Heard it Through the Grapevine

by Lizbeth Lipperman

  Lainey’s gaze took in the kitchen in one sweep. A little on the small size for her taste, it had proven adequate for the lumberjack breakfast he had whipped up. Scolding herself with every bite she’d stuffed in her mouth, she’d cleaned her plate and even scarfed down a cinnamon bun afterward. No doubt, she’d have to spend at least a month or two of hard work in the gym to get rid of the extra pounds she had to be packing on.

  Hell, the chicken-fried steak the other day probably added a whopping five pounds, and that didn’t include the mashed potatoes and gravy. Oh Lord, she’d forgotten about Ruby’s bread pudding. For sure, she needed to get some exercise. Thank God, she would be back in Savannah late Friday, and she could work off her overindulgences.

  She pulled the chair away from the kitchen table and sat down with a fresh cup of coffee. Why did everyone else’s coffee taste better than hers? Maybe it was because she was always running late, grabbing the instant stuff on the way out the door. She took another sip, then spied a picture on the mantel of Gracie sitting on an absolutely gorgeous black horse. Moving closer, she was surprised to see Tessa standing next to her, also staring at the picture.

  I bought her that mare two years ago when she showed an interest in rodeo competition.

  Lainey reached up and examined the picture. “She’s the spitting image of you, Tessa. You must be proud.”

  Tessa sighed. She’s the only thing I ever got right in this world.

  “Why’d you give her up, then? Why’d you let Colt have full custody if you loved her so much?” Lainey raised her hand. “Don’t answer that. It’s none of my business. I know you must have had your reasons.”

  Long story. Someday, I may tell you, but for now, let’s just say I loved her enough to know Colt was the better parent.

  Lainey bit her lip to keep from saying she found that reason hard to swallow. Whatever Tessa wanted, she got. It didn’t matter who got trampled in the quest.

  Where’s Colt?

  “He had to run down to the station to sort out some new evidence from last night. Porter said he was home in bed with his wife when you were poisoned. He has to check that out, plus find out who left the note at the hotel.”

  So, you’re going to hang out here all day?

  “I’m taking care of Gracie until Colt gets back.”

  She heard Tessa’s sharp intake of breath, saw the sudden sadness sweep across her eyes. Where is Gracie?

  For the first time since she could remember, Lainey felt a genuine stab of empathy for her sister. “Colt’s mother is dropping her off. She was supposed to keep her today, but her knee’s acting up. The doctor’s going to squeeze her in for a cortisone injection.”

  A car rounded the corner, making its way toward the house, and Ginger sprang to life. She raced toward the end of the driveway with Fred at her heels.

  “That must be them now.” Lainey opened the door and walked to the top step, hoping this wouldn’t turn out to be a disaster.

  The Chevy sedan pulled to a stop. Gracie, looking so small in the big car, trained her eyes on Lainey. Surely, her grandmother had warned her that her dad had to work for a few hours.

  “Hello, Mrs. Winslow,” Lainey said as soon as Colt’s mother stepped out of the car. “It’s nice to see you again.”

  “Call me Delores, Elaina. I’m sorry I’m interrupting your day, but I really need to see Dr. McCullough.”

  “Don’t give it another thought. I’m looking forward to getting to know my niece. Hopefully, you’ll feel like a new woman after the shots.”

  She huffed. “Hope so. I must have twisted my knee somehow last night when Gracie and I went out to dinner. I was awake half the night trying to find a comfortable position. If nothing else, I’ll sleep all day.”

  Lainey walked down the steps just as Delores opened Gracie’s door. “Hi. Remember me?”

  The child nodded, then stared at Lainey’s chest. “Hey, that’s my dad’s sweater. Does he know you’re wearing it?”

  Lainey tugged on the collar as a faint whiff of fabric softener reached her nose. “Yeah. I was cold this morning, and he let me borrow it.”

  Gracie stepped out of the car and bent down to receive Ginger and Fred’s wet kisses while Delores opened the trunk and pulled out her small suitcase.

  “Let me,” Lainey said, taking the suitcase from her. “You go on to the doctor. The sooner you get help for that knee, the better.” She held her hand out to the little girl. “Come on. Let’s go see what kind of trouble we can get into before your dad gets home.”

  The child’s eyes lit up. “We can play on Daddy’s computer. I’ll show you the letter I got from the Mickey Mouse Club. It has my name on it, and all the Mouseketeers signed it.”

  That wasn’t so hard. Mentally patting herself on the back, she grabbed Gracie’s hand and guided her up the steps. “I can’t wait to see it.” At the top, they both turned to wave as Colt’s mother made a U-turn and headed back down the drive with a two-dog escort.

  “Let’s go put your clothes away first, then we’ll take a look at your dad’s computer.”

  Gracie stopped and looked up. “What was your name again?”

  Lainey’s breath caught in her throat. She was beautiful. Tessa’s shining accomplishment. At the thought of her sister, Lainey whirled around to see if she was still there. She wasn’t. She turned her attention back to Gracie. “I’m Lainey. You don’t have to call me Aunt Lainey if you don’t want to.”

  “We’ll see,” she said, sounding much wiser than her eight years. She was smart enough not to commit too early. She’d make a great businesswoman.

  “Sounds like a plan. Now lead me to your room and we’ll get these clothes put away.”

  Gracie raced ahead of her up the stairs. By the time Lainey made it to her room, she had already flopped down on the bed. Slightly out of breath from trying to keep up, Lainey flopped down beside her. “Wow. What a great room.”

  “Mommy helped me decorate.”

  It figured. Tessa always had a knack for this sort of thing. The room was bright with pinks, greens, and purples everywhere. Draped with hot pink toile, the canopied bed looked like every stuffed animal in the state of Texas was propped against the pillow shams.

  “You did a fantastic job.” Lainey opened the suitcase and Gracie pulled out her dirty clothes and dumped them in the hamper. She added two more stuffed animals to the zoo across her pillows.

  “Come on, Aunt Lainey, let’s go play on Daddy’s computer.” Gracie giggled. “I called you Aunt Lainey.” Grabbing Lainey’s hand, she raced back down the stairs to the study and pulled up an extra chair next to the computer.

  The day flew by as Lainey and Gracie got to know each other and played on the computer. Colt had done a great job raising her. When he called to tell them he was on his way home, Lainey felt a twinge of disappointment. One look at the child’s face told her Gracie did, too.

  It had been a fun morning. The only time Lainey left her chair was to phone her agent to tell him to move her interview to the following week. She hoped they’d understand when he told them her sister had died. It was already Wednesday and after spending time with Gracie, there was no way she’d let Jerry Moretti screw her niece out of her rightful inheritance. She’d make it a point to get involved with the negotiations along with Tessa’s lawyer.

  “Please, please, please, Aunt Lainey, can we look at my Mickey Mouse letter one more time before Daddy gets home?” The longing in her eyes was too compelling to ignore.

  “Okay, but we have to hurry. He was already leaving the station when I talked to him.” She pulled up Outlook Express again and clicked on the Gracie folder. Her squeal when she saw the letter was worth the risk of Colt catching them on his computer.

  “Look at all the people who signed it. This one is my favorite Mouseketeer.” Gracie leaned across Lainey to touch the signature on the bottom, then lost her balance and fell forward, landing hard on the keyboard.

  “Oh, no.” Her eyes quickly filled with te
ars as they stared at the blank screen. “I’ve ruined it.”

  “No, no sweetheart. You just accidentally deleted it. We can get it

  back, I promise.” Lainey said a quick prayer to Saint Anthony, the

  patron saint of lost things as she opened up Colt’s Delete file. All her efforts to get closer to this child would be wasted if she couldn’t get that letter back. Short of calling Mickey on the phone, she would find a way.

  With a smile, she located it and moved it back to Gracie’s folder. “There. It’s back where it belongs.” About to click on the folder to show her, another deleted e-mail caught her eye. It was from Tessa ,dated approximately two weeks before her death and had the word “Gracie” in the subject line.

  Curiosity overcame her better sense. “Gracie, can you get me a glass of water from the kitchen? I have a tickle in my throat.”

  Gracie stood up and hugged her neck. “Sure, Aunt Lainey. I’ll be right back.”

  The moment Lainey was positive Gracie was out of the room, she opened the e-mail, wishing she hadn’t. Tessa wanted Cole to agree to joint custody of Gracie. Obviously, he hadn’t been willing to do that. The last line, in all capital letters and underlined, caught her attention.

  DON’T MAKE ME GET A COURT-ORDERED DNA TEST FOR YOU AND GRACIE. I GUARANTEE YOU WON’T LIKE THE RESULTS.

  Ohmygod! Was Tessa warning Colt that Gracie was not his? Even Tessa wasn’t that cruel, or was she? Why hadn’t Colt said anything?

  Lainey slammed the laptop shut when she heard Colt’s voice at the front door. She took a few calming breaths before she greeted the man who very well may have been responsible for her sister’s death. Watching the way he picked up his daughter and swung her around, Lainey realized he had one damn good reason to want Tessa out of the way.

  TWELVE

  “HELLO, MIKE. DEENA’S EXPECTING me.” Lainey greeted her brother-in-law, her lips tipped in a half smile.

  He stepped aside to let her pass, his dark eyes boring into her.

  Guess he’s still pissed after all these years.

  “I’ll call later, honey.” He grabbed a jacket off the hook next to the door, still glaring at Lainey. “Need me to pick up anything on the way home?”

  Deena appeared and hugged Lainey. “If I think of something, I’ll call. Have fun at the racetrack.” She tugged at Lainey’s jacket until it was off. After hanging it on the hook where Mike’s coat had been, she nudged her toward the kitchen. “I made King Ranch Chicken, your favorite.”

  Lainey’s eyes lit up. “It smells wonderful. I haven’t had that since …” She stopped before she blurted that their mother had fixed it the night Tessa announced at the dinner table she was getting married.

  Deena kissed her on the forehead. “I know. Come on, you can help Maddy with the salad while I fix our drinks. Kate’s stuck in Dallas traffic.”

  Lainey walked around the table to hug her older sister then picked up the potato peeler and the biggest cucumber she’d ever seen.

  “Don’t get any ideas,” Maddy joked when Lainey stared incredulously at the vegetable.

  “Jeez! Did they use steroids to grow this thing?” She turned to face her sister. “And for the record, Maddy, you’re the one who hasn’t been laid since the Stone Age.”

  “Yes, she has,” Deena said as she handed them each a Margarita Swirl.

  “No way!” Lainey exclaimed, using her finger to mix the Sangria with the frozen Margarita before taking a sip. “Yum. You always did make these better than any bartender, Deena.”

  “Damn straight,” Deena replied before turning to Maddy, her lips quivering as she tried to hold back a smile. “Tell her about it, big sis. I haven’t had a good laugh in a while.”

  “Anyone I know?” Lainey pushed aside the barstool and moved closer to her oldest sister.

  Maddy flushed as she took a swig of her drink and shot Deena a look that should have at least wounded her. “Nothing to tell. I had a date. We went to bed. End of story.” She reached for another wedge of lettuce and plunged the sharp knife down the center.

  “Tell her why it was the end of the story,” Deena prompted.

  “You have a big mouth, Deena. No wonder I keep some things secret from you.”

  Deena faked a pout before the grin returned. “If you don’t tell her, I will.”

  “Okay. Okay,” Maddy said, pointing the knife at Deena. “Then I’m going to tell her about you and that old fart at the nursing home.”

  “Quit stalling, Maddy. I need details.”

  “It was Dusty Robinson.”

  “The hottie from Lakeview?” Lainey’s eyes lit up with recognition. “The one who drove the ’Vette and had all the Vineyard girls fighting for a chance to try out him and that car on Inspiration Rock?”

  “Yep,” Deena answered.

  Lainey turned to Maddy. “You sly fox! My sister Maddy actually hooked up with the biggest catch in town. Yes!” She raised her arm above her head. “So how was he?”

  “A dud,” Maddy replied, trying to sound annoyed but unable to hide her own glee when Deena burst out laughing.

  Pencil dick is a better word.

  Lainey did a 180, nearly slicing her finger with the peeler. “How would you know, Tessa?”

  Tessa smiled. Do you honestly think I wouldn’t know about the best-looking guy in the county? Seriously, Lainey, are you forgetting his dad owned the biggest ranch in Texas?

  “Tessa slept with Dusty Robinson?” Both Maddy and Deena inched closer to Lainey.

  Hell, yes. All my friends were wild over him, so I had to do him. Shit, he was like a Texas snowstorm. You never know when they’re coming or how many inches you’ll get.

  Lainey shook her head. “Where do you come up with those?”

  If I remember correctly, drop-dead gorgeous Dusty shot his wad way early, and I didn’t need even half a ruler for an accurate measurement. Can anyone say premature ejaculation?

  Lainey burst out laughing.

  “What’d she say?” Maddy asked.

  “Dusty was a little quick on the draw, Maddy?”

  “Damn her! She did have sex with him,” Maddy shouted before she broke out in a grin. “Let’s just say his trigger finger never actually reached the trigger, but the gun went off anyway.”

  Trigger finger, my ass. That boy only had a sawed-off shotgun, and he wouldn’t know what to do with that trigger finger even if it came with pictures and an instruction sheet.

  Lainey was barely able to repeat Tessa’s words, and before long, the sisters were doubled over with laughter.

  “What’s so funny?” Kate asked, throwing her coat and purse in one of the chairs as she walked into the kitchen from the hallway.

  “Do you remember Dusty Robinson?” Maddy was still having trouble talking.

  Kate grinned. “Say no more. His reputation is well known around here.” She shoved a crouton in her mouth then turned to Lainey. “Maddy dated him a few times, you know?”

  “That’s what we’re laughing about,” Deena said, handing her youngest sister a drink. “Come on. Let’s eat while the food is still hot. Lainey can tell us about her trip to the bar last night.”

  At the mention of the last twenty-four hours, Lainey turned to Tessa, her smile fading. “You and I need to talk in private later.” For some unexplained reason, she wasn’t ready to tell her other sisters what she’d discovered on Colt’s computer.

  Like we don’t always talk in private?

  “You have a knack of disappearing when it’s convenient for you.”

  One of the benefits of being dead, little sister. Tessa tried to sound flippant, but her furrowed brow and narrowed eyes gave her away.

  Good, let her worry about it, Lainey thought as she followed Deena into the dining room.

  They sat down at the table and began chatting like they hadn’t seen each other for years. Nobody mentioned anything about their secret investigation until the dishes were cleared and Deena had served her famous coconut cream pie.


  “God, I’m going to be as fat as a cow when I get back on the air in Savannah,” Lainey said, licking the whipped cream off her upper lip. “Speaking of my job, I had my agent reschedule the interview in Florida until next week.” She shoved another bite into her mouth.

  “Good idea,” Kate said. “There’s no way we’re anywhere close to finding out who killed Tessa.”

  “Obviously someone thinks we are,” Lainey began.

  An hour later over a second cup of Irish coffee, she had related the events of the night before, without mentioning seeing Tessa’s e-mail on Colt’s computer. She’d deal with Tessa later. She’d also held back telling them about the way her body had responded when Colt held her in his arms at the hotel. She loved her sisters, but they’d think she was an idiot for even thinking about that.

  “Ohmygod!” Kate exclaimed when Lainey got to the part about the note under her door. “We have to stop this right now before you get hurt.” Her eyes filled with tears that threatened to spill. “Please, let Colt deal with this.”

  Lainey turned to Tessa, who had moved close to Deena at the head of the table, unusually quiet since the sisters sat down.

  Tessa nodded. It has gotten too dangerous, Lainey. You should listen to Kate. Let the cops handle it.

  “Like hell I will. It’s gonna take more than a jerk like Porter and whoever else is trying to run me off.” Lainey paused, ready to plead if she had to. She was determined to see this through. “We’re getting close. I can feel it.”

  “Porter’s way up there on our Potential Killer List. Do you think he paid someone to slip the note under your door?” Maddy squirted another shot of whipped cream into her coffee. “Maybe he had Roxy do it after one of their sexcapades.”

  “Don’t ask me why, but for some reason, I don’t think he’s our guy. He talks a tough game, but he crumbled when Colt questioned him.” She turned toward her dead sister. “You agree, Tessa?”

  Hmm! He definitely gave it up faster than a five dollar hooker. I think you’re probably right. The man’s like a Mounds candy bar—no nuts.