Free Deadly Offer by Vicki Doudera Page B

to side and tried to swallow. His eyes were dark and unfocused. Toby shoved a cup of black coffee in front of him. “Drink up,” he said.
    Obediently he took the cup and drained it in one gulp, again wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “I’ve got a car out back.”
    “That may be true, but you’re in no shape to drive.” Toby picked up the phone. “Where you staying?”
    “St. Adina. Little motel.”
    Toby thought a long moment. His girlfriend would kill him, but maybe she didn’t need to know every single thing he did. “I’m going that way,” he said. “I’ll give you a ride, just as long as you don’t get sick in my car.”
    The corners of The Incredible Hulk’s mouth lifted in what was nearly a smile. “No worries.” He reached behind him and Toby saw the circular tattoo—some sort of spoked wheel—on his bicep. The man plunked down a wallet thick with bills. “I owe you for those shots.”
    “Yeah, you’re right about that.” He collected the money and breathed a silent sigh of relief. The guy can’t be an ax murderer , he reasoned. There’s no way he’d be paying off his bar tab. He put the cash in the register and yelled to Cecilia to lock up. Turning to the Hulk he said simply, “Time to get out of here.”

Five
    Dan Stewart switched off a small television set positioned on the butcher-block counter in Selena’s kitchen and pointed at the coffee pot. His red-rimmed eyes were already tired. “Good morning, Darby. Can I get you a cup?”
    She nodded and took a seat at the kitchen table. “Thanks. It’s Saturday, right? What are you doing here?”
    “I thought I’d better come in and keep an eye on things.” His voice caught.
    “Where’s Sophie?”
    “I dropped her at a friend’s house last night. She’ll call when I need to pick her up.”
    “Have you seen ET or Carlos?”
    He shook his head. “I’m sure they are exhausted. What about you? How did you sleep?”
    “Not very well, I’m afraid. The room is very comfortable but …”
    “This kind of thing isn’t conducive to resting, I know.” He took a seat at the table and rubbed his eyes. He wore a plaid cotton shirt, rolled up at the sleeves, and jeans. “I figure work is the best thing I can do right now. It’s how I can help Selena the most, too.” He looked down at his hands, struggling to compose his thoughts. After a minute he spoke again. “According to the report I just heard on television, we’re in for some crazy weather. This cold front’s gonna give way to a heat spike, believe it or not. That means we’ll probably have to push up the harvest.”
    “The grapes?”
    “That’s right. I was planning on late next week at the earliest, but if the temperatures climb like they’re predicting, it could be much sooner.”
    “How do you know?”
    “Oh, an incredibly scientific test—I’m not sure you’d understand.” He saw her look of surprise and grinned. “I taste them. Fortunately for me, grapes are my favorite fruit.” The shuffle of feet made them both look up simultaneously. A rumpled Carlos Gomez pointed at the coffee pot and groaned.
    “I think I drank too much of my sister’s wine last night,” he moaned. “The red stuff and I just don’t agree. I’m more of a gin man, myself.”
    Dan handed him a cup of coffee. “Which did you drink? The Pinot?”
    Carlos shrugged. “Maybe it’s not the kind that mattered, but the amount.” Lifting the coffee cup to his lips and taking a sip, he sighed. “Just what the doctor ordered.”
    “Speaking of doctors,” began ET, declining coffee and pouring himself a glass of water, “Who was my sister’s physician?” He was impeccably dressed, as usual, in pressed tan pants and a striped Oxford shirt. “I’d like to find out just how sick she was.”
    Dan nodded. “She saw Jenna Yang, a local internist with a very good reputation.” He opened a drawer and pulled out a flowered appointment book. “I’m sure Selena would have her