Murder Before Moscato_A Vineyard Winery Culinary Cozy Mystery

by Christie Waters

  “They also asked that Chateau de Midnight not join the competition.” Shelly looked to the floor. “I’m sorry.”

  “Me too.” I said. “But I’m gonna clear all of this up.”

  “How?”

  “I don’t know.” I said. “But hopefully I’ll be able to do it in time to get myself back in the competition.”

  “Should I come with you?” She asked.

  “Not yet.” I replied. “We need someone here just incase anything else comes up. Besides, I’m not exactly sure what I’m doing. All I know is that Glass Rose Vineyards are the ones who’ll profit the most from having the contest held there. So it has to involve them somehow… I just know it.”

  Chapter Eight

  I wouldn’t have guessed I’d be back at Daniels vineyard so quickly, especially given the frosty reception I’d received earlier, but I had to do what was necessary to clear my name and save my vineyard. Only this time I’d do it in secret, or at least… I’d try.

  I parked my car just down the road from the entrance to Glass Rose, doing my best to hide it behind a small building that looked like a closed down country store. The sun was beginning to set in the sky, providing me with a little bit of evening camouflage as I quickly made my way through the rows of vines.

  It always struck me as odd, the way most grapes looked so similar yet could taste so different. To an unexperienced eye grapes came in two basic forms, red or white. But growing up on a vineyard provided me with a much deeper knowledge of the fruit and how truly complex it could be.

  I weaved in and out of the rows, noticing the small tags hanging from various vines, each one displaying a different set of numbers and letters. I wasn’t sure how many varieties of grapes Glass Rose had, but I’d have bet anything it was more than me. Like I said, Daniels family had been there longer than mine, which meant they’d had more time to grow, test and perfect their stock.

  Rounding a corner near the end of a vine I plucked a white grape from the bushel beside me and popped in into my mouth.

  “Mmm, Muscat.” I said to myself, letting the sweet nectar wash over my tongue.

  I couldn’t tell if maybe my mouth was just dry, if the grape was actually that delicious or if it was just the anger inside of me, but something sure made that small piece of fruit taste good. A moment later I reached the top of a small hill and through the darkness I could hear what sounded like two separate voices.

  I crouched down, slowly making my way closer until finally getting to a place where I could see the source of the noise. It was two women, both of whom I recognized. And they were fighting…

  There, standing with her arms folded over her chest was Daniels sister Molly. Across from her stood the woman I’d seen before, the one with bright blond hair. She still looked familiar, but I still wasn’t sure where I’d seen her. I tried my best to listen to the conversation between them, to pick up on any little thing I could but from so far away I was only able to make out a few half-phrases and the occasional word.

  I know… spying on people wasn’t the right thing to do, especially not on their own property. But these were special circumstances, right? It’s not like I was trying to get in on some trade secret, or steal a private recipe. I was only trying to figure out what Daniel and his sister had to do with my own misfortune.

  “No!” Molly said, stomping her foot down.

  I wasn’t sure what the other woman asked in order to warrant such a burst of emotion, but whatever it was Molly sure didn’t like the idea. I quickly took my phone from my pocket, lowering my screen brightness completely and then snapping a couple of pictures. They were a little blurry due to the distance and the fading sun, but something told me they might be useful later.

  “Then do it right!” Molly said, stomping her foot again.

  “Man…” I muttered to myself. “At least it’s not just me.”

  Not that it made much difference but I’d always found it a small comfort knowing the people that were rude to me treated everyone else the same way. I couldn’t stand the thought of someone disliking me, but if they disliked everyone then it was somehow okay, then… it wasn’t my problem anymore. It was theirs.

  “I’m tired of this!” The blonde woman said, then turned and stormed off.

  I quickly ducked closer to the cool ground, doing my best to make sure I wasn’t seen by either of the women. After another minute or two I popped my head up and took a quick scan of the area around me. In the distance I saw Molly walking toward the house at the far side of the vineyard.

  It was an old stone thing, built from large brown rock with a squared off design, in many ways it looked similar to my own house, and probably most other homes in wine country. It seemed just about every vineyard in a two hundred mile radius was built with Italian design in mind.

  Hearing a car start I looked to my right. The other woman was driving away, down the long driveway. I leapt to my feet and headed back to my car. It was almost instinctual really, I didn’t even have to think about it. I took note of the color and model of the car as I couldn’t make out the license plate from so far away. But what I did know was that she was driving a deep blue Toyota Camry with a small bumper sticker below the left taillight, though I couldn’t make out what it said.

  I ran as fast as my legs would take me, but by the time I got back to my car the Camry was long gone. Lucky for me Hillside Grove was such a small town though, and from the direction she was headed I’d have bet that’s where she was going.

  With only a handful of business and homes in the small town I knew it wouldn’t take much detective work to find her, just as long as she hadn’t parked in a garage or something. What I wasn’t counting on though, was finding her in the parking lot of the first business I’d run across.

  There, as I crossed the town limit was the deep blue Camry, sitting in the parking lot of Rizzy’s Cheese Shoppe. It was a small café that I’d been to only once. I parked across the street and peered into the windows. By that point the sun was only a memory, which made seeing into the small café’s large picture windows a relatively easy experience.

  Most places were closed at this hour, unless of course you happened to have a wine bar, which Rizzy’s Cheese Shoppe did. I stepped out of my car and walked a little closer to the café and that’s when I finally recognized the blonde woman. It was the waitress from Leaping Frog Tavern, the young lady who’d waited on my aunt and me.

  I wanted to walk in, to speak with her and find out why she was fighting with Molly, but wouldn’t that make me seem like an absolute lunatic? Sure, I had gumption, but I wasn’t brazen enough to just walk up to someone and say ‘Hey… you don’t know me really… but would you mind telling me why you were fighting with that woman earlier?’

  I watched as she tied an apron around her waist, then walked over to a small table and, with a smile took their order.

  “She’s a waitress here too…” I said aloud.

  I wasn’t sure what it was, but something told me this woman had information I might need.

  “Shelly… I need a favor.” I said, bringing my phone to my ear.

  Chapter Nine

  “I can’t believe you’re doing this.” Shelly said, rubbing her hands together.

  “I just need to know.”

  “No.” She said. “I’m all for trying to figure out what’s going on, but this is someone’s private personal affair. How does her issue with Molly involve you?”

  “I don’t know.” I said. “That’s what I’m trying to figure out.”

  “Maybe it doesn’t.” She said. “I’m sure whatever they’re talking about is a million miles away from what’s happening.”

  “Shelly, please.” I said. “If I go in there she’ll recognize me, I’m sure.”

  “And she won’t recognize me?”

  “I don’t know.” I replied. “But even if she does it’ll look less suspicious than if I went in there. What if Molly told her about me coming to Glass Rose earlier.”

 
“What am I even supposed to say?”

  “They were fighting.” I said. “She was upset, just pretend as though you’ve picked up on that. Ask her if she’s okay… if she needs to talk.”

  “Then what? She’s just gonna open up to me? She’s just going to tell me her secrets?”

  “Maybe it’s not a secret.” I said. “Maybe she’s willing to tell it.”

  “Then you ask her.”

  “Whatever chance you stand at getting that info I stand next to none. I’m telling you, it’ll seem off somehow if I do it.” I said.

  “I feel like the Ethel Mertz to your Lucille Ball…”

  “Well thank you.” I smiled. “She has always been an idol of mine.”

  “Yeah.” Shelly snapped. “But those two always ended up in some nightmare situation because of your meddling in other peoples affairs.”

  “But it always turned out okay…” I smiled.

  “Are you serious with this right now?”

  “Listen.” I took her hand into mine. “This is my family’s legacy here, not to mention our own personal welfare. We need to do everything we can to protect it.”

  “I know that, but-“

  “A man was poisoned, Shelly. Maybe even on my own property, someone went through my personal cellar… something isn’t right and if that girl knows anything that may help us figure out what’s going on…”

  “Fine.” Shelly said. “I’ll do this, just know its against my better judgement.”

  “Thank you.” I said, squeezing her hand tight.

  As Shelly made her way toward the café I hopped back into my car and slunked down in the drivers seat, trying my best to make sure I wasn’t seen. I watched as my friend placed her order and chatted the waitress up just a little. Hopefully this would all go to plan and she’d be able to find out whether or not the woman knew anything useful.

  The waitress came to, then left the table a few more times. Every chance she got Shelly kept her there talking. From so far away it was hard to read facial expression, but I did notice the waitress staying a little longer each time, maybe that meant she was beginning to share things with Shelly.

  But this wasn’t anything that could happen over the course of five minutes, I knew that. This was a long game, it would likely take Shelly until closing to figure out what, if anything the woman knew. While I didn’t love the idea of being crouched over in my cold car for the next hour and a half I was willing to do it. Though, once again it seemed fate had other plans.

  ‘KNOCK KNOCK’

  The tap on my car window nearly frightened me out of my skin. I sat up and looked around. There, tapping on the passenger side window was Sheriff Grammar. I took a deep breath, trying my best to collect myself and then rolled my window down.

  “Hello Sheriff, can I help you?”

  “I was going to ask you the same thing…” He said. “Not too often you see a lady sitting in her car in the parking lot of a business after hours. Especially on an evening this chilly.”

  “Oh…” I gave my best fake smile. “My friend and I were stopping by to grab a bite, but at the last moment I got feeling a little sick, so I was just waiting in the car.”

  “I’m afraid I have some bad news.” He said.

  “Oh?”

  “Yes ma’am. I was actually on my way to your vineyard when I spotted your car here. It seems the poison in Charley Roberts’s system was also found in a bottle of one of your wines…”

  “What?” I replied. “That can’t be…”

  “We were thorough in our checks Ms. Myers.”

  “That’s crazy.” I said. “There has to be an explanation.”

  “I’m going to need you to come with me…”

  “But… what about my friend?” I asked, turning my attention back to Shelly.

  By this point the waitress had taken a seat across from her in the booth, as she was the only customer left in the place. I had no idea what they were talking about but I knew the longer Shelly stayed with her the better chance she had of getting anything.

  “Feel free to go get her. I’ll walk with you.”

  “No!” I snapped. “Um… I’ll just leave the keys in here. She’s had a rough day. I don’t want to interrupt her meal.”

  “You sure?” He asked.

  “Yeah.” I said, shooting Shelly a quick text.

  ‘Had to go with sheriff. Keys in car. Back soon. Love…’

  “Alright.” I said, hopping into the police cruiser. “Let’s go.”

  It was only a ten minute drive to the police station through the small picturesque town of Hillside Grove. The town council had done their best to make the place look festive, with twinkling white lights and gold garland wrapped around every pole and column. They even went so far as to place a Wine Tree Trail in the town square, each one themed after a different wine. Even though I only lived a few minutes outside the city limits it wasn’t very often I actually came here. I felt like it was that way for most residents.

  Nearly everyone around either owned or worked in a vineyard, which was a pretty time consuming thing, especially during certain seasons. That fact was probably twice as true for me, seeing how new I was to running my own winery. I couldn’t imagine doing this kind of thing with no experience. Even growing up on the same land I now owned didn’t stop me from being confused and surprised on an almost daily basis.

  But with each sunrise I felt myself grow a little more confident in my ability to actually make this thing work. Ya know… aside from poisoning people with the same product I was trying to sell…

  “Which bottle was it?” I asked Sheriff Grammar.

  “Oh.” He said. “It was a ’94 Picpoul Blanc.”

  “Picpoul Blanc?” I asked. “That can’t be.”

  “I’m sorry?”

  “Chateau de Midnight has only ever produced two barrels of Picpoul Blanc. And of those two barrels we produced fourteen hundred bottles.” I said.

  “Yes?” He replied.

  “It was a private collection.” I said. “Produced specifically for one customer.”

  “Who?” He asked.

  “I don’t know. I’d have to check the records. But I do remember he was far away… One of the New England states.” I said.

  “You’re winery produces custom wines?” He asked.

  “Not anymore.” I said. “It was a favor. A onetime thing my grandfather did. The customer was a longtime friend of his.”

  “So what are you saying?” He asked.

  “I’m saying we didn’t give you a bottle of Picpoul Blanc.”

  “Are you sure?” He replied.

  “My grandfather kept forty cases of that blend, almost all of it has gone untouched since he bottled it.”

  “Wait.” He tried to clarify. “So... you do have that particular wine in your vineyard?”

  “Yes.” I said. “I have a few cases, but those are in a private collection. There is no way you, Mr. Roberts or anyone else should have ended up with that bottle.”

  ‘RING RING”

  “Hello?” Sheriff Grammar put his cellphone to his ear.

  This was insanity. I couldn’t make sense of anything. I searched my mind, trying my best to imagine how that bottle of wine would have made it from my family’s private collection into the hands of Sheriff Grammar. I knew better than to think Shelly would have given it to him. The sheriff asked for bottles of everything Mr. Roberts sampled and there was absolutely no way he’d sampled that blend. No one had.

  “Okay.” He sighed. “I’m on my way.”

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “We need to take a small detour. It seems another person has been found dead.”

  “Where?” I asked, swallowing hard and praying he wasn’t going to say Chateau de Midnight.

  “The wine club.” He said. “In the tasting room. A man named Conner Ford.”

  Chapter Ten

  As we approached the large ornate gate outside of the Coastal California Wine Club I sat str
aight in my seat. Sheriff Grammar wanted to bring me back to my car, but I insisted I come along with him, stressing the importance of my wine expertise. Completely ignoring the fact that almost anyone there would likely know twice as much as me. I didn’t care though, I was too involved now and I just wanted answers.

  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” I said.

  “Looks a little pretentious.” He said. “But I guess if you like that kind of thing, then yea… it’s nice.”

  If you’d have asked me a year ago I’d have said no. I’ve have told you my dream home was a beach bungalow near the Florida Keys or something. But like I said, the longer I stayed here the more right it felt. I’d also found myself enjoying the business more than I ever thought I would, which is why I was fighting so hard to make sure I didn’t lose mine to some mistake.

  “I think it’s lovely.” I said.

  “Try not to look too happy.” He said. “A man is dead. We don’t want people to think its some kind of running theme with you, now do we?”

  “I wasn’t even here.” I said.

  “I doubt that’s the part people will remember.”

  It hadn’t occurred to me when fighting my way here that anyone might link me with another dead body. Had I thought about that I may have had second thoughts, but it was too late for that. I steadied my nerves as I stepped out onto the brown gravel drive and looked around.

  The Coastal California Wine Club was built on one of the most gorgeous pieces of land I’d ever seen. With rolling hills and an endless west coast sky stretching out at its back, the whole thing looked like something from the Godfather, and in an odd way it reminded me of my mother.

  “Well.” Sheriff Grammar said. “You’d better stay with me. It’s not often I bring someone to an open crime scene and I don’t need you causing any trouble.”

  “Why would I cause trouble?” I asked.

  “I don’t know…” He said. “You haven’t had the best track record so far.”

  It was only then, as he smiled at me that I realized something. For a sheriff he wasn’t exactly treating me poorly. Ya know… given the fact that he thought a bottle of my private wine had been the cause of someone’s death.