Read Online The Riesling Retribution by Ellen Crosby - Free Book Online
Authors: Ellen Crosby
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got a bad report card or a note about detention, he used to forge my parents’ signatures. He could copy either one of them and you couldn’t tell they weren’t genuine.”
“I see.” Seth cleared his throat. “Counterfeiting a check’s a serious crime, you know.”
I was sitting in the foyer in one of my mother’s toile-covered Queen Anne chairs staring at Leland’s bust of Thomas Jefferson. I leaned back and pinched the bridge of my nose. The house was even warmer than it had been this morning. Although the windows were open, I felt like I was suffocating.
“I know.”
“I will tell you this. We get our share of forged checks and I can’t tell you how many times the forger was a relative or someone who had access to the individual’s financial information,” he said. “If you don’t trust Eli, you’d do well to put things under lock and key.”
“It’s not that I don’t trust him—”
“Honey, you don’t have to beat around the bush with me. I know Eli’s a good man.” Seth made a sound that wasn’t quite a laugh. “But who said, ‘I can resist anything but temptation’?”
“Everyone?”
This time he did laugh. “Look, I’ll put a note here in your file that you’re the only person authorized to handle transactions with this account. Will that settle you?”
“I guess so. I feel awful about this, you know. Eli didn’t actually do anything.”
“Better safe than sorry, Lucie. I’ve seen more people feuding over money than you can shake a stick at. You have no idea the stuff we’ve got here in folks’ safe-deposit boxes because relatives couldn’t come to an agreement over something. Hell, we even got an urn with someone’s ashes in the vault.”
“You’re joking.”
“No, ma’am. Whoever locks up for the night wishes him sweet dreams. Been doin’ that for going on sixteen years. We’ve gotten kind of attached to him.”
“I hope that never happens to us. Feuding, I mean.”
“Then talk to your brother. Get it out in the open.”
“I couldn’t. He’s already mad at me because I wouldn’t loan him money for his mortgage payment.”
“You want my opinion, honey?” I was going to get it, even if I didn’t. “I’ve known you and Eli and Mia since you were born. Your pa wasn’t always a straight shooter and it pains me to say that, but your mother was as rare and precious as a hothouse flower. She had more integrity in her little finger than most folks got in their whole body. If she were alive today, she’d be telling you to be square and honest with your brother.”
The lump in my throat made it hard to talk. “I know. Thanks, Seth.”
“You’re welcome.” He paused and I thought he was going to say good-bye or something else in parting. “By the way, any word on that body you found on your land?”
I sat up straight. He knew as well as I did it was too soon to know anything official. This was fishing to see what I’d tell him.
“Nope. Nothing.”
“Well, I sure hope…” He left the sentence unfinished.
I waited as though I expected him to tell me what he sure hoped, which was that Leland had nothing to do with it.
“Thanks for the advice, Seth. I appreciate it.”
“You all right, darlin’?”
“Don’t you worry about me. I can handle this.”
“Of course you can.” He backed off. “Look, Lucie, I want you to know that I’m in your corner whatever happens. If you ever need to talk or you have any questions, all you need to do is pick up the phone. I owe that to you children and the memory of your mother.”
He hung up and I wondered why he hadn’t mentioned anything about what he owed to the memory of my father.
Bobby returned to the villa at the end of the day while I was in my office filling out the endless tax forms we sent the government sothey’d grant us the privilege of selling wine. Frankie showed up in the doorway and told me he was waiting in the tasting room.
She kept her voice low. “I have a feeling
“I see.” Seth cleared his throat. “Counterfeiting a check’s a serious crime, you know.”
I was sitting in the foyer in one of my mother’s toile-covered Queen Anne chairs staring at Leland’s bust of Thomas Jefferson. I leaned back and pinched the bridge of my nose. The house was even warmer than it had been this morning. Although the windows were open, I felt like I was suffocating.
“I know.”
“I will tell you this. We get our share of forged checks and I can’t tell you how many times the forger was a relative or someone who had access to the individual’s financial information,” he said. “If you don’t trust Eli, you’d do well to put things under lock and key.”
“It’s not that I don’t trust him—”
“Honey, you don’t have to beat around the bush with me. I know Eli’s a good man.” Seth made a sound that wasn’t quite a laugh. “But who said, ‘I can resist anything but temptation’?”
“Everyone?”
This time he did laugh. “Look, I’ll put a note here in your file that you’re the only person authorized to handle transactions with this account. Will that settle you?”
“I guess so. I feel awful about this, you know. Eli didn’t actually do anything.”
“Better safe than sorry, Lucie. I’ve seen more people feuding over money than you can shake a stick at. You have no idea the stuff we’ve got here in folks’ safe-deposit boxes because relatives couldn’t come to an agreement over something. Hell, we even got an urn with someone’s ashes in the vault.”
“You’re joking.”
“No, ma’am. Whoever locks up for the night wishes him sweet dreams. Been doin’ that for going on sixteen years. We’ve gotten kind of attached to him.”
“I hope that never happens to us. Feuding, I mean.”
“Then talk to your brother. Get it out in the open.”
“I couldn’t. He’s already mad at me because I wouldn’t loan him money for his mortgage payment.”
“You want my opinion, honey?” I was going to get it, even if I didn’t. “I’ve known you and Eli and Mia since you were born. Your pa wasn’t always a straight shooter and it pains me to say that, but your mother was as rare and precious as a hothouse flower. She had more integrity in her little finger than most folks got in their whole body. If she were alive today, she’d be telling you to be square and honest with your brother.”
The lump in my throat made it hard to talk. “I know. Thanks, Seth.”
“You’re welcome.” He paused and I thought he was going to say good-bye or something else in parting. “By the way, any word on that body you found on your land?”
I sat up straight. He knew as well as I did it was too soon to know anything official. This was fishing to see what I’d tell him.
“Nope. Nothing.”
“Well, I sure hope…” He left the sentence unfinished.
I waited as though I expected him to tell me what he sure hoped, which was that Leland had nothing to do with it.
“Thanks for the advice, Seth. I appreciate it.”
“You all right, darlin’?”
“Don’t you worry about me. I can handle this.”
“Of course you can.” He backed off. “Look, Lucie, I want you to know that I’m in your corner whatever happens. If you ever need to talk or you have any questions, all you need to do is pick up the phone. I owe that to you children and the memory of your mother.”
He hung up and I wondered why he hadn’t mentioned anything about what he owed to the memory of my father.
Bobby returned to the villa at the end of the day while I was in my office filling out the endless tax forms we sent the government sothey’d grant us the privilege of selling wine. Frankie showed up in the doorway and told me he was waiting in the tasting room.
She kept her voice low. “I have a feeling
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