by Cat Chandler
“I know that look, Nicki Connors. You aren’t going to let this go, are you?”
Nicki wiggled her way to sitting up straight in her desk chair and gave Matt a cheeky smile. “No, I’m not.”
After another loud sigh, Matt took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “All right. Then let’s start with motive.”
“Let’s, as in you’ll help?”
“Do I have a choice?” At Nicki’s laugh, Matt’s mouth twitched at the corners. “Motive, Sherlock Connors. Why would someone kill George Lancer? Aside from the fact he was a royal pain and had an inflated opinion of himself.”
“That might be enough,” Nicki said. “Except you could say the same about half the winemakers here. Half the winery owners, too, for that matter.” Nicki reflected on the idea for a second. “Well, maybe less than half of the owners. They’re generally a pretty good lot.”
“So, it would have to be something else besides being a jerk,” Matt said.
“What do you know about George?” Nicki asked.
Matt put his hands out, palms up. “Not much more than what I’ve already told you. Aside from a dislikable personality, his big claim to fame was a special and very limited blend he put out under his own name ten years ago. Jim Holland gave him his break by sponsoring it under the winery’s brand name.”
“Hm.” Nicki’s eyes narrowed in speculation. “George was having the first tasting of his new blend at Holland Winery, but he was going to bring his label out under some kind of agreement with Trax.”
“How do you know that?” Matt’s eyebrows drew together. “Lanciere, oh sorry, I mean Lancer. Did Lancer tell you that?”
Nicki shook her head. “No. Jeremy Brennan, the owner of Trax, told me that.”
“Haven’t had the pleasure of meeting him, but I’ve seen his picture. Nice-looking guy.”
She glanced over at the screen and Matt’s frown. “Oh. Yes. I suppose he is if you like the preppy type. Hang on a sec, I need to find a pen.” When she triumphantly held one up after rummaging about for a full minute, Matt smiled at her.
“I’d be happy to use any resource Food & Wine Online has, or any personal one I have for that matter, but you’ll probably learn more just by asking Maxie. She pretty much has the line on everyone in the wine business in Sonoma county.”
Thinking that really was an excellent suggestion, Nicki grinned. “I’m sure if I asked she’d be happy to lend a hand in the investigation. So will Alex and Jenna.”
“Lord help us all,” Matt said, half under his breath.
Nicki ignored him and glanced at the clock at the bottom of the screen instead. “Speaking of needing Divine help, Alex will be here in less than an hour, and I need to have lunch ready for her and Jenna, so I’d better get the fries ready to go.”
That announcement was met with a bark of laughter from her editor-in-chief.
“Fries will make Jenna happy, but not Alex. You’re in for a long lecture if you serve the good doctor even a homemade version of fast food.”
“Not this time,” Nicki corrected. “I’m making zucchini fries. And they’re baked.”
“So now Alex is happy and Jenna is not,” Matt said.
“They’ll be accompanied by a very nice, lean, ground beef hamburger, with all the fixings. Since Alex is in love with my zucchini fries and Jenna with my special burger mix, they’ll both be ecstatic.” Nicki nodded.
Matt gave her a long, steady look. “So, you aren’t preparing a lunch but a bribe to get them to go along with this whole, let’s-track-down-a-killer scheme of yours.”
Nicki saw the small tic in the sudden tightening of Matt’s jawline and knew he wasn’t happy. The last thing she wanted was her editor giving her an ultimatum that she give-up the investigation or he wouldn’t assign her any more work for his magazine.
“Like you said, there probably wasn’t a murder,” she responded and threw in a generous smile for good measure. “We’ll probably be skulking around for no reason at all.”
“That’s only if you can bribe your friends into it. Otherwise I know you, and you’ll just go out on your own. Which I don’t like one bit, Nicki Connors.”
“I don’t need to bribe my friends, Matthew Dillon,” Nicki echoed back before giving him her most angelic smile.
He let out another loud sigh before his shoulders finally relaxed and he winked at her. “Maxie likes chocolate candy. The ones with the soft centers. Thought I’d throw it out there. You never know when you might need that kind of random information.”
She clicked off on his laughter and grinned at the now-blank screen as she dug her cell phone out of her jacket pocket. Matt really did know her well.
Punching in a number, she waited just a single ring before Alex’s crisp “Hello?” sounded in her ear.
“Alex, I need you to make a stop on your way here. Can you pick up a box of chocolates? The kind with the soft centers.”
Chapter Seven
“These zucchini fries are so good, I might just forgive you for the grease burger and having me pick up that candy.” Alex brushed the overly long bangs out of her eyes and tucked them behind an ear. Her deep brown hair was cut short on one side and into a neat, wedge shape on the other, giving her what Nicki always referred to as a very fashionable, chic look, and Alex happily declared as “maintenance free”. Her wide, blue eyes glanced over at Jenna, perched on the stool next to her. They were nibbling on the last of their lunch as they waited for Maxie who’d happily told them she would be available to drop by about the time they were ready for dessert.
“Is that your second hamburger today? I’m sure you had one for breakfast.”
“Did not,” Jenna replied. “I had a wheat bagel and a glass of orange juice so I could enjoy my lunch without any guilt whatsoever. And I intend to reward myself with a piece of that candy. Maybe even several pieces.”
“Which I bought under extreme protest.” Alex’s gaze switched over to Nicki. “Speaking of which, why did you want me to pick up chocolates with creamy centers? I know your taste runs to chocolate-covered peanuts.”
“Which she happily indulged in a few days ago. Along with a whole bowl of potato chips,” Jenna said.
“Half a bowl.” Nicki’s generous lips thinned and she put her hands on her hips as she glared at Jenna. “You ate the other half. And why are you ratting me out?”
“Sympathy eating,” Jenna said with a shrug. “You were upset.”
“How much of those peanuts and chips did you eat?” Alex demanded.
“You’d eat chocolate peanuts too if you found a dead body,” Nicki shot back.
Alex’s frown relaxed when she looked over at Jenna and nodded. “She has a point there. What was your excuse? And don’t say ‘sympathy eating’.”
“Don’t need one. I’m not a pound overweight and as healthy as a horse, as the saying goes,” Jenna said. “Besides, I’m enjoying every bit of my lunch, at least until Nicki tells us why she’s bribing us.”
“That is the only reason she ever makes zucchini fries,” Alex agreed.
Both women turned to stare at Nicki, who made a show of rolling her eyes before giving up the pretense and holding her hands up in surrender. “Okay. I confess. I need your help in solving George Lancer’s murder.”
Both her friends sat straight up, identical frowns on their faces.
“How do you know he was murdered? And why do you have to solve it?” Jenna asked.
Alex stayed silent, but Nicki could tell by the intense gleam in her eyes she was turning something over in her mind.
“You-hoo? Am I too early?” Maxie called out from the hallway. She appeared in the kitchen doorway before Nicki had a chance to answer her.
“Dr. Alex,” the older woman beamed at Nicki’s friend. “How nice to see you again. And Jenna is here, too. That must mean you ladies are up to something. I’m so delighted to be invited in on the plot.”
“Nicki doesn’t believe that winemaker died of a heart attack. She thinks he w
as murdered,” Jenna stated, not bothering to exchange the usual polite greetings.
Maxie raised her perfectly shaped eyebrows at her tenant as she settled herself onto one of the stools at the kitchen counter. “You still think so? How intriguing. Being a writer I’m sure you have an instinct for that sort of thing. Are you going on a gut feeling?”
“I’m just sure he was,” Nicki said, her gaze staying on Alex’s face.
“Why do you think he was murdered?” Alex asked quietly.
“Let me tell you what I saw,” Nicki said. She went over everything, occasionally consulting a spiral notebook she’d scribbled reminders in to be sure she left nothing out. When she finished, she let her gaze roam first to Alex, then to Jenna and finally to Maxie.
“Several things could have caused him to fall and hit his head. A heart attack, a stroke, a sudden bursting of a vein in his head,” Alex said. “And yes, a quick-acting poison.”
“All right, doctor,” Jenna said with her typical, matter-of-fact tone. “What made him upchuck? Besides any poison, of course.”
“And before he fell,” Nicki added. She shrugged when all eyes focused on her. “His body was lying on top of it.”
Alex sighed. “My guess is a heart attack or poison. But it would have to be a very toxic poison. One that’s easily absorbed into the blood stream and fast acting.”
“Like dissolved in a liquid, maybe?” Maxie asked. “Such as a glass of wine?”
Nicki nodded vigorously, her hair bouncing off her shoulders. “Yes. Which is why I believe he was murdered.”
“O… Kay…” Alex drew out the sound. “Can you be more specific?”
“There was only one glass of wine poured. Why did he do that? He knew he was going to serve four bottles of the wine. He should have poured all the glasses on the tray and then tasted one if he wanted to. But he poured one, took a drink and died.” Nicki paused, trying to judge how her logic was going over with her friends.
“So you’re suggesting he poured the first glass, thought something was off, took a taste and died before he could pour the other glasses?” Alex asked.
“Yes. That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Nicki replied with a firm nod.
“Pretty weak, Connors,” Jenna said. “A point, to be sure, but still pretty weak.”
“He could have poured one glass, had a heart attack before he poured the others, and never took a drink at all,” Alex said.
“Maybe,” Nicki conceded. She cleared her throat and took a firmer grip on her notebook. “Okay. What about the overwhelming odor of cherries and tobacco, along with the smell of old fish? Everyone who came near him had to cover their noses the stench was so strong. What did he do? Eat a crate of cherries while he was smoking a carton of cigarettes before he got around to pouring the wine? And wouldn’t there be smoke? There was no smoke in that room.”
“But the door was open, wasn’t it? You said the door was open when you and Geri got there. Perhaps the smoke escaped?” Maxie asked.
“Then what made the horrible stench?” Nicki demanded. “It was much stronger than a smell simply coming off his clothes. If the smoke in the air was gone, the smell would go with it. It couldn’t have clung to those stone walls. And what about the cherry scent?”
“Yes. Very unusual. What caused that?” Maxie wondered.
A long moment of silence passed before Alex blew out a breath and shook her head.
“We need more information. We won’t know until the coroner finishes the autopsy, which could be days or weeks, depending on the caseload.”
“But the police might know something more,” Nicki said with a hopeful glance in Maxie’s direction.
Her landlady nodded. “I’ll be sure to ask my Mason to find out when he gets back. He’s gone fishing with his brother until Wednesday.”
“That’s five days from now,” all three younger women chimed in together.
“I have to be back at the hospital in three days,” Alex said.
Nicki’s spirits sank. She’d forgotten about myMason’s planned fishing trip. Five days was an eternity.
“Let’s put that aside. For the sake of argument, we should assume George Lancer was murdered. Are there any obvious suspects?” Jenna looked at Nicki. “Got any ideas?”
“A whole list of them,” Nicki confirmed, once again consulting her spiral notebook. “He didn’t have a single friend at the event. At least no one had a nice thing to say about him. And quite a few of the attendees had a legitimate grudge. The man was that mean and nasty. Especially to the people he worked with, and I spoke to four of them at the tasting- Jim Holland, Bill Stacy, Jeremy Brennan and Geri Gant. Then there’s one of the servers at the event. George humiliated him in front of a crowd that included his boss.”
“Let’s start with the winery owners, since I know them best,” Maxie said. “Who were they again, dear? I don’t remember all the names you rattled off.”
Once again Nicki consulted her notes and repeated the names before her gaze shifted back to her friends. “Those three appeared to know George the best, from what I could tell at the wine tasting. At least they’re the only owners he spoke to while I was there.”
“They would be excellent suspects,” Maxie nodded. “Especially Bill. George almost ruined him eight years ago with a very disastrous blend.”
“George almost ruined Bill, yet he’s still the head winemaker for Todos?” Nicki’s gut feeling leaped into a wild dance in her stomach. “Why would Bill Stacy keep him on?”
“It was a business decision, I’d imagine. Anyway, George made the blends for the winery Bill owned before he bought Todos. It was named The White Crown, and Bill did decently well. Many of the winemakers work for several wineries, and George created blends at The White Crown as well as at Holland Winery.”
“Was that when he went by Lancer instead of Lanciere?” Nicki asked.
Maxie laughed. “It certainly was. And he was still cozy with Stella.”
“Um… who’s Stella?” Alex asked, reaching for another zucchini fry.
Nicki took a quick look around the little group. Both Jenna and Alex were listening intently to every word Maxie said. It seemed she’d hooked her friends into going along with her investigation. Smiling at the warm tingle traveling up her spine, she turned her attention back to Maxie.
“His girlfriend,” Maxie nodded at Alex. “She was the assistant winemaker at Holland’s for a while. I recall a rumor that she had a great deal to do with the spectacular blend he brought out at Holland Winery. But she left her position there right around the time of the grand debut, and George publicly said it was because she was jealous of him coming out with a signature wine when he’d only been at Holland Winery a few years and she’d been there much longer. She never denied it, and they broke up shortly after that.”
“What’s Stella’s last name?” Nicki asked, diligently jotting abbreviated notes into her little book.
Maxie’s eyebrows drew together. “Let me see. Kranston or Kramer? Something along those lines. But it’s been almost a decade since they were an item.”
“Is she still living in town?”
“I have no idea,” Maxie shrugged. “I know she doesn’t work in the wine industry any more. At least not that I’ve heard.”
“Enough of the long-gone girlfriend,” Jenna declared. “I’m dying to hear about The White Crown blend. What happened?”
“Nothing.” Maxie smiled at Jenna’s frown. “That was the problem. It was nothing of note. The local critics said it should be sold at a discount in gallon jugs to a frat house. It was a horrible embarrassment for Bill and The White Crown. Especially when George blamed it on the grapes his employer purchased to blend with the ones grown at the winery. It made the entire production from The White Crown that year come into question. George quit his job in a huff and Bill’s business dropped into the ground after that.”
“Is that why he changed the name to Todos?” Nicki asked.
“No, no. He bought a smal
l winery and a sizeable number of additional acres around it and renamed that one Todos. It’s taken a few years, but he built his business up again around the new winery. And he rehired George as his head winemaker.”
“Huh. That’s just weird.” Jenna cocked her head to one side and gave Maxie a long stare. “What happened to The White Crown?”
“Oh, heavens. Bill had to sell it to finance his new venture. I believe there’s a nice tract of houses on the old property now.”
Nicki let out a soft groan. She hated to hear that a wonderful vineyard was plowed under for boxy-looking houses set side-by-side in long rows. She exchanged a sorrowful look with Alex before bending her head and writing “failed winery due to George” next to Bill Stacy’s name.
“Well, progress marches on and all that. What about Holland Winery? I’ve been there a couple of times. I like their wine,” Jenna said.
“George has worked there for a dozen years or so,” Maxie said.
Tapping the eraser of her pencil against her lower lip, Nicki’s eyes narrowed as she recalled Jim Holland’s remarks at the wine tasting. “The owner told Bill Stacy that George wasn’t so bad. Bill didn’t agree with him. After the fiasco at The White Crown, who could blame him?”
“Given Bill’s history with the man, I’m not surprised,” Maxie agreed with a firm nod. “Jim didn’t have as difficult a time with George. It was the signature blend George brought out at Holland ten years ago that put Jim’s winery on the map. And he’s managed to do very well since then.”
“But George wasn’t going to do the primary bottling and selling of his new signature blend at Holland Winery. He only arranged a private tasting there for the local owners, other winemakers and a few critics. Most of the distribution was going to be through Trax. George was talking with Jeremy Brennan about being Trax’s head winemaker. At least that’s what Jeremy said. He claimed they were in the final negotiations.”
“So it wasn’t a sure thing yet?” Alex asked.
Nicki shook her head. “Didn’t sound like it.”
“What if it had already fallen through despite what Jeremy said at the tasting, and he was out for revenge?” Jenna gave her eyebrows a dramatic wiggle.