The Spia Family Presses On - By Mary Leo Page 0,29
meet the guy.”
“I’m confused. You already met him. I’m sure that was you and Dickey out on the front porch of your tasting room this morning.”
“You already know the guy?” Nick asked.
“Me? No. I’ve heard stories about him for years, but never met him. Besides I was in a meeting for most of the morning. That couldn’t have been me you saw. He was there, all right. Bought a case of our wine, but I never saw the guy.” He said this with a straight face, a face I’d seen many times before, but could never read. That was before our last breakup. I’d learned some things about him since then. I was sure this was his big-fat-lie face: calm, no expression other than a hint of surprise that a stranger could never pick up, but I was certain I saw it in his eyes now. That flicker of guilt. It was only there for a moment, but this time I’d caught it.
That explained the Russo wine at the party. Dickey had brought it, proof positive that he’d been the man on the porch. But why would Leo lie about it? What was he hiding, and was he hiding it from me or from Nick? I had to know, but apparently I wasn’t going to get at the truth any time soon.
At that point the only thing I could do was smile and lead them to the chairs on the front lawn, away from the barn. I’d have to think of how to sneak back into it later to retrieve the gun.
Nick seemed like one of those cops who never went off duty, always carried a weapon and would turn in his own father at the hint of a crime. I wondered if he saw the lie in Leo’s eyes or was it just something I could see.
And, did he suspect Lisa and I were hiding something?
We’d have to be extra careful.
Just as we reached the chairs Lisa gazed down at her diamond studded watch. “I better get going. I have to get up early for . . . something important.”
“But—” I stammered.
“Yeah,” she let out a phony little yawn. “Too bad. I really would like to stay and chat, but it’s getting late.” She looked at the guys. “Nice to meet you, Nick. I’m sure we’ll run into each other again.” She tossed Leo a cool nod. He returned the nod and added a sheepish grin. I could tell she wasn’t receptive to his affable gesture.
“It’s not even nine o’clock. Since when is that late?” I asked.
“Since I have to get up early and do that . . . thing.”
“What thing?”
“That thing we talked about in the barn. I have to go,” she said and walked toward her car.
I left the guys and followed close behind her. When we were out of earshot I said, “Oh, no you don’t. You can’t just walk away from this and leave me here. Alone. With a dead cousin, a meddlesome cop and my human addiction. I need you. You’re my best friend and best friends stick together in sickness and in health, for better or worse, till death—” I stopped myself.
She turned. “You have it right, sweetie. Till death and since there’s been a death that gives me an out, so I’m taking it.”
She secured her bag over her shoulder and continued walking toward her car.
“But you can’t go,” I demanded while trying to think of a compelling reason other than I didn’t want to go through this without her. Then just as she was about to open the wooden gate to the private parking area next to the barn a chilling thought flew into my head. “It might be dangerous for you go off on your own.”
That did it. She swung back around, and walked back toward me, a look of concern on her face. “Define dangerous.”
“Isn’t that rather obvious?”
“Not really. I’ve known your family my whole life. They wouldn’t hurt me.”
“Collectively, no they probably wouldn’t, but one of them killed Dickey and since you were first on the scene that person doesn’t know what you saw. You may have spotted just the clue that could finger the killer.”
“The killer wouldn’t even consider this if you hadn’t blabbed my finding Dickey to everyone.” She planted a hand on her hip, a sure sign she was angry.
“The killer would’ve found out anyway once the police got involved.”
Her eyes narrowed. “This is getting way too deep for my comfort zone.”