Pinot Red or Dead?

by J. C. Eaton

  “You know very well what I’m talking about. The winery sabotage and the related wine thefts, including the recent smash and grabs in Yates and Seneca Counties. The homicide investigations are another matter entirely, and I can assure you, we’ll be making an arrest soon.”

  “I don’t suppose—”

  “Don’t even ask.”

  “Oh my gosh! Am I looking at the robbery vehicle? Is Sister Gloria right?” Yep, I can go for the dramatic, too.

  At that point, one of the Seneca County deputies stepped forward and shook his head. “Deputy Holm, and before anyone jumps to conclusions, we were sent to this address as part of a routine check. Since the winery thefts involved two counties, we notified our counterpart.”

  “It seems,” Deputy Hickman said, “a van matching the description of the one sighted in the first hijacking was observed making a delivery to the Tri-Lake Diner in Seneca Falls yesterday. We were able to obtain the license and track the van down to this convent.”

  Sister Mary Katherine rested her hand on the hood and gave it a tap. “Our van couldn’t possibly be the one in question. You can check our delivery logs if you’d like. You’ll find we were nowhere near where those awful things took place.”

  “How can you be so sure?” Deputy Holm asked. “According to what you told us before, your deliverymen make stops all over Seneca Lake.”

  “Not on the west side. Our businesses are at the tip of the lake, in Waterloo, Geneva, Seneca Falls…”

  “We’d like to have a good look at that log, Sister, if you don’t mind,” the deputy continued. “Since we don’t have a warrant to remove it, we’d ask if you would be so kind as to make us a copy.”

  “I’ll do it,” Sister Gloria offered. “The log’s in the glove compartment. I review it monthly, not weekly. I’ll head back to the office and make the copy.”

  She opened the passenger door and reached inside. “Here. See for yourself. It’s a detailed list of all the stops made each day. It’s a template I made with time, date, location, and items delivered.” With that, she scurried out of the garage before the deputies had a chance to press her further.

  “We’ll pick it up at the residence,” Deputy Holm shouted. “No need for you to walk back.”

  Then he turned to Sister Mary Katherine. “We’ll need the names, addresses, and phone numbers of your delivery personnel. For questioning.”

  Sister Katherine gasped. “That’s unthinkable. I already opened the van for you and there was no evidence of anything belonging to a winery. No wine bottles, nothing. I didn’t have to do that, you know. I could have insisted on a search warrant.”

  The third deputy, who had been quiet up to that point, finally spoke. “Believe me, Sister, we appreciate it. At this juncture, we’re merely following up on all leads. To make things easier, I can leave you my card and you can email me the personnel information.”

  Sister Mary Katherine sighed. More like a sigh of annoyance than anything else. “As long as you’re stopping by the residence for the delivery log, you might as well wait, and I’ll secure that information for you.”

  Suddenly, she turned and looked at me. “Miss Ellington, forgive me for not addressing you. Was there a reason you walked to the garage?”

  “I came to notify you that entomologist Godfrey Klein is on the premises checking the eradication process. I’m on my way back there, now.”

  “Five people can fit comfortably in the sheriff’s van,” Deputy Hickman said. “You can ride back with us.”

  Talk about a long five minutes. No one said a word until we all exited the vehicle in front of the Tudor structure. When we got to the front steps, Sister Mary Katherine uttered three words to the deputies, “Follow me, please.”

  I tagged along, but only until I reached the foyer. Then I muttered something about having to confer with Godfrey and took off toward the kitchen. Meanwhile, Sister Mary Katherine ushered the deputies into her tight little office.

  A few seconds later, before I reached the kitchen, Sister Gloria appeared with a photocopy of the delivery log. “I had just gotten in the door when all of you walked in. I should’ve waited for a ride. Did they go into Sister Mary Katherine’s office?”

  “Yes. But can you hold on for a minute? I need to ask you something.”

  “Better be quick or they’re likely to send the cavalry.”

  I chuckled and made it as quick as I could. I told Sister Gloria about my encounter with an assailant and asked if she had any idea who might have a reason for not wanting me to snoop around.

  “I’m clueless. Totally clueless. No one even knew you were coming.”

  “I was on my way to the garage. Why try to stop me when three sheriff deputies were there already?”

  “Maybe whoever it was thinks you know too much.”

  Chapter 20

  The look on Sister Gloria’s face told me she was serious.

  “How could I possibly know too much,” I asked, “when I don’t know anything? I’ve got a ton of hunches but nothing viable and certainly nothing that could be substantiated by evidence.”

  Sister Gloria shrugged. “Are we talking about our conversation from the other day? You know, I can’t divulge anything about the Sisters when it comes to who they were before they took their vows. But I can tell you that not everything is as it seems.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “If you’re really intent on finding out who killed your wine distributor, you’ll have to look much deeper than the surface.”

  Oh brother. I think the Cheshire Cat was more helpful than that.

  “And, by the way,” she continued, “were those blueprints any help?”

  “In a way. Someone had a great deal of foresight to commission a project of that scope and size without any indication there would be monies to oversee it.”

  “Ah hah! That’s what I mean about looking further. Every move around here is calculated and that includes the expansion.”

  I took a step closer and kept my voice low. “Am I hearing you right? Because if I am, you’re implicating the Sisters of the Holy Sepulcher in Arnold Mowen’s death. Get him out of the way and the money will come rolling in.”

  “That’s not what I meant, but I agree, it does look bad. When I said, ‘every move,’ I was referring to nurturing the contacts we’ve established over the years. You know, wealthy patrons and families who either attended our school or whose children did. Certainly not some diabolical murder scheme. Lord, save us!”

  “Um, speaking of murder, were you aware Arnold Mowen’s girlfriend, Lavettia Lawrence, was found dead in her condo yesterday morning? Shot in the neck, same as her boss.”

  Sister Gloria crossed herself and took a breath. “Rest her soul. I’m sorry. I really must go.”

  Then, without warning, she pressed a folded piece of paper into my hand and whispered, “I made a copy for you as well.”

  I unfolded the paper and when I looked up, she had gone into Sister Mary Katherine’s office. I looked at the paper again and pursed my lips. I was staring at the delivery log.

  With Deputies Hickman, Holm, and the guy who didn’t give his name, plus Sisters Mary Katherine and Gloria behind closed doors, I figured maybe I’d be better off seeing if I could glean anything from the conversations in the kitchen. With Sister Celeste out of the way, and out of commission for the time being, the kitchen was bound to be much cheerier.

  Aromas of vanilla and cinnamon permeated the room the second I stepped inside. Cheesecakes in various stages of production were all over the place. At least a dozen of them were on cooling racks near a window, while others were waiting on the counter for their turn in the oven. Bowls with assorted mixtures took up every conceivable space.

  Each of the five nuns seemed to have her own space and no one was talking. It was like watching one of those futuristic shows whe
re the robots performed the household chores. In this case, however, there was nothing futuristic about anything. Except for one large blender, all cooking utensils were straight out of the 1950s. Wooden spoons, hand graters, even old baking tins.

  “Hi! Remember me? I’m Norrie Ellington from the other day. I’m here with Godfrey Klein from the entomology department to see if you’ve made any progress removing those stinkbugs.”

  A slender olive-skinned nun, who couldn’t have been much older than eighteen or nineteen, stepped forward. “I think we’ve weathered the storm. The combination of elbow grease and prayer has really helped.”

  “And whatever it was Dr. Klein used to coax those dreadful things out of their hiding spots,” another nun added.

  I wasn’t used to hearing Godfrey referred to as Dr. Klein, but he did have a PhD in entomology, same as Jason. And like Jason, he didn’t flaunt it.

  “I’m glad to hear that,” I said. “Dr. Klein is checking the rest of the residence. I’m sure Sister Celeste will be pleased to know the kitchen is back to normal. I do hope she feels better soon.”

  The olive-skinned nun reached for a pot holder and walked toward one of the ovens. “Yes, that was surprising. Up until now, Sister Celeste’s migraines have never been this bad and have never taken her by surprise, but I understand they can appear suddenly—without warning.”

  I nodded. “So, I imagine tomorrow’s a big delivery day from the looks of the kitchen. I’ve never seen so many cheesecakes in one place.”

  “Saturday’s a major delivery day for us,” she said. “Well, the morning is, anyway. By eleven, the men should be finished with their route. Of course, they’re here by five and on the road by five thirty.”

  “The same men who make all the deliveries?” I asked.

  “Yes. We only have two deliverymen for local patrons, and the guys don’t work every day. I think one of them works for another company when he’s not handling our baked goods. Thankfully, we contract out for our New York City deliveries.”

  I tried not to sound overly exuberant, but this was the closest I was going to get to a lead. “Would you happen to know their names?”

  The Sister took the browned cheesecake from the oven and put it on a cooling rack. “Only their first names—Rob and Derek.”

  Suddenly, one of the Sisters who was at the sink with her back to us, spoke. “I do. But I’m not sure which is which. I heard Sister Celeste speaking with them once and she used formal titles, Mr. Tapscott and Mr. Lungren.”

  “Um, thank you,” I said. “It’s really none of my business. I was just curious. Especially since sheriff’s deputies from two counties are concerned the van might have been used for nefarious purposes.”

  I heard a thud and turned my head sideways to see one of the nuns grab a wooden rolling pin that had dropped from her grip onto the counter. It landed inches from the pile of graham crackers she was pulverizing.

  “Weren’t all of you aware of that?” I asked.

  At that instant, the room came alive with a chorus of “No.”

  The nun who had let Godfrey and me in on our first day here gave a short cough. “We’ve been working in the kitchen since breakfast and early morning prayers. We had no idea. Sister Mary Katherine or Sister Gloria must have answered the door. Does this mean there won’t be anyone to deliver our cheesecakes and tarts tomorrow? We were getting ready to begin the chocolate swirl variety.”

  I brushed a bit of hair out of my eyes. “I think your delivery will go as planned. My understanding is the official visit was more of a fact-finding one. Your van matches the description of the one that was used in those wine hijackings.”

  All movement in the room ceased and a few nuns crossed their chests. I stood there, not sure of what I was going to say next when Godfrey walked in. He had obviously overheard me.

  “I’m sure nothing will come of that visit. There are scads of white delivery vans in this area. Anyway, the good news is we’ve managed to stave off the Boisea trivittata. But that doesn’t mean you’re out of the woods. You’ve got to be vigilant. At the first sign of them, vacuum the entire area and wipe it down with Clorox. Understood?”

  The nuns nodded their heads in unison and Godfrey went on.

  “I was unable to check Sister Celeste’s room, but I don’t think it’s a concern. Again, let her know what I said. All right?”

  Again, the nodding in unison. Godfrey took me by the arm and ushered me toward the door leading out to the foyer. “I’ll have one last minute look-see and we’ll let Sister Mary Katherine know we’ve completed our check of the premises,” he said to the Sisters. “Should anything come up, please don’t hesitant to contact the Experiment Station.”

  “You should’ve asked to sample the cheesecake,” I muttered when we were clear of the kitchen. “It smelled heavenly. No pun intended.”

  “Maybe they’ll send us one. I wanted us to hustle out of there and go back upstairs for a minute. Hurry up. A second sheriff’s car is out front. Do you know what’s going on?”

  “Yeah. Did you take a close look? It’s Deputy Hickman’s. It was parked by the garage. Long story. They’re all in Sister Mary Katherine’s office.”

  “All?”

  “Deputy Hickman, two deputies from Seneca County, Sister Mary Katherine, and Sister Gloria. What is it you want to show me upstairs?”

  “Not show. Smell. Come on.”

  “Ew. Is this going to be one of those disgusting bug things?”

  Godfrey shook his head and smiled. It was the first time I’d actually seen his smile up close and I had to admit, it was adorable. Perfect teeth and all. My God! What was getting into me? Here I was, dating a hunk-of-the-year and practically salivating over another guy’s mouth. I needed to rein myself in.

  “No, hurry up.”

  We raced up the stairs, all the while trying not to make much noise. When we reached the corridor, Godfrey tiptoed a few feet down and whispered, “What do you smell?”

  Okay. So, I wasn’t losing my mind. It was the same cloying smell I’d noticed on my first visit, only this time it seemed a bit stronger.

  “Stale perfume?”

  “I thought so, too,” he said, “but I wasn’t sure. That’s why I had you come up here. You caught a whiff of that odor, too. Perfume could cause a problem. Some insects are attracted to perfumes, lotions, and even certain laundry detergents. The scent is heaviest near Sister Celeste’s room, and there’s no tactful way of putting it—she needs to stop using body scents if she expects this place to remain insect free.”

  “Since when do nuns douse themselves in perfume?” I asked.

  “Now that you mention it, maybe it’s not perfume. It could be any number of things. Like one of those air sprays. Glade, Febreze… Face it, left to its own devises, this place smells like a 1940s schoolhouse. Anything would be better. Still, the Sisters in this convent need to understand the risks involved if they get overly indulgent with sprays and perfumes. I’ll mention it to Sister Mary Katherine on our way out the door.”

  Our timing couldn’t have been better. When we reached the bottom of the stairwell, Sister Mary Katherine was closing the front door.

  I gave Godfrey a nudge. “Whew! Glad I didn’t have another encounter with Grizzly Gary.”

  Sister Mary Katherine spun around and walked toward us. “How did everything go? Are we in the clear?”

  Godfrey reiterated everything he had told the Sisters in the kitchen and advised that they refrain from using perfumes and the like.

  “I would find it odd that one of our Sisters would be indulging in body scents,” Sister Mary Katherine said, “but as far as aerosol sprays are concerned, I’m afraid we’re all at fault. This building is quite old, and I’m afraid it’s retained the scent of old wood and stale air. It wasn’t built with airflow in mind. Hopefully, we’ll be able to proceed with our renovation and
expansion plan. Then old lingering scents will no longer trouble us.”

  Before Godfrey could reply, I spoke. “Uh, speaking of trouble, I hope everything works out as far as your van is concerned. I can imagine what a shock that must have been.”

  “I’m not worried,” the Sister said. “I’m sure once they’re done investigating, they’ll realize how mistaken they were. Thank you, Dr. Klein and Miss Ellington, for all your help with those stinkbugs. I suppose the next time I see you will be at the reading of Mr. Mowen’s will. Strange request, the reading. I don’t like driving at night and neither do the other Sisters. We’ll figure something out. Maybe we’ll have one of our delivery men drive us to your winery. Anyway, I look forward to our next meeting.”

  Godfrey extended his hand and they shook. “I’m afraid it will be Miss Ellington at the reading of the will. I really have no part in that.”

  Like a burp, the words escaped my mouth. “You’re more than welcome to listen in. Who knows? Maybe the Experiment Station will turn out to be one of the beneficiaries.”

  Godfrey and Sister Mary Katherine stared at me as if I’d lost my mind.

  I remember uttering some inconsequential pleasantries before Godfrey escorted me out of the place.

  “You weren’t serious,” he said, “about having me attend the reading of Arnold’s will?”

  It dawned on me, at that very instant, I was indeed serious. “Your presence would make those nuns more comfortable. Like a common denominator.”

  “Holy cow! I’ve been called lots of things, but common denominator really takes the cake!”

  We laughed and I brushed the bangs from my face as I approached the car.

  Godfrey immediately noticed. “Hey! How’d you get that cut? It wasn’t there this morning. I’ve got some Neosporin in the glove compartment and some Band-Aids. In my line of work, they come in handy.”

  I told him about the assault, even though “assault” seemed like a pretty strong word for what it really was—a shoulder blade pinch and a shove.

  “Good grief, Norrie. That’s really troubling. But it does make something clear.”