by J. C. Eaton
Not a sound from the steam room. Maybe Priscilla wasn’t in there after all. And ew! No way was I going to use that hairbrush again. I waited for another few seconds, when all of a sudden I felt a whack on the back of my head and heard a raspy woman’s voice. “Voyeur! Peeping Tom!” Then I heard her yell, “Don’t just stand there, Teresa, go get your uncle Milton and tell him to call the management.”
Wonderful. The last thing I needed.
I spun around, gave the woman a shove and noticed a beach bag on the floor. Probably the thing she used to whack me over the head. I must have set the world record for opening a locker and getting the hell out of a place before winding up in the back of a police car.
By the time I got back to the bar, I was panting.
“What did you do?” Godfrey asked. “Run all the way?”
By now, Mickey had joined the group and moved over to let me sit. I took the last sip of my tonic water and tried to compose myself. “Didn’t want to keep everyone waiting,” I said. “That’s all. Um, any word from Priscilla?”
Mickey shook his head. “Last I knew she was in the sauna.”
“Good place for her,” Skylar added. “At least we’ll be spared the crocodile tears if the body turns out to be Devora’s.”
Two full water glasses were on the table and I reached for one of them. Not the most ladylike move, but I took a giant gulp of the iced water. “Whoa. Doesn’t sound like any love lost there.”
Skylar propped an elbow on the table and leaned in. “Let’s put it this way, Devora doesn’t exactly have a big fan club. She’s a top-notch director but it goes hand in hand with another less-favorable attribute. I don’t need to spell it out.”
“We’re out of those salted nuts,” Rikesh said. “Drinks, too. I’ll be right back.”
I watched as he walked to the bar, then I turned to Skylar and Mickey. “What do you suppose Devora would have been doing up there by the Ipswiches’ pond? She didn’t strike me as someone who enjoyed nature walks.”
Mickey groaned. “She’s a cameraman’s worst terror. Just when you think the scene is done, she decides she wants to try it at another location. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if she trekked up the hill, spotted your neighbor’s pond and decided a love scene would be better with pond water in the background instead of a lake.”
Rikesh returned to the table with fresh drinks for all of us. “It’s on the company tab,” he said and laughed. For the next twenty or thirty minutes, we made small talk. I imagined none of us wanted to presume Devora was dead until we knew for sure. But that changed the moment Stefan and Gavin walked into the bar.
Stefan looked paler than most corpses and Gavin didn’t look much better. Skylar hailed them over to us and pulled up another table. “Well?” he asked. “Was it her?”
Both men nodded and sank into their seats. For a minute, no one said a word. Finally, Gavin broke the silence. “It was awful. I hope to God I never see another drowning victim again. She was bloated, and according to the coroner, there was white foam around her mouth, which meant she’d been in the water for hours or a day maybe.”
“Did the coroner think it was accidental?”
Gavin shook his head. “Not with the small ligature marks around her neck. He said they were consistent with a necklace that was presumed to be found at the scene. My God! If that necklace turns out to be the one Priscilla lost, they’ll book her for murder. None of you can say a word to her. Not until they’re certain it was hers.”
“It’s circumstantial,” I said. “Even if the necklace belongs to Priscilla, it could have fallen from her neck and someone could have seized an opportunity to commit murder.”
Stefan stared straight ahead, not making eye contact with anyone. “I need to call Renee. She’s got to be informed.”
It was almost eleven and I couldn’t believe three hours had passed. “Devora’s going to be just as dead tomorrow as she is right now.” The minute those words came out of my mouth, I realized how insensitive they sounded. “Um, sorry for being so blunt but there’s no sense ruining Renee’s sleep. She won’t be able to do anything tonight anyway.”
“Norrie’s right,” Rikesh said. “I vote to wait until morning.” Then he looked at Gavin. “Did the deputy tell you anything else once you and Stefan identified her?”
“Yeah. Don’t leave town.”
Skylar pushed himself back from table and stood. “We’ll hang around here tomorrow until we speak with Renee. No sense trying to second-guess things.”
If I knew Deputy Hickman, he’d be at the Ramada first thing in the morning to question everyone. And when that was done, Gable Hill and Two Witches would be next on his list.
Gavin and the film crew guys said good night and left the bar.
“I suppose that’s our hint,” I said to Godfrey.
“What a night.” He stood and shoved his chair into the table. “I kind of figured it was Devora. I mean, given the circumstances with her missing and all. By the way, what took you so long? Did you find Priscilla?”
“No, but I nearly got nabbed for voyeurism. I’ll tell you about it once we get out of here. Talk about a long night.”
“I’ll say. Do you have any idea how boring it was for me to listen to Skylar and Rikesh go on and on about manipulating digital images and mixing audio? My eyes glazed over. I thought they’d never stop.”
I took one look at Godfrey and nearly burst out laughing. “Sometimes people get really passionate about their work.” And at least theirs don’t come with an “ick” factor.
• • •
It was eleven fifty when I finally crawled into bed, and it felt like seconds later when the landline rang. I reached across my nightstand and picked up the receiver. Still groggy from a late night, I barely mumbled a hello.
“Norrie, it’s Stephanie. They identified the body. It was on Channel 8’s News at Dawn. It’s probably on every other station, too.”
Who in their right mind watches The News at Dawn?
I sat upright and rubbed my temple. “Did they give a cause of death? Did they say it was a homicide?”
“They might as well have. They said the drowning was suspicious and that the victim was film director Devora Dobrowski from Toronto who was in the area for a movie production.”
“They said ‘in the area’? That’s nebulous enough.”
“That was for starters. They said the body was found at Gable Hill Winery in Penn Yan but that the movie was being filmed at Two Witches next door.”
“Oh, hell, no.”
By this point I had flung my legs over the side of the bed and reached for my jeans and the T-shirt I had thrown on the floor. “What else did they say?”
“Only to stay tuned to their network.”
“Network! Those networks all have sister stations in Canada and heaven knows where else. Crap! My producer’s probably getting up right now and turning on Toronto’s news. That’ll get her adrenaline going before she can even make herself a cup of coffee. I’ve got to phone the Ramada. Talk to you later.”
Poor Stephanie. I didn’t even give her a chance to respond. My cell phone was still in my jeans pocket and I fumbled for it. Thirty seconds later, thanks to Safari, I dialed the number and asked for Stefan Olinguard’s room.
Stefan must have been expecting someone to call because he answered on the first ring. “Hello? That was quick.”
“Huh? It’s Norrie Ellington.”
He sounded disappointed. “Oh, Norrie. I thought it was Renee. Skylar woke me at some obscene hour. Devora’s death is all over the news. Not the specifics. Not yet. I called Renee immediately and she was too stunned to continue the conversation. Said she’d call me back.”
“How long ago was that?”
“Ten, fifteen minutes maybe.”
I wondered how long it took the human brain to process news of an unexpected death, let alone one that might be a homicide. A half hour? A few hours? A few days? I didn’t have that long.
; “Stefan, listen. I need to speak with her. I’ll wait a few minutes and call her. In any case, call me back in an hour. You’ve got my cell number.”
Stefan agreed and we ended the call. I threw on my clothes, washed up and went downstairs to open Charlie’s doggie door and fill his food dish. Then I made myself a cup of coffee and sat at the kitchen table. I didn’t realize my hands were shaking until I moved the coffee cup to my lips.
Now what? Knowing Deputy Hickman, there was no way he was about to let that film crew drive back to Toronto. Especially since one of them could be a cold-blooded killer. But who?
I grabbed a pad and pencil from the small table by the phone and jotted down the seven names, pausing to draw a line through Devora’s. Other than the usual tabloid stuff about Priscilla and Gavin, everyone else was an enigma. And frankly, so were the two actors. I took another sip of coffee and all but jumped when my cell phone rang.
“It’s Renee. It’s incomprehensible. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. Devora? Drowned under suspicious circumstances? Stefan gave me the news as well as the name of the investigating deputy in your county. I’m going to let our company solicitor deal with it. I’m sure I’ll be questioned by the New York authorities since I’m the producer for the film. Oh, goodness, listen to me ramble on. I can’t even think straight. When we spoke yesterday, I never imagined those two unrelated events were connected.”
“I know. It’s a shock at this end, too. I’m very sorry for your loss.”
More like “I’m sorry you have to deal with all of this.”
“I’m calling an emergency production team meeting and will keep you posted. I told Stefan to remain in New York until he hears from me.”
“Um, yeah. That’s probably a good idea considering the authorities will most likely want to question the film crew regarding the, um, unfortunate death.”
“You can say it, Norrie. Murder. Devora had to have been murdered. There’s no other explanation. I’ve got to go. I’ve got a million calls to make. We’ll be in touch.”
She ended the call before I could say goodbye. And while Renee wasn’t familiar with the routine, I sure as heck was. Deputy Hickman would begin questioning the film crew at the Ramada, in cooperation with the Geneva Police Department. From there, he’d notify Gable Hill about his intentions and then do the same at Two Witches. The man was so stubborn and obstinate, he’d insist on conducting all the interviews himself. Given the timing, I estimated we’d be off the hook until tomorrow.
Good thing I wasn’t taking a math exam, because I was way off with my estimation. When I arrived at our tasting room at nine twenty-five, his car was parked out front and he was standing by the cash register.
Chapter 12
“I need to have a moment of your time, Miss Ellington,” he said. “Since the wineries open for business at ten, I presumed you’d be here already.”
What do you plan to do? Give me detention for being tardy?
“Hi! We have a tasting room manager. She’s here by nine.”
He didn’t say a word and I motioned for him to follow me into my office. “How can I help you?”
Deputy Hickman sat in the nearest chair and took out a pad. “I’ve already spoken with the management at Gable Hill and they’re arranging interview times for their staff. I’ll need you to do the same. All staff. You can fax the list to Gladys Pipp at the Public Safety Building. I can interview your staff on the premises or they can drive to my office.”
“I can’t afford to have them waste, er, I mean, take so much time away from their work, especially the winemakers and the vineyard crew. We’re in planting season now.”
“Miss Ellington, I don’t care if you’re in holiday season, this is a murder investigation. I’d like those interviews to take place Wednesday.”
“Fine. You can use the small banquet room off the kitchen. It’s private.”
“Very well. I’ll see you Wednesday morning at nine.”
He stood and faced the door.
“Wait a minute,” I said. “What about the film crew? Did you want to interview them here as well?”
Deputy Hickman spun around and sighed. “No, those interviews will take place today at the Ramada. I’ve already notified the director’s assistant, Stefan Olinguard. In addition, the crew’s passports are under lock and key at the Ramada and will not be returned until the preliminary investigation is completed.”
Ka-ching. Ka-ching. Ka-ching. This is going to cost the production company beaucoup bucks.
“I know about the ligature marks. I was at the Ramada when Stefan and Gavin returned from the morgue last night.”
He eyed me and ran his fingers through his hair. “You just happened to be at the Ramada?”
“Yes, I was having drinks with a friend when they walked into the bar.”
“They should have kept that information confidential. The autopsy results haven’t been released and toxicology results won’t be in for at least two weeks. I trust, Miss Ellington, you won’t share that knowledge with anyone else at this juncture in time.”
I nodded but felt like I did in seventh grade with my fingers crossed behind my back. “Ligature marks mean strangulation, don’t they? And that necklace from the pond was pretty substantial. It wasn’t one of those flimsy ones that would break apart. It was one of those designer double chains. And the last time I saw it was on Priscilla McCoy’s neck. Is she under suspicion for murder?”
“Right now everyone is under suspicion. My department investigates, it doesn’t speculate. Be sure to send that fax to Gladys this morning. Good day, Miss Ellington.”
He walked out of my office and I heard a loud thud as the front door to the winery closed behind him. There was no way I could keep that information from Don, Theo, Bradley and Godfrey, not to mention Cammy.
The words town crier came to mind and I cringed. Taking a breath, I picked up the phone and called the Grey Egret. Don answered on the second ring. “Hey, Norrie. We caught the news this morning on Channel 10 after the farm report. Theo was going to give you a call but we had to get ready to open the winery.”
“Sure thing. I just wanted you to know that Deputy Hickman was over here. He’ll be questioning our staff and the staff at Gable Hill. The film crew had their passports locked up and will be questioned today.”
“How are you doing?”
“Better than Stephanie Ipswich. She’s a basket case.”
“Yeah, well, no wonder. The body was found in her pond.”
“I know, but if it wasn’t for my screenplay, none of this would have happened.”
“If it wasn’t for your screenplay, you wouldn’t have a job. Listen, I’ve got to get going. Let’s catch up later, okay? Maybe grab a quick bite after work.”
“Sounds good. Talk to you later.”
I caught Bradley between clients but we only had a few minutes to chat. He, too, had heard the news on one of Syracuse’s stations.
“It’s not surprising that their passports have been locked up. That’s protocol for a murder investigation when suspects live outside the United States. By the way, I started doing some digging on Gerard Dobrowski. The wife named in the case-study documents is Devora Aileene Dobrowski. Check with your producer and see if it’s her.”
“Uh, right now my producer is one step away from posttraumatic stress syndrome but I’ll try. This may sound like a funny question, but if the divorce isn’t final, then how is it the law schools are teaching about it?”
“It started with the separation agreement. That was finalized and recorded. It was so compelling that the Dobrowski solicitors approached their clients for permission to share the divorce documents with law journals and schools since it offered an entirely new insight into the legal divorce proceedings and could have an impact on future similar situations.”
“I see.”
“Anyway, we can talk more about it the day after tomorrow. I’ll pick you up at seven. Does that work for you?”
“It’s f
ine.”
“Miss you. Hang in there.”
Yep, “Miss you” was about as good a catchphrase as anything since we were dating but not really involved. Both of us knew I’d be returning to Manhattan in a few months and long-distance relationships usually don’t have great track records. Still, I was attracted to him like crazy, and given his reaction, he felt the same way. We could barely keep our hands to ourselves on the ski lift at Greek Peak this winter, and half the time when we watched movies we missed the critical parts.
I took a deep breath and pulled out the scrap paper from my pocket with the seven names I had written on it this morning. Then I left my office in search of Cammy.
“She’s grabbing some more T-shirts from the storage area,” Lizzie said when I approached the cash register. “Glenda and Roger are at their tasting tables, and as you know, Sam has his college classes at the beginning of the week.”
I remembered Sam telling me he was able to finagle his schedule this semester so that he’d be available to work for us during the busier days—Thursday through Sunday. I thanked Lizzie and was about to walk to the storage room when she asked, “Will that dreadful deputy who hastened out of here a few minutes ago be interviewing us like last time? I saw the news this morning on Channel 13 WHAM during their Wake Up in the Morning show.”
Channel 13. Yep, that completed all of them. Not to mention the Syracuse stations. I looked at Lizzie and shrugged. “I’m afraid so. It’s standard procedure. I mean, after all, the film crew was shooting the scene over here.”
Lizzie straightened her back and looked directly at me. “Nancy Drew will tell you that every killer requires a motive, a means, and an opportunity. None of us would have had a motive to kill that woman, nor would we have had an opportunity. We were all working here at the Wine and Cheese event. I know you’ve read the Nancy Drew Handbook. Maybe you need to pass it along to the Yates County Sheriff’s Office.”