Corked by Cabernet

Thirty-two

SIMON and Marco had insisted on staying the night with her. After a couple of Tylenol she felt okay physically. Mentally was another story. Neither of the boys wanted to leave her the next day, but she insisted they go to the adoption meeting they’d scheduled. Derek had been trying to get a flight home since last night, but with everyone else also trying to get home, he’d been delayed and ended up having to spend the night in the airport.

When she’d last spoken with him, it was close to two o’clock in the morning. She could hear the strain and concern in his voice. Simon had called and told him what had happened, and he’d decided that if planes were still delayed come morning, he was going to rent a car and drive to the closest city he could find that had an operational airport.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked over and over.

“I’m fine. I really am. Plus, I have the boys and Ollie here. I miss you. That’s really the most pain that I’m in.”

“I miss you, too, and I am on my way. I’ll do whatever it takes to get home.”

She couldn’t wait to see him. But there was this pit in her gut about how to tell him what the doctor had said.

Although her body ached some, it was her mind that was filled with the most discomfort. She needed some fresh air. Robinson had asked both Ruben and Juan to come back to the station because neither of them had been able to confirm their whereabouts when Nikki had been attacked yesterday. Everyone else appeared to have alibis-even Kurt Kensington, who’d showed up at the spa for a sauna after running with her.

Robinson had also checked in on her in the morning and gone over the statement she gave in the hospital to the officer he’d sent over. He’d wanted to come himself, but he’d also wanted to make sure everything was done properly at the warehouse. More than ever, Robinson was determined to get this guy, and he seemed certain it was Ruben or Juan.

Nikki resigned herself to believing that Ruben or Juan, or both, had something to do with the murders and attacking her, but she still could not wrap her mind around Ruben being a killer. She’d heard that Rose Pearlman was down at the police station, wreaking havoc and making all sorts of threats about lawsuits and whatnot. Nikki didn’t wish her on Robinson, or anyone for that matter.

What still bothered her was that the one clue she felt was missing in this whole thing was that stupid DVD she witnessed Iwao trying to give to Alan. Why this troubled her, she didn’t know. But it did, and it got her to thinking about where that DVD had gone to.

And how about Jen and Sierra? He shows up at a convenient time, does not seem all that distraught over his uncle’s death, and suddenly he and Sierra are madly in love again. Was it all coincidence and were they telling her the truth? Or was there something more sinister? The alibi that each one of them had when Nikki was attacked was based on being with one another. Could they be behind the murders? If Iwao had threatened to stop supporting Jen’s aunt’s hospitalization if Jen married Sierra, could that have sent Jen over the edge? He had time to plan and execute a murder, didn’t he? Had Robinson been able to find out yet whether or not he’d still been in Japan the night his uncle was murdered?

One idea came to mind. It was kind of a last straw, but why she hadn’t thought to do so before, she didn’t know. She needed to head up to the hotel and check some things out. Running was out of the question today, but taking a walk to kill some time with Ollie would be a good idea.

The boys had told her that when the Sansis had heard what happened to her, they’d decided to stay an extra night, partly because Robinson and his crew once again needed to interrogate everyone and partly because Alan Sansi was concerned for her welfare. She wanted to thank him and tell them good-bye.

She went into the garage and changed out a load of laundry, then grabbed Ollie’s leash and called him. He climbed off the couch and obeyed. This time she wasn’t taking no for an answer from him. Not after yesterday. The two of them headed slowly up the hill to the hotel, where Nikki wanted to check in with Alyssa.

Alyssa was behind the front desk with Petie, who was playing with some plastic cars. She came around the desk and hugged Nikki. “Oh, my God. Simon told me what happened. Are you okay? You poor thing. You look-”

“I know. I know. I hope I don’t scare him.” She pointed to Petie, who was totally absorbed with his toys.” Nikki had seen herself in the mirror and it wasn’t a pretty sight. There was a nice purple and black bruise under her eye on her right cheek and a small cut near her chin. She did look worse than she felt.

Ollie lay down at their feet, evidently exhausted after the five-minute walk.

“You won’t. I’m sorry I had to bring Petie today. Kathy at the day care center is sick, and so is her helper. I’m hoping he doesn’t catch it.”

“Me, too. You don’t have to be sorry that you brought him in. He’s always welcome here. I can take him down to my place and watch him. I’m lying low today,” Nikki said.

“I couldn’t do that to you. You need to rest.”

“I’m fine. It looks a lot worse than it is. Really. I’d love to have his company. Derek will be back tonight, and after yesterday, I want to catch up on some housework and take it easy. I know he loves Thomas the Tank Engine. I have all those DVDs for him at our house. I bought them to bribe you to let me have him for a few hours at a time.” She laughed. “Come on. Let me take him. I’ll make him some lunch. Oh, by the way, have you seen the Sansi family at all? I’d like to tell them good-bye.”

“They went into Yountville, except for Rich Higgins. He asked me for directions into the city because he said that he had a meeting and would be back this afternoon to head out with Hayden and her family. It’s good news about everything. I talked to Jonah, I mean Detective Robinson…” She blushed. “He said that he thinks he has the killers in custody. He’s working on proving it now. That must make you feel better. Jonah is a good guy. He’s worried about you, like we all are. He said something today about having security at your house.”

“I have it. His name is Ollie and he weighs as much as I do. Trust me, with him around, I feel safe. But if you’re nervous about me watching Petie after what happened…” She glanced down at the dog. “Or you’re worried about Ollie…”

“No. Not at all. I know Ollie is on it. He wouldn’t let anyone through the door who shouldn’t be there, and as far as Petie around the dog, I’ve seen how good Ollie is with him. I’m worried about you is all. I don’t want you to overdo.”

“I won’t. Promise.”

“Okay, then. If you’re sure. He’s all yours. But instead of walking back, why don’t you let me drive you down to the house. The kid comes with practically an entire bedroom.” She laughed.

“You don’t mind him riding in the back, do you?” Nikki asked, pointing to Ollie.

“No.” She waved a hand. “Not at all. Hey, you didn’t just come up here to see if you could play babysitter. You didn’t even know he was here with me,” Alyssa said.

“True, but I’m happy about that. I actually did come up for another reason. I was thinking about something. When Mr. Yamimoto checked in the other day, you processed that, right?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“Did he have anything put in the safe? I’m actually helping out Robinson.”

Alyssa’s eyes grew wide.

“Yeah, I know, probably against my better judgment. And don’t tell him that I told you, even though it sounds like he’s been filling you in on some things, too.”

“Sort of. I asked about the job and he was kind of telling me what he could, but he didn’t mention you were helping him.”

“I figured. But I’ve been wracking my brain all morning and I know I’m missing something. I don’t think that Ruben Pearlman committed the murders. Maybe Juan Gonzales. Maybe. Since you checked Yamimoto in, I thought I’d ask and see if he had any special requests that seemed strange. I don’t know.” Nikki tossed her hands up. “Or did he place anything in the safe?”

Alyssa shook her head. “No. It was a normal check-in process. I thought it kind of strange that his wife, well, his girlfriend or whoever she was, stood back and didn’t speak. I thought it was a cultural thing. Maybe she was supposed to do that. Wait a minute. There is something about her, the girlfriend.”

“What?”

“You know what? Edna said something about her to me.”

“She did?”

“Yeah. She mentioned that the lady-in room twenty-three-brought down a large envelope and there was only one word printed on the front and it read SAFE, so Edna put it in the safe for her.”

“Dammit.”

“What?”

“Let’s get it out. I asked Edna myself if she’d met the woman or seen her, and she said no. But she obviously had.” Nikki shook her head. “I’m worried about Edna. Did you know that last week she locked herself out of her house, or thought she had? She didn’t remember that she kept a key under a potted plant near the front door. She mentioned to me that it might be time for her to leave the job.”

Alyssa scooped up Petie and they walked back to the safe. She glanced behind her. “I hope not, but I understand if she does.” Alyssa passed Petie to Nikki as she twisted the combo on the safe. “That’s so sad.”

“I know, but I’m not sure what to do. I’ll talk to Derek and see if we can figure something out. We should also talk to her family. She has to have some family close by.”

Alyssa nodded and opened the safe. Petie tugged at the ends of Nikki’s hair. “Hair,” he kept repeating.

Alyssa pulled out the envelope and pried Petie’s fingers from Nikki’s hair. “Here, I’ll hold him while you open it.”

Nikki tore open the envelope as they walked back to the front desk. She dumped the contents onto the desk. There it was-the elusive DVD.