into her chair. “Should we go into Laura’s office for privacy?”
“Oh, hell no!” Ross blurted. “You’re not talking to the police alone. No way, no how. Y’all can have any conversation you like right here within earshot of the family.”
“Oh, for crying out loud, boy” Abigail exclaimed. “It’s only Jackson. He’s part of this family, and don’t you forget it.”
Ross nodded but was undeterred. “You’re absolutely right, Gram. Jax is part of this family. However, he’s also a sheriff’s deputy and the officer in charge of two recent murder inquiries,” he reminded her. “Remember Uncle Edmond’s homicide investigation? Jax has to stay objective or risk being removed from both cases. And, as he’s so fond of saying, he has to follow the evidence. Isn’t that right, Jax?”
For a moment Jackson was too stunned to respond. This calm, insightful analysis coming from the normally hot-headed and accusatory Ross left him speechless. “Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?” was the question on the tip of his tongue.
“Uh … actually, Ross is right, Miss Abby,” he said when he finally found his voice. “Until this investigation is complete, it wouldn’t hurt to have someone else present during any conversations regarding Mrs. Larson’s death. And the family should hear what I have to say, anyway.”
Abigail frowned, but after a moment, nodded. “All right. You know I trust you, Jackson, and if you think that would be best, then that’s what we’ll do.”
“Okay, the way you’re talking it’s starting to sound like Gram really is a suspect,” Madison spoke up with a worried look.
Abigail laid her hand over Madison’s and squeezed. “Of course I’m a suspect, sweetheart. I don’t have an alibi. Plus, I was the one to find the body.” She glanced over at Jackson, and the look in her eyes was shrewd. “And if I’m not mistaken, there’s more to it now. Am I wrong?”
Jackson sighed. “No, ma’am, you’re not wrong. So far, we’ve confirmed the call you received from Mrs. Larson, as well as the texts. However, we’ve also got several reports back from the lab. Mrs. Larson’s were the only fingerprints on the glass found on the dresser next to the wine bottle.” He paused before diving into the deep end. “And the only prints on the wine bottle itself were yours.”
Again the room erupted, only this time it wasn’t into laughter.
“What the hell are you saying, Jax?” Ross yelled. “I don’t like your implications.”
There’s the Ross we all know and love, Jackson thought.
Caroline crossed her arms and glared at him. “That doesn’t mean a thing, and you know it!”
“Yeah, Miss Abby worked the booth with us on Thursday,” C.C. put in. “She could have sold that bottle to the killer. Heck, any one of us could have sold it and just had her bag it.”
Elise nodded. “And she worked at the Wine Barrel on Friday, so there was ample opportunity for her to touch the bottle in question.”
“Whoa! Calm down, y’all.” Jackson put up his hands in surrender. “You’re all absolutely right. We’ve taken all of that into consideration already. And it’s only circumstantial at this point, anyway. Plus, the good news is that there was no poison in the wine bottle. Only the glass with Mrs. Larson’s prints had traces of the cyanide.”
When the room quieted down, Abigail’s voice broke the momentary silence, and her gaze connected with his. “But it all adds up, doesn’t it? That’s what you’re not saying, right?”
“What do you mean, Gram?” Madison asked.
“Maddy—”
“No, Jackson,” Abigail interrupted. “Let me.”
She looked around the table at each member of the family before continuing. “What Jackson is having difficulty with is that all the circumstantial evidence points in my direction.”
“That’s just ridiculous, and he knows it,” Ross shouted.
She put up a hand to quell the rest of the outbursts of denial that threatened. “No, he’s most certainly correct. And if you look at each piece of the puzzle, you’ll see what I mean.”
When she had everyone’s undivided attention, she continued. “Number one—I have a romantic history with the victim’s husband, and I’ve had a prickly history with the victim herself. It’s no secret Divia and I had no use for each other. Number two—I have no alibi. I was home alone on Friday night, and I was the one to find her body very close to the time of her death.” She ticke
d off each point with a finger as she went through the evidence. “Number three—the lab report has now confirmed that my fingerprints are the only prints on the wine bottle found in her room. And though there was no trace of poison in the wine bottle, we all know that cyanide is used quite frequently here at the vineyard and readily available.”
Though she’d hit every point, it tore Jackson up to sit there and listen to her rattle off the evidence he and Jim had gone over earlier.
“Taken individually, I guess it’s not so bad. But when you add it all up, circumstantial as it may be, it doesn’t look good.” She glanced around the silent room until her eyes met his again. “Did that about cover it?”
“Yes, ma’am. That’s it in a nutshell.”
“Come on, Jax,” Ross spoke up after a moment. “You know damn well Gram didn’t kill Divia Larson. I mean, there are other folks around with better motives.”
“And we’re looking at them, but you guys have to trust me to do my job. As you pointed out at the start of this conversation, I’m walking a really thin line here. And I have to follow the evidence—wherever it leads me.”
“And if it leads you back to one of the family?” Ross pushed the envelope with a mutinous look on his face. “If it leads back to Gram? What then?”
“Ross—” Laura began but Ross cut her off.
“No, Mom, I want to know exactly where his loyalties are.”
For Jackson, the comment was more than he could stomach, and he shoved back from the table. “You know, buddy, it always seems to come down to this, doesn’t it? We went through this same damn bullshit during Edmond’s murder investigation. I guess saying that I’m part of the family is easy lip-service, but when push comes to shove, that’s all it is.”
“Jax, you know he doesn’t mean that,” Elise said, but he ignored her. Ross’s barbs had hit a sore spot and this time he couldn’t let it go.
His stare bored into Ross, who’d gone noticeably silent and red in the face. “You say you understand that I have a job to do, that I have to be careful of perceptions, follow the evidence. Then you turn right around and question my loyalty, when the people around this table are closer to me than my own blood relatives.”
Jackson stood up and laid his napkin across his plate. “Well, maybe you’re right, Ross,” he said in a quiet voice. “Maybe I’m not part of this family after all.” With that, he pulled out his keys and turned to the woman who’d practically raised him. “I’m sorry for the trouble, Miss Abby. I’ll let you know if anything else comes up.”
“Jackson, sweetheart, please don’t leave like this,” she pleaded.
He came around the end of the table and placed a kiss on her leathery cheek. It was nearly his undoing when he saw the tears well in her eyes, and he murmured into her ear. “Don’t you dare cry, darlin’. You’ll break my heart. I’ll be back. I just need some space.”
With a brief glance at Elise, he walked out of the room and down the hall. Stepping outside, he hoped the cool night air would clear his head and exorcize all his demons. He’d always considered himself part of this family, had been treated as such as long as he could remember. But he now realized, as much as he’d like it to be, that it just wasn’t true. Ross had made that perfectly clear.
fifteen
Silence reigned for several moments after Jackson’s abrupt departure from the room, with nobody at the table wanting to make eye contact. To Elise, the sound of the front door slamming shut seemed as loud as a gunshot.
Feeling a bit of her own guilt over the fact that she hadn’t done more to support Jackson, she lashed out at her brother. “Well, nice job, Ross,” she said in disgust. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean to make Jax feel bad or suggest that he’s not part of the family.”
“But that’s exactly what you did by questioning his loyalty.” Madison gave him a sad look. “You know he would never let anything happen to any of us if he could help it.”
“I know, I know.” Ross ran a hand through his hair and looked up with regret in his eyes. “This is all just so frustrating, but you’re right. I shouldn’t take out my concerns on Jax. I just want to make sure that Gram is protected.”
“You don’t need to worry about me. I’ve got nothin’ to hide, so I’ll be fine.” Abigail stood up and began to gather the dirty plates from the table. “Jackson’s doing the best he can. We all need to be supportive and let him do his job.”
“Mom’s right.” Laura nodded and rose to help Abigail clear the table. “I know this seems all too familiar. We lived through something similar with your Uncle Edmond’s death only months ago, but we have to give Jackson as much help and understanding as we can.”
“I know,” Ross said. “And I’m sorry that I badgered him.”
Elise wasn’t letting him off the hook so easily. This wasn’t the first time Ross had behaved badly toward Jackson in recent months, and she wanted to nip it in the bud. “Yeah, well it doesn’t do any good to tell us. You need to talk to him.”
“I will.”
Jumping up, she grabbed her purse. “I mean it, Ross. You fix this.” With that, she started for the door.
“Where are you going, El?” C.C. asked.
“I’m gonna try to catch Jackson. If I can’t, I’m going to his house. I don’t want this to get out of hand.”
She raced down the hall and out the front door, only to be disappointed when she realized his cruiser was gone and that she’d waited too long.
Figuring he only had about a ten-minute start on her Elise got into her car and headed for his house. If he wasn’t at home, she’d check his office, but one way or another, she was going to find him tonight.
Jackson lived in a charming little ranch-style house on the other side of Delphine just on the outskirts of town. The twenty-minute drive there seemed to take forever, but Elise was filled with relief when she turned off the highway and found the cruiser parked in his driveway. She pulled her little sports car in behind it and killed the engine.
With not a little trepidation, she climbed out of the car and went up to the porch. She knocked on the front door, and while she waited for him, went over what she intended to say. But her mind went completely blank, and her mouth dry as the Gobi desert when he opened the door. He was barefoot and his shirt was unbuttoned. It hung open just enough to reveal a tantalizing glimpse of his muscular chest.
“El?”
At the sound of her name, she snapped her gaze up to his confused face and did her best to focus on the reason she’d followed him home.
Unfortunately, “hey” was all she managed to squeak out.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“Why don’t you invite me in and I’ll tell you. Or at least try to remember,” she added under her breath. Those glimpses of his sexy, bare chest made it hard to concentrate on anything else. Noticing that the top button of his pants was undone didn’t help, either.
“Okay. Come on in.” He stepped aside, motioning for her to enter.
She moved past him quickly and went into the living room. Tossing her purse into a chair, she steeled herself as she turned around to face him and got right to the point. “First, I want to apologize on behalf of myself and my entire boneheaded family—especially my dumb-ass brother.”
“El—”
“Just hold your water and let me finish, would you?” she said, cutting him off. “I know Ross made it sound like you aren’t a part of our family, but you know that’s not true. You are and always will be. And it shames me to know that we hurt your feelings that way.”
Jackson heaved a sigh and walked over to her. “There’s no need to feel that way,” he said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “People get their feelings hurt all the time. I’ll get over it.”
“But that’s my point.” She jabbed a finger in
his direction before spinning away from him. “Families shouldn’t treat each other that way.”
“But they often do, darlin’,” he said in a quiet voice. “So let it go.”
She turned back to him with an exasperated look. “Well, I can’t, and I don’t understand how you can just accept it.”
“What’s the point of railing against it, El? It is what it is.”
“Ooh, that really gets to me,” she said with a growl. “Sometimes you can be so annoyingly bullheaded.”
With his hands fisted on his hips, he stepped right into her bubble and growled back. “And you can be infuriatingly nosy and hard of hearing. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t love you, in spite of it.”
“Yeah? Well, let me tell you something—wait. What did you just say?”
“You heard me.”
She crossed her arms and cocked a hip. “I think you need to say it again, just so we’re clear.”
“Nuh-uh,” he replied and mirrored her stance. “Not until you spill whatever it is that you failed to tell me about the case before. And don’t say there isn’t anything, because we both know you’d be fibbin’.”
She tried to stare him down, but in the end, threw up her hands in surrender. “Okay. I give. I should’ve told you the other day when we talked about that lyin’ Monique saying that we’d questioned her.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I’m listening.”
“Well, in reference to keeping our eyes and ears open, Maddy overheard a conversation between Monique and Philippe Toussaint that I think you’ll find interesting. You might want to clear it up before you let them leave town.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Go on.”
Knowing she would probably regret it, she related everything Madison had told them about what she’d witnessed between the two that day behind Restaurant Row. When she was finished, he simply shook his head.
“What?” she asked, when he continued to stare at her without speaking.
“You guys just never learn, do you?” He paced away and then back. “Do you have any idea how dangerous that could have been for Maddy if it turns out that Monique or Philippe are responsible for Divia’s death? What if they’d caught her listening?”