Merlot and Murder

by Samantha Silver

  Naturally, everyone and their mother were talking about it in Rosemary Creek. Speculation as to why she did it flew from every corner of town, but only a few guessed correctly. Or at least, what I assumed to be correctly. Alicia so far hadn't told the Napa County Sheriff's Department why she did it – as far as anyone in town knew, anyway - just that she did, and that she wanted her daughters to be taken care of by her own parents, who lived in Sacramento. Apparently, Kirsten and Amanda would be leaving to move into their grandparent's house at the end of August, right before they had to start at a new school.

  I shuddered at the thought of those poor girls going through something so traumatic and then having to deal with something like fitting in at a brand-new school. In my mind, it just didn't make any sense that Alicia would do something that would take her away from her daughters like that. They had all seemed so normal and happy enough on the day of the wine tour. Was it really jealousy over Janice and Nick's affair that caused Alicia to snap?

  Thinking back to the night we were spying on the Stowe house, I pictured Alicia sitting at her dining room table, so upset. It wasn't like I thought - that she was grieving over her loss - but that she was more likely feeling guilty and horrified over what she'd done. Alicia crumbling to pieces at the sight of her husband's body when we finished the wine tour, the look on her face when I checked his pulse, it was pure terror. But it didn't seem to be because she was worried about someone finding out the truth. It looked like she was just as bewildered as the rest of us were.

  "You look like you're purposefully giving yourself a migraine, girl," Karen said, breaking me out of my cycle of thoughts. "You sure you don't want a glass?"

  "No, I'm good. I'm just, I don't know, confused is the word I'm looking for, I guess," I sighed, rubbing at my temples anyway. "I’m still thinking about Alicia Stowe and the murder. I've tried to put it together for the past couple of days and I just don't get it. And I kind of feel bad that the rest of the world is just carrying on as if nothing happened. That's pretty weird isn't it? I don't know why I care so much about this."

  She studied me out of the corner of her eye. "Look, Taylor, I get it. You feel bad for the girls. You know what it's like not having your parents around, so that makes sense. But the case was closed. Alicia even outright admitted she killed Nick, so it's not like there's anyone contesting that. There's no reason not to relax and return to our regularly scheduled programming. It sucks, but life must go on, you know? I mean, we both have to go to work tomorrow, not to mention the fact that Mom's been adamant about practicing more at home with you and your powers. I don't like what happened either, Taylor, but what more can we do?"

  I frowned. "Maybe we should check on Kirsten and Amanda. You were talking about sending the Stowes a basket of the bath bombs to help them. I'm sure the girls would use them, and anything that helps take their minds off of everything would probably be a much-appreciated welcome."

  "Sure. We just have to figure out where they are. "

  "Well, if they're not moving to Sacramento until the end of the month, I'm guessing they're still at their house, right? I'm going to run upstairs and ask Barbara if she minds." I hopped up from the couch and slipped my flip-flops on, heading up to the first floor of the house to find her.

  As usual, Barbara was in the kitchen, working on the Sunday crossword in the paper. I sat down across from her at the table, drumming my fingers on the table.

  "Is that necessary?" she asked, although there was no irritation in her tone. She'd already had her coffee, early that morning, so she was in her usual cheerful Mary Poppins-like attitude for the day.

  "Sorry," I mumbled. "Actually, I wanted to ask you something. And I know you hate being interrupted while you're doing your crossword puzzles."

  She peered over her half-moon shaped reading glasses, her blue eyes regarding me carefully. "Hmm. It must be important, then. Go ahead. I'm listening."

  "I was thinking about the Stowe girls, Kirsten and Amanda. They've been through a heck of a lot lately and I want to do something to help them out. I know we can't really use our magic in a way that will make that much of a difference, but, what if we sent them a big gift basket from the shop with our bath bombs and soaps, maybe? The ones that will help them when they're really stressed out. I don't know if they have any skin problems, but I think going through something this traumatic might cause breakouts. We could at least help with that, even if it’s a little bit superficial."

  "You want to send them a gift basket?"

  "More of like a sympathy basket. I mean, that doesn't sound totally crazy, does it? I don't know how much it would cost to put it together, but I'm willing to pay for it myself or have it taken out of my pay if it's easier that way. I just," I bit my lip, that same nagging feeling surfacing from the past couple of days. "I just can't help but feel like I should do something. Especially for Kirsten. I mean, she's the older sister and now she has to essentially become the guardian for her younger sister. She was already upset that morning of the wine tour, and I just can't imagine how-" my words ran dry in my throat.

  The nagging feeling had turned into a thread of thought that started unravelling the moment I thought about meeting Kirsten that morning. How her makeup had already been smudged from tears. She'd gone on to explain that her boyfriend had just broken up with her by text message.

  But hadn't Stephanie mentioned something about seeing Kirsten and her boyfriend in the cafe after the fact? Had they gotten back together already? It could be true, maybe the guy felt like a giant douche after breaking up with the girl the same day that her stepfather had been murdered. Maybe she needed his shoulder to cry on, it was certainly possible.

  The nagging thought thread continued to unravel in my mind and this time even Barbara seemed to notice. She looked up from the crossword puzzle, her pencil dangling in her hand. "What's this? It's like a lightbulb went off in your mind. Am I missing something?"

  I stood up. "Something just occurred to me. Would it be okay if I did the basket for the girls? I can go take it to them today, if it's all right with you."

  She arched a delicate eyebrow at me. It was nearly impossible to put anything past the woman. "Yes, I suppose so. But I want you to be careful, dear. Your mind can be hectic at best when you let it wander off too far."

  Quickly nodding, I ran over to give her a hug before running back down the steps, nearly out of breath. "Karen! Karen, we gotta go."

  The entire little blue hatchback smelled like an intoxicating mix of every delicious scent imaginable. That was partly because of one of Barbara's special bath bomb concoctions- the Cupio's Cupid bomb. It had the power to smell like whatever draws your love and affection the most. A husband's cologne, the smell of the beach, your newborn's skin, and so on. Throw a couple of them together and it's enough to overwhelm just about anyone.

  "Jesus, crack the window, will you?" Karen groaned."Besides, why do we have to do this right this minute, anyway? I was perfectly content to sit on my behind for the rest of the day."

  "You can play the unconcerned citizen all you want, but this is me you're talking to," I reminded her over the rush of wind as I rolled the window down. "And while I do have their best interests at heart, I also need to talk to Kirsten before they move away and I never have the chance to."

  Confusion shadowed her face as she turned onto the main highway between the two towns. "About what?"

  "It hit me while I was talking to your mom earlier. Remember how Kirsten was being kind of bratty before Nick's body was found? When she was supposed to be helping Alicia with the end of the wine tour? She'd been crying because her boyfriend supposedly broke up with her that morning."

  "Yeah, so?"

  "So, when we were in Stephanie's last, Stephanie told us Kirsten and her boyfriend were just in there before us. Together. But if they're broken up then why were they in there?"

  She shrugged, obviously not even close to being interested. "I have no idea. Teenagers move on pretty quickly. Maybe it w
as a different guy."

  "But remember? Stephanie told us they'd been regulars too. So, it must be the same guy. The same boyfriend. And yes, I realize he could just feel bad for her or whatever, but it's just weird. And that isn't all."

  Bracing myself for the look I knew was sure to come from all of my speculation, I pointed out the other couple of things I'd noticed about Kirsten. How protective she'd been of her sister and how she told Amanda that she wouldn't have to worry about anything anymore. And how she made the clear distinction that Nick Stowe was her stepfather, not her real father. Even how part of her and Alicia's conversation sounded as though Kirsten had something against Nick.

  "Don't look at me like that," I warned her, pursing my lips. "I'm not crazy."

  But Karen just snorted. "Uh, I think you're reaching here, Taylor. So, she didn't like her stepfather. Big deal! Might I remind you about my personal experience with stepparents?"

  I wasn't going to let her side-step the conversation. "I know, but this is different. When I talked to Kirsten something felt weird. Off, in a way. What if it's-"

  "Stop. I'm sure it's all just a weird coincidence, and she'll be thankful for the basket of goodies and that will be that." Karen turned on the radio to further prove that the conversation was over, but I knew that she was mulling it all over. I knew it was a stretch, sure, but that didn't mean I was wrong about it.

  But why would Kirsten kill her stepfather? And why would Alicia admit to a murder she did not commit?

  Chapter 23

  Without the usual weekday traffic, the drive took half the amount of time it normally would. Before I had much of a chance to figure out how I was going to talk to Kirsten we were already pulling up in front of the Stowe's house, past the winery. My mouth went dry as we walked up the steps and knocked on the front door.

  After waiting a minute, I knocked again, this time louder.

  Karen sighed. "Well, looks like we'll just have to drop the basket off here. I have some paper and a pen in the car. Want me to grab it for you so you can jot down a quick little note to them?"

  I wavered on the spot, not wanting to leave just yet. "Wait. Just wait a second, okay? I think I hear someone coming now."

  Sure enough, footsteps across a hard floor echoed through the brick red door and a moment later we were met with a pair of red, watery eyes.

  Amanda stood in the doorway looking smaller than ever. She sniffled and wiped at her nose. "Hi."

  "Hey Amanda," Karen said softly, giving her a little wave. "Do you remember us?"

  She nodded but didn't say a word.

  Clearing my throat, I did my best to smile at her despite the look on her face. "Is your sister here with you, too?"

  Amanda looked back over her shoulder just as Kirsten came to stand beside her.

  "Hi. We're a little busy in case you couldn't tell," Kirsten said, moving to pull her sister back away from us. She recognized me after her initial reaction and paused. "I know you. You were at the winery that morning. And the memorial."

  "Taylor," I said, giving her a little help. "And my friend Karen. We wanted to come by because we heard about what happened with your mom. And we wanted to bring you two something. I know it's not much and nothing can really change what's going on, but I just want you to know we're here for you if you need anything before you leave." I held up the heavy basket, hoping the scents alone would draw her in enough to take a look.

  "What's all that?" Amanda asked, now stepping forward again and looking inside of the basket with interest. "Ooh! I love bath bombs."

  Kirsten looked like she was stuck between us, both trying to keep Amanda in line and trying to keep us out. But her own curiosity failed her and she opened the door wider to let us inside. "You can come in."

  Inside the Stowe's house looked the exact same as the last time we had snuck in, except now there were more piles of paperwork all over every flat surface. I supposed death came with its own complications and paperwork.

  "Has it been just the two of you? Stephanie Holmes is a friend of ours, and she told us how your grandparents are taking you into their home. I'm sorry you're going through all of this at once. I can't even imagine what that must be like," I said as we sat down in the living room. It was true; while my parents had died together, I couldn’t imagine my father being murdered and my mother admitting to it. Amanda was busy digging into the basket already, but Kirsten nodded, watching her sister with apprehension.

  "It's been hard. My mom… it shouldn't have been like this.

  "What do you mean?" I asked, although I had an inkling. "I know she admitted to what happened." I dropped my voice low.

  Kirsten's jaw tightened. "She did. And I wish she wouldn't have." Looking between me and Karen, she shook her head. Was she second-guessing herself now?

  I didn’t think she was going to start really spilling the beans with her sister in the room, not that I could blame her, so I cleared my throat hoping to get Karen's attention. When she looked up, I did my best to convey what I needed her to do. We couldn't read each other's minds, although it probably would have been way easier if we could, but she got the message.

  Karen stared at me, nodding toward Amanda. "Hey, there's a whole bunch of really awesome things in there at the bottom of the basket! One of the hand soaps makes this cool foam that you can shape into things."

  "Whoa, really? Like that kinetic sand stuff?" Amanda asked, her eyes wide.

  "Sure! Just like that!"

  Karen jumped up and asked for Amanda to lead the way to the kitchen so she could show her how it worked, leaving Kirsten and I on our own to talk. I waited until they were definitely out of earshot before I turned back to her.

  "Look, I didn't want to talk to you about this in front of Amanda, but-"

  Kirsten let out a sob, and the dam gave way to tears freefalling like crazy as her shoulders heaved back and forth. "I can't believe this is happening! My mom, she doesn't deserve to be thrown in jail for the rest of her life!"

  Alarmed, I froze, unsure of what to do now. "I can see how you would say that, but your mom confessed to your dad's murder. It's not something she can really get out of."

  "Nick was not my father. He was barely even a stepfather," Kirsten growled, a sudden viciousness in her eyes.

  Even my blood ran cold with the way she said it. "How so? Did he do something to make you think that way?"

  Her shoulders shuddered even harder. "I can't," she whispered.

  I knew that if I didn't bite the bullet and somehow nudge the answer out of her the truth might never see the light of day. "Kirsten. Listen, no one would blame you for protecting yourself. No one. If something happened to Nick because of something he did, nothing bad would happen to you. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

  I reached out to pat her knee but she pulled away.

  She slowly met my gaze again, her chin quivering. "I don't know what to do. My mom's stuck in jail. They're going to lock her up because of me!" She threw her arms around herself and began quietly rocking back and forth on the couch, the furniture creaking in protest.

  "Let me help you, okay? Just start from the beginning. Tell me why you didit."

  Chapter 24

  My go-kart swerved around the trail of banana peels on the ground and I did a double back-flip in mid-air off one of the mushroom ramps, squealing as my XP rose higher and higher. "Ha! I'm right on your tail, Amanda!"

  She giggled before throwing a bolt of lightning my way, thoroughly electrocuting me and all the rest of the players in the race, right before crossing the final lap's finish line. "Yes!"

  I groaned, pretending to pout as her team won the trophy. "No fair. Princess Peach has the best go-kart. But I bet you already knew that, didn't you?"

  Amanda smiled at me despite everything going on in the kitchen behind us. "Maybe."

  We played a few more rounds of Mario Kart on her new Nintendo Switch, and I tried my best to keep Amanda distracted from the conversation in the next room over, where Barbara, K
aren and Kirsten were all talking about how Barbara's friend Benjamin Freeman could help the situation.

  I’d been totally confused about why he was coming along, until Barbara explained to me that Benjamin was somewhat of a jack of all trades. He also happened to be an attorney in his spare time, and with a little cajoling on her end, she managed to enlist his help with the whole situation. Witches, I swear.

  He showed up not long after, and Karen hung out with Amanda while I sat in with the others, listening to Kirsten relive the nightmare she'd just confessed to me.

  "It's been happening since I was twelve. I kept it to myself for years because he made my mom so happy. They were always laughing and playing around. And Amanda has always considered him her dad, even though she knows he's not. Well, a year ago I finally got tired of hiding it. We were arguing about something stupid I did, about how I sneaked out of the house to meet up with a couple of my friends, and he was yelling at me. Mom got in the middle of it and made me so mad, because it's like Nick can do no wrong in her eyes, but I'm the big screw-up."

  I hated how hard it was for her talk about it all. Her voice wavered a bit before she went on.

  "It's not your fault, my dear," Barbara said softly. The sorrow in the room was lifted ever so slightly, just enough to ease Kirsten's pain as she sniffled and continued.

  "I told her. Or at least I tried to; she thought I was making it up because I've lied about things in the past. But nothing like that! I wish it was just a lie, but I would never lie about something like this. She didn't believe me, and I was forced to apologize to Nick. I couldn't believe it. Ever since, I've been working as much as I can to get out on my own, working in the winery shop for Mom, and then taking extra shifts on the weekends as a hostess downtown. I worked across the street from this place - Brews Brothers. And I had the pleasure of seeing Nick and Janice, their office manager, making out like they were my age or something inside the place. It was so gross. But I thought if my mom didn't believe me about what Nick did to me, then she wouldn't believe me about him and Janice." Kirsten heaved a sigh that spoke of too much weight on a seventeen-year-old's shoulders.