A Tangle in the Vines

by Anna Celeste Burke

  I tossed back the last of my second cup of coffee and hustled into the kitchen just as Austin walked in. When our eyes met, he smiled, and my heart did a little flip-flop. More rested and less stressed out than he had been last night, he still appeared a bit nervous. Maybe he wasn’t looking forward to discussing murder over breakfast any more than I was.

  “You’re up early, Marshal,” Judy said. Austin swooped her up in his arms and kissed her on both cheeks.

  “I woke up worried you’d be down here cleaning and cooking. This house is bursting at the seams and company is coming. You work too hard.” He held Judy a moment longer before heading my way. “What is it that smells so good?”

  “French toast breakfast casserole. It tastes even better than it smells,” Judy said.

  “I’ll bet they miss you back at the ranch where breakfast can’t be as good without you.”

  “Since my great-nephew and his wife moved in, I hardly have anything to do. He’s got all these modern ideas from ag school about how to run a ranch. I don’t want to interfere since he’s got a good head on his shoulders. They’re still in that newlywed ‘playing house’ phase, too, so both Nicky and Maryann need time to make themselves at home.”

  “It was nice of you to take them in,” I said as I handed Austin a cup of coffee.

  “Their decision to come back to Napa Valley after his graduation worked out perfectly since I was seriously considering selling the ranch. I prefer to keep the property in the family. After losing two of my oldest ranch hands in the last year and a half, I’m too tired to start over and train new people to do it my way, but I also know I can’t do it myself. Anyway, I already called and told them I’m staying here a couple more days since we’re running so far behind.”

  “Well, I’m glad you’re willing to stay put after last night. We might need you around here a little too much.” Judy hugged me.

  “That could never happen!” Then I got the Austin good morning treatment, too. I was giggling when our newest houseguest sauntered into the kitchen.

  “So, Marshal, I see you took my advice.” I turned around to find Billie decked out in his baseball outfit, smiling from ear-to-ear.

  “Wow! You look great. What advice?” I asked.

  “Not yet,” Austin replied.

  “Good grief!” He smacked his head as he’d done last night. “Where is it?”

  “Here, next to my heart,” Austin replied winking at Billie.

  “Yes! That’s a great start, but hand it over.” Austin gave something to Billie. Then, Billie went down on one knee.

  “Lily, Austin is the best man I ever met. I already figured that out, and I’m just a kid who hasn’t even known him for twenty-four hours yet. He should have the best woman I ever met as his best friend. This is for you—a friendship ring.”

  “Please wear it. It belonged to my grandmother,” Austin added. My hand shook as I held it out, and Austin slipped on the ring. Then we sealed our friendship with a toe-curling kiss. Billie cheered, and so did my diva pals who were standing in the doorway. We whooped it up as the divas took a closer look at the ring, until the doorbell rang.

  “What fresh hell is this?” Julie muttered, using a favorite quote from Dorothy Parker. “I’ll get it. You keep fraternizing with the law.”

  “It’s not even eight o’clock yet,” Judy sputtered just as the timer pinged on the oven. When she opened the oven, we were engulfed in the scent of cinnamon, maple, and vanilla.

  Dahlia was at the front door, but by the time Julie brought her into the kitchen, Rikki had come in the back way. She and Austin were immediately engaged in a discussion. The rest of my diva friends and I set out milk and juice, and a platter of the bars and brownies Judy and I had baked for the Thanksgiving Harvest Festival organizers.

  I’d managed to herd everyone into the dining room when Jesse showed up at the backdoor with a repair crew. Apparently, no one needed to call for assistance. An electronic device installed during their last inspection had signaled trouble.

  “What should we do?” Jesse asked Dahlia.

  “You know what areas to avoid. If they can find out what they need to know that way, fine. If not, they’ll have to come back in another day or two. Sorry, Lily.”

  “I understand, Dahlia.”

  “With everything you have on your plate, do you have time to show them around?” I asked Jesse.

  “Yes. Fortunately, we finished picking the grapes that were ready for harvest before the storm. Now that the rain has stopped, I’ve got hands going row by row, checking on the vines, and cleaning up. We’ll have a better idea this afternoon of what to do next in the field. I’ve already given the police my statement, so I won’t be missed here.”

  “Don’t count on it,” Carrie said as she brushed past him to take a seat at the dining table. Billie and the other divas were already chowing down. Rikki introduced herself and Billie was delighted.

  “Wow! A beautiful lady Marshal as your boss! You know how to live, Austin.” Rikki smiled.

  “I’m glad to meet you, Billie. I understand you almost put an end to Austin’s charmed life.”

  “Not on purpose!” He was worried until Rikki smiled.

  “Gotcha!” Rikki said, and Billie laughed.

  “Whew! That was a good one.”

  “All joking aside, Jesse, I’d like to speak to you and Lily about the incident that occurred years ago. If you can come back in an hour or so, we ought to have taken care of the routine matters.”

  “Sure, we’ll get out of here so you can get to work.”

  “Coffee, to go?” Judy asked as she offered them throwaway cups of coffee she’d prepared. Then she gave them a small box of pecan pie bars. “Something to go with the coffee.”

  “Always taking care of everyone, aren’t you? Thanks!” Judy stood on her tiptoes and gave Jesse a peck on the cheek. As soon as they were gone, Dahlia guzzled coffee, wolfed down her casserole, and got down to business.

  “Rikki and I plan to divide and conquer.”

  “What?” I asked dreading the thought that we were in for a new round of snide remarks.

  “Sorry, that didn’t come out right. If you have a couple of other rooms we can commandeer, we have two uniformed officers who can help. One of them will work with me and the other with Rikki so we can get the statements done quickly.”

  “Of course.” As if on cue, two officers walked into the dining room.

  “Jesse told us to come on in and head back here. He says there’s coffee—and, uh, food.”

  “No rest for the wicked, huh, Jim?” Judy asked.

  “Not given what’s been going on here.” He spotted Billie as he said that.

  “You look better than you did last night, son. That’s great gear you’ve got on.”

  “I know. Cool, huh?”

  “Help yourselves to coffee and food,” I said. “Then sit down wherever there’s a seat.” It wasn’t until they moved that I noticed a woman standing quietly behind them.

  “This is Diane Constantine from Children’s Services. She’s here to speak to you, Billie,” Jim added as he piled food on a plate. Austin and I both jumped up.

  “Please come with us, Ms. Constantine. I’m Lilian Callahan, and this is Deputy U.S. Marshal Austin Jennings.” As she followed Austin, I paused and spoke to Dahlia.

  “The reading room and the front parlor ought to work for you. If you can get statements from Zelda, Melody, and Carrie first, they’d like to go check on the theater building.”

  “What about me? I don’t want to stay home and miss all the action,” Julie said.

  “By that, she’s hoping Hazmat Man is still loitering somewhere on the property,” Carrie snickered.

  “Look who’s talking. ‘Don’t count on it,’” Melody said, repeating the comment Carrie had made to Jesse, and batting her eyes.

  “Uh, Julie we do want to get your statement,” Dahlia was staring at a list as she made that request. “We understand you weren’t at two of the cr
ime scenes, right?” Our visitor from Children’s Services raised both eyebrows at the mention of crime scenes.”

  “That’s true.” Julie replied.

  “Okay, then our interview with you will be quick. Follow me, please.” Dahlia got up and took her coffee with her.

  “If you’ll come with me, Ms. Constantine, where it’s more private, I can explain. May I pour you a cup of coffee?” Diane Constantine nodded and relaxed a little.

  “Black, please.”

  “Have a seat, Ms. Constantine,” I added and set her coffee down in front of her at a table in the morning room off the kitchen. Billie was behind me.

  “Please call me Diane,” she said, taking a sip of her coffee.

  “Hello, Diane,” Billie said, giggling. “How are you?”

  “I’m fine, thank you. It’s Ms. Constantine to you.” He giggled again and covered his mouth with his hand to stop it. Diane Constantine smiled too. “I’ll need to speak with you in a few minutes, after I’ve chatted with Lily and Marshal Jennings.”

  “Billie, why don’t you take Marlowe out in the backyard for a little break?” Judy suggested. “He loves to play fetch. There are toys in a box on the deck.”

  “Sure!” Billie grabbed the last pecan bar from a tray on the kitchen island and headed for the door. “Marlowe, come!” Billie laughed when he realized Marlowe was already at his feet. Fetch, toy, and out are words my pooch understands well.

  “I’ll go with him. Darjeeling needs to get out too. Someone come and get me when it’s my turn, okay?” Melody grabbed Darjeeling who had already assumed she was invited, and had headed for the door as fast as her tiny legs would carry her.

  “I hope you can explain what’s going on around here. Jim Brady sent me a report about the incident with Billie Dundee. What’s this about other crime scenes?”

  “There’s been some trouble, ma’am,” Austin said adopting his old western lawman persona. “Billie’s got himself mixed up in it, although we haven’t told him most of what’s going on. My colleagues will want to interview him as a witness. Since his parents aren’t available, we’re hoping you can act on his behalf. From what he’s told us, he has important information about a man who may have committed five murders.” She went pale.

  “Here?”

  “Oh, no.” I said in a hurry. “Not originally, anyway.” I gave her a quick rundown of what we knew about the dumpsite in the preserve area and how Calla Lily Vineyards became involved. I wrapped up my summary of events with the incident involving Billie and the reason he was here last night. I left out the fact that he’d shot Austin, but otherwise it was a concise synopsis of everything we’d been through.

  “I’m familiar with Billie’s background so it doesn’t surprise me to learn that he was roaming around at that hour,” Diane said. “We’ve tried to intervene once or twice after he admitted his dad had hurt him, but Billie has always recanted his story. Once he was branded a liar, it has been more difficult to act on concerns about abuse. I wouldn’t be surprised if his truthfulness becomes an issue for him as a witness.”

  “This time you’ve got more than his word to go on. He’s not only out after midnight but he was carrying a loaded gun. When Billie’s father attempted to assault an officer of the law, his mother fled, and nearly hit a police car while behind the wheel of her car, drunk as a skunk.” A smile flickered across Diane’s face at the vehemently defensive tone I’d adopted.

  “You’ve developed a bond with the boy, haven’t you?”

  “We all have,” Austin replied.

  “In your case, Calla Lily, it’s not too surprising. I have some familiarity with your background.” My head shot up at her use of my nickname. “Not only what your aunt told me about you, but I can read the papers. Your family members give Billie’s a run for their money, don’t they?” Then she smiled broadly. “Let’s hear what Billie has to say. I almost didn’t recognize him. No one has ever mentioned he has dimples. Where did those come from?”

  “He does have a great smile,” I replied, “and a smart mouth to go with it. What happens next?”

  “Children’s Services will continue our investigation while the police complete theirs. Unless they come up with a bundle of cash, the court will appoint attorneys for mom and dad, and another will be assigned to represent Billie. Jim Brady sent pictures of the awful bruising. I need to take Billie to a doctor to have him examined and get him a tetanus shot. His parents will be charged with reckless endangerment and child abuse, in addition to the firearms charge, and the DUI. Maybe more charges will be brought against them, depending on what we find during a home visit.”

  “I can take him to the doctor’s office. I’m also more than happy to hire a lawyer for him when he needs one. It’s more than his parents’ abuse that we’re concerned about when it comes to his safety.”

  “Typically, when a child is taken into custody, he’s turned over to us while we locate a relative or place him in temporary foster care. We also set up a hearing with his parents within a day or two, but I don’t know when that can happen given their circumstances. Your worries about his safety mean something else, too, if Billie’s also a witness in a murder investigation. When we’ve considered custody options for Billie in the past, his parents had burned so many bridges that they couldn’t tell us if they had any living family members or not.”

  “Then why not leave him here until we all have a clearer picture of the situation?” Austin suggested. “I could put him up someplace else too, but he won’t be as comfortable as he is here. The security team and the police have the entire place under surveillance, hoping to find the man Billie described to us.”

  “If you need a court order to make this Billie’s temporary foster home, I’m sure Lettie’s old friend, Judge Brinkley, will help. Tell him Lily begged you to call. I can do it if you’d prefer since I need to speak to him about another issue.” Austin shifted in his chair, a sure signal that he’d gone on alert. I hadn’t had a chance to tell him about my decision to talk to Colin Brinkley to ask what he’d told Aunt Lettie years ago about Penney Lincoln’s disappearance.

  “I know Judge Brinkley. He’s handled matters for us before.” Diane paused and sipped her coffee. “Will Billie have his own room? What about clothes and getting him to school now that classes have started, or making sure he does his homework and brushes his teeth? Do you really understand what you’re getting into?”

  “Probably not, but I’m willing to try as hard as I can. I’ll take him to urgent care this afternoon to get his shot and an examination. I’ll arrange for my physician to follow up on Monday. We’ll stop and get him some school clothes on the way home. Will he be allowed to go home and get his schoolbooks or can whoever you send to inspect his home bring them to us?”

  “I can have someone pick up his books if he tells me where they are,” Diane replied.

  “We shared Lettie’s suite last night, but he’ll have it all to himself. I’m going home, and then I’ll be on the road for a couple of days.” I drummed my fingers on the table, wondering when he’d planned to share his news with me.

  “I give up! Calling Judge Brinkley is a great idea since we’re facing a long holiday weekend. I don’t know why they start school right before Labor Day. You’ll have to postpone the follow up with your physician until later in the week, but at least you’ll have an extra day to get Billie situated here. Tuesday morning, you should check-in at the administrative office, then go to class with Billie and introduce yourself to his teacher.”

  “Ms. Wainwright?”

  “No, thank goodness. Lydia Wainwright was Billie’s teacher last year in sixth grade. I’ll email you the basic information about the school calendar, his course schedule, class times, and teachers. As soon as I get the go-ahead to assign you as his foster parent, I’ll fax the authorization to the school. They’ll need that to allow you on the school grounds and to grant you permission to speak to his teachers.” I tried to pay close attention, but I was distracted by he
r remark about Lydia Wainwright.

  “Thanks. I appreciate your help. Why did you say that about Ms. Wainwright?” I asked.

  “All Billie Dundee needs is another unreliable adult in his life Apparently, she didn’t report for duty as expected. No one has been able to locate her, and she hasn’t bothered to contact anyone with an explanation.”

  “Has she been reported as a missing person?” Diane shook her head no in response to Austin’s question. That did nothing to settle the growing sense of dread I felt as Diane continued.

  “My coworker has a new sixth-grader in her caseload, so she asked a few questions when she was told Ms. Wainwright’s students were being moved to other classrooms. Another teacher at the school told her the Vice Principal spoke to Lydia’s sister, who insisted there was no reason to worry. She claims Lydia took off to Vegas for a quickie wedding. After that her new husband was taking her on a honeymoon to Hawaii.”

  “Without telling anyone else?” I was incredulous. “Does she have a history of instability?”

  “To be honest, I don’t know. What I’ve just told you is second or third-hand information. I’m sure there are all sorts of stories being told about why Ms. Wainwright is AWOL. I didn’t want to you be caught off guard if someone mentioned it since she was Billie’s teacher last year.”

  “Thanks for the head’s up. I’m grateful for everything you’re doing for Billie. Will you say anything to him about Ms. Wainwright?”

  “I will if he brings it up. I’m glad he’s in a place where he’s welcome, and I’ve never seen him so happy. I really need to get crackin,’ as your Lettie used to say. Do you have any idea when they plan to interview Billie?”

  “Let me find out,” Austin said, springing into action.

  “Can I get you more coffee or would you like me to have Billie come in so you can speak to him?”

  “Both, please.” She’d pulled out a tablet device and appeared to be making notes or filling out forms. When I came back with fresh coffee, she was still at it. Billie’s face was flushed when he sat down.