“Yeah, that was unfortunate,” said Robbie, scratching his scalp. “I overreacted when I heard that their car had been driven off the road that morning.”
“You and Steph used to date, is that correct?”
“Years ago,” said Robbie. “We were high school sweethearts, but that didn’t last very long.”
“Oh? We heard it lasted a couple of years. Until Steph went off to Paris and the relationship ended.”
Robbie laughed nervously.“I wouldn’t exactly call it a relationship. Just kids fooling around, you know. Nothing serious. Well, you know how it is at that age.”
“We have it on good authority you took it very seriously,” said Chase, studying the man closely. “And that when Steph broke it off you were heartbroken.”
“Who told you that?” said the young man, frowning now. “That just isn’t true.”
“And when Steph married Jeff you wore black at the funeral, and told anyone who would listen that you were in mourning because Steph had married another man. That you’d always think of her as the one, no matter who she married.”
“That was a joke! I figured that’s what people were thinking, so I just made a joke. I didn’t mean it. And doesn’t everyone wear black at a wedding? Well, except the bride of course, who’s in white.” He tugged at his ear. “Look, I don’t know who fed you this garbage, but you’ve received some bad information, detective. I’m not hung up on Steph. Like I said, there was never anything serious between us, and anyway, that all ended a long time ago. I’ve moved on, and so has she.”
“So you didn’t bear a grudge against Jeff Felfan?”
“Of course not! I wished them well. I wishedhim well.”
“One more question, Mr. Scunner. Do you own a firearm?”
“No, I don’t. Why would I need a firearm?”
“Where can we find your father?”
“He’s inspecting the vines,” said Robbie, pointing in the general direction of the wine fields.
“Thank you, sir,” said Chase, and that was that.
“Did you believe him?” asked Odelia once we had put some distance between ourselves and the foreman’s son.
“Nope,” said Chase. “He was lying through his teeth. The question is: what was he lying about?”
“I think he’s still in love with Steph,” said Dooley. “And I think it’s all very romantic.”
“It’s not so romantic if he killed Steph’s husband,” I pointed out.
“He must have been overwhelmed with grief when Steph left. And then when she came back with a new boyfriend, and announced they were getting married, that must have really hurt.”
“He says that wasn’t the case.”
“Oh, but he was lying, Max. Even Chase says it.”
“Mh,” I said. “It’s possible.” I was hedging my bets. Though I had to admit Mr. Scunner hadn’t exactly come across as truthful. And that we needed to add him to our list of suspects, that was obvious. Unless his dad irrevocably supported his alibi. In which case he was in the clear.
But try as we might, we couldn’t locate Larry Scunner in the vastness of the vineyard. It was a lot of ground to cover to find one man, of course, and so Chase and Odelia decided to give it another shot tomorrow. He wasn’t going anywhere.
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“Dad,” said Robbie urgently. He’d found his dad in his office, where he spent a lot of his time. “When the police ask you where I was this afternoon, I was right here, all right?”
Larry Scunner’s leathery face screwed up into a network of tiny wrinkles. “What are you talking about? You weren’t here. You weren’t anywhere near the winery.”
“I know, but that’s none of their business. I told them I was here, and that you could vouch for me.”
Larry eyed his son with interest.“This wouldn’t by any chance have anything to do with Jeff Felfan being murdered, would it?” His frown deepened. “Son? You’re not in any trouble, are you?”
“No, Dad. I was in town on some personal business. And it had absolutely nothing to do with Jeff. But you know what the cops are like. They’ll keep digging and asking questions and before you know it they’ll think I killed Jeff.”
“Now why would you go and kill Jeff Felfan?” asked his dad quizzically.
“I wouldn’t! I didn’t, I just told you.” His dad was being exasperating again. “Look, just tell them I was with you all afternoon, and then everything will be fine.” But as he left, he could tell that his dad wasn’t convinced. He was staring at him with that same worried expression onhis face he often got.
He hated to do this, of course. He hated lying to his dad. But that couldn’t be helped. If he told the old man what he’d really been up to that afternoon, all hell would break loose. And that was the last thing he needed right now.
CHAPTER 24
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