Page 41 of One Last Night

Sean’s voice startles me. I sigh heavily and agree, “Yes, you’re right. It still hurts, though.”

“I know,” he says gently. “You’ve had a good run. In spite of all the odds, you’ve left each family you’ve worked for better than when you arrived. This might have just been a little beyond even you.”

I give him a morose look. “If you’re trying to comfort me, you’re doing a very poor job.”

He smiles sadly. “I know. I don’t think there’s anything I can do to make you feel better.”

“I had a very high opinion of you a moment ago,” I remark. “Please don’t force me to change it.”

He wisely keeps silent. I take a deep breath and offer him my perspective. It doesn’t really make me feel better, but it might inform his responses better.

“I understand that it’s not realistic of me to expect that I can fix every problem every family faces. What frustrates me is that I was left with no choice but to betray Luann’s confidence. What frustrates me even more is that I failed badly at investigating the sabotage taking place here.”

“I actually can say something about that which might help,” Sean says. “You were actually right to suspect Robert Cartwright’s involvement. You didn’t investigate the servants, but that was a procedural mistake which didn’t really matter in the end. Your instincts overcame that mistake and led you to the right answer anyway.”

“So you think it really was Robert Cartwright?”

“I don’t see who else it could be,” he replies. “I doubt it was Robert himself, but I could believe he paid someone. Not one of the household staff, though. They’re too loyal. I’ve gotten to know them a little over the past few days, and none of them would do anything to betray the Bellamys. I think I’ll take my investigation over to the employees.”

I raise an eyebrow. “You’re going to continue investigating? Now that the police are here?”

“Of course. I have more freedom to maneuver than the police do. They’ll be hamstrung by Robert’s legal team and prevented from investigating with any speed or efficiency. I don’t have to worry about that constraint.”

I nod. “That’s good. I think you can really help.”

I smile, but I feel a pang in my chest. It's selfish of me, and a little silly, but it hurts that I have to remove myself and let Sean handle the investigation. I think of this as "my" case, and knowing that I can't act on it anymore is painful.

But it is what it is. Perhaps now that there’s been some time, the children will be more receptive to my company. I finish my lunch and squeeze Sean’s hand. “I’ll check on the children.”

“I think you should. They’re mad at you, but they understand that they’re wrong to blame you. I think a good conversation between the three of you should help them mend a little.”

I smile a little more genuinely and kiss him on the cheek. “Thank you.”

Thus encouraged, I head upstairs to talk to the two of them. I won’t push for anything today. I’ll just see if I can take them outside for some fresh air. It’s a good place to start.

I go to Luann’s room first. Nathan is protective of his sister and won’t be willing to reconcile with me unless Luann is willing to mend our bridges.

The door is slightly ajar when I approach, and I hear Luann’s voice inside. I lift my hand to knock, but when I hear what she’s saying, I pause.

“What was I supposed to do, Kevin? I didn’t have a choice. People could have gotten hurt. I know it was an accident, but I didn’t think it was gonna be that bad. The police came here and everything. If someone had been outside… Kevin, did you hear me? The fuckingpolicecame! What should I have done?”

I lower my hand. Some instinct tells me that Luann might reveal something important about the case, something that could give everyone the answers we all need.

"Is your dad okay?" Luann asks. Apparently, she doesn't get the answer she was hoping for because I see through the crack of the door as she sits on the edge of the bed and wipes tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't want anyone to get in trouble. I just didn't know what to do."

She sniffles and wipes more tears from her eyes. “What did you tell them?” She nods, then adds, “Okay. Yeah, that’s what I said too. I didn’t say anything more specific. If we want the police to believe it, we have to be vague.”

My eyes widen. The hunch I feel strengthens considerably and brings with it a new thought. Luann and Kevin are lying.Robert Cartwright isn’t responsible for the sabotage on the vineyard.

That might not be true. God knows I don’t want to believe it’s true. It’s possible that they’re concerned that the police won’t believe the truth, but her second comment, about being vague…

But I can’t believe that Luann could be behind this. I don’t know Kevin well, but Luann? Sabotaging her own grandmother’s vineyard? Jeopardizing her father’s business? It’s too much for me to accept.

That doesn’t mean it’s not the truth, though.

“Well, nothing’s going to happen to him, right? I mean, he has an alibi, doesn’t he? And he has a really good lawyer. He’ll be fine.”

Something Kevin says frightens Luann. She pales and jumps off of her bed. “No, Kevin, don’t do that! We’ll be in real trouble! Likejailtrouble! Maybe, but do you want to take that risk? It’s not just my family who lives here. The servants are here, and the new tutor is a prissy goody-two-shoes. She would think she’s morally obligated to tell on us.”

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