Wine and Revenge

by Laina Turner

  “Isn't it cool?” Deanna said and Trixie could see how thrilled she was to share this.

  Trixie didn't know how to answer her, because unless her eyes were playing tricks on her she'd seen David in that pot, and he wasn’t alive.

  Chapter 3

  Trixie sat with Deanna trying to console her, but was that even possible in this kind of situation? She didn’t imagine there were words that would make anyone feel better that their husband had been found dead. Trixie felt at a loss.

  “Are you sure, Trixie? Are you sure it was David in there?” Deanna said with a sob for the fourth, or maybe the fifth time, it was hard to keep track.

  The police lights flashed in the distance as they made their way up the long road to the winery and, while the police would have to confirm, she was positive the dead body she'd seen inside the terra cotta pot was David's. She also couldn't help but wonder how he got in there and how long he'd been there. Could he have fallen in accidentally? That didn’t seem possible, but the alternative seemed much worse.

  “I don't know what I'm going to do,” Deanna wailed. “I'm so stupid. I should have known when I hadn't heard from him something was wrong. It's not like him to not check in. But he'd been working so hard. I thought he was having fun with his wine owner friends and with the time difference, I just figured he hadn’t had time to call. If I’d only tried to get in touch with him.”

  “Don't beat yourself up. This isn’t your fault.”

  Two police cars pulled into the parking lot. The first to get out was Clive, who was the sheriff and someone both Deanna and Trixie knew from high school. That was the thing with small towns. Many people had a lot of history, which could be a good thing. Sometimes it was stifling.

  “Deanna, I am so sorry. What happened? You found David dead? Did he have a heart attack or something?” He questioned softly as he put his hand on her shoulder compassionately.

  Deanna was crying so hard she couldn't respond so Trixie spoke up. Deanna shouldn’t be made to talk about it anymore than she had to. “Actually, I am the one that found him, and I don't think it was a heart attack,” Trixie said in a quiet voice, not wanting to say exactly what she'd seen in front of Deanna. While having a heart attack and falling in wasn’t out of the question, Trixie’s knew that wasn’t what happened since David was sealed inside the pot.

  Clive looked back and forth between the two of them, but before he could say anything else Trixie motioned for one of Deanna's employees who was standing with the other employees huddled in a group. They weren’t sure what to make of what was going on.

  A woman Trixie didn't recognize walked over. “Can I help you?”

  “What's your name?” Trixie asked

  “Tracy Plains. I'm the manager here.”

  “Tracy, my name is Trixie and I'm a friend of Deanna's. Can you sit with her for a minute while I talk to the sheriff?”

  “Of course,” Tracy said, eager to help. She sat down next to Deanna and put her arm around her.

  Trixie got up and motioned for Clive to follow.

  “I didn't want to say it in front of her, but I found David in a pot.” As soon as she said it she realized how ridiculous it sounded. The look on Clive’s face definitely confirmed it sounded ridiculous as well. Of course, Clive didn’t know what pot she was talking about.

  “What are you talking about?” Clive demanded.

  “Follow me.” Trixie took Clive back the way Deanna had just taken her through the winery and into the family area where the terra cotta pots stood.

  Clive gave a low whistle. “These are gorgeous.”

  He was right and any other time Trixie would have loved to share the story that Deanna had told her of how they came to the winery, but right now there were more pressing matters, like figuring out what happened to David.

  “He's in that one right there.” Trixie pointed to the pot where she'd seen David and tried not to shudder at the memory.

  “This is what you meant when you said he was in a pot?” Clive said with disbelief. Trixie wasn’t sure what he’d thought when she’d said pot, but she didn’t think this was it.

  Trixie nodded. “You can use that stool so you can see in.”

  Clive still looked at her a little apprehensively, and she didn't blame him. He took the couple steps up the stepladder and lifted the top of the pot as she'd done and peered tentatively inside.

  After a couple seconds, he replaced the top and came back down the steps. “That’s David alright.”

  “What do you think happened? There's no way he could've just fallen in there?” Trixie questioned, but it was really more of a statement.

  Clive gave her a stern look. “Don't you dare start spreading rumors this was anything other than an accident.”

  Trixie put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “Like I would do that. I don't want to make this any worse for Deanna than it already is, but you have to admit this doesn't look like an accident.”

  “Until we have more information, I'm not ruling it as any kind of foul play.”

  Clive and Trixie walked out of the building, back to the group. Trixie went back to Deanna while Clive went over to the other officers, barked out some orders and then made a phone call. Trixie assumed he was calling Mel, the county coroner, who was also the town's veterinarian. In a small town people often did double duty.

  Deanna had calmed down a little and was full of questions when Trixie came back to sit next to her.

  “Are you sure it's him?” she asked, wringing her hands but holding back her tears.

  “I'm so sorry, Deanna, but Clive confirmed it, it's David.”

  They watched as the medics along with the coroner, who had arrived in the ambulance when Trixie showed Clive the body, took a stretcher back into the building. Deanna and Trixie sat there in silence during the time it took for the medics to come back out. The stretcher was no longer empty but was loaded with what Trixie knew was David's body in a black, nondescript bag. The sight brought a fresh wave of tears to Deanna as she ran over to them and started wailing.

  The medics looked at each other, clearly not wanting to stop, but were compassionate enough to give Deanna a moment. Trixie put her hand on Deanna's arm.

  “Deanna, we have to let them take him so we can figure out what happened.”

  “I want to see him. I need to know for sure it's my David,” she pleaded. “What if there’s been some mistake?”

  The medics looked at Trixie and she looked at Clive, who had just walked up and he nodded.

  One of the medics unzipped the bag enough so Deanna could see David's face. This was not how any wife should see their husband. He was ghastly pale and so clearly lifeless. It made Trixie sick to her stomach to see that and had the same effect on Deanna as she quickly turned away and threw up.

  The medic zipped the bag back up and they finished their walk to the ambulance, loading up the body and heading back down the driveway.

  “Deanna, I know this is a horrible time but if I can ask you a few questions sooner rather than later it will be really helpful,” Clive said softly.

  She choked back some sobs and nodded. Clive took a seat next to her on the bench and pulled out a notebook. Normally Trixie would tease him about needing to get up into the technology age, but this wasn't exactly the right time and place.

  “When did you realize David was missing?” Clive asked gently.

  “That's just it. He wasn't. I mean, I had no idea he wasn’t where he was supposed to be. I thought he was at a wine conference in California. He left yesterday morning and was going to be home Friday.”

  Clive raised his eyebrows and shot a quick glance at Trixie, who shrugged. She didn't know any more information if that's what he was hoping for. “When was the last time you talked to him?” Clive continued.

  “When he left. We had breakfast and I dropped him at the airport.”

  “He didn't call when he got there?” Clive asked and Deanna looked a little annoyed through her tears.
<
br />   “Are you accusing me of something?” she asked, and Trixie thought the same thing. Surely Clive didn't think Deanna had anything to do with it.

  Clive shook his head and held up his hand. “No, no. I'm simply trying to get as much information as I can,” he said, and Deanna seemed to accept that answer as her shoulders slumped.

  “He didn't. Normally he does, but I assumed with the time change and the conference starting right when he got there that he just hadn't had the time.”

  “Did he have any arguments with anyone? Or anyone he might consider an enemy?” Clive continued.

  “No. Everyone loved David. We were so happy here. We had an amazing life,” Deanna responded with a fresh onslaught of tears.

  “OK, I think that's enough for now, but I may have questions later.”

  “Of course,” she choked out.

  Clive patted Deanna on the shoulder and then turned to walk away.

  “I'll be right back,” Trixie said to Deanna and followed him.

  “What do you think?” she asked.

  “I won't know until I talk to the medical examiner.”

  “But...”

  “No buts, Trix. I'm not saying a word until I have more information.”

  Clive turned back and headed to his car and Trixie couldn't help but think there was no way this was an accident. It had to be murder.

  Chapter 4

  The next morning Trixie decided to head back out to Bramble Patch Winery to check on Deanna and make sure she was ok. She'd left Deanna the night before after she finally convinced her to get some sleep, which hadn’t been easy. Deanna had some left-over sedatives from a minor dental procedure a few months back and, after taking one of those with some hot tea, she'd finally calmed down enough to attempt to sleep.

  Trixie felt so badly for her. She couldn't imagine what Deanna was going through, which was why she had asked Cora to cover for her at Read Wine today. She wanted to come back and provide support for Deanna in any way she could. As Trixie pulled up to the winery parking lot, she expected it to be void of cars, thinking it would be closed due to David’s death. She was surprised to see a few cars in the parking lot and Trixie assumed either the employees had opened for Deanna or she was trying to distract herself by staying open. Not a bad idea. In Trixie’s experience, keeping busy was very therapeutic.

  Trixie parked her car and got out. Locking the door and pocketing her keys, she walked up to the storefront, stepped up the two steps and then through the door. She saw Tracy, the manager, behind the cash register but didn't see Deanna. So maybe Tracy had taken the initiative and opened for her.

  Tracy looked up as she heard the doors signal someone was walking in. “Hi. Trixie, right?” she said as Trixie approached the counter.

  “Yup. Did you open the store today?” Trixie asked and Tracy nodded.

  “I felt so bad about everything that's happened and Deanna said last night there was nothing I could do, but I thought the least I could do is keep things running until she decides what she wants. That way there's still income coming in. Plus, someone needs to monitor the wine currently in production or she could stand to lose a lot of money. Even if she doesn't want to continue without David, she can sell the wine to another distributor.”

  The thought hadn't even occurred to Trixie that Deanna may not want to continue things without David. It seemed too soon to even try to make that decision or even think about it. But Tracy was the manager and it was her responsibility to stay on top of the business, so Trixie guessed it made sense it would be on her mind.

  “Sell? Do you think Deanna would sell without David?” Not that it seemed that far-fetched, but it also seemed odd for Tracy to think about it less than twenty-four hours after David had died.

  “This business was more David's thing than Deanna's, but I don’t know. I guess I just want to make sure things keep running smoothly so she doesn't have to think about it and it’s what David would want.”

  Again, that made sense. “Deanna is lucky to have such a loyal employee.”

  “Well, I worked for David and I care about the business.”

  Trixie thought it a little odd Tracy felt it necessary to add that disclaimer because even if David had been the manager it was their business together and solely Deanna's now. Why even mention it all? What was the point?

  “I'm going to head to the back and see if I can help Deanna with anything,” Trixie said.

  “Wait a minute. I was just getting ready to take her some coffee. I heard someone moving around up there so I assume she's up.”

  Tracy turned away from Trixie, walked over to the coffee pot behind her and poured a cup, adding cream and sugar. Trixie assumed that was how Deanna took it. “Can I get you one as well?” Tracy called over her shoulder.

  “If it's not too much trouble that would be great.”

  Tracy grabbed another coffee cup off the rack that was nailed to the wall and poured the coffee, looking at Trixie expectantly.

  “Black with a little splash of cream, please.”

  Tracy put the pot back and then transferred both to a tray, turning around and setting the tray down in front of her. “Here you go. Do you know where her suite is located?” Trixie shook her head. “Just go through that door into the backroom where you were yesterday. Then on the other side of the room you will see a set of stairs and that goes up to the second floor, which is all living quarters.”

  “Thanks.” Trixie picked up the tray, walking carefully to not spill it. She felt grateful Tracy had poured the coffee in big mugs but only three-quarters full. Very smart thinking if she were to make it walking across the backroom and then up a flight of stairs without spilling any.

  Trixie felt very accomplished as she reached the top of the stairs and set the tray down on the small table outside the door without spilling a drop. She knocked on the door; not wanting to just barge in.

  “Deanna, it's me, Trixie. I brought you some coffee.” Trixie called out then stood there for a moment wondering if Deanna even heard her. Maybe she should just go in? She put her hand on the doorknob to turn it to see if it would open but it was locked. She knocked again and this time she heard Deanna say, “Just a minute, I'm coming.”

  The footsteps got louder as Deanna got closer to the door. The deadbolt clinked as she unlocked it and then opened the door. She was in the same clothes she'd gone to bed in and Trixie could tell she had already been up crying this morning. Trixie turned back around to the table to get the tray and Deanna took a step back in the room, holding the door open while Trixie walked through.

  “You want to sit at the kitchen table, or would you rather sit on the couch?” Trixie asked.

  “Follow me.”

  Trixie followed Deanna down the hallway into the master bedroom and then across the room. Deanna whipped back some curtains and proceeded to open a set of double doors that opened out onto a small balcony overlooking the vineyard.

  “Wow, Deanna, this view is gorgeous,” Trixie said and set the tray of coffee down on a little table.

  “It was David’s favorite part of the house,” she said sadly.

  “I can see why.”

  “Thank you for bringing me the coffee. I’ve been up for a while, but I wasn't in the mood to face people downstairs.”

  “So, you know Tracy opened the place today?” Trixie said, taking a sip of coffee.

  Deanna nodded, holding her cup in her hands but not drinking. “David ran everything, and Tracy was his right hand, so she probably knows better than anyone what's going on. I appreciate her taking the initiative.”

  “Yeah, it's nice she's keeping things running for you.” Trixie wasn't going to say anything about thinking Tracy's behavior was a bit odd. Deanna didn't need to worry about that. Plus, it was her opinion and what did that matter?

  The two women sat in silence for a few minutes. Trixie didn’t want to harass Deanna and ask her a bunch of questions, plus the view was captivating. It was nice to take it in and enjoy the landsca
pe around the winery.

  “I don't understand how he came back to the winery and I never saw him,” Deanna said, breaking the silence. “Why would he come back and not tell me?”

  Trixie had been wondering that herself, but hadn't wanted to ask.

  “Trixie?”

  “Yes.”

  “I don't know why, but someone murdered my David. Will you help me find out who did it?”

  Chapter 5

  Trixie sat there, stunned. It's what she’d been thinking since last night, but she was surprised Deanna saw through her grief enough to want to investigate on her own. Trixie knew Clive wanted to get all the information he could before determining the cause of death, but it was homicide. Trixie didn’t need the official word from Clive to know that. She’d tossed and turned all night thinking about it, and it was the only thing that made sense. Even though it really didn’t make sense either. Why would anyone murder a small winery owner?

  Before Trixie could say anything, Deanna continued talking, “He was so excited to go on this trip; talking about how it would take us to the next level. He was like a little boy in that regards, always distracted by the bright and shiny. However, for once I agreed we were ready to expand our little business. There's nothing that would have stopped him from getting on that plane unless it was extremely serious. And for him not to get on the plane and not tell me? That wouldn't happen. He never would have done that. Never!” she said vehemently.

  While that might be true, Trixie couldn’t help thinking something or someone did stop him from getting on that plane or he wouldn’t have been found three thousand miles away from where he was supposed to be.

  “Do you know if anyone talked to him? Like maybe he had a friend come pick him up?”

  Deanna shook her head. “We haven't been back here in Romero that long and we haven't socialized much. This is going to sound pathetic, but we really didn't have friends. We’ve been too busy working on the business to make friends. The only person he would call would be Tracy and it wasn't her.”