Read Online No One to Trust by Iris Johansen - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Iris Johansen
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Poor baby, he had been assaulted with so many new experiences in the last twenty-four hours. “No. This place belongs to Mr. Forbes’s company. We may not stay here long.”
“Will we go on the airplane again?”
“Maybe.” Her gaze was focused on the building they were approaching. It was a two-story adobe hacienda with a red tile roof. Two rusty wrought-iron balconies hung over a flagstone courtyard, and the place appeared as old and worn out as the brown vines of the vineyard. “You said someone has already checked the place out, Forbes?”
“Yesterday.” He pulled up to the front door. “Stay here. I’ll go inside and give it the once-over.”
“We’ll wait.” Elena stopped Barry from jumping out of the car. “Not yet. We have to make sure there aren’t any bugs or snakes inside.”
“Very apt description,” Dominic murmured.
Forbes came out of the house five minutes later. “It’s okay.”
“Go on, Barry.” Elena opened the door for him. “We’re going to be sleeping in one of those rooms with the balcony. Why don’t you go find it for me?”
Barry jumped out of the car and ran inside.
“I’ll go with him,” Dominic said. “He’s so excited he’ll be jumping off that balcony.”
“He’s got more sense than that. I’ll be there in a moment.” Elena got out of the car. “Show me the back of the house, Forbes. What’s that outbuilding?”
“Fermenting shed. It’s where the vats are kept.”
“Did you check it?”
“Of course. I went out the back way.” He motioned to the men in the SUV and they began to get out of the vehicle. “I’m not incompetent, Elena.”
“I know. But I want to see the shed.”
He shook his head with exasperation but started around the side of the house. “Come on, see for yourself. And it’s not a good idea for you to occupy the balcony room. You’re too accessible.”
“I didn’t choose it because I thought it was romantic. If someone can climb in, I can climb out if I have to. It’s alwaysbetter to have an escape route. Don’t worry, I’ll know if someone tries to come in that way. I’m a very light sleeper.”
“I don’t doubt it.” He opened the door of the fermenting shed. “Here we are. As you can see, it’s empty. Satisfied?”
The sweet-sour smell of wine and wood assaulted her as she stepped into the shed. “Not yet.” The room was large, and three wooden vats at least twenty feet high and ten feet wide lined each side of the room. The broken ruin of a catwalk ran over each line of vats. No access there. “Will you have a couple of your men get a ladder and check inside each of those vats?”
“I was going to do that.”
“And then get rid of the ladder.”
“Right.”
“Thanks.” She went down the row and looked in back of each of the six vats. “Now I’m satisfied.” She came toward him. “Tell me about those DEA men who came with us.”
“Bill Carbonari’s been an agent for ten years. He has two commendations. Jim Stokes has worked with me for three years on various assignments. Mike Wilder served at the Mexican border for five years and was with Immigration before he became an agent. Randy Donahue has been with the agency for only two years, but he’s sharp. Very sharp.”
“I want you to introduce me to them. I want to know their faces and the way they move so well I’ll be able to tell who they are in the dark.”
“Why?”
She stared at him in surprise. “Why do you think? So I don’t shoot the wrong man.”
“Our job is to protect you. You’re not going to have to shoot anyone.”
“I want a gun. Galen never gave me mine back.”
“Are you sure you—” “I want a gun.”
He nodded. “Okay, I’ll have one for you by this evening.”
“Thank you.” She started for the house. “Now let’s go meet your DEA friends.”
“It’s a television set, Mama.” Barry’s eyes were shining with excitement. “And there are cartoons and Bugs Bunny and a big yellow bird
“Will we go on the airplane again?”
“Maybe.” Her gaze was focused on the building they were approaching. It was a two-story adobe hacienda with a red tile roof. Two rusty wrought-iron balconies hung over a flagstone courtyard, and the place appeared as old and worn out as the brown vines of the vineyard. “You said someone has already checked the place out, Forbes?”
“Yesterday.” He pulled up to the front door. “Stay here. I’ll go inside and give it the once-over.”
“We’ll wait.” Elena stopped Barry from jumping out of the car. “Not yet. We have to make sure there aren’t any bugs or snakes inside.”
“Very apt description,” Dominic murmured.
Forbes came out of the house five minutes later. “It’s okay.”
“Go on, Barry.” Elena opened the door for him. “We’re going to be sleeping in one of those rooms with the balcony. Why don’t you go find it for me?”
Barry jumped out of the car and ran inside.
“I’ll go with him,” Dominic said. “He’s so excited he’ll be jumping off that balcony.”
“He’s got more sense than that. I’ll be there in a moment.” Elena got out of the car. “Show me the back of the house, Forbes. What’s that outbuilding?”
“Fermenting shed. It’s where the vats are kept.”
“Did you check it?”
“Of course. I went out the back way.” He motioned to the men in the SUV and they began to get out of the vehicle. “I’m not incompetent, Elena.”
“I know. But I want to see the shed.”
He shook his head with exasperation but started around the side of the house. “Come on, see for yourself. And it’s not a good idea for you to occupy the balcony room. You’re too accessible.”
“I didn’t choose it because I thought it was romantic. If someone can climb in, I can climb out if I have to. It’s alwaysbetter to have an escape route. Don’t worry, I’ll know if someone tries to come in that way. I’m a very light sleeper.”
“I don’t doubt it.” He opened the door of the fermenting shed. “Here we are. As you can see, it’s empty. Satisfied?”
The sweet-sour smell of wine and wood assaulted her as she stepped into the shed. “Not yet.” The room was large, and three wooden vats at least twenty feet high and ten feet wide lined each side of the room. The broken ruin of a catwalk ran over each line of vats. No access there. “Will you have a couple of your men get a ladder and check inside each of those vats?”
“I was going to do that.”
“And then get rid of the ladder.”
“Right.”
“Thanks.” She went down the row and looked in back of each of the six vats. “Now I’m satisfied.” She came toward him. “Tell me about those DEA men who came with us.”
“Bill Carbonari’s been an agent for ten years. He has two commendations. Jim Stokes has worked with me for three years on various assignments. Mike Wilder served at the Mexican border for five years and was with Immigration before he became an agent. Randy Donahue has been with the agency for only two years, but he’s sharp. Very sharp.”
“I want you to introduce me to them. I want to know their faces and the way they move so well I’ll be able to tell who they are in the dark.”
“Why?”
She stared at him in surprise. “Why do you think? So I don’t shoot the wrong man.”
“Our job is to protect you. You’re not going to have to shoot anyone.”
“I want a gun. Galen never gave me mine back.”
“Are you sure you—” “I want a gun.”
He nodded. “Okay, I’ll have one for you by this evening.”
“Thank you.” She started for the house. “Now let’s go meet your DEA friends.”
“It’s a television set, Mama.” Barry’s eyes were shining with excitement. “And there are cartoons and Bugs Bunny and a big yellow bird
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