"What is there to find? It's ten years old."

"Twelve. But maybe somebody who's been in jail all this time just got out. Couldn't that be why these things just started happening?"

"Well, yeah,” he said grudgingly. “But I still don't think those guys would be fooling around with stuff like this if they really had it in for Nick."

"But you'll check?"

"Yes, sis, I'll check."

She plowed ahead. “And I think you ought to talk to Uncle Nick and the others about it. It just occurred to me-they'll be coming into Seattle soon, won't they? Aren't they due for a visit to the roastery?"

This, John thought, was nothing but soft soap on her part. Since it was the end of October, she knew as well as he did that they would shortly be making their fall trip to Seattle. There would be three of them: their brother, Nelson, in his role as comptroller; their cousin Maggie-Nick's daughter and Therese's older sister-who was the plantation's personnel manager; and, of course, Nick Druett himself, the founder, the owner, and the force behind it all. They would be coming for their quarterly business conference with Rudy Druett, another nephew of Nick's, but from his own side of the family. Rudy, the son of Nick's long-dead brother, was manager and toastmaster at the Caffe Paradiso plant on Whidbey Island, where the company's beans were roasted and its American business strategies plotted.

"Yeah, I'll bet it just occurred to you,” grumbled John, who wanted it understood that while he might be malleable enough, he wasn't any dunce.

"And don't they usually come to your house for dinner after the cupping?"

"They always come,” John said. “We're having them out next Thursday. I'll be picking them up at the roastery."