The Villa

gun," he added, "used to shoot David Cutter. I had it sent to me. Forward-thinking, which I'm sure you'll appreciate. You're dead, and she hangs for it. Very tidy."
    "Why?"
    "Because nobody screws with me and gets away with it. You Giambellis think you can have it all, and now you'll end up with nothing."
    "Because of my father?" She could see the bright orange glow from the fire through the open doors behind him. "All of this because my father embarrassed you?"
    "Embarrassed? He stole from me—my wife, my pride, my life. And what did any of you lose? Nothing. Just another bump to you. I've taken my own back, and more. I'd have been satisfied to ruin you, but dead's better. You're the key. Tereza, well, she's not as young as she was. Your mother, she hasn't got what it takes to bring the company back. Without you, the heart and the brains are dead. Your father was a user, a liar and a cheat."
    "Yes, he was." No one would come for her, she thought. There would be no one to race back from the fire to save her. She would face death on her own. "You're all that, and so much less."
    "If there was time, we'd debate that. But I'm a little pressed so…" He brought the gun up another inch. "Ciao, bella."
    "Vai a farti fottere." She cursed him in a steady voice. She wanted to close her eyes—to find a prayer, an image of something to take with her. But she kept them open. Waited. When the gun exploded, she stumbled back. And watched blood seep through the tiny hole in his shirt.
    Baffled shock crossed his face, then another shot jerked his body to the side and dropped him. In the doorway, Helen lowered the gun to her side.
    "Oh my God. Oh God. Aunt Helen." Her legs gave out. Sophia stumbled to the bed, lowered herself to it. "He was going to kill me."
    "I know." Slowly, Helen came into the room, sat heavily on the bed beside Sophia. "I came back to tell you the men had come. I saw…"
    "He was going to kill me. Just like he killed my father."
    "No, honey. He didn't kill your father. I did. I did," she repeated, and dropped the gun she held to the floor. "I'm so sorry."
    "No. That's crazy."
    "I used that gun. It was my father's. It was never registered. I don't know why I took it that night. I don't think I planned to kill him. I… wasn't thinking at all. He wanted money. Again. It was never going to end."
    "What are you talking about?" Sophia took her shoulders. She could smell gunpowder, and blood. "What are you saying?"
    "Linc. He was using Linc against me. Linc, God help me. Linc is Tony's son."
    "They've got it under control. It's—" Pilar rushed in the terrace doors, stopped cold. "Oh dear God. Sophie!"
    "No, wait." Sophia sprang to her feet. "Don't come in. Don't touch anything." Her breath came out in pants, but she was thinking, thinking fast. "Aunt Helen, come with me. Come with me now. We can't stay in here."
    "It'll destroy James, and Linc. I've ruined them after all."
    Moving quickly now, Sophia dragged Helen up, pulled her out onto the terrace. "Tell us. Tell us quickly, we can't have much time."
    "I killed Tony. Pilar, I betrayed you. Myself. Everything I believe in."
    "That's not possible. For God's sake, what happened here?"
    "She saved my life," Sophia said. A blast rent the air as bottles exploded in the winery. She barely flinched. "He was going to kill me, with the gun that shot David. He'd sent for it, kept it like a souvenir. Helen, what happened with my father?"
    "He wanted money. Over the years he'd contact me when he needed money. He never actually demanded, never actually threatened. He'd just mention Linc—what a fine boy he was, what a bright and promising young man. Then he'd say he needed a bit of a loan. I slept with Tony." She began to weep then, silently. "All those years ago. We were all so young. James and I were having problems. I was so angry with him, so confused. We separated for a few weeks."
    "I remember," Pilar murmured.
    "I ran into Tony. He was so understanding, so sympathetic. You and he weren't getting along, either. You were considering a separation. He was charming, and he paid attention. The way James hadn't been. There's no excuse. I let it happen. After, I was so ashamed, so disgusted with myself. But it was done, and couldn't be changed. I found out I was pregnant. It wasn't James's because we hadn't been together that way. So I made my second hideous mistake, and I told Tony. I might as well have told him I'd decided to change my hairstyle. He could hardly be expected