Chapter 10
After she’d returned
from the restroom, Deirdre’s senses appeared to have taken hold of
her as she’d asked Nikki not to repeat anything that she’d said.
She’d also added that she was truly sorry poor Susan had been murdered. She didn’t buy that
Deirdre was totally sorry, but for now Nikki was only accumulating
information.
Their conversation
turned light as they talked about clothes and movie stars. Nikki
never let on to Deirdre that it had once been her dream to be in
the spotlight in Hollywood.
Andrés arrived as the
women were chatting about Brad Pitt’s abs. “Looks like you two are
having a grand time,” he said. Then he offered to take them
home.
The quick ride down
the road to Deirdre’s house was quiet, as the alcohol seemed to
kind of settle in on both women.
Nikki expected a
lecture from Andrés once Deirdre was locked safely inside her
place, but she was wrong.
“I think it’s good
that you’re making friends and having fun. I wish Isabel was more
willing to venture out and meet people.” He stopped almost in
mid-sentence. “Now, I only hope that she’ll have that
chance.”
“She will. We have to
believe that, and I think I could be getting closer to finding out
who really killed Susan Jennings.”
He looked sharply at
her. “What are you talking about, Nikki?”
“You know, I wasn’t
having a leisurely dinner with Deirdre. I think that would be kind
of cold to be out with a ‘friend,’ while my dear friend sits behind
bars. I know how it might have looked to you, but it’s not what you
think.”
“You were fishing,
weren’t you?”
“Yep, and I think
I’ve set out some bait and we might be able to hook a big
fish.”
“No, Nikki. I don’t
like this at all. I know you only want to help Isabel, but the fact
is there is a killer out there, and your hunting around like this
doesn’t sit well with me. I don’t want you to get
hurt.”
“I’m not going to get
hurt, and face it, the cops aren’t looking any further than your
sister. I’ll be careful.”
“I’ve got the
attorney pushing for more of an investigation from the Sheriff ’s
department. I think that’s a better route than putting you in
danger.”
“Okay, I’ll leave it
alone and let the police handle it.” Means to an end—the
truth.
“Nikki . . .” He
looked sideways at her.
“I’ll be careful, and
I’ll be discreet. Let me just ask my questions and see what I can
find out.”
He groaned. “You can
be aggravating.”
“I’ve been told that
before.”
“By your aunt no
doubt.”
Nikki
nodded.
“Isabel is the only
family that I have left. I want to be around her. I want her to
marry and have kids so I can be an uncle and be a part of a larger
family. I’m going to do everything I can to get her out of this
mess.”
“I agree, and that’s
what I’m doing.”
“Promise me you’ll be
careful. I’d like to see you have a family too, one
day.”
“Cross my heart. What
about you? Don’t you want to marry and have children?”
Andrés shifted the
car into lower gear as they started down Oakville Grade. He grew
silent for a moment, and in a softer voice replied, “I want to get
married and have children more than I can express.”
At first Nikki didn’t
know how to respond. “You just have to find the right
woman.”
“Who says that I
haven’t?”
Okay, now Nikki
really didn’t know how to respond. Ask who? Ignore it? What? What
to say? She was happy in that second that she was liquored up. She
could use it as an excuse if it ever came up again that she didn’t
have any recollection of him ever mentioning marriage or the right
woman.
They were quiet for
several minutes as Andrés wheeled his truck down the hill and into
Napa. He turned on the radio. An old Tears For Fears song was
playing. “Head Over Heels.” When the song got to the chorus, Andrés
stole another glance at Nikki. This time there was no meaning lost
on her as the singer belted out the words, “Don’t break my heart,
don’t throw it away.”
They turned into
Malveaux Estate and pulled up next to the cottage. “Why don’t you
come in for some chai tea?” she asked. In spite of his last comment
and the silence between them that had ensued, she didn’t want to
end the night on that strange note, especially since he’d been so
gracious as to take his time to drive to Sonoma and get her tipsy
ass home.
“Sounds
good.”
He turned off the
engine and they walked toward the cottage. Reaching the porch,
headlights turned down the road and looked to be coming their way,
but then they swerved and headed back up the hill.
“What was that all
about?” Andrés asked.
“If I had to guess,
I’d say that was the Boys of Summer.”
“Simon and Marco have
graced you with their presence again?”
“You said it. It’s
always a pleasure to have them around.”
After making the tea,
they sat and talked late into the evening. She sobered up after a
while and enjoyed his company. He was easy to talk to and a good
listener, and when he got on the topic of winemaking, the passion
in him that she’d noticed when they first met shone
through.
“You know that saying
about wine and women, how they get better with age? It’s true. The
comparison, whoever made it, is brilliant,” he said.
“Okay, you’re gonna
have to explain this one to me.”
“A young wine is tart
and untamed. You never know how the wine is going to taste, like a
girl who has entered that stage of being a woman. She’s
unpredictable, emotional, and unstable. A wine that has sat in the
barrel and mellowed is smooth, elegant, sweet with enough tang to
be interesting.”
“Tell me, what age of
woman are you talking about? One who as you say, has all of those
refined qualities?”
“I don’t think a
woman gets truly interesting until she hits at least thirty. Before
that, I’ve discovered that finding the substance is usually
difficult. And then, with each year after her third decade, a woman
only gets better. My mother in her seventies was one of the most
beautiful, interesting and wise women that I’ve ever
known.”
Nikki set her teacup
down on the coffee table in front of her. “I think you’re an
exception because lately I’ve encountered the opposite.” She told
him about Daveed, and his bunny. She also reflected on Marty and
Pamela, but didn’t want to bring up the subject of the Waltmans and
the wedding gone awry again.
“That’s an empty
life. It’s not for me.” He checked his watch. “I’ve got to get
going. I’m going to visit Isabel in the morning and we have another
meeting with the attorney.” He kissed her cheek, lingering a bit
longer than usual.
After he left, Nikki
touched the side of her face where his lips had been. She couldn’t
help wondering what type of life Andrés Fernandez was looking for,
and with whom did he want to live it?