The Caspian Wine Mystery/Suspense/Thriller Series

by Maggie Thom

  The meeting the day before had really made him uneasy. They wanted him to be a spy and he hadn’t been able to decline. In fact, he quite liked the idea of going undercover and seeing what he could discover. The zing of excitement it had given him when they’d told him was like a reality check. It gave him a clue as to how deflated and depressed he’d been. Nothing had really touched him since his mom had died, and if that was the only reason he was interested that would be okay. But he couldn’t ignore that there was something so beautiful and alluring about Tarin; not that he’d ever act on it but she had definitely turned his head.

  Realizing that was a bad path to go down, his plan had been to show up at the winery and wander like a tourist. He wanted to see it from the other side and to see what else he could learn. When he was hired, he’d been given the backend tour and shown all the equipment he was to work on—everything from lawn mowers to harvesting machines. But he wanted to learn more about it. When he’d owned his garage, he’d made a point of being on the front line often so he could interact with customers and hear firsthand how they liked the service they were getting.

  And he needed to distract himself. The meeting with Dorothea in a few hours was a little unsettling. LJ wanted to meet with him to do a three-month review and see how things were going, but Dorothea was also going to be there. He felt a bit intimidated by that and to some extent, it was because he felt like he was there under false pretenses.

  His brain had been on rapid fire since the meeting the day before, and knowing he had the upcoming meeting was making him feel like he was being underhanded.

  Getting out of his car, he walked to the public entrance. The facade was modern and classy and it looked like it had been recently remodeled. The fifty years since it had been built didn’t show in front but they had fixed the much larger section of building attached to the back and side to a lesser degree. He looked around noting the other buildings in the back and some of the vineyards. A few people were wandering, suggesting they were tourists. Standing indecisively, a group of people exited a side door not far from him. The others immediately joined. The woman leading the group smiled at him.

  “Hi. Are you here for the wine tasting or the wine tour?”

  August was about to say neither but thought he might learn more by being a part of this group. He could slip away when he needed to. His presence was risky because he’d met some staff but not all; at the time, he’d felt under pressure to learn all he could about the machines he needed to fix.

  “Wine Tour.”

  She motioned for the group of ten to follow. He fell in at the back. The tour guide took them toward the vineyard as she explained about planting, the types of grapes and their care and how they would be harvested. August listened with half an ear. He didn’t know exactly what he was looking for but he’d heard rumors about the place and many weren’t good. There had been attempts to sabotage the place a time or two and even though they had been dispelled, he didn’t want to be caught off guard and Guy and Graham had reassured him there wasn’t any weird stuff going on.

  “This vineyard was started by the Caspians in 1935 but it wasn’t until just after World War II ended that it saw any stability. It was small but made a good name for itself locally. It wasn’t until Dorothea Caspian Lindell took it over that it really flourished. She built it into the internationally known and respected winery it is today.”

  August scanned the area. The tourists were following the guide down the rows of grapes, and since he wasn’t all that interested, he stopped. As he was about to turn, he noticed that one of the women who had been with the group was glancing around before hustling away to sneak into one of the buildings. Curious, he followed suit. Her behavior was very odd and raised his suspicions.

  When he entered the dimly lit building, he couldn’t see much but knew this was where they stored all the farm equipment—a few grape harvesters, a mechanical leaf remover—neither of which he’d known anything about. Perry was teaching him all he knew and the Internet had become a good resource as well. In fact, before he’d started there he’d thought that wineries still picked grapes by hand. That had made him chuckle, especially when he’d seen the size of the harvesters. He could see why they were used; they sped up the harvesting exponentially. The draw of the machines was magnetic.

  “Do you work here or just like snooping?”

  August had been bending over to look underneath the machine snapped up so fast, he whacked his head on part of it. “Dammit.”

  It would have made him laugh that he’d been so easily distracted by checking out the machinery and forgetting about the woman he’d been following if his head didn’t smart. He rubbed the sore spot as he turned to see the woman who had sneaked in before him.

  “Seems I’m not the only one, only I work here. But I’ve never seen you before.”

  The woman recoiled at his answer. She didn’t respond, though she appeared to stare at him but he couldn’t be certain because he couldn’t see her eyes behind the ridiculously big glasses she had on. The one thing of which he was certain was she didn’t belong there. He’d read that Caspian Winery had their share of problems—people stealing from them or trying to sabotage their wine—and he wondered what this woman was up to. Her fidgety, side to side head turning attitude told him she was clearly doing something she shouldn’t be.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I came for the tour.”

  “And thought you’d leave before it even got started? Sorry but you’ll have to come with me.” He wasn’t sure where he was going to take her but was certain he could find someone who’d be interested to know she’d been snooping in unauthorized places. If she had every right to be there, then it wouldn’t be great for him as a new employee. On the other hand, they might appreciate being told of his concern. He hoped.

  He took a step toward the redheaded woman but she bolted. He followed her as she raced out of the building. She moved quickly back to the fairly large crowd on the wine tour that were making their way around the first outback building to those behind it where the older equipment and supplies were kept. She shoved her way through. He followed but soon lost track of her as the people grew annoyed at being pushed aside a second time. Apologizing as he made his way through, he didn’t stop. When he got to the far side of the group, he looked around but didn’t see any sign of her. Frustrated, especially since he was quite sure she was up to something, he went beyond the farthest building. There was no sign of her and he didn’t have the time to snoop through buildings. He pulled out his phone to see how much time he had and realized that his meeting with the head of Caspian Winery was in twenty minutes. Taking one last look around, he made his way back to the main building to get directions to Dorothea Lindell’s office, which is where his meeting was supposed to take place.

  It was then that he saw her peeking around the corner of a building where the grapes were brought. He beelined toward her, glad that she wasn’t looking at him. Something held her attention but it was in the other direction.

  Was this a test to see if he had what it took to go undercover for Tarin’s father—although no one knew he would show up early, did they?

  Chapter 10

  Tijan took a deep breath and peeked out from the back of what she guessed were the work buildings. The man who had been chasing her was headed in a different direction. She had no idea who he was but she couldn’t help but admire the way he filled out his blue jeans as he walked away from her. There was just something about a fit guy wearing blue jeans and a t-shirt, perhaps because it was her own favorite attire. Watching until he was gone from sight, she stepped away from her hiding place and looked around. She still wasn’t sure what she’d been hoping for but she’d been curious. How had the woman who she was feeling more inclined to believe was her sister, become connected to this wealthy family?

  Tijan had never been one to take the roundabout way. If something needed doing, she did it. If something needed saying, she’d say it. B
ut this was so far beyond her knowledge zone, she didn’t know what to do—or to think. What she did know was the only connections she had to her sister were Knight’s Associates and Caspian Winery.

  It was hard not to be in awe. The place was huge, well built, classy; everything she hadn’t known a winery could be. The main building was glass and wood but had a very welcoming look to it. The place was clean—there was no garbage on the ground, the grass was trimmed, the trees pruned and even the graveled road behind the main building seem to be in alignment, like someone had swept it. Beautiful spring flowers were in bloom everywhere.

  Not that Tijan had ever been overly impressed with money but she had known the value of it and had never had to worry. Running a ranch was expensive and time intensive, so she knew if she was ever going to have her own ranch one day that she would need money.

  Owning her own ranch had always been an unwavering thought, but she realized in the time she’d been away she enjoyed not being on-call around the clock. Having to always be on the lookout for what the cattle needed—feeding them, checking every few hours during calving season, making sure they hadn’t gone missing—was exhausting work. Though she’d always loved it, now she was questioning it. Pushing away her thoughts, she attributed them to the fact that she’d never taken a real vacation. She knew as soon as she returned home, things would be back to normal. However, a little niggling thought that once she found her sister nothing would be the same stayed with her.

  As she was about to move away from her vantage point, a man and a woman dressed in casual clothes came around the corner behind her. Unsure why she felt the need to hide, she nonetheless hugged the side of the building behind some crates. They stopped not too far away. They talked in low undertones but she could still make out what they were saying.

  “That tour was a bust.”

  “Yeah. The place is well run, clean, not too much that could be used against the old lady. I think we go back to him and tell him the place is doing well. It’s won several awards. People love a scandal but it appears this place has weathered a few. A year or two ago someone tried to sabotage the business by switching out their wine with vinegar. Pretty ingenious really. But I think their reputation is pretty grounded, when it comes to the quality of their wine and their service. The people I talked to love it here.”

  “Yeah. I think we dig up dirt on the whole family and the employees. There has to be something that will fall from the tree. Something that could be used for blackmail. I mean the granddaughter got kidnapped and didn’t return for almost thirty years. I think there is a whole lot more to that story than some crazy woman that took a baby from the hospital.”

  “And don’t forget there’s a prostitute now running Caspian Winery.”

  Tijan’s eyes opened wide.

  “I thought it was just a high-end escort service.”

  “Come on. Anyone who is in that business is into screwing on the side for the rich folks. I bet we could find some really juicy stuff on her. Maybe kickstart some sort of past lover coming forward to cause some issues.”

  “Yeah but what?”

  A hand landed gently on Tijan’s shoulder but it might as well have slapped her. Tijan gasped and spun around, her fist coming up ready to swing but she lost her balance and stumbled sideways, falling against the building. The loud bang echoed. Her eyes snapped open wide and with barely a glance at the guy she thought she’d ditched, she dodged past him. Running through the first open door she found, she looked for a hiding spot.

  “Wait a minute.” A hand grabbed her arm again. She drove her hand up and out to punch him in the arm but her fist was blocked. It was the voices nearby that kept her from retaliating.

  “Did you see where they went?”

  “No, but we need to find out if they heard us.”

  The voices of the man and woman were enough to get her moving.

  Since the man who held her wouldn’t let go of her, she pulled him with her. “I’ll explain,” she whispered. He must have understood the seriousness of the situation when he followed her without objection. Tijan, with the guy glued to her, crept to what she hoped would be a good hiding spot behind some trailers. Crouching down, she yanked her unwanted follower with her. The door was pushed open wide and a shaft of light penetrated the dimly lit area. Since she couldn’t see them, she prayed they couldn’t see her or her uninvited guest. After what seemed forever, it sounded like they were moving off.

  “What was that all about?”

  Tijan stared at the guy, wishing there was more light so she could see his face clearly.

  “Uh. Not sure. I couldn’t hear all they were talking about—”

  “Really? Because I clearly heard them say the woman running this place was a hooker and they want to cause some problems for her.”

  “Yeah, well there might have been that.” Tijan wasn’t sure how much to trust this man, especially since he just seemed to show up out of nowhere. “Do you know who they are?”

  “No. Do you?”

  “How would I know? This is my first time here!”

  “Yet you seem to know your way around.”

  Tijan stood up slowly, making sure there was no one else in the area.

  “Wait. Now where are you off to? And again, what are you doing snooping around here? Are you with that couple?” August stood up beside her.

  “Right, I’m the bad guy here. Get real. I was going to find someone in charge and tell them what I heard. And you?”

  “Oh. Alright. I’ll come too.”

  Moving quickly, hoping that she could lose him somehow, she was a bit dismayed that he kept pace with her. She walked a little faster, getting several steps ahead of him. As she came around the office building, stepped off the grass and onto the sidewalk, cutting August off, she came face to face with three people. She had no idea who two of them were and really wouldn’t have known if she’d seen them again but the third person definitely grabbed her attention. The woman was stylish, wearing a beige skirt and jacket suit that looked really cute on her, along with a matching pair of high heels. It wasn’t something that Tijan could have pulled off, or have even wanted to. The woman’s blonde hair was cut quite short and had a flipped, messy look that made her appear all the more stunning. She was gorgeous.

  The best and worst of it was it was like looking in a mirror, although Tijan had to admit, she’d never looked that good. A part of her wanted to laugh and say, ‘ah, you could but you won’t’.

  Tijan stood there unable to move, to think, to do anything. Some part of her was waiting for the same reaction from the woman but there was none. Eventually, it clicked in her fogged brain that her sister wouldn’t know her or recognize her. Tijan was dressed like a redheaded country girl on vacation.

  The three people barely glanced at Tijan or stopped their conversation, although they did nod in perfunctory greeting as they entered the building. It was a very brief encounter, lasting mere seconds but it left an indelible impression on Tijan. She pressed her hands to her lips as her body almost vibrated with something just shy of the shakes. It was very unsettling.

  Her sister was alive and not just her sister but her twin. Her other half. But where had she been? Why hadn’t she ever contacted her? Wanting to demand answers, Tijan knew she couldn’t; at least not yet. This wasn’t the time or place and she was a bit of a wreck. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh, cry, or scream. Nothing made sense. She felt like the ground beneath was no longer solid and flat but was now like standing on a ship in a stormy ocean. Her queasy stomach was very much a testament to that.

  “Hey guys.”

  Tijan was jolted back to the present. Her companion came barreling around the corner as he tried to get the attention of the three who had just entered the building. Thankfully, they didn’t hear him or realize he was talking to them.

  “Come on.” He took her arm with the intent of propelling her forward but Tijan used it to her advantage.

  “Will you get your hands off
me and keep them off me. I can’t stand to be manhandled.” She purposefully spoke loud and very snootily.

  “Excuse me, is there a problem here?”

  “Yes. Thank you, security guard. This guy feels like he can grab me whenever he wants to. And I’m tired of it. I just met him.” Tijan pulled her glasses down to the brim of her nose and screwed up her face like she was going to cry.

  “Oh, come on. You’ve got to be kidding. That’s the best bull—”

  The security guard stepped forward. Tijan used that to her advantage and moved back several steps behind him. August glared at her. She shrugged. She’d never done anything like this but inside she was freaking out and didn’t know how to handle any of what she’d seen or heard, and she most certainly didn’t have time to be detained or questioned.

  “It’s okay. I just need to get going. Thank you, sir.” Tijan smiled winningly at him as she calmly walked away. She was under the impression August tried to follow but the security guard had stepped in his way.

  “My name’s August. I’m the new mechanic. I have a meeting I was just heading to. I was curious why that woman was snooping around here.”

  Tijan didn’t turn to look, but hustled around the corner before sprinting for her car. It didn’t take long to forget her encounter with the guy, her mind firing with thoughts of her sister. She’d found her. But why was she alive? And where the hell had she been all her life?

  Chapter 11

  “Hello James.”

  “Uh, Mr. Tesimmon. I didn’t know we were going to meet today.”

  The well-dressed gentleman in his three-piece suit already had one of his bodyguards heading over to the hidden bar. He was in the process of opening it and pouring the man two fingers of James’ expensive scotch. Mr. T sat down in the leather padded chair that he’d been sure had been purchased for him.

  “Oh it feels good to sit. It’s muggy out today. It’s a bit draining, isn’t it?”

  James had trouble with these benign, anal conversations that Mr. Tesimmon always started his ‘visits’ with. Even though it only happened once or twice a year, they weren’t something he could ever forget. All they did was spark a thread of fear that slithered up his spine and perched in his throat, ready to strike. This was one person he hadn’t been able to control.