Deadly Vintage by Elizabeth Varadan

Author:Elizabeth Varadan [Varadan, Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Belanger Books
Published: 2019-11-28T16:00:00+00:00

Since Owen had cooked, Carla took care of the dishes, over his protests that she should rest and relax with a book after her harrowing day.

“Uh-uh,” she said. “When I cook, you wash up, and vice versa. That’s our routine,” she reminded him. “Go out on the balcony and have your smoke in peace.”

Besides, she found it more soothing to perform a normal task like rinsing plates and table ware. Trying to rest and relax with a book hadn’t worked. She had just finished loading the dishwasher and pressing start, when the outside buzzer gave its distinctive blat, announcing a visitor outside the entryway.

After a few minutes, they opened the apartment door, and Detetive Fernandes nodded his greeting, looking dapper and solemn as ever. He sat in the overstuffed chair, they sat on the sofa, and without much preamble, the detetive gave Owen his own recap of events.

“We found the bottle O Lobo took from your wife in his apartment,” he added. “He was keeping it for someone. At present, he will not say who, but . . .” Fernandes made his circle-in-the-air gesture with his hand, “. . . it is only a matter of time.”

“Do you think it’s a forgery?” Owen asked.

“We are sending it to the expert who examined the other bottles. In another week or two we will know if it is authentic. If so, we will return it to Senhor Pereira. If not . . ..” The corners of his mouth turned down. Clearly police business.

Owen squeezed Carla’s shoulder. “Sounds like things are pretty much wrapped up, babe. O Lobo’s picked up. They have the bottle. We can celebrate with a trip to Ponte de Lima this weekend.”

“I regret to say things are not wrapped up,” the detetive said.

In the silence that followed, the evening’s fish and chips did a tango in Carla’s stomach. Maybe Fernandes was having the same second thoughts about Geoffrey Walsh that had occurred to her. They had O Lobo. They had the bottle. But did they know who ordered the theft from Pereira? And who had the second forgery examined by experts? She couldn’t imagine the butler would have orchestrated the bottle switch for reasons of his own, but she was sticking with her earlier insight that he could have killed Costa in a fit of rage.

And there’s still the other bottle that was in the case. Maybe he snatched it for Pereira.

Before she could ask anything, Fernandes said, “It is the matter of Paulo Sousa that concerns us.”

“Why?” Carla asked, the word coming out scratchy and breathless. “Hasn’t Paulo . . . Sousa contacted you yet?”

“No.”

That was disappointing news. But then, Paulo hadn’t made any promises.

“I visited his apartment this afternoon,” she said, and saw Fernandes transform from a low-key, close-to-the-vest investigator to an ice sculpture. The warmth in the room turned wintry. His stare grew colder as she struggled through her rationale. “I suggested to him that things might go better for him if he comes forward on his own, now that he didn't have to fear O Lobo.

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