White Cloud Retreat

by Dianne Harman

  She turned around and faced him raising her hands as if in mock surrender. “I don’t think it was a conscious act on my part. Honest. Rain was coming and pinot noir sounded like it would be a good idea on a rainy night, and Jesse was talking about how sorry he was that Scott died. One thing just led to another.”

  “Uh-huh, I’ll bet. Okay, I’ll bite. Did you find out the names of the vintners?”

  “Not from Jesse. When I got home a couple of hours ago I told you I needed to spend some time on my computer and while I was checking my email and doing some bookkeeping, I decided to see if I could find out anything about them, so I Googled them. Jesse had mentioned their first names and I just typed those in along with Cedar Bay pinot noir vineyards and guess what?”

  “You found out who the vintners are. Would I be right?”

  “Bingo. You win. Their last name is Pellino and they own the Pellino Brothers Vineyard. I knew there was a vineyard on the property next to the Center, but I never thought much about it. Evidently they sell so-so pinot noir wine to several large discount chains and now they’re making plans to introduce a new premium pinot noir, hoping to break into the high-end market. I was going to tell you all of this after dinner. I just didn’t have a chance. Now you know what I know.”

  “I think I’ve met them. Seems to me they were having problems a few years ago with an employee threatening them because they’d fired him. As I remember, they definitely weren’t charmers. In fact, they were arrogant and gave the impression they were better than anyone else. Seemed like the kind of men who would enjoy kicking a dog. I better pay them a visit.”

  “See, aren’t you glad I took a few moments and looked them up? I probably saved you some time.”

  “Kelly, have I ever told you that you see the world tilted at a little different angle than other people do? It’s not particularly a bad thing, but at times it drives me nuts.”

  “I love you too, Sweetheart. Now that the subject of the murder is out of the way, let’s enjoy the fire.”

  *****

  Luca, I’d like to propose a toast to our new venture, the Pellino Brothers Vineyard Premium Pinot Noir. With Scott Monroe dead, our pinot noir will soon become the benchmark for the highest quality pinot noir in this area and hopefully, in all of Oregon. Glad we called Mr. Rossi and Guido came out here to Oregon. Pretty smart of him to enroll in those yoga classes Scott taught. Gave him a good opportunity to get close to him. Rest in Peace, Zen Master, Dante said.

  CHAPTER 13

  The next morning, Mike was sitting at his desk at the Sheriff’s Office when his intercom buzzed.

  “Yes, what is it, Angie?” he asked his long time secretary.

  “Sorry to bother you, Mike, but there’s a guy on line two from the Oregon Department of Agriculture. He says he wants to talk to you personally rather than to one of the deputies. His name is Bob Waters.”

  “Okay, thanks Angie, I’ll take it.” He picked up his phone. “Hello, this is Sheriff Mike Reynolds.”

  “Sheriff, my name is Bob Waters and I work for the Oregon Department of Agriculture in Salem. I’m the Director of the Toxic Substances Division and Chief Enforcement Officer for the State of Oregon when it comes to prosecuting farmers who use illegal or banned chemical substances in connection with their farming practices. I think we met a few years back when you attended a seminar we sponsored dealing with illegally dumping toxic materials.”

  “Of course, Bob. I remember you. We were having a problem here in Beaver County with some illegal dumping over at a copper mine on the far side of the county. You gave me some good tips on how to enforce the laws that were on the books. It’s nice to hear from you. What can I do for you?”

  “Well, I read in the paper about the death of Scott Monroe, the owner of the White Cloud Winery. I was shocked to learn that he was murdered. He was a leader here in Oregon in the growing practice of organic farming, particularly as it relates to vineyards. His vineyard was one hundred percent organic. He refused to allow any type of herbicide, pesticide, or artificial fertilizer to be used in his vineyard. In fact, two years ago we featured his vineyard in our monthly newsletter that deals with the advantages of organic farming. He’s really going to be missed.

  “Anyway, the reason I’m calling is I wanted to tell you about an incident that happened out at the White Cloud Vineyard a couple of weeks before Scott was killed. He called me and told me he was having a problem with brown leaf spot on some of his vines. He asked me to come out and take a look at a certain area of his vineyard because he suspected the vines in that area had been exposed to some type of toxic substance. A couple of days later I went out to the White Cloud Vineyard, met with Scott, and inspected the vines in question. I told Scott that, in my professional opinion, I thought they’d been exposed to some type of toxic chemical, probably Dead Bang. I also remember telling him I thought it had probably drifted onto some of the vines in his vineyard from an adjoining property. Dead Bang is a powerful herbicide that’s used to control the growth of weeds, but it’s been banned for years. Unfortunately, some unscrupulous farmers are able to get access to it and use it in spite of the ban. It’s a lot cheaper than the legal weed abatement products that are on the market, so that’s why they buy and use it.

  “Scott’s damaged vines were located right next to a county gravel road that leads off towards the Cascades. On the other side of the gravel road is a vineyard owned by the Pellino brothers called the Pellino Brothers Vineyard. The prevailing winds from the Pellino’s property blow directly across the road towards Scott’s vineyard. It looked to me like the only explanation for the damage to Scott’s vines was that some illegal chemicals drifted across the road from the Pellino Brothers Vineyard and damaged Scott’s vines. The drifting of chemical sprays in agricultural areas is a big problem throughout the country and numerous articles and seminars have been held instructing farmers on the safe practices that need to be followed in order to avoid it. Obviously, when the Pellino brothers sprayed the illegal toxic chemical spray on the weeds on their property they didn’t follow the recommended safe procedures for the application of chemical sprays. If they had, the chemicals never would have drifted onto Scott’s property.

  “When I told Scott what I thought had happened he became very angry. I’ve known Scott for a long time and it certainly wasn’t normal for him to become so angry. As I’m sure you know, he was a quiet and peaceful man who lived his Buddhist principles on a day-to-day basis. Becoming as angry as he was when I was there was something he normally never would allow himself to do.

  “He told me he was going to pay a visit to the Pellino brothers as soon as I left. If he confirmed that they were using banned chemical substances to control the weeds in their vineyard, he said he’d call me and ask me to investigate and take the necessary enforcement steps. I never heard back from him and sort of forgot the whole incident until I read about Scott’s death in the newspaper.

  “By the way, the state has had several ongoing enforcement problems with the Pellino brothers and their vineyard. They were issued a citation two years ago for using a chemical pesticide that had been banned from use. They didn’t fight the citation, paid a $4,000 fine, and agreed not to use that particular chemical in the future.

  “Then there was a problem they had with the Oregon Department of Fish and Game. Almost all the vineyards in Oregon have to be enclosed with a ten foot high fence to keep deer from getting into the vineyard and eating the vines. It’s illegal to shoot a deer, even when it’s discovered damaging a farmer’s vineyard. Not long ago, Fish and Game received an anonymous tip that the Pellino brothers were illegally shooting deer on their property and dumping the carcasses in a ravine three miles from their vineyard. A warden found the ravine in question and discovered the remains of twenty-two dead deer in it. He staked out the ravine and watched for the Pellino brothers to see if he could catch them in the act of disposing of an illegally killed deer, but he never could and he had to close the case as unsolved.
<
br />   “I thought what I’ve just told you might be of interest to you in your investigation concerning the murder of Scott Monroe. These Pellino brothers are bad apples and it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if they were somehow involved in Scott’s death. Hope what I’ve told you helps and if you need anything else from me feel free to call. “

  “Thanks, Bob. What you’ve told me is very interesting and you can take it to the bank that I’ll be talking to the Pellino brothers real soon. Thanks again and if you’re ever in this neck of the woods, stop by and I’ll buy you a cup of coffee.”

  Well, well what do you know? Sounds like Scott was really angry at the Pellino brothers and apparently was threatening to report them to the authorities for using illegal chemicals on their property. Wonder if he actually went to their place and talked with them? If he did, that might very well be a motive for them to want to shut Scott up for good.

  CHAPTER 14

  DEIDRE

  “Roxie, I need to get those mini ham and egg muffins prepared and in the oven. The Bible study group will be here in about forty-five minutes and they requested that I make that particular recipe for them. They told me it’s their favorite. That’s the least I can do when they come here every week. Keep the large table by the window open. That’s where they like to sit.”

  “Will do. By the way, just an FYI. You know I take a photography class on Thursday nights.”

  “Yes, I remember you telling me about it. I love the photos you’ve given me of the plants and flowers that are native to this area and the ocean shots. They’re beautiful. I know you made them into postcards for me, but I’ve actually framed a couple instead and have them in my office at home.”

  “What a compliment! What I was going to tell you is there’s a woman in my class who’s pretty weird, but I have to say she’s a real beauty. Her name is Deidre Nelson. I’ve never seen a natural hair color like hers. It’s the most beautiful shade of deep red and she has just a smattering of freckles. Anyway, she spends most of her free time out at the Center and at every class she always talked about Scott and how wonderful he was and how spiritual he was and even how attractive he was. Actually, she looks young enough to have been his daughter, but what I wanted to tell you is that she’s here at the coffee shop right now. Looks like she’s been crying for days. That beautiful face doesn’t look so beautiful now, she’s so red and splotchy. I know you’re interested in what’s going on out at the Center, so I thought you might want to know.”

  “Thanks, Roxie. If she was that attached to Scott I don’t think it’s unusual at all that she’d be grieving and by the way, you never said why you think she’s weird.”

  “Before she became so involved in the Center, she was thinking of becoming a professional photographer. Last I heard she’s still debating whether to do that or go live at the Center and get involved in their residential program, but what threw me one day was when she told me she spent hours photographing her feet. I think that’s pretty weird, although the last few months she hasn’t mentioned anything about her feet, she just talked about Scott. And the way she talked about him wasn’t in a very spiritual manner, if you get the drift of what I’m saying. Let’s face it, Scott was an attractive man and she was well aware of it. From what she said, I guess she thought Scott had a crush on her.”

  “Well, that’s interesting, but I think she misread Scott and I think you’ve gotten the wrong impression as well. Scott claimed he was celibate and from everything I know about him, he held to that.”

  “Just sayin’, Kelly, just sayin’. Just because someone says they’re doin’ or not doin’ something doesn’t necessarily make it so.”

  Roxie’s got to be wrong and that young woman was probably misinterpreting Scott’s interest in her, Kelly thought as she prepared the savory muffins. I’ll put them in the oven when the church group arrives. I’ve got a little time before they get here. Think I’ll go out and talk to that young woman.

  She walked out of the kitchen and couldn’t miss the young woman with the mass of red hair seated in the corner who was dressed in a green sweater, black leggings, and black boots. A dark green wool coat that matched her eyes was lying in the booth beside her.

  She walked over to the young woman and said, “Hi, I’m Kelly, the owner. I don’t think I’ve seen you in here before and I wanted to personally welcome you.”

  “Thanks. My name’s Deidre Nelson. I heard you were the one who discovered Zen Master Scott after he was murdered. Is that true?”

  “Yes. Mind if I sit down? I take it you know him. Did you study with him?”

  “Sure, have a seat. Yes, I’ve been taking classes from him since he opened the Center. I don’t know what…” She started sobbing, trying to wipe the tears from her cheeks. Kelly went behind the counter and got a box of tissues for her. “I’m sorry. I just don’t know what I’m going to do without him.”

  “It’s very hard when we lose a beloved teacher. I remember years ago when a priest in our church passed away. The congregants were devastated.”

  Deidre shook her head from side to side. “You don’t understand. Scott was so much more to me than a teacher.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Nothing. Nothing. I’m just going to miss my teacher. No one can take his place.”

  “I’m sure it feels like that now, but in time, another teacher will take his place. It sounds so trite, but time does heal things. My husband died when he was very young and I was left alone to raise two small children. At the time, I didn’t want to live. Funny, but this coffee shop saved me and gave me a reason to get up in the morning. And believe me, with time it got easier.”

  “I’m having a very hard time realizing he really is dead. In a minute, my world changed. I had to work later than usual that day and didn’t get to the yoga class on time. Actually, I was very late, but I wanted to do the walking meditation that Scott had mentioned the week before. I got to the Center just as the class was walking into the forest. I’d done walking meditations before, so I followed them. I often lose track of time, space, and events when I’m meditating, so I set a buzzer on my watch to go off in fifteen minutes. When it rang I went back to the Center expecting to see Scott and the rest of the class. Several of the others said Scott had been murdered. I ran to the path he always uses when he does a walking meditation and saw him on the ground. The sheriff interviewed all of us and was very kind and friendly to me. I still can’t believe it. Maybe it wouldn’t have happened if Scott hadn’t gone into the forest.”

  “Well, that’s something we’ll never know. I was also participating in the walking meditation when he was killed and I remember seeing a woman with red hair pass by me. It must have been you. I’d like to stay and talk to you, but a group just came in that made a special order request and I need to make sure it gets in the oven.”

  “Thanks, Kelly. I have to get back to work anyway. I work at the photography shop here in town and help Phil with developing customer’s photos and all that stuff. Oh, one other thing,” she said, looking down as she picked up her coat. “Someone told me you and the sheriff were engaged. Is that true?”

  “Yes. We’re getting married in a couple of weeks. Why do you ask?”

  “No reason. Just curious. He’s a very handsome older man and you’re quite lucky to have him. Well, anyway, congratulations.” She stood up, stuffing a couple of the tissues in the pocket of her coat. She walked over to the cash register to pay for lunch and left.

  A few minutes later Roxie said, “Kelly, Deidre left her wallet on the counter next to the cash register after she paid for lunch. What do you want me to do with it? I’d return it to her, but I won’t see her until Thursday and she may need it before then. Plus, she probably won’t even be in class Thursday since Scott’s service is that afternoon. I suppose I could drop it by her apartment after work. I just looked and her address is in her wallet.”

  “Where does she live?”

  “She’s in that apartment building near city h
all, the one with the brick front and white shutters.”

  “I know the one. I’ll drop it by later this afternoon when I’m running some errands. I need to stock up at the bakery and the market. It’s been so busy today that I’ve run out of a number of things. Do you know her apartment number?”

  “Yes. Here, I’ll write it down for you. That way you won’t have to rifle through her wallet. I told you she was weird and she may not like you doing that.”

  “You’re absolutely right, thanks. I’ll put her wallet in the storeroom for now.”

  CHAPTER 15

  “Hello, ladies, it’s good to see all of you again. I’ve made the savory muffins you asked for. They’re in the oven and they’ll be ready in about five minutes. What else can I get for you today?” Kelly asked the six ladies who had come from their weekly Bible study class at the church a block away, just as they did every Tuesday. She took their orders and went into the kitchen to get the muffins.

  “Well, I don’t care what you think,” she overheard Ellie, a large lady with tightly permed blue-grey curls and wearing a black dress, say as she brought the orders over to their table. “It’s a good thing he’s dead. We lost a lot of the young people from our church to that smooth-talking non-believer. It may be okay to be a Buddhist in Japan or somewhere over in Asia, but it’s not right for our residents here in Cedar Bay. We’re Christians and we don’t need the likes of him around these parts. Me and a lot of others have hated him for a long time for what he’s done to our church.”

  Kelly purposefully took her time as she served the muffins and main entrees to each of them, listening to the conversation taking place at the table.

  “Ellie, I met him and I thought he was a good man. Not everyone believes in what we believe in and who are we to say what’s right and what’s wrong? He provided a place for people to go who would never come to our church.”