Jerry had already sold off the last of the aged whisky to his customers, delivering the news that they were going out of business at the same time. Now he, John, Walter, and Charlie were delivering the raw whisky to Dutchie a truckload at a time, having struck a deal with him. After that, Dutchie would hand the Baileys a fortune.
And that would be the official end of the business.
She knew both brothers would have regrets, but they hadn’t argued about it at all. At least not in front of her. She’d actually been surprised by how easily John had adjusted. She’d been fairly sure that he was going to put up a fight, maybe even try to run the business on his own. Seeing John acquiesce to Jerry’s request without a fuss, Adele understood why Jerry loved his brother so much. John was the most loyal man she’d ever met. She would have to thank him again for keeping his promise.
Then again, he seemed almost as excited about his future niece or nephew as Jerry was. And he was dating a nice girl now. Maybe, incredibly, the most eligible bachelor in Windsor was getting ready to settle down.
Once the decision had been made to shut down the still, everything had gotten better. After Jerry made the deal with Dutchie, it seemed his shoulders were suddenly lighter, and he spent more of his energy doing what he said he loved the most, which was making her happy. When all was done, it might take him a little time to learn how to relax, but she was looking forward to more nights with him in their bed, not underground. Thinking of those precious moments, she smiled to herself, thinking of how he touched her, of how his solid muscles were so soft on hers. She had married a beautiful man. And soon they’d have a little one to keep them busy. Jerry would be a wonderful father.
The brothers had been busy over the past two days, carrying the heavy crates of raw whisky back through the tunnel, back up the shaft, and toward the truck parked in the barn. Charlie had figured out how todrive without his right side, so with Walter riding shotgun, he had been looking after Dutchie’s deliveries. Unfortunately, the cousins’ car had broken down early that morning. So while Walter took the vehicle up to Guillaume’s for repairs, Jerry divided his time between working underground with John and delivering shipments himself.
Nights came in faster and darker now that they were nearing December, and Adele picked up her step to get to the barn before she got too cold. She carried the half crate to the others, hidden back in the corner, then started to pack them together. Once that was done, she climbed down the shaft to check on the brothers, see how the room was looking.
At the bottom, she peered down the well-lit tunnel. She couldn’t see them, which meant they were either in the storage room or off on a delivery. John’s coat had been left on the floor, so she knew they must be hot from working hard. Maybe she should just wait here, she thought. They’d be out soon, and she’d only be in the way if she went in.
It was much colder down here than it was up in the barn and outside, so she shrugged on John’s coat as she gazed at her surroundings. The first time she’d toured the tunnel and the storage room, she’d been so impressed by how secure it was. Everything had been done exactly right, which was what she had come to expect from Jerry. Her husband didn’t do things halfway. So the posts were straight and true, the walls as smooth as they could make them. Even the low ceiling was flat, braced by long overhead beams.
“Don’t touch those,” John had teased, though he’d known she wouldn’t touch anything. “Pull that beam down and the whole thing goes,” which reminded her how awful it must have been for them during the war. As she stood there, feeling the walls closing in on her, it struck her again how horrible those years underground must have been for them. They must have hated making this place. It was a shame, she thought now, that this amazing structure would soon be empty after so much work.
She stamped her feet against the cold and hugged John’s coat closeraround herself, then she felt the lump of his wool cap in one of the pockets. She fished it out and was just starting to pull it over her ears when she heard a voice behind her.
“Long time no see, Adele.”
All the breath in her body left her in that moment, and she spun around. “Ernie.”
He stood tall and smug, his handsome face shadowed, but there was no mistaking Ernie Willoughby. “You’re looking well. I miss seeing you around. How is married life treating you?”
“What are you doing here?” she asked, whispering over the hammering in her heart.
“Is that any way to speak to an old friend? I’ve come to find out what’s been going on over here at Bailey Brothers’ Best headquarters, that’s all.” He held out his arms as far as he could in the small space. “And what an interesting thing I’ve discovered!”
“You need to leave here. Right now.”
“I’m not leaving, Adele. You should know that.”
He reached behind him and pulled a gun from the back of his trousers. Instinctively, she placed her hand on her belly. Ernie didn’t notice; he was looking at the chamber of his gun, checking each cylinder for a bullet. Satisfied, he smiled back at her.
“Now, what were you saying?”
She had to keep him away from the storage room, from Jerry, and John—especially John. There was no way that would end well. All she could imagine was bullets flying around in this tiny space. Somehow, she had to get Ernie out of here.
“Ernie, please,” she said in the calmest voice she could muster. “You don’t have to do this. Please, please put that away. There’s no reason to do anything drastic. They’re shutting down the business—did you know that? They won’t be competing with you anymore. There’s no reason to hurt anyone.”
That caught his attention. “They’re shutting down the business?How interesting. Why would they do that?” He winked saucily at her. “Is the old ball and chain making him do it? Oh, I’m just teasing. So they’re in there right now, clearing it out?”
“No. They’re not,” she stammered. “It’s just me. They’re out making a delivery.”
“Oh good. You’re back,” John’s voice came from the other end of the tunnel, and Adele realized with a sick feeling that he’d heard them speaking. “Come help me with this, Jerry.”
Adele’s stomach plummeted.
Willoughby clicked his tongue in admonishment. “I didn’t think a girl like you was capable of lying. But then again, you didn’t quite end up being the woman I thought you were, did you?” In a flash, he whipped her around so her back was to his chest. “Let’s go for a walk, shall we?”
She dug her feet in. “No, Ernie. You can’t do this.”
“You’re wrong,” he said quietly. “I can do anything I want. I always do. And people love me for it.”
“They love your money,” she said. “Or they’re afraid of you. That’s not love, Ernie.”
