Dead of Spring: An Alexa Williams Novel

by Sherry Knowlton

  With the table clean, Emilio refilled the wine glasses, and Chiara bustled in with plates of cheese, Perugian chocolates, and a dense, spicy cake almost like gingerbread. “This is Panforte. In Siena, they bake this at Christmas. We think it’s good enough to serve year-round,” she said.

  “What’s on the agenda for tomorrow?” Silas leaned back in his chair, glass of wine in hand. “Not that I have much energy for anything right now.”

  “Darling, we’re on vacation. We don’t really have an agenda, do we?” Cynthia finished her wine and looked for the bottle. Emilio stepped from the shadows and filled her glass.

  “I just meant―” Silas protested, but Norris cut him off.

  “We wanted to offer you a quiet day here at the house or a drive to Assisi.” Norris leaned forward. “Alexa, I know you’ve been to Assisi. You could join us or take a day on your own?”

  Cynthia clapped her hands. “Oh, let’s go to Assisi. That’s the Saint Francis town, isn’t it? I read something about a beautiful church.”

  Alexa exchanged a quick glance with her mom. It appeared that wine with every course was a little more alcohol than Cynthia could handle. Usually quite restrained, she was bouncing in her seat like a teenager.

  “I’m fine with another trip. Let’s do Assisi,” Silas declared. He did a slow scan of the table and the grounds. “I’ve got to say, Norris, this is the life. You and Susan have yourselves quite a place here. You’re keeping the house back in Carlisle, too?”

  “We are. Neither of us is ready to spend the entire year away from the kids and grandkids.” Norris smiled. “So, when are you going to retire, Silas? You’ve been in the legislature for what, thirty years? Aren’t you ready to walk away and enjoy life?”

  “I’ve been thinking about it, but I might run for one more term.” Silas’ voice tightened before he assumed a heartier tone. “Seeing this, though . . .”

  Cynthia interrupted, “You tell him, Norris. I keep saying it’s time for Silas to retire. We even bought that farm in Adams County for our retirement.” Cynthia’s voice turned maudlin. “Of course, we might have to sell.”

  Alexa was glad when her mother took control as the hostess. Even in the dim light, she could see Silas turning purple with annoyance at his wife.

  “Emilio. I believe we’re finished here. We can take our wine up to the loggia and give you and Chiara a chance to clean up. Dinner was just lovely.” When Susan stood, Alexa jumped up too.

  “Good idea, Mom. There’s a full moon tonight.”

  Norris grabbed the bottle of wine. “Anyone who’d like a bit more of this, just bring your glass.”

  When Cynthia lifted her glass from the table, Silas took it from her hand, whispering in an icy tone, “I think you’ve had enough, dear.”

  As the group dawdled, Alexa headed straight for the stone loggia. She sat alone for a few moments watching the moon. Then her father joined her, still holding the wine bottle and a glass.

  “Silas and Cynthia decided to go up to bed. You may have noticed she was a little worse for the wear. Your mother is helping Emilio and Chiara finish up.” He took the chair beside Alexa and poured some wine. “Would you like some?”

  “No, thanks. I’m calling it a night soon.”

  “What about Assisi. Do you want to come with us?”

  “I might just take your car and explore on my own, but I’ll decide tomorrow. ” Alexa gave a soft giggle. “Who knows? Cynthia might decide to stay home for the day if she wakes up with a hangover.” She leaned closer to her father and lowered her voice. “Any idea what all that farmhouse stuff was about?”

  “Not really. It sounds like they have money troubles. That’s plausible. A state senator makes a good salary, but not one that would make you rich. I know Silas has dabbled in various business ventures over the years, but maybe they haven’t been as successful as he’d hoped.”

  “Well. None of my business, really.” Alexa leaned back in her seat. “It is so beautiful here, Dad. I am glad you and Mom bought this place.”

  After a few minutes of companionable silence, Alexa’s eyes closed. She jerked them open before she fell asleep. “I’m going to bed.” She rose, kissed her dad’s forehead, and climbed the stairs to her dreamy bedroom.

  Her head on the pillow, Alexa drifted toward sleep, contemplating the wonderful evening. Then a thought jerked her awake. Cynthia had said they’d bought a farm in Adams County. John had been killed by that fracking exploration team in the part of Michaux that bordered on Adams County. She remembered how Monongas had leased almost all the land in Tioga County. Wouldn’t they plan to do something similar, leasing nearby farms, if their state forest scheme were successful?

  Wide awake, Alexa sat up in bed, her mind racing. She remembered Silas’ impassioned speech in support of Senate Bill 5100. And the fact that Keisha had worked for him. Had she fallen on her sword for her boss? Was Silas involved with Toland and Monongas?

  “Alexa, get a grip,” she said aloud. “You’re getting as bad as Fox Mulder, seeing conspiracy theories behind every corner.” She brushed away her crazy suspicions, lay back, and fell asleep.

  Chapter Thirty-nine

  When she opened her eyes, Alexa indulged in a moment of sheer delight. She gazed at the gauzy white clouds painted on the arched blue ceiling and padded out of bed to look out her window. Dawn was just breaking over a valley wreathed in billowing mist. She slipped into her sweats and sneakers, anxious to make her way to the rocks for sunrise.

  Alexa tiptoed down the stairs to the kitchen, where she downed a glass of milk. Then she stepped out the back door onto the dining terrace. Alexa stopped short in surprise.

  Silas sat at the table, fully dressed, looking at his smartphone.

  “I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said in a hushed voice.

  “No problem. I just didn’t expect anyone to be awake.”

  “I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to get out of bed and walk to the rocks you told us about. Is it OK if I tag along?”

  Alexa wanted to say it wasn’t OK. That she loved the solitude of her morning pilgrimages to the rocks. Watching the sun unfold over the valley was like mediation for her. But, Alexa was her mother’s daughter, so her answer was polite. “Of course. The track is a little rough. Are you wearing sneakers?”

  “I am.” Silas rose and dropped his cell phone into the pocket of his black polyester tracksuit.

  As Alexa stepped onto the path, she hesitated. Remembering her wild conspiracy theories of the night before sent a sudden chill down her spine. Then her good mood kicked in, and Alexa shrugged off any reservations about her hiking companion. Those crazy nighttime fantasies seemed silly in the light of dawn.

  They walked in silence for most of the way, Alexa in the lead. Halfway to the rocks, Silas stopped. “Do you know if these olive groves are part of your parents’ property? That one looks really old.” He pointed at one gnarled tree, its trunk twisted beneath silvery leaves.

  From the way Silas was panting, Alexa suspected the question was more a pretext for a break than a sincere interest in olive orchards. She played along. “They are. They have an arrangement with a local farmer to harvest and press the olives this fall. Who knows, we all might get bottles of Villa Belle Nuvelo virgin olive oil for Christmas.”

  “Cynthia uses olive oil in a lot of her cooking. So I wouldn’t refuse a gift like that. It would be even more special since we’ve seen the trees where it comes from.” Silas was breathing more evenly, so Alexa turned and stepped back onto the trail.

  When they reached the top, the mist had cleared the towers but still hovered in much of the valley. Silas acted impressed. “What a fantastic view. Just beautiful. Look at that fog. I see why you come up here.”

  His delight sounded a little over the top to Alexa, but, of course, false enthusiasm was part of a politician’s stock in trade.

  “Yes. I love the mist. A few days it’s been misty up here on the rocks when I arrived. Then it just slips down into the
valley, revealing first the castle turrets, the tile roofs. And then, poof. Everything becomes clear.”

  Silas marched to the edge of the rocks and peered down. “Whoa. That’s quite a drop off.”

  From her earlier jaunts, Alexa knew the edge of the rocks formed a cliff with a three hundred foot drop straight to the rocky valley floor. The land directly below was too rough for cultivation, and the vineyards stopped on either side of the rocky scree. “Umbria is more mountainous than Tuscany, that’s for sure.” She leaned on one of the two boulders that flanked the entrance to the rock ledge.

  As they watched, the sky turned a vivid pink. The mist below reflected the same bright color until the entire expanse of earth and sky before them took on a deep rosy glow.

  “Wow,” Alexa exclaimed. “This is the first time I’ve seen something like this. It’s spectacular, but a little eerie.”

  “Why don’t you let me take your picture in this light? Something to remember from Italy.” Silas pulled his cell phone from his pocket. “Go on. Stand out there.” He pointed toward the edge of the rocks with a big smile.

  Alexa would have rather watched the sunrise, but she decided to be a good sport. “Sure. Then I’ll take one of you for Cynthia.” She walked forward, stopping at least five feet from the edge.

  Silas held the phone’s camera up to his face and snapped a photo. “Stay there. Or even move back a little. Let me get a few more,” he directed, the smile slipping from his face.

  As Alexa stood firm, she felt a clammy breeze at her back. A tendril of mist rode the wind up the mountain and enveloped the rock ledge in a sudden fog. Disoriented by the lack of visibility, Alexa froze in place.

  As quick as the mist came, it disappeared on another gust of wind. And with it went Silas’ false bonhomie. When Alexa looked up, his face had contorted into a mask of anger. With an abrupt movement, Silas shoved the phone into his pocket and strode forward, “You don’t fool me, you little bitch.” He pointed a finger at Alexa. “You’re a cool customer, but I know you figured it out. I should have never let Cynthia drink so much. Her mouth runs like a duck’s ass when she’s had a few.”

  Taken aback, Alexa took a step to the left, but she had little room to maneuver on the rock. For a moment, she couldn’t understand why Silas had snapped. But his anger seemed very real. And she was in a precarious position out on this ledge. This felt like the Grand Canyon with those two men. But this situation was much, much worse. With a three hundred foot drop behind her and no way out other than the narrow passage through the big boulders, Alexa would have to talk her way out.

  “Excuse me, Silas. I don’t think that type of language is called for. I have no idea what you’re talking about. Sure, Cynthia got a little tipsy last night, but we’re on vacation. Did I do something to offend you?” As she babbled on in a polite tone, Alexa put it all together and began to panic. Silas was right. She had figured it out last night. She should have trusted her nighttime musings. Her father’s old friend was up to his neck in the fracking conspiracy.

  “Alexa, cut the crap. Did you mention any of this to your father? Or text one of your friends?” When Alexa made no reply Silas kept talking. It was like he couldn’t contain himself. “You have no idea how much I hate you. I had a good thing going. Until you blew it all to hell.

  “First, you turn up in the rotunda during Carmine’s final flight. Who knew you and Keisha would be there? Then, you encourage that little piece of fluff, Lauren, to eavesdrop on private conversations. We couldn’t be sure what she told you, so we sent Hoover to take you out at your cabin.”

  At this point, Alexa realized she couldn’t talk her way out of this. Rage had turned Silas’ face a mottled purple. His whole body quivered in anger. She tried to circle behind him, but the big man darted to cut her off.

  “No, no, no.” Silas shook his head. “I’m sick and tired of people screwing up. That idiot Hoover missed the shot. Those Monongas boys let you get away up at the Grand Canyon. Toland, Kurtz, and Keisha got caught. What a clusterfuck. Sometimes you gotta do the job yourself.”

  Silas feinted toward Alexa. She bobbed to the side, calculating the odds of scrambling up a boulder. But the massive rocks looked too high and too smooth for her to get a foothold.

  “At least we got your cop boyfriend. You didn’t let any grass grow under your feet though. The statie wasn’t cold in his grave before you teamed up with that self-righteous bastard, Walt Jordan. You screwing him too?”

  Silas took several steps forward. Terrified, Alexa glanced toward the cliff. She had to keep away from the edge. Pulse racing, she steeled herself for a fight. Silas was a big man, much taller than she. But their walk had proven he wasn’t in the best physical shape.

  Alexa held her hand out to fend him off. “Uncle Silas, can’t we work this out?” She pleaded, hoping to touch a sense of family obligation.

  “Honey. I’m not your fucking uncle. Your father and I go way back, but it damn near ruined my vacation when we arrived at the villa and found you here.”

  Abandoning any pretense of ignorance, she tried to keep him talking. “I can’t believe you’re involved in this. It was the farm, right? Monongas leased the rights to your farm?” Alexa sidled toward the boulders.

  “They were going to pay me thousands an acre. It was going to be part of a huge Michaux drilling field. If their new process worked, they could expand it everywhere.

  “I let Cynthia think we were going to actually live there―but there’s no way I’d live near a fracking operation. That would be crazy. Too toxic. No, that place was my checkbook to an easy retirement. With that money plus what Monongas paid me to get rid of Carmine and pass their bill, I could’ve bought a place like your parents’ somewhere. Lived like a king. Just like all those guys from law school with silver spoons in their mouths.”

  As Silas spat out those last words, he rushed toward Alexa. She jerked to the left, but he caught her. The senator wrapped his arms around Alexa and dragged her toward the edge of the cliff. Twisting and turning, she tried to free her hands. She kicked at Silas’ shins, hard, with her heels.

  “Ompf,” he grunted, grip loosening at the pain. Alexa tried to slide out of his arms, but Silas tightened his hold. Trembling with effort, Alexa bent her legs and went limp in his arms, feet dangling off the ground. Silas stumbled backward. Frantic, Alexa worried he might take them both over the cliff. Then Silas’ legs buckled, and he collapsed under her dead weight just a few feet from the cliff edge. As he crashed, he dropped Alexa, freeing his hands to help break his fall.

  Alexa tumbled out of his arms. In a flash, she jumped up and brushed past Silas. But the old man surprised her. With a swish of his arm, he swept her legs out from under her. Alexa tumbled, hitting the ground hard. She couldn’t breathe. Opening her eyes, she quailed at the sight of rocks, hundreds of feet below. She’d landed with her head over the edge of the cliff. Terrified, Alexa scrambled back onto firm ground and rolled over, still gasping for air.

  Silas leapt on top of her and planted a knee in the center of her chest. Hooking his hands under her armpits, he dragged her back toward the cliff. Too terrified to even scream, Alexa fought for her life. She bucked and writhed as they inched nearer and nearer, ignoring the sharp stones that dug into her back. But the larger man had her overpowered.

  “Damn you,” Silas cursed. Struggling against Alexa’s constant motion, Silas straightened from his crouch to a more upright position. As he rose, Alexa took her last chance. She rammed her knee and shin into Silas’ crotch as hard as she could.

  His grip loosened. His face turned pale. With a high, thin scream, Silas fell to the side and toppled over the cliff.

  Lying on her back, Alexa took deep, shuddering breaths and gazed at the bright blue sky above. Daybreak had arrived. And she was alive. Giving in to a mixture of horror and relief, Alexa wept silent tears. The sound of a dove cooing jarred her into action. Holding her breath, Alexa turned onto her stomach and slid to the edge of the cliff, loosing
a thin stream of pebbles into the abyss. Shaking, she spotted Silas Gabler’s body crumpled on the rocks far below, his black polyester tracksuit shimmering in the morning sun. There was no way he could have survived the fall.

  Gazing down at Silas’ body, she felt nothing but contempt for this man she’d known most of her life. He’d shown no remorse for the fracking conspiracy that led to John and Lauren’s deaths. He’d admitted to helping throw Carmine Martinelli off the capitol balcony. He’d sent Dale Hoover to kill her.

  “Karma’s a bitch.” With those bitter words, Alexa pushed away from the precipice.

  Epilogue

  Lucky for Alexa, Silas’ wife had still been abed when she’d fled to her parents’ villa, bruised and disheveled from the fight on the cliff.

  “My God. Silas tried to kill you?” Susan folded Alexa into her arms. “Are you all right? What happened?”

  Alexa kept it together as she told them about the fight on the cliff, keeping her voice low.

  “I thought he was my friend.” Norris’ face was grim. “Now I need to protect you. Listen to me, Lexie. You’re going to tell them it was an accident. Nothing about a fight. Nothing about Silas’ crimes. Tell them he slipped over the edge while taking a selfie. Every week, you read about another incident where someone dies taking selfies.”

  At Alexa’s look of doubt, Norris became adamant. “You do not want to tangle with the Italian legal system, Lexie. It is nothing like the United States. Remember that college student in the news? I can’t say if she was guilty or not, but the legal process was Byzantine.

  “Susan, can you stay here in case Cynthia wakes up? Don’t tell her anything.”

  After Alexa had washed her face and brushed off her clothes, Norris followed Alexa to the site of his old friend’s body. He found a path that took them below the ledge where the senator lay, blood soaking into the ground beneath his broken form.