Fire in the Vineyard

by Christa Polkinhorn

  Ken’s eyes widened. “No, no idea. I haven’t seen that place in a while. Isn’t it empty? We’re not using it anymore, right?”

  “Yes, that’s why I’m surprised it’s locked. Mark from the Llewellyn estate needs a temporary storage space for some wine. We need to open the place. Anyway, if you hear anything about a key to the lock, let me know.”

  “Sure, I will. Perhaps Romero knows something.”

  “Yeah, where is he anyway? Oh, yes, he went to San Luis Obispo with some paperwork. I’ll ask him later. If we can’t find the key, we’ll have to break open the padlock.”

  Ken nodded, then looked down at his papers.

  Robert glanced at Adam, who had watched them as they talked. Avoiding Robert’s eyes, Adam went back to entering data.

  He is definitely trying to hide something.

  After leaving the office, Robert called Matthew on his cell phone. He didn’t know anything about the locked building either. Neither did the rest of the family nor the workers. Robert decided to wait until Romero got home. He was the most likely one to know something about it.

  In the evening, Robert called Romero’s house. Juanita answered and told him Romero should be home any minute. Robert asked her if she knew anything about the padlock on the storage shed behind their home.

  “No, Mr. Segantino,” she said. “Maybe Romero does.”

  “Yes. Well, have him call me when he gets home.”

  About half an hour later, Romero called. “No, I have no idea who put the lock on. I hardly ever pay attention to the shed. And I don’t have the key.” He sounded concerned.

  “That’s odd,” Robert said. “I asked everybody who could have locked it, and nobody knew anything.”

  Romero cleared his throat. “That is odd. What are we going to do?”

  “Well, tomorrow, we’ll have to break the lock open.” Robert explained about his friend wanting to store some bottles of wine.”

  No answer. “Are you still there?” Robert asked.

  “Yes. Are you sure the shed is still suited for storing wine?” Romero said in a low voice. “It hasn’t been used in a while.”

  “Oh, it should be all right. It’s well insulated, and Mark wouldn’t need it for very long.”

  “Okay,” Romero said. “Want me to do anything?”

  “No, don’t worry. Tomorrow is early enough. No rush.”

  “Okay, have a good evening.”

  The somberness of Romero’s tone touched Robert. “Are you all right, my friend? Did everything go okay at City Hall?”

  “Yes, no problem, everything went smoothly.”

  “Is Nora okay?”

  Romero hesitated. “More or less.”

  “Listen, have a good night. Talk to you tomorrow.”

  They hung up and Robert put the phone down and looked out the window. From his living room, he had a great view of the setting sun. Janice came into the room.

  “Did you get a hold of Romero?” she asked.

  “Yes, he doesn’t know anything about it either. We’ll just have to break open the lock. It’s just odd.” He paused. “I feel bad for Romero. He sounded kind of down. I think he’s worried again about Nora.”

  Janice sat down next to him and hugged him briefly. “I’ll go and visit with Juanita again tomorrow. See if they need any help,” she said.

  “Thanks, yes, that’s a good idea.” Robert smiled.

  Chapter 21

  Sirens woke Nicholas in the middle of the night. He got out of bed and stared through the window, then hurried downstairs. Sofia had woken up as well and followed him. They stepped out on the patio and saw a huge blaze in the direction of Robert’s estate. Nicholas ran inside and grabbed the phone, trying to call his father, but Robert didn’t answer his cell phone. He then called the landline, and his mother answered, telling him she didn’t know what was going on, but his dad had left to check the source of the fire. It looked like the blaze was close to the edge of the property, near Romero’s house.

  Nicholas put down the phone. “I got to go. Are you going to be okay by yourself here?”

  “Sure, but call me as soon as you know what’s going on,” Sofia said.

  “Of course.” Nicholas rushed upstairs, and Sofia followed him. In the bedroom, he pulled on his pants and a T-shirt, then stepped into the hall. He paused to glance into the nursery where Henry was deep asleep.

  Julietta opened the door of her bedroom and stared at them with eyes still full of sleep. “What’s going on?”

  Sofia began to tell her while Nicholas grabbed the car keys and rushed outside.

  It smelled of fire and gasoline. To make matters worse, a dry wind kicked up. Please let it not be one of our places. Nicholas’s heart pounded as he raced his car up the hill past his father’s house toward the edge of the estate. Was it Romero’s place? There were flames shooting out from behind the manager’s home. Nicholas parked at the side of the road. He couldn’t see much at first because the view was blocked by fire engines and police cars.

  As he moved closer, a terrifying scene unfolded. While the firemen were trying to extinguish the flames shooting out of what looked like the old wine storage shed, Romero, a hose in his hands, was spraying water on the grass and bushes between the burning building and his home.

  “Stand back. Get back,” one of the firefighters yelled at Romero. “We’ll take care of this.” One of the men rushed toward him. Then a piece of the burning roof dropped and hit Romero. He tried to shake it off, but to the horror of everyone, he burst into flames. Another piece of the roof struck him, and he fell to the ground. Firefighters rushed toward him, pulled away the pieces of roof, and covered Romero with a cloth, trying to extinguish the flames.

  Nicholas stared at the scene, uncomprehending. His father held Juanita, who was screaming. Medical personnel attended to Romero. They lifted him on a gurney and carried him over to the emergency vehicle. Robert and Juanita followed. Before climbing into the ambulance, Juanita turned around. “Nora?” she called.

  “I’ll get her,” Janice rushed toward the door, where Nora, dressed in pajamas and holding a robe in her hand, appeared in her wheelchair. She was in tears. Janice hugged her, put the robe around the girl’s shoulders, then pushed the chair over to the van. Robert helped her get Nora secured with a seatbelt and the wheelchair into the back. They got into the car and Janice drove away, following the ambulance.

  “Oh my God,” Nicholas gasped and looked around frantically. He felt sick to his stomach and was afraid he was going to throw up. He took deep breaths until he felt less nauseated, then walked over to his grandfather, who was standing next to one of the firefighters. “What happened?”

  Martin’s face was pale. He put his arm around Nicholas. “This is just horrible.”

  “I hope Romero is going to be okay,” Nicholas said. “It looked really bad.” His eyes burned, he squeezed them shut.

  “I know.” Martin’s voice shook.

  “What caused the fire?” Nicholas asked. “Why was the shed burning?”

  Martin lifted a shoulder. “I don’t know.”

  “I heard something like gunshots.” Nicholas stared at the smoldering building.

  Martin nodded. “I did, too. Something was in the shed. It wasn’t empty.”

  Gloom settled over the Segantino estate. In the afternoon, Robert had called and told the rest of the family that Romero had succumbed to his injuries and died. His wife and daughter were devastated. Janice stayed with them until Juanita’s sister who lived nearby came to support them.

  Everybody was in shock. Matthew, Nicholas, Sofia, and Julietta were with Martin and Maria. Little Henry, peacefully oblivious to all the torment, was asleep in his crib in Maria and Martin’s bedroom.

  Later that afternoon, Janice joined them. She looked exhausted with circles under red-rimmed eyes. “Here’s what I learned,” she said.

  “Juanita had woken up in the middle of the night and noticed that Romero wasn’t in bed, so she went to check o
n him. He was outside, walking around the shed. He told her that he heard something and wanted to check. Juanita noticed a faint smell of gasoline and asked Romero about it. He shrugged and said he had smelled it, too, but didn’t see anything. He told her to go back to bed. He would be right there as well, he just wanted to check around the house to make sure everything was all right.” Janice paused. “Can I have some water? My mouth is parched.”

  Maria went into the kitchen and brought her a glass of water. “Here you go, honey.”

  “Thanks.” Janice took a few sips and put the glass down.

  “Anyway, Juanita went back to lie down. Just as she was about to doze off, she smelled something like burning wood and, again, gasoline. She got back up and saw Romero outside, pulling the hose toward the shed, which to her shock was engulfed in flames. He told her to call the fire department. When she came outside, she heard popping sounds coming from the burning shed. Romero was frantically spraying the grass between their house and the shed. She screamed for him not to get too close. That’s when the fire engines arrived.”

  The rest of the family members sat in silence, stunned at what Janice had told them.

  Finally, Nicholas looked around at the shocked faces. “Why was the shed burning? What was in it? Grandpa, you heard the popping noises, too?”

  Martin nodded. “It sounded like bottles exploding.”

  “Bottles?” Sofia stared at him.

  “Wine bottles?” Nicholas said. “The missing bottles?”

  “I’m afraid that’s possible.” Martin brushed through his white hair. “We’ll find out more tomorrow. They’re going to investigate the cause of the fire?”

  “It smelled of gasoline,” Sofia said. “Does that mean it was set deliberately?”

  “Looks like it,” Martin said.

  “But why?” Nicholas asked. “Why would someone do that?”

  Martin shrugged. “If it turns out the bottles in there were the missing Cabs and whoever stole and hid them there knew that the shed was going to be opened, perhaps they tried to destroy the evidence?”

  “Jesus. Who knew, though?” Sofia looked around.

  “More or less everybody,” Martin said, “after Robert tried to find the person who had the key to unlock the padlock.”

  More stunned silence.

  Maria sighed deeply. “Whatever way you look at it, it’s a terrible catastrophe. Poor Romero and poor Juanita and Nora. As if the family didn’t have enough to worry about what with Nora’s illness. How could this happen on our estate?” Her voice broke. Martin put his arm around his wife.

  “Oh, God.” Matthew covered his face and started to cry. Nicholas watched him concerned. Tears welled in his eyes as he thought back to the terrible scene of Romero engulfed in flames.

  In the evening, Nicholas came home just as Sofia and Julietta were putting Henry to bed. He kissed the little boy good night and went into the living room where Sofia poured them each a glass of wine.

  “I think we could use something relaxing,” she said with a sigh.

  Nicholas took a sip of wine. “Dad told me, the authorities are going to send someone with a so-called arson-sniffing dog.”

  “Arson-sniffing dog?” Julietta asked stunned. “Never even heard of such a thing.”

  “Neither had I,” Nicholas said. “Not sure how it works, but they’re coming tomorrow.”

  “My God. How certain are they that it could be arson?” Sofia asked.

  “Pretty certain, or they wouldn’t bring in the dog,” Nicholas said. “I think they just want to double-check.”

  “But who could do something like this?” Sofia asked in a low voice.

  “No idea,” Nicholas said. “But if it’s arson, then the peace of our estate is gone.” He rubbed his eyes.

  “Yes, that’s true,” Sofia said, her voice shaking.

  “And what’s even worse, it could’ve been one of us,” Nicholas said. “I mean an employee … or … and I don’t even want to think about it, a member of the family.”

  Sofia shook her head energetically. “No way, that’s just not possible.” She stared at Nicholas and Julietta with an expression of pain in her eyes.

  “I hope not either,” Nicholas murmured. “Well, tomorrow, we may know more.”

  Chapter 22

  The following day, a team of investigators arrived. One of them was David Lauer, a federal prosecutor. According to Walt Smith, the sheriff, Lauer was an expert on arson and crimes involving wine. He would be leading the investigation. Romero’s death added possible manslaughter charges to whatever case they came up with.

  Robert watched as a tall, slim man with a crew cut and piercing gray eyes, most likely in his forties, holding a dog on the leash, was walking slowly around the area of the shed and the home of the Guerrero family. He approached the man and the two shook hands. David Lauer explained that Buster, a German Shepherd, was an arson dog, trained to detect accelerants.

  Up till then, the site of the fire had been cordoned off. Now, Lauer and one other man and the dog entered the shed. Robert, Janice, Matthew, Nicholas, Sofia and a few of the workers waited outside. The mood was dark and gloomy.

  A few sharp barks sounded from inside. Robert and the others glanced at each other, then at the burnt building. A few moments later, the men came back out, carrying a bundle of charred, black rags. Buster acted excited, barking and wagging his tail. Lauer gave the dog a treat. Then he turned to the people.

  “I need all of you to be available for questioning. Don’t leave the property, until I or my men have talked to you, okay?” He scanned the people with his penetrating eyes. “And don’t go inside the building. It’s a crime scene now, and besides, it’s dangerous. The rest of the roof can collapse anytime.”

  “Of course, we’ll all be available,” Robert said. He had been able to catch a glimpse of the inside of the shed through the open door when the men and the dog entered. He was shocked to detect charred shrink-wrapped boxes used to store wine bottles. There was a pile of shattered bottles. It smelled of charred wood, smoke, and, yes, wine. What was wine doing in the shed? It was supposed to be empty. Was this the wine they had missed for months, the stolen wine? Who had put the bottles into the shed?

  Lauer motioned him to step aside. Out of earshot of the other people, he faced him. “Definitely arson. The job must have been done by an amateur, but it was partly effective.” He pointed at the heap of rags that the other men of the team put into plastic containers.

  Later, in Robert’s office, Janice, Robert and David Lauer were discussing the situation.

  “This is just terrible,” Robert muttered. “Who would do something like this?” Then he remembered the anonymous letters he had received a few months ago. They had stopped in the meantime.

  “The letters?” Janice said, echoing Robert’s thoughts. “Didn’t you give them to the sheriff?”

  “I was going to, but I never got around to it. And they stopped, so I forgot about them, but now?”

  “What letters?” Lauer asked.

  Robert told him about a few anonymous letters he had received several months before. He showed him the last one he had kept. Lauer perused it, then looked up. “Have you received any more?”

  “No, and that’s why I didn’t pursue it any further.”

  “Any suspicions?” Lauer asked.

  “The only person that comes to mind is this crazy woman, a Mrs. Selby. We call her the Water Queen. She and a few of her friends protest in front of vineyards and wineries, claiming we’re raping the land, wasting water, and poisoning people with alcohol. She’s clearly unstable, but I’ve always considered her harmless.”

  “Honey, you should’ve reported the letters,” Janice said.

  “I know,” Robert said. “Matt gave me a hard time about it, too.” He hesitated. “Do you really think she could’ve done all this?” He motioned with his hand in the direction of the burnt shed.

  “I actually doubt it,” Janice said. “I mean stealing wine,
selling it, and burning down a shed? I don’t think she’d steal or sell wine. She’s a member of an anti-alcohol organization after all.”

  “Well, we’ll look into it, of course. And if you get any more letters, let me know right away. Okay?” Lauer measured Robert with a stern look.

  Robert nodded. “Of course.”

  “What about the person who died?” Lauer continued. “How was he involved in your business? I know he was the manager. How well do you know him?” Lauer asked.

  “Very well. We have been friends for many years and our two families are close.”

  “You don’t think he could’ve had anything to do with the wine theft?” Lauer gave him and Janice a questioning look. Janice shook her head.

  “No way,” Robert said. “Absolutely not.”

  “I’m just curious. The wine was stored in a shed close to his home. Wouldn’t he have seen if anybody had hidden bottles of wine in there? I mean whoever put the bottles into the shed would’ve had to go in and out. And the Guerreros wouldn’t have noticed?”

  “Not necessarily,” Janice said.

  “No,” Robert repeated. “As you saw, the door to the shed is on the side facing away from Romero’s home. Anybody could’ve gone in and out without him noticing it. Also, there was brush between his home and the shed, which the fire burnt away. Nobody paid attention to that old building. And couldn’t whoever hid the wine have done it at night or at a time the family wasn’t outside watching?”

  “They could have,” Lauer acknowledged.

  “You don’t seriously think Romero had anything to do with this? I mean he was the one who saw the fire and called the fire department. He tried to extinguish it. If he wanted to hide the bottles, he could’ve let the shed burn down. No, Inspector, you’re barking up the wrong tree.”

  Lauer shrugged. “What puzzles me is the fact that he himself burned so fast. Witnesses told me that he literally burst into flames. We checked his clothes. The bottoms of his pant legs were soaked in gasoline. Why?”

  Robert frowned and paused. “The only thing I can think of is that whoever set the fire spilled gasoline on the grass around the shed as well as inside,” Robert said. “When Romero went to check, he may have unknowingly dragged his pant legs through the gasoline.”