Decanting a Murder Read online

  “Describe Tessa.” Dean’s pen started moving before I even had the chance to speak.

  “She’s about five-five, shoulder length blond hair, hazel eyes. She was wearing a navy blue dress.”

  Dean nodded and grabbed his radio from his belt. He put it to his mouth as he read out his notes. “We’re on the lookout for a female, approximately five-five, blond, hazel eyes, wearing a navy blue dress.” He clipped the radio back on his belt. “Your friend, was she unhappy with her job?”

  “Wait, no. Tessa wouldn’t do this.” I motioned to Mark’s body on the floor. “She loved her boss. They got along great. I sat with both of them tonight, everything was fine.” I readjusted my position until I stood directly in front of Dean and looked straight into his eyes, a trick I had learned to do with my father when I wanted his attention. “I’ve known her for twenty years, this isn’t her.”

  “Okay …” His eyes showed a human side, a kindness deep beneath the badge.

  I wanted to use that to my advantage. “Maybe,” I interrupted. “the person that did this took her, too. What if she’s in danger?”

  “Ms. Stillwell …”

  “Katie,” I corrected.

  “Katie, we will do everything we can to find her. Now”—he returned to writing on his notepad—“what did she say about this errand?”

  “She said she would be right back and …” My voice tapered off as Tessa’s request went through my mind: to say that I was with her the whole night.

  “And?”

  “Nothing,” I murmured. “That was it.”

  “Would anyone else know her whereabouts? Friends? Possibly family?”

  “She doesn’t have any family. Her parents died when she was in middle school. She only has … me.” I stepped back as the floor no longer felt solid.

  Dean’s hand rested on my back. “Why don’t you go outside and get some air? We’ll keep you updated. Peters, can you escort her?”

  Deputy Peters led me outside the winery, the night air feeling colder than before.

  “What has she gotten herself into?” I whispered under my breath.

  “Has your friend had trouble with the law before?” asked Deputy Peters, standing at the winery door.

  “Yes, but …” I pulled Jeff’s coat tighter around me. “That was different. Very different.”

  six

  pairing suggestion: grüner veltliner—kremstal, austria

  A dry white wine with a hint of spiciness.

  -

  I tried to stare across the winery to the vineyards, but it was too dark to see the calmness of their organized rows.

  Jeff approached me from the driveway. “Is everything okay?”

  I shook my head. “No, I need to find Tessa. Now. This is all my fault.”

  “What do you mean?”

  I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter, I need to find her.”

  “Here, I’ll help.”

  “No, I don’t need help—” I stopped. “I’m sorry, I’m used to doing things on my own.” I looked up at him. “Listen, I’ll let you know if I need you, but right now I need some time alone.”

  “Okay.” The twinkle was gone from Jeff’s eyes. He took a business card from his wallet and a pen from his shirt pocket. He wrote a number on the back of the card and handed it to me. “Here’s my cell number. If you decide you need help, call me. I’m really good in these situations.”

  “Thanks.” I took the card before I pulled his jacket off my shoulders. “Here. Thanks for this.”

  “Keep it. It will give us a reason to see each other again.” He placed his hand on my arm. “I really liked meeting you tonight.” Jeff ducked under the tape and headed into the winery.

  I turned to the lawn, the advice from my tasting group floating around in my mind. “Don’t leave points on the table,” Jackson, a member of my tasting group and an Advanced Sommelier, would always say in reference to my exam. “Point out everything you can.” Clearly I hadn’t listened, but I was listening now.

  I glanced around the area. I was close to the vine-covered walkway that led to the offices. The walkway lights, if there were any, were out and the vines prevented exterior light from illuminating the path.

  I took a deep breath and started down the walkway, the darkness enveloping me. I focused on the small beam of light ahead of me and quickened my pace.

  The distinct sound of heels came toward me.

  I paused. “Tessa?”

  “Hardly,” said a voice as a shadow approached. A break in the hanging vines allowed the lawn lights to highlight the face of Lisa, Mark and Vanessa’s assistant. “That’s a first,” said Lisa as she stepped fully into the light. She was in her midtwenties, her bright red lipstick a stark contrast to her pale white skin. “We’re nothing alike.”

  “Sorry, I’m looking for Tessa.”

  Lisa flipped her long dark hair and stood in the middle of the walkway, her gaze searching the winery. “Isn’t it interesting,” she remarked, “how one minute everything is fine and the next, it’s complete chaos? Like a board game turned over halfway through someone’s turn. All the silly pawns …” Her attention shifted to me. “I’m sorry, have we met?” Lisa’s solemn face stared back at me.

  “No, not yet. I’m Katie, Tessa’s friend.”

  “Oh yes. The one that Tessa begged Mark to invite, even though it was an event only for the wine club.” Although her voice appeared emotionless, the trace of resentment was hard to miss. “We don’t allow strangers into our mix here. We need to protect ourselves from things.” She waved her hand toward the flashing lights from the sheriff’s cars. “Like this happening.”

  “Wait, are you accusing me of being involved? I didn’t have anything to do with this.”

  “Are you sure?” Her eyes narrowed. “You’re the only person here I don’t know.”

  “Yes. And I was with Jeff for a while before Mark was found. You can ask him yourself.”

  A thin smile formed on Lisa’s lips. “Don’t be so quick to judge where someone’s loyalty lies. What you see here is not always what you get. Besides, you’re friends with Tessa. That says a lot.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I stepped forward, my stance casting a shadow on Lisa’s face.

  “All I mean is that this isn’t surprising,” said Lisa. “She has a record, doesn’t she? I told Mark not to hire her. Now look what she’s done.”

  I shook my head. “The record wasn’t … Listen, I need to find her.”

  “But weren’t you with her at the party? Weren’t you her guest?”

  “Yes, but I haven’t seen her since … this.”

  “Then, Katie, you know as much as I do.” Lisa flipped her hair as she forced a smile. “If you don’t mind, I must be on my way. I have to put out some fires. The owner of the winery is dead, you know.”

  “Wait, one last question.”

  Lisa glared at me. “What?”

  “Tessa said she had to do something tonight, like an errand. Do you know where she could have gone?”

  “An errand? Tonight?” Lisa emitted a snicker. “What on earth would we need tonight? We have everything here. It sounds like she wasn’t being honest with you, either. Now excuse me, I have to get back to the deputies. They want the guest list.” Lisa took a few steps forward but turned around. “However,” she said with a small smile on her lips, a shadow from the vines across her face, “since you’re new around here, I’ll give you a little hint. You might want to check out the lodge on Mount Veeder. Your friend is most likely there.”

  I mentally retraced all of my conversations with Tessa, but I couldn’t recall any mention of a lodge. “Why would she go there?”

  “She tended to run errands there during her coffee breaks and lunches. As if we didn’t know. Your friend”—Lisa waved her hand horizontally—“she’s n
ot too bright. You can’t keep secrets here at Frontier. Not from anyone.” She pulled her hair over her shoulder, turned on her heels, and made her way to the winery.

  I paused for a moment as I retreated into the shadows of the walkway, my eyes staring through the vines to the activity on the lawn. In my tasting group, I was constantly reminded that the key is to ask what is there, what you can find. Even though I didn’t know where the lodge was located, I knew where I could find out.

  I slipped off my heels and held them in my hand as I continued along the rest of the walkway. It ended in front of the offices at a solid door with an ornate looped handle. Which was locked.

  My eyes drifted along the gravel to the corner of the building where I had met Tessa when I first arrived.

  The sharp edges of the gravel dug into my feet and I crept along in pain until I reached the three steps, the wood a soothing relief to my feet.

  I turned around to face the rest of the property as I wrapped my fingers around the handle. There was no one around this side of the building.

  I opened the door and stepped inside.

  seven

  pairing suggestion: viognier—lodi, ca

  A white wine with bold peach and apricot flavors,

  meant to be consumed young—don’t wait.

  -

  The dim hallway was void of activity except for a thin band of light under one door at the far end, the same office that Tessa had identified as Mark’s. I focused on the light as it flickered with movement from inside. I stepped toward it but stopped when I noticed the unopened doors to the right. Don’t leave points on the table.

  I opened the first door. The break room again. I silently closed the door and opened the next door in the hallway. The room was small with a wood desk and a placard bearing the name Lisa Warner. I pulled at the desk drawers but each one was locked. I glanced around the room. There was nothing else in the office that would suggest an address of the lodge.

  I continued down the hallway, moving closer to the door with the light. Distant voices came from behind the door, their volume increasing as I approached.

  “No …” said a female voice.

  “We need to talk about this,” a male voice replied.

  “Not now. This isn’t the time. Please.”

  “Nessie …”

  “No, stop … It’s barely been an hour.”

  I leaned toward the door, straining to hear more clearly.

  “Why now? Why can’t you wait?” said the female voice. “I don’t understand the urgency.”

  “You know why,” replied the male voice. “I would still be asking even if this night hadn’t happened, but it did. Now I’m here for you. To help.”

  The voices became muffled. I pressed my ear to the door as the heels in my hand collided with the wood frame.

  “Shh,” said the female voice. “Someone’s outside.”

  I jumped back. My heartbeat echoed in my ears as I frantically searched for a place to hide, realizing that I would never make it down to another office or the break room. My only chance was the narrow door to my left. I reached for it, my hand slipping on the handle as the footsteps approached, the heels swaying in my other hand.

  I tried again and the door opened. Several thick coats hung together in the small space with no extra room. I pushed into the coats and ended up sitting underneath them on several pairs of shoes, including the ones that Tessa had stowed away for me. I pulled at the door, only managing to partially close it. Through the inch-wide gap, I watched as Garrett and Vanessa stepped into the hall.

  “I swear someone was out here. I saw a pair of feet under the door.” Vanessa looked down the hall.

  “I’m with you, my dear. Someone was listening. That’s not good,” Garrett said, his speech slightly slurred. “I’m going to find them. They have to be nearby.” He approached the closet door, the ice cubes in his glass clinking.

  I stopped breathing, a pair of boots digging into my bare legs.

  He stood outside the closet door and reached for the handle. “Come out, come out, wherever you are.” He pulled the door open a few inches.

  “There you are.” Dean’s booming voice filled the hallway, matched only by my pounding heartbeat. “I need to talk to you about tonight. Can we step outside?”

  “Will this take long?” asked Vanessa as she sniffled. “I can’t take much else tonight.”

  “Of course, Mrs. Plueger. We’ll make this as quick as we can.”

  “Thank you,” she sniffed and clomped down the hall.

  Garrett stayed at the opening to the closet. I closed my eyes, afraid to look in case he stared right at me.

  He paused for a few more seconds and then his footsteps echoed down the hall. I leaned back and let all of my breath out. A small bead of perspiration ran down my cheek.

  I checked the hallway from a kneeling position. It was empty. I stood up, shoe imprints dotting the back of my legs. I stepped toward the office where Garrett and Vanessa had been.

  The curdling scream of a cat shattered the silence. The fright took me down, the shock from hitting the floor delaying for a split second the pain that then emanated through my body. The cat hissed at me before scampering down the hall.

  I jumped to my feet as I debated diving back in the closet. I waited, my back pressed against the wall, listening for someone to come in the main door. No one did.

  I relaxed and looked in the direction the cat had run. “Cat, you’ll give me a heart attack.”

  I ducked into the office. I wouldn’t have much time to find the lodge’s address before Vanessa or Garrett, or both, returned.

  A grand desk filled the center of the room with two file cabinets behind it, each with four drawers. The desk was clean except for a small stack of papers next to a pad of paper with Mark’s name embossed near the corner.

  Needle in a haystack. Not a problem. I flipped through the loose papers. Bills, invoices, shipping orders, and general correspondence.

  The desk drawers were locked, so I turned my attention to the first filing cabinet. I ran my finger across all the file tabs in the top drawer. Nothing mentioned a lodge, Mount Veeder, or additional property.

  I moved to the next drawer down, but again, there was nothing. The third and fourth drawers returned the same result.

  In the second filing cabinet, the heavy top drawer contained a folder labeled Property Tax. I pulled out the file and flipped through the papers until I found a tax form for 1829 Mount Veeder Road. Bingo.

  I scribbled down the address on the desk notepad and ripped off the paper, folding it into my right hand. I returned the file to the cabinet, closed the drawer, and reopened the office door. The hallway was empty.

  I grabbed both pairs of shoes from the closet and kept an eye out for the cat as I headed for the exit. I stood up straight, trying to seem nonchalant, giving the appearance that I had a legitimate reason to be there.

  The cold night air greeted me as I stepped outside and closed the door behind me.

  “Katie, there you are.” The sound of Detective Dean’s voice made me jump. “What were you doing inside?”

  “Getting my shoes,” I calmly replied, my game face on. I held both pairs in my left hand, my right hand behind my back.

  “Okay.” He studied me like my father did when he was trying to figure out if I had been in trouble. “You wear two pairs?”

  I kept my position steady, my face unmoving. “Tessa lent me a pair for tonight and the other pair is mine. Is that a problem?”

  “No. That’s fine.” Dean paused, the overhead light above the door casting a soft glow on his face. “Have you heard from Tessa yet?”

  I shook my head. “No.”

  “We’ll find her, don’t worry. I’ll let you know as soon as we hear anything.”

  “Thanks.” I gripped the piece of folded
paper. “Are we free to go? I mean, can I go? It’s been a long night.”

  “Yes, we have your information if we need to contact you. Be safe out there.”

  “I will.” I passed by Dean and headed to my car. I couldn’t shake the feeling that Dean watched me as I walked, but I didn’t turn back to check.

  eight

  pairing suggestion: vouvray—vouvray, france

  Made from the Chenin Blanc grape,

  this wine can hold up through the ages.

  -

  I waited until the winery was out of sight before pulling to the side of the road. I unfolded the piece of paper and typed the address into my phone. It came up with an estimated drive of thirty minutes.

  If the party had continued as planned, I would be eating dinner and possibly dancing by now. But that was life with Tessa. Things never seemed to go as planned.

  The Mount Veeder area became dark and winding as it climbed in elevation. I passed two residences, wineries I assumed, as I drove up Mount Veeder Road until I came to a mailbox with the number 1829. I slowed and turned into the driveway, my headlights illuminating a one-story wooden building.

  My heart fell as I parked my car, the only car, in the driveway. Darkness consumed the area as I turned off my headlights, the only remaining light a soft glow from the curtained window of the lodge.

  My ears strained for the slightest noise—aside from my pounding heart—as I took one step at a time up the path that curved across what appeared to be a lawn. I wasn’t sure if I would run toward the lodge or back to my car if I heard something, but I held my keys pointed in my hand, ready to attack.

  I reached the front door and grasped the handle, expecting it to be locked. Instead the handle depressed and the door opened to a scream.

  I jumped back, holding the keys in front of my face, but I lowered them when I recognized Tessa standing in the living room, her hand to her chest. “Tessa?”

  “Katie? You scared me to death!” Tessa leaned against boxes of Frontier wine stacked against the wall. “I’m about to have a heart attack. Don’t you know what stress does to the heart!”