A Case of Syrah, Syrah

by Nancy J. Parra

  “No, the idiot thinks Amy did it.” Sally waved the gun around. “As far as I’m concerned, they can both go to prison for it.”

  “Sally, please,” Juliet said. “Why don’t you put the gun down? I’m with you all the way. I mean, I even threw a rock with the word ‘murderer’ on it into that window. I did that for you.”

  “It didn’t stop that woman from investigating, now, did it?”

  “Look, I’m almost certain those two meddlers called the police. Let’s let them find two old friends having tea.”

  “It’s too late for that,” Sally said and leveled the gun at Juliet.

  My heart raced, and I rushed out of the bathroom and into Sally, knocking her and the gun to the floor.

  “What the . . . ?”

  “Juliet, get the gun,” I said when I saw the Juliet was not tied to the chair.

  “How did you get in here?” Juliet screamed. When she didn’t move, I scrambled for the gun, but Sally grabbed me by the leg.

  “You meddling girl. You need to be taught a lesson. It wasn’t bad enough you nearly got your friend killed, but now you need to put yourself in danger?” Sally said. There was a pounding at the door.

  “Police.”

  “Help!” I shouted.

  The door was busted open, and Sheriff Hennessey and two deputies came in with guns pointed. “Freeze!”

  “She has a gun,” I said and pointed at Sally, who was inching her way toward the gun.

  “I said freeze,” the sheriff said and kicked the gun out of the way.

  I put my head down and my hands over my head.

  “She invaded my home,” Juliet said, and I glanced over to see her pointing at me. Me! “We were having tea, and she burst in. She grabbed my gun. I think she was going to kill us both.”

  “Oh, no,” I said and reached for my phone.

  “Don’t move!” Sheriff said.

  “I have it all on video,” I said.

  “Lies!” Sally said.

  The deputies put cuffs on all three of us and got us sitting up. “I’m not lying,” I said. “Sally was trying to kill Juliet. I caught it all on video. She killed Laura and Ivy. They were in it together to cover up Laura’s death.”

  “Don’t listen to her jabbering. She wants free from the charges,” Juliet said. “We were having tea, and she came bursting in. I think through the bathroom window. Although I have no idea how she got through such a tiny space.”

  I winced at the insult. “Chelsea’s outside. We called the police. Please check my video.”

  Sheriff Hennessey shook his head. “I thought I told you girls to stay home.”

  “But I’ve got your proof,” I said as triumphantly as I could despite being handcuffed. “Sally killed Laura; Juliet and Ivy helped cover it up. Sally killed Ivy, and Juliet was next. Check my phone.”

  “We’ll check your phone,” the sheriff said. “But first, let’s get you all down to the station and processed, shall we? After all, we have procedures for a reason.”

  “I suppose,” I said and looked at Chelsea. “Let Aunt Jemma and Holly know I’m okay.”

  “I will,” Chelsea said. “Then I’m posting my story.”

  The deputy helped me to my feet and walked me to one of three squad cars outside. I was glad not to be riding with Sally or Juliet but sad to be riding anywhere at all. I saw flashes of light as people took pictures with their cell phones. Great. I was going to be on the evening news yet again.

  The ride to the station was short, and I was put in a small interrogation room where I waited for three hours. Finally, Patrick walked in. “What happened?”

  “We wanted to talk to Juliet about the case. When we arrived, all her curtains were closed, and she seemed in distress.”

  “So you broke into her home?”

  “We called the sheriff’s office. Then we saw Sally inside waving a gun, and Juliet looked like she was tied to a chair. What would you have done?”

  “Waited for the police.”

  “Well, good for you,” I said flatly. “I thought it’d be better if I tried to save Juliet.”

  “She wants to charge you with breaking and entering.”

  “That’s ridiculous. I didn’t break anything. I went through her open window, and I saved her life. I’ve got it all on video.”

  The door opened, and Sheriff Hennessey entered. “That was the stupidest thing you could have ever done.”

  “Wait. What? I saved Juliet, and I proved my innocence and got a confession on tape. It wasn’t coerced. There’s no reason to not believe it.”

  “You could’ve been killed.”

  “But I wasn’t,” I said.

  He went around behind me and unlocked the handcuffs. “You’re darn lucky.”

  I rubbed my wrists. “I solved your case.”

  “I told you I had it covered.”

  “Except I was still preparing for trial.”

  “The charges have been dismissed,” Patrick told me.

  “Yes!” I jumped up and hugged him. He stood very still. I turned to Ron Hennessey and hugged him too. “I told you I was innocent.”

  “Next time, leave the sleuthing to me, okay?” Ron said.

  “There better never be a next time,” I said and rubbed my wrists. “I’m not good at going to jail.”

  “So I can tell,” the sheriff said.

  “What happens now?” I asked.

  “We’ll process you out, and your aunt will get back her collateral for the bail minus the bond fees.”

  An hour later, I walked out a free woman. The winery was back in Aunt Jemma’s hands, and all was well.

  Later that night, Chelsea, Holly, and Aunt Jemma sat around the fireplace and sipped wine with me. “What a story,” Chelsea said. “I’ve cemented myself as a staffer for the Chronicle—thanks to you all.”

  “Thanks to you, I was able to prove my innocence.”

  “Thanks to you both for rescuing me last night,” Holly said.

  “Thanks to this caper, the winery is more popular than ever,” Aunt Jemma said. “I guess it’s true that any publicity is good publicity.”

  “The major news channels all called,” Holly said. “They want to interview us both and feature the story on one of the network crime shows. We’re going to be famous.”

  “Good famous, I hope.”

  “Enough that people have been calling all day trying to line up one of your wine country tours. There’s one catch.”

  “What’s that?”

  “That you feature crime scenes. It seems that crime is as popular as ghost tours.”

  “So instead of Taylor O’Brian Presents ‘Off the Beaten Path’ Wine Country Tours, I should call it . . .”

  “Wine and Crime Tours. Remember that investor who was chased through the vines by the proprietor when he demanded his money back?”

  “You keep bringing that up. Didn’t he end up shooting him?”

  “And it was all recorded because the proprietor was on the line with the police at the time.”

  “Yes, I remember,” I said.

  “That’d be a great place to tour first,” Holly said.

  “Isn’t that a bit grim?” Aunt Jemma asked.

  “Hey, my college mentor said the best thing you can do is ride the horse you came in on.”

  “What does that mean exactly?” I asked.

  “If life hands you crimes to solve . . .”

  “Solve them,” I finished.

  “Yes,” Holly said and sat back. “Of course, it’s better if you only do sites where murders have already been solved, if you get my meaning.”

  “Oh, I get it. No more dead bodies for me.”

  “I don’t know,” Chelsea said. “We make a heck of a team.”

  “Yes, well, it wasn’t you in handcuffs and facing jail time.”

  “Not this time,” Chelsea said and wiggled her eyebrows, “but that doesn’t mean we can’t try again.”

  I rolled my eyes as she lifted her glass. “Here
’s to Wine and Crime Tours,” she said. “Long may it last.”

  “Hear, hear,” the others agreed.

  I lifted my glass reluctantly. I wasn’t too sure that Sheriff Hennessey would be as excited about the prospect.

  “Here’s to the best friends a girl can have,” I said and raised my glass. Now that was something we all could agree on, including the cat sauntering in to taunt Millie, who growled playfully. Friends were the best things in life.

  A Case of Syrah, Syrah Wine and Food Pairings

  Sonoma’s cooler climate usually leads to a lighter Syrah. The lighter Syrah uses less oak aging and can taste a little more tart. It’s best to pair lighter Syrahs with delicate flavors. The lamb recipe below is great choice. Or if you prefer vegetarian recipes, you’ll find a grilled eggplant that goes wonderfully with the mouth-watering fruit flavor.

  Grilled Lamb Chops

  ¼ cup apple cider vinegar

  2 tsp. salt

  ½ tsp. black pepper

  ½ tsp. allspice

  ¼ tsp. clove

  2 tbsp. grape-seed oil or olive oil

  1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

  2 pounds lamb chops

  Place vinegar, salt, pepper, allspice, clove, grape-seed oil, and onion in a resealable bag and mix until salt dissolves. Place lamb in the bag and toss until coated. Marinate in the refrigerator for two to four hours. Preheat outdoor grill to medium-high heat (400° F) or set oven to broil. Remove chops from marinade and discard marinade. Grill or broil lamb until desired doneness. Three minutes per side will achieve medium doneness on the grill (five minutes per side under the broiler).

  Serve with grilled veggies and Sonoma Syrah.

  Grilled Eggplant

  1 eggplant, ends trimmed and cut into ½-inch slices

  1 red pepper, seeds removed and cut into rings

  1 cup spinach leaves, chopped into 1-inch (fork sized) pieces

  ½ ounce feta cheese, crumbled

  1 tsp. sundried tomato paste

  1 tbsp. grape-seed oil

  1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

  Freshly ground salt to taste

  Preheat broiler or grill to medium-high heat (400° F). Arrange slices of eggplant and bell pepper on baking sheet and broil/grill until soft (approximately seven minutes).

  Arrange spinach on a serving plate and drizzle with grape-seed oil and vinegar. Sprinkle with salt. Arrange grilled red pepper on top. Spread a small amount of tomato paste on eggplant slices and arrange in a spiral on spinach and red peppers. Sprinkle with feta.

  Serve immediately with your favorite Sonoma Syrah.

  Spicy Chocolate Chili Cookies

  Spicy, smoky dark chocolate pairs well with Syrah. Try these cookies for a dessert that goes with your favorite dessert Syrah.

  ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (61 percent cacao)

  ½ tsp. ancho chili powder

  ¼ tsp. salt

  1¼ cup flour

  ¾ cup sugar

  ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

  1 large egg

  Confectioner’s sugar to dust

  Preheat oven to 350° F and grease or line a baking sheet.

  In a medium bowl, sift together cocoa, chili powder, salt, and flour.

  In a large bowl, cream the sugar and butter until light. Add egg and mix. Slowly add flour mixture and mix until it becomes smooth. Roll the dough into a 1½-inch-wide log. Wrap in wax paper or plastic and let dough chill in freezer for one hour.

  Cut dough into ½-inch thick circles. Bake about sixteen minutes until even in color but still chewy. Let cool and dust with confectioner’s sugar if desired.

  Looking for a Cheese to Pair With Your Syrah?

  Pair Syrah with the following Cheese and Herbs:

  Softer, stinkier cheese with fat texture and earthy flavors will absorb the high tannin in Syrah.

  TRY:

  Abbaye de Belloc

  Applewood Ilchester

  Asiago

  Beecher’s Flagship

  Bleu d’Auvergne

  Blue Shropshire

  Cahill’s Irish Porter

  Cheddar

  Comte

  Dubliner

  Gorgonzola

  Gouda

  Gruyère

  Mahon

  Manchego

  Mimolette

  Parrano

  Tomme de Savoie

  HERBS:

  Lavender

  Fennel

  Thyme

  Acknowledgments

  Every book takes a village to produce. Thank you to Matt Martz and the staff at Crooked Lane Books for their hard work and dedication to this book. Thanks to Paige Wheeler for helping me find a good home for the series. Thank you to my friends and family who supported me through the process and most importantly to the readers who make every work come to life in their imaginations.