River Road (26 page)

M
ason was buckling the black leather belt of his jeans when his phone rang.

“Perfect timing,” he said to Lucy. He crossed the small space to the end table.

Lucy was in the process of buttoning her blouse over the lacy black bra. She smiled at him in the dresser mirror.

“You look good like that,” he said. He could feel his body heating again.

She tucked her blouse into the waistband of her trousers. Her eyes gleamed with sexy mischief.

“I look good dressed?” she asked.

“That way, too, but you look really, really good after hot sex. You’re all sort of pink and soft and cuddly.” He gave up trying to find the right words. “I don’t know. Good.”

The phone rang again. He glanced at the screen and his incipient arousal instantly metamorphosed into another kind of heat.

“What have you got for me, Aaron?”

“Maybe something,” Aaron said. “Maybe nothing.”

Lucy sat down on the bed to put on her shoes. The aged springs creaked loudly.

“Is there someone else with you?” Aaron asked. “Uncle Deke?”

“Lucy’s here,” Mason said. He was suddenly conscious of the fact that he was taking the call in his bedroom. “Never mind. Tell me what you’ve got.”

“Well, as we both predicted, what few financials I could find all appear to be clean. A little too clean. I had Alice look them over. Alice says they look fine, too. Actually, she said they look more than fine. They look surprisingly good, given the fluctuations in the market over the past few years. But here’s the kicker—two months ago one of the accountants at Colfax Inc. was let go with no notice. He just stopped showing up for work. Evidently, there were some social-media rumors going around at the time to the effect that he had been fired because he was caught embezzling.”

Mason watched Lucy bustle around the bedroom, tidying the tumbled bedding. She looked adorable. The old headboard scraped against the wall when she tucked in one corner of the sheet.

“What’s that?” Aaron asked.

“Nothing. Have you got anything else for me?”

“Alice highlighted the fired accountant as a red flag, even though it’s routine for companies to keep quiet about embezzlement problems. So I got curious and looked a little deeper. Turns out there were some other rumors buzzing around in a couple of Internet chat rooms where disgruntled employees from various financial firms hang out.”

“What kind of rumors?”

Lucy was tucking in the corners of the quilt now. The headboard groaned.

“Is Lucy moving furniture or something?” Aaron asked.

“Tell me about the rumors, Aaron.”

“Where are you guys?”

“At the cabin. The rumors. Now.”

“Oh, yeah, right, the rumors. There were some veiled references to Colfax Inc. from one member of the chat room. Alice and I both think there’s a high probability that the comments were posted by the fired accountant. He indicated that he had been forced out because he had uncovered some discrepancies in the company’s financials.”

“Go on.”

“According to him, when he took his concerns to management he was told someone would look into the matter. The following day the accountant was terminated without notice and given the impression that he was suspected of embezzlement. He was assured that no charges would be brought if he went quietly. He was escorted to his car by a security guard.”

“Any chance you can find the accountant?”

“I’ve got his address.”

Lucy walked past Mason and paused in the doorway. “I think I hear a car in the drive,” she whispered. “Probably Deke.”

She disappeared out into the hall. Her footsteps echoed on the stairs.

“What did she say?” Aaron asked.

“Nothing.” Mason went quickly out of the bedroom and started down the stairs. “Deke took off about an hour ago to have a look around the Colfax Winery. Whoever drugged me yesterday tried to run me off the road. We think the vehicle may have belonged to the winery.”

“What the hell? Uncle Deke didn’t tell me about that part. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. But the situation is getting complicated. That’s why I need you to talk to the accountant. I want to know what he found in the Colfax financials that caused him to take his concerns to upper management.”

“What if he doesn’t want to talk?”

“That’s your problem.” Mason started down the stairs. “I’m sure you’ll think of something. If all else fails, try a bribe.”

“Hey, you’re on the stairs now, aren’t you?” Aaron said. He sounded pleased with himself, as if he had just solved a puzzle. “I can hear your footsteps. You and Lucy were upstairs in your old bedroom when I called. It was the bed I heard creaking a couple minutes ago.”

“Go find the accountant.”

Mason ended the connection and went swiftly down the stairs. By the time he reached the hall, Lucy had the door open. Deke and Joe came up the front steps. Joe immediately headed for the kitchen to check his food and water dishes.

Deke gave Lucy an appraising look. Mason gave her a quick glance, too, and realized that her hair was different. It had been in a casual twist before the lovemaking. Now it was down around her shoulders.

Deke raised his brows. A knowing smile edged his mouth. But he had the good sense not to comment on the change of hairstyle. Instead, he closed the door and looked at Mason.

“The bad news is that it wasn’t Quinn’s black SUV that clipped you yesterday,” he said. “His car was sitting in the private parking lot behind the winery. Not a scratch on it.”

“Is there any good news?” Mason asked.

“Depends how you look at it. There is a small fleet of black SUVs at the winery—company vehicles. Quinn could have grabbed one of them rather than use his own car. No way to know if one of the winery vehicles is missing.”

“I think it’s time to have a talk with the CEO,” Mason said.

Lucy grabbed her tote off the table. “I’ll come with you.”

Mason followed his first instinct.

“No,” he said.

She glared at him. “Has it occurred to you that you’re inclined to say no to everything on general principle?”

“In my experience, no is usually the safest answer in any given situation.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Think about this. Cecil Dillon wants something from me—namely, those Colfax shares. If he’s getting desperate, as we suspect, he’s more likely to blab if I’m in the room. People start talking fast when they want something.”

“The way you’re talking right now?” Mason asked.

Lucy raised her eyes to the ceiling in silent supplication.

Deke looked amused. “She’s got a point. Besides, you’ll both be safe as long as you stick together.”

“Exactly,” Lucy said, triumphant.

“Given that I don’t think Dillon is the one who ran me off the road yesterday, I guess it won’t matter if you come with me.”

“I love it when you surrender graciously,” Lucy said.

She swept out the door ahead of him.

Joe appeared in the hall, once again hopeful.

“What the hell, you might as well come, too,” Mason said.

Joe made for the door.

Mason looked at Deke. “Aaron called a few minutes ago. He’s got a lead on an accountant who was fired from Colfax Inc. There may have been an attempt to cover up some financial trouble at about the same time that the merger offer was made.”

“That would explain why several members of the family want to sell and get out while the getting is good.”

“Somehow, I don’t think anyone has informed Warner Colfax that his company might be in danger of imploding.”

“Why would they?” Deke said. “I doubt that he would be willing to bail under any circumstances. My take on him is that he’d fight like hell to try to save the company. He’s planning to hand it over to his second son.”

“What second son?”

Deke’s mouth twisted. “I do believe that’s where the second Mrs. Colfax comes in. Warner is severely disappointed in his current heir. Wouldn’t be surprised if he’s planning on a replacement for Quinn.”

“Lucy came up with the same thought. I wonder if Quinn has figured it out.”

“He may be drinking too much these days, but no one ever said that Quinn was stupid.”

M
ason studied the small Mediterranean villa that served as guest quarters for Colfax’s visitors. The curtains were pulled across the windows. A black SUV was parked in front. His intuition and his pulse both kicked up.
Should have started looking at Cecil Dillon back at the start,
he thought.

There were three more mini-villas scattered around the outskirts of the estate, but the driveways in front of the other guesthouses were empty.

“Don’t you think that it’s a little weird that the draperies are closed?” Lucy said. “Maybe he’s asleep.”

“At four in the afternoon?” Mason unbuckled his seat belt. “It’s possible Dillon is taking a nap, but I think it’s more likely that he wants privacy for whatever he’s doing at the moment.”

“This could get really awkward if he’s in bed with the second Mrs. Colfax.”

“We aren’t here to discuss his sleeping arrangements. All we care about is what’s going on inside Colfax Inc.,” Mason said. He paused, thinking. “But that doesn’t mean that the second Mrs. Colfax won’t be one of the subjects of conversation. Got a hunch she’s been in on the financial cover-up from the start.”

Lucy unfastened her seat belt and climbed out of the passenger seat. Joe whined.

Mason opened the rear door. “You can come, too, but behave yourself. No peeing on the front steps, at least not until we’re finished with Dillon.”

Joe bounded out of the car, ears pricked. He stood patiently while Mason snapped a lead on his harness.

“I doubt if Dillon will want Joe inside the house,” Lucy said.

“Joe can wait outside.”

They went up the front steps. Mason punched the doorbell. There was no immediate response. He knocked a few times.

Joe growled softly and fixed his gaze on the door.

“What’s wrong with him?” Lucy whispered.

Mason glanced down at Joe. “Damned if I know.”

Rapid footsteps sounded inside the house.
A man,
Mason thought, heading toward the back of the house.

“Looks like we did indeed interrupt the CEO in the middle of a briefing,” he said.

He loped back down the steps, taking Joe with him. Lucy followed, running to keep up.

They rounded the corner of the villa. Mason paused briefly to open a gate. The rear door of the house slammed open just as the three of them rushed into a small, elegantly landscaped garden.

Cecil Dillon stumbled out onto the back porch. When he saw Lucy, Mason and Joe, he stopped short. He stared at them, stricken.

“You don’t understand,” he said. “I didn’t do it. It’s a setup.”

“Joe.” Mason unfastened the leash and gestured toward Cecil. “Guard.”

Joe paced forward and took up a position in front of Cecil. Cecil stared at him, horrified and furious.

“Call off the damn dog,” he said.

“You’re safe as long as you stand still,” Mason said. “Are you carrying?”

“No gun, I swear it. The one inside isn’t mine.”

“Hands behind your back.”

Cecil obeyed. Mason took out the plastic cuffs that he carried in his back pocket. He snapped them around Cecil’s wrists and then performed a quick pat-down.

“Sit on the ground,” he ordered.

Cecil got down on the ground. Joe’s attention never wavered. Mason looked at Lucy.

“Call nine-one-one and come with me,” he said to Lucy. “Stay within eyesight. I don’t want you out here with him. If Dillon moves, Joe will handle him.”

“Understood,” Lucy said. She took her phone out of her tote.

Mason realized that she appeared strangely fascinated by the transformation that had come over Joe.

“Retired war dog,” Mason said.

“I see.” Lucy keyed in 911.

“You’ve got to listen to me,” Cecil said. “It wasn’t me. The bastard set me up.”

“Who is inside the house?” Mason asked.

“Ashley Colfax,” Cecil said. “He must have followed her here and shot her. I just got home a few minutes ago and found her in the living room. The gun is still in there. I didn’t touch it. He set me up, I tell you.”

“Who set you up?” Mason asked.

“Warner Colfax. He obviously discovered that Ashley and I were sleeping together. The stupid bitch probably let it slip.”

Mason went into the villa. Lucy followed.

It didn’t take long to find Ashley. She was sprawled, facedown, on the floor of the front room. Blood was still seeping steadily from the wound in her back.

Mason turned her over gently. The exit wound was a lot messier. He yanked off his shirt and pressed it tightly over the injury.

“She’s still alive,” he said. “Tell the operator that we need an ambulance.”