There are times in life when you just see a lightbulb appear over someone’s head. It’s almost as if knowledge itself washes over them. And in that moment I saw that very thing happen to Rebecca Knight.
“Lost Hope…” She said. “Go to the vineyard. Quickly.”
Chapter Twenty Six
The morning sun shone bright across Mendocino County, drenching the picturesque hills in a warming bright orange glow. I doubted there was anywhere else in the world with as much natural beauty as the unspoiled hills of the northern California coast. At least, nowhere that I’d seen.
It had been too long since I’d last taken the time to truly get lost in the winding roads and splendid greenery around me, too long since I’d visited the great California Redwood trees. I loved feeling close to nature and with all the stress of late I could’ve used the escape.
“Do you see anything?” Daniel asked as we pulled into the driveway.
“There!” I said, looking into the distance. “That’s the same place I’d seen her the other day.”
“What’s she doing?” Sheriff Grammar asked.
“I don’t know.” I said. “It looks like she’s digging. That’s the same thing she was doing the first time I saw her here.”
Sheriff Grammar insisted Rebecca stay behind, otherwise she might be able to tell us what was going on. As it seemed though, we were going to have to go about it the hard way.
“Well let’s go talk to the woman.” The sheriff said.
The further we drove down the driveway the more evident it became what exactly Emily Walls up to. She seemed to be pulling vines from the ground and throwing them into the trunk of her car. A cloud of dirt and dust surrounded her as she feverishly piled bushels of grapes, one on top of the other.
“She stealing grapes… vines.” The sheriff said.
“From whom?” I asked. “I don’t even know who owns this land anymore. No one has lived here in years…”
Sheriff Grammar pressed down hard on the accelerator, kicking up debris behind us as we sped toward Emily’s parked car. The commotion caused her to pop her head around the car. A look of fear and surprise washed over her at the sight of our police cruiser racing down the drive.
Emily quickly slammed the trunk closed and leapt behind the steering wheel. It was pointless though, by the time she’d managed to close the door we were already too close. The nose of Sheriff Grammar’s cruiser came to a sudden halt only inches from her driver’s side door, thereby trapping her in her car.
“Ha!” I snapped. “Now who’s trapped behind a door?”
“Quiet down.” The sheriff said, opening his door and walking toward her. “Ma’am, can you pop your trunk?”
“Why?” She asked.
“Pop the trunk.” The sheriff repeated as I stepped out of the car.
Looking over and seeing me, Emily lost all the color in her face. It was as if she’d seen a ghost, and after locking me in that room she probably thought she had.
“You!” She snapped at me. “This is your fault. All of this.”
“Why do you keep saying that?” I asked. “I’ve barely ever even spoken to you.”
“You were supposed to stay in New York. I could have bought Chateau de Midnight, then I could have gotten control over what’s rightfully mine. I could have used that land to get back Glass Rose.”
“My vineyard is rightfully mine. Not yours. That’s why I own it and not you.” I said.
“Quiet down!” Sheriff Grammar interrupted. “I won’t ask you again young lady, open this trunk!”
With a heavy sigh and a look of defeat in her eyes Emily pressed the release button. A loud click echoed out into the empty vineyard as the lid slowly glided upward, revealing a mess of tangled vines and smashed grapes. I could see confusion fall over Shelly’s face as she stared at the trunks contents. But then, only moments later her eyes shifted to me and her mouth dropped.
“What?” I said, stepping closer and looking in. “Why would she- Oh no…”
I couldn’t believe my eyes. I felt my mouth go dry and all the breath leave my body.
“These are Muscat grapes.” I said. “My Muscat grapes…”
“Excuse me?” Sheriff Grammar said.
“These grapes… they’re mine.” I said, pulling the vines from the car and looking through them. “And so are these… pinot, merlot… they’re mine. I recognize them.”
“They just look like grapes to me, little lady.” The sheriff said.
“They’re mine.” I repeated, looking to Emily. “Have you been...”
Then it suddenly made sense. Emily Walls must have stolen vines from my vineyard and planted them in the still useable soil of Lost Hope.
“She’s replicating my wine and using it to poison people…” I said.
“Is that true, ma’am?” Sheriff Grammar turned to her.
“I would like a lawyer.” She replied flatly.
Chapter Twenty Seven
-TWO WEEKS LATER-
“I can’t believe we actually pulled it off…” Shelly smiled. “And we still managed to make it into the competition.”
“I know.” I said. “After everything we went through it’s almost unbelievable.”
I wasn’t just saying that either, for a moment there I really thought I was going to lose my vineyard. I tried my best not to let it get to me, but there were times during the whole ‘deadly wine’ fiasco when I couldn’t see a future here. Luckily though, it had all worked out.
“Well ladies...” Sheriff Grammar rounded the corner. “We made it here after all. I can honestly say I’ve never been to one of these things.”
That was the first time I’d seen Sheriff Grammar in anything other than a police uniform. Without the obtrusive belt, and the giant sunglasses he looked like a pretty normal guy. And now that people weren’t dropping like flies in the county he was pretty easy to get along with too.
“Do you think you’ll win?” He asked.
“Oh, I don’t care now.” I smiled. “I’m just glad to be participating. I’m going to win next year. You’ll see…”
“Optimistic.” He smiled back, then walked away. “I like that in a girl.”
There must have been two hundred people attending the competition. Which, for the sake of everyone was ultimately held on the gorgeous land surrounding the wine club itself. I couldn’t say I was upset about it though. If I was being honest with myself I probably wasn’t ready for a responsibility like hosting anyway.
“Ya know…” I turned to Shelly. “There’s just one thing that’s still bugging me.”
“What’s that?” She replied.
“The way everyone kept saying I insisted the competition be held at my place. I never said that… They offered it to me.”
“That is odd.” She said. “Did you talk to Aiden Riley about it? He does all the planning for the club.”
It was Deja-vu again…
“What did you say?” I asked.
I’d heard Shelly say that exact same thing once before, right after finding Mr. Ford in the wine club.
“I said. Did you talk to Aiden Riley about it? He does all the planning for the club.” She repeated.
“That’s it!” I said. “It’s Aiden Riley… He’s the one in charge of scheduling the contest. It was his voice on the phone when I called and agreed to host it. He’s the one behind this!”
“No.” Shelly said. “Emily Walls admitted to everything. It was her. What would Aiden have to gain?”
“The day Charley Roberts died…” I asked. “Did you see Aiden on the property?”
“I know someone from the club was supposed to stop by, but I didn’t see…” She answered. “Why do you ask?”
“Because.” I replied. “Jake told me he was supposed to stop by, and I’d bet money he did. Come with me…”
It was a crazy theory, I knew that, but I still couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to this story than just an angry girl trying to ruin a winery. But I
couldn’t help it, I always trusted my gut and the more I thought about it the more sense it made to me.
“Look!” I said to Shelly, pointing at Aiden Riley’s table. “Just as I suspected…”
“What?” Shelly asked.
“That!” I said. “That’s the bottle of wine Daniel left me. The one that disappeared.”
“How can you be sure?” She asked. “Maybe it’s just another bottle of the same wine.”
“No.” I said. “Daniel told me it was his last one. I don’t even think they sell that particular wine around here. That Red Moscato is hard to find…”
“I know.” She said. “True red anyway… But why would he steal a bottle of wine?”
“To protect someone.” I said. “Daniel is the only person that has that wine. Aiden didn’t want any link between Charley and Glass Rose… He said he dropped his glass when he found Mr. Ford dead, and that he ruined his shoes…”
“Okay…” Shelly said.
“The wine in Mr. Ford’s glass was white. Aiden’s shoes were grey, but whatever was spilled on them was white, not red, Aiden was drinking red wine.”
“Wait, what?” Shelly asked.
“If he had dropped his glass then his shoes would be stained with red wine. But they weren’t. He must have messed his shoes up when cleaning the crime scene, which he lied about doing.”
“To protect Daniel?”
“No.” Daniel said from behind us. “To protect my sister.”
“Daniel!” I exclaimed, turning around.
“Molly was the one behind all of this…”
“What?” I asked. “What about Emily Walls?”
“Emily Walls was a pawn.” Daniel stepped closer. “My sister convinced her to ruin your winery. Once that happened Molly would scoop it up and turn it over to Emily, all the while driving the value of our land down, just so I couldn’t sell it.”
“That’s why your sister had that gift box of cheeses…” I said, suddenly realizing something. “She drank the wine knowing it was poisoned, but not before calling 911…”
“Right.” Daniel said. “It was all a game. It was all planned.”
“How did you figure this out?” I asked.
“It was the handbag…” He said. “The one in the photos. There was another reason it looked so familiar. It used to be my sisters. She gave it to Emily. I was flipping through old photos while at her bedside when I saw it. Then it all came together for me.”
“So what now?” I asked.
“I’ve already told the sheriff…”
“Daniel…” I said. “I’m so sorry.”
“Me too.” He replied. “Me too.”
Chapter Twenty Eight
It had been quite a while since I’d been out on a date, though I doubted much had changed in the way of socialisms in the five years since becoming engaged. There was something wonderful about a first date though, about the way two people got to know one another in a new way. The sudden spark of that first accidental touch of your hands and the way he apologized after. It was all so sweet.
I hadn’t gotten this dressed up since moving to Hillside Grove. Managing a vineyard required pretty hard work, and usually that called for nothing more than a pair of blue jeans and a tank top. I was actually a little afraid I wouldn’t fit into my dress, it had been so long since I’d worn it.
If anything though, it fit me better than before. I’d only worn the thing once, on an evening out with Phillip when I accompanied him to a dinner party at a client’s house. He looked so handsome in his black suit and tie. I like to think I looked just as nice in my deep red dress though no one ever really got to see it.
From the moment we entered the door Phillip put on his lampshade, laughing and joking, sucking up to his boss. All the while leaving me to fend for myself in a room full of people I didn’t know. Suffice to say I spent most of that night sitting in a chair in the corner of the room.
I hadn’t really felt bad for myself though, truth be told the night went pretty much the way I expected. I did however, feel sorry for my dress. I always said to myself I’d put it back on one day and give it the night out it deserved. I guess that night had finally come.
“Ohh..” Shelly said as I stepped into the living room. “You look fierce!”
“Thank you!” I said. “How about this dress though.”
“I was talking to the dress!” She smiled. “Me and that thing might have to get together one day…”
“You got it.” I smiled.
“Nervous?” She asked.
“Not really…” I said. “More excited than anything else.”
“Good!” She said. “You should be. You deserve a night out.”
“Yeah.” I answered. “I kinda do.”
Stepping into the kitchen to get a drink of water I noticed a stack of papers sitting to my right. They’d been there for months, just waiting for me. I couldn’t really explain why but I just hadn’t felt ready to deal with them. Tonight though, I felt as ready as I ever had.
“What are you doing?” Shelly asked.
“Putting the past behind me.” I said, signing the divorce papers.
“Good for you, babe.”
“Don’t wait up.” I said, dropping the pen and heading for the door. “We’re going dancing…”
THE END
Murder Before Moscato_A Vineyard Winery Culinary Cozy Mystery Page 11