Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
~CARMINE~
“ E xcuse me.” I motion for the bartender’s attention and offer her a nod when she looks my way.
“What can I get you?” she asks.
I’ve been through more wineries and vineyards today than I care to remember, showing Elena’s photo to everyone.
So far, no luck.
“I was wondering if you know this woman.” I pull the picture out of my breast pocket and hold it out for her to see. “She’s my cousin, and I’m looking for her.”
She frowns. “Oh, sure. This is Paige. Paige Williams, right?”
Jackpot. I smile and nod as if I knew that was her name all along.
“Paige is a sweet girl. But she moved away some time ago.”
And just like that, my joy falls flat.
“Moved away?”
“Yeah, it was the oddest thing. She’d been working here for a couple of years. Never missed a day of work. And then, one day, she just up and left.”
“Do you know where she went?”
“Sorry, no. Never heard from her again.” She looks me in the eyes. “If she’s your cousin, why don’t you know where she is?”
“She’s been estranged from the family. Our grandmother recently died, and she’s entitled to an inheritance. I’m just trying to locate her.”
“Oh.” Her shoulders loosen. “Well, I hope you find her. Sorry to hear about your grandmother. I should get back to work.”
She walks away, and I tuck the photo back into my jacket and walk outside. Anger and frustration bubble up inside me. I just spent three days here, and it was all a waste of time.
I get into the car and immediately call my brother.
“She’s not here, Shane.” I fill him in on what the bartender said. “I was so sure. This was the only clue in Grams’ house.”
“I have a theory,” Shane says. “I think we’ve been attacking this from the wrong angle.”
I narrow my eyes. “Go on.”
“What was the most important thing in Elena’s life?”
“Just spit it out, Shane.”
“Archer, Carmine. Archer was the most important.”
“Uncle Vinnie put a stop to that.”
“Do you really think they stayed apart all these years? If you were in love with someone so deeply that you were willing to go against a family like ours to be with her, would you stay away?”
“If Pop threatened to kill her? Yeah, I’d stay away. But it’s an interesting theory. The only problem is, Archer’s in Seattle.”
“Not lately, he hasn’t been.”
My hand tightens on the steering wheel. “Keep talking.”
“We’re not sure where he went, but he’s been out of the area for a while. I think it’s worth looking into.”
“You’re the tracker in the family,” I say, hope taking root in my belly. “Get looking.”