Fire in the Vineyard

by Christa Polkinhorn

  “Oh, don’t exaggerate,” Sofia said, blushing. “It was only the Piedmont. Don’t listen to him,” she said to Adam. “I’ll tell you about it later.”

  Chapter 37

  A knock on the door of Robert’s office interrupted his brooding thoughts. He had been thinking about the disturbing incidences of the past few days, the ongoing uncertainty about George Winter’s collaborator. As Robert wearily acknowledged the knocking, he noted that the day wasn’t getting any more cheerful.

  He got up and opened the door. A disheveled Juanita stood there, her face blotched and her eyes red from crying. “Mr. Segantino,” she whispered with a trembling voice.

  Robert hadn’t been able to get her to call him by his first name, even after years of friendship. He attributed it to a somewhat old-fashioned sign of respect toward her husband’s boss.

  “What’s the matter, Juanita?” He took her by the arm and led her inside. Her miserable face stung him and the pain of having lost his friend flared up again. He tried to hug her. “I’m so sorry,” he said, probably for the thousandth time. “I know, I miss him, too. And I can only guess what a terrible time you and Nora are going through.”

  Juanita, however, stepped back and lifted her arms, avoiding his embrace. “No, Mr. Segantino. You don’t understand.” Now, she was sobbing bitterly.

  “What is it, Juanita?” He was puzzled by her reaction. “You know you can talk to me about anything. I mean we’re almost family, aren’t we?”

  Juanita shook her head. “You won’t say that again after I tell you what I found out.”

  Robert’s heart contracted. “Please sit down and tell me.”

  Juanita sat on a chair with a deep sigh. She pulled two sheets of paper and a cell phone out of her purse and gave them to him. “Romero wasn’t the person you … or even I, thought he was.”

  Robert stared at the first sheet of paper. It was a list of amounts, some small, some quite large and dates next to them “What’s this?” he asked, then looked at the second piece of paper. It was another list, this one of wines, bottles of Cabernet. A feeling of dread overcame Robert. “Where did you get this?” he asked.

  “I found it when I was cleaning out some of Romero’s stuff. That and the cell phone. One of the sheets of paper looks like a list of money he owed … to someone with whom he gambled. I had no idea he gambled. I don’t know what to think. This is terrible.”

  She ran her hand through her disheveled hair. “Off and on, he used to get together with some of his friends for a beer or a glass of wine. They had been playing cards with each other for a long time. I didn’t think anything of it. He needed to unwind and take a break from the pressure at home. I understood. He never came home drunk or anything. I didn’t have any idea they were gambling.

  “But now, I don’t know what to think anymore. I don’t know who my husband was anymore. We were so busy taking care of Nora, we didn’t have that much time for each other. I mean …” She stopped. “But that’s not the point. The second list … those bottles of wine. Are these the bottles that disappeared or were found in the burnt shed? And what does it all mean?” She covered her face with her hands, seemingly exhausted.

  “Oh, Juanita. I don’t know what it means either. I just have a terrible feeling. What about the cell phone?” His heart raced.

  “I’ve never seen this phone before. It’s not his regular cell phone. There are no recorded calls, but a bunch of text messages, seemingly from one of his friends, the one he gambled with. And Romero used his middle name. He signed his messages with ‘Norman’.” She pointed at the phone.

  Robert perused the messages. The minute he saw the name of Romero’s so-called friend, things started to fall into place, and Robert felt sick to his stomach.

  “Juanita, I need to hand this over to the investigator,” he said.

  She nodded. “I know. This is awful. But I need to know the truth.” Juanita broke down sobbing again.

  Robert, equally distraught, got up, put a hand briefly on Juanita’s trembling shoulder, and went to get his wife. Janice was doing some office work of her own for the charity organization she was part of. She looked up as Robert entered. Seeing his troubled expression, she got up.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “Could you please come with me and take care of Juanita. She found out something terrible about Romero. She’s in my office in tears. I need to call Lauer.”

  Janice stared at him. “What?”

  “Please come. She’ll explain it to you.”

  Janice followed him to his office where Juanita sat bent over, a bundle of misery. “Come on, Juanita, come with me, please.” Janice helped the desperate woman get up and led her out of the office.

  Robert sat down and stared at the pieces of evidence on the desk in front of him, his stomach in a knot. He grabbed the phone to call David Lauer. When he looked through the window, he saw the investigator walking from the driveway toward his home. Robert put the phone down and went out to meet him, his mind in a daze. Lauer greeted him with a quick wave.

  “There are quite a few new developments,” the investigator said. “Some which you already know, I assume. Adam and the young lady’s search for George Winter and Winter being in the hospital. But there is more.”

  Robert nodded and invited him inside. “I probably know already what you’re referring to.”

  “Oh?” Lauer examined him with narrowed eyes.

  Robert pushed the cell phone and the two pieces of paper across his desk toward Lauer. “Juanita came to me in tears. She found this among Romero’s things. She’s totally heartbroken … and so am I.”

  Lauer picked up the pieces of evidence and nodded. “So she knows about it?”

  “She just discovered this stuff while clearing out his things. How did you find out?” Robert motioned Lauer to sit down.

  “I had my suspicions early on,” the investigator said. “His pant legs soaked in gasoline which was used to burn down the shed. But I didn’t have any conclusive evidence until recently.”

  “I still can’t believe it,” Robert said, rubbing his forehead. “Why? Why did he do it?” His voice trembled. “This is the biggest blow of the whole disaster.”

  “I know,” Lauer said. “It hurts terribly to find out that a friend, someone you trusted, betrayed you. I’m sorry.”

  They were quiet for a moment. Robert felt increasingly sad and confused.

  Lauer’s voice interrupted his gloomy thoughts. “Is Mrs. Guerrero still here?”

  “She may be. She’s with my wife.” Robert got up and entered the living room with Lauer following him. Janice came in from the kitchen, saying that Juanita had just left. She didn’t want to leave Nora alone.”

  Lauer nodded. “I need to talk to her, but that can wait.”

  “Tell us the whole thing, please,” Janice said. “What happened?”

  Chapter 38

  Robert, Janice, and David Lauer were sitting in the living room. Janice watched Robert quietly, his normally suntanned face was a grayish pale and his eyes had lost their luster. Janice was upset as well, but she knew how deeply he was affected by Romero’s actions.

  “You want some water?” Janice asked, glancing at Robert and Lauer.

  “Yes, I can get it,” Robert said.

  Janice put her hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay. I’ll get it. I’ll be right back.” She went into the kitchen and brought back a tray with three glasses of water.

  They all took a sip. Then Lauer cleared his throat. “We questioned Winter and some of his friends or associates as well as a neighbor of Winter’s who overheard an argument between Winter and Romero. We also talked to a few people who knew Romero from years ago. Here’s what we found out. Let’s start from the beginning.” He drank a sip of water.

  “As a young man, Romero was a professional gambler for a while, and from what I heard, a successful one.”

  “What?” Robert stared at him. “Romero gambled? I had no idea.”

 
; Robert glanced at Janice. “That’s news to me, too,” Janice said. “Juanita certainly never mentioned it.”

  “I guess it was before he married, before he met Juanita. He may not have told her,” Lauer said.

  “Anyway, George Winter and a few of his friends had been playing cards for years. After he lost his job, went to prison and then got out, he joined them again. He then suggested they play for money. I think he tried all kinds of things to make money, with legal and illegal means. Some of his friends, however, weren’t up for it. But one of them who stayed said he knew of someone who had gambled in the past. He might be interested. That person was Romero.” He glanced at Robert.

  “Romero joined them, and they played poker once a week, mainly for small amounts. When Romero introduced himself, he gave them only his middle name, Norman, obviously to hide his identity. He didn’t want anyone else to know he was gambling again.”

  “I can’t believe it. Romero led a double life.” Robert paled even more. “He’d been somewhat secretive and aloof this past year. I wondered about it, but I thought it had to do with the problems in his family, with Nora, … but I would’ve never expected anything like this.”

  Janice was shocked as well. She was trying to think of any indication in his behavior that pointed to this.

  Lauer continued. “Winter and his friends realized soon that they were playing with a pro, since he seemed to win all the time. Winter got frustrated, he obviously wasn’t very good at gambling. He won some, then lost again.

  “Winter confessed to me that one day he made an offer to Romero, or Norman as he was known to him,” Lauer said. “Winter told Romero that since he was so good at playing, he wanted him to gamble for real. At first, Romero refused, but Winter handed him two thousand dollars in cash and told him to take it to a casino and play.”

  “That’s nuts,” Janice said.

  Lauer nodded. “Yeah, well, it gets worse. I guess the temptation to dive into the world of gambling again, and without even having to use his own money, was too much for Romero. You know, gambling can be as addictive as any drug.”

  Janice nodded. She felt dread rising in her. It sounded like the beginning of a nightmare.

  Lauer continued. “Things went really well for a while, if you want to call it that. Romero won a lot of money, and Winter was excited. He kept giving Romero his share of the winnings and egged him on. But after a while, it all changed.”

  “Romero started to lose?” Robert asked.

  “Yes, but there was a reason for it. Winter discovered Romero’s real identity and the fact that he worked for you.” Lauer looked at Robert. “He confronted him in a joking way, but Romero got scared. His cover blown, he wanted to stop, but Winter more or less blackmailed him into continuing, hinting that if he was found out, he would be in serious trouble. Winter promised they’d stop eventually but not yet. He became, or rather he already was, very greedy and didn’t want to lose an opportunity to make extra cash. For Winter, Romero was the goose that laid the golden eggs. Unfortunately, his greed led to his and, of course, Romero’s downfall.”

  Lauer took another sip of water. “One evening, after Romero started to lose, he lost thousands of dollars playing poker and blackjack, all of it Winter’s money.

  “Winter was distraught, of course, and blamed Romero. Romero stopped gambling and promised Winter he’d pay him back in installments. Winter, however, was impatient and came up with a plan, a really devious one.” Lauer faced Robert.

  “The wine scheme?” Robert whispered.

  “Yes. See he was already involved in selling stolen wine from other outfits. The money he gave Romero to gamble with was from those illegal sales.”

  “The bastard. I can’t believe this.” Robert got up, walked around the room, then sat down again.

  Lauer nodded. “So Winter hatched a plan to get back some of his losses. By putting pressure on Romero, threatening him with exposure, he could force him to steal wine to pay off his debt. But the most powerful motive for him was revenge. He admitted that much. He wanted to get back at you for what he believed you did to him.”

  Robert covered his face with his hands, then looked up. “I couldn’t care less about the stolen wine. Corrupting one of my best friends, that’s what really hurts me.”

  There was an oppressive silence in the room.

  “Did Romero know yours and Winter’s background?” Lauer asked after a while. “Did he know you had caused his arrest?”

  Robert scratched his head. “I don’t think so … well, I don’t know. A couple of other vintners and I hired a private investigator, but we kept it secret. Once it was clear, he accepted bribes and was convicted, I may have mentioned it, but not necessarily told Romero … now I remember. Romero was away during that time. He took a leave of absence because it was then that Nora was diagnosed with MS. They took her to a special clinic and doctor in Mexico, some kind of alternative medical outfit. They stayed there for several weeks. It didn’t help much though, so they came back.” He glanced at Janice. “I’m sure I told him about the case, but I may not have mentioned George Winter by name.”

  “I just wondered if he would’ve agreed to play with Winter, had he known,” Lauer said.

  “I couldn’t imagine he would’ve done so,” Janice said.

  Robert shrugged. “I don’t think so either, but then I don’t know what to believe anymore.”

  “Well, he may not have known in the beginning, but he found out, of course,” Lauer said. “And by then, he was too deeply involved. He couldn’t get out anymore.”

  “He could have gotten out,” Robert said, his voice rising. “Why didn’t he tell me? I would’ve lent him the money to pay Winter back. And even after he began to steal … if he had confessed, I may have forced him to get treatment for his addiction, but I wouldn’t have fired him or hurt him. Jesus.”

  “He was a very private and proud man,” Janice said. “I bet he was deeply ashamed and afraid his family would find out.”

  “I know, but still ….” Robert shook his head. “Why? And why didn’t I notice something was wrong all these months?”

  “Don’t blame yourself,” Lauer said. “Remember not even his wife knew about it. He kept it to himself and it must have been a terrible burden. I don’t think he was a bad person. He had an addiction he thought he’d overcome. He got caught in a web of lies and deceit. He was weak, and he got hurt by a devious and hateful person that I hope to put behind bars for many years.”

  Robert looked up. “I hope so, too.”

  “The saddest part is that it won’t bring Romero back,” Janice said. Her eyes filled with tears as she thought about the pain and shame that his and Winter’s actions had brought for his wife and daughter.

  Chapter 39

  It was early morning, still cool enough for a pleasant walk outside before the September heat developed its full force. Robert was walking along one of his vineyards. He had begun to walk and exercise more again, leaving the car behind. He saw Matthew drive a Jeep along the extensive vineyards toward the field with the Syrah grapes, one of the last ones to be harvested. His son lifted his hand and waved, and Robert acknowledged him with a quick wave back and a forced smile. These days, he could barely conjure up any kind of enthusiasm for his estate and the harvest. The troubling and upsetting development of the wine theft and sale and the betrayal by Romero, whom he had considered a close and loyal friend, left a dark cloud over everything Robert did and thought.

  Soon it would be time for the yearly harvest festival, but Robert was in no mood to celebrate. He went through his daily tasks almost automatically. He tried to feel inspired but to no avail. He was grateful for a rich harvest and for the fact that the period of uncertainties was over, but he was deeply unhappy about the outcome.

  After a short walk along the edge of one of his fields, he sat on a wooden bench under one of the oak trees. His gaze fell on the meadows with the yellow and brown grass, burnt by the summer sun and dotted with dark green o
aks next to the symmetrical rows of vines that stretched over the hills and valleys. In the past, the view of his vast estate had filled him with pride and joy, but today he felt emotionally numb and empty. There was one question that kept coming up again and again: Why? Why hadn’t Romero trusted him enough to ask for advice or help before it was too late? He had lived next to him, tangled in lies and deceit, and had never once approached him for help.

  Robert was angry with Romero, not so much for having stolen the wine, but for betraying his trust and collaborating with his archenemy, George Winter, even if Romero may not have been aware of it at first. But once he was, why hadn’t he stopped and confessed? Robert’s anger, however, paled in comparison with the disappointment and sadness because of his friend’s betrayal.

  “A penny for your thoughts.” The voice startled Robert. He looked up at Janice who had followed him to the bench. She sat down and hugged him.

  Robert sighed. “I just can’t figure it out.”

  “Figure out what?”

  “That Romero didn’t trust me, that he didn’t admit he struggled with an addition. I mean we’ve been friends for many years.” Robert’s voice broke. “But worse, that I didn’t notice anything was wrong, I mean seriously wrong, with him.”

  “Nobody did, Robert, not even his wife.”

  “I know, but still…”

  “Robert, you’re asking yourself the wrong question. Romero was an intelligent adult man. He knew we loved him. He betrayed our trust. He was desperate, yes, and if he had confessed, we would’ve found it in our hearts to forgive him. But he didn’t.” She hugged him. “Stop blaming yourself.”

  “So, what’s the right question then?” Robert asked. “You said I asked the wrong question.”

  Janice paused. “The question is, how do we go on from here? What’s going to happen to Juanita and Nora now? Juanita said they wanted to move.”

  Robert gazed into the distance, then brought his eyes back and glanced at Janice. “I told them to stay, actually I begged them. I don’t want to lose them as well. Nora was happy here, and I think once they gain their footing again, they’ll be able to move on with life. But Juanita is still so ashamed. She said she’d feel bad living in the same house after all that happened.”