Almost Forever (22 page)

“Do you have a towel or some rags in your trunk?” she asked. She decided she needed to see this thing through, even though she was still very rattled.

He took out a gallon jug of water and a roll of paper towels. He handed it to Lori and stepped back while she and Justin washed up as best they could. So much for her concern about looking businesslike.

They arrived at Farmers Trust Bank a half hour later. The clerks called out a cheerful hello to Lori, and she walked straight to the president's office. He was working at his computer, but he looked up and smiled when he saw her.

“Lori, how are you doing? The memorial service was very touching. You did an honor to Mark's memory,” he said, standing until she sat. He too managed not to appear disturbed by her disheveled appearance.

“Thank you for coming. We had a good crowd. I had no idea how many people would show up.”

“Mark was…an interesting fellow. His family banked with us since we opened our doors back in 1949.”

She reached into her purse, took out the silver key, and put it on his desk. “Mark had a safe deposit box that I didn't know about. I'd like to see it, please.”

“No problem,” he said and turned back to his computer. He clicked a few keys and scanned the screen. He scrolled down, then back up through the list. “Could it have been under a different name?”

Lori's mind whirled. What name would Mark have used? And why? “I have no idea.”

“Let me cross-check it with his Social Security number. Do you know that?”

She recited the number, and he typed it in. He studied the screen for another minute, then frowned. “I'm sorry, but there's nothing here.”

The disappointment floored her. She'd expected to walk in here today and find all Mark's secrets in that metal box. And if the money had been there, all suspicion about her would have disappeared. She sighed and put the key back in her purse. “Well, thanks for checking on it for me.” She stood and held out her hand. “You and the missus come by for dinner sometime.”

“I'm really sorry,” he repeated.

Back in the parking lot, they leaned against Tyler's car.

“What now?” she asked.

Justin looked up and down the street. “We check every bank in town, and then we go statewide. I've got Franklin doing a search, but while we're here, we might as well do our own reconnaissance.”

“You think that's where he hid his trust money, don't you?” Tyler asked.

“We're hoping,” Justin confirmed. “We just want to be there when it's opened.”

Lori nodded her agreement.

“How many banks are here?” Tyler asked.

“There couldn't be many,” Lori replied.

Three hours later, tired and discouraged, they arrived back at her house.

“That was a bust,” Tyler commented.

“When you get back to the office, maybe you can figure out who cut my brake lines,” Lori remarked. “Now that you know I didn't kill Mark, why don't you arrest whoever is trying to kill me?”

“I'll file a report,” he replied with a grimace. “But you're not completely off the hook yet. I need to pick up the wallet and talk to the suspects.”

Lori bristled. “They're not suspects; they're victims. We have an appointment for an interview tomorrow morning at ten. I'm sure if you're there, you'll be able to ask them any questions you want. We'll bring all the evidence with us, and you can look at it then.”

Tyler shifted uncomfortably. He glanced at Justin, expecting him to be a backup.

But Justin hooked his thumbs in his belt. “I guess you'll have to wait until tomorrow.”

Tyler considered his options but must have decided this was not the hill to die on. “Fine. I'll be there. The suspects better show up.”

“The
victims
will,” Lori declared, hoping that was true.

Tyler looked around, and when he didn't see Justin's SUV, he asked, “Want me to drop you somewhere?”

“No, I'll get a ride later,” Justin told him. “Thanks for picking us up.”

Lori vowed to never play poker against Justin. He didn't so much as blink as he looked into Tyler's eyes.

“See y'all tomorrow,” Tyler said as he got into his car and drove off.

Lori and Justin made it as far as the front porch, then collapsed on the wicker chairs.

“I asked Franklin to expand the search,” Justin said. “I have a hunch the money's in Vegas. If what Sylvia told me was correct, he might have taken it there, expecting to live off of it. Since you didn't know anything about it, it wouldn't have been part of the divorce settlement.”

“The son of a—”

The screen door slammed back against the wall as Mackenzie ran out of the house.

“Where have you been?” She stood in front of Lori with her hands on her hips. “Didn't you think I'd be worried?” Mackenzie was practically screaming.

“I hope you remember how this feels when you're a teenager,” Lori commented sarcastically.

“No, seriously, Mom. I called all your friends and no one had seen you.” She paused and looked out at the driveway. “Where's the pickup?”

“It's okay, Mackenzie,” she said. “We had some car trouble, that's all. We're fine. Really.”

“You've been gone all day, and you didn't answer your phone.”

Lori looked in her purse and groaned. “My phone must have fallen out during the accident.”

“Accident?” Mackenzie's eyes filled with tears and she ran forward and hugged her mother. “Did you get hurt?”

“No, just shaken up a little. The truck had to be towed to the shop. When we get it back, it'll look like new.” She stroked her daughter's hair. “I'm sorry I didn't call. Everything happened so fast, then we went into town and just got back.”

“Don't do that again.” Mackenzie's voice was muffled by Lori's blouse.

“I forget that you're getting all grown up and notice when I'm gone.”

“You're my mommy.” Mackenzie lifted her head and stared into her mother's eyes. “You're the most important person in the world.”

Lori pulled the little girl onto her lap. Her baby was growing up so fast. It hadn't been all that long ago that Mackenzie could curl up and fit completely in Lori's lap. It would be nice to have another child. She glanced over at Justin through the fringe of her lowered eyelids. It would be nice to have a child with him. But he had never so much as mentioned whether or not he wanted children or even if he ever planned on getting married. He was totally committed to his job and didn't seem inclined to invite a woman in, much less a woman and a child.

Justin seemed happy with his life. He would soon move on to the next case and the next. She did believe that it had been unusual for him to act on their sexual attraction. But she'd known all along that it was a temporary situation. She wasn't even sure she was ready to move on with someone else. After all, her last attempt at marriage hadn't exactly been a rousing success.

Maybe she was destined to live the rest of her life as Lori Roberts.

That reality really sucked.

“I think I need a bigger conference room.” Casey Willows's spike heels clicked on the wooden floor as she led the way through her office to the small area in the back. It was clear it doubled as the break room because there was a refrigerator on one wall and a microwave and coffeemaker on the counter. In the center of the room was a large rectangular table with ten padded chairs around it.

Already seated were Lieutenant Rick Franklin, Ranger Tyler Reed, the DA, and a stranger who appeared to be setting up a machine so he could take a deposition.

Justin, Lori, Luke, Raúl, and Raquel took the empty seats. Casey hovered.

“Can I get anyone coffee or a soft drink?”

“Let's get on with this,” the DA suggested…strongly.

Casey sat at the head of the table. “Okay, let's begin with introductions.”

The stenographer typed everyone's names as they introduced themselves.

“We're here today concerning the death of Mark Roberts,” Casey continued. “Raúl, would you like to tell us what happened?”

Three hours later, Raúl and Raquel had gone through their story several times. All the questions had been asked and answered and asked again. Raúl and Raquel never deviated from their story. The wallet and boots, along with all the paperwork and the safe deposit box key, were transferred to Franklin, who promised to pursue the trail.

“I'll bring all this information to the judge, and I'm sure your charges will be dropped,” the DA told Lori.

“How about Raúl and Raquel?” she asked. The siblings sat huddled together, their cheeks stained with tears. The whole experience had drained all their energy. But they had been honest and forthcoming about the details, and all they could do was hope for the best.

“It sounds like a clear case of self-defense. Unless I discover something to the contrary, I won't pursue prosecution.”

Lori heaved a sigh of relief. She couldn't have hoped for a better ending…except for one thing.

She glanced over at Justin, who was deep in conversation with Franklin, Tyler, and Luke. It looked like her Texas Ranger was about to get on his white horse and ride off into the sunset.

Justin had exchanged cars with Grammy earlier that morning, and they had ridden into Austin together in his Explorer. And they rode back together, stopping for a late lunch at one of the more popular Mexican restaurants. Raúl and Raquel rarely ate out anywhere except Fredericksburg, so eating in a big city like Austin was a real treat. On the way home, they stopped by Grammy's to pick up Mackenzie.

The winery and restaurant were rarely closed, but today the doors were locked.

“I'm going to prep for tomorrow,” Raquel said, but Lori shook her head.

“No, you're going to take a day off and celebrate your freedom. You don't have to spend another minute worrying about the state of your future. Enjoy yourself.”

“I'm not sure I know how.” Raquel seemed a little lost.

“Then you and I are going to have to sit down and talk.”

“I'm starting classes next month. I really would like to become a chef,” Raquel admitted shyly.

“Excellent choice. You already have so much experience.” Lori noticed Chef Bradley's car parked next to the building. “I'm sure Chef Bradley would love to help you.”

“I like Chef Gino better,” Raquel muttered.

“He'll be back in a week or two. Now go, put your feet up, and just relax.”

“Okay, Miss Lori.” A grateful smile spread over Raquel's pretty face. “Thank you very much. I'm glad you're going to be okay.”

“We all are.” Lori hugged the younger woman, then gave her a gentle shove away from the restaurant.

It was late afternoon, and Lori felt at loose ends. She assumed Justin was packing his clothes and getting ready to leave. She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder and whirled around.

“I called Bruno, and your car will be ready by Friday. Until then, he's going to bring you a loaner,” Justin told her.

“That's really nice. Did he mention how much it was going to be?”

“He said your insurance company was going to take care of the bill.”

“But I have a thousand-dollar deductible.”

“I took care of that.”

“Oh, no, you don't,” Lori sputtered. “I can pay my own bills.”

“I owe you at least that for mileage, because we used your vehicle to investigate a case. It's a legitimate expense.”

Lori wanted to argue the point, but she also didn't want to have to come up with a thousand dollars. The DA had promised to release Mark's wallet and the $902 in it as soon as he talked to the judge. But she had hoped to use that money for a new water heater.

“Why don't you let me grill us some steaks?” Justin offered. “You deserve a celebration.”

She felt strangely down. If ever there was a time she should be dancing for joy, this was it. But it felt like the day after Christmas, when all the toys were unwrapped and all you were left with was the turkey bones and the trash. She owed so much to Justin that she had to buck up and act excited.

“Sure, that sounds good. But first I need to check one thing in the barrel room. Raúl asked me to look at a new piece of equipment, and I've been so busy I haven't gotten around to it.”

“So maybe ten minutes?”

“Max.”

“Hey, why don't I tag along? You promised me a behind-the-scenes tour,” he suggested.

He almost managed to make her smile. “We don't have enough time for me to show you
everything
.”

“I'm sure that anything I see will be amazing.” His blue eyes had that adorable twinkle that she could never resist. What difference did it make if dinner was an hour later?

“Let's not waste any time.” She led the way across the fieldstone patio and into the winery. The smell of grapes still hung in the air, even though all of the fruit was now processing in the fermenting vats in a different room. She opened the heavy wooden door that led to the main room, where most of the barrels were stored. Racks from floor to ceiling lined the room on three sides.

“This room holds about a thousand barrels. They're grouped by year and marked. It's our oldest and largest.” She walked around the room and showed him the marks. “I'd like to double our output, but that would require some cash, and we'd need more space for processing and storage.”

“It's all very impressive. I may just learn to like wine.”

“It's probably better for you than beer.”

“You might be right, but there's nothing better than an ice-cold beer on a hot day.”

She didn't really want to get into an argument about alcoholic beverages, especially not today. She glanced over to the side wall on the right. “That's the new control pendant Raúl installed. It's wireless. The old one was shorting out, and a couple months ago a laborer almost got crushed when he couldn't stop a barrel.”

“Was he okay?”

“He jumped out of the way at the last second. We were all very lucky.”

Lori grabbed the pendant and began to operate the overhead trolley crane. It moved slowly across the ceiling from the end of the room until she stopped it and lowered the hook. “I like the dead-man switch feature.” Suddenly, behind them, the heavy door slammed shut.

“That's next,” she continued. “I want to put a sliding door there so the wind can't blow it shut. This old building has seen better days. We could control the temperature and humidity better if we didn't have all the cracks.”

Justin looked warily at the closed door. “I'm sure it takes a lot of money to keep a place like this maintained.”

“We've been trying to get by until our wine gets noticed. Problem is, I'm a control freak. Every project requires my involvement and, well…just ask Raúl or Raquel.”

“I don't think they have a bad thing to say about anything you do.” Justin pulled her into his arms. “And neither do I.”

She smiled as he pressed his lips against hers. She melted against him. They fit together so well. His response was immediate, and she could feel his erection pressing against her stomach. She wanted him to take her right there…in the middle of the barrel room on the dirt floor or slammed up against the barrels. It was somehow appropriate that their last coupling would occur in the middle of the winery she had struggled so hard to save. If only she could fight that hard for Justin.

Justin suddenly pulled away. “Do you smell something burning?”

Lori inhaled deeply. “I do.”

“It's getting stronger.” He followed the smell to the door, which he tried to open. It didn't move. He shoved his shoulder against it, but he practically bounced off. “It's stuck!”

“Can't be. It's just old.” She joined him and together they applied their weight to the wooden planks, but it didn't give. “Maybe something is blocking it.” She dropped down on her knees and was about to peer under it when thick curls of smoke started wafting through the cracks.

“I can see flames on the other side,” she declared and started coughing.

Justin looked around the room. “Is there any other way out?”

“No. There are no windows because of the wine.”

The smoke was pouring in now and beginning to accumulate in the peak of the vaulted ceiling.

Justin and Lori looked at each other and began to yell. “Fire! Help! Fire!” They banged on the door and Justin tried again to ram it with his shoulder, but it didn't budge. He reached into his pockets, searching for his cellphone.

“Crap, I left it in the Explorer,” he exclaimed.

“Mine's still in the truck.”

“We've got to stop this smoke from coming in. Is there any water here?”

Lori shook her head. “No…but there's liquid in the barrels.”

“Does wine burn?”

“It has a much lower alcohol content than liquor, so it doesn't burn easily. And it's not explosive. These racks would probably burn before the wine or the barrels.”

“Give me your blouse,” he ordered as he ripped his shirt over his head and ran to the barrel closest to the door. “How about this one?”

Lori picked up a hard rubber mallet and handed it to him. Justin banged on the bung several times until it popped out and the dark red wine flowed freely onto the floor. He held his shirt under the liquid and soaked it thoroughly, then traded it for Lori's dry shirt. She ran over and pushed his shirt in the opening beneath the door. Justin soaked hers, then tossed it to her, and she added it under the door. Justin pulled his wallet and keys out of his pockets, then took off his pants and put them in the dark red stream. Lori stood and took off her skirt and gave it to him as she took his pants. When it too was dripping wet, he squished it into the last gap.

“Just enough,” she commented, trying not to think that that had been her nicest outfit and might end up being her funeral clothes.

The smoke was persistent and managed to find all the cracks in the wood.

“How about that new machine? Will the chain reach the door?”

“I don't know.” Lori grabbed the control and powered the lift as far as the overhead tracks would allow. “The door opens out,” she reminded him.

“I'm hoping it will come apart.” Justin unhooked the chain and pulled it as far as it would go. It almost reached the door. “Is there another piece of chain?” he asked. They looked around the room until they spotted some hanging from an old pulley.

Lori had to climb up two levels of racks before she could reach it. She unhooked the chain and tossed it down toward him. It landed on the floor at his feet with a clank.

Justin hooked one end of the chain, then stretched it again. He threaded the chain through the old metal door handle and linked the other end to the hook. “Back it up slowly,” he told her. “But be ready. If we're able to pull the door open, there might be pieces of wood and metal flying everywhere.”

Lori was already back at the controls and hit the reverse button. The chain grew taut and the equipment groaned. She knew this was just a gamble since the wood was so thick, but perhaps the fire had weakened it. She pushed the button again, and the motor ground the trolley backward. Instead of the wood breaking, suddenly, the screws in the handle jerked out.

“Watch out!” Justin yelled and dropped to the floor.

Lori had just enough time to duck behind a barrel before the chain, still attached to the handle, whiplashed backward. It and all the flying screws became projectiles that slammed into the barrel with enough force to shake the whole rack before swinging forward again.

Justin jumped up, ran to her, and gathered her in his arms. They sank to the floor together and leaned against the back wall of barrels. She shivered, unnerved by the near hit from the chain and the imminent danger of the fire that raged outside. The old wood could only withstand so much. Once it got inside this room, they would be overcome by the smoke and burned alive.

There was no escape.