The Villa

dissatisfaction struggled toward the surface again before she tamped it down. "And I use it, when it suits me, to get what I want."
    "Why shouldn't you? You're smart enough to use the tools at hand. If a guy lets you, it's his problem. Not yours."
    "Well." She laughed a little, sipped her wine. "That's unexpected, coming from a man I've used them on."
    "Didn't hurt me any." He stretched out his legs, crossed his ankles and knew she was trying to puzzle him out. Fine and good, Ty thought. Let her do the wondering for a change. "Anyway, the guy fitting DeMorney's description spent time in the winery," Tyler told her. "Had access to the bottling plant. With Donato."
    "Ah." How sad, she thought. "So the triangle re-forms into a four-sided box. Jerry links to Don, Don links to my father. Both Jerry and Dad link to Kris. Tidy."
    "What do you want to do about it?"
    "Tell the police, here and at home. And I want to talk to David. He'll know more about Jerry's work at La Coeur." She plucked a strawberry from a dish, bit into it slowly. "Tomorrow I'm going into Venice. I've agreed to give some interviews, during which I'll hang Don up by the balls. Disgrace to the family, a betrayal to the loyal employees and customers of Giambelli. Our shock, sorrow and regret, and our unhesitating cooperation with the authorities in the hopes that he will be brought to justice quickly, and spare his innocent and pregnant wife, his young children, his grieving mother any more pain."
    She reached for the bottle to fill her glass again. "You think that's cold and hard and just a little nasty."
    "No. I think it's hard on you. Hard to be the one saying those things, keeping your head up when you do. You've got your grandmother's spine, Sophie."
    "Again, unexpected, but grazie. I'm going to have to deal with Gina and my aunt, as well. If they want family support, emotional and the all-important financial, they'll cooperate with the line we're taking publicly."
    "What time are we leaving?"
    "I don't need you for this."
    "Don't be stupid, it doesn't suit you. MacMillan is just as involved, just as vulnerable. It'll play better in the press if we do this as a team. Family, company, partnership. Solidarity."
    "We leave at seven, sharp." She sat again. "I'll type up a statement, some responses for you. You can go over them on the way in, so they'll be fresh in your mind should you be questioned."
    "Fine. But let's try to keep that the only area where you put words in my mouth."
    "It's hard to resist with you taciturn types, but I'll try."
    He spread some pate on a cracker, handed it to her. "So, let's change channels awhile. What do you think about your mother and David?"
    "I think it's great."
    "Do you?"
    "Yes, don't you?"
    "As a matter of fact. But it seemed to me you've been a little off since they called with the big announcement."
    "I think, under the circumstances, I'm allowed to be a little off. But that's one turn of events I can be pleased about. It feels right. I'm happy for her. For them. He'll be good to her, and for her. And the kids… She always wanted more children, now she'll have them. Even if they come half-grown."
    "I was half-grown, and she managed to be more of a mother to me than my own."
    Her shoulders, tensed when he'd tossed the question at her, relaxed again. "She's too young to be your mother."
    "That's what I used to tell her. And she'd say it's not the age, it's the seniority."
    "She loves you. A lot."
    "Feeling's mutual. What're you smiling at?"
    "I don't know. I suppose I've been a little down today, with one thing or another. And I didn't expect to end the day sitting out here with you, actually relaxing. Feels better to have said all that ugly business out loud. Cleanse the palate," she added with another sip of wine. "Then move on to something pleasant we can actually agree on."
    "We've got more common ground than either of us might have thought a year ago."
    "I suppose we do. And I'm impressed that instead of having this discussion inside, with your boots propped up on a coffee table, we're sitting out here. Wine, candlelight, even music." She leaned back, looked up at the sky. "Stars. It's nice to know you can appreciate an attractive venue, even for a discussion that's primarily business and distressful."
    "There's that. But mostly I wanted to set this up out here so we'd have a pretty setting when I seduce you."
    She choked on her wine, managed to laugh it off. "Seduce me? Where's that on your agenda?"
    "Coming