The Villa

tampering. If there's a chance, the slightest chance there are other bottles—"
    "Don't rush it," he said again. He stopped the car, shifted to her. He took her hand now, held it. "We'll have to check it out. Every step, every detail. We can't panic. Because if there has been tampering, Sophie, that's just what whoever did it wants. Panic, chaos, scandal."
    "I know. The scandal's my job. I can handle it. I'll think of something to turn the publicity. But… my father and Margaret, Ty. If there was something there—" She tightened her grip on his hand when he started to shake his head. "I have to think of it. If there was, did he know about the tampering? How many times a year did he travel to Italy? Eight, ten, twelve?"
    "Don't go there, Sophia."
    "Why? You have. You think I can't see it? You have, others will. So I have to get there first. I don't want to believe this of him. I have to accept all the rest, but I don't want to believe this."
    "You're making too big a leap, too fast. Slow down. Facts, Soph. Let's start with facts."
    "The facts are two people are dead." Because her hand wanted to tremble, she drew it from his and pushed out of the car. "Margaret took over most of my father's accounts and responsibilities. Whether or not there was a personal relationship between them, that's a connection."
    "Okay." He wanted to offer her something, but it seemed all she wanted was cold logic. "We'll look at that connection and see where it takes us. First we deal with the wine," he said as they started up the stairs. "Then with the fallout."
    The family was in the front parlor, with David standing by the window talking on the phone. Tereza sat, soldier-straight, sipping coffee. She nodded when Ty and Sophia came in, and merely gestured to chairs.
    "James is on his way." Eli paced back and forth in front of the fire. The strain seemed to have weight, and caused his face to sag. "David's talking to Italy now, getting damage control started."
    "Let me get you some coffee," Pilar began.
    "Mama. Sit."
    "I need to do something."
    "Mama." Sophia rose and walked to the coffee cart to stand beside Pilar. "Dad and Margaret?"
    "I don't know." Her hands were steady on the pot, even as her insides shivered. "I just don't. I would've thought—It was my impression Rene kept him on a short leash."
    "Not short enough." Sophia kept her voice quiet. "He was involved with a woman at my office."
    "Oh." It was a kind of sigh. "I wish I could tell you, Sophie. But I just don't know. I'm sorry."
    "Understand this." Sophia turned at her grandmother's voice. Waited. "If there was something between Tony Avano and Margaret Bowers, the police will speculate that any of us, any of us who are connected to them, might have had a part in their deaths. We're family here. We'll stand by each other, and for each other until this is done."
    She glanced toward David when he lowered the phone. "So?"
    "We're tracking it," he began. "We'll recall all bottles of Merlot of that vintage. We should, very shortly, be able to determine which cask the bottle was drawn from. I'll leave in the morning."
    "No. Eli and I will leave in the morning." Tereza lifted a hand, closed her fingers around Eli's when he gripped it. "This is for me. I leave it to you to see that the California operation is secure. That there's no breach. You and Tyler must make certain of it."
    "Paulie and I can start with the wineries," Tyler suggested. "David can look at the bottling."
    David nodded. "We'll go over the personnel files, one by one. You know the crews better than I do. It's most likely the problem's contained in Italy, but we'll make certain California's secure."
    Sophia already had her memo pad in her lap. "I'll have press releases, both English and Italian, ready in an hour. I'll need all the details on the recall. We'll want a story on how exacting the winemaking process is for Giambelli-MacMillan. How safe, how secure. We'll certainly take some hits in Italy, but we may be able to keep it below crisis point here. We'll need to allow camera crews in the vineyards, and the wineries both here and overseas. Nonna, with you and Eli going over, we'll be able to show that Giambelli is family-run, and that La Signora continues to take a personal interest."
    "It is family-run," Tereza said flatly. "And I take a very personal interest."
    "I know that." Sophia lowered her book. "It's important to make sure the press and the consumer know it. Believe it. Are impressed by it. We'll need