A Flair for Chardonnay

by Deborah Garner

  Sadie shook her head. “No, only Matteo.”

  “Any impressions of the family during your visit?”

  Sadie resisted the urge to say they were all completely wacko, in her opinion, settling instead on a safe understatement. “They seem to have a few issues.” She was certain she saw Detective Shafer fight to hold back a smile.

  “If you suspect Matteo, which is what it sounds like, why are you holding Tina?”

  “Because the cork found in her kitchen has traces of broken glass, plus it’s from a bottle of cabernet, the same type of wine found on the victim’s body,” Detective Hudson said.

  “Well, I can see that wouldn’t look good,” Sadie said.

  “Speaking of which...You stayed at The Vintage Vine the night before the murder.” Detective Shafer paused to look down at her notes. “Actually, according to the medical examiner’s report, the time of death was between 10 pm and midnight. So technically you stayed there the night of the murder.”

  “Yes.”

  “Did you ever see the innkeeper leave the inn?”

  “No,” Sadie said. “In fact, she was in the kitchen most of the evening, baking blueberry muffins for the next morning. They were delicious, I might add.”

  “About what time did you retire to your room?”

  Sadie thought it over before answering. “Probably around 11 pm.”

  “So she easily could have gone out after you went to sleep.”

  “Objection. Calls for speculation.”

  The detectives and Sadie turned toward the unexpected voice, finding a man of medium height in the doorway. His light, but tan skin and blondish-brown hair reminded Sadie of surfers she saw on occasional visits to Santa Cruz. If he lost twenty pounds and twenty years, he could fit right in with that crowd.

  “Counselor Perry,” Detective Hudson said, circling the table and heading toward the doorway. “I don’t recall anyone asking you to come in.” Turning to Sadie, he added, “Is this man your lawyer?”

  “Of course not!” Hearing the indignation in her voice, Sadie threw a quick apology toward the attorney. “No offense.”

  “None taken.”

  “Why would I need a lawyer?” Sadie asked.

  “You don’t need one. And Counselor Perry was just leaving.” Detective Shafer stood and pointed to the door.

  “Not so fast. The Tremiato family asked me to stop by to make sure Ms. Kramer was not being harassed. Besides, you’re just still sore about the Morgan’s Bar and Grill case.” He faced Sadie directly and whispered, “Bogus health code violation.” He held out his hand. “Nick Perry, attorney for the Tremiato family. Here at their request, pro bono.”

  Sadie’s thoughts gathered like a sudden, swirling wind funnel. “How did the family even know I was coming up?”

  “Word gets around.”

  Sadie looked at Mr. Perry for a moment trying to determine how open he might be to sharing information. This could work to her advantage, having direct contact with the Tremiato’s lawyer. And if he wasn’t going to charge for his services, so much the better. She and her zebra began to feel more cheerful.

  “Well, maybe I do need a lawyer. If I’m going to continue being interrogated like this, I’d like him to stay.” Sadie looked back and forth between the detectives. The sudden turn of events appeared to have them baffled.

  “That won’t be necessary,” Detective Hudson said. “I think we’ve covered everything.” He took a business card from his pocket and handed it to Sadie. “Just let us know if you think of anything else.”

  After a few words in parting, Sadie and the lawyer found themselves on the front steps of the police station.

  “Well, that was all very odd,” Sadie said.

  “Yes, I’m sorry to barge in like that.”

  “No,” Sadie continued. “Not you. I’m grateful you showed up. Their whole line of questioning was bizarre. I drove up to try to help out and ended up feeling like a suspect.”

  “Don’t worry, that’s how these cases are. They do have to look at all possibilities, so everyone’s a suspect.”

  “Yes, that’s what Detective Hudson said.” Sadie thought back to a few other cases she’d handled where every person she met seemed to have something to hide and something to gain from the crime she investigated.

  “And you were there, both the night before and that day at the winery,” Nick continued.

  “How do you know that?”

  “Tina is my client, as are all Tremiato family members. We talk often.”

  “Of course,” Sadie said. “Speaking of Tina, how is she?”

  “She’s holding up. I hope to have her out by tomorrow.”

  “But they found the cork from the broken wine bottle in her kitchen.”

  “Yes, but that’s still circumstantial. There were no fingerprints on it, so her claim that it was planted is feasible.”

  “Well, that’s promising,” Sadie said. “She seems nice. She also thinks someone is trying to set her up. If there were no fingerprints, that would make sense, right? Otherwise hers would be on it?”

  “Maybe, maybe not. Fingerprints can be wiped clean. Don’t you watch TV at all?” A teasing grin crossed the lawyer’s face.

  “I’m more of a cooking show fan, personally,” Sadie said. “How about you? Reality shows, maybe?”

  “Hardly. I see far too much reality in this line of work. I stick to HGTV.”

  Nick’s phone rang, and when he took the call, Sadie glanced at her watch. Her stomach rumbled, and she remembered that she’d promised herself a meal after the meeting with the detectives. Taking advantage of the chance to slip away, Sadie mouthed the words, “thank you,” and headed for her car.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  The Grapevine was crowded, as was to be expected at noon in a popular café. Sadie found a small table between a showcase of wooden boxes covered with shellacked wine labels and a chalkboard advertising the soup and sandwich special of the day. A young server with multiple piercings and fingernail polish of indefinable color greeted her almost immediately. Lost in an effort to read a tattoo on the twenty-something’s wrist, Sadie merely pointed to the chalkboard and said, “I’ll have this.”

  The single chair at the table promised a meal in solitude. A dull headache had started to form as soon as she left the police station’s steps, as if every question the detectives asked had suddenly followed her, crept into her blood stream and started pounding on timpani. Her half-hidden table offered a chance to detox from the meeting in peace. She picked up her glass of water, took a sip and closed her eyes, willing her mind to be swept away to a Caribbean island, or anywhere devoid of detectives and dilemmas. She could almost feel the warm, soft sand on her bare feet, the sun on the bridge of her nose and a sweet breeze that smelled of coconut…or corn and jalapenos. What? Corn and jalapeños?

  Sadie opened her eyes abruptly and looked down at her table, finding a bowl of chowder alongside a sandwich with melted cheese oozing out the sides. She looked up to find the young server staring at her curiously.

  “What is this?”

  “The lunch special. Turkey melt panini with jalapeño-corn chowder.”

  “Of course!” Sadie grinned at the server, which either satisfied the girl or scared her away. In either case, Sadie was left to enjoy her meal, which smelled better than a coconut-scented breeze. She wrapped her hands around the ciabatta bread and lifted it to her mouth, prepared to take a bite.

  “Well, fancy meeting you here!”

  Sadie lowered the sandwich and watched Stefano pull an extra chair from a nearby table. Within seconds he was seated across from her, helping himself to a few sweet potato fries.

  Sadie pulled her lunch a little closer to her, hoping to save a few fries for herself.

  “I’m here to pick up my usual Reuben, with extra sauerkraut. I’ve always been fond of a good Reuben, and The Grapevine makes the best. I call in an order at least twice a week.” Stefano leaned back in his chair and scanned the room. Sad
ie was certain she saw him wink at two attractive women at a nearby table. Hardly subtle.

  “And what brings you back to our town so soon?”

  There was no question Stefano was fishing for answers. Sadie debated her best course of action and decided to be direct.

  “I came up to meet with the detectives working on Tina’s case.”

  “You came all the way up here to meet with them?” Stefano tapped his fingers on the table. The gesture struck Sadie as more nervous than casual.

  “Yes, they asked me to.”

  Stefano raised his eyebrows. “Whatever for?

  “I suppose to answer questions about anything I noticed that morning at the winery, as well as the nights I stayed at the inn. But they didn’t get to all their questions because Mr. Perry ‘rescued’ me, I thought because one of the Tremiatos had sent him. Was it you?”

  “I didn’t know you were here until Angelo told me, and I think he heard from Luisa. Or … I don’t know. Word gets around.”

  The server who had waited on Sadie set a bag in front of Stefano, who thanked her with one of his obviously famous smiles. The young woman responded to his flirtation with a frown before walking away.

  Sadie took a bite of the turkey melt, and then ate a spoonful of soup, savoring the combination of flavors.

  “I guess I can’t charm everyone,” Stefano sighed and returned his attention to Sadie. “But tell me, did you think of anything to tell the detectives that might help Tina? I can’t stand to see her going through this. Does she seem like someone who’d be capable of murder?”

  “I don’t think so,” Sadie said. “But you know her better than I do. Do you think there’s any chance she could have done it?”

  “Of course not,” Stefano said, quickly, as if he’d set up the question specifically so he could answer it. “Then you have to help get her out of this. You were there at the inn the night Flanagan was killed. Surely Tina was home that whole night?” Stefano’s tone was anxious.

  “Yes, I was at the inn. I watched her bake muffins and heard her talking with guests in the evening. But I did go to bed at some point. I didn’t have her in sight all night. I didn’t have any reason to think I needed to keep watch over her then. Hopefully the police will find out enough information that they’ll direct their search elsewhere.”

  “But the cork was found there,” Stefano added.

  “Yes, and that brings up an interesting point,” Sadie said. “The detectives didn’t find it during the first search, only later, after they received an anonymous tip. What does that tell you?”

  “That it wasn’t there the first time.”

  “Right, unless they missed it,” Sadie pointed out. “But that’s unlikely. My guess is that it was planted there.”

  Stefano remained quiet, his expression unreadable. Finally, he spoke. “You think someone is trying to frame her?”

  Sadie nodded. “That’s the only explanation I can see. Or someone is trying to throw the police off their trail.”

  “But who would want to do that?” Stefano looked genuinely baffled, but Sadie found herself wondering if it was an act. Something about his tone seemed odd. Stress? Confusion? Guilt?

  “I don’t know, Stefano. I don’t know her circle of friends and acquaintances, but you do. Can you think of anyone who might have a motive for framing your wife? Someone she wronged or someone who’s angry?” Or maybe someone who’s jealous?

  “No,” Stefano said firmly. “Tina doesn’t have any enemies.”

  Sadie tried a different angle before launching into her lunch again. The more information she could obtain the better. There was always a chance Stefano would reveal something he didn’t mean to.

  “How about the sale of the winery? What can you tell me about that?”

  “What do you mean? There wasn’t any sale.” Stefano said curtly, which made Sadie wonder if he were bitter because the proposed sale didn’t end the way he wanted it to.

  “You don’t sound happy about that. I take it you were in favor of selling.”

  “Not at first,” Stefano admitted. “Like everyone in our family, I’m proud of what we’ve built up over generations. But when Flanagan came to us and explained the proposed changes that Serrano-Flanagan had in mind, it made sense. We don’t have the capital to stay up with the new technology and marketing. Other wineries are expanding, adding events, even hosting concerts. It makes sense to do what’s needed to stay up with the times, and the sale would have enabled the winery to catch up. In addition, our income is down because other wineries now have more draw with all their bells and whistles. And it’s harder to run with our father gone. Once Flanagan pointed out the benefits of selling, it made sense to me.”

  “What about your lawyer, Nick Perry? Did he have an opinion?”

  “Not really,” Stefano said. “He’s pretty good at staying objective. He let Flanagan work out the offer and made sure we knew we could counter with a different proposal. Nick just helped us with the details. You know, explained how the sale would take place, what paperwork would be needed, what we would be paid, how the money would be transferred, that type of thing.”

  “Sounds about right,” Sadie said. “It sounds like he did the job of a good, objective attorney and represented your family in the decision about this sale.”

  “He handled it well,” Stefano said. “Lawyers can be annoying, but he’s a good guy. We’ve had lunch on occasion, and he’s stopped by the store a few times. I don’t think Angelo is thrilled that Nick is dating our sister, but I think he’s been good for her.”

  “Were Nick and your sister dating during the negotiations with Serrano-Flanagan?”

  “No. They didn’t start seeing each other until all those disastrous meetings finally ended. I’m actually surprised he kept coming around. We would have scared off anyone else.”

  Sadie watched a young couple pick up a bagged order, pay and exit the café. She was beginning to wish Stefano would leave, as well. She wasn’t getting much information out of him, plus her soup was getting cold.

  As if he’d read her mind, Stefano stood up. “I’d better get back to the store and let you finish your lunch in peace. It’s been a pleasure.” He turned away, then paused and faced Sadie again. “There’s something that’s been bugging me. Why was Tina even in the fermentation building that morning? Wasn’t she at the inn, serving breakfast? You were there. You must have seen her.”

  Sadie paused before answering. It seemed an odd question coming from Stefano, who surely must have asked Tina the same thing.

  “Yes, she served breakfast,” Sadie said. “And a delicious one, at that. But she got a phone call as we were finishing up and said she needed to run a quick errand. It’s my understanding that Luisa called and asked her to help with something. I’ve been wondering about this since I get the feeling she and Luisa don’t have the best of relationships.”

  “You’re right about that,” Stefano said. “I’ve never understood why Luisa didn’t take to Tina. She was cold to her right from the start, when I started dating her. Maybe Luisa resents Tina joining the family? I don’t know. I gave up trying to figure that out a long time ago. Luisa’s always been a bit of a cold fish, even when we were growing up.”

  On that note, Stefano left the café, sporting another of his dazzling smiles as he held the front door open for two elderly women on their way in. Sadie had to give him credit. At least he was an equal opportunity flirt.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Fortified with a good meal and the sense that the Tremiatos were on the verge of telling her what she wanted to know, Sadie headed, once again, for the winery. As she expected, Angelo was behind the counter in the tasting room. He didn’t seem at all surprised to see her. Sadie wondered if Stefano had called him to confirm that she was back in town, and if he had, she wondered why.

  Luisa and Elena were nowhere to be seen. Other than two tourists sipping wine at the counter, Angelo was alone.

  “Back for another sample o
f our chardonnay?” Angelo approached Sadie with a wine glass and bottle, but Sadie shook her head.

  “I’m driving back to the city in a bit, but I’d love a glass of water, if it’s not a bother.”

  “No bother at all,” Angelo said. His tone was polite but reserved. He brought out a bottle of imported sparkling water from beneath the counter and filled the wine glass, adding a twist of lemon. “I understand the police called you in for questioning?”

  “Ah, Stefano must have called you.”

  “Yes, he said he saw you at The Grapevine.”

  “Indeed he did,” Sadie said, curious to see if Angelo was trying to pry information from her?

  “I suppose that makes sense the police would want to talk to you,” Angelo said. “After all, you were here the afternoon before the murder and the morning after.”

  He makes it sound like he thinks I’m a suspect! Sadie thought.

  “I actually volunteered to drive up to allow them to interview me in person,” Sadie said. “Sometimes it helps investigators to get an outside opinion.” Sadie immediately wondered if the statement was a mistake. Did it sound like she was implying a family member was responsible for the murder? Though clearly the most likely possibility, hinting at it did seem disrespectful, if not downright dangerous. After all, one dead body had already shown up on the property. Sadie wasn’t eager to have another one show up, especially hers.

  Luisa emerged from the back room, carrying a stack of paperwork. She nodded to Sadie, a quasi-smile on her face. Sadie suspected it was the full extent of enthusiasm that the sole female sibling ever showed.

  “What brings you back to town?” Luisa’s question struck Sadie as essentially rhetorical, yet in need of an answer for the sake of courtesy.

  “The detectives on the murder investigation wanted to ask me a few questions,” Sadie explained, though she had a hunch Luisa already knew that.

  “Your boutique in San Francisco is next door to our brother’s chocolate shop.”

  Luisa’s comment took Sadie by surprise, as did the subtle glance between brother and sister that followed it.