He stopped struggling. Lay still. Sank deeper into a watery grave.
Down and down. Into the dark and boundless depths.
Until he reached the black bottom.
Elwin felt a breeze. He turned. The French doors off of the dining room were cracked open. “Guys, you know the rules. Keep it locked up.”
“I thought I closed it,” said Victor. “Tony and I went out for a smoke.”
“Where’s Steve and Sandy?” asked Sophia.
Mark shook his head. “Really jittery. We spent a lot of time just getting to know them. No pressure. We asked if they just wanted to watch, and jump in if they felt like it, and they said yes.”
Mary interjected, “I think they liked watching. It’s a start.”
“We watched at first,” reminded Mark, sipping his Syrah. He held the glass up to toast the hosts. “You have that amazing window into the mirrored room.”
Mary shrugged her shoulders. “Anyway, they slipped out and said their goodbyes pretty hastily after we all came out of the room.”
“Well, here’s to Steve and Sandy’s first party, even if they aren’t here to be toasted!” said Elwin.
Sophia and others chimed, “Here! Here!” and drank.
“Where’s Ted?” asked Asia.
Christie answered with a sheepish face. “I think he drank too much. He…well, he passed out before he could…you know, finish.”
Tony’s face glowed red. “Poor form! Don’t have him back! Rude!”
“Oh, my!” said Asia. “I’ll just go check on him.” Asia slipped away.
Mark had his arm around Mary.
Henri had an arm around Nicole, who crossed her arms over her chest and flirted with Elwin.
Victor hit on Christie. He said to Tony, “I volunteer to finish the job, mate.”
“Maybe, Victor, if Gloria is game for a nightcap.”
“Another time, Tony,” said Gloria in a clear rebuff.
Asia turned down the hallway and opened the door to the Aladdin room. She approached the bed. “Ted?”
Asia gently patted his face. She gripped his shoulder and shook him. She let out a spine-chilling scream. It shattered the revelry.
When the partygoers spilled into the room, they glared at Asia, who knelt beside the bed. “He won’t wake up. I think he’s dead!”
Ted lay on his back. Still naked. Still warm. His arms flopped at his sides, palms up. His face seemed to stare at the golden rings on the ceiling, but instead, they stared at nothing but the void of dark eternity.
Max and Joy arrived at the house less than a half hour after receiving the call from the station. The call had jolted them awake.
Joy flashed her credentials at the policeman standing guard at the door. She stepped inside. She observed the group of people gathered in the living room. Her eyes scanned the mortified couples. Death had squashed all pursuits of mix-and-match and extinguished their flames of desire.
Joy approached Max, who was already questioning a couple, presumably the homeowners, who stood between the dining room table and the white quartz kitchen counter.
Elwin sucked in a deep breath. “Christie said he passed out. The next thing we know, Asia screams, and we rushed in. Ted wasn’t breathing, so we called for an ambulance. They asked how long he’d been that way, but we didn’t know. So they tried to resuscitate him. Then they called you guys.”
Sophia whined, “My god, Elwin. What will the neighbors think?”
Elwin squeezed her shoulder. “The truth. We had a party, and a guest died—I’m guessing from some kind of overdose. But we are strict, Detective King. We do not allow drugs at our parties.”
Joy worked to pull herself from sleep. It had been a crazy day. Her eyes drifted to an expensive bottle of champagne sitting on the kitchen counter. She glanced at the tag. An involuntary gasp slipped from her lips.
Max stared. Sophia and Elwin too.
“Was the person who brought this here tonight?” asked Joy.
“No,” said Elwin. “His date became ill. He came by to drop off that gift for us.”
Joy saw Max’s brows knit into a question, but Joy moved her eyes away, and again, she scrutinized the crowd.
Joy’s heart pounded in her chest.
“I need some air.” Joy pushed past the policeman standing guard at the door and rushed outside. Her head spun. Her stomach seized, and she uttered a guttural sound with a dry heave. Her lungs emptied. She couldn’t breathe. Her heart rate increased and fluttered like a scared hummingbird.
Joy bent over and rested her sweaty palms on her knees. Her eyes scanned the darkness to find the beast. He was out there. Waiting. Watching. Licking his lips, like a hunter, and she like the prey he would devour.
Inside, Max reached over and read the card on the bottle of champagne.
“Cheers. Draven Blackmoor.”
Author’s Note
Thank you for spending time with me in Wine Valley. While each novel can be read as a stand-alone murder mystery, Max and Joy’s personal quest to discover their bizarre past will unravel more with each book.
The suspects’ secret lives will continue to add unexpected twists, romances will build, all amidst harrowing danger and emotional upheavals. What more could one ask for than bizarre tales of murder and heart-stopping suspense in a pristine setting with old friends and new ones.
If you like the series, please leave a review and comment on Amazon (series page) and on individual book pages. Word of mouth is incredibly powerful. A few words or a phrase or a sentence or two—it all helps. Thanks again!
Note: I use professional editors, and I proofread several times, but if you spot an error, please email me at [email protected]
Syrah and Swingers
Wine Valley Mystery Book 3
Dr. Draven Blackmoor is as brilliant as he is obsessed with Joy. But is he a killer?
In this pulse-pounding thriller, the swingers of Wine Valley throw a party. A man is found dead on red satin sheets. Det. Max King and Dr. Joy Burton investigate.
At the crime scene, a card on a bottle of champagne is signed Draven Blackmoor—the man who brought Joy to the edge of destruction.
Decadence and Darkness are intoxicating, uninhibited roads.
To solve the crime, Joy walks to the edge of the abyss that she once crawled out of. Max must stop her from leaping over the edge.
Plunge into darkness. Come back to Wine Valley. Pick up Syrah and Swingers.
Books in the Wine Valley Mystery Series
Titles and Release Dates
Merlot and Murder: The Beginning (FREE)
Burgundy and Bodies, Book 1 (May 2, 2019)
Pinot Noir and Poison, Book 2 (May 9, 2019)
Syrah and Swingers, Book 3 (May 23, 2019)
Rosé and Rocks, Book 4 (June 27, 2019)
Grenache and Graves, Book 5 (July 2019)
Shiraz and Slaughter, Book 6 (Aug. 2019)
Pinot Grigio and Pesticide, Book 7
Gamay Noir and Ghouls, Book 8
Claret and Carnage, Book 9
Viognier and Venom, Book 10
More murder, mystery, and mayhem to come . . .
Other Books By the Author
WARRIORS & WATCHERS SAGA SERIES
Epic Mythological Fantasy
Seven ancient gates of evil will open, unless a quirky group of teens become warriors.
“Original and consistently entertaining from cover to cover.” Midwest Book Review
Evil Speaks (Reader’s Favorite 5-Star Review)
Evil Hears (to be released in 2019)
Evil Sees
Evil Touches
Evil Feeds
Evil Deeds
Evil Desires
______
STAND ALONE HISTORICAL ROMANCE
Unveiling
What would you sacrifice to fulfill your destiny?
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