Chardonnayed to Rest

by J. C. Eaton

  “It’s me, only the m is really two r’s. I’m Norrie Ellington from Two Witches Winery.”

  “Cool place. Love your Caldron Caper. I’m Bethany and we’re renting the blue house on the lake. We were supposed to check out after Labor Day Weekend but got a two-week extension. It’ll be cutting it close for us since college starts on September fourteenth, but what the heck. We’re seniors so we can skip all that orientation stuff.”

  Sounds like a woman after my own heart.

  “I meant to call you before now but I forgot,” she said. “When I finally got around to throwing in wash, I found the crumpled note in my pocket. Mallory, one of my housemates, gave it to me. She said you wanted to know if any of us saw anyone cutting through our property around sunrise a couple of weeks ago. She even wrote the date down for me. It was the morning after one hell of a party night.”

  “I’ll bet. So, did you see anything? Mallory said you were all sleeping.”

  “They were, but I wasn’t. My head didn’t hit a pillow until after six. I was out all night partying. I hooked up with a really hot older man and we made out all night. You might even know him.”

  An older man? Partying with coeds? That ruled out Don and Theo. And it damn well better not be John, Alan or Franz. And Roger wouldn’t be partying, he’d be pontificating…

  “Um, I kind of doubt it.”

  “Too bad. Like I said, Cal was one hot dude.”

  “Cal?”

  My God, tell me this isn’t happening. Ew!

  “Did he tell you his last name?”

  “He might’ve, but I forgot. Hey, there can’t be that many older men with red hair, a fuzzy five-o’clock shadow and a physique to die for. Those biceps of his were like rocks.”

  My God. It really was Cal Payne. And ew! She’s young enough to be his daughter. Of course, given what she just said, she’s now his alibi. Or would be, if he was the one under arrest.

  “Listen,” Bethany went on. “I wasn’t drunk or anything when I drove back to the house, but I kind of missed the pull-off in front and kept driving up the road. Missed the next one, too. I was really, really tired. I know, I know. I shouldn’t’ve been on the road because tired people cause accidents, too, but I had to get back.”

  “Um, yeah. I understand.” I’m just trying to get the image of you and Cal out of my mind. “So, then what? Did you see something?”

  “Not at our house but at that creepy place a few houses up. The one that looks like something out of a Stephen King movie.”

  Bethany really had my interest at that point. “What? What did you see?”

  “Two cars were parked there in the pull-off. Then, like out of nowhere, two people appeared and got into the cars.”

  “Out of nowhere, where? And what kind of cars? Did you get a good look?”

  “Uh, yeah. Sort of. I pulled over to the side of the road because I was going to use the pull-off to swing around, but then they came out of the bushes and got in the cars real fast. I couldn’t tell if they were men, women, or one of each. They were both large, though, if that’s any help. Like I said, they were in one hell of a hurry.”

  Yep, two people. That’s a help, I suppose.

  “What about the cars?”

  “Regular ones, I guess. Not sports cars or SUVs. Old folks’ cars with four doors. Oh, and they were darker colors because I would’ve noticed if they were white.”

  “I don’t suppose you saw any license plate numbers?”

  “Sorry. I wasn’t really paying that much attention. But, oh yeah, there was one more thing—that voice.”

  “Voice?”

  “Uh-huh. I had my car windows rolled down to let in the breeze while I was driving. That’s supposed to keep you awake. Anyway, I heard one of the people yelling, ‘You stupid idiot!’ only it sounded like ‘id-jut.’ It was a deep raspy voice, but it could’ve been a man’s or a woman’s. I was hoping they’d pull the heck out of there so I could turn around and head back. Why is this so important? Did someone burglarize a house or something?”

  I wasn’t sure if the summer rental girls paid a whole lot of attention to the local news, but I figured I had nothing to hide. “Someone was murdered on the lakefront a few houses down. The people you saw might’ve seen something.”

  “Oh yeah, that. It’s been all over the news today. They caught the killer. Said it was the second murder in the county this past summer. The one before that was like decades ago. Can you imagine?”

  More than you think. “I’m friends with the lady who lives right near there.”

  “Like I said, sorry it took me so long to call you. I kind of wasted your time since they found that guy. Guess it had nothing to do with what I saw. Oh, I almost forgot. Of course, it really doesn’t matter anyway, but one of the drivers had a hard time pulling the door open. They stopped and had to use their other hand. Weird, huh?”

  “Um, yeah. Weird. Thanks for calling me back, Bethany. If you visit Two Witches again, I’ll give you a bottle of Caldron Caper for free. If I’m not in the tasting room, ask for Cammy.”

  “Wow. Thanks! Nice talking to you.”

  Bethany Whatever-Her-Name-Was didn’t know it, but she’d eliminated one of my suspects and put real players into a timeline for me. That timeline matched the one Kelsey Payne gave Bradley and me. Real players and one of them was a killer. If not both. Something Deputy Hickman would dismiss as one of my theories because, number one, he didn’t believe Kelsey, and number two, oh what the heck! It was the same as number one. Kelsey wasn’t about to get a fair shake. Not with Grizzly Gary doing the happy dance thinking the case was over.

  I looked at the time on the bottom of my laptop’s screen—six twenty-three. I knew the Grey Egret would be closed so it wasn’t as if I would be interrupting Theo and Don. I dialed their house phone but wound up leaving a message.

  “Hey, it’s me. Kelsey was telling the truth. There were two killers. Okay, maybe one killer and one accomplice, but still… Call me later and I’ll explain. I don’t want to wait until tomorrow night to tell you what I found out.”

  Then I walked over to the refrigerator and turned Conrad’s photo around so I wouldn’t have to look at his face, and put my screenplay away. Romance was the furthest thing from my mind.

  Chapter 21

  Kelsey Payne insisted he witnessed some sort of altercation that involved three people and Bethany said she saw two people appear out of nowhere behind the creepy house and get into two separate cars. Hardly coincidental, considering the timing. And what about the location? It would’ve been closer to park on the pull-off by the blue ranch, or even the pristine little place next to it, but no, they used the pull-off in front of an empty house. An empty house where no one would notice the comings and goings of drivers on the road. Or killers cutting through the yard to the lakefront.

  This had to be a premeditated murder, except for one lousy detail. The one Cammy and I had batted around when we spoke about Kelsey. How on earth would anyone know that Roy Wilkes would be behind the pumping station at the crack of dawn? It wasn’t as if he had to do any maintenance work there. The station belonged to Rosalee, and it was Kelsey and his brother who oversaw its operation.

  There were giant chunks of this puzzle that I was missing, and, as much as I hated to admit it, I really should’ve shared what I knew with the sheriff’s deputies. However, I was convinced they’d poo-poo it, especially with that ironclad evidence they had in the form of Kelsey’s peanut butter-greased fingerprint on Roy’s jacket button.

  I had no other choice as far as I could tell. I had to rely on the surveillance at the Federweisser to catch the real murderer. Or one of them. That little hang-tab was evidence, too. All we needed was to find the windbreaker it belonged to.

  Theo and Don called me back at a little past eight that evening. They’d stayed late in their winery to “put things back in or
der,” according to Don, and didn’t check their answering machine until a few minutes before they called.

  “Well?” I asked. “Is this the smoking bullet?”

  “I think that’s silver bullet, or smoking gun, but no, I don’t think it’s either,” Theo said. “But that’s only because we can’t identify who those people were.”

  “It shouldn’t matter. It validates everything Kelsey told us. Well, about there being two people anyway.”

  “Look, if you ask me, the one you should talk to about this is the lawyer, Bradley Jamison. You said Kelsey’s bail hearing is tomorrow, right?”

  “Uh-huh. Does that mean Bradley can present new evidence?”

  “No. The judge will look at the scope of the crime, Kelsey’s record, the possibility of a flight risk, that sort of thing.”

  “Aargh.”

  “You said those girls extended their stay for two more weeks?”

  “Yeah. Why?”

  “That girl Bethany may be called to testify for the defense.”

  “Oh my God! And I don’t even know her last name or where she’s from. Geez, I am so not cut out for this.”

  “You’re doing fine. Give yourself some slack, and we’ll see you tomorrow night. You going to be all right?”

  “Sure, for a Nancy Drew screw-up.”

  The next morning I made it a point to get up early, get dressed, and call Marvin Souza’s office so I could tell Bradley about my conversation with Bethany. Too bad he wasn’t in.

  “Mr. Jamison drove straight to the Yates County Courthouse this morning,” the secretary said. “He has a bail hearing.”

  “I know. I know. That’s why I’m calling. I have some new information and he’s got to hear it.”

  “I can’t give out his cell number, but I can try it and ask him to call you back. I’d put your call through to Mr. Souza, only he’s not in yet.”

  “What time is the hearing?”

  “Nine thirty.”

  I looked at the clock on the microwave. No time to wait if she fiddled around trying to reach Bradley. If I hurried, I could make it to the courthouse before the hearing. I thanked her, told her I’d drive there, hung up the phone and charged out the door. Route 14 wasn’t too bad, but when I turned off on Route 54, the shortest way to the village, I ended up behind farm equipment. Slow moving, aggravating farm equipment that drivers were allowed to use on county roads in order to get from one parcel of their land to another.

  It was impossible to pass any of those vehicles. They were so huge, I had zero visibility. I muttered all sorts of expletives under my breath and kept going. Finally, the last monstrosity left the road and I had a clear path into Penn Yan.

  Miraculously, I got to the courthouse with seven minutes to spare. At least the parking lot was sparse, so I grabbed a spot and raced to the door. Another delay—identification check, a valid reason for my presence, and then the metal detectors. Penn Yan hadn’t yet reached the point of x-ray machines for personal possessions, so a deputy did a quick search of my handbag.

  “I need to speak with Bradley Jamison immediately,” I told the deputy. “It’s urgent. He’s the legal counsel for Kelsey Payne, whose bail hearing is about to start.”

  The deputy must’ve seen the anguish on my face because he excused himself for a moment and made a quick call while I waited. “Hold on a moment, he’ll be right out.”

  The double doors to the courtroom swung open and Bradley stepped forward. Brooks Brothers had nothing on him. From his tailored suit to the polish on his shoes, he looked every bit Wall Street.

  “Norrie! What are you doing here?” he asked. “Kelsey’s hearing is about to start.”

  “That’s why I’m here. I have to tell you what I found out.”

  He ushered me into a small alcove near the double doors and I told him about my conversation with Bethany. “Kelsey was telling us the truth. The two people he witnessed with Roy Wilkes have to be the same ones Bethany saw. The timing adds up and so does everything else.”

  Bradley stood perfectly still and let out a sigh. “His defense lawyer, once Marvin secures one for him, will need that information, but I’m afraid it won’t help with his bail hearing.”

  “That’s what Theo Buchman from the Grey Egret said, but I was hoping he was wrong.”

  “Look, I’ll do my best in there, but bail hearings deal with the arrest evidence, and that’s pretty strong. I’ve got to hurry. It’s an open hearing so you can come in.”

  He motioned me toward the doors and took off sprinting. I did a quick check to make sure my cell phone was on mute and then I followed him.

  There were only four or five observers in the courtroom, and I recognized two of them—Cal Payne and Deputy Hickman. Both were seated in front. A few of the others might’ve been Rosalee’s vineyard workers, given how they were dressed, but I wasn’t sure. All of them were male. I took a spot on the aisle in the back and pressed my lips together. I hadn’t realized it, but my hands were clenched, too.

  The hearing went the way in which Theo had described it would. Bradley stressed the fact that Kelsey had no arrest record as an adult and, because he had family in Penn Yan, he wasn’t about to jump bail. It didn’t matter. The judge, citing the magnitude of the crime, denied bail. I felt as if I had been kicked by a mule. A mule who went by the name of Grizzly Gary.

  I left the courtroom and waited outside the building. A few minutes later, Bradley appeared. We walked away from the entrance and into the parking lot.

  “Marvin will make sure Kelsey gets an outstanding criminal attorney,” he said. “With that fingerprint, it was a slam dunk, I’m afraid.”

  “When will he go on trial? Did the judge say anything after I left the room?”

  “The date hasn’t been determined. Those things take time and the process itself is formidable, what with selecting a jury and all that.”

  “I suppose it’s too late for me to go to the sheriff’s department and tell them everything I’ve found out.”

  “Much as I hate to say this, you were right the first time. The scant evidence you do have, and the information you gleaned, isn’t enough to get Kelsey off the hook or a new investigation started.”

  “What about Rosalee? She’ll be devastated.”

  “In more ways than one. Once the trial gets started, the prosecutor will be pushing hard for motive and Rosalee Marbleton’s bound to bear the brunt of that. She very well may be implicated, too.”

  “My God, what a nightmare.”

  “I’ve got a full client load this morning or I’d go over there myself. Best I can do is call her once I get into my car and tell her what took place. Unless, of course, her vineyard manager beat me to it. Did you see him in the first row?”

  “Uh-huh. Hard to miss.” Especially when I pictured him mouth-to-mouth with Bethany. Ew!

  “I’ve got to run. I’ll catch you later, Norrie. Thanks for driving over here.”

  Bradley took off before I could say another word. I walked back to my car and sat there for a good five minutes. Then I drove straight to Terrace Wineries. More specifically, to Rosalee’s house.

  It was almost eleven when I pulled into her driveway. Another car was already there. Some sort of nondescript old Buick. Beige. I figured Rosalee’s vehicle was in her garage. I took a breath, got out of the car, and walked to the house. The cutesy little flowerpot stakes were still in their original pots, minus the murder weapon and the one Deputy Hickman took for comparison.

  A quick rap on the door and she stepped outside onto the porch, closing the door behind her. “I’ve just had horrible news and, of all things, my sister showed up with that dreadful Erlene Spencer. The two of them are like hyenas, laughing one minute and shrieking the next. I don’t know how much longer I can stand it. I wanted to warn you first before you came inside.”

  “I imagine Erlene
’s a basket case by now, considering her husband is missing.”

  “Erlene’s a pain in the patoot. Missing husband or not. She thought he might’ve gone back to his home town, but none of the relatives have seen him.”

  “What about her children? Doesn’t she have children?”

  “Yep. Two grown sons. One in Colorado and one in Geneva. They haven’t seen him either. She’s thinking foul play, but the sheriff’s deputies aren’t buying it. They think he scuttled off with some younger woman.”

  “Why on earth would they think that?”

  “Let’s just say the man had a reputation for philandering. ’Course, if you ask me, a cockroach would scuttle off, too, if it had to live with her.”

  “Yeesh.”

  “Anyway, you might as well come on in, I got some bad news from that lawyer Marvin stuck me with. The kid’s as green as a cow pasture in July.”

  “Um, actually—”

  “Bail’s been denied for Kelsey Payne. Now everyone’s scrambling to find him a good criminal lawyer. Seems I should be worried, too, according to what that lawyer had to say.”

  At this point we had entered the house, walked past the foyer, and into the kitchen. I re-introduced myself to Marilyn, because I wasn’t sure if she remembered me from that day when Roy Wilkes was discovered dead and Deputy Hickman showed up at Rosalee’s door.

  Marilyn mumbled hello and introduced Erlene. Rosalee wasn’t exaggerating. Erlene was a large woman, but not what I’d consider overweight, simply built large. Her hairdo was anything but natural, and I wagered she’d been through more cans of hairspray in a week than most women used in a decade. It gave new meaning to the term “voluminous hold.” She was wearing a bulky grey sweatshirt that made her appear even bigger. But it was her voice that gave the impression I was in the room with “a force to be reckoned with.”