Page 40 of A Little Bit Whiskey
“So much for never talking about this again,” she muttered. She downed the rest of her drink. “There are only three scenarios that make sense. Three culprits. The first being your mother. I’m sorry, but that’s where this points. But if not her, then someone is setting her up. That begs who and why. My guess would be whoever my biological father is. If not him, well, someone who hates Weezer and right now, the only person who comes to mind is Anna or Mrs. Cummings, but where’s the motive in the last one?” She held up her hand. “If I take out the body found in the vineyard, one could argue that someone is simply fucking with Weezer, trying to make her look bad so she has to give up the Holiday Showcase. But I don’t believe in coincidences. There is no way the items found and the body are not connected, making it harder for me to believe it’s because of the stupid showcase. That motivation is too weak. There has to be more to it. However, we won’t know until we find out who was buried in that shallow grave.”
“What you’re saying is that Anna didn’t have a motive to hurt your mom, but my mother did.” Noir had walked right into that statement, even though that wasn’t where he was going. “Only, the rumor isn’t true and everyone knows it now.”
Tamsyn pinched the bridge of her nose. “It’s not the rumor that gives her a motive. It’s the accusation and the fight that everyone witnessed that gives her motive.”
Noir pressed his hands on the table and stood. He sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Anna has hated my mother since high school. She has said some pretty nasty things and has even threatened my mother.”
“Threat is a strong word,” Tamsyn said. “And having a grudge against Weezer for bullshit in high school, or over the stupid Holiday Showcase, doesn’t warrant this level of revenge.”
“But doesn’t it?”
“I’ve seen a lot of weird shit as a cop and motive is always a key element. Without it, we have no case.”
“I feel as though you’re making excuses for Anna,” Noir said.
“I’m not. I’m looking at every angle, and to be honest, neither Anna nor Weezer make sense to me. But I’m a cop. It’s my job. Hell, I have to look at everyone on this winery as a possible suspect. That includes you.”
“Sleeping with the enemy.” He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. He didn’t want to fight. He didn’t even want her to compromise her position. This was about understanding her decision and maybe helping where he could. “If we’re talking motive, what would your biological father’s motive be?”
“I’ve thought a lot about that too.” She reached for the whiskey, topping off her glass. “If my biological father doesn’t want me to find out the truth, he could be redirecting the focus,” Tamsyn said.
“That could mean he’s been right here the whole time. But why would he do that?”
“Because he’s married. Because he’s a pillar of this community and has too much to lose. And maybe he has a beef with your mother. That’s an angle I need to look at. Or maybe with Carter. Another thing to consider. While just about everyone likes your dad, there are a few criminals who can’t stand him, and one potential man on his list of potential fathers for me is Richard Berkin.”
“Jesus. That fucking asshole.”
Tamsyn nodded.
“He’s in prison.”
“Maybe so, but he’s still got reach and from what I’ve learned today, he’s still got people working for him,” Tamsyn said. “Your dad said he wouldn’t agree to a paternity test, but Talbot agreed to do one. So, if she’s my half-sibling, I’ll know my answer.”
“That would be fucked up.”
“I used to really want to know who my father was. I thought maybe he didn’t know about me. I had this idea in my head that if he knew the truth, he’d welcome me with open arms, but now, I’m not so sure.”
Noir closed the gap. He took the glass from her hands and set it on the counter before taking her into his arms. “I wish none of this was happening. I’m sorry if I came off like an asshole.”
“I get it.” She rested her hands on his shoulders. “Especially when it comes to the necklace. I know I should put it in an evidence bag and turn it over. That would be the proper thing to do. But something in my gut is telling me to hold on to it.”
He palmed her cheek. “You’ve always told me that you trust your instincts, even when your training tells you otherwise.”
“When Fred finds out, he might fire me. He threatened to do that to me the last time. Only, I was right and he let it go with a warning, reminding me that there are procedures and rules for a reason. That I was lucky the asshole got locked up for fifteen years instead of getting off, which could have happened because of me.”
“But as you said, your gut was right.”
“Sometimes you really are good for my ego.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “I want you to know that I hear you. This whole thing just sucks, and Anna has texted me four times today, telling me all the reasons why I should dump you.”
He hugged her close. “I can’t believe I’m going to say this considering I all but accused her of planting things, but she could honestly be concerned about your well-being and this is a shitshow. Everyone is talking about one more buried secret at the winery.”
“I remember when Trey dug up a coffin full of illegal adoption papers. That could have been the end of this winery.”
“That unearthed things that my family is still dealing with,” Noir said. “I’m not sure my dad has ever fully come to terms with learning about his father’s affair or the fact he had a sibling who died before he had a chance to meet her.” He kissed Tamsyn’s temple. “Why don’t you go crawl into bed. I’ll clean up from dinner and then I have some orders I need to go through on my computer. Will it bother you if I do that at the table?”
“I’m sure I’ll be out as soon as my head hits the pillow.” She patted his chest. “Make sure you wake me up in the morning. I have twenty-four hours off and I want to get started on this project your parents gave us.”
“I hope we don’t find anything related to your mom, or anything else for that matter. My family has dealt with enough over the years. We’re all finally getting along. All working together. It’s nice for a change.”
