Grapes of Death (2 page)

“Oh brother! What a suck-up,” Elise said, rolling her eyes.

“Jealous much?” Jackson made a show of hugging Abigail back. “I told you, El, I'm just so danged pretty.”

Elise scrunched up her nose as if smelling something rotten. “Careful, Gram. His head gets any bigger it just might explode. Trust me; you do
not
want to get any of
that
on you.”

Jackson burst out laughing, just as Ross stormed through the back door with Madison on his heels.

“Maddy said Uncle Edmond is here causing trouble again.”

Elise frowned at Madison. “Did she now?”

Yep.
That's
what they needed this afternoon—someone to stir the crazy pot.

Her sister at least had the good grace to look sheepish. “Sorry, but there was something different about Uncle Edmond this time, and it scared me. So I went and got Ross.”

“I told Caroline to stay up at the house with the boys until he's gone,” Ross grumbled. “I don't want my kids exposed to any more of his crap. Seriously, this has to stop.”

“I agree,” Jackson put in.

“Geez, Jackson, don't fan the flames,” Elise said, but he ignored her.

“Has your mom thought about that restraining order we talked about last month?”

Ross snorted. “She won't even discuss it, but clearly something needs to be done.”

“Okay, let's just calm down,” Elise said, stepping into the fray. “You have to look at it from Mom's point of view, Ross. She doesn't want to be the one to ban the surviving Beckett brother from land that's been in his family forever.”

“That's just bull, El,” Ross returned. “Uncle Edmond has never been interested in working the land, and you know it. He's only concerned with what the winery can give him. He's always looked for an easy buck, a free ride. He would have run it into the ground in short order, and Grandpa Beckett knew it. That's why he left it to Daddy.”

“Your dad was the one with the passion for it, anyway,” Jackson added. “Jacob loved the land and growing grapes.”

“Hello?” Elise said, waving a hand in front of Ross's face. “Do you both think I just crawled out from underneath a rock? I don't need a history lesson! But last time I checked, Mom was the owner of record for River Bend, and the fact remains that she's the one who will ultimately have to deal with Uncle Edmond. So take it down a notch, will you?”

“Elise's right, you two. It's Laura's decision and you need to respect that.” Having cast her vote, Abigail turned back to her stew but added over her shoulder, “However, she is going to have to deal with that man soon enough, cause his threats are gettin' worse—and he's gettin' meaner about 'em.”

As if to emphasize her grandmother's last comment, the conversation in the kitchen was interrupted by the sound of a commotion in the front of the house, along with more raised voices. Ross, Elise, and Jackson headed in the direction of the shouting, followed closely by Madison and Abigail. There they found Edmond nose to nose with Neil Paige, the property foreman, while Laura and Carlos Madera, one of the vineyard employees, watched with concerned faces. Her uncle's features were contorted with anger along with his signature sneer.

When Edmond had moved back to Delphine after her father's passing two years ago, Elise had begun to notice startling differences between the brothers. Her father, Jacob, had been a gentle man, rarely even raising his voice. Her uncle was a different story, and she'd always found it disconcerting to see her father's familiar image shadowed with such hostility in Edmond's face.

“I don't hold with bullying a woman for any reason,” Neil was saying. “You need to leave before this gets out of control.”

“Yeah? And who's gonna make me? You?”

“If need be, but I'd rather not dirty my hands with the likes of you. If you don't leave now, I'll just call the police.”

Edmond blustered at that. “You're not part of the family. You're just an
employee
. That's not your call to make.”

“No,” Laura spoke up with quiet intensity. “It's mine. And I've had enough, Edmond. I've tried to find a solution to this situation that would satisfy both of us, but that hasn't materialized. I think I've been more than patient with your horrible behavior and outrageous demands since Jacob's passing, but I'm done.”

“
You're
done? Lady, this isn't over till I say it's over.”

“You're wrong, Edmond.” With a sad look for her brother-in-law, Laura glanced at Jackson and then shook her head. “You can leave on your own or with the help of Deputy Landry. It's your choice. But you
will
leave now.”

“You may think you've won, but I'm not going down without a fight. And I'm not afraid to get down in the mud with a gold digger like you.”

“How dare you talk to her that way?” Ross stepped forward and positioned himself between them. “What's
wrong
with you? This is
not
the way you treat family.”

“Ross—”

“No, Mom,” he said, cutting her off. “I'm tired of his crap and so is everyone else. He needs to hear this, because everyone here sees him for what he is.”

“What I am is the rightful owner of this vineyard!”

“Oh, please. This isn't about River Bend. If Dad would have left it to you, you'd have sold it in a heartbeat for what you could get out of it. You're nothing but a money-grubbing loser looking for a way to cash in on something others have built.”

“Ross Alexander! That's enough!” Laura grabbed his arm and pulled him back before things could escalate further. “Edmond, please don't make this harder than it has to be.”

“Oh, I'll go … for now. But this isn't over, Laura, not by a long stretch. This proposal would have solved your problems
and
mine, and you know it. You're gonna be sorry you didn't play ball.” He looked around the foyer at the faces looking back. “You're all going to pay. Big time.”

With that, Edmond turned and came face to face with the foreman. They stared at each other for a good ten seconds. Silently observing, Elise held her breath, thinking they might come to blows. But then Neil stepped aside and her uncle stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

An uncomfortable silence reigned for a few moments with nobody knowing what to say or do.

“Well, that was fun,” Elise said, trying to defuse the tension. All she got for her efforts was a stern look from her mother.

Then Ross spoke up in a quiet voice. “Someday somebody's going to take him out, and no one will shed a tear.” A chill went down Elise's spine.

“Ross, you don't mean that,” Laura said.

Ross glanced up at his mother,
and the look of resolve on his face gave Elise another chill. “Don't I?” With that, he turned and went down the hall toward the kitchen.

“I'll go talk to him, try and calm him down,” Abigail said with a sigh and followed Ross.

“I'll help,” Madison said, hurrying after her.

Jackson glanced at Elise. “I think I'm going to go out and make sure Edmond is gone before sitting down to dinner. I'll be back in a minute. Come on, Carlos. You can help me.”

Elise nodded absently as she watched the farm foreman cross to her mother. “You okay?”

“Yes, I'm fine, Neil. Thanks so much for coming over. I thought that whole thing might go sideways for a minute.”

He chuckled. “Not a problem. You know anytime you need backup, I'm right over at the bunkhouse.”

“Have you had your dinner?” When he shook his head, she nodded toward the kitchen. “Why don't you stay and have dinner with us? Go on back with the others. I'll be along in a few minutes.”

When he'd gone, her mother turned to Elise with a look of tired concern. “Something is going to have to be done about Edmond. Ross is right. This can't continue.”

Elise went to her then and gave her a hug. “I know you didn't want it to come to this, but he's really left you no choice, Mom.”

“I thought he would get tired of arguing and finally work with me on some kind of compromise, but clearly
that's
not going to happen.”

Elise frowned. “What did Uncle Edmond mean when he said his proposal would have solved your problems as well as his?”

“Oh, don't worry about it. That's just Edmond trying to start something.” Her mother waved a hand in the air and tried to laugh it off, but Elise got the distinct impression there was more to it then she was letting on—a whole lot more.

“What are you going to do?”

“Let's not worry about that tonight, honey. We'll have a family meeting tomorrow. That's soon enough to make a decision. For now, let's go have dinner.”

At that moment the door opened and Jackson came back in without Carlos.

“Is everything okay, Jackson?” Laura asked.

“Yes, ma'am. The coast is clear.”

“Good,” she said with a nod and slipped an arm through his. “Then let's go eat. I'm starving.”

Elise followed them down the hallway with her uncle's comments playing over in her mind. What problems could her mother possibly have that one of Edmond's wild schemes could fix?

Two

Morning dawned as sticky
and humid as a sports club steam room. Dragging herself out of bed, Elise felt like someone had drained her blood and replaced it with some kind of low-energy sludge during the night. She would definitely need about a gallon of diet cola to get her motor running smoothly again.

She'd slept in fits and starts, unable to get Stuart's job proposal out of her head. Between that dilemma and her uncle's cryptic remarks about making trouble for the vineyard—as well as her mother's lame
explanation of why there was nothing to worry about—she'd had a terrible night.

Fortunately, she didn't have much time to dwell on either issue this morning. Her mom had called a family meeting for eleven o'clock, and she needed to get moving if she was going to make a run by the greenhouse to check on her hybrid vines beforehand.

By the time Elise got out of the shower, you could cut the air in the bathroom with a machete—which did nothing to improve her mood. Why this room didn't have an exhaust fan, she would never know.

When she'd originally left the security of her family's home and moved out on her own, she'd thought the apartment above the Delphine Drug Store in town was quaint, with sort of an old-world charm. The owners, Avery and Lila Parker, ran the pharmacy downstairs and were the best landlords ever. They never even complained when she ran a few days late with the rent—which happened more often than she'd like to admit.

It was a plus that they'd given her free rein with decorating, and she'd taken full advantage of their generosity in that area. While she'd loved the apartment's original wallpaper, it was too far gone to save. So she'd meticulously removed every scrap and painted each room in a soft pastel color scheme.

Having a passion for old-fashioned linen and just about anything antique, she had run across some really fabulous lace curtains at one of the shops on Main Street. Between her collection of porcelain pitchers and the Pop Art that adorned the walls, her apartment may be eclectic, even unconventional, but it was bright and fresh and suited her perfectly.

However, on the minus side, the old radiators took forever to come up in the winter, then blasted you out with heat once they did. And the two window air conditioners worked off and on at best. More off than on, truth be told. With the heat wave they'd been having, this was
not
a good thing. She found a hammer worked well with the radiators and a few good whacks with a shoe did wonders for the air conditioning units.

Speaking of shoes, what the hell did that big, fat blob of a cat do with her other sandal?

“
Chunk
!” she hollered, then muttered under her breath, “Where are you, you little spawn of Satan?”

Of course, she'd named him Chunk for a reason—and the word
little
had nothing to do with it. Her Snowshoe Siamese was eighteen pounds and, for reasons known only to him, had developed a penchant for hiding her shoes. Problem was, he usually only took one of a pair, so she had a plethora of mismatched shoes in her closet at any given time.

Stomping into the living room, she found his royal highness lounging in the Papasan chair like the king of the world. He looked up and lazily yawned as she approached.

“Where is my other sandal, mister?” she asked, brandishing the lone shoe she'd found. The cat blinked and began to bathe, obviously unconcerned with her wardrobe issues. “Seriously, Chunk, I don't have time for your shenanigans today.
I'm already running late!”

Dear God, I'm talking to my cat like I expect him to answer
, she thought, and then grumbled aloud. “I
so
haven't had enough caffeine for the way this day is starting out.”

Throwing on a different—and matching—pair of sandals, Elise grabbed her purse and briefcase, and then headed for the door.

“I'm going now, twerp,” she said over her shoulder. “Please don't destroy the apartment or any of my footwear while I'm gone.”

In her haste to find more caffeine, she failed to don her sunglasses. Racing down the stairs, she nearly blinded herself when she stumbled out into the bright, early morning sunlight. Luckily the need to pay rent saved her from permanent damage. She ducked into the drug store in search of her landlord.

“Well, good morning, Elise,” Mrs. Parker greeted her with a cheerful smile. “How was your trip to Dallas?”

“Long and eventful, Mrs. P.,” she answered with a snort. “Like I need to add anything more to my already overflowing plate.”

She would have laughed, but she wasn't really finding any humor in the situation at the moment. If anything, her weekend trip and Stuart's offer had only added a layer of stress to her life that hadn't existed before.

“That sounds ominous, dear. Anything you want to share?”

Elise sighed. “Oh, don't mind me. I didn't sleep well. And it seems I've gotten up on the wrong side of the bed.” She grabbed a diet soda out of the refrigerated unit by the counter and pulled a couple dollars from her purse. “A little caffeine and I'll be right as rain.”

Mrs. Parker shook her head and made a tsking sound. “You know that stuff is terrible for you. It'll eat holes right through your stomach.”

Elise laughed and gave the older woman a look of mock horror. “Please, Mrs. P., don't ruin it for me!”

Mrs. Parker chuckled along with her. “Heading out to the vineyard this morning?”

“Yep,” she replied with a nod and handed over her rent check. “But I wanted to drop this off before I forgot again.”

“Oh posh, we never worry about you. You're a good girl, Elise, even if you're not always prompt with your rent.”

Opening her cola, Elise took a couple swigs and then smiled. “Thanks, Mrs. P.”

The older woman frowned then and leaned on the counter. “Is everything all right out at the vineyard?”

The tone in Mrs. Parker's voice gave Elise pause. She re-capped her soda and slid it into her briefcase. “Of course,” she replied slowly. “Why do you ask?”

“Oh, it's probably nothing,” she said with a shake of her head. “Small towns, you know. Just something Avery said last night.”

“Oh? What was that?”

“Well, he ran into Pam Dawson over at Pit Barbeque, and she told him things would be changing out at the vineyard very soon. He thought she was acting peculiar, ranting about how Edmond would be coming into a whole lot of money one minute, the next how he was a screw-up
who'd
ruined her life. But then, that's Pam,” she said, rolling her eyes. “She's nothing if not a trifle odd. Personally, I think she may be a touch bipolar.”

Elise tried to smile but felt a sudden chill at the older woman's words. Pam Dawson was her Uncle Edmond's on again-off again girlfriend and a terrible gossip. Since her uncle had spread all kinds of unfounded rumors around town in the two years he'd been back in the area, Elise felt certain Pam was only repeating more of the same here. Still, it was disconcerting.

“I can safely say that I haven't heard of any major upcoming changes,” she said, digging into her purse for her car keys.
Haven't heard of any, but that doesn't mean something's not afoot,
she thought.

“I guess you'd know,” Mrs. Parker replied. “Probably just talk anyway.”

“I would hope so.” Again, Elise tried to laugh it off, but the look on her mother's face the previous night when she'd questioned her about Edmond's comments popped into her head. Surely Laura would tell the family if a major change was coming, right? But what if it wasn't just talk?

Mrs. Parker reached out and put a hand over hers, snapping her out of her thoughts. “I know he's kin and all, Elise, but I'd keep an eye on your Uncle Edmond all the same. Your daddy was a good man, but that Edmond has been trouble his whole life. I wouldn't trust him any farther than I could see him.”

“I'll keep that in mind, Mrs. P.” Shaking off the sense of gloom that permeated the air, Elise grabbed her purse and briefcase and headed for the door. “Gotta run or I'll be even later than I already am. Have a nice day.”

This time she slipped on her sunglasses before heading out into the sunshine—and literally ran into another piece of bad news in the form of Deputy Darrell Yancy.

“Whoa, where's the fire, El?” he asked, taking her by the shoulders to steady her when she stumbled.

“Sorry, Darrell. I didn't see you.”

Having graduated with her brother, Yancy was the mayor's ne-phew and never missed an opportunity
to throw around
that
connection whenever and wherever he could. He'd also been sweet on a certain Miss Caroline Wilcox before she'd become Mrs. Ross Beckett. That Caroline had picked Ross over him was something Darrell had never forgotten—and he blamed Ross to this day.

“How are the plans for Cousin Deana's wedding coming along? They're still having it out at the vineyard, right? Or is that going to change too?” he added with an oily smile.

“That's Madison's project, so I'm a bit out of the loop on details.” She sidestepped and tried to disengage herself from the deputy when he held on just a bit too long for comfort. “But everything is right on schedule.”

Hosting the wedding for the mayor's daughter was a big deal in the county and would bring in a good chunk of change for the vineyard. But she frowned as Darrell's last words sank in. “What do you mean,
‘
is that going to change too'? What else has changed, Darrell?”

“I don't know.” The look he gave her was sly, as if he knew something she didn't. “I've just been hearing scuttlebutt. A little birdie told me some big changes were coming for River Bend.”

Elise sighed. “Let me guess—a little birdie named Pam Dawson? Or maybe a big rat named Edmond Beckett? You should know better than to listen to the garbage either of those two spread.”

“We'll see,” Darrell said. Turning, he slithered up the street but threw a parting shot over his shoulder. “Save a dance for me at the reception,
Ms.
Beckett.”

Elise gave a noncommittal smile and turned away.
In your dreams, Creepy McCreeperson.
Shaking her head, she headed for her car.

If she thought she'd put her worries out of her mind, her little chat with Mrs. Parker and the unpleasant run-in with Darrell had brought them all back with a vengeance. By the time she arrived at the vineyard, Elise was mentally freaking out and hoped ten minutes in the greenhouse would calm her nerves and help her put things in perspective.

She found her grandmother in the greenhouse tending her vegetables.

“Morning, Gram.”

“Hey, baby girl. Back for more fun?”

“Yes, ma'am. I figure I've got maybe ten minutes to play in here before the meeting. Do you know what Mom wants to discuss—besides the obvious problem with Uncle Edmond?”

Abigail shook her head. “There's something going on, that's for sure. But every time I ask, Laura puts me off. And I can't tell you how annoying that is.”

“You, too?” Elise chuckled. She put her bags down on the potting table and then turned to her grandmother. “Last night I asked her what Uncle Edmond meant with that odd remark about his scheme ‘fixing her problem', but she denied anything was wrong.”

“She's never deliberately tried to hide anything from me before, not even when she was a little girl,” Abigail said with a note of sadness in her voice. “It may be annoying, but I have to say, it's got me a bit worried as well.”

Elise nodded. “I know what you mean, Gram. She's always been honest with us, especially about anything involving the vineyard. But last night … I can't say she out and out lied to me, but I got the distinct feeling she wasn't being completely honest, either.”

“I'm hopin' she'll come clean with whatever's going on in this meeting.”

Elise turned to the young vines in large clay pots sitting under lamps on the tiered table along the wall. She examined the starts for indications of potential problems and trimmed them as she spoke. “I've been hearing rumors in town, Gram. Pam and Uncle Edmond have been pretty busy.”

“I wouldn't worry about it, sweet pea.” Abigail put her tools away and took off her gardening gloves. “Those two are just as worthless as teats on a bull. Nobody with a lick of sense will listen to their prattle.” She sighed. “Caroline's opening the shop this morning so I can attend this family conference. I guess I better head up to the house and put on the kettle. I made scones for us to snack on during the meeting.”

“Mmm, love your scones. I'll be up in a bit.”

After her grandmother walked away, Elise thought about what she'd said. If her mom wasn't even confiding in her own mother, maybe there really was something to worry about. But what?

As she went about checking her hybrid starts, she pondered different scenarios. Her mother was healthy, at least as far as she knew.
Oh my gosh!
What if her mother had been diagnosed with some kind of deadly disease?

Okay, take a breath, chicken little
, she thought. That was something her mother would
never
keep to herself.

Could it be something to do with the vineyard itself? Sure, things had been tight for a few months with the recent drought conditions. But they went through this every year.