Cheryl Bradshaw - Sinnerman

I thought back to the guy I’d seen that day, the alleged Sinnerman. When we locked eyes I was shocked to find they didn’t look like the eyes of a killer. They weren’t evil like I thought they’d be—they were scared, and for a brief moment—terrified. He looked more like a child who’d just been caught stealing a piece of candy at the grocery store and worried what kind of trouble he was going to be in when the store manager called his parents.

And there was something else that bothered me: his stature. He walked with a slight limp, and I wasn’t sure why, and he had a tiny frame, almost smaller than that of a woman. He looked like a lightweight, and I couldn’t imagine he weighed more than 155 pounds. At that size, it was hard for me to believe he had the power to overtake one woman, let alone several.

I was jostled out of my thoughts by the sound of Lord Berkeley sprinting off the bed when my doorbell rang. I squeezed my eyes open and closed a few times to bring myself back to life and then reached for my 9mm on the nightstand.

I advanced down the hall to the door and shouted, “Who’s there?”

“It’s me. Just wanted to see how you were doing.”

I opened the door and Giovanni presented me with the most beautiful arrangement of flowers I’d ever seen.

He eyed my gun and then my dog, who flashed his entire set of pearly whites.

“9mm, nice choice. You pick that out yourself?”

I nodded and invited him inside.

“I’m doing fine,” I said. “Any news?”

He shook his head.

“These are beautiful,” I said, and pointed to the plant with purple flowers he’d just given me. “What are they?”

“Aquilegia vulgaris.”

“I didn’t know you could get flowers like this around here,” I said.

He grinned.

“You can’t.”

“Do you want to sit down?” I said.

“I can’t stay, but I’m glad to see you’re doing so well.”

I found it odd that he drove all the way over just to assess my wellness.

“Do you know about the summer concert series here in town?” he said.

“I go every year.”

“Tomorrow night they have a great lineup. I purchased tickets for the two of us.”

“I don’t know,” I said. “So much is happening right now with the case and everything and things have developed so fast that I should—”

“That’s why this is the perfect escape. You need a night away from this where you can sit back and unwind and take your mind off everything.”

I didn’t want to admit it, but he was right. Giovanni smiled at Lord Berkeley and extended his hand out to him. Lord Berkeley snapped his jaw together in response. I scooped him up and excused myself and shut him in the bedroom.

“It’s not a good idea to try and pet him until he knows you,” I said.

Giovanni nodded.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said. “Pick you up at seven tomorrow night?”

“See you then.”

CHAPTER 29

Months that included warm weather were my favorite of the year, and summer in Park City was no exception. Skiers had packed up and gone home to await the next season, and the town was replaced with cyclists, golfers, and those who enjoyed the warm weather and the great outdoors, and that group included me. On Wednesdays, the Farmer’s Market lured both residents and seasonal visitors with its wide array of locally grown fruits and vegetables and other novelties. And then there was the annual food and wine festival in July which lasted four days and celebrated at the end with a night of jazz, food from some of the best local restaurants in town, and wine tasting. But one of my favorite events was the summer concert series held at one of the local ski resorts, and tonight I would take my spot on the lawn alongside Giovanni and partake of the cool summer breeze Park City’s air had to offer.

I selected a summery black tank dress for the evening and low peep-toe heels that mimicked the shade of my dress. Giovanni arrived on time and had forgone the suit, and for the time first time since we met, he was dressed in designer jeans and a fitted polo shirt. I always had the impression that he was on the slender side: but the shirt showed off something I hadn’t expected, a toned physique that hadn’t been shaped overnight. It was a different side of him, and I expected it was one of many.

“You look beautiful,” he said when we arrived at the car.

I reached for the handle.

“Let me get that for you,” he said.

I smiled and waited like a high school girl on her first date for him to advance around the side of the car and open my door. There was no way I could ever get used to him doing that for me, it was just too weird.

The grassy area that surrounded the outdoor amphitheater was littered with blankets and picnic baskets that had been packed with a wide array of different items from tea sandwiches to bottles of wine. Everyone seemed content just to be there to take in such a perfect night.

“I should have brought a blanket,” I said. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I walked out the door and forgot all about it.”

Giovanni turned and smiled at me with his usual laid back attitude and then extended his right hand out with his palm up.

“Here we are,” he said.

On the grass in front of us was an entire set up—a blanket had been spread out, and in the middle of it was an open basket full of food and wine. He’d thought of everything.

“I see you went ahead,” I said.

“I had someone take care of this earlier,” he said. “Does this work for you?”

We were in the exact center of the lawn about a quarter up from the stage with a perfect view of the amphitheater.

I nodded.

Right before the first act came out, Giovanni reached into the basket next to him and pulled out two glasses.

“Red or white wine?” he said. “I wasn’t sure, so I brought both.”

“Red.”

He nodded and poured.

“I’d like to know more about you,” he said.

“I was thinking the same thing about you.”

“Ladies first.”

“Alright then,” I said. “Ask away.”

“Have you always lived here?”

“Not always. I grew up in a small town in California.”

“Why move?”

“My grandfather lived here. When I was a kid, I spent my summers here with my sister.”

“Gabrielle?”

I nodded.

“She was my only sibling,” I said. “It was always just the two of us. After I graduated, I came out for a visit and decided to stay, and I’ve been here ever since. Gabby stayed in California for a while and then joined me here about five years ago.”

“Ever marry?”

“Once,” I said.

“Hmm.”

“We were young,” I said. “Too young. And so different from each other. At the time I thought he was everything I could ask for in a person, but when I look back now, I realize I couldn’t have known what I wanted at the time. He saw things one way, and I saw things in another, and the two didn’t coincide. But even then, it was hard for me to walk away.”

“Why do you think that is?”

“When I commit to something or someone,” I said, “I’m all in, and it’s hard for me to back down from that, even when I know it’s the right thing to do.”

“But you did.”

I took a sip of wine, but what I really wanted was to grab the bottle and polish it off in one long swallow. It wasn’t easy for me to open up, and I was miles away from my comfort zone, but if I expected him to reciprocate, I knew I had to offer something.

“He started drinking,” I said. “At first it was just a few beers here and there, but the months forged on and January turned into June, and by that time he was a full-blown alcoholic.”