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“If there was a murderer on the loose, I was afraid they’d turn to you. I needed you close. I needed to keep you safe. I knew you’d react like you did this week. I know you. And I don’t blame you, but, Faith…I had an autopsy done on my father.”
“And?”
“It’s being referred to the DA.”
“Hewasmurdered.”
“Yes. Which means so was your mother.”
“I don’t know how to digest that fact. My mother wasmurdered.”
“I know. I feel the same way about my father. I wasn’t close to him, but nobody was supposed to take down that bastard but me. And full disclosure. Beck has men watching you. To protect you.”
“I’m suddenly comforted by that news. You should have told me. I would have been angry, but I would have understood. Finding out how I found out was pretty horrible. It cut me.”
“I know. I don’t know if I’d do it differently, though, Faith. Protecting you was everything in my decisions.”
“The mercury?”
“I knew nothing about that until you said something about it. And Beck thinks there’s a connection to a man I saw with a flag tattoo that afternoon we went to lunch.”
“Flag? There was a flag on the money clip I found.”
“Yes. We believe that was his.”
“Which means he was at my house.” I don’t give him time to reply. “Who is he? What is he?”
“Jess Wild is his name, and he’s ex-CIA.”
Alarms go off in my head. “Bill said he hired someone who was ex-CIA to help him with the men who wanted to buy the winery for the mercury. He came here today. He tried to buy the winery.”
“As I predicted he would.”
“Do you think he wants to sell it for the mercury?”
“Yes. I do. And sweetheart, he would have a strong claim to inherit if you were dead.”
I shiver. “He gave me the creeps today. Are you sure Beck has someone watching me?”
“Yes. He does. And Faith, before we move on. I can prove everything I’m telling you.”
“I don’t need proof. I should have listened sooner, but you hurt me. You hurt me so badly. There was the club thing, and people around me are never what they seem to be. You know this. I thought my heart was going to explode with the idea that you were one of those people.”
“I know I hurt you, but if you give me the chance, I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you. Let me come over.”
The doorbell rings. “Oh God. I’m having dinner with Kasey. He was supposed to call first. I can’t cancel. Or maybe I can. No. We were just supposed to bond. I wanted to see how the winery is doing. But I feel nervous now.”
“Talk him into ordering in. I’ll come over the minute he leaves.”
“Yes. Come over.”
The doorbell rings again.
“I’ll text you when I head back here or when he’s gone if we stay in.”
“Don’t have dessert.”
His voice is raspy and affected. It affects me. “No dessert,” I promise and hang up.
