Ripe for Murder Page 12

  “You could go into the spa and take a steam bath. The girl from Chicago, Kim, has been in there every day since we arrived. She loves it.”

  “That sounds good, actually.” I stood to leave.

  Antonia held out her hand to stop me.

  “What?”

  She studied me. “You’re looking more like your aunt every day. She had flawless skin, and you have the same big brown eyes. You also have curves where you’re supposed to.”

  “Yeah, a few too many curves.”

  She shook her finger at me. “Nonsense. You’re being too hard on yourself.” She tipped her head to where Connor now rested at the edge of the pool. “He doesn’t care if you aren’t perfect or that you could stand to lose a few pounds. You’re beautiful.”

  “Why, Antonia, you old softy.”

  Antonia raised her brows and shook her head. “I’m serious. I’ve spent far too much time alone. I don’t want to see the same thing happen to you.”

  I leaned toward her. “It isn’t like you to get sentimental. I’ll be fine, I promise.”

  There was a splash from the pool, and we looked over. The drones had parted and Connor sat on the edge of the Jacuzzi and toweled off. He said something to Chantal and she threw back her head and laughed.

  “Stubborn. You’ve always been so stubborn. And now you’ve missed your chance. Serves you right.”

  I shook my head. “Ah, you’re back. My world is right once again.”

  Antonia stood. “Don’t forget about our dinner tonight at Berninni Winery. I’m going to take a nap.”

  “I’m sure you want to look your best for Olympio.”

  Antonia’s cheeks colored. “I just told you I’ve spent too much time alone. If I can salvage an old flame, more power to me.”

  “No argument here. I do think it’s nice he’s invited all of us still in town because of, you know, the accident. I wonder if Tara’s husband will come.”

  “Big Dave? I wouldn’t if I were him. Why be reminded of what’s happened? I’m sure Vance won’t go. He’s probably in town looking for action. Nothing but trouble, that young man.” She turned to go. “Enjoy your afternoon.”

  I nodded and spent a few moments watching Chantal make ten males feel like they were all somehow special. A smile here, a pat on the shoulder there. She made it look far too easy.

  Connor was back swimming laps, but I’d lost interest in joining him. Instead, I grabbed a towel and headed toward the spa.

  Big Dave sat under a eucalyptus tree farther down the path. I stopped, waiting until he raised his head. His eyes were red and his hands shook as he twisted them in his lap. “Penny, you have a minute?”

  “Of course.” I sat on the bench next to him. “What a lovely spot to find a little peace. Been here long?”

  “Couple hours.” He pointed to the book next to him. “I keep thinking I should try and do something, then I realize I’m still sitting here in the same spot.”

  If he’d been on the path with me earlier, he didn’t let on. I couldn’t see him running very far. I wasn’t fast, by any stretch, but he was a big guy and whoever had been following me kept up with ease.

  “Where’s Vance?”

  He shrugged. “He was hitting balls earlier this morning, and when he finished, he planned to head into town. But I don’t really know where he is now.” Big Dave swung his head my direction. “Why do you ask?”

  I placed my palms on the bench behind me and leaned back. Very nonchalant. “Oh, that’s just me. Always being nosy.”

  “You sure like asking questions. Have you gotten any answers that might explain what happened to Tara?”

  I wasn’t sure how to respond. He looked distraught, but how else would he look? Either he was genuinely desolate or he needed to come across that way. Not many husbands would put up with Tara’s flirtatious ways, and I wasn’t ready to believe his easy acceptance of her prior behavior just yet.

  “Nothing so far. There are still a lot of things I’d like to know. If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you a couple more questions.”

  “Ask whatever you want.”

  “Well, for starters, I heard that Tara wasn’t the type to sign a prenup.”

  Big Dave flinched and his head jerked back. “Who told you that?”

  He didn’t need to know I’d gotten that tidbit from Seth. “Is it true?”

  “Sure, but it never came up. It was never an issue.”

  “I find that hard to believe. I mean, a man with your wealth . . .”

  “That’s the whole point. Don’t you get it? Even if she ended up with a chunk, hell, even half of it, I’d still have more than I know what to do with. I’m a country boy. There wasn’t anything I needed or wanted more than Tara’s smile.”

  “Did Vance know that Tara hadn’t signed a prenup?”

  “I never said anything to him, but you can’t think he would have done this. He’s my son.”

  “He has a strong motive. We all heard him at lunch. He didn’t like the way Tara spent your money.” I stood. “It isn’t anything the police won’t figure out for themselves.” If they were looking, that is. “I can stop asking questions if you think it might lead somewhere you don’t like.”

  That wasn’t going to happen, but the conversation needed an olive branch.

  He shook his head. “No, you ask everything you want to ask. I’ve got nothing to hide.”

  I couldn’t help it, I believed him. But then again, what else would he say?

  “What about Vance?”

  Big Dave made fists with both hands, placed them on the bench and pushed himself up. “Now, I want to set the record straight. I don’t think he’s capable of something this terrible. He’s far from perfect, but this is a whole new league. However, if Vance has something he’s hiding, I hope you do find it. I’ve been as good a father as I know how to be. Somebody was killed. Someone I love. You find out who.”

  “I’m planning on it.”

  “I do ask one thing of you, Penny. Keep an open mind about Chantal. If there’s one thing I learned about my Tara, it’s that she could make other women crazy with jealousy. It might be Chantal did this terrible thing. You can’t just discount her being found in the caboose with no one able to get out of there after the brake was pulled.”

  Big Dave hadn’t spent all his time crying over the last couple of days. He’d been paying attention.

  “I’ll remember to keep Chantal on the list,” I said.

  “Don’t forget, Tara knew both Seth and Barb from living here as a kid. Maybe there’s something there.”

  I nodded. “Maybe.”

  “How do you find out more?”

  “Spend as much time as possible with everyone that has a motive.”

  “Makes sense. Let me know if I can help.”

  “You can. Are you planning on going to the dinner tonight at Berninni Winery? Olympio invited all of us still being kept here because of, you know, the investigation.”

  “I wasn’t planning on it. Haven’t had much of an appetite. You think I should go?”

  “The more time we all spend together, the more likely someone will let something slip. Something that doesn’t add up, that sticks out.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  “I suppose Vance won’t want to come.”

  “Don’t worry. He’ll be there too.”

  Fifteen

  I LEFT Big Dave, stopping briefly at the tennis courts, which ran between the vineyards and the bike path. There wasn’t any sign of Vance at the courts, just a bunch of tots only slightly longer than the rackets they could barely swing. Still, most of them were doing better than I could, so I wasn’t much of a judge.

  I didn’t go to the spa in the end; instead I rested for the afternoon in my room, so for once I was early and waiting in the lobby when Antonia joined
me several hours later.

  “You look amazing,” I said, and meant it. Her floor-length dress was black satin shot through with crystal beading. Her silver hair was up and held in place with ornate black and crystal combs.

  “How did you get your hair so perfect? It looks like you had it done.”

  “I did. You just call down and they send someone to your room. Or you use the salon right down the hall.” She looked at the pile of curls on my head. “You should try something different. You’ve worn your hair that way for thirty years.”

  I patted my hair. “I actually thought I was looking pretty good.” My dark brown cashmere sweaterdress showcased my cleavage, which is decent; hugged my waistline, which isn’t bad; and hid my ample bottom, which is a necessity.

  “You look pale. You should try some color,” Antonia said.

  Bill came up behind us. “Well, I think both of you look fine, just fine.”

  Antonia nodded her approval. “As do you.” Bill had lost the overalls and kerchief, opting instead for a dark blue suit.

  “Thank you.” He straightened his tie. “So we’re all here to have a good time tonight, but I’ve got to ask if you’ve given any more thought to investing.”

  Antonia waved her hand. “Honestly, no.”

  Bill’s response was quick. “Now I know you’ve had other things on your mind, but if you want a good feel for how things are working, Berninni Winery is an excellent example. You can ask Olympio tonight how much more traffic he gets through his winery since we began stopping at his place.”

  “As you know, there have certainly been distractions on this visit,” Antonia said, “although the train is beautiful.”

  Bill beamed. “Top-notch. Everything is top-notch. And for tonight, I can drive you over to the winery if you like.”

  “Where are the others?” I asked.

  “Well, that young guy, the tennis player with the fancy car, just left with his dad. The son didn’t exactly seem excited about going but, from the way his father was acting, I’m betting they show up. The lovebirds from Chicago rented a horse-drawn carriage.”

  “And here come Chantal and Connor now,” Antonia said.

  Chantal had on a chiffon rose-red dress with a black pashmina draped over her arm, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Connor in his black pants with a black mock turtleneck and black blazer.

  “Wow, you look great.” Heat rose to my cheeks.

  “What?”

  “What?”

  He shook his head. “I thought you said something.”

  “Not me.” I hurried ahead. “Come on. We don’t want to be late.” I threw myself in the front seat next to Bill, my face burning.

  Chantal kept the conversation going until we arrived at the entrance to Berninni Winery, where Olympio came to the door to greet us.

  “Welcome, my friends, and a most warm welcome to my special friend Antonia.” He reached for her hand and placed it on his arm. “A quick tour of my fermentation room is about to start.” His gesture took in Jim and Kim, as well as Big Dave and Vance.

  “Our guests from out of state haven’t seen one before, and it leads right into the cave where we’re having dinner.”

  Chantal’s smile faded. “We’re eating in a cave?”

  “Ah, my dear, many dignitaries and even a president have done so. I do not think you will be disappointed.”

  Olympio led us behind the main building and up through the gardens to the entrance of the fermentation area.

  “It’s part of the caves,” Connor said.

  Olympio held the door. “We designed it that way. The temperature differences are never more than a few degrees, and moving the wine from the fermentation area to the aging barrels and tanks is very convenient.”

  He stopped at a bar just inside the door. Seth was behind the counter, polishing a glass. He spotted our group, set the glass down and disappeared around the corner. Barb appeared moments later. She was pale and her eyes were tired, her makeup smudged. “Here, let me get whatever you need,” she said.

  “Looks like you and Seth work a lot of hours between here and the wine train.”

  She shrugged. “I work at a restaurant in town too. We need the money. I’m grateful for the weekends here at the winery. Olympio pays us well, and Seth . . . Well, sometimes the environment is easier here.”

  I knew what she meant: Seth behaved himself under Olympio’s watchful eye.

  “This is where we have barrel tastings,” Olympio said. “Do all of you know what that is?”

  “Not a clue,” Vance said. “But I’m willing to try it.” He pulled up a stool. “This may not be a wasted night after all.”

  Olympio was gracious in his answer as he pulled out a seat for Kim. “We will certainly try to make it worth your time. A barrel tasting is an event wineries have several times a year, to sample very young wines right from the oak barrels or stainless tanks they are aging in. It’s a chance to see how the wine is developing. If you like the direction a wine is going, you may order quantities then and there, sometimes at a significant discount. Collectors often make use of these opportunities to stock their cellars.”

  He signaled Barb to pour from a bottle into glasses already on the counter. “This is a Chardonnay, one that holds much promise. Remember: you don’t collect white wines the way you do reds. There is a saying: ‘Red wines age, white wines just get old.’”

  “He certainly knows how to make his guests feel welcome,” I said.

  “Yes, he’s always been very hospitable,” Antonia said, as Olympio caught her eye.

  “To those of you who have knowledge of how wine is made, indulge me while I give a short explanation to our guests from other parts of the country.”

  I fell behind the group to join Big Dave. “I’m surprised you got him to come.” I tipped my head toward Vance.

  “I told him he’d be cut off clean if he didn’t stop the way he was behaving. I should have been stronger with him before this.” Vance leaned on the bar and Big Dave shook his head. “I just hope I’m not too late.”

  We walked a short distance down the rows of tanks, both steel and oak. The structure was much larger than our building at home. It was even larger than Antonia’s, although she would never admit it. We stopped at the midpoint.

  “Here is where we add yeast to the grapes, turning them into wine. Fermentation is complete when the sugar in the grapes is turned into alcohol. Carbon dioxide and heat are also produced.” Olympio walked up to an oak barrel. “You can hear it, this bubbling of grapes into wine.”

  Kim strolled down the aisle, looking at the ceiling. “What are all the fans for?”

  “Ah, a good question,” Olympio said. “One of the hazards in making wine is the carbon dioxide that builds up in the process. It can be very dangerous if the doors are closed and the exhaust fans fail to work, or are reversed.”

  “What happens?” Kim asked.

  “The gas builds up quickly in the caves. Although we’ve never had an accident here, people have suffocated at other wineries from this. Not a pleasant death.”

  Olympio walked to the wall and gestured to a control panel. “Everything is easily monitored from here. Lights, power, even the temperature regulators, as well as the exhaust fans, all working fine.”

  We walked through the fermentation area, entering the main cave Antonia and I had been in the day before. Olympio led us through a maze of turns that ended in a quaint and somehow welcoming hollow, lit with candles and lined with wine racks.

  “This is the oldest wine cellar in California, and some of these bottles are older than the state itself.” Olympio stood a bit taller. “This is my pride and joy. Welcome, my honored guests.”

  “Oh, please, they’ve probably turned to vinegar by now,” Antonia whispered.

  I kicked her and skirted around to the rear of the table
. “It’s beautiful, Olympio. Thank you.”

  A chirping came from the corner where a cage of yellow canaries sang.

  “You have birds here,” Kim said. “Not something I expected to see.”

  Olympio went to the cage, and two bright yellow birds came to him at once.

  “Usually they live in my offices in a sunny window. I bring them down when I have company here for dinner. Canaries have a long tradition in the caves. If there is a buildup of the carbon dioxide, they will be impacted first. Now they are just my little companions.” Olympio gestured around the table. “Sit, sit.” He pulled the chair out at the head. “Antonia, you must sit here. Opposite me.”

  Chantal practically shoved Kim out of the way to get the seat next to Connor, and he pulled her chair out. I faced them from the other side of the table, next to Vance, who jerked out his own chair and dropped into it, elbows on the table, until he caught his father’s gaze. The elbows were removed. I managed to slip into my own seat unaided.

  Olympio smiled around the table. “Naturally we have a wine selection with every course, and we have ample courses. My chef has outdone himself with an assortment of dishes, starting with peppered tuna tartare with tomato fondant. I hope you are hungry.”

  * * *

  TWO hours later I was full, slightly tipsy, and ready to leave. Vance hadn’t eaten, drank everything put in front of him, and managed to ignore me the entire meal. Bill was on my other side, and even if I managed to forget most of the conversation, I now knew more about trains than I ever needed to know.

  Antonia stifled a yawn and Olympio immediately stood. “It’s been a late night and unfortunately it’s time for us to say good-bye. Just temporarily, I am hoping.”

  “Perhaps, Olympio. We shall see.” Antonia smiled across the table.

  Compliments and accolades were voiced as Olympio led us back into the main cave and out the main doors.

  “I must tell Barb and Seth we are finished so they can clear,” he said. “I will meet you in the parking lot.”

  We stepped into the night air and onto the path. Connor and a laughing Chantal passed me, and I fell in next to Antonia. “Did you learn anything?”