[Sonoma Wine Country Cozy 04] Veni Vidi Vin by A. J. Carton

Author:A. J. Carton [Carton, A. J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-02-15T08:00:00+00:00

Emma had barely recovered from the shiver Peppino's words sent down her spine, when her telephone buzzed.

She glanced down at it. The name on the little screen flashed "Steve."

She picked up the phone. "Hi Steve," she said.

On the other end of the line, Steve's voice sounded weary. "Come to my office," he said. "We need to talk."

What next? Emma asked herself, getting up from her desk. She still hadn't gotten her head around the purpose of Peppino's visit.

Inside Steve's office, her young boss looked glum. He leaned back in his chair and motioned with his chin for Emma to take the seat on the other side of his desk.

"It's Silas," he began without saying hello. "He's pressuring me about filing the lawsuit. He doesn't understand my delay. According to him, the easement is clear. The ancient redwood was on public access. Jack has to pay - if not for intentional destruction of public property, then at least for his negligence. Silas also wants a temporary restraining order to stop further construction until a full investigation of the expansion is made."

It took a minute for Emma to process everything Steve said. Before she'd finished, he added, "So what do you think? What does your research show? Can we go ahead?"

It was the question Emma wasn't prepared to answer yet. "I think we need to wait," she said.

Steve cocked his head and raised his hands in a pantomime of why? "You read the easement, didn't you? What does it say?"

Emma took a deep breath. "It shows a public right of access from the back of Jack's - I mean the restaurant's - new parcel to the old railroad tracks. Of course those haven't been used for years. And yes. The tree appears to stand…"

"To have stood," Steve interjected.

Emma nodded. "To have stood, mostly within the easement."

"Mostly?" Steve asked.

"The roots of the tree appear to extend across the easement into Massimo!'s lot."

"Enough to make a difference?"

"Probably not. I need time to do more research," Emma hedged.

"How much time?" Steve asked. He was drumming his fingers on his desk top. What little patience the young man had was nearly exhausted.

"I'll get something to you Friday afternoon." As she spoke, Emma inwardly cringed. The promise was rash. But at least it gave her time to revisit the Recorder's Office when Silas wasn't there.

"Tomorrow?" Steve asked looking skeptically down at his watch.

Emma pulled out her cell phone and glanced at it. It was well past 3:00 p.m. There wasn't much time.

"Tomorrow afternoon - late afternoon," she said. Then she paused a minute wondering if she should say more. "One other thing," she added.

Steve looked at her with a question mark.

"The date on the easement," she said. "It's pretty old - from the fifties."

"So?" Steve shrugged.

"So I want to make sure the easement hasn't been modified - terminated, changed - between then and now."

"Did you check the file?" Steve asked.

Emma nodded, yes.

"The title search?"

Emma nodded again.

"What did you find?"

"Nothing," Emma admitted. But she didn't want to air her doubts yet with Steve.

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