Blood On Vines

by Madeleine Eskedahl

  “I’m sure the police will get to the bottom of what this is all about,” Annika said, trying to put her friend’s mind at ease. She put her hand on Lexi’s arm. “You’re very welcome to stay here with us. The guest cottage is vacant at the moment.”

  Lexi gave a weak smile. “Thank you, that’s very kind. I’m sure we’ll be fine to return home once the water is working.”

  6

  It was eerily quiet. There was no sight of Beau who was still having his afternoon snooze in the kitchen, and had missed the entire thing. Avery went into the garage and got on the quad bike. All his jobs this morning had gone out the window. He needed to check on the livestock and make sure there was enough drinking water. He went up to the northern paddock, next to their neighbour, grumpy old Trevor. The cows were happy as ever, the water trough was full and he made a mental note to replace the salt stone, breathing a sigh of relief there was no sign of Trevor, who always seemed to stick his nose into everyone else’s business. Avery was in no mood to listen to the old man’s gripes with the world, not today.

  On his way down, he parked the bike on the terrace hill and paused for a moment, looking out over the land they loved. The phone startled him with its loud ring signal. It was Bill Granger, wanting him to come down to the police station for another chat.

  “I’m not sure what else I could tell you apart from what I told you this morning,” Avery said.

  “Have a think. Has anything happened prior to this morning, something strange or out of the ordinary? Sometimes even the smallest details can help.”

  “Well, we received some mail with cut-out letters, just like you see in those old B-grade movies.” Avery was aware how silly he sounded.

  “Have you still got them?”

  “No. I’m sorry, I thought they were juvenile empty threats made by bored kids, to be honest. I didn’t want to worry Lexi either, so I threw them away.”

  “That’s a real shame, but try to remember what they said and come down later.”

  “I just have to feed the chooks, then I’ll pop down.”

  When he arrived at the enclosure for the hens, the flock greeted him with a noisy display of displeasure. The leader of the flock and her sisters in the pecking order asserted themselves by squawking loudly and flapping their wings, letting him know that he’d better hurry.

  Riding past the vines on his way back to the homestead, he stopped for a moment to check them out. Wine was his passion, and he tended to the vines as if they were his own babies. The abundance of plump purple grapes was pleasing to see. It looked like a bumper harvest.

  After having a wash at the outside tap, he found a clean shirt and some faded shorts. He had a tendency to only wear old and comfortable clothes, but the washed-out and worn look didn’t always appeal to his wife, at least not when they were in public. He fed Beau who ate with gusto as his mealtime was long overdue, and then invited him to come along in the car. Tail wagging, Beau jumped in on the passenger side of the beat-up blue Holden ute. It started making its usual rattling noises. Avery knew he really ought to upgrade to something newer. Gabriel could drive this one in a few months — it would be a great first car for him, sturdy and steady, with barely enough horsepower to pull the skin off a rice pudding. Gabriel had been driving for years on the farm, but it was very different on the road.

  Avery’s train of thought was disrupted when he saw Trevor at the end of the driveway. He sighed. Now he would have to stop to chat. Trevor was leaning against his metallic blue Hilux, waving vigorously to make sure Avery stopped. He had never seen Trevor in anything other than his faded jeans and a plaid shirt, sleeves rolled up exposing his wiry forearms. There wasn’t a scrap of fat on the man, the deep furrows in his face telling a story of a less than a peaceful life. His grey stubble matching his short hair, reminded Avery of a pad of Steelo.

  “Gidday, I was just on my way up to see you,” Trevor said, tilting his head slightly, his cloudy blue eyes straining to focus. “ You’ve had a lot of traffic to and from your place this morning. My eyesight’s not what it used to be, but I could see you had a visit from the boys in blue. It’s not that wayward boy of yours again, is it?”

  Avery could feel the irritation rise from the pit of his stomach. He squeezed the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white, to control himself. “No, it had nothing to do with my son,” he said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go into the village.”

  “Oh, I just wanted to give this to you.” Trevor handed Avery a shrink-wrapped copy of New Zealand Wine, the winegrowers magazine he subscribed to.

  “Thanks. How on earth did you get hold of this?”

  “Well, the damned new NZ Post rep, must be blind, keeps putting your mail in my mail box, and doesn’t read the address or the names properly.” Trevor’s face screwed up, showing his displeasure.

  Avery’s relief was immense as he drove away, escaping his prying neighbour who seemed hell-bent on causing an upset with everyone in his path. The nit-picking and complaining had been going on since Lexi’s parents owned the farm.

  Beau, sitting on the front passenger seat, leaned over and put his sizeable paw on Avery’s shoulder, cocking his head as if to say, “I’m here for you.” Avery gave him a pat and said, “Thanks, mate. How about we stop for a coffee before we see Bill?”

  They continued through the roundabout and onto Leigh Road to Bramble Café. The girls working there loved Beau, who was a regular visitor. The pair sat down under one of the enormous shade umbrellas. The café was busy, but as they were regulars one girl brought Beau an enormous bowl of water with ice cubes floating at the top. Avery took a sip of his flat white, made with full-fat milk, not that low-fat, watery rubbish. It was strong and just what he needed.

  He cast his eye on today’s paper. The Sunday Star-Times had no startling news, just the usual bleating about the current housing crisis and the need for new builds to accommodate the influx of people moving to Auckland. As long as they don’t all move up here, he thought.

  7

  In the comfort of Annika’s kitchen, two coffees and a hot shower later, Lexi had changed into clean clothes and twisted her damp hair into a knot, securing it with a hair clip. Bill had called her earlier, asking her to pop by the station for a formal statement when she could. She knew she couldn’t put it off any longer and drove into the main street and met Bill at the police station. Opening the heavy black painted kauri door, an original to the house, she felt as if she was in the middle of some crime drama on television. Bill got up from his desk and guided her through the small unmanned reception area, and into an open-plan room. He gestured for her to have a seat opposite him. Lexi squirmed on her seat, nervously chewing on her thumbnail. She just wanted to get this over and done with.

  “Have you noticed anything that could be connected to this in the last few weeks?” Bill asked.

  “No, we’ve been busy getting the winery ready for harvest and I’ve had some large orders for our cheddar and brie to fill. Apart from that, nothing I can think of.”

  “What do you make of it?”

  “I don’t really know. I could be wrong, but my gut feeling is chilling me to the core. I think it’s personal. I’m not sure what the connection would be but the fact remains, there was a severed limb under our home, placed there or otherwise. The question is, why? The weird thing is that if Avery hadn’t gone to check the water pump, we might never have made the discovery. The rats would have finished the remains and there would have been nothing left.”

  There was nothing more to add, but the question remained.

  Avery pulled up as Bill walked Lexi to her car. Beau jumped out of the passenger side and ran up to greet Lexi. “Hi boy,” she said, giving him scratches behind the ear.

  “How are you doing?” Avery asked.

  “Okay, I guess. Everything feels surreal.”

  “Ben Wilson’s coming later this afternoon. I’m not sure if he got hold of a new pump. If not I guess we have to wait till tomorrow for
the running water.” Avery smiled. “It’s not the end of the world.”

  “I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Lexi said, trying to sound cheerful.

  Bill noticed a slight emotional distance between them and thought it unusual that they didn’t display more affection towards each other. Lexi and Avery had always been a tight unit, so he put the lack of warmth down to the stress of the day and shook it off.

  “Why don’t you head back to catch up with Annika?” He could sense she was rattled.

  “Thanks, I will do,” she said and bent down to say goodbye to Beau.

  “Is it okay to bring him inside, Bill?” Avery asked. “It’s too hot to leave him in the car.”

  “Sure, no problem. I’ll get him a bowl of water and we can get started.”

  Bill pressed Record. “You mentioned on the phone earlier that you’d received some letters in the weeks leading up to this. Can you tell me more about those?”

  “Well, I’m not entirely sure it has got anything to do with this,” Avery said, fidgeting on the uncomfortable plastic moulded chair. “I guess the first one arrived about six weeks ago. I didn’t think too much about it. The simple text was something like, ‘I know what you did’. It rattled me at first, then I thought it must be kids. Crudely cut-out letters pasted on a plain A4 piece of paper, put in a standard envelope, no postmark and addressed to me. It seemed silly. The second one was a few weeks later, with a similar message. The juvenile presentation convinced me that kids were having some fun. The third one came a week ago or so, and this time the message was different.”

  Bill leaned forward. “What was different this time?”

  “It was written in black marker pen and said, ‘You will pay’. The handwriting was urgent and angry, if you know what I mean.” “I’ve got no idea what it could be about,” Avery said sounding worried.

  8

  Lexi got into her car, the warm sun shining through the windscreen. She couldn’t shake the spine-chilling cold from this morning, despite the hot shower at Annika’s. As a nurse, she knew it was the effects of shock. Shivering, she pulled her cardigan tight and removed the hair clip that dug into the back of her head, letting her almost dry hair fall over her tense shoulders. Leaning back onto the headrest, she closed her eyes for a moment, wishing she could just stay there in the warm comfort of her car.

  On the drive back to Annika’s, she cracked the window just enough to feel the pleasant warmth of the late summer breeze. The blow out felt good, and she could taste the salt in the air. Oh, how she wished it was an ordinary Sunday. She took a deep breath, the fresh air filling her lungs, making her feel a little better. The last thing she felt like was having Avery’s friend Isaac arriving tonight. He had called yesterday and wanted to come up from Auckland for a few days. He usually brought his wife Petra along, but this time he was coming alone. Perhaps she couldn’t get time off work, Lexi thought. She would have to stop at the Four Square Supermarket on her way home to pick up some things for a barbecue. Thankfully she’d already made a large tiramisu that was sitting in the fridge; it was Isaac’s favourite.

  Lexi stepped through the open front door. In the kitchen, Annika was busy preparing tonight’s dinner. Lexi could hear the familiar music from the Harry Potter movies.

  “The girls wanted to watch The Philosopher’s Stone. They assured me Evie would be all right,” Annika said, hoping she had made the right call.

  “Sure it is. We’ve read the first few books over the summer holidays. She’s been busting to see it.”

  Annika smiled at her friend. “You’re very welcome to stay for dinner. It’s a large pork roast, plenty of food to go around.”

  “That’s so kind of you, but we’ve got Isaac arriving tonight. He’s staying for a few days. We haven’t seen him in ages. It’ll be nice, but I must say it’s not the best timing.”

  “Is Petra not coming?”

  “Apparently not, and of course Avery didn’t think to ask why.” Lexi rolled her eyes.

  “At least have another coffee. The kids are just finishing their movie.” Annika set some fresh cups on the table.

  “Sure, why not,” Lexi said and sank into the soft seat.

  “Zac took Gabriel to Warkworth to catch up with a few mates. I hope that was okay.” Annika leaned forward to take a sip of her coffee. Zac was a few years older than Gabriel, but they were still good friends. He had graduated with top results from Mahurangi College, was now in his second year of veterinary science at Massey University, and was a significant influence on Gabriel. “He’ll drop him off at home on the way back later tonight. Now, I saved these for you. The rest the kids hoovered.” Annika pulled a plate of cinnamon buns out of the pantry.

  The white sugar crystals on top of the fluffy coiled bun crunched as Lexi bit into it, the butter and sugar layers coating her mouth with sheer delight as she closed her eyes. “God, I’d forgotten how amazing these are.”

  “I’m glad you like them,” Annika said, pushing the plate closer, insisting she have another one.

  “Thanks, but I’d better grab the girls and head home.” Lexi called Sam and Evie, who came running into the kitchen.

  “Thank you for having us, Annika,” they said in unison.

  As the girls ran to the car, Lexi lingered. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay here? Isaac can come too,” Annika said.

  “Thanks for the kind offer but I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Lexi said, her smile strained. She was barely convincing herself.

  The calm she had felt during the afternoon slowly disappeared as she headed back into the village to pick up a few things for dinner. Turning right into the main street by the cinema, she found it was busy with not a single park available on the road. She pulled in behind the shops and walked up the steep steps between the cinema and the surf shop, crossing the road to the Four Square. Close by, patrons at the pub were enjoying delectable food with glasses of wine in the late afternoon sun. The smell of soft cheese and charcuterie tickled her nose, enticing her to buy a selection of antipasti to serve before dinner. She would add some of their own cheese, perhaps the award-winning syrah cheddar. To complement she would serve the double-cream brie, its velvety and luxurious feel on the palate would match perfectly. Perusing the chiller, she decided on some aged grass-fed beef that she would pair with a home-grown salad. She made her way back to the car and with a slight feeling of dread, headed home.

  9

  The white Wilson Electrical van, the name in bold blue letters, pulled up to Matakana Valley Wines. In his old denim shorts with frayed edges and faded light-blue singlet with a Bintang beer logo, Ben Wilson looked every bit the stereotypical unkempt surfer. In the late afternoon sun, his bleached blond boyish tousled curls shone as they reached his tanned shoulders. Avery guessed he was in his early forties, although at a glance, he could have passed for ten years younger. Avery didn’t know him well, as he was a relative newcomer to the area. His handsome appearance and reclusiveness made him a topic of curiosity among the young women in the village. That he always had surfboards strapped to the roof of his van added to his image.

  “Hi, mate, glad you could fit us in today,” Avery said.

  “No worries. I didn’t have much planned. ” Ben pointed to the cordoned-off area around the house.

  “What’s with all the police tape?”

  “Oh, it’s just routine. It was a suspicious fire, so we had to call them. Not that I think it was anything deliberate, but you know how the insurance companies want the official process done before they pay out a cent.” Avery was scrambling to find the words. “They had to remove the pump.”

  “How did they draw that conclusion?” Ben’s piercing blue eyes went straight through Avery.

  “It looked like the fan blade had got jammed, causing a short circuit which then overheated the unit. Thankfully, the house didn’t go up in flames.” Avery felt uncomfortable lying to the man’s face, especially since he had given up his Sunday afternoon to help.

  Ben nodded
. “I see. I popped into Warkworth after you rang. My mate opened up his shop, so I have a new pump in the van for you.” He peered into the darkness. “Well, I suppose I’d better get it hooked up.”

  The last thing Avery wanted to do was to go into any more details. The rumour mill in the village would go in to overdrive, anyway. While Ben was under the house, Avery’s thoughts were swirling. It was a beautiful late summer’s day and the harvest was around the corner. Everything seemed peaceful, just like before, but something had changed. His senses were heightened, and he felt jangled. He had to get a hold of himself. What if this had to do with the letters he’d received in the mail over the last few weeks? He had dismissed them; perhaps he shouldn’t have.

  “Ben, how are you going?” Avery called, peering into the dark void.

  “I’m just about done here. Give me a minute and I’ll be out,” Ben said out of the shadows.

  “Fancy a cold beer?”

  “That’d be lovely, mate. Won’t be long.”

  Avery went inside, Beau following him like a shadow, nearly tripping him up as he walked into the kitchen. “Come on, boy,” Avery scolded. Beau’s ears went down.

  “It’s okay, boy,” Avery said, scratching the back of the dog’s neck. “What’s the matter with you today?” Beau was whimpering and pressing his ample forty-kilo frame against Avery’s legs. “Come on, boy, how about a wee drink?” Avery picked up the metal water bowl and refilled it with cold water from the pitcher in the fridge. Beau stuck his entire face in the water bowl and guzzled.

  Avery reached into the fridge for two beers, the bottles clinking as he went down the stairs to the table and chairs on the front lawn, Beau following closely behind. Avery sighed as he sat down and opened the beer, savouring his first refreshing sip. Ben walked around the corner, covered in dirt, wiping his forehead, streaks appearing on his face.