Because of my late nap I was wide-awake. I changed into my sweats and made some hot chocolate. I needed to get everything I’d learned about the Martinelli family down on paper. The motive for murder was at that winery, but I couldn’t see all the connections. I turned over the shopping list headed by low-fat cat food and started writing.
Todd: 28. Victim. Ran tasting room at Martinelli Winery. Degree from San Luis Obispo in viniculture. Wanted to one day run a winery. Talented. Engaged to be married to Joanne.
It was hard to imagine anyone wanting him dead. Everyone liked Todd. No. I sat tapping the pencil. Not everyone. Was he pushing for Marvin’s job? Did he fight Francesca for his mother’s land? That light I’d seen return into the Martinelli house was pointing the way to someone who hadn’t liked Todd very much at all.
Marvin Karp: 50ish. Manager of the Martinelli Winery. Good at his job but not well liked. Understands wine better than he understands people. Lives alone at the winery. Appears to know more than he is letting on. Spotted selling jewelry that would be unlikely for Marvin to own. Likes to gamble. Connection?
Todd was very good at his job and well liked. In addition, he had a degree and appeared to have settled into Martinelli Winery for a long stay. Could Marvin have been threatened enough to kill Todd? There was a racing form and a Las Vegas mug on Marvin’s desk. Did he need money? Where did the jewelry come from?
Chantal: 32. Long history of problems—alcohol, drugs. In rehab on numerous occasions at Kasey Recovery Clinic. Uses her extraordinary looks to attract men, even her brother-in-law. Per conversation, feels lonely, isolated from family. Angry. Appears to have been attracted to Todd but it turned into a close friendship.
I knew from Joanne that Chantal and Todd were only friends. Chantal told me the same. Did Todd find out it was Brice that Chantal was mixed up with? Could Chantal have been acting under the oaks that day and be protecting Brice? Even though she denied it, could Chantal have wanted more from Todd than to be friends? “Hell hath no fury . . .”
Francesca: 35. Chantal’s older sister. Attorney. Lives in San Francisco. Acquired acreage from Todd’s mother through dubious means. Smart, shrewd and tough if you get in her way. Went to Layton Law School but apparently failed to graduate, at least from there. Angry at Antonia for letting it be known Stephen would inherit winery. Concerned about two things: reputation and land ownership. Married to Brice.
Was Francesca angry enough at her mother to sabotage the winery? Did Todd catch her at it? Where was she yesterday morning? Did Todd know how Francesca got his mother’s land? Did he have proof? Would he have used it? Did he threaten to?
Stephen: 38. Brother to Francesca and Chantal. Martinelli heir. Protective of his family, especially his youngest sister, Chantal. Naturally uptight demeanor. Appears to feel the weight of responsibility for the winery heavily on his shoulders. Married to Veronica.
With his lack of personality and presence, what would Stephen do if he weren’t running the family business? Todd was an asset to the winery. I couldn’t see how Stephen benefited from Todd’s death, and yet when I spoke with Stephen, he was clearly uncomfortable talking about the winery or about Todd.
Veronica: 35. Married to Stephen. Nervous and high-strung, a perfect partner for Stephen. Former nurse, now a winery matron. Protective of her husband’s family. Involved in numerous clubs and organizations.
I thought about Veronica, in her pleated skirts and pearls. Veronica cared about what her husband cared about—namely, the winery and the Martinelli family. Once again, I couldn’t see how Veronica could benefit from Todd’s death.
Brice: 40. Married to Francesca. Cardiologist. Practices at both Kasey and in San Francisco. Perfect Armani suits. Perfect bedside manner. Admitted to by Chantal and confirmed by Francesca in her restaurant outburst, has been perfecting that bedside manner in far too many beds.
I didn’t like him, but I couldn’t think of any reason for him to kill Todd, unless there was some connection to Chantal. If Todd was Chantal’s confidant, did she tell him about her affair with Brice? If he’d known, Todd might have confronted him.
The firelight was dying. I hadn’t narrowed the list of suspects and didn’t know more than when I’d begun. I closed my eyes. One thing I was sure of, the one thing that brought me back to the list of names before me . . . that flashlight as it disappeared into the Martinelli home.
Seventeen
AT some point in the night I must have dragged myself to bed, because that’s where I woke up the next morning. When I opened my eyes Nanook stood beside the nightstand and had his head next to mine on the pillow. He prodded me with his nose and I slowly sat up, expecting a painful headache at the very least. It was a surprise to find my head no longer throbbed. I ran my fingers through my hair, gliding them across where I’d been hit. It was tender but not nearly as bad as it might have been.
I let Nanook out the bedroom sliding door and reached for a fleece sweatshirt and pants. The sky was a mass of dark clouds carried in on a cold ocean breeze. We needed the rain to hold off for a few more days, to give Connor and the rest of the wineries time to pull in the harvest.
The bed was still occupied by Syrah, who eyed my movements and waited for the promise of breakfast. When I found my walking shoes under the bed, she stretched, leaped to the ground and led me from the room.
I fed Syrah and grabbed a banana smeared with peanut butter for myself. As I ate, I dropped to the living room floor for a good stretch. Nanook saw what I was up to and howled at me through the glass door. He knew my stretching meant walk time.
I finished stretching, clipped his leash around my waist and slipped on my walking shoes.
It would have been easy to stay inside, where it was warm and cozy, but my pants were tighter than usual and I needed the exercise. Nanook was perfect company for these adventures. He was happy to let me set the pace and was always ready to turn around at the same point I was. Moreover, although he was a baby, he was big and scary-looking, which was just fine with me.
I thought about Hayley and her efforts to put Todd’s death behind her. I’d told her we can always control our response to what we see and experience. I believed that, for the most part. Then I thought about Todd and what someone had done and realized even in this idyllic spot I wouldn’t feel completely safe ever again.
About thirty minutes into our walk, I thought Nanook was reacting to my dark mood when he tensed beside me. As we came to the corner of our property, he gave a soft growl.
“What’s up, boy?”
Nanook’s fur stood on end. His body was stiff.
We were on a bluff that overlooked the rest of the valley. The breeze stirred the grasses on the slope below, silent except the occasional blue jay. Another growl. I barely recognized Nanook. His teeth were bared, something I’d never seen, and he stared down the hillside. I grabbed his collar and clipped him onto his leash.
I still couldn’t see anyone.
A voice came from the scrub brush below me. “You control that dog, missy.”
My own hackles rose. “You’re trespassing and not in a position to give orders, Marvin. Come out of there.” No answer. I let the leash slide in my fingers, and Nanook pulled against my grip. “I mean it. I can’t keep this hold on him much longer.”
I held my ground as Marvin made his way up the side of the hill and back onto the path. Binoculars swung from around his neck.
Marvin changed tactics when he saw Nanook’s teeth up close. “Keep a tight hand on the leash of that animal. I wasn’t doing nothin’ wrong. Just looking at birds. I didn’t even know this was your property.”
“How could you walk onto my property without knowing it? You had to go through the gate below. You couldn’t have missed it. I can see it from here.”
“The gate was open when I came by. I forgot this section was part of your land.”
He turned to go down the
path toward the gate, looking back at us over his shoulder. “I’ll be sure to close it when I go out. Wouldn’t want anything to happen to that animal of yours.”
Marvin made his way down the slope. He knew this was my land. He made his living knowing what stretch of grapes belonged to who. He didn’t turn back as he walked the dirt trail to the property boundary, a small cloud of dust behind him. Just before he darted through the gate, he looked over his shoulder. His arrogance had returned. He made a slow, sweeping bow to me as he swaggered through the gate, failing to shut it behind him.
Next to me, Nanook whined and strained against the leash. I started down the path after Marvin to close the gate. “I promise you, sweetheart, if we find him up here again, you get to eat him.”
After I had securely fastened the gate, I let Nanook off the leash and walked back up the slope. Marvin out bird-watching? Right.
As I reached the crest, I walked off the path where Marvin had been moments before. The hill dropped off sharply to the north, the mountain range in the distance. I walked to the edge of the bluff. Well, would you look at that. Below me, in a glorious checkerboard of grape varieties, was the rear of Martinelli Winery. The house, fermentation building and other structures, although somewhat distant, were in plain sight. I couldn’t make out faces, but workers in the fields and people around the house were visible.
With a good pair of binoculars there wasn’t much you’d miss. What had Marvin watched from here? Was it something to do with the sabotage? With Todd? The answer was hidden in plain view before me. I was sure of it. Concealed in the idyllic setting stretched out like a travel brochure. I knew it, and so did someone else.
I thought again of Marvin. Maybe he wasn’t looking for someone. Maybe he was looking for something. Was he up here to ensure something he did remained hidden or because he wanted to find something that someone else was trying to hide?
Todd’s death had given Marvin job security. Just how much was that worth?
We were both out of breath when we returned, Nanook from running in circles and me because I didn’t get out there often enough. We made it to the winery office, where Connor sat at the desk with Hayley. The time schedules for the remainder of the harvest were in front of them. Nanook threw himself down on the cold cement floor, but I couldn’t relax.
“Marvin was on the property. Down at the south gate.”
“What was he doing?”
“He said he was bird-watching, but when I took a look myself you can see Martinelli perfectly from there. He also said he forgot the section he was on is part of our winery.”
“I’m going to be talking to Marvin.” Connor slammed the ledger shut.
I looked at him. “You remind me of Nanook. All that’s missing is the bared teeth.”
“Did he try anything?”
“Like what? He comes up to my shoulders. Besides, he’s afraid of Nanook. I just want to know what he was watching.”
“Or who he was watching,” Hayley said.
I nodded. “I wish I’d been able to see faces, but I needed Marvin’s binoculars.”
“Here,” Connor said as I turned to leave. “These orders came in a little while ago. They might keep you out of trouble, at least for the rest of the morning.”
I smiled and took the orders. “Don’t count on it.”
Connor looked over at Hayley. “She has such a sweet smile, too.”
* * *
BACK at the house I put the orders on the patio table and turned on the hose to fill a small kiddy pool, which doubled as Nanook’s water dish.
The banana and peanut butter seemed like ages ago, so I heated some tomato soup, my favorite. While I read over the orders, one for twenty cases, the phone rang. I was tempted to ignore it but thought Annie might call to check on me.
“Hello,” I mumbled between bites.
“Penelope Lively, are you eating and talking on the phone?”
“No.” I swallowed and vowed never to answer the phone again. “Hi, Antonia. How are you?”
“Well, frankly, I’m a bit disappointed.” Antonia sniffed. “From the looks of it you haven’t made any progress on the sabotage, and now with Todd’s murder it’s even more crucial this is all cleared up quickly. Don’t you understand how vital this is to my winery, to all the wineries, including yours? Tourism in the area is down, you know.”
Talk about single-minded. It wasn’t a surprise her winery was the most successful in the valley, nor was it any surprise her family was a complete mess.
“Antonia, I’m trying to find out what I can, but you know the police—”
“The police have their own agenda, and it certainly isn’t what’s best for this winery.” There was a pause. “I liked Todd. He was a nice person and a good employee, so I have several reasons for wanting to get both the sabotage and murder cleared up. I’m sure the police are doing everything they can, but I’d have thought that you, being the person who found Todd, as well as a fellow winery owner, would want it resolved as much as I do.”
This woman had shared a lot of history with my aunt, and I worked to keep my voice calm. “It’d be better if we talked in person. Why don’t I come by tonight and tell you everything I’ve come up with so far. Not all of it is flattering, especially about Chantal and Francesca. I’ll tell you everything I know, but I just wanted to give you some warning.”
There was a pause. “Yes. Well. I appreciate that. Now, what are your plans for this afternoon?”
“This afternoon?”
“Yes, this afternoon. Surely your hearing isn’t going along with your phone manners.”
I fought off the impulse to slam the phone down. “Actually, I was planning on heading up to Monterey to talk with Todd’s mother.”
There was a sharp intake of breath. “Ah, there, you see? A fine idea. Well, good luck in your search, and I’ll expect a full report at seven this evening. Sharp.”
The line went dead. So much for phone manners. I took a quick shower, threw on a knit sweater and jeans and piled my unruly hair on top of my head. When I was finished, I called the restaurant and got Ross on the phone. “It’s me. Got a minute?”
“I’ve got more than that. Get over here. I have a new creation for dessert and I want your opinion. The pastry is lighter than air.”
“Maybe, but I won’t get any lighter if I take you up on every dessert. Is Joanne working in the gift shop today?”
Ross dropped his voice a notch. “Why, has something happened? If I tell you whether or not she’s here, will you tell me what you want with her?”
“That’s easy. I just wanted to know if Todd’s mother still lives in Monterey.”
“Oh. Nothing exciting. Well, anyway, this is your lucky day.”
“So, can I talk to her?”
“No, she isn’t here.”
“If she isn’t there, why is this my lucky day?”
“Because not only do I know for a fact that his mother still lives in the area, I have her address.”
“I hate to ask why.”
“It’s a perfectly legitimate reason.” Ross sniffed. “When Todd and Joanne were engaged, Marilyn called to see if I’d cater the wedding. Her contact information is all I really know about her, other than the fact she has exquisite taste in caterers. Hold on and I’ll get you the address.”
Eighteen
I FINISHED the sales orders, printed directions to Marilyn’s house and walked back down to the winery office. “Nice couple of sales. It’s been a good month.”
Hayley looked up. “In more ways than one. I’m checking the sugar level in a bit.” She held up a refractometer. “It’s going to be a long day.”
Hayley would squeeze the juice of a grape sample into the refractometer to measure the sugar in the grapes, the best way besides actually tasting the grapes to determine when to pick.
“Befor
e I go, do you want me to make you something to keep on the stove?”
Connor and Hayley looked at each other.
“What? I can manage something.”
“We’ll just grab a pizza later.”
“So pizza sounds better than something I’d make. Homemade.”
Connor smiled. “Yup. Pretty much.”
Hayley nodded in agreement.
“Fine. I know when I’ve been insulted. Heathens. I’m heading to see Todd’s mother. Be back in a while.”
I started the car, pushed up my sweater sleeves in the warm autumn sun and tied a scarf around my head, à la Grace Kelly. Very dramatic.
I pulled out of the drive and scanned the horizon. The clouds were gone and the sky was clear. One more day for the grapes to ripen. Basically we were farmers. We lived at the whim of the weather. A thunderstorm right now would be devastating. I knew from Connor the grapes needed to be picked soon because the sugar was almost perfect, but if the rain came first the fruit would be waterlogged, and the entire vintage would taste diluted.
I drove north to Monterey, past the famed seventeen-mile drive of Pebble Beach. The Monterey Peninsula’s famous landscape swept before me, an oasis of coastal bluffs, sandy beaches and a forest of pine and cypress trees.
A short time later I took the central off-ramp into downtown, pulled to the side of the road and checked my directions. Marilyn lived on a street in an older but well-maintained section of town. I drove along the tree-lined residential streets and considered my options. Here was a woman who’d just lost her son while employed by the same family responsible for the loss of her land. Granted, Antonia had nothing to do with Francesca’s behavior, but no doubt Marilyn had made the connection. I’m sure she wished neither one of them had ever met any of the Martinellis.
I parked across the street from the house, a little brick-and-ivy-covered Tudor. Moss grew in between the stones of the flagstone walk, and lush flower beds in russets and yellows framed the front of the house. The effect was warm and inviting. As I sat and contemplated my next move, an English Springer Spaniel raced around the corner of the house, ears flying. I didn’t want it to run into traffic, so I opened the door, ran across the street and knelt down. The dog cleared the ground and sailed into my arms, tail wagging furiously. I heard the voice before I saw anyone. “Dollie, please come here. I just can’t do this today.”
One Foot in the Grape Page 14