Background
Jack McKinley's recent death appears to be suspicious. The investigation of one crime leads to another and so many other secrets in the wind.
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“Poppa, can you give me an update?” Garth held his breath as he waited for an acceptable answer.
Poppa looked at the Sheriff and mouthed, “How far?” The sheriff held five fingers in the air. The agent nodded and answered his boss. “We are about five miles out from Mason’s ranch.”
“Besides our two units, how many has the Sheriff’s Office supplied? Do you need more backup?” Garth hoped it was more than the Sheriff.
“It’s only one woman, Boss, and an old one at that.” Poppa grinned. “It’s a small department, but the Sheriff has friends in high places, namely the Air Tactical Command outside San Francisco. They have one of their ARFF Units in the air as we speak.”
“And the plan? ARFF fight wildfires.” Fires weren’t Garth’s thing, so he wondered how the unit would be helpful.
“The Sheriff has dealt with them in the past. He suggested the air command because if we encounter Mason’s jet attempting to take off, ARFF can drop 1200 gallons of red fire retardant on the cockpit, hoping to blind the pilot. Cool, huh?”
“Sounds risky, but I guess their pilots train to pinpoint their drops. Better than I could have done since we might be good, but our vehicles don’t fly.”
“I offered to do target practice, but the FAA nixed that idea. It’s our only option.” Poppa laughed. “I don’t know what the problem was. I wouldn’t have missed.” Poppa noted the Sheriff Department’s helicopter was flying overhead. “Appears as if their helicopter has joined us as well. Gotta go.”
“Duke One to all ground units. Andy Patterson, Tactical Flight Officer, speaking. We are currently approaching Caldwell’s airstrip. A Cessna CJ2 appears to be preparing for take-off. A woman is running on the tarmac toward the plane. Two large duffel bags hinder her approach.”
“Copy that, Duke One. James Maxwell, FBI Special Agent aka Poppa, riding shotgun with your Sheriff. In the distance to your left, I believe an ARFF Unit should be approaching. Our ETA is four minutes. If you can not block take-off before we arrive, the fire unit has instructions to dump the red fire retardant on the cockpit.”
“Outstanding!” The two men in the helicopter couldn’t contain their laughter. “I’d pay to see this one.”
“This one is on the house, gentlemen.” The Sheriff grinned at Poppa.
“Update!. A man is trying to grab the duffel bag from the woman. She fell down the steps to the runway. The Cessna is taxiing, and the stairs are closed. I think this is a go, brother.”
“If you’re up to it, a quick game of chicken might stop the pilot.” Daring adventures were a large part of Poppa's character. His nerves of steel made him ideal as a sniper, but this was a plane and a helicopter.
“We’ll give it a shot, but he’s picking up speed. The ARFF Unit won’t want us in the way.”
Poppa answered, “Copy that. We’re on the airstrip. Headed toward the woman. Clear the path for the tanker."
As the Cessna picked up speed, the Grumman S2-T tanker took a pass over the Cessna, banked to the right, and brought it back into line. The helicopter pulled away, and the tanker took another pass, dropping a red waterfall of gummy foam on the cockpit.
“Bullseye! Thanks for the front-row seat, Poppa. We’ll stay in the air until you have feet on the ground.”
“Appreciate your help.” The Sheriff stopped his cruiser a few feet from Sofia, and both men raced to her side. The other cruisers screeched to a stop and exited their vehicles with guns drawn.
Sofia screamed and raised her hands in the air. “No, shoot. No shoot.”
The Sheriff helped her to her feet and put the handcuffs on. “You’ve got a lot of talking to do, Sofia.”
“No comprendo.” Sofia shook her head. “No comprendo.”
“See if you understand this. Sofia Sanchez, you are under arrest.”
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After ripping the bedsheet into strips, Tito bandaged Miguel’s leg as best as he could. A small red blotchy stain was still visible around the wound area. The whiskey bottle was almost empty.
Tito stood at the stove, preparing several cans of soup he’d found in the pantry. “We can’t stay here, Miguel. Someone is going to know about the cabin.”
Miguel moaned as he attempted to reposition himself on the sofa. “Go, Tito. I would slow you down.”
“What about the girl?” Tito glanced at the bedroom door.
“What about her? I told you she is our bargaining chip.” Miguel knew Tito and where his thoughts would go.
“If we kill her, travel would be easier. They are looking for two men and a kid. Alone, you and I can travel the foothills until we find another car.”
Miguel shook his head and lifted his leg a few inches from the sofa. An agonizing moan from the burning wound was his payment for movement. “I can’t travel, Tito. Maybe tomorrow.”
“Don’t go soft on me, Miguel. We’ve killed many ombres. It means nothing to me.” Tito grinned, exposing two missing teeth. “Tito is not afraid.”
“No! I said we would not kill her,” Miguel snarled. “It was wrong for Mason to take her from her family. It only made the law search harder for all of us.”
“Mason. The only skin he’s worried about is his own. His mind makes plans, but he never dirties his hands. Where is he now?”
“Mason plans for the future. I am sure he has secret hideouts everywhere. I assure you he’s far away from Napa Valley. And he left us holding the bag.”
“Exactly! That’s why we need to get rid of the girl. If your stomach is too squeamish, I can do it.” Tito pulled a blade from the sheath lying on the kitchen table. He ran his fingers up and down the shiny steel. A trickle of blood dripped on the floor when his fingers touched the knife's tip. He pressed his tongue against the cut and licked the blood.
His gigantic body lumbered a few steps toward the bedroom door and stopped, gazing at his friend. Tito swirled his knife in the air and raised a bushy eyebrow, looking for Miguel’s approval. When an approval didn't come, he shrugged his shoulders. “Or we can leave her. Somebody will find her eventually.”
Loud popping and sizzling caught Miguel’s attention. The soup was boiling and shooting bubbles of liquid out of the pan. “The stove, Tito. You are burning our food.”
Tito grabbed a hand towel from the rack and lifted the steaming pot from the burner. “It doesn’t look too bad. We’ve eaten worse.” He moved his nose closer and sniffed. “Maybe a little smokey, but I’m hungry.” A mismatched collection of dinnerware and bowls lined the open shelf. Tito set two bowls on the counter and ladled the burnt soup into each one.
“What about the child? She needs to eat.” Miguel stared at the two steaming bowls of soup. “Even guys on death row get last suppers.”
“She can wait. The cook is going to eat first.” Tito settled his massive frame on one of the wooden chairs and raised the soup to his mouth, blowing to cool it down. “You want some soup? I can put it in a coffee mug if that would help.”
“Yeah, I’ll stay right here. No hurry, Tito. It needs to cool anyhow. Help yourself first.” Tito was already scooping the soup out of the bowl and slurping it down. Miguel closed his eyes and fell into a deep slumber.
Tito finished both bowls of soup before satisfying his hunger. He wiped his mouth with the hand towel and tossed it on the table. A low rumble of snoring rose from the sofa. Tito slid his chair away from the table, careful not to make any loud noise. Reaching across the table for his knife, he glanced out the window, at the bedroom door, and then at his sleeping friend. For a moment, he stared at Miguel before he made his next move.
He edged closer to the bedroom. A floorboard squeaked and groaned below his feet. He froze and waited. When Miguel appeared to be still asleep, Tito took one step and then another, closing the gap between him and Annie. His hand wrapped around the doorknob. He waited and listened before he turned the knob and pushed the door open.
Miguel grimaced in pain as he lifted himself to a sitting position and yelled, “TITO!” Surprised, the big man spun around with the knife in the air. The menacing look on his face wasn't good.
Author Notes
Theodore (Ted) and Meredith Cranston - previous owners of Sweet Haven Estates
Jack McKinley - present owner of Sweet Haven Estates - deceased
Elizabeth (Liz) McKinley - Jack's widow and owner of Sweet Haven Estates
Alyssa Shelton - (Allie) Liz's best friend and an Investigative Journalist
Darryl Pennington - Estate Foreman for past and previous owners
Mary Hunter - Retired nurse and current caregiver of Faith and Annie
Faith Cranston-Newton - daughter of the Ted and Meredith Cranston
Annie Cranston-Newton - Faith's daughter
Sebastian - the lovable St. Bernard and Annie's companion
Dr. Eugene Copeland - the local physician
Sofia Sanchez - Mason Caldwell's housekeeper
Miguel Sanchez - vineyard supervisor
Jon Saladino - Priest and much more
Cassidy Rotello - assistant of Mason Caldwell
Mason Caldwell - rancher and owner of a gambling casino
Garth Woodman - (Jeremy) Undercover FBI
Hank Armato - Private Investigator
Emmy Armato - Hank's wife and also retired detective
Cynthia - librarian, historian, town gossip, and wanna-be detective
Michael - realtor and Cynthia's nephew
Tango, Poppa, Howard, Pete - FBI agents
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