Secrets in the Wind : Secrets in the Wind - Chap 7 by Begin Again |
Elizabeth lay snuggled in the corner of the overstuffed sectional. A cup of lukewarm cocoa, a half-eaten blueberry muffin with a side of butter, a pen and paper for questions she wanted to ask the private investigator, and a book Cynthia had dropped off a few days ago were on the coffee table. The minute her weary head touched the soft pillows, she fell into a restless sleep. Her subconscious thoughts filled with planes crashing and a man thrashing in the water, clawing at the slippery bank. She moaned and called out to him. She could see his face. She saw the pain. He was stretching his arms out to her. She ran toward Jack. Her heart was beating wildly. A shadow stepped out of the darkness. Fading light glimmered on the barrel of the gun, and she realized it was pointed at her. There was a bright flash from the muzzle. Elizabeth screamed. A blood-curdling cry jolted her from her stupor. She could hear pounding, and someone was wiggling the front doorknob. Adrenalin pumped through her veins. Elizabeth bolted from the sofa and rushed into Jack’s study. She’d put his gun in the top drawer. Her trembling hands grabbed the cold metal and ran back into the front room. “Elizabeth.” A male voice called her name. “Elizabeth.” Hank stepped off the front stoop and walked to the side of the house. Stepping into the well-manicured flower garden, he pressed his face against the windowpane and peered inside. Much to his surprise, a woman was standing a few feet away, pointing a gun at him. “Go away.” Elizabeth was afraid her quivering legs wouldn’t hold her up. “I’ve called the police.” “Are you Elizabeth? I’m…” “Don’t you worry about who I am. I told you to get off my property.” Elizabeth waved the gun. “I’m not afraid to use this.” “Elizabeth, I’m Hank Armato. Jack’s friend. You called and left me a message.” Liz stared at the man peering in through her window and then lowered the gun. She staggered toward the door and removed the bolt. She swung the wooden door open as Hank rounded the corner of the house. “I’m … I’m sorry.” Her knees buckled, and Hank rushed to catch her before she hit the floor. He scooped her up and carried her to the sofa. “Oh, gosh, I could have shot you.” A new batch of tears flowed down her face. “Sorry, I’ve become a big crybaby.” Hank removed the gun from Elizabeth’s grip and placed it on the coffee table. “It’s okay. Can I get you something? Water or a drink?” This wasn’t how he’d pictured meeting Elizabeth McKinley for the first time. Jack had described her perfectly. “I thought you’d call me. I was resting on the sofa, and I think I was dreaming. Your pounding frightened me.” Elizabeth sighed. “I never thought of myself as a frail person, but I sure have been doing a lot of fainting.” “Jack called me about a month ago about his suspicions. After getting your message, I thought it would be wiser for me to get here as fast as possible. In hindsight, I suppose I should have warned you.” “I could have killed you. I’m sorry about the gun. My friend, Alyssa said….” “Liz.” Alyssa burst through the open door, screaming, “Liz.” She saw a strange man standing over the sofa and her very distraught friend. She didn’t know whether to attack him or be angry with her friend. She snapped, “I told you not to open the door.” “Allie, calm down.” Liz struggled to sit up on the sofa. “Calm down. You want me to calm down.” Allie’s voice was shrill. “I arrive to find a stranger in your house, standing over you, and there’s a gun on the coffee table. I thought I was going to tackle him head-on.” Hank stifled a laugh as he pictured the scene Allie was painting. “Not to worry. She had the gun aimed and was ready to shoot me.” Allie picked up the gun and examined it. “She doesn’t even know how to take the safety off.” Allie sank into the sofa cushions beside Liz and hugged her. “Oh, Lizzie, you’re going to give me a heart attack.” “I’m sorry, Allie. Meet Hank Armato, Jack’s friend. He’s a private investigator. Hank, this is my best friend, Allie.” Hank extended his hand toward Allie, and she reached out and shook it. “I apologize for my short fuse, Hank.” “Never apologize for defending a friend. I admire your fighting spirit.” They both smiled at one another. “Now, if Elizabeth is feeling up to it, I’d like to see the letter Jack left you.” “Of course, it’s in Jack’s study. And please call me Liz.” Liz moved from the sofa and walked toward the study. Allie picked up the gun and followed Hank.
************ After reading the letter, Hank folded it and slipped it back into the envelope. “Have you checked the safe for the documents Jack referred to?” “No, I don’t even know where the combination would be.” Liz ran her fingers through her hair. “I know Jack told me where everything was, but I’m sorry, Hank, I’m a mess.” Allie wrapped her arms around Liz and pulled her tight to her chest. “It’s okay, Lizzie. I’m sure we can find it in Jack’s desk or his files.” “It’s okay because I have the combination. Jack gave it to me when we talked, just in case.” “I’ll go make some coffee, and we can get started. Allie can show you where the safe is, and feel free to open it.” Liz gave Allie a quick peck on her cheek and then left the room. “Liz is a wonderful person, but Jack has pampered her. She lived in a Cinderella World and moving to Napa Valley, and the estate was an enormous change for her. She’s adjusting, but it will take time. She’s like a fish out of water.” “You’re a good friend, Allie. Jack and I have been friends for a long time. I will do everything in my power to help her find out what’s going on. Do you know anything about the woman, and why Jack wouldn't tell Liz about her?” “I’ve heard nothing about her until now. I can ask Darryl; he’s the estate foreman. He might know something about it.” “Jack loved Liz too much to have been having an affair. There must be something far more sinister going on. And Jack thought the woman’s whereabouts should be a secret. Guess we have a lot to learn.” “Well, let’s get the safe open and see what Jack has waiting for us. Hopefully, he discovered some clues.” Hank dialed the combination and opened the safe. “I’ll guess this manilla envelope will be a good place to start.” He lifted it out of the safe and walked over to Jack’s desk.Liz had returned carrying a tray filled with a basket of muffins and three cups of coffee. She placed it on a side table and joined Hank and Allie. “Do you want your coffee first?” “If it’s all right with you, I’d like to see what Jack’s been saving.” “Of course, open it up, Hank.” Hank slit the top of the envelope and removed a stack of papers, carefully laying them out on the top of the desk. The top one was a large red paper with letters cut from a newspaper. Elizabeth gasped when she saw it. The letters spelled out ‘You’re Next.’ Allie and Hank exchanged looks. The paper must have served as an ominous warning to Jack. “Let’s try not to touch things too much. I doubt it, but maybe we can lift some fingerprints.” Hank laid it to the side. The second item was a black and white picture of four people standing outside of a church. Hank picked up the photo and studied it. “Do either of you know these people?” Allie nodded and pointed to the first individual. “That’s Father Jon Saladino and they are standing outside St. Ambrosia Church. The second man is Mason Caldwell. He owns a large ranch and the Paradise Gambling Casino. I believe the man who looks angry is Ted Cranston, the previous owner of Sweet Haven.” “You’re right, Allie. I saw a picture of him on the wall when we first saw the house.” Elizabeth looked at the picture. “But I don’t recognize the woman.”“I do! That’s Cassidy Rotello, the woman who was on trial for murdering Mason Caldwell’s wife. The jury said she was guilty, but I don’t believe it.” “Interesting. You’ll have to tell me more about this trial and Mason Caldwell.” “Those next papers are copies of invoices for the winery. Can I see those, Hank?” He handed her the papers, and Elizabeth studied each one. It looks like these are all for shipments to Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Jack’s circled some of the lot numbers.” “Does that mean anything to you, Liz?” “No, not really. But we can ask Darryl about them tomorrow. He might know why Jack was interested in those particular lots.” Hank pulled a few more papers from the envelope. “Wow, those sure look old.” Allie leaned closer to Hank to get a better look. “Is that a map?” “Yup, it’s dated 1848. And there’s a letter with it marked addressee unknown.” “What kind of map is it?” Elizabeth looked at it and then pointed at a large body of water. “I think that’s our lake. It must be a map of the land before it was a vineyard.” “We’ve got a treasure chest of papers, Hank, but we have no idea what it means. Is there anything else in the envelope that might give us a better idea of how to connect the dots?” Allie’s mind was spinning like a top. Old maps, invoices with circled lot numbers, a picture of the former owner, a priest, Mason Caldwell, and the woman he accused of killing his wife. Hank pulled the remaining papers out of the envelope and spread them across the desk. The two women looked at the papers, and both of them gasped. “Whoa! What do we have here?” Hank picked up the first one and read it. “Faith? Isn’t that the woman in the cottage?” Elizabeth stared at the paper in Hank’s hand. She picked up another sheet and read it. Her hands were shaking. She could feel her heart pounding. “Please, excuse me.” Dropping the sheet of paper on the desk, Elizabeth walked briskly out of the room. Allie went to follow, but Hank stopped her. “Give her a few minutes. She’ll be okay.” Allie nodded as she watched her friend retreat.
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