by Thea Cambert
“You know what makes even more sense?” said Alice. “Clear Creek Cellars. They’re the Emmersons’ biggest rival. Maybe they hired Rupert to steal the formula.”
“That makes sense,” said Luke. “Those two vineyards have a long history.”
Alice nodded. “And not a pretty one.”
Chapter 10
“So, basically, we have two sets of suspects,” said Alice as they all took an afternoon stroll through the vineyard. “First, we have the Sloans at Waxing Moon and the Youngs. All of them might be willing to kill for the essencia formula.”
“Right,” said Owen. “And second, we have Helena and Max Emmerson. Either of them might kill to protect the formula—and stop Rupert from spilling the grapes, so to speak.”
“Hey—while we’re out here, let’s walk over to where you saw the shooting happen, Alice,” said Luke. “We can go over the area one more time, just in case Detective Mullens missed something.”
“Good idea,” said Alice. “It’s not far from here.” She led the group down one long pathway that ran between two sets of vines, then turned right and went further down, finally coming to a stop and looking around, confused. “This place is huge. It’s way too easy to get turned around.”
“Let’s get reoriented,” said Luke. “The inn is that way.” He pointed to the right of where they were standing. “The balloon took off and landed in the field next to it, so we were drifting in that direction from . . . that way. Little Bavaria is southwest of here.”
“Gosh I love a man with a sense of direction,” said Alice.
“So basically, this was our path across the sky,” said Luke, motioning in an arc above them.
“I remember seeing a huge stone . . .” Alice walked a bit further. When she got to the end of one row of vines and looked further down the pathway, she spotted the large stone—the same one she’d managed to find when they’d come running this way after landing. “Come on!” she said, picking up her pace and jogging toward the stone.
Everyone followed until they all arrived next to it. Then Alice led them down the row of vines where she’d seen the shooting. They all walked up and down that row and those around it, but found no sign of anything amiss.
“Nothing but deer poop,” said Alice with a disappointed sigh.
“Unless this is the wrong rock,” Owen called from where he was standing, on top of the stone. “Didn’t you say it was sort of gusty toward the end of the balloon ride? And wouldn’t that have meant you could’ve been blown off course?”
“But this was the stone. I’m sure of it,” said Alice as she scrambled up and joined Owen. “Oh. Hold on. Maybe this wasn’t the stone.” From that vantage point, Alice could see several other stones of similar size in the vicinity.
“And didn’t the detective say they found the body back in the trees?” asked Franny, who had hopped up onto the stone with ease.
“What are you? Some kind of mountain goat?” said Owen.
“Look! There’s a big stone way over that way, near the tree line,” said Franny, pointing.
They all ran over to that stone and down the rows of vines near it.
“And here we are,” said Owen, pointing at the ground between two rows. “X marks the spot.”
“Blood,” said Luke, squatting down. “Good eyes, Owen.” He stood. “We need to go over this area with a fine-toothed comb. Look for any little clue that might’ve escaped notice in the excitement of finding the body yesterday.”
They all spent the next quarter hour scouring the area for clues. Ben and Luke found where Rupert’s body had been dragged through the grass. Alice felt her stomach lurch when they found the area in the trees where a quick grave had been dug.
Then she caught sight of something glittering in the afternoon sunlight between the rows of grapes a short distance from where they’d found the blood. “What’s that?” She went to where the shiny object lay and bent down to pick it up. “Hey, I recognize this,” she said.
“Wow. That’s gorgeous,” said Owen, leaning in to see. “Looks familiar.”
“That’s because you’ve seen it about a thousand times since arriving here,” said Alice as Franny joined them. “It’s the Emmerson family crest. All the Emmersons wear this.”
“It’s totally bejeweled!” said Owen, taking the glittering pendant and turning it over in his hands. “Are those rubies?”
“They wear them every day,” said Alice. “And Suzie told me only the family and very important staff members have them.”
By that time, Ben and Luke had joined them, and they all stood around in a circle, looking at the pendant.
“So, say there was a scuffle between Rupert and his killer . . .” said Owen.
“This got torn off and left behind,” said Alice, nodding. “And the killer noticed it missing, but hasn’t been able to find it.”
“And only two people from our suspect list could possibly own that pendant,” said Franny. “Helena and Max Emmerson.”
“What we know for sure,” said Luke, “is that this little jewel puts its owner at the site of a murder. We need to go find out who this belongs to.”
“Here. I have a tissue in my pocket,” said Alice, taking the pendant from Owen and wrapping it up carefully.
They all walked back up to the inn, but as they passed the barn, they noticed a photoshoot going on that, for once, had nothing to do with Fabulous Bride Magazine. It appeared to be a shoot for the vineyard. Helena was standing at the entrance to the barn, hair gleaming and makeup carefully applied, holding a bottle of the Emmerson Family Merlot and smiling at the camera.
“Let’s get closer,” whispered Alice. “We can see if she’s wearing the crest.”
They all casually strolled in that direction, and moved in near enough to see the details of Helena’s outfit.
“Hey, folks, be sure to stay over this way,” said Max, stepping out from behind a screen that had been set up for light control. “But you’re welcome to stay and watch the shoot. We’re creating a new ad campaign and updating our website.”
Alice tried to stay calm as she noticed that Max’s pendant was missing from its usual place on his lapel. She looked at Owen and Franny to see if they’d noticed too. Owen gave a microscopic nod.
“Thanks, Mr. Emmerson,” Alice said.
“Please. Call me Max.”
Alice nodded. “Thanks, Max.”
They all moved over a bit and watched as the photographer snapped his shots, occasionally switching out the bottle of wine Helena was holding or adjusting her stance. Helena was clearly wearing her pendant. It sparkled beautifully in the sunlight.
“So, that settles that,” Owen whispered. “We’ve got motive and now we can place Max at the scene of the crime.”
“We need to take the pendant to the police,” whispered Luke. “It’ll be up to them to take the next steps.”
Just then, the photoshoot ended, and Helena set down the bottle of Chardonnay she was holding and stretched her arms.
“We got plenty of great shots, Mr. Emmerson,” the photographer assured Max. “I’m going to head out into the vines and get a few closeups of the grapes and scenery. Then I’ll take a few inside the barn and inn.”
“Sounds great,” said Max, shaking the photographer’s hand. He walked over to his sister. “Good job, Helena.”
“My arms are so tired,” she complained.
“Poor thing,” he teased. “Having to hold up all those bottles of wine and look pretty. How do you endure it?” He gave her a playful jab. “Now give me back my pin.”
Helena rolled her eyes and took off the jeweled crest.
“I can’t believe you lost yours,” said Max, pinning the crest to his lapel. “Shame on you, little sis’. These things aren’t cheap.”
Helena reddened. “I’m sure it’ll turn up. Or I’ll order a new one.”
Max snickered and walked off after the photographer.
“So, Helena’s the killer,” whispered Owen. “A woman s
corned.”
“I don’t know . . .” said Franny.
“Something in my gut doesn’t feel right about it either, Franny,” said Alice. She walked over to Helena.
“Alice, what are you—” Luke said after her. But it was too late. Alice had already taken the jeweled pendant out of her pocket and unwrapped it.
“Helena, I think I found something of yours,” said Alice.
Helena’s eyes grew huge when she saw the pendant. “Where did—how—”
“It was out in the vineyard,” said Alice, nodding back in the direction they’d come from.
“Thank you so much,” said Helena, composing herself and reaching for the pendant, which Alice quickly pulled away.
“Not so fast,” she said. “First, I’d love to hear how this ended up out there among the vines.”
Tears quickly filled Helena’s eyes, and her face fell. “You mean, you’re wondering why you found it around the same place where you saw Rupert get . . .”
“Killed,” Alice finished. “Yes, that question had crossed my mind.”
Helena met Alice’s eyes. “Because I gave that to him,” she said, her voice cracking. She cleared her throat. “I gifted that to him as a symbol of my commitment to him.” She stopped and cleared her throat again. “I’m not going to cry over that man anymore.” She took a step closer to Alice and started to say something else, then glanced at the rest of the group, who were not-so-subtly listening in.
“You hold it together, sister,” said Owen, giving Helena an encouraging thumbs up. “You deserve better than that old Rupert.”
Helena gave Owen a grateful smile.
“You were saying?” said Alice, looking back at Helena.
“He’d asked me to marry him,” said Helena. “He hinted that he wanted to be part of this place—part of the Emmerson family. That he wanted to help us continue in the business of making unique wines, cultivating the business like we cultivate our grapes.” She flung a hand toward the vineyards that stretched out behind Alice. “I gave him that crest as my way of saying, ‘Hey Rupert, welcome to the family.’ How stupid was that?”
Alice sighed and laid a hand on Helena’s arm. “People do crazy things for love, you know. And how can anyone fault you for trusting the man you loved?”
“Love.” Helena scoffed. “He was just using me to get the family formula for our essencia.” She looked at the group. “I know it sounds juvenile. Secret formulas. Spies. It’s just wine, after all. But our family has guarded that formula for three generations. Of course it would be me that had it romanced right out from under her!”
“Helena, you’re being too hard on yourself—” Franny started to say.
“And what’s worse is, the police are going to think I killed Rupert. Especially now that you found that right where he died.” Helena groaned. “It’s like he’s haunting me from the grave!”
“So, you were there? In the vineyard? Just before he was murdered?” asked Alice.
Helena nodded. “That’s why I was asking you where you thought you saw the person get shot,” she said. “That spot in the vineyard—near the big rock and the woods? That’s our usual meeting place. Was our usual meeting place. We’d had a huge argument. I was starting to suspect what he was really after. I confronted him about it. Told him to give me back my pendant. But he wouldn’t. He said he loved me and that I was just being paranoid, that he’d never betray me or my family. And I fell for it! I left him standing there, and the next thing I hear, someone’s out there, shot to death. When the police came that first time, and I saw them going out into the vines, I had a terrible foreboding feeling in my gut that it was Rupert. And then I was so relieved when they didn’t find a body. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that something terrible had happened. And it had!”
“You were the one who called the police to come back here,” said Alice.
“Yes,” said Helena, wiping her eyes. “But I did it anonymously because I knew that if Rupert really was dead . . . I was probably the next to last person to have seen him. And we’d just argued. And what if someone saw me or heard us yelling at each other? I’d be the prime suspect.”
“And now you’re grieving the loss of someone you loved, and you can’t really even talk about it,” said Alice, noticing that Helena suddenly looked extremely young. “This is all too much, huh?”
Helena nodded, wiping her eyes again.
“It’s okay to cry,” said Owen, putting an arm around her. “You just go ahead and let it all out.”
“And it’s okay to grieve, even though Rupert was a jerk to you,” added Alice. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you,” said Helena, tears rolling down her cheeks. Then she looked hopefully at Alice and Luke. “Please. If you remember anything you saw from the balloon—if you recall any detail about the person who shot Rupert—please let the police know.”
“We will,” said Alice, and she handed the Emmerson crest to Helena.
Chapter 11
Four o’clock Sunday afternoon meant that Alice and Luke were due at Oma’s Candy Kitchen in downtown Little Bavaria. “Oma,” whose actual name turned out to be Hannah Schmidt, greeted them wearing a traditional German dirndl dress, her long gray hair done up in braids that formed a band around her head. She was actually quite lovely—not the pink-cheeked, plump little lady Alice had imagined she’d be. No, Oma was a bundle of energy, with the heart of a candy maker, and the shrewd mind of a businesswoman.
“You’re right on time,” she said, glancing at her watch and smiling at Luke and Alice. “The Fabulous Bride photographer is all set up, and I have an array of goodies for you to sample.”
“Wonderful!” said Alice. “We’ve brought a few friends along. They’re all candy enthusiasts and will do some shopping while we’re taking the photos.”
Hannah smiled at Owen, Franny, and Ben. “Make yourselves at home. If you see something you’d like to try, just ask me. I’m always happy to offer samples. We have every treat you can imagine, from handmade hard candies to licorice to gourmet chocolates and caramels. Enjoy!”
Alice and Luke got to sample Oma’s vast selection of bonbons—with colorful, glossy coats of chocolate, and melting fillings in flavors like Bavarian Cream, Italian Chestnut, Vanilla Coffee, and Amaretto Delight. They ended up buying a large box of the confections to take back to the inn, and Owen, Ben, and Franny walked out of Oma’s with bags full of treats as well.
“It’s official. I love Oma,” said Owen as they walked down the quaint village’s main street—aptly called Hauptstrasse. “I never knew there was such a thing as a honey lavender bonbon.”
“I like the gourmet gumdrops,” said Franny, popping one of the little sugary treats into her mouth. “Mmm. Toasted marshmallow. Who ever heard of a toasted marshmallow gumdrop?”
“Where are we headed next?” asked Ben.
“To Clear Creek Cellars,” said Alice. “They’re hosting a Family Fest there this evening. We should be able to walk there from here.”
“Wow,” said Owen. “Children and wine. What an interesting concept.”
“There will apparently be all kinds of family-friendly events,” said Alice.
“And most parents could do with an evening glass of wine, let me tell you,” said Franny, laughing.
“So, we’ll be seeing several of the people from our suspect list,” said Luke. “Suzie and Sam said they’ll be there.”
“Yep,” said Alice. “Not to mention the Sloan family. The vineyard was founded by Elizabeth Emmerson-Sloan and her husband, Oliver. Their children and their spouses ran it next, and now, much of the operation has fallen into the hands of Elizabeth and Oliver’s grandson, Forrest—although his parents and a few cousins are still involved in the business too. But apparently Forrest has taken a very good vineyard and is working toward making it great.”
“I know about him,” said Owen. “He was featured in one of my chef magazines a few months ago. He’s quite the looker.”
/> “Suzie was totally starstruck when we saw him at the wine tasting,” said Alice, nodding.
They walked along a bit further, admiring the Bavarian architecture of the town.
“It’s like we’re in some kind of Alpine wonderland,” said Owen.
“I know,” said Alice. “I can’t get over it. I feel like we’re in Europe.”
“Old World Europe,” agreed Luke. “Look at the red tile roofs.”
“And the scrolling around the windows. And the overflowing flower boxes around every little balcony,” said Alice.
“Even the lampposts are adorable,” said Franny.
“And the air smells amazing,” said Owen. “I can smell sausage and potatoes and chocolate and bread.”
“The four food groups!” said Ben.
They followed Alice’s Visitors’ Guide to Little Bavaria, winding their way through the downtown, then along quiet neighborhood streets, and finally to a gorgeous country road that led to Clear Creek Cellars, which lay just at the edge of town.
“Wow,” said Alice, looking out over the vineyard and across the gently rolling mountains. “I can see why Elizabeth and Oscar picked this spot. It’s gorgeous!”
They walked down the winding brick driveway toward the charming main building, which sat in a beam of sunlight, surrounded by colorful spring flowers and trees.
“Alice! Luke! Climb aboard!”
Alice looked ahead to see a large wagon filled with bales of hay, pulled by two huge horses, just emerging from around the back side of the building. The Youngs were sitting on one of the bales, waving furiously.
“Let’s go,” said Alice, picking up her pace.
“They could be killers,” said Owen under his breath. “But okay.” He turned to Franny. “I like going on hay rides with murderer suspects. Don’t you?”
The driver slowed the horses, and everyone clambered up into the wagon.
“Perfect timing,” said Suzie. “We’re taking a tour of the place. This hayride will cover the vineyard and the cellar. We’re actually going to get to walk through the barrel room!”
