“I know some people in the department,” said Chase, who had been an NYPD cop himself before moving to Hampton Cove. “I’ll talk to the person in charge of the investigation and see if I can’t get them to speed things up a little.”
“Thanks,” said Steph gratefully. “I just want this to stop, you know.”
“Of course. This kind of behavior simply cannot be tolerated.”
Two more men had joined us. Steph introduced them as Larry and Robbie Scunner, father and son. Larry was the foreman at the winery, and basically in charge of the practical ins and outs of running the place, alongside Ian Stewart. And Robbie pretty much handled any job that needed doing. Larry had been in the Stewarts’ employ since the late nineties, and had even worked for Steph’s grandfather for a while, back when he was in charge of the place.
“Bad business,” said Larry, shaking his head. He was a rugged-looking man, and like his son dressed in jeans and a check shirt. His skin was the consistency of leather, and even though he wore a baseball cap, clearly he hadn’t been adhering to the generally accepted advice to liberally use sunscreen when out and about, and to stay out of the sun and seek shade when your shadow is shorter than you.
His son Robbie was also very tan, and from the occasional glances he stole at Steph, I had the impression his concern was mainly centered around her.
“Do you think Beniamino could be behind this?” asked Steph. “It’s just that my dad seems to think so.”
“I doubt it,” said Larry. “We may not always see eye to eye, but there’s never been any violence. And Ben has absolutely no reason to resort to violence now. No, whatever this is, I’m sure it’s got nothing to do with the Kosinskis.”
“Is it true you were almost driven off the road yesterday?” asked Robbie now.
Steph nodded.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” said Robbie, who suddenly seemed worked up for some reason. “Your dad tells me you could have been killed!”
“Dad told you that? But I haven’t said anything. I didn’t want him and Mom to worry.”
“I told them,” said Jeff. “After the incident with the window, I thought they should know. I also told them about the slander campaign and everything.”
Steph clearly didn’t agree with her husband in this matter, for she shook her head. Maybe she had a point. No reason to get her parents all worked up.
Suddenly Robbie Scunner turned on Steph’s husband. “This is your fault,” he said, stabbing the Frenchman in the chest with his finger. “It’s your responsibility to take care of Stephanie, and clearly you’re not up to the job, buddy!”
“Say that again and I will beat you!” said Jeff, balling his fists.
“Bring it on!” Robbie said, and the two men started pushing and shoving each other in some kind of weird tussle. The air was suddenly filled with testosterone, and at any moment they could start slugging it out like two schoolyard scrappers.
“Stop it, you two!” said Steph as she tried to come between the men. But before she could, Chase had stepped forward, and so had Larry. And while Larry held his son back, Chase provided the same service to Jeff. At this point Jeff was talking aboutmerde again, and coincidentally or not Robbie used the exact same expression but in English. Clearly these men did not like each other very much.
“Walk away, son,” said Larry in a deep, booming voice. “Now!”
“If something happens to her, it’s on your head!” Robbie yelled, and then followed his dad’s advice and did indeed walk away.
“Now they were both talking about pieces ofmerde, Max,” said Dooley.
“Well observed, Dooley,” I said. “It appears to be a popular expression on both sides of the Atlantic.”
“What’s wrong with you!” Steph cried. She had turned to her husband, and was clearly unhappy with the way he had reacted to the situation.
“He insulted me!” said the young man.
“So? That doesn’t mean you have to respond in kind.”
“Oh, whatever,” said Jeff with a throwaway gesture, and also walked off.
“What’s the deal with those two?” asked Chase.
Larry sighed, expressing a father’s frustration. “Robbie worries about Steph’s wellbeing, and when something like this happens, he feels Jeff isn’t doing a good enough job at protecting her.”
“It wasn’t Jeff’s fault that this maniac tried to drive us off the road,” said Steph. “And in fact he probably saved our lives.” She was darting a concerned look in the direction her husband had stalked off. “I better go and talk to him,” she said finally, and followed the young manto wherever he’d gone.
“The thing is,” said Larry, “and I don’t think I’m betraying any confidences here, that Robbie and Steph used to be an item. This was a long time ago, and it ended when Steph went off to Paris for her fashion school. Then she met Jeff and they moved in together in Jeff’s flat in Paris, and a year later they got married. Big wedding here at the winery. And Robbie—well, I guess he took it pretty hard.”
“He’s still in love with Steph,” said Odelia.