by J. C. Eaton
“You know,” I said, “I was almost positive her estranged husband was behind it. I’m really not cut out for this sort of thing and yet, ever since I’ve been here it’s one dead body after the next. Thank goodness Francine and Jason will be back in two months. Two months. What can possibly happen in two months?”
Theo and Don looked at each other and didn’t say a word. They didn’t have to. I could see it on their faces. Two months was a heck of a long time.
Epilogue
As it turned out, the forecasters were right. Spring storm Neville arrived at a little past midnight and stayed for two whole days. Roads were closed on Thursday and Friday but Saturday brought us one of the biggest crowds of wine tasters we’d seen since the Wine and Cheese event. Two days of being cooped up can do that to you.
Gordon Wable managed to pull some strings and got Light-Star Pictures to push back the start-up date for Priscilla. She took an early morning flight to LA on Saturday and arrived in plenty of time for her filming on Monday. Good thing, too, or the Ramada would have run out of tissues.
Mickey was arrested for the murder of Devora Dobrowski, and last I knew was still in the Yates County Public Safety Building awaiting the arrival of his barrister. The rest of the film crew drove back to Toronto on Saturday, Skylar and Rikesh in the van, Gordon in his car, and the others in the production company vehicle.
Stephanie was relieved the whole ordeal was over with and that the only thing they had to worry about was weeds in their irrigation pond and not bodies.
A major announcement regarding Brouse Candies’ new manufacturing plant hit the Finger Lakes airwaves like a haboob. Lots of job opportunities from technical support to hourly positions. I imagined the local dentists were pleased, too. As for the six wineries in our little WOW group, we were relieved our vineyard managers had the foresight to order Concord root stock and clear acreage for planting.
Only one thing plagued me and I wouldn’t learn the truth until weeks later when I happened to pick up a tabloid newspaper as I stood in line at Wegmans. As I thumbed through it, I spotted a photo of Gordon Wable seated in expensive box seats at a Toronto Blue Jays game on Jackie Robinson Day in April. During the exact time when he was supposed to be in Vancouver. The caption read, “Film director Gordon Wable cheers the home team.” No murder, only runs, hits, and errors. I placed the magazine back on the rack and smiled. As far as I was concerned, our winery team hit a home run.
Books by J. C. Eaton
The Wine Trail Mysteries
A Riesling to Die
Chardonnayed to Rest
Pinot Red or Dead?
Sauvigone for Good
Divide and Concord
The Sophie Kimball Mysteries
Booked 4 Murder
Ditched 4 Murder
Staged 4 Murder
Botched 4 Murder
Molded 4 Murder
Dressed Up 4 Murder
The Marcie Rayner Mysteries
Murder in the Crooked Eye Brewery
Murder at the Mystery Castle
About the Author
J. C. Eaton is the pen name of husband-and-wife writing team Ann I. Goldfarb and James E. Clapp.
A New York native, Ann spent most of her life in education, first as a classroom teacher and later as a middle school principal and professional staff developer. Writing as J. C. Eaton, she and James have authored the Sophie Kimball Mysteries, the first book of which, Booked 4 Murder, took first place in the 2018 New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards in the Cozy Mystery category. They are also the authors of the Wine Trail Mysteries and the Marcie Rayner Mysteries. In addition, Ann has published nine YA time travel mysteries under her own name.
When James E. Clapp retired as the tasting room manager for a large upstate New York winery, he never imagined he’d be co-authoring cozy mysteries with his wife. Nonfiction in the form of informational brochures and workshop materials treating the winery industry were his forte, along with an extensive background and experience in construction that started with his service in the U.S. Navy and included vocational school classroom teaching.
You can visit Ann and James at www.jceatonmysteries.com, www.jceatonauthor.com, www.facebook.com/JCEatonauthor/, and www.timetravelmysteries.com.