A Death In Tuscany (Sarah Woods Mystery Book 13)

by Jennifer L. Jennings

  “No worries,” I said. “I don’t intend to spread rumors or give people the wrong idea; but if we find out that Dick didn’t drown, then that means someone killed him. If there’s a killer among us, we need to warn people of the danger.”

  Eduardo just stared at me, and for a second I thought he was giving me the evil eye. “Ms. Woods, I can assure you this is one of the safest places in all of Italy. We haven’t had a murder here in … well I can’t even remember the last time.”

  “Believe me,” I said. “I hope you’re right.”

  The phone started ringing and Eduardo sighed. “I apologize, but please excuse me. I need to take this call.”

  “I hope I didn’t offend Eduardo,” I said to Carter as we walked back to our villa to get ready for dinner. “Poor guy must be completely stressed out about this situation. I would be if I were him.”

  “Maybe Chiara gave Dick the stink eye,” Carter said, teasingly. “After he got her demoted.”

  I laughed. “Stink eye and the evil eye are two different things.”

  “Whatever,” he said. “You know what I mean.”

  “Yeah. Well, I’m curious to see what his brother is like. I wonder if they were close.”

  “Probably,” Carter said. “Especially if he’s flying all this way. It’s not like there’s anything he can do at this point, really.”

  “Who knows? Maybe he just wants to say his final good-bye.”

  As we crossed the courtyard to our villa, we saw the sisters approach us. Lauren seemed to be getting around faster. Maybe she was finally getting used to the cane.

  “We were hoping we’d run into you guys before dinner,” Jamie said to us. “Brittany told us everything that happened and we just wanted to say how sorry we are. Must have been awful to discover his body like that. I can’t even imagine.”

  “It was a shock,” I said. I decided not to tell her that it wasn’t the first dead body I’d ever seen. Not that it gets any easier. “It was very nice of you to make that food platter. We saw it in her fridge.”

  Lauren said, “It’s the least we could do.”

  “I think she needs friends,” Carter said. “We’ll check in on her, let her know she’s not alone.”

  “Absolutely.” Jamie looked at her sister who was leaning on her cane. “Since we’re right next door to her, we’re happy to do that, right? I mean, it’s not like we’ve been doing much anyway.”

  “Sure.” Lauren lowered her eyes and I got the sense she was feeling embarrassed about her foot situation. “Another day or so and maybe I can lose this thing.” She tapped the cane on her foot. “I didn’t come to Italy so we could sit around in our villa drinking wine all day.”

  “Come on,” Jamie said, encouragingly. “It’s not so bad, is it? Part of the reason we came here is to sample the food and wine, and that’s what we’re doing, right?”

  Lauren nodded. “I guess so.”

  It was refreshing to see two sisters getting along so well in the face of adversity. Why couldn’t all siblings be so understanding? “Well, Carter and I are going back to get ready for dinner. We’ll see you down there later?”

  “Sure thing,” Jamie said. “As a matter of fact, we’ll go check on Brittany now and invite her to join us for dinner. She’ll probably decline, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.”

  “Good idea,” I said. “I’m sure she’ll appreciate your thoughtfulness.”

  Chapter 11

  When Carter and I arrived for dinner, we noticed that the sisters were sitting alone. As we passed by their table, I asked, “Looks like Brittany decided to stay in.”

  Jamie shook her head solemnly. “She only wants to stay in bed, poor thing. But look over there.” She discreetly nodded her head to someone at the table behind me. “That’s Dick’s brother.”

  I didn’t look right away, so as not to seem obvious.

  Carter and I continued on to our reserved table. As he pulled out my chair for me, I turned specifically to get a gander at the new guest. He appeared a few years younger than Dick, but they were definitely brothers. They had the same dark hair and brooding eyes, lanky build. Not really handsome but there was something pleasant about his features.

  Maria the waitress greeted us with some menus. I was so famished, I didn’t bother with the menu. I just ordered the chef’s special and Carter followed suit.

  “Wonderful,” she said. “The chef has prepared a wonderful steak tartar. You will adore it.”

  “Wait,” I said. “Is that raw steak?”

  She nodded.

  “Sorry, never mind. I’ll just order the spaghetti bolognaise, grazie.”

  When the waitress left, Carter said to me, “You have a problem with raw steak?”

  “I guess I’m not very adventurous.”

  “Well, maybe not when it comes to food…” he winked at me and I knew he was referring to our little romp in bed earlier that day.

  “You’re naughty,” I whispered to him. “But I like that about you.”

  When I heard a familiar woman’s voice, I looked up to see the Canadian couple pass by our table to theirs. Hope Dillard waved to me and said, “Buona sera.”

  I replied in kind, but said nothing more.

  The dining room seemed particularly quiet and gloomy this evening, as if we were at a wake. I almost expected to look over and see an open casket with Dick’s lifeless body inside, hands folded on chest. It didn’t seem possible that it had all happened that morning.

  Every now and then, I’d sneak a glance at Calvin, wondering what he was thinking. I had noticed that every time Maria went to his table, he was polite and soft-spoken. I was beginning to sense that he and his brother were quite different.

  After dinner, we noticed Calvin standing just outside smoking a cigarette. As it turned out, he’d been waiting for us.

  “Excuse me,” he said, approaching us cautiously. “My name is Calvin Thompson. I’m Dick’s brother. Are you Sarah and Carter?”

  “Yes,” Carter replied as we all exchanged handshakes. “We’re really sorry about your brother.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate that. It’s been a weird day.” He ran a hand through his dark hair and made an effort to smile. “I was told by the owner, Eduardo, that you two were the ones who found him.”

  Carter said, “Actually, Sarah is the one who first spotted him in the water.”

  Calvin turned to face me directly. “You jumped in and tried to save him?”

  I was lost for words. “Well, there wasn’t much I could do at that point. I’m really sorry.”

  His eyes remained fixated on mine as he took both of my hands in his and held them. “Thank you for trying just the same.”

  I could feel my cheeks getting hot from his intense stare and the warmth of his hands. “Um, you’re welcome. I guess anybody would have done that.”

  He gently let go of my hands and chuckled. “Actually, I don’t think many people would have done what you did. Takes guts.”

  Carter cleared his throat. “So, it’s pretty lucky that you got a plane ticket last minute. How was the flight?”

  Calvin blinked as if waking from a daydream. He focused on Carter and said, “Pleasant flight. I got the last seat on the plane, in fact.”

  “So, if you don’t mind me asking,” Carter began. “Have you seen Brittany since you got here?”

  His demeanor changed. “No, and I don’t care if I do.”

  “Really?” I asked. “Why not?”

  He hesitated. “To be honest, I don’t think my brother’s death was an accident.”

  It took a moment for his words to sink in. “Wait, you think Brittany killed him? I’m sorry, but I really don’t think that’s possible.”

  “You don’t know her. She only married my brother for his money and now it looks like she’s a rich woman.”

  “But she seems so distraught,” I said. “You can’t fake that kind of misery.”

  Calvin shook his head. “Look, I don’t have all the details yet. B
ut you better believe I’m going straight to the coroner’s office tomorrow morning to demand a full autopsy. I’ll bet you anything my brother didn’t die from drowning. He was a strong swimmer.”

  “The rocks down at the hot springs are very tricky,” I said. “They are slippery. One false move and it would be very easy to lose your balance.”

  “Drowning accidents here are uncommon. Eduardo told me so.”

  “Your brother was down there after dark,” Carter interjected. “Looking for his wife’s diamond earring.”

  Calvin scratched his head. “I’m sorry, but that doesn’t make any sense at all. My brother makes over eight hundred bucks an hour. Why would he waste his time looking for some earring?”

  “I don’t know,” Carter said, clearly eager to end this discussion.

  It seemed pretty obvious to me that Calvin wanted Brittany to be guilty. Maybe he was just jealous she stood to inherit a fortune.

  “Anyway.” Calvin took a deep breath. “I didn’t mean to vent. I really just want to thank you for doing what you could for my brother.”

  “It was nothing, really,” I said.

  “Just one more thing.” Calvin said as we started to walk away. “Do you know what happened to Dick’s cell phone? The police officer I spoke to told me they never recovered it.”

  “It wasn’t with his things,” Carter said. “He could have dropped it in water.”

  Calvin nodded thoughtfully. “Makes sense. His cell phone was practically glued to his ear. I’m surprised he agreed to this trip. He’s – he was a workaholic.”

  “What did your brother do for work?” I asked.

  “To tell you the truth, my brother was a developer and as ruthless as they come. A hard ass for sure, but very good at his job. In fact, he was in the middle of some negotiations for a huge project. Luxury condos, I think.”

  I decided to shake things up a bit and ask the uncomfortable question. “Was your brother a violent person? Specifically, did he ever hit Brittany?”

  Calvin took a step back and lifted an eyebrow. “Why do you ask?”

  “She has a black eye. I noticed it the first night we all got here. She did her best to cover it up with make-up, but it’s hard to disguise.”

  Calvin licked his lips and took his time responding, which could only mean one thing. “Look,” he said. “I’ll be the first to admit that my brother was no saint. He used to beat on me when we were kids but I just figured that’s what big brothers did. I had no idea he was abusive to Brittany.”

  “But you’re not surprised,” Carter said.

  “I guess I’m not surprised. My brother was under constant pressure at work. In fact, the last time we spoke on the phone, he told me I was an asshole. Just because. So, I know firsthand how difficult he could be; but that’s my point. Brittany only married him because he has money. Why else would she? Certainly not because he’s a kind-hearted soul.”

  I was growing tired of this conversation and all I wanted to do was get into P.J’s and go to bed. “Well, I’m sure you will get some answers tomorrow after the coroner performs the autopsy.”

  “Yes,” Calvin said, his demeanor softening. “And I apologize for the long rant. It’s been a helluva day, for everyone involved.”

  “Yes, it has.”

  Chapter 12

  “What do you think about Calvin’s theory?” Carter asked me, as we meandered back to our villa.

  I shook my head. “I think it’s bogus. Does Brittany seem like a killer to you?”

  “No, of course not, but Calvin has a point. Why would she marry him if it wasn’t for money?”

  “Some guys are clever at hiding their demons in the beginning. Even if she had married him for money – so what? Happens all the time.”

  “It’s motive, and that’s all I’m saying.”

  I checked my watch. Almost ten. “Speaking of Brittany, should we go check on her? Or is it too late?”

  “Let’s go see if one of her lights is on.”

  As we crossed through the courtyard we could see a light in one of the windows, but the rest were dark. We decided to knock on her door once.

  Within seconds, the door opened and Brittany was standing there in her robe. She didn’t look any better than when we left her five hours earlier.

  “Sorry about the late hour,” Carter said. “We just got back from dinner. How are you holding up?”

  She opened the door wide to let us in. “I just got up. I don’t even know what time it is.”

  “It’s after ten.”

  “Oh.” She wiped her eyes and gestured to the dining room table. “Have a seat if you like.”

  “If you’d rather be alone,” I said. “Just say the word. We only stopped by to see if you needed anything.”

  Brittany slumped into a chair. “To be honest, I have no idea what I need right now.”

  Carter went to the cabinet and found a glass, then filled it with water. He set it in front of her. “Try and stay hydrated.”

  “Thanks.”

  “By the way,” I said. “We just met your brother-in-law a few minutes ago.”

  Brittany looked up and blinked. “He’s here already?”

  “Yeah. We met him after dinner. I should probably warn you that he’s on a crusade.”

  “A crusade for what?” she asked and, by the blank expression on her face, she had no idea what I might be referring to.

  “He’s going to insist on an autopsy.” I waited to see if that might cause a reaction, but she just stared at me.

  Carter sat down next to her and said in his gentle yet firm voice, “Calvin thinks you had something to do with Dick’s death.”

  She swallowed hard. “Is this some kind of sick joke?”

  “Here’s what I think. He’s upset over his brother’s death. Maybe he’s just overreacting. How well do you know Calvin?”

  “Not very well. I can’t believe he thinks I somehow killed his brother.”

  “Calvin is just confused because he doesn’t have all the facts yet,” I said. “Once the coroner confirms the manner of death, hopefully there will be no dispute.”

  “I hope so.” Brittany sighed. “As if this wasn’t hard enough, now I have to worry about accusations from his family.”

  “Did you know that Calvin was resentful of you? He thinks you married Dick for his money.”

  “Is that what he said?”

  “I’m sorry to ask this question and, if it’s none of my business, just say so,” Carter pursed his lips. “But who is the heir to Dick’s estate? Does he have any children from previous relationships?”

  Britt shook her head. “Not that I know about. I think his only living relative is his brother, Calvin.”

  “What is Dick’s estate worth?” I asked.

  “I have no idea. He never shared that information with me and I never asked.”

  “Look, Britt,” I said. “Dick wasn't really searching for your earring, was he?”

  She shook her head. “No. How did you know that?”

  “Through the grapevine,” I said, not wanting to tell her that the sisters overheard their conversation. “He thought he found gold, didn’t he?”

  “Yes,” she said after a long pause. “That’s why we went back down there. He thought he would find more. I didn’t dare tell him what I thought.” A worried expression appeared on her face. “Speaking of the gold, I can’t find it anywhere. It’s not in the safe or inside any of his pockets. I have no idea where he hid it.”

  “I’m sure it will turn up,” I said. “Keep looking.”

  Brittany slowly got to her feet and went over to the wall to peer inside the small mirror. “Jeesh, I knew I looked bad, but I had no idea I looked like this.” She covered her face with her hands and I thought she might start sobbing but, instead, she started pacing the room. “You and the sisters next door have been so nice to me. I don’t know what I would have done without your help.” She stopped to look at us, her eyes watery. “But I have to deal with this mys
elf, now.”

  I’m not sure why I felt the need to ask the question, but I was curious. “Why did you marry Dick?”

  Brittany hesitated. “I was in love with him.”

  “Even though he was abusive?”

  She raised her hand to her eye and turned away as if embarrassed. “That didn’t happen until after we got married. I knew he had a temper but, until recently, he never hurt me. It’s like, as soon as he got the ring on my finger, he felt he had the right to treat me like dirt.”

  “Because some people only show you what they want to show you,” I said. “And it sounds like he was very good at that.”

  “I should have seen the signs. I’ve been in abusive relationships before.”

  “Don’t beat yourself up about this,” Carter said. “We all make mistakes. But now you can start over.”

  The comment hung in the air for a few seconds until Brittany said, “I don’t know what Calvin told you about me, but I didn’t marry him for his money. Sure I was impressed by his success. I’d never dated anyone like him. He bought me things, nice things. He took me to fancy dinners. I felt special but soon found out it was all smoke and mirrors. Anyway, it’s my fault that he got aggressive. I know better than to cross him.”

  “You think it’s your fault that he hit you?” I was stunned and frankly a little disappointed that Brittany didn’t have enough self-confidence to stand up for herself in this manner.

  “I shouldn’t have pushed his buttons. Especially when he'd been drinking.”

  She shuffled back to the table and sat down again. “Look, you guys don’t have to hang around and babysit me. I’m going to be fine, really.”

  “Okay,” I said, getting to my feet. “But if you need anything, you know where we are.” I wrote down my cell phone number on the back of a card and gave it to her.

  Chapter 13