Vail 02 - Crush Read Online Free PDF

proposed about thirty years ago but it didn’t fly because it cost too much.”

    “Good one,” Todd said. “The private jet didn’t fly.”
    “And what do you do?” Chuck asked.
    “I’m a detective,” Robby said.
    “Sounds like you both see a lot of violence in your lives,” Chuck said.
    We keep on this line of questioning and you’re likely to see a bit of violence, yourself, Chuck. Instead of translating that thought into action, Vail forced her friendliest smile, waved a hand, and said, “Enough about us. Let’s hear about you.”
    And she and Robby heard about Chuck’s work as the owner of an auto detail chain and Candace’s career in banking. By the time the plates were cleared, Vail had lost track of the conversation. Her mind was elsewhere.
    As Todd and Brandy stood to leave and wished everyone a “great time in the wine country,” Robby whispered in Vail’s ear. “What’s gotten into you?”
    Vail turned away from the departing guests. “I don’t know, this thing with Manette affected me more than I thought, coming so soon after Dead Eyes. I’m just on edge, I guess.”
    As the hostess started clearing the table, Robby thanked her, then walked with Vail outside to their car. A heavy dew still hung in the air from a steady, light rain during the night.
    “Then it’s good we’re here. We can relax, put all this stuff behind us—”
    “We have to go see Brix.”
    “Karen, if you’re all dialed up about what happened last week, then you need to let go of this wine cave thing. Someone else will deal with it.”
    “Not my style. It’s in my DNA, I can’t help it. It grabs hold of my brain and doesn’t let go—I tossed and turned all night. Something’s up with him. I need to ask him some questions, get some answers. See if there’s any way we can help out.”
    “Didn’t seem like he wanted our help.”
    Vail pulled open the car door. “Then we have to show him why he should.”

SIX
    W hile Vail drove, Robby dialed the Napa County Sheriff’s Office and asked for Lieutenant Brix. Though Vail wanted to drop in, Robby felt that they’d pissed on his turf once and didn’t want to come off as confrontational.
    “The courtesy of a phone call would go a ways toward defusing any animosity he may have toward us,” Robby had said.
    “Hey, we were there trying to help out as peace officers. We weren’t trying to ‘piss on his turf.’”
    “He gets to his crime scene and finds a big-time FBI profiler hovering over a vic’s body in his jurisdiction. That’s not intimidating?”
    “Well, that and I’m a woman. I’m sure that didn’t help.”
    “I’m sure not.”
    Vail pursed her lips. “Fine,” she said, “we’ll do it your way.”
    So Robby called ahead. “Got it,” he said into the phone, as he jotted something onto a scrap of paper. He hung up and said to Vail, “Brix isn’t at the station. He’s at a place called”—he consulted his notes—“Peju Province, a winery off 29.”
    Vail pulled out her pocket GPS and began poking the address into its display. “Stella will tell us how to get there.”
    “You named your GPS?”
    “Better than saying ‘it,’” she said. She handed Stella to Robby and put the Murano in gear. “So how do you want to play this?”
    “This is your show, Karen. I’m just along for the ride.”

    THEY ARRIVED AT PEJU PROVINCE, drove down the tree-lined driveway,
and pulled around the circle into the parking lot. They walked through the metal archway and entered the winery grounds, which were meticulously landscaped with a variety of shrubbery, lush grass, multicolored flowering plants, man-made reflecting pools, and mixed-media sculptures. They crunched along the curving, decomposed granite trail past a triangular white marble female figurine, then entered a paved path that led past a stucco and stone-faced two-story building with a pointed, weathered copper roof.
    “Beautiful grounds,” Vail said.
    “Cool sculptures.” Robby