Almost Forever (4 page)

“Let's just say that Rangers are iconic and cool, and I think it's something you should seriously consider,” Jamie answered.

“I agree,” Grammy chimed in as she stood up. “But right now I think dinner is just about ready. I got an amazing fresh ham.”

“Another neighbor's 4-H project?” Nick asked.

“You kids never complained when you lived here,” she chided. “Nick, you go check on your boys while Jamie and Justin pick us some corn from the garden. I'll check on the ham.”

Nick and Harley hobbled off the porch and headed together toward the pony pasture. The dog's tongue hung out one side as he looked up at his master with adoring eyes.

“They're quite a pair, aren't they?” Grammy asked.

Jamie nodded, her expression solemn. “I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost them.”

Justin agreed, but he didn't voice it. After all, everyone expected law enforcement to be tough and strong. He'd learned to ignore his emotions for years as he focused on his job. Being a Texas Ranger was his lifelong dream, and he didn't want to screw that up.

Justin had jotted down notes after his meeting with Lori, and he was now typing them into an official report. His office was on the second floor overlooking the parking lot. It was not much of a view, but then, he spent as little time as possible in this room and rarely looked out the window. His goal was to get out in the field as quickly as possible.

His fingers paused on the keys, then moved to the mouse. With one click, his screen was filled with a color photo of Lori, her hair glittering like gold in the sunshine as she stood next to grapevines that were almost as tall as she was. She was smiling that wide, warm grin he found so appealing. Her eyes captured the clear blue of the skies as she looked directly at the person behind the camera. It was like one of those paintings where no matter where you moved, it seemed like the eyes were following you.

He wished he knew what had made her smile that broadly. What or who had made her so happy? Was it her dead husband? Or was it another man who had taken Mark's place? Had she cheated on her husband? Did Mark have reason to question her loyalty? Or was she an innocent in this melodrama, as she said?

His phone rang and he jumped. Guiltily, he clicked back to his report document, as if the person on the phone could somehow see that he'd been staring at Lori's photo in a not entirely professional way.

He punched the button to activate the speakerphone and answered, “Justin Archer.”

“Justin…Janet Maddox.”

“Hi, doc. You got my cause of death on Mark Roberts?” He'd worked with her often and knew she was one of the most highly qualified medical examiners in the state of Texas.

“As requested,” she answered. “He was struck with a sharp, flat object…about four inches on the sharp edge. I'd say he was hit with an ax or hatchet.”

“Where was the fatal blow?”

“The center lower part of the parietal bone.”

“Meaning?”

“The killer swung at him from behind and, given the victim's height was just under six feet, the killer was probably around five foot ten…but that's a guess. If he was lying down, then the killer could be anyone.”

“Great! You just narrowed it down to everyone.” Justin couldn't hide his disappointment.

“I'm sorry. But when the remains have been out in the weather that long, most of the evidence is degraded.”

“What's the time line on that? He's been missing for more than eight years. In your opinion, has he been dead that long?”

“I've done preliminary testing. It's difficult to pin it down to months, but I'd say eight years is definitely in the ballpark.” He could hear her shuffling some papers before she continued, “Funny thing, though. The victim was completely naked. All of his clothes were in a separate pile next to the body.”

“Could that have happened when the backhoe disturbed it? I mean, it's possible they fell off and just seemed to be on the side.”

“Possible, but not likely. The way the clothes had aged, they were wadded into a ball.”

Justin considered that information with a frown. What type of killer would strip the victim either before or after murdering him? Had they been trying to hide something? Or had they merely wanted the body to decompose more quickly? Usually, in cases like this, animals would have dragged off pieces of the body, often ripping the clothes away to get to the meat. “Was the entire body recovered?” he asked.

“Everything except for his left foot and one finger. They might have been sticking out of the ground and carried away.”

“Any ID? Was it a robbery?”

“No ID and no cash. But that diamond ring must have been in his pocket, so the killer didn't find it…or didn't want it. Without a murder weapon, we're just guessing what the killer used.”

“So you're officially classifying it as a homicide?”

“Considering I didn't find any bullet holes or evidence of a suicide, I'd say so. Plus, it's highly unlikely that he'd strip down before he fell on a rock and died.”

“People do crazy things.”

“Oh, there is one more thing.” Again there was the rustling of papers. “There was no footwear found. Maybe you can check to see if a pair of shoes or boots were missing from his wardrobe. The widow should know.”

“Why would that be significant?”

“Have you ever walked barefoot in the brush?” the doctor asked. “If the prickly pear didn't stop you, the mesquite thorns would.”

“Good point. I'll let you know.”

They hung up and Justin leaned back in his chair. The case was getting weirder and weirder. Naked and without shoes. It was beginning to look like the body had been dumped there. He made a mental note of the list of questions he needed to ask the widow Roberts.

An unexpected tingle raced through him, and it had nothing to do with solving the case. He was looking forward to spending more time at Crystal Springs Cellars…and not just because it was a beautiful place to pass the afternoon. He wanted to hear Lori's voice and watch the way the tip of her tongue moved out to lick drops of wine off her lips. Did her lips taste as delicious as they looked? Did she—

Good God, what was wrong with him? Justin was horrified that his thoughts had wandered so far off track. It wasn't like he was a saint. Justin had dated his share of beautiful women, but things never got serious. Most women wouldn't put up with his crazy hours or his dedication to his job. They simply didn't understand why he'd miss a dinner party to interview a suspect in another city.

But he'd never felt such an attraction to someone connected to a case. It was shocking and unprofessional…and very much out of character for him. He knew he'd have to get past it so he could do his job properly.

Justin turned back to his report and finished documenting all he had heard and seen on Saturday. He saved it to his hard drive and sent a copy to his boss. There were a few emails he had to deal with, but he zipped through those, anxious to get on the road back to Dripping Springs and Crystal Springs Cellars. There were only twenty-three Rangers working out of this office and about forty-six new cases each month, so they were all handling multiple investigations. Most were quickly resolved, but some stretched out over several months as leads and witnesses were tracked down and interviewed. Luckily, he had closed three major cases in the last two weeks, so he didn't have anything pressing him right now. Even though the Roberts case was old, he could afford to spend a week or two seeing what he could find.

“How'd it go?” a voice inquired from the doorway.

Justin glanced over to where his boss, Lieutenant Rick Franklin, was standing. “I just sent you my report, but briefly, I made contact with Mrs. Roberts and gave her the news about her husband. Dr. Maddox said it looks like someone whacked Mr. Roberts with an ax or hatchet on the back of the head. Could have even been a rock.”

“Any hope we'll find out who did it?”

“I'd like to give it a try.” Justin pushed back the mental picture of the widow.

“Suspects?”

“I've got a few in mind, but I haven't had a chance to get started.”

“Next step?”

Justin thought for a moment and tried not to seem too eager. “I thought I'd go back out there today. I haven't had a chance to actually see the crime scene. And I want to put together a list of people to interview.”

“That's a plan. Keep me posted.”

“Yes, sir.” He nodded as the lieutenant left and headed down the hall.

Justin picked up a legal pad and a pen. He stood, opened his drawer, took his gun out, and holstered it. Mentally he reviewed the details, but the rush of adrenaline that pumped through his veins had more to do with the lovely Mrs. Roberts than the excitement of the case. He plucked his hat off the rack by the door and caught himself whistling as he hurried downstairs to the parking lot.

The drive back to Crystal Springs Cellars took about an hour. At first he was going to go directly to the crime scene, but then he decided to stop by the winery first. He tried to justify it, but the truth was he just wanted to see her again.

As he turned off the main road onto her driveway and the stone buildings came into sight, there was a flutter of anticipation in his stomach that shocked him. He felt like a schoolboy with a silly crush…which was ridiculous. Lori Roberts was the least eligible woman he knew. She was possibly a killer, a liar, and a master manipulator. But she was friggin' gorgeous. And she had tenacity to go with that beautiful face and knockout figure.

There were ten cars parked in front of the main building. He pulled into the end spot, climbed out, and hurried inside to escape the afternoon heat. The gift shop was much less busy, with only two women checking out the lavender soaps and lotions. There were two young couples sitting at the bar with glasses of wine in front of them. Justin continued through to the dining room, the delicious smell of fresh bread and garlic pulling him forward.

He hadn't gone into the restaurant on Saturday. It was larger than he would have expected, with the entire back wall made up of glass doors that led out to an inviting patio. All of the diners had chosen to stay inside and enjoy the view of the vineyard while they ate in the comfort of the air-conditioning.

Lori must have spotted him immediately, because she came toward him as soon as he stepped into the room.

“Ranger Archer, welcome back,” she said, that brilliant smile almost blinding him, but he thought he caught a flash of concern—or was it fear?—in her eyes.

“I have a few more questions. I hope you don't mind me dropping in like this.” If he had expected to find a grieving widow with tear-swollen eyes and shrouded in black, he would have been disappointed. There was no sign that anything had changed. It was business as usual.

“Absolutely not. Would you like some pizza?”

He knew he should resist, but the aroma reminded him that he had missed lunch in his eagerness to get out here.

Lori didn't wait for his answer but went to the kitchen and returned a few minutes later with a flatbread pizza on a wooden platter. “I just hired a new cook today, and I need a taste tester.” She led the way to a table in the back corner, away from the other diners, and placed the platter on the table. She sat and gestured toward the empty chair across from her.

An attractive young woman, the same one who had interrupted their first conversation at the festival, brought him a glass of lemonade.

“Thank you, Raquel,” Lori told her.

Raquel gave Justin a shy smile and left.

Justin didn't bother protesting any longer. The pizza looked good, and Lori looked better. He sat and shook out the napkin before spreading it across his lap. “That was pretty quick. I would have thought it would take longer to find a good chef around here.”

“So did I,” she agreed. “But lucky for me, the chef at the winery next door had a falling-out with the owner and quit. I snapped him up. His credentials are amazing, and he wanted to start right away.” She waited impatiently while he took a bite. “So, how is it? Good?”

“No…,” he answered and watched her expression fall, “…it's great.” He took another bite and let the thin, flaky crust melt in his mouth. “I've never tasted pizza like this.”

“It's my own recipe, but I think Chef Bradley has made some improvements.”

“Is this an average crowd for a Monday?”

“We're pretty steady all year. Once we opened the restaurant and gift shop, our business really picked up. And we've gotten excellent word of mouth. Plus, we're part of the Fredericksburg Wine Road 290, so we get a lot of tourist traffic, as well as people who drive out for a day of winery hopping.”

“They can go from winery to winery and have free tastings all day?”

“Yes. That's why it's so important for us to offer more so they'll stay longer and come back often.”

“None of this was here when Mark was alive?”

She glanced around. “All the buildings were built by his grandparents. They always had wine tastings and sold full bottles. But I saw how much revenue they were missing by not having a restaurant and a gift shop. Then it was a natural progression to schedule regular events here.”

Justin offered her the last piece of pizza, but she shook her head.

“I've been tasting all day to make sure Chef Bradley was sticking to the menu,” she told him.

She was dressed much more casually than at the festival. Justin was a master of observation, and he had taken in her scoop-neck T-shirt and tight jeans when he first walked into the room. Her hair was long and looked as fine and shiny as corn silk. But there was a grace and naturalness to her that were totally unpretentious.

As he chewed, she was watching him closely, waiting patiently for him to get to the point. He took a drink of lemonade and set the glass down. “I wanted to get started interviewing all the people who might know something about what happened to Mark.”

“I've been thinking about that, and I can't imagine anyone wanting to hurt Mark. If anything, people went out of their way to excuse, even applaud his bad behavior. In spite of his obvious flaws, he forever remained the town's golden boy. A reputation that I'm sure will only be further memorialized in his death.”

“But he wasn't exactly on the up-and-up. Surely he had some enemies or business rivals?”

“Well…the competition can get pretty intense with the surrounding vineyards, but I can't believe anyone would kill Mark over market share. But…” Her voice trailed off and she frowned. “My neighbor is kind of pushy when it comes to territory….”

Justin's expression didn't change, but he opened the spiral notebook and started making notes. “What's his name?”

“Jerry Winston, but I'm sure he's harmless. Just a dirty old man.”

Justin jotted it down. “Why do you get that vibe?”

“Jerry wants to expand his winery, but he barely has enough water for the vines he has. You know how bad the drought has been here, and Jerry's wells kept going dry. He had to dig new ones that were deeper and more expensive so he could reach a new aquifer. We have a large natural spring, and he wanted it.”