Grapes of Death (23 page)

It was probably nothing. She was always leaving her phone at home or in the greenhouse, so there was no reason to jump to conclusions. Still, this could be really important. He thought he'd better take a run out to River Bend and talk to her in person.

Grabbing his keys, he tagged Jim in the hallway and asked him to ride along.

T
wenty minutes later they were pulling up in front of Ross's house.

“You weren't gone long.” Ross said when he met them at the door. “I hope you have good news.”

“I do. We'll be releasing Carlos shortly. The ME ruled out the rock as the murder weapon.”

“That's not good news, its
great
news. Sancia will be so relieved.”

“I'm sure she will. But that's actually not the reason we're here.”

Ross frowned. “Geez, what now? You've got your ‘I've got more bad news to share' face on. What's happened?”

“Maybe nothing. I just need to talk to Elise. Do you know where she is?”

“El? Isn't she at the greenhouse? She said she was going to clean up the mess that jerk she was dating made of her files. When she walked you out and didn't come back, I just assumed that's where she went.”

“Her car's not there or at the main house. We'll stop in and ask Laura and Miss Abby if they've seen her. Maybe she left word with them as to where she was going.”

Ross shook his head. “Won't do you any good. Gram went to Austin with some friends and won't be back until tonight, and Mom went to Giddings with Neil.”

“Well, hell.” Jackson rubbed his forehead again, wishing the damn aspirin would take effect.

“What's going on, Jax? Why do you need to talk to Elise so bad?”

Jackson exchanged looks with Jim. “I need to ask her some questions about Stuart.”

“Stuart?” Ross made a face. “What for? The guy's a douche.”

Jim smiled at Ross's description. “We've found evidence possibly linking him to the scheme your uncle and Henry Kohler were hatching.”

“You're kidding.” Ross stared at them with his mouth hanging open. “What kind of evidence?”

“Look, Ross, we can't go into that. It's an ongoing investigation,” Jackson said. “We're going to pull him in for questioning, but I wanted to talk to El first.”

Ross studied his face for a moment, and then suddenly grabbed his arm. “Is she in trouble? I mean, you don't think her safety is at risk, do you?”

“Whoa. Calm down, buddy,” Jackson said, trying not to think about that possibility himself. “I'm sure she's fine. I just want to talk to her, that's all.”

“Okay. Then let's go find her.”

Jackson shook his head. “Again, what part of ‘this is police business' don't you get? Let us handle it, Ross.”

“Screw your police business, Jax. She's my sister. I'm going with you.”

Jackson sighed, but before he could argue further, Jim spoke up. “Would you two quit your damn squabbling? Let's just go, for God's sake. I've got dinner plans.”

Jackson and Ross stared at each other a few seconds and then both turned and headed toward the door. They piled into the cruiser and started up the driveway toward the highway.

Jackson was searching his mind trying to think of where Elise might have gone when Ross spoke up. “Stop in at the Wine Barrel. Maybe Maddy knows something.”

“Good idea,” Jackson replied as he pulled the cruiser into the parking lot.

The three climbed out and went inside. Madison was helping a couple with their wine selection and waved when she noticed them. Speaking briefly to the couple to excuse herself, she came over to where he, Ross, and Jim stood waiting.

“Wow, what a nice surprise. Are you three looking to buy some really good wine?” she asked with a curious smile. But that smile slowly faded as she took in their faces. “What's wrong? Has something else happened?”

Jackson spoke up first. “No, darlin', nothing's wrong. We're just looking for El. She's not on the property, and we hoped you might know where she went.”

Madison made a
pfft
sound and wrinkled her nose. “Is she in trouble again? I told her she should wait, but you know El. When she gets something into her head, there's no talking her out of it.”

“So you've seen her?” Ross asked.

“Sure. She was in here about forty-five minutes ago.”

Jackson clung desperately to the little scrap of patience he had left. “Where'd she go, Maddy?”

“She went over to Kohler's Winery. She was hell-bent on having it out with Henry about his scheme to steal her work.”

Twenty-Four

Elise tried to stay
calm and concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other as Stuart directed her and Henry from the living room to the back of the house. When they got to the kitchen, he instructed Henry to find some duct tape.

“I don't have any,” Henry stated, crossing his arms and giving Stuart a mutinous look.

“Really? But it's such a handy thing to have around the house. Would you rather I disabled Elise here in the kitchen with a round to her kneecap?”

Stuart lowered his weapon, pointing the barrel at Elise's left knee, and panic coursed through her body.

“Since you're going to kill her later anyway and then kill yourself, it doesn't make much difference to me. But this way would mean more work for you, as you'd have to carry her to the winery.”

Henry's eyes widened as he put up his hands. “Okay, okay, hang on a minute. I might have some around here somewhere.”

Elise's legs went weak with relief when Henry pulled a roll from a drawer.

“Now, bind her hands together nice and tight. My sweetie is smart and can be very resourceful; I wouldn't want her slipping out of it. Once you've finished with her, we'll get your hands secured as well.”

Elise looked up at Henry as he began to tape her wrists together, and the fear she saw in his eyes had her heart pounding a bit faster. Dying at the hands of a lunatic on Kohler property with no family in sight was not the way she wanted to go out.

She knew Stuart intended to take them to the winery's processing room. If he killed them there and hid their bodies, it could be days before they were found. The thought of her body crammed behind a row of tanks, bloating and decomposing, made her stomach roll.

No way! Don't think about that, you idiot.
You have to hold on and keep your eyes open for any available opportunity. Jackson will come for you.

But short of him having telepathy, she knew the chance of that happening was slim to nil. With the exception of Madison, nobody even knew where she was.

Once Henry had finished taping her hands, Stuart held the gun on him with one hand and taped Henry's hands together with the other before shoving them both out the back door. Distracted by the wild thoughts rioting in her head, Elise stumbled as she went down the deck stairs. She would have fallen had Henry not turned at the opportune time and stopped her plunge.

“Nice job, Henry,” Stuart said, beaming at him. “Very spry for an old goat.”

“Oh, shut up, you evil little ass.”

Surprise flashed across Stuart's face at the older man's remark. “Henry, I seriously don't think you understand how this works.” He spoke as if he were talking to a small child. “Let me explain. The one holding the gun makes the rules and gives the orders. And let me also mention that name-calling is not going to help your situation.”

“What difference does it make? You're going to kill us anyway,” Henry grumbled.

“That's true. Still, it's how we carry ourselves in times of stress that shows our character.” Stuart waved the pistol in the general direction of the winery. “Now get moving.”

As they started up the long driveway, Elise searched the surrounding area for any means of escape but found nothing helpful. There was no cover, nowhere to run. Stuart would shoot them before they could get clear. Even if there was something to hide behind, he would just hunt them down.

Knowing the winery's processing room was the end of the line—and most probably the end of her life—Elise decided to try reasoning with him. It couldn't hurt, and it might give her the time to think of something else. She stopped and turned to face him. “Stuart, please, this isn't like you. You're not this cold-blooded. You don't want to do this. I know you don't.”

He tilted his head and seemed to consider his options. For a moment she thought she saw regret in his gaze. “You're right, darling,” he said at length. “I don't.”

But just when hope was beginning to bloom, the look in his eyes changed, and he shook his head. She realized then that it had been a wasted effort.

“Unfortunately, I have no choice,” he said. “Don't you see? You know all my secrets now. So that makes you another loose end, and I can't have that, can I? It's nothing personal.”

“But Stuart—”

He cut her off with a heartless laugh. “Oh, I know what you're going to say. You won't tell anyone what you know, right? But,
sweetie, how can I trust you now, after all that's been said?” He gestured to Kohler with the gun in his hand. “Henry here has been easy to keep in line up until now because I held all the cards. His prints are all over your uncle's murder weapon, and I have that stashed away in a safe place. But what guarantee do I have that
you
won't blab?” He shook his head, his eyes never leaving hers. “This is much cleaner. It really is the best way.”

She could see now that there was nothing more she could say that would make any difference. The Stuart she thought she knew was gone, replaced by this homicidal maniac who'd obviously lost his grip on reality.

As if confirming that point, he gave her a too-bright smile and motioned for them to start walking again with a sweep of his arm, as if they were about to take a walk in the park together.

Turning to follow Henry, hysteria began to build in her chest, but she worked hard to push it back. Freaking out wouldn't get her out of this mess. What she needed was some kind of logical plan. This whole nightmare was like a scene out of a spy thriller or an action film. There must be something she could do.

And with that, an idea popped into her head.

It was crazy and probably wouldn't work. But a good defense always involved having a kick-ass offense. And she and Henry were running out of time.

Okay, here goes nothing
, she thought before saying a quick prayer. With her next few steps she pretended to trip, dropping to her hands and knees in the gravel driveway.

“Oh, for God's sake,” Stuart muttered, coming up behind her. “Dragging your feet isn't going to get you anywhere, Elise. You're being childish. Now get up.”

As he reached down to grab her, she scooped up as much gravel as her taped hands would allow and hoped it would be enough. Swinging around, she flung the whole of it into his face.

Stuart cried out and shouted several expletives as he lurched backward. And when he did she screamed, “Run, Henry!”

The older man took off up the road toward the vineyard with the speed of a much younger fellow. Scrambling to her feet, Elise ran for the winery instead. It wasn't the best choice, considering it was the place where Stuart intended to kill them both, but she had few options. Plus, with them running in different directions, it would split Stuart's focus. He couldn't go after both of them. If she could get inside and find a hiding spot before he could follow, it would at least buy her some time.

A shot rang out as she threw open the door. She heard it ricochet off the building somewhere close by but didn't stop to look back.

The moment Elise was inside the winery she heard a second shot, and she quickly closed and locked the door. She knew it was a futile measure but hoped it would slow him down and give her a chance to think. He'd eventually find a way in—and he might still kill her—but she was going to make him work to accomplish the task.

Pausing to get her bearings, she looked to her right. The hall opened up onto the processing room with its rows of large tanks and labyrinth of pipes and valves.

Nope,
she thought,
definitely not going in there.

At the end of the hall to the left was an office, and she raced in that direction hoping to find something to use to free her hands.

Throwing open the door, she dashed inside and immediately began searching the desk drawers. Though there were no scissors to be found, she did run across a small Swiss Army knife. Figuring it would do the trick, she fumbled to open it.

With her hands shaking, she dropped it once. It took several tries, but she finally got it open. Turning it around so that the point faced her chest, she began to see-saw back and forth against the duct tape at her wrists. Within moments her diminutive tool had sliced through her bonds, and she was free of them.

Unfortunately, there was no time to celebrate her good fortune. Even as she rejoiced in her clever escape, a banging at the front door reminded her that she wasn't out of the woods just yet. She could hear Stuart yelling and knew it wouldn't be long before he gained access to the building. She had to find a place to hide. But where?

It was then that she noticed the slim window above the credenza on the opposing wall. Although it was a crank-out style, she hoped it would open far enough for her to shimmy up and out.

Climbing up onto the console, she tried to turn the window's lever, but it was frozen in place and wouldn't budge. She stared at it with annoyance.
Just my lousy luck!
she thought.

Breaking the glass was an option if she could find something heavy enough, but she worried that Stuart would hear the sound. That's all she needed—to crawl out of the window over broken glass only to find him waiting for her on the other side. So she dismissed that idea and concentrated on getting the lever to rotate.

With great effort, she worked it back and forth until it finally started to move and the window began to lift outward.

It was slow going—too slow—and the lever was getting more difficult to turn. Then it stopped altogether and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get it to move any farther. Ripping off the screen in frustration and tossing it over her shoulder, she eyed the opening. She could probably wiggle through, but it was going to be a tight squeeze.

Looking over her shoulder, she forced herself to be
still and listen. Worrying her bottom lip with her teeth, her anxiety skyrocketed when she realized the banging had stopped. Where had Stuart gone? At least when he was pounding on the door she knew his location. Now he could be anywhere. He could pop up when she least expected him, like some crazed jack-in-the-box. It was a frightening thought.

Then she heard the sound that had her breath backing up in her chest.

The front door of the building was thrown open, the sound reverberating through the space like a gunshot as it hit the opposite wall.

“El-
ise
?” Stuart called out in a sing-song voice. “Where have you gone, darling?”

“Elise, don't move!” Henry yelled. Then she heard a sickening thud and the sound of something heavy hitting the floor; she could only assume it was Henry.

Looking back at the window, her heart sank. The opening appeared to be big enough, but what if she tried to climb out and got stuck? Stuart would find her, and her bid for freedom would be over before it had begun. She had to make a quick decision.

Climbing down off the credenza as quietly as she could, she looked around the room for a hiding place. She briefly considered the two large storage cabinets along the adjacent wall but figured Stuart would check them both first thing.

Tip-toeing over to the old wooden desk, she eased the chair out and looked into the knee-hole. It was a solid piece of furniture that went clear to the floor on all sides.

It was a gamble. If he found her, she would be trapped with nowhere to go, but she was out of options. It would have to do.

Scooting into the tiny space, she pulled the chair back in toward her body as far as she could. If she was lucky, Stuart would see the screen on the floor with the window halfway open and think that she'd escaped.

Hearing his footsteps coming down the hall, she clapped her hand over her mouth to stifle the scream that threatened to burst from between her clenched teeth. Moments later, her terror grew when he paused just outside the office. Holding her breath, she sent up a prayer as she heard him enter the room.

“Darling? Are you in here?” he asked as if he thought she would actually answer him. “What the—”

When she heard the surprise and then anger in his voice, she figured he'd spotted the screen on the floor and the open window.

“Oh no, you didn't,” he said.

She listened as he threw open the doors on both of the cabinets, just as she'd feared he would. She did a short happy dance inside her head that she'd decided against hiding there. It was followed up with another prayer that he wouldn't think to check under the desk.

Then there was silence for what seemed like an eternity.

What is he doing?

Her heartbeat was so loud in her own ears that she was certain he would hear it too. In her mind's eye she envisioned him staring at her hiding place, convinced that any moment now he would jerk the chair away and discover her there.

As the seconds ticked by, she could tell he was still in the room but had just stopped moving. When she heard the sound of gravel crunching outside, she knew why.

A car was coming up the driveway.

And her hope soared.

“Dammit! What now?” he muttered to himself. She heard him climb up onto the credenza to look out the window. “Well, well, Deputy Do-Right, and his trusty sidekick. And Ross too. Why, it's just a party, isn't it?”

Oh, thank you, Jesus
, she thought, as relief poured through her.

Jackson and Ross were here. They had come for her, and this nightmare would soon be over. But the happiness she felt at their arrival was short-lived. With Stuart's next words, it became clear to her that he had no intention of giving up or running away.