St. Helena Vineyard Series_Promise Me Forever_A St. Helena Thriller

by Natalie Middleton

  He opened his laptop and typed ‘Ezee Securities + Moretti’ and waited for the results to show up. He’d just bit into a wrap he picked up when the results came and shocked him. It was an old newspaper report titled,

  Businessman Franco Moretti starts a financial venture, Ezee Securities.

  He clicked open the link and read through. A few names from the article popped out at him. Ezee Securities was started with his brother, Marco Moretti, and they invested in high risk high return investments. There were a few investor testimonials. His blood chilled. Ezee Securities! That’s why the name sounded familiar. They were probing different ways for Marco Moretti to funnel his illegal earnings and this firm was supposed to be one of them. But a lack of evidence had them drop that outlet for evidence. He was sure they’d still have something on their file. His curiosity was piqued.

  He dialed Brian.

  “Yeah, Counsellor. Tell me.” Brian spoke in a lazy tone.

  “Is this a cover for our calls?” Alex smiled.

  “You got that right. You’ve got some nerve trying to call me so often. I’ve got a mind to report you for intimidation,” Brian barked.

  Alex laughed. They’d developed different codes to talk to each other in their years of working together, and pretending to talk to opposing counsel was one way they could talk without anyone knowing who they were talking to. Given the circumstances in office, he was hardly surprised Brian was resorting to their old tactics.

  “Okay, listen to me, Brian. Are you in your cabin and do you have someplace you can write something down?” he said urgently. If his hunch was correct, then Arianna and Sophie were knee deep in something they had no idea about. This was dangerous; the Moretti brothers were ruthless businessmen and suspected drug dealers as well. There was no telling how far they would go to get their way.

  “Shoot,” Brian said. “I’ve got what you need.”

  “Right, take this down. Ezee Securities was started by Franco Moretti and his brother, Marco, to invest in high risk high return investments. I found an obscure news report from a few years ago.”

  “Wait a minute. Ezee, I know that name. Wasn’t it suspected to be a money laundering front for the Morettis? Where did you get this information?” Brian quizzed.

  “Keep this quiet, but an acquaintance of mine is being pressured to sell her winery and land. She dug in further and found monthly payouts of $3,000 to Ezee Securities in the last five years.”

  “Holy moly,” Brian said, sounding shocked.

  “Yeah.” Alex sighed.

  “Okay, I need to run this through Buzz. Give me whatever else you have on them as soon as possible. I’ll be in touch,” Brian said, disconnecting the call.

  Alex couldn't believe it. Of all the people to have a link to the Morettis, it had to be Arianna? And if the link to the Morettis proved true, then there was dangerous work afoot. What was Mr. Belmonte involved in? Had he not realized how dangerous this would be when he entered into such an agreement?

  He looked at other names in the list. There was a Tereza Travels who was paid $500 a month, a Wonderbus Consulting who also got $500, Wildfire Clothing pulling in $500, and the last was Birken Pharmacy, which was also paid $3,000 a month. At the face of it, they were normal businesses, but with one connection to the Morettis, Alex’s guards were up. Who knew what connection would come up after he dug in? He didn't want to scare Arianna before he got any confirmation. It could be a false lead. But his gut told him this lead was something worth pursuing.

  He dialed Arianna.

  “Hey, what's up?” she said.

  “Were you able to find contracts for the parties? At the very least, some business details? Maybe bank details so I can dig in further?” he said, hoping she had something more to give him.

  “Yeah, we've been digging. We managed to find a contract for Wildfire Clothing but it's just as vague as the earlier ones. I don't understand what we've got from them in return for what we pay them. And yes, I'll mail you the bank details for everything.”

  “Yeah, I've got it, hang on, let me take a look at it.” He paused, not knowing what to say to her about this whole thing.

  “Arianna,” he started, not knowing how to say what he wanted to.

  “What's up, Alex? Did you find something? You don't sound alright.” she said, concerned.

  Alex swallowed. “Just be careful. I’m thinking we should send them a legal notice asking about invoices and an agreement copy. Chances are we’ll get a positive reply, but it may uncover skeletons your father isn’t ready for. Just...be careful.”

  There was a pause, as if she was thinking about what to say.

  “I will. I’ll be careful. I know this is what I want to do. Whatever it is, I know all of us can face it together,” she answered.

  “Alright then, I’ll draft a notice for you and we can send it out tomorrow.”

  “Yes, that sounds great. Email it to me when you’re done and I’ll print and post them tomorrow. And, Alex, thank you so much. I really appreciate you doing this for me.”

  “You’re welcome. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

  Alex cut the call. Arianna had sent across bank details and correspondence addresses for the parties. He forwarded that email to Brian on his personal email address and sent him a text giving him a heads up. Buzz would analyze that information and hopefully be able to dig something up. Given how the Ezee Securities angle had turned up, he wanted to be doubly sure about every step he took. And from where he stood, smoking them out seemed the best way to understand what exactly was going on.

  I hope this ends well for Arianna.

  But inside, he hoped everything ended well for him too.

  8

  Arianna filled Sophie in while they had their breakfast.

  “So, what you’re saying is we’re going to send a notice to these parties asking about the services and the contracts.”

  “Yep, Alex thought we’d at least establish some sort of communication with them. If we get a response, we’ll at least have an idea of what we paid them for all this while. And in case we don’t get any response, he’s suggesting we can approach the Better Business Bureau and file a complaint for deficient services. That will definitely get us some response.”

  Sophie thought about it deeply.

  “I think you should talk to Papa once, Ana. As far as I remember, these parties have a previous relationship with him, and it’ll just be better to get something from him. I don’t want our haste to ruin any relationship that Papa has with people. He did look after everything for all these years.” Sophie was contemplative.

  “You have a point. I’ll dial Papa now.” Arianna grabbed her phone and dialed her sister.

  “Tina, hey. How are you? I’m at home. Yes, yes, in St. Helena. Yeah, I want to talk to Papa. Yeah, I’ll hold,” Arianna said.

  “Hi, Papa. How are you? How is it in Anchorage?” She bit her lip, trying hard not to laugh as her father ranted about the weather in Anchorage. For a man who had spent his life in St. Helena, Anchorage seemed too far away from what he remembered. Arianna put the phone on speaker.

  “Papa, you’re on speaker. Sophie is here too.”

  “Hi, Papa,” Sophie quipped.

  “What are you two girls up to this morning? Why bother your Papa so early in the day?” he said, prompting laughter from his daughters.

  “Papa, I wanted to ask you something, about the estate and its sale. I need to know everything about Franco, and what we owe him, so I can clear the debts.” Arianna went straight to the point. Sophie shook her head, knowing her hot headed father.

  And just like Sophie predicted, their father exploded.

  “Arianna Gisele Belmonte, what do you think of yourself? Your Papa is able and well enough to provide for himself. Now I have made a decision; I am going to sell the estate and divide the money among you girls and retire. Why do you think I’ve moved to Anchorage? I’m going to enjoy a nice and quiet retirement in snowy Alaska. You leave this alone
, Arianna, you hear me? You leave this mighty well alone. Your Papa knows what he is doing. Don’t you put your nose where it isn’t needed,” he thundered.

  “But Papa, something about this is not right. What are you not telling us? Why does the agreement not have anything about consideration? We’re grown up now, Papa, don’t treat us like children,” Arianna snapped.

  “Arianna, you test my patience. I will not have another word on this topic. You meddling girls keep your nose out of my business. All you need to know is that there are accounts with equal shares of money for you girls. Don’t think you’ve become bigger than me.” Her father’s words hurt deep. Arianna tried to control herself.

  “Papa, listen to me, it’s Sophie.” Sophie tried to cool tempers on both sides. She tried to push Arianna back in the hope she’d quietly listen.

  “You better make it quick, Sophie Maria. I have no patience for girls who don’t respect their father’s businesses.”

  Sophie took a deep breath. It was never easy talking to their father, and this conversation was testing her patience. But she wanted to find out who the mystery creditors were.

  “When I took over the business, you gave me a few parties to set up monthly payments for. What were those payments for, papa? I have a…” She thought for a minute.

  “The winery got a query in an IRS audit and I need agreements to support some payments. Uh, let me name those parties. Ezee Securities, Tereza Travels, Wonderbus Consulting, Wildfire Clothing, and Birken Pharmacy. I raked through every file we had but I couldn’t find a registered agreement. Can you think of anything?”

  Their father lost his cool.

  “You meddlesome fool. What have you gone and done, poking your nose where it isn’t required? These parties provide valuable services to the winery and to me, you hear that? They give services to ME. And that should be enough answers for your IRS people. IRS, she says. Do you think I’m stupid, Sophie? The IRS don’t go around asking questions like this. Not in my town or to my winery. I knew it was a mistake giving control of the winery to a woman, and especially a college dropout like you. I don’t care what you think you’ve uncovered in your digging. This sale is happening. I want you to pack up and get out before the sale happens, and then go on with your life. I know one thing, if you ask me more about this, then every relationship between us is over. You hear that, Sophie and Arianna? Don’t put your long noses where it isn’t required. You have no idea what Franco means to me. Just sell that place, and once it is done, you will have your share to go and spend as you like. Don’t be a fool and set that aside. You’re getting nothing from me if you interfere. You hear that? Not one penny.”

  The call abruptly disconnected. Their father had hung up.

  Arianna stared at Sophie in shock. Their father had a horrible temper, but this time he had crossed every limit. Arianna’s heart went out to Sophie. Her father had no business being so rude to Sophie. All her life, she had worked harder than any of them to be a better daughter and was now a smart businesswoman. Sophie couldn’t help dropping out of college. That was her father’s fault. And now, when it suited him, he taunted her about it? Sophie was white as a sheet and her eyes filled with tears.

  “Sophie.” Arianna reached out to her sister, but Sophie pushed her away, tears blocking her vision. A sob escaped her.

  “Do whatever you have to, Ana. I’m done spending my life caring for Papa. I’ve always been treated like a doormat, so I don’t know why I spare a thought for him. I’m sorry he snapped at you.” Sophie sniffed.

  Arianna handed her a drink of water.

  “I’m so sorry, Sophie.”

  Arianna could see how deeply her father’s words had hurt Sophie this time. Oreo had come in the room, and even with him around, there was no smile on Sophie’s face.

  Arianna’s phone rang. It was Alex.

  “Hey.”

  “Arianna, I’ve sent the draft notices to you. If it sounds right, we can post it in town today.”

  “Sure, I’ll have a look. I’ll see you in town in an hour.”

  She hung up. Sophie hadn’t moved from her place. She was staring into the distance. Arianna decided to let her be for a while. She got her laptop from her room and checked her email. Alex’s email had come in. The notice seemed very neutral, like a genuine request for information from a fellow business owner. She went into Sophie’s office and opened her mailbox from there, firing prints for the notices on the company letterhead.

  When she came back to the kitchen, Sophie was still there, looking into the distance. Arianna swallowed, not knowing what to say.

  “I’m going into town, Sophie. Do you want to meet me for lunch in town? We could go to the Bistro. I heard they have a mean burger.”

  “Sure. I’ll see you there in a couple of hours,” Sophie answered blandly. She turned to look at Arianna and Arianna could see her tormented eyes. She blinked and smiled, hoping that Sophie would smile back, and she was rewarded. Sophie gave her a small smile in return.

  As she started her car, Arianna hoped Sophie would bounce back. She didn’t know what she would do if Sophie gave up.

  She met Alex outside the Post Office in town. She posted five envelopes and prayed everything would be alright. She still couldn’t shake everything that happened from her mind. Alex was waiting for her outside.

  “Thanks for your help, Alex.” She smiled at him.

  He smiled a warm and full smile that made her heart beat faster. She looked at her watch. There was still time for lunch. Now that there was nothing more that could be done about this, she wanted to spend some time with Alex.

  “How about grabbing some of St. Helena’s famous wines? I’ve got some time before lunch.”

  “Sure, lead on. My day is all yours.”

  Arianna blushed when Alex said that. It took her back to ten years ago, when they dated. Alex always used to say stuff that would make her melt. She never realized where time would go, and it would end up being an entire afternoon they spent talking to each other about every random topic under the sun. She hadn’t really looked for a guy after she graduated. Men in her network came with limited topics of conversation and she found herself losing interest an hour or two into the date. But it wasn’t like that with Alex.

  They found themselves sitting with some of the DeLuca wines at the wine and chocolate bar. Arianna kept thinking back to how great it was to have someone to talk to. Good conversation was such a mental cleanser, especially conversation not at all related to work. Just like that, they were talking about some of their most memorable trips all over the country. But Arianna was burning to ask him deeper questions, questions about their relationship and about what happened.

  Would it be right for her to stop one of the few most enjoyable dates she had been on to rehash the past?

  9

  Alex couldn’t believe how much fun this was. To sit with someone he didn’t share an office with and talk about random incidents. Arianna wasn’t a blue eyed teenager, looking at life optimistically. She was a smart and very capable woman who had done so much in her short time at Symantec. It was wonderful to hear about her life. He wanted to know more about her.

  * * *

  “Tell me about your family, Arianna. You have a winery and land here; there must be so much family history here in St. Helena.”

  * * *

  “There’s history for sure. Umm, let me see. My great grandfather, Alessandro Belmonte, came to the US from Italy in the early 1900s. He used to work a lot of odd jobs and found himself in Napa on a job around the 1920s, and he never left. Well, actually, he found my great-grandma in Napa and that was it for his odd job hustles.”

  * * *

  “That sounds great. But how did he end up in St. Helena with his own estate? That’s a journey far away from home for him.”

  * * *

  “Yes, yes, it is. If you ask Sophie about this, she’ll be able to tell you what exactly happened and how the winery was started. All I know is my great grandpa mana
ged to buy a few acres of land and started growing a few varieties of grape. And then that way, we had a small estate and winery to our name. My great grandpa had two children -- my grandpa, Roberto, and his brother, Stephano. All I know is Grandpa Stephano moved out to New York to start his winery there and that side of my family has wineries there. Grandpa slowly started buying more land and that’s how we have our winery as it stands today. I’m sorry, I’m not boring you with all this, right? I have a huge family and lots of cousins. I know it can tend to drag for a little while.” She looked sheepish.

  “No way, this is interesting. I never managed to ask you any of this after High School.” He paused.

  Arianna went quiet. They had managed to skirt around this for a while, but there was a lot to be said about what happened between them. They avoided each other’s eyes.

  “What happened to our promise, Alex?” Arianna murmured.

  “I…” Alex was speechless.

  “I mean, I know we were kids when we actually left for college, but didn’t you ever want to start again?”

  “I, I don’t know how I can explain.”

  “But we promised to come back and start over. I came back to St. Helena for a few summers during college, trying to find out more about you. All I knew was you were still in college. I tried talking to your brother, but I could get anywhere. And then finally, I stopped looking.” Arianna looked sombre.

  Alex colored. That part of his life wasn’t something he visited often. But Arianna deserved an explanation.

  “I don’t know if you heard, Arianna. My father left my mother when I was in college. He left her for another woman.”

  “What?” Arianna was shocked. Alex’s family hadn’t been very social and this news had not reached her, even with her parents being active members of the community.