She laughed.
“What’s funny?”
“Yeah, I’ve got bad news for you, Jules. While your brother was hiding at our place, Justin guzzled it in his booze binge.”
“Really?”
“Yep.”
“All of it?”
Tori took his hand. “Yeah, babe. You’re shit out of luck. Your import has been exported.”
“Well, at least he enjoyed it.”
“Yeah, he was tossing it up.”
“Come on!”
Tori laughed. “You’ll get over it.”
Julian doubted that. First, Justin swung at his pregnant wife, and then he pilfered his beer.
It was a bad week.
Hopefully, it would get better.
CHAPTER Fifteen
AngelCake Vineyards
On their way to the winery, Tori and Julian thought it best to check in with their people. After all, they were down half the staff in the office. Not to mention all the pregnancy hormones stirring the pot.
That could be chaos.
For the time being, it was all resting on Beckett and Claire’s shoulders. They were doing all the fieldwork while Kane and Christina held down the fort.
When Lena answered, transferring them to Kane, he seemed calm. Then again, he generally was.
“How’s the shop running?” Julian asked as they drove to the competition’s vineyard.
“Well, boss, it’s good, but we have a little problem brewing.”
Neither Julian or Tori liked the sound of that.
“What?”
“One word--Shelby.”
Tori tensed beside him. She really didn’t like hearing her estranged mother’s name, and she loathed hearing it when it involved their business. It usually meant she was up to no good.
There was a rustling of paper.
“She struck again.”
Then, Kane began reading the headline, so his bosses would understand the magnitude of the situation.
‘Littlemoon Inc. holds ex-soldier against his will. Mother fights for his safe return.’
“We have reporters calling and asking a lot of questions,” stated Kane. “Lena is handling it, but this has the potential to blow. She’s accusing us of a felony!”
He was well aware.
“We need to get an attorney,” Julian said. “She’s nuts.” Then he realized what he said. “Sorry, honey. You know what I meant.”
Tori just sat there.
She hated that her husband’s baby, their business, was being dragged through the mud. His name meant something, and her mother was raising enough hell to make the devil, himself, blush.
They had to do something.
“She’s not outside today,” Kane offered. “I think she knew the story was going to hit, and she’s in hiding. I can’t blame her. I’d love to kick her ass.”
“Yeah, because she knows this is the final straw.”
Tori touched his arm. “I know we’ve been lying low, but we need to do something. She can’t destroy us like this.”
He understood.
“I actually have an idea. I’ll handle it today. There’s nothing to worry about, honey. I’m going to fight fire with fire, or in this case…a reporter.”
Tori didn't get it, but she left most of the business arena to her husband. This was his thing.
“If anything else comes up, like she begins burning my wife’s likeness in effigy, give me a call. We’ll be available.”
Kane signed off.
“I’m sorry,” Tori offered.
Julian glanced over, not sure why she was apologizing. “For what, honey?”
“Her.”
“Victoria Rose, she’s not your fault. We can’t help who our family is, and this is one of those occasions.”
“But she’s destroying your name.”
“Our name,” he corrected. “She’s taking a shot at my wife, so I’m firing back. It won’t sink her boat, but it’ll get our side out there for the public to make up their mind. Besides, no one believes that an ex-soldier is being held hostage by some PI’s. She’s loopy, and so is the writer who published that.”
She hoped he was right.
As he pulled into the parking lot, Tori tried not to think about it. At that moment, their only concern was digging around at AngelCake Winery.
Inside the tasting room, they encountered the vineyard’s tasting manager. He was around fifty and couldn’t stop smiling. Tori immediately wanted to touch his face to see if it was made of plastic.
No one smiled that much.
Not unless they were being held at gunpoint.
“Hello! Welcome to AngelCake Winery. Here, have some,” he said before shoving glasses into their hands. “I’m Kendrick Hanlon, and I’m the tasting room manager. If you don’t like white wine, I can get you one of our merlots.”
Tori pointed at her baby bump and declined. “I’m here because my husband loves your wine. I’m going to have a boat load of it after I deliver our child.”
After this case, she might be having it sooner.
“I completely agree. Kids don’t need to come out pickled! They have a hard enough time walking,” he teased.
Tori laughed, amused by the man. “Yeah, they do.”
Julian eased into the questioning. “How long has this winery been here? Is it as old as the one next door?”
“Pssshhh,” he said, drinking some of the wine. “I’ve been with this winery for the last two decades. The old run down monastery has only been around eight or nine years or something like that.”
“What was the name of this winery before AngelCake?”
“It was called Sunbury Creek. The owners couldn’t keep the place going, so the Martin’s bought it, renamed it, and made it amazing.”
He poured Julian more wine.
It was hard not to roll his eyes. Someone was toting the company line like a champ.
“Have you ever worked for the neighboring winery?” Tori asked, looking around.
“Nope, not I. There are some employees here who have jumped ship from over there though.”
Tori lowered her voice. “You have gossip, Kendrick, don’t you?”
The man grinned. “I do, but your husband needs to drink a little more in order to get the details. Maybe even buy a couple of bottles to take home--you know…for after your delivery.”
When he winked at Julian, Tori nearly laughed.
Someone appeared to be trying to get her husband drunk so he’d spend money. Now, why didn't she think of that?
Julian chugged the merlot before begging for something that tasted less like wine, and more like grape juice.
Kendrick poured him a mild chardonnay, and then wiped the counters.
“Do tell,” Tori said, grinning. “He’s already half in the bag.”
“Well, one of our sale’s associates used to work there. He left after he had some issues.”
“What happened?” Tori asked, as Julian struggled to drink his wine.
“He didn't like how the owner’s wife liked to play grab ass. She’s a cougar. The minute she spots you--run. If you don’t, she’s going to get her silicone all over you.”
Tori laughed. “Yeah, I noticed that she has a roving eye and is built like a Barbie doll.”
“Anyone else?” Julian asked.
“Why, you’re full of questions, aren’t you?”
Julian was getting the look from Tori. Apparently, she wanted him to put on the charm.
Oh, the things he did for his job.
“Yes, I am, and you seem like the man to talk to about everything that goes on here. By the way... that’s a great shirt.”
Kendrick glanced down and looked confused.
Tori gave him another look. That was flirting? How the hell had her husband ever caught her? When they got back to the hotel, she was going to have the faux gay reporter give him a lesson in same sex flirting one-oh-one.
“The only people I can think of are Jerrel Roderick and Doria
n Stahl. I think they both worked under Sheila for a while.”
Julian started choking on his wine.
Tori patted him on the back.
The very helpful man looked over their heads. He nodded, and then began moving away. “Sorry, the bosses don’t like us fraternizing. If you need anything, let me know.”
With that, he was gone.
Tori knew he wouldn’t run unless they’d been made. Turning around, they saw the two people heading their way. From their research, they knew who they were. The owners were on their way to intercept them.
This should be interesting.
“Hello. Welcome to AngelCake Winery,” stated the woman. “I’m Angel Martin, and this is my husband, and business partner, Marcel.”
Tori held out her hand.
Before she could do the introductions, the woman spoke up. “Oh, we know who you are, Mr. and Mrs. Littlemoon, and we know who you probably work for too.”
They played dumb.
“Pardon?”
The woman wasn’t having it. “Are you investigating us?”
“For?”
“The rumors have it that the competition is telling everyone that we’re stealing their wine recipes, but that’s total bullshit. If you’re here to dig around, you’re not going to find anything.”
“Oui, that wine is an old family recipe,” Marcel stated. “I brought it with me when I immigrated here. It was my grandfather’s.”
Tori wasn’t intimidated, but she was intrigued. Funny…they had a couple at the vineyard asking pointed questions about the wine.
Could they be spying?
Much like they were?
It was time to play the risk.
“Yeah, we’ve met Allene and Brandon Bunchen, or whatever their names are. They’re digging around in the Darkwood Monastery’s wine list. Isn’t it very coincidental that you went there before I could even bring their names up? It’s like someone is a tad bit paranoid.”
Tori saw the tell, and she knew she’d hit it spot on. Being an ex-Fed had its advantages, and this was one of them. She’d done countless interviews and could spot a lie a mile away.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Yeah, us either. That’s why we’re just here to enjoy the wine and the scenery.”
The woman stared her down.
“Well, I’m not shocked you came here. The Nelms couldn’t run a winery if they only had one brand of wine to sell. They’re amateurs, and we run our vineyard the right way.”
“Well, I was just telling my husband how convenient it would be for the competition to go under. Then you can have two massive vineyards side by side. You both sell a great deal of wine. You, Mrs. Martin, to the female buyer, since you have all those delectable named wines, and you, Mr. Martin, could rake in the males who like it too.”
Julian had to wonder if there were men out there that really liked this shit. This didn't taste like a cupcake.
Those he liked.
The woman fumed at the implication.
Yeah, that was exactly their plan. Tori could see it on both of their faces. She kept pushing. “In fact, you’ve already begun taking on some of the staff. It’s like you have a crystal ball and can see into the future.”
“We didn't steal them! Jerrel was the manager there, but he wanted a raise and the Nelms didn't give him one. He was undercut by Isaiah Martel.”
“Yeah, and I’m sure that you know that Jerrel is still making visits to the winery in his spare time. You might call them booty calls. That’s pretty sneaky. Does Mrs. Nelms know that he’s doing it to help you destroy their business?”
They clammed up.
“Yeah, we thought so.”
“Our employees wouldn’t do that kind of thing,” she stated, her voice rising. “We trust them. They left because the Nelms women were trouble.”
Interesting.
That was plural.
Tori had to wonder if that was some kind of slip of the tongue or if the woman was being forthright. Here, Pearlie’s name was coming up, and she was missing.
Could someone from AngelCake have done something to her to get back at the Nelms?
Could it have been the employee who left?
Tori thought back to the second name that Kendrick spilled during their chitchat. “So, Dorian Stahl was sick of it too. Imagine that? I guess it’s horrible being sexually harassed by a pretty girl. Wow! That has to suck.”
Julian grinned.
He loved watching his wife do her thing. “Yeah, I’m sexually harassed at work all the time. I love it. Then again, I’m not working for the enemy.”
The woman fumed.
“I think you should leave. You’re not here as a customer. You’re here to accuse us without proof. We have rights!”
Tori shrugged. “Well, you may have seen the news the last couple of months. We seem to be really good at finding details and solving the cases. I’m sure we’ll meet again.”
With that, they headed out.
Outside, Julian kissed her.
It caught Tori off guard, but she wasn’t complaining. When he pulled away, her lips tasted like sexy Native husband and wine. She liked it--a lot.
“Hello, drunken husband,” she said grinning.
“That was sexy. I love how you put her in her place. Now we have to move fast.”
“Why?” she asked, holding out her hands for the keys. He’d been drinking, so she was driving.
“We need to have a meeting with Daniel Nelms. It’s time to update him on his wife.”
“Oh boy. I was hoping you already handled that while I was out playing babysitter to a Marine.”
“We have no choice. We just showed the Martins our hand, and if we’re right, he’s going to tell Jerrel to lay low. That’s going to tip off Sheila, and she might try to get Daniel to fire us. Desperate cheating spouses will do just about anything to save their asses.”
Yeah, she was aware.
“While you’re doing that, I’m going to have Christina run a couple people. I want her to stalk their social media pages.”
“Who?”
“I want her to look at anyone who worked with Pearlie. They said that both women were handsy, so let’s see if one of the males was taking a dip in the company pool.”
“That’s a good angle.”
“Well, you know how young men are sexually aroused most of the day.”
“You can add me to that list.”
Tori grinned.
Thank God for that.
She hoped her husband always found her attractive--even when she got fat with pregnancy.
As she drove, he called the man who hired them. At the same time, Tori called the office and asked Christina to dig anything up on the staff.
She was playing a hunch.
Now, Tori hoped it paid off. They were running low on leads, and could use anything just about now.
* * * L i t t l e m o o n * * *
He didn't seem like he was in the mood to meet with them, and that made Tori and Julian suspicious. It was possible that Sheila was already trying to get her husband to do what she thought was best.
After all, the man didn't fire a sexual predator, only so they’d have someone to fix broken machinery. It was obvious that she had some control over Daniel.
Yes, this was going to be ugly.
As they sat down to have coffee, Julian opted to hit him directly--not pussy foot around it.
When they told him his wife was cheating, at first he was shocked, and then…he was pissed.
At them.
This was exactly why they documented everything. It was cases like this where they didn't want to take any chances. More often than not, they were the bull’s-eye in the anger fest.
“You’re lying.”
Julian stayed calm. “You told us that you wanted to know everything we found. My wife and I didn't start out looking for a cheater. This popped up out of the blue.”
“How? I know my wife. She wouldn’t do th
at.”
The poor man…
“She was acting suspicious, and when we followed her, we found something pertinent to our investigation. She’s having an affair with someone who works for AngelCake.”
He looked like he’d been slapped.
His skin flushed red, and he looked like a volcano ready to erupt.
“Do you have proof before you accuse my wife of this bullshit?”
They nodded.
“I want to see it! It better be good too!”
Yeah, or they were fired. Blah…blah…blah. They’d heard that spiel before.
“Are you sure?” Julian asked. If he was in this man’s place, he’d be throwing shit around the room, and punching people out. Either Daniel Nelms had excellent control, or a part of him knew this was happening.
Tori handed him the camera with the pictures. He flipped through them, saying absolutely nothing.
When he looked up, he was furious. “I want this kept quiet. I also want you to get as much information as you can, so when I file for divorce, she’s not going to be getting anything in the settlement.”
“So you have a prenup?”
“Yes. The only way she gets anything is if all my heirs are dead before her. Then, she loses half to charity.”
Julian glanced over at Tori. Did he just say what he thought he said?
Pearlie was missing.
Sheila was cheating.
“Where’s Romeo?” Tori asked.
“He’s running the tasting room.”
“Speaking of which,” Julian began. “I found this last night. Does it look familiar?”
Tori pulled the rag that had been shoved into the air conditioning unit out of her bag.
“It looks like one that Reid uses behind the tasting bar. Why?”
“Yeah, it does. It was stuffed in the air conditioning unit.” Then Julian told him what happened.
“Oh, my God! Is that how you got that lump on your head?”
He nodded.
“I’m so sorry. This is turning into a mess. My child is missing, my wife is cheating, and the people I hired are getting hurt. Who is doing this?”
“We’re getting closer, and we’ll want to talk to Reid tonight as he’s pouring.”
Truth Is Found Page 26
