To Brew or Not to Brew (25 page)

“So fill me in.”

“Dwayne has a bad reputation. Some of the brewers have had problems with him in the past.”

“What kinds of problems?”

“Stealing,” I said. “Back when Dave was getting started, Dwayne worked part-time for him, as well as part-time for Cory Dixon over at South Side Brew Works. They didn't know it at the time, but Dwayne was filching the beer recipes. As soon as he got what he needed, he quit. The whole time he worked for Dave and Cory, he was in the process
of starting up his own place. Dwayne didn't even bother to put his own spin on the brews.”

“What did Dwayne mean when he said you were wrong about him?”

I recapped my bottle and put it on the ground beside me. “He insists it's coincidence that his beer just happens to taste exactly like the others. If they were merely similar, maybe I could buy it. But identical? No way. Every ingredient would have to be the same, and in exactly the same proportions—not to mention the brewing times and the fermentation.”

Jake finished his water and tossed the bottle into the bag I'd brought for recycling. “Kind of makes you wonder why he's here.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, he's a pariah in the brewing scene,” he said. “Why would he want to be where no one wants to have anything to do with him?”

“Good point.” I thought about what Dwayne said earlier. “He's here for the competition. He told Dave and me he's going to win the Golden Stein. He sounded sure it was going to be him.”

“Sounds more like he's delusional.”

I shook my head. “No. I don't think so. But I wouldn't put it past him to do something underhanded to make sure he walks away with that trophy.”

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