Deadly Offer by Vicki Doudera Page A

“That’s what makes Carson Creek different.”
    Darby regarded him quietly. “Dan, did you ever let Selena know that you wanted the property?”
    He whipped his head around, clearly surprised. “That was out of the question. Whatever Selena was asking for Carson Creek, it’s more than I’ve got saved.”
    “Did Selena know of your interest?”
    He gave a harsh chuckle. “Did Selena know how I felt about this place? Is that what you’re asking?” He sucked in a breath and then with great effort whispered, “Yeah, she knew.”
    The other three watched as he walked out of the room.
    “Well, that explains a lot,” said Carlos, hefting his body off the chair and heading toward the coffee machine. He poured the steaming beverage into his mug.
    ET raised his eyebrows. “Such as?”
    “Obviously he’s angry that Selena wasn’t going to hand over her property. He admits he couldn’t afford it, but he thinks she should have just given it to him.” He ran a hand through his unruly curls. “I’m not sure if he should continue working here.”
    ET shook his head. “Carlos, I disagree. It’s evident that Dan loves this place. It’s that love for the property that is speaking. I think we need to listen to what he says.”
    Carlos frowned and looked at Darby. “I know that my brother trusts your judgment. And after all, he is the executor of the will.” She heard the sarcasm in his voice. “What do you think?”
    Darby turned her almond eyes toward the younger Gomez brother. “I can see where you’d be concerned, Carlos, but it seems to me that Dan Stewart is totally committed to the vineyard and knows the operation here inside and out.” She looked through the window, watching as Dan headed out to the fields, undoubtedly to test the ripeness of the grapes. “If you want to sell Carson Creek, the last thing you want to do is jeopardize the harvest, or lose Dan’s expertise and passion. He’s recognized as one of the top winemakers in the valley. Anyone purchasing this property would be lucky to have him.”
    “Okay, okay.” Carlos rose from his chair. “I don’t trust the guy, but I’ll listen to you. Tell me, Rico, what do we do now?”
    ET pointed at his sister’s appointment book and Darby saw pain etched across his handsome face. “There is a private number listed for Dr. Yang. I’m going to call her.”
    “To find out exactly what Selena died from?” Carlos looked perplexed.
    “Yes. Perhaps she also knows Selena’s wishes.” He looked at his brother. “We need to decide what happens to her body.”
    Carlos put his head in his hands. “ Dio ,” he murmured, in a plaintive cry for help.
    ———
    Dr. Jenna Yang’s voice was crisp and clear. “Normally I won’t discuss a patient’s illness without their consent, but I do make exceptions. In this case I feel that you, as Selena’s closest family members, are entitled to know about her condition.” She paused and Darby waited, listening over the speakerphone with Carlos and ET. “Your sister was suffering from a slow paralysis brought on by Guillain-Barré syndrome, a condition in which the insulators around the body’s nerves, the myelin sheaths, are destroyed by the immune system.”
    “Paralysis?” Carlos ran a hand through his hair. “But no one here even knew.”
    “She was determined to disguise her symptoms; nonetheless, it was becoming impossible for her to walk without pain. I suggested to her at our last visit that it was time she get a cane. I suspect that a wheelchair would not have been far behind.”
    “Would this disease have gone away? Would she have been able to walk again?” ET’s normally resonant voice was shaky.
    “It’s difficult to say. Selena was such a fighter that I think she would have worked very hard to regain her mobility, although she probably would never have been pain-free.”
    ET gripped the table. “Is it common for patients with this syndrome to have heart attacks?”
    Jenna Yang paused.