A Good Day for Chardonnay (Sunshine Vicram #2) by Darynda Jones

“After Matthew pointed the finger at them, they backed off. They didn’t know who took him, either, and since they’d been planning to do it, I think the fact that Elliot was yanked out from under them made them take a step back.”

Sun was very aware that Matthew pointed the finger at Antony Delmar. She’d investigated the family for weeks.

“And then?”

Addison drew in a deep breath. “Seabright stayed in the area. For us. For me. After a few weeks, we started to meet up so I could see Elliot in secret. My baby boy. I took every opportunity and probably too many chances, but I saw him every moment I could. I got pregnant right before Matthew’s trial. I had Adam alone. After he got old enough to be curious about Elliot, old enough to ask questions, we told him the same thing Seabright told everyone else. That Elliot—Eli—was his sister’s son.”

Sun sat stunned. All those sleepless nights. All the anxiety and guilt and heartache. Their son’s life was being threatened. They had to make it look good. But damn.

“It was only supposed to be for a little while,” she continued. “He was supposed to miraculously be found. But Matthew swore the Delmars were waiting for him to slip up. That Elliot’s life was still in danger.”

Sun’s brows slid together. “But if they were going to all that trouble to get the money from him, and Matthew swears he never had it—”

“Then where’s the money,” Addison finished for her, matter-of-fact. “I have asked Matthew that same thing for almost eight years. If I believed in magic, I’d say it vanished.”

“How much of this does Elliot know?” Levi asked.

Addison blinked up at him. “You’re Seabright’s friend.”

He gave her a half-hearted smile. “I used to think so.”

“You are. He talks about you all the time. He admires what you did with your distillery.” She stood. “Please don’t let the fact that he never told you about Elliot bother you. We didn’t tell anyone. Ever. Sunshine,” she said, kneeling in front of her. “Even my own mother doesn’t know.” She winced. “She’s going to hate me when she finds out the truth.”

Sun suddenly felt better about being left out of the loop. She also detected a hint of shame in Addison’s demeanor.

“To answer your question, Mr. Ravinder, Elliot knows everything. Seabright insisted. He would not lie to him. He’s much too honorable. But it doesn’t matter now. Seabright’s in the hospital, Elliot is out there alone, and Adam is missing.” She pleaded with Sun. “You’re the only one who knows, Sunshine. Please find Adam.”

Did the men scoping out the town take him? Did they work for the Delmar family? The family who insisted Matthew Kent stole their money? But if he had, why was Addison still driving the same beat-up minivan after all these years? Why was Addison having to work two jobs just to make ends meet?

Nothing added up.

“How is he?” Addison asked. She swallowed hard. “Seabright.”

“You’re in love with him.”

She dropped her gaze, and whispered, “Yes.”

“He’s stable. That’s all I know.”

She nodded as fresh tears filled the space between her lashes.

“Is that why you’re leaving your husband?”

She looked out the window. “I was going to leave Matthew before all of this started, eight years ago. Then he was arrested and we were thrust into the public eye and … and then everything with Elliot. Seabright has been a rock for me. And he grew to love my son as much as I do. Both of them. He would do anything for Elliot, including die for him.”

“Do you think the men who attacked Seabright were after Elliot?”

“I don’t know. But it’s the only explanation, right? I mean, it has to be. But we don’t have the money, Sunshine. What are they going to do to Adam when they demand it and we can’t pay?”

Sun looked back at Levi who stood by the door with his arms crossed over his chest. He let his gaze slide past her and, with the barest hint of a nod, gestured for her to look.

The forensic team was coming down the hall toward them and they were about to be kicked out.

Sun turned and looked at one of the paintings on Adam’s desk. A stick-figure family stood in front of a house with a yellow sun shining down on them. It was a mom and a dad and two boys. Across the youngest boy, written in a bold black marker, was the word Sorry.

Sun turned to stone, curbing her reaction. Schooling her features. She looked back to Addison. “I’ll do everything I can, Addison. We may have a lead.”

Addison’s face brightened.

Sun bent her head closer as the team stepped inside. “Between you and me, yeah?”

She nodded.

“Don’t even tell Matthew,” she whispered.

“Sunshine, I stopped telling Matthew anything years ago. As far as I’m concerned, he got us into this mess by doing business with those people when he knew the deals were shady. He deserves nothing from me.”

“Good for you. Call me if you hear anything.”

Addison pulled her into a hug. “Thank you, Sunshine. Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet. I have a feeling our kidnapper is every bit as clever as the man who trained him.”

Levi stayed close on her heels as they walked out of the house. Once they were out of earshot, he asked. “Did you see it?”