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“You better start talking. I want to know everything. Why would a Henderson care about a winery?”
“It had nothing to do with wine. It had to do with deep-rooted hate between the two families.”
“We don’t know any Sparks.” Well at least, we didn’t until recently.
“Not you. Your grandmother knew Joe Sparks.”
Logan didn’t know much about his father’s mother at all. His father spoke of her very briefly, and they had only met when she was sick and fragile. He knew there was no love between them, then again, James didn’t love anyone, so that hadn’t surprised him one bit.
“What does she have to do with this?”
“When Joe Sparks first came to this country your grandparents hired him to work in their garden. He was young, and for a few years he made their garden a showpiece. Then your grandfather passed away, and your grandmother was... lonely.”
God, don’t tell me we’re related to the Sparks.“And?”
“They became lovers. But he had his own dreams of owning a vineyard, and he left to pursue them. He’d asked her to go with him, but she forbade him to leave. But he left anyway, and she hated him for it. What I know is she thought he’d fail and come crawling back to her. But Joe didn’t. Instead, he built one of the most sought-after vineyards in California.”
It all sounded very plausible so far, but that didn’t mean a Henderson had anything to do with his death. “Couples part ways all the time. What’s so different about my grandmother that you believe she had anything to do with Joe’s death? From what you’ve told me so far, it sounds like Joe left long before he died.” If she’d been filled with resentment, surely she would have lashed out sooner rather than later.
“He had, but she hated him for what he’d done.”
“Which was what exactly?” Hate was a strong word. He knew why he hated his father, but he couldn’t have brought himself to kill him. Wishing him dead wasn’t the same.
“Leave her and live a happy life without her.”
Most people were happier not knowing a Henderson. He could see why Joe left. “So you’re saying she was heartbroken and couldn’t get over it?”
“Heartbroken? I’m not sure she had one. Not from what Joe had said. She was many things, but kind and loving weren’t words he used to describe her.” So, this guy knew Joe personally, or word got around? I think I need to wait to hear what he has to say before I call him out on it though.
“Yet they were lovers.”
“Your grandmother controlled everything. All he knew of the US back then was what she allowed him to know. It was as though she’d intentionally hired him before your grandfather died.”
That’s sick.“And he stayed?”
“Joe saved every cent he’d earned until he could leave. After a few years, his vineyard took off and he became known as one of the top vineyard owners.”
“And what? She was jealous of his success? She didn’t need his money.”
“This wasn’t about money. Your grandmother had never been happy before Joe, and once Joe left, she never was again.”
None of this was making any sense. He could get that she was heartbroken, but why wait so long to confront him? She had the resources to find him if she really wanted to. “So you’re telling me my grandmother waited until she was an old woman and came here and torched the place? Really?”
He shook his head. “No. It was your father. He confronted him. There was a huge fight, and he struck Joe and said he’d pay for what he’d done to his mother. James accused Joe of being the reason his mother hated men. A few days after that, the fire broke out, and Joe was dead.”
Now that was something believable. His father had a temper and many times had used his fist on his own children. Striking an old man wasn’t farfetched. “How do you know all this?”
“I worked in the vineyard for Joe. He was teaching me the ways to make such beautiful wine. When your father came and fought with Joe I was in the other room and heard everything. That is how I know about your grandmother and who killed Joe.”
“How do you know about the rest? About what happened between Joe and my grandmother?”
“I took care of Joe after your father struck him. He told me then about your grandmother. Your family did this to him because he refused to bend to their wishes. No one said no to either your grandmother or your father without paying the price. For Joe, it was with his life.”
Logan knew that to be the truth. Growing up under James, if you made the mistake of telling him no, you paid a high price. Logan knew when to run and hide away with his science books where he could dream of breaking free from that hellhole one day. But not every person was so lucky. James had a way of making an example out of anyone who didn’t comply. He dealt them a lesson that one never forgot. Brice had been the one who challenged James the most. They would get into actual brawls. Father versus son. There were many days Brice wasn’t allowed out of the house because his face was swollen and his lip split. It didn’t end until Brice became bigger and stronger. If Brice hadn’t been his son, Logan figured James would’ve dealt the same revenge on Brice as he did on Joe.
So now he knew why, but not how. “The police report is inaccurate. Why?”
“Your family was very influential and powerful. Money can buy many things. In this case, it purchased a blind eye to everything. The Sparks family suffered a great loss, and no one will ever know.”
