“This has nothing to do with Kay and Gavin Murphy! Whatever money the garden club needs for the scholarships we will be happy to donate.”
Gloria and Peggy also came to Kay’s defense. “How dare you speak to our good friend like that, you old pompous biddy!” The woman scowled and walked away.
“Let’s get our men and leave this hoity-toity event,” Peggy snarled.
“Not so fast, a police officer warned. “We have to take your statements and names.”
Kay ran back to the scene where a policewoman was finishing with Gavin’s statement. He immediately placed his arm around her. Before the officer moved to the next guest she asked, “Sir, has anyone ever said you resemble—“
“Liam Neeson,” Gavin finished her sentence. Kay was too upset to even muster any resentment about this nauseating familiar exchange.
“No, I was going to say Bill Murray.”
Gavin’s mouth remained open; Kay muffled her laughs against his arm; and the officer walk away.
“Bill Murray?” Gavin repeated. “Do you think I look like him?”
Kay pulled away from Gavin and mocked him further by looking him up and down.
“No.”
“Thank you.”
“But you don’t look like Liam Neeson either. You look like Gavin Murphy.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“You’re welcome, Bill,” Kay teased.
“You must be in shock, how can you joke at a time like this?” Gavin asked with concern.
“Well, one thing I don’t need right now is a glass of wine,” Kay continued to joke.
“No, this calls for something more medicinal, like a shot of scotch. Let’s go.”
“Please, Gavin, give me just a moment to sift through everything.” She took out a paper and pencil from her evening purse and sat on a huge boulder that was on the grounds. Gavin tried to be as patient as possible under the circumstances while Kay attempted make sense of everything.
“We have Lana and Gail who I’m still not sure if they are working together or against one another, and why. Gail seems to be having a carry-on with Max, Lana’s husband, as well with this Barnaby. So there are several alliances going on, but which is the real?” She scribbled their names on her paper as she spoke.
“OK Sherlock, tell me more,” Gavin said and sat alongside Kay on the boulder.
“Barnaby, as we know had some past indiscretions in the wine industry. What’s to say that he’s not trying this ploy again? We tasted the wine at home and it was terrible.”
“Bloody awful,” Gavin choking on his own words.
“Lana told me that she felt as if she were being squeezed out of the business. But she also said to me that not all sparkling wine is Champagne. She was trying to tell me that she and Gail were really together. I got it!”
“I hope so, I need a double scotch,” Gavin commented
“It’s all a set-up to snag Barnaby who is trying to destroy Max! So, Gail is threatened with her life, Lana conveniently follows her, and announces she’s dead. Then Gail disappears while the prime suspect remains at the party cool as vodka on ice.”
“So you think Barnaby hired someone to kill or kidnap Gail because she knew too much?”
“No, I don’t think Gail is dead. She and Barnaby can’t get away with this. Let’s go to the police with what we know.”
By the time they returned a commotion outside the parking area had erupted as well as under the tent. Sure enough there stood Gail very much alive surrounded by Lana and Max Berkin; and several men in dark suits swarmed around Barnaby. The police left quietly from property.
“Kay, darling!” Lana held out her arms to Kay. Gavin and Kay looked at each other not believing their senses. Gail walked up to Kay and gave her a reassuring hug and whispered “I’m so sorry to have put you through this.”
Kay and Gail walked about the Berkin garden to find a private area to talk. Finally they reached a well-aged wooden bench alcove surrounded by bushes and sat together.
“Kay, I’m sorry that you and Gavin were mixed up in this.”
“Well if you hadn’t mentioned your connection to Max Berkin to my husband, we would have never been involved! Who are you and what is this all about?”
Before Gail could reply, she could hear Lana and Max calling for her.
“I can’t say anymore right now,” Gail calmly stated slipping a business card in Kay’s hand. It read: Gail Springer, FBI.
EPILOGUE
A week later
Again at the Berkins, Kay and Gavin sat on the patio, a perfect setting for pre-summer with a full-moon rising. Max puffed on a cigar and frequently topped the wine glasses of his guests. Kay placed her hand over her glass just before the third topping, smiled and shook her head.
“I’ll have to carry my wife to the car if she drinks anymore,” Gavin teased.
Max threw a copy of the New York Times across the glass-top table toward Gavin. He had already circled in red an article about Barnaby. Gavin took out his reading glasses but before he could start, Kay grabbed his glasses from his face and started reading the paper.
“I smell jail time,” Max stated.
The article disclosed how Barnaby Bishoff had resurfaced after his release from prison. He changed the name of his former business to Galaxy Distributors but this didn’t remove him from the fed’s radar.
“Gail approached us to set-up the sting,” Lana continued to explain. “The Wine and Roses event was the perfect trap.”
“So you and Gail weren’t, or were—“ Kay stuttered.
“Gail and I had a professional relationship,” Lana broke-in. “I wish I could say the same about my Max and her.”
Kay was astounded at how Lana remained poised, casual even about acknowledging Max’s affair with Gail. But Lana valued the history of her father’s business more than Max’s fidelity. She recognized how Barnaby could easily destroy what took three generations to build. He would rake in thousands of dollars while Max’s reputation would become worthless.
“What was Barnaby’s angle?” Gavin asked. “Off the record,” he added when he saw Max’s surprised reaction.
“Greed,” Max simply replied..
“Because he could do it,” Lana added. She stood up raising her glass and said, “I propose a toast to our new friends, Kay and Gavin Murphy.”
“And I propose a toast,” Max began and stood to face Lana. “To my beautiful wife, the real Champagne in my life.”
Wine, Roses & Cheats (Gold Trotter Mystery Series Book 5) Page 7