A Vintage Murder

by Michele Scott

  “But you do have it, and you don’t need classes or a look, because you’re beautiful just the way you are.”

  Oh God, melting like butter, practically falling off the chair. Brain connect. “Thank you, but honestly, don’t you think this is too weird? And, I don’t know that even if this situation had fallen into my lap in a different way that I would have accepted it. My life is so different now. I mean, I manage a winery. Your winery. I have friends in Napa and I love what I do. I really love it. And, then there’s . . .” She looked down at her hands and then back up at him. “There’s us. Now, there’s us.”

  “And you think because you star in this movie that it will change anything?”

  “I, well . . .”

  He took her hand. “I know that this is sudden and overwhelming and you’re thinking tabloids and unwanted press. Am I right?”

  “Kind of.”

  “I’m sure there will be some of that. But you can handle it. And, you know you’re boring anyway. If the National Enquirer finds a story on you, surely someone like a Lindsay Lohan will beat you to the punch.”

  “Thanks. I think.”

  “No, I don’t mean boring in a bad way. What I mean is, you’re normal. Tabloids want exploitation and there is nothing to exploit about you. So, you take this role. Take the money, for God’s sakes. Who knows, we may have a bunch of kids to put through college one day, and what if I start making crappy wine and the business turns to sour grapes? You’ll need to support us.” He laughed.

  Kids. He just said kids. A bunch of kids. Yes, she did want kids. Sure. Soon. She would need kids soon because the biological clock was ticking, but she’d never heard him mention children before. This was a good thing. A little sudden, but good.

  “Nikki? Are you listening?” She nodded. “Like Kane said, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Maybe it’ll be a hit like they’re saying it will be, or maybe not. Maybe you’ll find out that acting really is that thing you’ve been passionate about. That thing you gave up on, and then sometimes lie awake at night wondering about.” She squinted. How did he know she did that? “Oh I know.” He shook a finger at her as if reading her mind. “We all do it. We’ve all had hopes and dreams, goals we gave up on or couldn’t make happen for whatever reason, and after everything is said and done, there are times we wonder, ‘what if?’ What if I’d done it this way or that way? Or tried that or this, taken this guy’s advice or didn’t listen to that guy? What if?”

  Nikki called the waiter over and ordered a glass of Cabernet. Although the champagne was gone—most of it consumed by Kane and Nathan—she had the feeling that this conversation might go well with a glass of red. Derek followed suit and suggested they order dinner. They both ordered Australian rib-eye steaks.

  “Your ‘what if’ song and dance sounds to me somewhat melancholy. Is there a ‘what if’ in your past?” Nikki asked.

  He took both of her hands. “Almost.”

  “Almost?”

  “Yeah, you. I thought about it and thought about it, and I’ve played out, what if you didn’t choose me, or what if I hadn’t taken a chance and called you while sitting on the tarmac? Or what if I’d been a chicken shit and not told Renee the truth and she was the one here with me now?”

  Nikki didn’t like the sound of that at all. Renee Rothschild was the daughter of a big-time San Francisco publisher who had published a book about the winery that Derek had coauthored. Nikki had worked on the book herself. Upon meeting Derek Malveaux, Renee had gotten all hot and bothered over his green eyes and chiseled features, not to mention those abs that Nikki was aching to run her fingers over. “What if” was right! Nikki knew if she hadn’t heard that message from Derek before heading to the airport—if he hadn’t made the call at that very moment—she would be in Spain. God, Andrés! She had to face it. Face him. Nikki didn’t know how to answer Derek.

  “I’ll tell you what, I would be completely miserable because I know that I would have lost you, and Renee would be nothing but trouble. The only reason I showed any interest in her was because I thought I’d already lost you and I really didn’t think that I was the best man for you.”

  “Why?”

  “Come on, Nik. We both know that diving in, taking a chance—at least in relationships—hasn’t been my thing. It scares the hell out of me. You, me—us—scares the hell out of me.”

  “Then why? Why take the chance, make the move?”

  “It was that, or be miserable asking myself what if for the rest of my life. And, you and I both know that if you don’t do this movie, you’ll be doing the same thing. Maybe not now, or a year from now, but maybe ten, twenty years from now, you’ll wonder, what if . . .”

  The waiter set down their glasses of wine. She smiled and raised her glass. “Here’s to ‘what if.’”

  Pan-Seared Australian Beef Rib-Eye Steak with Cabernet Sauce and Pear Risotto with Woop Woop Cabernet Sauvignon

  Nothing like a good steak and a bottle of Cab to help make those “what if” decisions with a clear head. If you’re not an Aussie and don’t have access to their delicious beef, pick up some steaks at the local market and use the recipe all the same. It’s delicious!

  The Woop Woop Cab is full of intense flavors of spice, black cherries, and mulberries. It is a rich Cab that lingers on the palate for a long-lasting finish.

  BEEF

  4 Australian beef rib-eye steaks, trimmed

  salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

  2 tbsp olive oil

  PEAR RISOTTO

  2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

  2 spring onions, chopped

  1½ cups Arborio rice

  1 large pear, peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes

  1 cup white wine (try a rich Chardonnay)

  4 cups hot chicken stock

  white pepper to taste

  CABERNET SAUCE

  ½ cup Cabernet Sauvignon (or Shiraz)

  ¼ cup beef broth

  Season steaks to taste and let come to room temperature.

  To prepare risotto, heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 1 minute or until starting to soften, but not brown. Add rice and pear. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until rice is well coated. Pour in wine, stirring until all liquid is absorbed. Reduce heat to medium-low, add chicken stock a ladle at a time, stirring constantly and allowing all liquid to be absorbed before adding the next ladleful. Continue until rice is creamy and al dente, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and season with pepper. Cover and allow to sit for 2-3 minutes before serving.

  While risotto is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over high heat and cook beef for 1-2 minutes on each side. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook beef for 3-4 minutes or to your liking. Transfer to a heated plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

  For the sauce, pour wine and broth into pan and simmer over medium-high heat until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.

  To serve, spoon risotto into large bowls. Slice steaks, arrange over risotto, then pour wine reduction over top. Serve with more of the Cabernet and a large green salad.

  Serves 4-6.

  Chapter 12

  The night didn’t end with Nikki in Derek’s arms, but yet again sleeping next to Simon, who was unable to procure another room. And this time, if anyone had been snoring, it wasn’t her. Simon sang out like a buzz saw, while she tossed and turned and wondered about what it was she was about to do. Before turning in she had called Kane Ferriss and agreed to do the movie. He and Nathan Cooley expected her there at six thirty the next morning.

  She finally did get some sleep but was awakened not long after by Simon, the scent of eau de vino on his breath and oozing out of his pores. Though a bit hung-over, he insisted on escorting her to her first day on the set. Derek was asleep as they tiptoed past him. Nikki stopped at the door as Simon headed toward the elevator. “I’ll be there in a minute,” she told him. He nodded and she quietly walked back over to where Derek lay sleeping on the sofa bed.
She leaned over and kissed his cheek.

  He opened an eye, and a smile spread across his face. He pulled her down on him and twirled her around so that he was on top. She yelped in surprise. “I thought you were asleep.”

  He winked. “Fooled you. So, you’re really doing it, huh?”

  “I thought we were waiting for the right time and all that.” Not that she probably couldn’t get into it right here, right now, but she had promised to be at the set on time.

  He planted a kiss on her. “No, silly. The movie.”

  She hesitated. “I think so, I mean I guess so. God, I don’t know.”

  “Shut up and go and do it. I know you’ll kick ass. Then next year, when we walk the red carpet, I can say yep, Nikki Sands is my woman.”

  She kissed him back. “Why are you so wonderful?”

  He shrugged. “No clue. It must be your influence.” He kissed her on the bridge of her nose and rolled off, just when she was getting awfully damn warm and comfortable. “Now go, you don’t want to be late for the first day of shooting.”

  “Will you be by?”

  “Yep. I’m meeting with Liam. We’re going to finally tackle the contracts we’ve drawn up. His attorney will be there, and I’ve already faxed the contracts over to mine so we can have a conference call. We’ve basically handled Liam’s problem.”

  “You still can’t tell me what that is?”

  “You know I can’t. I have to keep my word to Liam.”

  “What happens when all the business is summed up, if I’m still doing this thing?”

  “The movie? You will be. But I was thinking that I could use a couple of weeks off. You work. I play. I may like you being a movie star. I get more time off, especially if we decide to cohabitate or even get married.”

  Instead of saying something charming and brilliant, Nikki did what she always did when she didn’t know what to do—something stupid. She picked up a pillow and threw it at him. “Fat chance.”

  He pulled the pillow away from his face, looking awfully cute with his rumpled hair and sleepy eyes. “What does that mean?”

  “Fat chance that I’ll become a movie star.” And with that she shut the door, and was walking on air. Okay, it was out there, on the line—cohabitate, as in live together, and even marry. Throw in the kid comment from the night before and talk about overwhelming. Oh God, there went that plummeting in her stomach again. Was it all too fast, and could she do what she knew her Aunt Cara would tell her to and go with it? And what about closure with Andrés? She needed to handle that. She hurried to the elevator, where Simon waited.

  “Okay, peaches and cream, let’s get a move on. This boy here needs a mimosa or a friggin’ Bloody Mary, something off the hair of the dog that bit me, or whatever the saying goes, and you have a movie script to start reading. Chop-chop.”

  Nothing like Simon to pull you out of a moment, or out of anything, really. She stood up straight, head held high, and took the elevator down to the lobby, praying that the confident look would not be detectable as phony.

  When the door opened she was blasted by three people with cameras, all snapping her picture. “Nikki Sands, right?” one yelled. “You’ll be taking Lucy Swanson’s role in Nathan Cooley’s movie. How do you feel about that? Isn’t it harsh?”

  She was so not ready for this. Get back in the elevator, go back to the room, and hide under the covers. But no, Simon covered for her. “Excuse me, Ms. Sands has no comment at the moment. Thank you.”

  “Who are you?” one of the cameramen asked.

  “Her bodyguard, and watch out, sucker, I know Jiu-Jitsu. You know—Jiu-Jitsu? Brazilian wrestling? Not just wrestling, actually. I can kill a man with my bare hands,” he snarled.

  It took everything Nikki had not to burst out laughing. They got into a cab Simon had called, leaving the car for Derek. “Jiu-Jitsu?” she asked.

  He laughed, too. “Oh, honey, have you ever watched it on TV? It is spectacular. Two sweaty men groveling on the floor.”

  “Enough already. I sure didn’t expect that. How did they even find out I’d been offered this? And, they’re right. It is harsh, only one day after Lucy was killed.”

  “Killed? You say that as in murdered.”

  Nikki noticed the cabdriver eyeing them in his mirror. She lowered her voice. “I think there was foul play.”

  “No! Come on. It was one of those bizarre things that happen. The snake got into the RV and into her bed, and there you have it. Sayonara.” He slid a finger along the base of his throat.

  “Simon, I’m serious. You don’t think I’m doing this to become the next name on the front of the Enquirer, do you?” What she didn’t want to add was the fact that acting in this movie would gain her access to people who had been around Lucy. She wasn’t just going to work, she was going sleuthing. Being in that vineyard, on the set would give her the access she needed. But she didn’t have to tell Simon, because he read her mind.

  “Oh God, no, say it isn’t so. That’s it. You are cuckoo. Completely off your rocker. You wanna go play a Charlie’s Angel, not Nicole Kidman. What the hell is wrong with you?”

  “I can’t help myself. Sure, I want to try the acting thing, but more than that I want to find out the truth about what happened to Lucy. Let’s get real. The murder statistics aren’t high in this area. If I had to put money on it, I’d say that Detective Von Doussa hasn’t seen more than one or two in his day. He was shocked when I even suggested it.”

  “Well duh. Everyone is, sweetheart. You are the only one who is screaming murder. Get over it. It was freaky. The snake snuck out, probably because Andy didn’t latch the terrarium, and now lady luck is on your side. Make the best of it. Because, honey, I’m telling you now, when you walk down that red carpet, I’m going with you and I am so sporting an Armani tux. I always wanted one. Eat your heart out, Marco.”

  Nikki sank back, crossed her arms, and closed her eyes. She didn’t give a rat’s ass what everyone else thought. Sure, she’d learn her lines and she’d give the performance of a lifetime, but she was also going to prove that Lucy Swanson’s death was not an accident.

  Chapter 13

  When Nikki and Simon rolled into the vineyard after security checked them through, the movie set was already bustling. Nikki made a mental note that buddying up to all the security guys would not be a bad idea. They were hulking men—not people you’d want to mess with. But Nikki had questions for them. There was always one guy up front when people went in and out of the vineyard; maybe he’d let in someone who wasn’t supposed to be there during the party. Still, tracking all of them might not be so easy, but one of her first items in solving Lucy’s murder would be to find out which guard was working the night of the party. Also, if that guard was on all night. Maybe he’d seen or heard something. Oh, and then there was the one security guy—the kid. The one that Andy had reprimanded for yelling for him when they were checking out the animals. What was his name? Will. That was it. That could be an in, a good way to go. She’d have to talk with Andy or Liam and see if she could get an introduction. She’d have to make up some excuse as to why she wanted to meet him, but she was sure she could come up with something.

  Kane greeted her with a hot cup of coffee. “Good to see you didn’t change your mind. I know this has been a lot to dump on you, but I can’t tell you what this means to me, to all of us who believe in this film. I put a copy of the script in makeup, with Johnny. We’ll film some scenes that won’t include your character, Elizabeth Wells, in it. Then we’ll do the first scene with you, the one that I’ve highlighted in your script. You’re going to have to do a lot of quick memorizing, but since you’ve already been in the business, you should be able to adjust quickly. Also, there are a couple of books that had been written about Elizabeth, along with some old footage taken of her. Before she died she did some documentaries. I also met her and worked with her briefly on a documentary. When we get a chance we should sit down and discuss her in more detail.”

  “El
izabeth Wells?” Nikki asked. Where had she heard that name?

  He lowered his voice. “It’s pretty well known, but everyone is staying quiet about it because it makes Grace uncomfortable. Liam wrote this script in honor of Elizabeth. They had been lovers, and Grace knew her, too. This is before Liam and Grace were married. It would be convenient if you could speak to them about Elizabeth, but with Grace I don’t see that happening. I get the vibe she’s not entirely happy about this movie being made in the first place.”

  Oh yes, now she remembered, Sarah Fritz had talked about Elizabeth and Liam. So, it was true what Sarah had been going on about. No wonder Grace didn’t exactly seemed pleased about the movie. And, what if Grace—oh wow—was willing to do anything to have this movie shut down? Could she go so far as to kill Lucy? If so, did that mean Nikki was in any trouble here?

  “You’ll get a chance to speak to Liam about Elizabeth. He’s on the set frequently, but be delicate when you bring it up.” He winked at her. “I’ll get you the background stuff to study, but you better hit that script.”

  She tried to smile, but she hadn’t read, much less memorized a script in years, and never for a feature, and now she had this dread pulling at her where Grace Hahndorf was concerned. A picture of Julie Andrews singing “Confidence” played out in her mind. “No problem. I can do it.”

  “That’s the spirit,” Kane said.

  Not only had Nikki pegged it when she could tell Grace was not pleased about the movie, but now the words of Sarah Fritz haunted her. She could understand why Grace would not want Liam to have written the script. He’d loved Elizabeth. Yet, he married Grace, even though it was after Elizabeth’s death. But they had Hannah together, which meant he must have loved her to have a child with her. But what if Grace had gotten pregnant early on in the relationship? Sure, they may have married because Grace wound up pregnant with Hannah, but Nikki found it hard to believe that they’d stayed married over twenty years because of the girl. Nikki would have to do the numbers, and find out how long ago Liam and Elizabeth had been involved, when she died, and when he and Grace wound up together. She figured Hannah to be in her early twenties, but she would need to know for certain to follow this particular thread.