One Foot in the Grape (22 page)

A
NOTHER
early morning. I might have slept in, but at some point in the night Nanook had climbed up, something he rarely did, and was sprawled across my legs. Syrah had added her considerable weight to the mix. I threw them both off and reached for my sweats.

“I'm fine, you two, really. Just need coffee.” On the off chance I'd get more than coffee, they followed me to the kitchen. I started the pot and stared out at the empty space where my car should be. I'd need to ride back to the festival with Connor.

The morning wore a silver cloak of fog. With no harsh shadows, the light on days like this was perfect for shooting prints. I needed to concentrate on something besides the events of the night before, so I grabbed my camera and slipped through the French doors.

Nanook followed me, and I snapped close-ups of a grape
cluster, each grape dotted with opal beads of mist. The vines by the back deck were heavy with Cabernet grapes, dark purple and lightly covered with dew. They looked like they'd been dipped in sugar. The fresh air felt good on my skin. Calmness came over me, as it always did when I reduced the world to what I could see through the camera lens. I couldn't control everything, but I could control bits of it, one frame at a time.

I returned to the kitchen and, in order of importance, got breakfast for Syrah, a biscuit for Nanook and coffee for me.

The events of the past week were a jumble, heavy on my shoulders. I poured some coffee, sat down at the counter, and reached for the list of suspects written two days before. It seemed so long ago. Looking at the list, I grabbed a pencil and drew a line through
Marvin
.

I sat and looked at the names. Suddenly, the reality of last night's experience settled around my neck. Black spots appeared and my hands were sweaty. Someone had tried to kill me. Annie too. Last night the whole thing had been surreal and adrenaline had seen me through. In the soft glow of the new day, the realization Annie or I could have been killed seemed much more ominous.

I knew the person was on this list. I knew it, but I just couldn't see it. Again the answer darted just outside my conscious thought, creeping like fog through the vines. I stared until the names began to dance before my eyes:

Chantal, Francesca, Brice, Veronica, Stephen.

Chantal, Francesca, Brice, Veronica, Stephen.

Chantal, Francesca, Brice, Veronica, Stephen.

Chilly fingers of fear grabbed at my heart. I jumped up and moved about the kitchen, hugging my arms, suddenly cold.

Startled by my quick movements, Nanook was instantly
at my side. I sank down and buried my face in the soft, thick fur of his neck. Hiding felt good, if only for a moment.

Someone had taken an enormous risk to try to keep me quiet. Even if I wanted to stop now, they wouldn't. I sat, rubbing the soft velvet of Nanook's ear. The certainty of this settled into my core. They weren't going to stop. Fear was the only emotion I felt. They'd shot at me. They'd shot at us.

I pushed my fingers deeper into Nanook's coat, searching for his warmth, and hugged him close. Still on the floor, with Nanook in my arms, I felt Hayley walk up behind me. She put her hand on my shoulder and waited until I'd relaxed my grip on Nanook's fur.

“Come sit. Lucas called me this morning and told me what happened last night.”

“Big mouth. I would have told you. Probably. I suppose you felt a need to tell Connor.”

She shrugged and nodded. I released Nanook, grabbed Hayley's arm and she pulled me up.

I gave her a weak smile. “I don't blame you. You needed to know and your timing's good. I really need the company. Want coffee?”

“I'll get it.”

“Then come back. I need your opinion.”

“Opinion on what?” Connor stepped in through the open glass door.

I handed him the list. “Well, what do you think?”

“I think you've listed a lot of decent reasons to stay away from these people. The problem is I don't think one of them is going to let you.”

“That's what I think. So my best defense is to go on offense, right?”

Hayley and Connor looked at me.

“Offense? After what happened last night? What exactly do you have in mind?” Connor asked me.

“At the moment, I can't think of a single thing, but I'm working on it.”

*   *   *

CONNOR
drove to the festival while I dug the list out of my bag. Any one of them could be capable of murder, if pushed.

After a couple of minutes, I put the list back down. I wasn't going to find the answer between here and the festival grounds.

“How can some people read and drive? Now I'm carsick.”

Connor slowed and rolled down the front windows. Putting the list back into my bag, I looked up just as a beige Cadillac entered the intersection right in our path. As I braced myself against the dash, the driver swerved to the right, just missing us.

“T
HAT'S
Stephen! If we hadn't slowed down, he would have run right into us. Is he crazy?”

“Haven't you seen him behind the wheel before? Everyone in town knows you need to be careful when he's around. He always drives like he doesn't know what traffic signals mean,” Connor said.

“Why doesn't someone do something?”

Connor shrugged. “We've learned to live with it. He caught me off guard this time. Good thing you got carsick and I had to slow down.”

“Yeah. Good thing.”

“All a part of small-town living. Local color.”

“What did you say?”

“Small-town living. Get used to it. Why?”

I looked out the window. “Nothing, I guess. Just a feeling
I've had for most of the last three days. Like I'm missing something. I wish I knew what it was.”

Connor pulled onto the grounds, found a space up front near my car and turned off the engine. I gathered my bag and started to open the door. Connor put his hand on my arm and waited until I turned to him.

“What?”

“No being alone with anyone from the Martinelli family.”

“I won't.”

“No being alone at all, for that matter.”

“Got it.”

“If anything unusual happens, I want you to find me. Lucas is going to be here today too. Watch for him.”

“No problem.”

He looked at me. “You're being too agreeable.”

“Connor, I really get it. Someone's trying to kill me. Dead. I get it.”

“So, nothing stupid.”

“GOT IT.”

Connor muttered something about why hadn't I followed this same advice five days ago, and we made our way into the festival. Hayley was in the booth, stacking cases of Cabernet. As I ducked under the counter, she pointed to the ground around the booth.

“Trouble with the Christmas ornaments?”

I shrugged, but she held my gaze.

“Be careful.”

“Got it.”

Hayley looked at Connor. “She's being too agreeable.”

Geez. It was a wonder I'd avoided death this long. “Listen,
you two. I promise I'll be careful. Now let's concentrate on getting through the rest of the festival.”

We worked for a while in silence, stopping to take a break when Thomas, again dressed as the town fool, brought us steaming espressos.

“Glad to see you're still with us. Just don't do anything stupid.”

“GOT IT.”

Thomas did the big eye-roll thing. “Ouch. Someone's a tad testy.”

I gulped the coffee and grabbed his arm. “Let's go get me a refill on the java and I'll feel better.”

“Stay with Thomas,” Connor said.

I looked over at Thomas, complete in jingle bells and tights. “Right. I feel much safer.”

Leaning close, Connor whispered, “What's that saying? God protects babies and fools?”

I wasn't quite sure how to respond to that, so we walked down the row of tents, now filling up with exhibitors. As on the previous day the coffee was the big draw at the Sterling booth.

Ross read my mind as we walked up. “Nothing like a fabulous cup of coffee and a fruit pastry to draw a crowd.”

Thomas patted his shoulder. Sighs of the single women sounded in the crowd as Thomas and Ross smiled at each other in obvious affection. Just not fair.

I took the coffee and scanned the crowd. The tone was more relaxed this morning. The judges finished tasting everything yesterday, and today was focused on donations for the hospital and having fun. Tonight at seven, an hour before the close of
the festival, the winners of the competition would be announced.

Lady Godiva was handing out chocolates and a list of the day's activities. I grabbed one of each as she went past. At nine the center ring was again open for fencing. I walked over to the railing where the participants warmed up.

“How you feeling this morning?” Annie stood at my side. Her usually smiling face was void of emotion and she was pale, a grim reminder last night was real, and very close to home.

“I've been better. Sorry to get you into this.”

“Stop. You couldn't have known. We were careful and it still happened. Don't forget, you also got us out of it. Besides”—she took my arm—“what are favorite cousins for?”

I gave her a smile. “Buy you a cup of coffee?”

“I can't. I've got to get to the clinic. I have a Pomeranian that needs surgery. I just stopped by to see how you were doing. Don't go having any more fun like last night without me.”

“Believe me, I'll try. I just keep thinking fun's going to come looking for me.”

“I'm getting that feeling too. It wouldn't hurt you to stick close to Connor today. Come to think of it, it might hurt you if you don't.”

“I know. I just hate feeling scared. And if someone is determined, sooner or later I'll be alone, and that someone will get their chance.”

Annie opened her mouth, and I raised my hand to stop her next words. “Don't get me wrong. I'll be careful. I won't make it easy on anyone. Now go.”

I gave her a quick hug and headed back to Sterling for a refill. As I walked away, Antonia was ahead in the crowd.
I didn't want a repeat of the same discussion regarding my safety.

The moment she stopped in front of me, I began speaking. “I'm fine, Antonia, and if it's all the same to you, I'd really rather not talk about it.”

Antonia looked me up and down and stamped her cane. “What nonsense. Of course you're fine. Anyone can see that.”

“I thought you might want to talk about last night.”

“What for? If you'd seen the person, you would have told the police, and we'd be standing here having a much different conversation. As it is, nothing was accomplished.”

“There's only one thing that could have happened last night. Someone watched us walk you back up the hill. They knew we'd return and be alone on the festival grounds.”

“When I saw the lights were out, I immediately called the police.” Antonia paused. “I don't know exactly when they were turned off. At that point, of course, I tried to find out where everyone was, but it wasn't easy. Francesca and Brice weren't planning on coming back to the house, so I don't know where they were.”

“What about everyone else?”

“Veronica said she was in her car driving back from town, and Stephen said he'd already returned and was working in the fermentation building.” Antonia looked away. “Chantal is unfortunately still sleeping in. I have no idea where she was last night. Believe me, I've thought about it. Nothing I can tell you about last night will help.”

“Do you think you might be too close to everyone involved to be objective?”

Antonia shook her head. “I've understood from the
beginning, since Todd was killed, not to mention what happened to Marvin, that someone under my roof was responsible. Nothing is that random in life. Nothing.”

“I'm close to finding the answer. I know I'm close, otherwise last night wouldn't have happened.”

Antonia patted my arm stiffly. “I know you are, and so does someone else, but I wouldn't think of joining the hordes and telling you to be careful. Surely you know that. Just find them, before they find you.”

I wished she'd just settled for telling me to be careful. “Right. I'll try and do that.”