Page 47 of A Vineyard Love

“She’s with some guy,” Sam explained. “A muscular guy she seems to be in love with— who, I have to say, doesn’t seem to be half as in love with her. Not that I’m an expert on criminal romances. Anyway, they keep coming in and out the back door to take stuff out.” Sam nodded toward a door that Amanda had previously thought led to a closet.

Audrey hurried for the door and opened it to find a back staircase. “Where does it go?”

“It must drop out near the back of the kitchen,” Sam said. “I think it’s a fire escape.”

“What have they been taking out of here?” Amanda asked.

“I don’t know! Stuff. Fancy-looking stuff. Vintage furniture. Jewelry,” Sam said. “My guess is they wanted to use the wedding as a distraction as they took whatever they wanted. When I caught her with the rings, I got myself involved in something a lot bigger than I thought.” Sam trailed off, his eyes misty. “Amanda, I’m so sorry. You must have thought that I’d left you.”

Amanda could hardly breathe. Her eyes heavy with tears, she fell forward and kissed Sam with her eyes closed, then whispered, “I love you so much, Sam. I was so frightened we wouldn’t get to spend the rest of our lives together.”

“I love you, too,” Sam said tenderly, kicking his legs, which Audrey had removed from their ties. “We can’t waste any time, though. I heard them talking. Sandra is scheduled to bring another load to their van downstairs in about ten minutes. Her boyfriend will be waiting down there, at which point she’s supposed to leap into the van. This island’s small, but it’s not that small. They could easily hide out somewhere with that stuff, lay low, and get away with it.” Sam frowned, heavy with contemplation. “Which means you need to call the cops immediately— and you also need to tie me back up.”

Amanda’s jaw dropped. “Absolutely not.”

“That’s insane, Sam,” Audrey affirmed.

“Sandra won’t hurt me if she doesn’t think I know anything else,” Sam said. “I can tell. She’s weak, and she’s terrified. She cried the entire time she tied me up. I’m pretty sure she just wants to do whatever her boyfriend tells her to do.”

“Sam…” Amanda repeated his name as the pressure in her chest mounted.

“Amanda, she’s coming back in less than ten minutes to take the rest of the stuff. If I’m not here, she’ll freak out, and it’s possible that her boyfriend will get away with all those stolen goods.”

Amanda and Audrey locked eyes, having an entire, wordless conversation within the span of fifteen seconds.

“Have the cops at the back entrance to nab Sandra and her boyfriend,” Sam said. “You should both go downstairs and pretend nothing’s wrong.”

“Are you crazy?” Amanda shot.

Sam gave her a look, one of love and compassion and impatience. “Come on, Amanda. It’s the only way.”

As gently as she could, Amanda slipped the scarf back between Sam’s lips as Audrey quickly tied him back up. “I didn’t get the knots right,” Audrey said, “but I doubt Sandra will notice.” Afterward, Amanda kissed Sam on the forehead and whispered, “I’ll see you at the altar, baby,” before she fled toward the doorway, raced down the hallway, and headed straight for Kelli.

“Kelli! We need to get downstairs,” Amanda said, taking Kelli’s elbow.

Kelli, Lola, Susan, and Christine sputtered with disbelief.

“What happened in there?” Susan demanded.

“It’s hard to explain,” Amanda said. “But Kelli. Are the cops still here? We need their help ASAP. Time is of the essence.”

Kelli drew her phone from her back pocket and sighed. “I have them on speed dial at this point.”

As quickly as she could, Amanda explained what she knew: that Sandra would be making a final delivery of stolen goods from Room 222 within the next fifteen minutes and that it was essential the cops see it happen from the back door. That way, they could apprehend both Sandra and the boyfriend at the same time. Kelli looked mystified.

“So that’s who took everything!” she cried. “And gosh, yes. It makes total sense why they’d book Room 222 for this. It’s one of the only rooms with a fire escape out the back. Only people who work here know that.”

As Kelli dialed the cops, Amanda and Audrey walked down the grand staircase, both petrified. When they reached the foyer and then entered the ballroom, they found that the entire wedding party had returned to the ballroom to order more cocktails. Their gossip was a dull roar, and their faces flashed with a mix of curiosity and pity.

Before Amanda could escape from all the turmoil regarding her future, Charlotte made a beeline for her. In all the chaos upstairs, Amanda had forgotten that the wedding player probably had had a full-on anxiety attack. She’d lost the bride, the groom, and the bridal party, all in a matter of a half-hour.

“Amanda!” Charlotte touched her arm gently and frowned. “Do you want to go back upstairs? Oh, and what happened to your dress?”

Amanda waved her hand. “I’m going to mingle for a while,” she explained.

“Did you find Sam?” Charlotte demanded.

“Sam just needs a few more minutes,” Amanda explained. “In the meantime, we should drink some cocktails, don’t you think? I know you’re my wedding planner, but I want you to enjoy today just as much as everyone else!”

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