Murdered By Wine: A Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery (Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Series Book 13)

by Dianne Harman

  “I wouldn’t think so, either. Mom, I’m going to have to go in a minute. I think Ella just woke up from her nap, and I need to give her some medicine. I haven’t told the girls about Disneyland yet. Do you think Mike was serious about taking them?”

  “Absolutely.” Kelly knew the big kid in Mike was just glad that Julia had brought up the subject of Disneyland, since he’d been talking about going there ever since she’d met him. “We’ll work out the details later. Oh, Julia, I did get that wine information for you from Josie. I’ll mail it to you.”

  “That was nice of her. I’m sure she had a lot more important things to think about. Mom, you could do me one favor tomorrow.”

  There was nothing Kelly wouldn’t do for her daughter. “Consider it done, sweetheart. What is it?”

  “There’s a wine tasting room on the square that I’d like you to visit. Try a couple of wines, or have Mike try them, and see what you think. If you like them and think I would, please buy a couple of bottles and have them sent to me. Can you do that?”

  “Sure, honey. I don’t have anything on my agenda for tomorrow, and we’re not leaving until the next day. What’s the name of the winery?”

  “It’s called the Romano Winery. I understand they’re a close second to the Moretti Winery. I’ve never tried their wines, but if they’re anything like what we had at the Moretti Winery, I’ll probably like them.”

  Kelly was quiet, thinking what a small world it was. What were the chances that the one winery’s wine her daughter wanted her to try was the very one where Matteo had been the winemaker? She decided not to say anything for now.

  “Sure, Julia. Are you thinking of something special?”

  “Not really. Why don’t you try a red and a white and if you like them, I’ll take them as an early birthday gift.”

  “Will do. One last thing, and then you need to go check on Ella. Any thoughts on where we should have dinner tonight? You’re the one who did all the research before we came, so I thought you might have the name of a place.”

  “How did you know?” Kelly heard Julia’s tinkling laughter at the other end of the line. “As a matter of fact, I do. It’s name is The Pastel Rose, and it’s on the square. The chef named it that because guess what? He loves pastel roses. They’re his favorite flowers, and according to what I read, there are always fresh roses on every table and some beautiful floral paintings on the walls. I saw an online photo of the restaurant and it looked gorgeous.”

  “Sounds beautiful. Even if we can’t get a reservation there, I’d like to walk by and see it. I love how you always come up with the best places. You’re so thoughtful.”

  “Mom, they’re known for their farm fresh food. Their claim to fame is they only serve organic food and from what I read, their chef is known to be one of the best. I believe he had a very successful cooking show on television for several years. He got tired of the whole chef stardom world and opened the restaurant. You’re the food expert, let me know what you think.”

  “You’ve got me chomping at the bit already. We’ll go there for dinner tonight, if we can. I better call and make a reservation if he’s that good. Grandpa said to be sure and tell the girls hi for him. I’ll call you tomorrow and see how Ella’s doing. Loves,” Kelly said as she ended the call. She immediately called The Pastel Rose and made a reservation for 7:00 that night.

  CHAPTER 24

  There was a knock on the door and then the sound of someone entering the room. Kelly was in the bathroom putting on some makeup. Fixing a smudge of mascara on her cheek, she paused and cocked her ear. “Mike, is that you?”

  “Yes, were you expecting someone else?” he asked.

  She peered through the open bathroom door. “Maybe, but I’m glad you got here first. You look tired.” She walked out of the bathroom and let him hold her before wriggling away when he tried to kiss her.

  “Sorry, but you’ll ruin my lipstick. I talked to Julia and Ella has strep throat, so I’m glad they decided to go home. She gave me the name of a restaurant that’s supposed to be pretty good, so I made a reservation there for dinner at 7:00. Since it’s on the square, we can walk to it. That gives us about a half an hour.”

  “Good.” Mike gave Kelly an admiring glance. “In that case, you better get dressed. I could use a couple of minutes to unwind.” He sank into one of the armchairs and started to take off his shoes. “What a day this turned out to be. A complete reversal of what I thought it was going to be when I got up this morning.”

  “I agree,” Kelly said as she kissed the top of his head before disappearing back into the bathroom. “Take a few minutes to decompress, and I won’t bother you. We can talk over dinner.”

  “Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, don’t you know you never bother me. I love your chatter and your view of the world. Believe me, it’s pretty refreshing from the world I usually find myself in.”

  “Thanks for the compliment, sweetheart. I’ll remind you of that the next time you roll your eyes over something I’ve said. I’ll be out of here in a couple of minutes, and the bathroom will be all yours.”

  A few minutes later she walked out and saw Mike slouched in the chair, his eyes closed. She softly touched his cheek and said, “Wake up, sleeping beauty. The bathroom is all yours, Sheriff.”

  Mike’s mouth twitched and his eyelids flickered. “Thanks. I’m kind of lagging, and a little fresh water on my face will do wonders for my attitude, to say nothing of the glass of wine I plan on having with dinner.”

  “Kind of getting into this Sonoma thing, aren’t you?” Kelly asked with a grin on her face.

  “Well, I’m a great believer of when in Rome…” He tried to pull Kelly onto his lap, but she dodged his grasp once more.

  “Nice excuse, Sheriff, but from what Julia told me, we should be in for a gastronomic treat tonight.”

  Mike grunted. “From that I take it I should bring all the credit cards I have, and you might want to do the same. Living a glossy magazine lifestyle on a sheriff’s paycheck is a tall order, Mrs. Reynolds. Remember when Liz and Doc went to Spain a few months ago on a bucket list trip?”

  “Yes, what about it?” Kelly asked.

  “Because their bill at the Michelin five star rated restaurant in the seaside town of San Sebastian was over $700.00 and that didn’t include their wine. That was on a separate bill. Doc said he figured he’d have to start doubling up on his patient load to pay for that dinner.”

  “Somehow, I doubt it,” Kelly said, stepping into a black halter dress and pulling it down over her hips. She slipped on the jacket and looked in the mirror, smiling at her reflection. “I know doctors and psychologists earn a lot more in big cities, but I think Liz and Doc could afford it, although it’s a matter of priorities. I love food, but I think if I saw those prices on a menu, I’d leave.”

  “From what Doc told me, there weren’t any prices on the menu.”

  “That would make me worry before I’d even ordered.”

  *****

  Later, after a short walk to the restaurant, they held hands and as they were looking in the window of The Pastel Rose, Kelly inhaled sharply. Mike glanced over at her and said, “Kelly, what’s wrong?”

  “Absolutely nothing, Mike. This is simply one of the most beautiful restaurants I’ve ever seen. Take another look inside,” she said as she continued to peer through the window. “There are candles everywhere, and they’ve mixed up the table linens so they’re all in different pastel colors. I guess that’s to match the name of the restaurant. I think we’re in for a wonderful experience.”

  He opened the door for her and guided her inside with his hand in the small of her back. “At the risk of sounding like a wet blanket, I sincerely hope it’s not the same experience that Doc and Liz had in Spain.”

  Kelly was so busy taking in the feast of colors and scents when they walked into the restaurant, she didn’t respond. Mike gave their name to the hostess and they were quickly seated at a window table that looked out at the square. A waiter
appeared, deftly unfolded Kelly’s napkin as if he were a magician, and handed it to her. It was a soft pink color. The tablecloth was a cream-colored linen and in the center of the table was a short bouquet of lavender roses bursting out of a sparkling crystal vase. Kelly looked around and saw that the other tables repeated the color scheme, depending on what color the center bouquets were.

  Kelly had heard that in addition to Sonoma being known as a wine mecca, there was also a very active art colony living and working in the area. The paintings on the walls spoke to that industry. Soft floral paintings of pastel roses hung on the white walls, accenting the table bouquets. The prices shown on some of the painting indicated they were for sale. Red dots on some of the others indicated that they had already been sold.

  “Mike, I wasn’t kidding earlier. This really is one of the most beautiful restaurants I’ve ever been in.” Kelly’s gaze settled on one of the paintings, and Mike gave her a sharp warning look.

  “Good, I’m glad you like it, because I just looked at the wine prices, and not only do I not have a clue what any of the wines are, we could probably retire on the prices being charged on a couple of the bottles. It’s a good thing we hardly drink. Where’s Julia when we need her?”

  A man walked over to the table and introduced himself. “Welcome to The Pastel Rose. My name is Armand. May I help you select a wine?”

  “I don’t know where to start,” Mike said. “I’m afraid I’m nowhere near knowledgeable enough to order something on my own, so yes, I could use a little help.”

  “Very well, sir. Do you have an idea of what you’ll be ordering from the dinner menu?”

  “No, I haven’t had a chance to look at it yet.”

  “Sir, if I may make a suggestion, since you don’t seem to have a definite preference, the chef has a tasting menu tonight which consists of an appetizer, soup, salad, an entrée, and dessert. From what I’m hearing from the other diners, it’s very, very good. I could pair wines for the different courses.”

  “I think that would solve my problem, but neither my wife nor I are very big drinkers. Could we share a glass instead of each of us having one?

  “Of course, sir, but I will divide the wine into two glasses. It would really be tacky for you both to be seen passing a glass of wine back and forth, and I think Chef Antoine would have an apoplectic fit if he walked into the dining room and saw that. Shall I place a tasting order for both of you?”

  “Kelly, is that alright with you?” Mike asked.

  “It sounds wonderful, Armand. We’ll trust your judgement.”

  “Thank you, Madame, and I promise that it will be an experience you will long remember.” He smiled and walked away from the table.

  “What do you think, Mike?” she asked. “He handled that impeccably, in my opinion.”

  “I think that’s probably what somebody told Doc before he went down the rabbit hole in Spain. Did you bring your credit cards?”

  “Yes, but you said you had yours.”

  “So I did, but you didn’t see the wine selections on the menu that the hostess gave me. There were only a couple of prices on it and I have a feeling those were the cheap ones. I know it’s going to be shades of Doc and Liz.”

  “Well, if it is, it is.” Kelly reached out for his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze across the creamy linen tablecloth. “Let’s forget about the money part and just enjoy the experience. We won’t be passing this away again.”

  “Trust me,” Mike warned her. “We won’t be able to afford to pass this way again.”

  “No more grumbling,” Kelly said, retracting her hand as a waiter brought over plates and set them in front of each of them. He was followed by the sommelier who placed two small glasses of wine on the table at the top of their knives.

  “The chef is starting out your tasting menu with a Spanish favorite. Enjoy,” the waiter said as he left their table.

  “Mike, this looks too beautiful too eat,” Kelly said as she surveyed the sliced red tomatoes on baguettes which had been sprinkled with chopped basil.

  Mike hadn’t paused to admire the view. “It’s even better than it looks. What do you think the chef has done?” He asked with his mouth half full.

  “Good thing your granddaughters aren’t here,” she said, picking up her fork. “I believe you were the one who told them it’s bad manners to talk with food in your mouth.”

  “So I did, but this is just too good not to know exactly what I’m eating.”

  Kelly took a bite and waited as her taste buds sprang into action and did their thing of deciphering the ingredients. “Mike, I’m pretty sure I can make this at home and at the coffee shop. Tastes like a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a special salt has been sprinkled on top of the tomatoes. I’m a sucker for a good olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and gourmet salt. I think anything would taste good with those on it.”

  For the next hour conversation was at a minimum as they devoured the tasting menu which, in addition to the appetizer, consisted of an apple-butternut squash soup, quinoa salad, rosemary roasted chicken with fingerling potatoes, and for dessert, a cheesecake with caramelized peaches. Mike had just sat back in his chair and was enjoying an after-dinner cup of decaf coffee when his phone buzzed.

  “Kelly, it’s Sheriff Dawson. I noticed there was a sign when we came in that indicated cell phones should be put on vibrate. I’m going to step outside to take his call. If he’s calling this time of night, it’s probably important.”

  He walked outside and through the window Kelly could see him pacing back and forth on the sidewalk. A few minutes later he returned with a worried look on his face. He sat down a took a sip from his cup of coffee.

  “Mike, I can see from the worried look on your face that whatever the sheriff told you, it probably wasn’t good news,” Kelly said.

  “I don’t think it’s ever good news when the verdict is murder. The coroner’s preliminary report came back, and there were no signs of health problems and only a small trace of alcohol was found in Angela’s body, but no drugs.”

  “Well, given the fact that her body was found in a wine vat, that’s not surprising, since from what we’ve been told, she took a small sip from each of the vats.”

  “Yes, but there’s more. There were two sets of shoe prints on the stairs leading up to the top of the vat. One was matched with a pair of Angela’s shoes. The other was a very small set of prints and from what Dawson told me, they were made from a type of shoe that many people in the wine industry wear. Not the vineyard workers, because they need heavy duty boots, but people like Josie or others, the ones who were in and out of the vineyards and buildings.

  Kelly looked at him and said, “Matteo told me about them earlier today. He said most of the people wore them because they could slip them off when they entered a building. That way they didn’t track mud and dirt into the building.”

  “Matteo was wearing a pair of sandals when we met earlier, but I think he had big feet. Dawson said the shoeprint appeared to be about a size four, narrow, which is quite small.”

  “Does that mean you think it belonged to a woman?”

  “It would certainly seem to indicate that, but it could have been a small man. I don’t know, but it’s a very important clue.”

  “A clue, yes, but not enough to charge someone with murder. Right?”

  “That’s right, but that circumstantial evidence, along with some other evidence, might be enough to do it. Why?”

  Kelly sipped her coffee, which had become cold while she was waiting for Mike to return. “Matteo told me there’s a shoe store on the square where most of the people who work in the wine industry and wanted sandals like his like to shop. It’s too late tonight, but I think I’ll go there when they open in the morning and see what I can find out.”

  “Not a bad idea. What would you think if I tried to play golf in the morning? The two guys I played with today said they had a really early tee time, 7:00 a.m., and that if I could make it, to just meet t
hem at the first tee.”

  “I think that would be wonderful.” Kelly said as she tried to get the waiter’s attention for the check. “This was supposed to be a vacation, and as hard as you work, I’d like to see you relax.”

  “Same goes for you, Kelly. How about if I take the car to the course in the morning and you sleep in? You could walk to the square when the shoe store opens, and then we could go to lunch when I get back.”

  “Sounds great. Julia had one request for us. She asked if we would go to the Romano Winery tasting room on the square and try a red and a white wine. She said if they’re any good, she’d like us to buy a couple of bottles of each of them and have them shipped to her in Calico Gold.”

  Kelly paused while the waiter set the check on the table. She was delighted to see it was accompanied by two of Nic’s gourmet chocolates on a little dish. She hoped that would soften the blow when Mike paid the bill. “I looked it up on my iPad while I was waiting for you earlier and they have food as well at the Romano Winery Tasting Room. Let’s go there for lunch and we can get that out of the way.”

  “Perfect. Let me settle up here, and we can go get a good night’s sleep. Feels like it’s been a very long day.” He flipped open the check and barely flinched.

  Kelly sat in her chair waiting for some indication from Mike about how much the meal and wine had cost. He signed the credit card slip and said, “Ready, Mrs. Reynolds?”

  “Yes, but I’m curious what this gastronomic feast cost,” she said as she walked towards the door with him.

  “Isn’t there some saying about how curiosity killed the cat? Let’s just say it’s a good thing you handle the books for the coffee shop, and I handle the books for our household. I think you’ll enjoy the evening far more if you don’t know the cost. I think there’s another saying that’s appropriate. If you have to ask, you can’t afford it. Let’s just say we could afford it, and let it go at that.”