“Oh, that makes sense.” I shot Derek a quick glance. “They probably heard the news from someone at the sheriff’s department.”
“Perhaps.” Guru Bob stood in front of my parents’ dark wood and tile-framed fireplace with his hands clasped behind his back. He was a tall, fair-haired man who never seemed to age, but for the first time I noticed streaks of silver in his hair. It only made him appear more distinguished, I decided. In his present stance, he resembled an admiral handing out difficult assignments to his closest allies.
“Brooklyn, dear,” he continued, “I would appreciate it if you and Derek would agree to meet and speak with the media people who show up seeking information. Given your firsthand knowledge of the situation, you will be the best spokespeople for the winery and the Fellowship.”
I gave Mom a quick look, and she nodded her encouragement. I couldn’t figure out why.
“I’m happy to talk with them of course,” I said. It was a lie. I hated the idea of schmoozing with the press. But I wasn’t about to turn down a personal request from Guru Bob. “But wouldn’t you rather have one of your lawyers do it?”
“To put it plainly, no,” he said, smiling for the first time since we’d arrived. “The lawyers know nothing of the circumstances. And have you ever noticed that they have a tendency to get lost in the weeds? If you understand my meaning of that term?”
I smiled. “I do.”
“It is a colorful phrase that certainly fits in this instance.” He glanced at Derek. “Now that you have talked to Trudy and know more of the background of my family and what brought them to Dharma, I believe you will be prepared to handle anyone who comes asking questions.”
“I appreciate your confidence,” Derek said, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. I recognized the move to mean he was pondering something deeply. “But, Robson, even though we’ve talked to Trudy and we know a lot more than we did when we first opened up the walls of the cave, we’re missing quite a bit of information. Is there anything more you’d like to share with us?”
“I wish I could tell you more,” Robson said, sounding frustrated, which was alarming since he rarely showed negativity. “Frankly, I would prefer it if you could limit your conversation with the press to the topic of Mr. Renaud’s body. How he was found. Where you found him. Details about the excavation itself. Those sorts of things. I believe the news media will find those unpleasant details appealing.”
“No doubt,” Derek said. “But I don’t believe they’ll be satisfied with our bare-bones explanation. A good reporter will want to investigate exactly what happened to Mr. Renaud and how he ended up inside a walled-up cave.”
Guru Bob lifted his shoulders philosophically. “I fully expect that my family history and the recently discovered artwork will become fodder for some. I don’t expect you to lie about it. Trying to prevaricate will only make matters worse.”
“On that we agree,” Derek said. “That’s why I want to be absolutely sure we have all the facts before we stumble into something we know nothing about.”
Guru Bob nodded calmly. “Of course.”
“I can handle the press,” Derek said, “but I refuse to allow Brooklyn to be a target for some reporter’s misdirected sense of truth and justice.”
“I can handle it,” I said, even though I shivered at the thought.
Guru Bob took a long moment to consider his words and finally said, “I will have a few more things to disclose as soon as our last guest arrives.”
I glanced at Mom, who shook her head, meaning that she was as clueless as I was of the identity of our missing guest.
“Please rest assured,” Guru Bob continued. “Neither of you will be hung out to dry, as they say. I am the leader of this Fellowship, first of all, and second, it is my family’s story that will be exploited. If any backlash or unexpected disclosure occurs, I will step forward and deal with it.”
“I don’t think it’ll come to that,” Derek said, sitting back and sounding a lot calmer than he had a minute ago. “I’m sure we’ll be able to handle it with no problem. But I appreciate your willingness to come to our rescue if necessary.”
Robson nodded. “You and Brooklyn have come to my rescue on more than one occasion, so if I ever have the opportunity to return the favor, I will.” He scanned the room, meeting each of our gazes one by one. “It is lowering to realize that for all these years, this dark secret was festering right here in our midst. I should have had at least an inkling, but I did not. That troubles me.” He shook his head. “And the fact that it is connected to my family hurts my heart.”
“You can’t blame yourself,” I said quickly. “It all happened before you were born.”