Deadly Offer by Vicki Doudera

sell it. Let me think about the logistics before I say yes.”
    “Fair enough. I for one would like to wait on all this until after Selena’s mass, but Carlos is of a different mind. Will you join us to look over the contents of the folder?”
    “Of course. Depending on what we find, you may not even need a broker for Carson Creek.”
    “Perhaps not.” He sighed. “I have one last favor to ask of you.” He glanced down at his well-manicured hands. “Will you stay until Selena’s service on Monday? You’ve been so helpful to me. I don’t think I could sort through all this without you, and you’re one of the few people Carlos will listen to.”
    Darby sensed that ET liked having her as a buffer for his hot-tempered brother, and she did not mind playing the role. As an only child, Darby was intrigued by siblings and their relationships, however rocky.
    Darby squeezed her assistant’s shoulder. “I’m happy to stay, ET.” She pictured her suitcase’s contents. The few casual items of clothing she had grabbed before leaving Mission Beach were hardly adequate for a funeral service. I may need to make a quick shopping trip, she thought. A little voice inside added: There are worse things in the world.
    ———
    “Who the heck is this Fritz Kohler, outside of being buyer number three?” Carlos waved one of the offers in the air, a puzzled expression on his fleshy face. He lifted a glossy brochure advertising a series of workout DVDs and frowned. “And how in the world can he be a yoga instructor? He’s immense! He looks more like a boxer than some guy who can twist himself into a pretzel.”
    “His discipline is called power yoga,” corrected ET. “It’s a blend of yoga, body sculpting, plyometrics …”
    “Plyo-what? Oh never mind!” Carlos tossed the papers on an empty pressed-back chair. “I don’t get it. All three offers are unsigned, and all are for the same amount. Nine million dollars. It’s as if she told them the price and they matched it.”
    “That may indeed be what happened,” Darby said. “Selena knew what she wanted to get when she sold, and she wasn’t taking any less.”
    “Could she have gotten more?” Carlos twirled a pencil, deep in thought.
    “Perhaps. We don’t know how much she played the three buyers off against one another. The question is, are any of them willing to pay any price?”
    “I think you will find that the answer is yes, at least where one of the buyers is concerned.” The smooth voice of Harrison Wain field slid through the room like butter. “I knocked, but no one answered.” He glided across the floor of the dining room and gave a tight little smile. “Forgive me for intruding. I was in the area and thought I’d stop by.” He glanced at the offers spread out on the table. “It certainly seems my timing is impeccable.”
    “You’ve got that right.” Carlos stood and shook the realtor’s hand. “We’ve got three offers here, all the same price. For some reason, my sister selected one of them, but who knows why.”
    ET shot his brother a warning look. “Carlos, we need to discuss this privately first.”
    Carlos barked out a laugh. “I know you, Rico. You’ll discuss it to death. There’s nothing to talk about, anyway. Selena picked Vivian. This place is already sold, right?”
    Like a shot, ET sprang from his chair and confronted his brother. “Listen to me, Carlos. We have a sister to bury. Selling her real estate is hardly our first priority.” He turned to Harrison Wainfield. “I ask you to leave us now, so that we can talk privately.”
    “Of course.” He spread his hands in an understanding gesture. “Anything I can do to help, please call.”
    Darby rose as well. “I’ll be outside,” she murmured. She met ET’s anguished eyes and gave a small nod, hoping he knew that she believed he was right.
    ———
    Harrison Wainfield lingered outside the door of the winery. “Tough situation,” he commented, unwrapping a piece