Blood Is Thicker Than Wine

by Liz Eagle

  “That sounds like a good way to approach this. By the way, how is your work going?” Jacqueline asked.

  “I am hoping that it will resolve itself soon,” her father said, “but I am still working on a few things. Why do you ask?” He was not sure this was the best time to discuss his suspicions about the family she was about to marry into with his daughter. Besides, it was much too soon into the investigation to make any firm accusations. He decided to wait for more information and hoped any information he uncovered would clear her future in-laws before it was too late to back out of the wedding, if the need arose.

  “Actually, you never told me who or what agency you work for,” Jacqueline continued. “I am never sure if it is the CIA, FBI, or State Department. One time you said you were working with the Treasury Department. Can you at least be honest with me and tell me that much? I feel terrible that I can’t even answer people’s questions about what you do for a living. It’s as if I hardly know you, I don’t like that feeling.”

  “Well, it is complicated. I have to keep most of what I do and my assignments secret from most everyone, even you. I don’t like doing that to you, but it is for your own protection. If you are ever asked about me, you won’t have to lie, you can just say you don’t know. The less you know about my work, the better it is for you. The work I do is important to the government and I get assigned to different places to look into different things.”

  “So... you do work for the FBI? Am I right?”

  “Yes, you are right. But that has to stay between us. Who has been asking you about me?” On one hand he was happy to be able to open up to her a bit more, but the thought of certain people asking questions was troubling.

  “Well, it was just that at dinner the other night, Milton and Louise were curious as to what it is you do exactly, and I was stumbling, and I didn’t really have an answer for them. I said I thought you worked for the Treasury, but I didn’t really know. I think they thought that very strange, and it bothered me that I didn’t have an answer.” Gus’s heart dropped. No doubt that would make the Chandlers very suspicious, if they truly were involved. This could either bode well for him or it could put him in a very dangerous position, time would tell.

  “I have always had a feeling it was the FBI, though, some way or another,” Jacqueline responded. “I still love you and appreciate us being able to talk like this. Let’s promise not to have any secrets between us anymore. Is that alright with you?” she asked.

  Gus said, “No secrets.” He knew this was untrue and it made him feel terrible, but he absolutely could not let her in on the nature of the investigation. “And while we are on that note,” he changed the subject, he did not want to think about his lie, “I saw a stranger buying a jar of wine from Max earlier today. They got into an argument out back. Do you remember a conversation we had with them awhile back? I seem to recall Max and Gynnie saying they did not sell their wine.”

  “Why, of course I remember,” Jacqueline replied. “They said they just keep it for themselves or give it away to the local churches and such. They made no mention of sales of any kind. Why do you think they would not mention it if they do sell it? There is certainly nothing that bad about selling a little wine to help pay their bills. This family is pretty weird, don’t you think?”

  “I know, and I agree,” Gus responded, “but what bothers me is, based on my professional experience, I know that if they will tell a little lie about something as innocent as that, they may be lying about other – maybe bigger things – as well.” Quickly changing his tone, Gus smiled, hoping to change the subject to something more pleasant. “Let’s get out of here for a night,” he said to his daughter, “just the two of us. I think I saw a small restaurant downtown. I will get reservations for us tonight at six.” Gus thought to himself how much he could use a night off to clear his head. Jacqueline thought about how maybe this strange family was somehow involved in her father’s investigation, he sure did seem concerned about the wine.

  Gynnie pried her head away from the vent downstairs. She had not heard it all, but heard enough to know that Gus was an FBI agent and she wondered if they had figured out her family’s secret. Gus now knew that they sold their wine. How could Max be so stupid and let that slip, let alone argue with a customer within earshot of Gus. She wondered what she should do now with this information.

  Chapter 33

  1945 Warsaw, New York

  Gynnie finished her telephone conversation with Louise. “Yes, please come over tonight,” she said to Louise. “We will be expecting you. I certainly hope we can get ourselves back to where we were. I could definitely use a ‘how’s your father?’ night tonight! A night without all those crosswords would be delightful, too.” Gynnie decided not to let on what she overheard. She knew that disclosing the information would out an abrupt halt to their sex nights. She would do whatever she had to to protect those. She kept up the pretense while talking to Louise.

  “I agree,” Louise said. “Let’s just not bring up those murders at the park at all. We must keep the conversation civil at all times. Our husbands should not be arguing like they did last week. Then we will be over around six, if that will work for your schedule?”

  “Most definitely,” Gynnie said. “I am looking forward to it. I will send Max down to the cellar to bring up our best jar of blackberry brandy. See you then.” Gynnie and Louise said goodbye and hung up their phones.

  “Who was that on the phone?” Max asked Gynnie as he walked by her, carrying clean linens to take upstairs.

  Gynnie looked around to make sure no one was within hearing distance, then said to Max. “It was Louise,” she said. “She and Milton will be over tonight for a how’s your father? night. I overheard Gus talking about going out tonight, so we have the inn to ourselves.”

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake, are we really going to do that tonight?” Max said, obviously not happy about it. “We will have to make it a quick one.” Max began to worry if they would be able to get their clothes back on before Gus and his daughter returned. He decided that they would just keep all the doors locked so they would have to ring the doorbell to get in. That would give the group time to get dressed if they needed it.

  At six o’clock sharp, the doorbell rang. It was Milton and Louise. They were escorted into the front room, where Max greeted them each with a glass of blackberry brandy.

  “A toast,” Louise said, “to an exciting night of love. Tonight, we will let bygones be bygones.” They all raised their glasses, clinked them together and proceeded to drink.

  Max said to the group, “It will have to be a quick one, Gus and Jacqueline are still staying here. They had reservations for six at the restaurant downtown but will be back later on, Gynnie was eavesdropping. See, I told you we would hear them through the vents. Gynnie is our undercover spy.” They all laughed, filled their glasses and started to undress. Starting by kissing their respective spouses, it wasn’t long before the four of them were absorbed in lovemaking, moaning with pleasure and watching each other.

  Louise and Milton finished first, and Milton, still naked, left to go to the cellar to get another jar of something good. He turned on the lightbulb and walked down the wooden stairs and down onto the dirt floor. “Damn it!” he shouted, feeling something cut deep into his foot. Grabbing the first jar he saw on the shelf, Milton slowly began his way back up the stairs.

  Max and Gynnie had just finished having sex and were hugging each other. They had started to put their clothes on when Milton hobbled into the front room. He could not put his whole foot down on the floor.

  “What happened to your foot, dear?” Louise asked as he sat down on the settee and looked around for his clothes.

  “I stepped on something sharp in the cellar,” Milton said. “What the hell do you keep down there that is so sharp, Max?”

  “Oh, I should have told you to be careful,” Max said. “Remember when that jar o
f copper sulfate was knocked off the shelf last year and went everywhere? I am still finding pieces of glass down there. I thought I got them all, but I am sure I missed some. I am so sorry about that, chap. Let Gynnie get you a bandage.” Gynnie left to get a bandage from the kitchen.

  “Let’s have a drink, and that will make it feel better,” Max said. “That is what my cousins always said, that wine would cure anything.” He proceeded to pour everyone another drink. They had already had plenty of wine and were feeling it.

  Milton was the first to take a big sip to help his sore foot. “Damn it, Max, what is this brandy? What the hell is in this? It tastes like shit!” Milton said, spitting it out of his mouth and back into the glass.

  “Oh, no,” Max said. “Where in the cellar did you get this jar?” he asked as he walked around and collected the glasses of brandy from everyone.

  “I don’t know,” Milton said. “I hurt my foot and just grabbed the first blackberry jar I saw. Why?” he asked, pulling up his foot for Gynnie to apply the bandage.

  “Well, this was one of the jars that had the copper sulfate in it,” Max said. “I broke the container of sulfate and it spilled into that batch of brandy, remember?”

  “Yes, Max, of course I remember,” Milton replied. “Do you think I am stupid? I thought it only got into some of the jars, and I figured you were smart enough to throw them all out! How the hell did it get into this brandy?” Milton was about to lose his temper as he wondered how Max could be so irresponsible.

  “Well, counselor,” Max said sarcastically, “the glass bottle of copper sulfate spilled over several barrels and into a few open jars. A broken glass container just doesn’t stay in one place, you know. It shatters into small pieces and goes everywhere. I told you all that I discovered the sulfate went into the jars of wine, but I was not sure about the brandy, so I kept those jars separate from the others. Next time let me go down and get the brandy, and you stay the hell out of my cellar.” Max’s defensiveness was escalating into anger.

  “I think we need to get you home and rest that foot before you go into the office tomorrow,” Louise said to Milton. “Thank you for having us over,” she said to Max and Gynnie. “We will call you later.” The women kissed each other on the cheek, and Louise and Milton left.

  Max closed the front door and turned to Gynnie. “Thank God, they’re gone,” he said. “What a night. It was a bit too much to do that at our house when we have guests and we are not on the best of terms. Please don’t ever put us in that position again. If you want to do that again while we have guests, we must go to their house.” Gynnie could tell by his tone that Max meant what he said.

  “I know that was silly of me,” Gynnie said. “I was just so excited, I wasn’t thinking. I am sorry. I hope his foot will be alright.” Gynnie gathered up the glasses and the jar of tainted brandy on a tray and took them into the kitchen. She started thinking about the brandy and remembered that Max had asked her to remind him to take care of it. She forgot and stopped suddenly when she remembered she gave a jar to Louise. She would make a note to call her about it in the morning. Surely, she had not served it to anyone. The whole town would have heard about it by now, if so.

  “I hope the damn thing falls off his leg!” Max muttered under his breath as he cleaned up the spots of blood from the carpet and the floor. He knew Gynnie was out of earshot, but it made him feel good to say it anyway. His smartass brother-in-law was getting on his nerves. Max secretly hoped Gynnie and Louise would stop arranging these secret meetings.

  Max unlocked the doors, leaving a few lights on in the front room and in the foyer for Gus and Jacqueline, and went to bed.

  Chapter 34

  1945 Warsaw, New York

  Gus and Jacqueline had a nice dinner at the restaurant downtown. It was fairly crowded, and they were seated in a booth, which was close enough to the other booths for them to overhear the other diners’ conversations. Gus kept his voice low and did not even mention the case. While Jacqueline was talking intently to him, he caught bits and pieces of a conversation between two women in the booth behind him. “Such scandalous activities,” one of them said. “You would think the wealthy people of this town could keep their urges in check…the lawyers and doctors...the way they carry on in that way and think none of us know…I heard young Chandler had a few young conquests in town….”

  Then the other person said “….the rumor mill is hot tonight…who was it, Dr. Lewis’ wife, Cynthia? I bet so. You know I heard that they are in some kind of financial trouble…I bet he was overpaying for the pleasure of those ‘off duty’ nurses, huh?...” The two of them just laughed, and then their food arrived, and the conversation stopped.

  “Dad, are you paying attention to me” Jacqueline asked, “or are you somewhere else? Did you even hear a word I said?” She reached across the table and patted his arm.

  “Oh darling, I am so sorry,” Gus said. “It was just a little lapse. I am back. So, you were saying…” He did not want to forget what he had just heard from the next booth. People should be more careful. You never know when an FBI agent might be in town. Nothing got by him. Not even the smallest comment.

  After finishing their dinner, Gus and Jacqueline walked back to the inn. “I have to go back to Attica Prison tomorrow for a few hours,” Gus said. “There are a few loose ends in my investigation that I need to firm up. I assume that will be the last of it, and then we can focus on getting together with Phillip and his parents.”

  “That sounds wonderful, Dad,” she said, “but, please be careful. The prison is a dangerous place, you know.” Jacqueline tried to put her concerns aside, she figured her father could take care of himself. “I hope you can finish your work soon,” she said. “We may have to plan a wedding, and I have to move out of my apartment in the city. Oh my, there is so much to do. We really need to schedule a time to meet his parents. I will talk to Phillip tomorrow and see when that can be arranged.” After returning to the inn, Gus kissed Jacqueline on the forehead, and they said goodnight.

  Before he went to sleep, Gus made some notes about his accidental eavesdropping at the restaurant and put them in his briefcase. His future son-in-law appeared to be the topic of town gossip. He made a note to start snooping around town to find out about Dr. Lewis’s wife, what she has to do with Phillip, and the finances of the good doctor.

  In the morning, Gus drove back to Attica. He had hoped to have the information about the copper sulfate by now, but he would move ahead with the investigation in the meantime.

  Gus got into the prison facility without a hitch and he assumed it was because he had been there very recently. “Hello again, Mr. Harvey. Do you remember that I am with the FBI and am conducting an investigation related to your case?” Gus asked, sitting in the same seat at the wooden table in the prison and addressing the prisoner when he came in.

  “Now, what do you want?” Mr. Harvey asked. “Are you going to get me out, or are you just here to pester me with more stupid questions?”

  “I do have more questions for you, Mr. Harvey,” Gus said. “I want to know exactly how the girls came to have several jars of wine, and I need you to think about everything they said to you that night. Any detail could be important. Did they mention anything to you about where they got the wine?” he asked.

  “All I can remember is meeting them down by the tent games,” Mr. Harvey said. “They both put their arms around me, said they had just come into a lot of cash, so they bought some wine to celebrate and we walked up the hill to the cannon. We just laughed and made...what do you call it...small talk. I can’t really remember anything they said, it was all just stupid stuff. They were flirting with me, and it was working. I was just trying to get laid. We all sat on the grass by the cannon and opened up one jar, passed it around, and then they started in on the second one. After a sip or two or the second jar, they threw up and passed out. Maybe there was something in the wine that killed
them?” Mr. Harvey asked. Gus couldn’t have agreed more, but he needed to find out for sure where it came from.

  “Alright, let’s take it back to when you met them by the games,” Gus said. “How did they carry the jars of wine? Were they wrapped in something or did they just hold them in their arms?” he asked.

  “Shit, they wouldn’t just have them in their arms, are you crazy?” Mr. Harvey said. “They were in a paper sack like what you get at the grocery store.”

  “So how did you determine that there was wine in the sack?” Gus asked, trying to pull information out of the inmate.

  “I don’t know,” Mr. Harvey said. “They just said something like ‘Look, we have wine. Let’s go have a party’ or something. What are you trying to get at? Just tell me what you want me to say. I will say whatever I need to get the hell out of this place.”

  “So, the jars of wine were in a paper sack, and they said they just had them?” Gus asked. “Is that right?”

  “Oh, come on!” Mr. Harvey said. “What the hell are you getting at? Look, when I met these girls they already had the wine in a paper sack, just like I said. I think they each had two jars in sacks. They asked me to go with them up to the cannon. They were celebrating something. I think they just got a wad of cash and were excited about it. We opened the sack and drank the wine. We drank one jar, then they opened a second one, got sick and passed out. When I left, there were two jars still not opened right there by them. That is all I can tell you.