Dandelion Dead

by Chrystle Fiedler

  We walked over toward him. “Evening, Jackson, Willow,” he said. “How are you two this evening?”

  “We’re fine, Ramsey,” Jackson said.

  An awkward silence ensued, after which Ramsey said, “I heard about the arrest of your employee, Willow. It’s difficult to imagine someone that young and pretty doing something like this.”

  “We don’t think she did,” I said.

  “From what I can gather, she did have motive.”

  “She wasn’t the only one,” Jackson said.

  “You, for example,” I said. “We’ve heard rumors that you are involved with Ivy Lord. It’s not beyond the realm of possibility that you might want her husband, David, out of the way.”

  Ramsey waved the suggestion away. “That’s preposterous, on both counts. Ivy and I are just good friends.”

  “But you were involved with her sister, Amy, right?” Jackson said. “Until she broke it off?”

  “I don’t see what that has to do with anything.”

  “If you and Ivy are such good friends, you must know about Amy’s will and the fact that she left her estate to Gerald Parker,” Jackson said. “I imagine that Ivy isn’t very happy about that.”

  “I don’t know anything about that. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to circulate.”

  “In a minute,” Jackson said. “Where were you this afternoon around four o’clock?”

  “Not that it’s any of your business, but I was at a wine tasting with Ivy at Harrison Jones’s vineyard, Wave Crest. I met Nora Evans there, along with the other judges. Why?”

  “Because Gerald Parker had an accident around that time on the Mill Creek Bridge. Someone rammed the back of his truck and he ended up in Peconic Bay.”

  “Fortunately, he’s okay,” I said. “So he’ll still inherit. If he hadn’t, a clause in the will stipulates that his share of the Pure vineyard would go to Ivy.”

  “I did no such thing, and I’m sure that Ivy didn’t either. Now, I need to go.” Ramsey pushed past us into the crowd.

  “I think we’re done here,” Jackson said. “Let’s go check in with Simon and David at Salt.”

  But as we turned to go, Carter Crocker blocked our way. “I have a bone to pick with you, Willow. You upset my wife this afternoon, and at a very inopportune time. This tasting tonight is very important to us, but it was all I could do just to get her to come.”

  “I didn’t mean to upset Camille,” I said.

  “Well, you did, and I don’t like it much.”

  “I don’t like it either, but I had reason to believe that you were trying to lure Gerald Parker away from Pure, which would have been a problem for my friend Simon Lewis and, more important, may have something to do with Amy Lord’s murder.”

  “Come again?”

  “From what we’ve been told, Crocker Cellars is a close second to Pure in the Wine Lovers competition,” Jackson said. “I guess we’re wondering how far you might go to win. Maybe trying to hire Gerald away was just the tip of the iceberg. Maybe you two took a run at David Farmer at the party on Sunday and killed Amy Lord instead. Maybe you didn’t stop there and you two are behind the attempts on his life over the past week.”

  “And since Gerald didn’t jump at the chance to work for you, it’s also possible that either you or your wife ran him off the road earlier today, just to get rid of the competition.”

  “Both of you are out of your minds,” Carter said. “And if you repeat any of this to anyone else, I’ll be calling my lawyer and suing you for slander.”

  • • •

  After the confrontations with Ramsey Black and Carter Crocker, breathing in the crisp fall air was a welcome relief. We decided to go to Salt and check in and go home. Tomorrow would be a busy day, with Lily’s release, a weekend crowd at Nature’s Way, and a slate of activities at Pure, not to mention the ball at Southwold Hall, where the winner of the Wine Lovers magazine competition would be announced.

  Salt, like Harry’s Half Shell and Whitman’s, was packed with people, dining and queuing up to the bar to sample Falling Leaves and other Pure vintages. Simon sat at the end of the bar with Harrison Jones of Wave Crest Vineyard, which was opportune, since I wanted to check Ramsey Black’s alibi for the time of Gerald’s accident this afternoon.

  “Hey, you two,” Simon said, waving us over. He had on a smart-looking teal-blue suit with a brown tie, while Harrison was dressed casually in jeans, a T-shirt, and a checkered blazer.

  Harrison stood and kissed me on the cheek and shook Jackson’s hand. “Good to see you again. Twice in one week, lucky me.”

  “We just saw Ramsey Black at the Whitman Inn,” I said. “He told us that he was at your place this afternoon for a tasting with Nora Evans. What time was that?”

  “Three thirty, why?”

  “We’re still trying to figure out who is making the attempts on David’s life and who killed Amy Lord. My assistant, Lily Bryan, has been arrested, so we need answers.”

  “I understand. He was there from three thirty to five o’clock and I didn’t see him leave in between. Does that help?”

  I looked at Jackson. “We’re not sure.”

  “Is David here with Tony?” Jackson said, looking around.

  “Came and went,” Simon said. “His arm was really bothering him, so he and Ivy made an appearance around eight o’clock and went home an hour later. He did say to tell you that Tony is working out great, but he’d like you to be at Pure tomorrow since there will be a lot going on. We’ve got a concert on the lawn, arcade games, a bouncy castle, and a Halloween costume contest for the kids, not to mention all the people coming in for tours and tastings.”

  “I’ll be there,” Jackson said. “With all that activity, it’s the perfect smoke screen if someone is planning another attempt on David’s life.”

  • • •

  Since it was getting late, we decided that we’d stay at Nature’s Way for the night and headed back to the store. After Jackson checked in with his volunteer and made sure that all the animals were doing well, we headed upstairs with the dogs, and my cats, Ginger and Ginkgo.

  Jackson changed into sweats and got in bed, while I changed into a T-shirt and pajama pants and went into the bathroom to wash my face. When I came out, Jackson had a pad of paper and was writing notes. The dogs were at the foot of the bed, already sleeping, while the cats, curious sorts that they are, sat on the windowsills. “What are you doing, hon?”

  “Jotting down the people we think may be involved and possible means, motive, and opportunity. This is what I’ve got so far.” He showed me the first page.

  Suspect

  Means

  Motive

  Opportunity

  Lily Bryan

  Poison (OH)

  Anger at David over breakup

  Food Prep

  “Why do you have Lily listed? We know that she didn’t do it.”

  “Just to be thorough, keep reading.”

  Camille C.

  Poison (OH)

  Win competition, be #1 vineyard

  At party

  Carter C.

  Poison (OH)

  Be #1, save wife’s dream

  At party

  Ivy Lord

  Poison (OH)

  Control of Pure, Relationship with RB

  At party

  Ramsey B.

  Poison (OH)

  Relationship with Ivy, Control of Pure

  At party

  Gerald P.

  Poison (OH)

  Take over as Pure’s head winemaker

  At party

  Kurt F.

  Poison (OH)

  Revenge for leaving family business

  At party

  Walter F.

  Poison (OH)

  Same motive as Kurt

  At party

  Carla O.

  Poison (OH)

  Revenge for breakup

  At party

  Derek M.

  Poison (OH)


  Destroy Pure’s dominance

  At party

  “Did I forget anyone?”

  “I don’t think so, but what does OH mean?”

  “ ‘On hand,’ meaning they had poison-hemlock plants on their property or had access to it.”

  “One other thing: Camille and Carter Crocker, Ivy Lord and Ramsey Black, and Kurt and Walter Farmer could have worked together or acted alone.”

  “True,” Jackson said. “Oh, wait. Should we include Leonard Sims on the list?”

  “Probably, since he wanted Pure back, but I don’t think that Derek Mortimer should be on here. His vineyard is way back in the pack, and he doesn’t have much of a motive.” I handed the pad back to Jackson.

  He scribbled out Mortimer’s name and info, flipped the page, and added Sims’s.

  Suspect

  Means

  Motive

  Opportunity

  Derek M.

  Poison (OH)

  Destroy Pure’s dominance

  At party

  Leonard Sims

  Poison (OH)

  Get Pure back?

  At party

  “Okay, Mortimer is out, and Sims is in.” Jackson handed me the pad. “So who did it, Miss Fletcher?”

  “Ha, ha.” I gave him a smile, got into bed with the pad, and snuggled up next to him. We examined the names and each person’s motive, means, and opportunity together. “We also need to keep in mind that we don’t know if the person or persons sending the nasty texts and e-mails and whoever attacked David are the same people.”

  “It’s also possible that there are three possibilities: whoever tried to kill Amy, whoever is attacking David since her death, and whoever is sending the messages.”

  “I just don’t see how we are going to figure this out. And we have to, for Lily’s sake.”

  “Yes, but going for the jugular with Kurt Farmer, Ramsey Black, and Carter Crocker didn’t yield much. Maybe we should have taken a more subtle approach.”

  “We don’t have time to be subtle. We need answers.”

  “What we need,” Jackson said. “Is a break. Once that happens, the rest should fall into place.”

  “Maybe we need to just clear our minds for now and go to sleep.” I leaned over and gave him a kiss. “We might get answers while we’re dreaming. I’ve had that happen before.”

  Jackson dropped the pad on the floor, put the pen on the nightstand, and pulled me close. “I’ve got a much better idea.”

  • • •

  It seemed as if a good night’s sleep and fun between the sheets had been good for both of us. We woke up early Sunday morning feeling clearheaded and ready for action. After we showered and got dressed in jeans, T-shirts, sweatshirts, and boots, we headed downstairs with the dogs for breakfast and to plan our day. We were due at Pure at noon, but since Tad was on deck again, I had the freedom this morning to try to find answers.

  Happily, Merrily had the fixings for more pumpkin pancakes, so after Tad served us, Jackson and I sat down at the table near the window and enjoyed them—and gave tiny tidbits to the dogs as well. We were just finishing up when my cell phone buzzed. “It’s Simon. I’ll put it on speaker since no one is here.”

  “Hi, guys, just wanted to tell you that Lily has been released from jail.”

  “That’s good news,” I said, and it might give us a bit of breathing room to solve her case. “Where is she going?”

  Jackson picked up our plates and took them into the kitchen. I mouthed, Thanks, and pointed to my cup. He nodded.

  “Obviously, she can’t leave the state and go to her parents’ house in Boston, so they’ll be at Wallace’s house with his wife. They’re headed to the hospital now, and then they’ll go back there.”

  Jackson came back with the coffee server and poured us both fresh cups of coffee. But when he sat down, he also had the packet of photos that I’d taken of the vineyard signs yesterday and began to go through them again.

  “Okay, thanks, Simon,” I said. “I’ll check in with Wallace and Lily in a few minutes. How is David today?” Jackson continued to go through the photos. I mouthed, What are you doing?

  “Looking for a break.”

  “What?”

  “No, go ahead, Simon.” I picked up the photos Jackson had discarded of Crocker Cellars and St. Ives Estate Vineyards. He shook his head.

  “David’s arm is really bothering him, so I suggested he take a pain pill and go back to bed. We’re not opening until noon, so he has time. He won’t be up to staying the whole time anyway, especially with the judging tonight, but he wants to show his face.”

  “We’ll be there at noon,” I said, to keep an eye on David and everyone else.

  “What are you doing this morning? I know that you’re not just sitting there. Or are you busy at the store?”

  “I think I found something,” Jackson said.

  “Simon, hold on for a minute.” I turned to Jackson. “What is it?”

  He turned a photo of Farmer’s Vineyard to show me the sign. “I think I see something, but I need to magnify it.”

  “Simon, I’ll call you back.” I ended the call, asked Merrily and Tad to look for something that could magnify parts of a photo, and went into my office. I came up empty, but when I came back out, Merrily, smiling, stood next to the counter, holding up Wallace’s glasses. “Will these help? He told me that they magnify things one hundred and sixty percent. He uses them to read labels when he’s stocking items.”

  “They sure will, thanks.” I handed them to Jackson.

  He smoothed the photo out on the table, then used the glasses to zero in on the barn behind the sign. “You see that?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “Look closer.” He pointed to a large white sign with grapes leaning on the wall, inside the open barn door. “If I’m not mistaken, that’s the sign that was in the background of the photo that was sent to David.”

  “And if they did that,” I said. “Maybe they tried to kill David, too.”

  chapter twenty-two

  We jumped into Jackson’s truck and took off for Farmer’s Vineyard. We alerted Simon, but waited to call the police to be sure our hunch was correct. We arrived there ten minutes later, but again no one seemed to be home. Jackson parked on the street and we surveyed the property—for some reason, the barn door was now closed.

  “These two could be dangerous,” Jackson said. “So I want you to follow my lead.” He reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a small handgun and put it in a case on his belt. “Even though it looks like they’re not home, they could be here. So we’ll use the neighbors’ property to the left and cut over when we get to the front of the barn. You’ll stay put and I’ll go across to the door and check for the sign.” He grabbed his binoculars from the glove compartment, closed it, and looked at me. “In fact, you should really stay in the truck.”

  “Forget it, I’m coming.” I held up my camera. “For proof. Let’s go.” We got out of the truck, closed the doors quietly, and headed for the property of the neighbors—who luckily weren’t home either—while keeping an eye on the Farmers’ property.

  When we drew even with the front of the barn, we stepped over the property line and went over to the building. Jackson took out his binoculars and peered around the corner at the house. “I really don’t think anyone is home. I’m going to check it out. You stay put.”

  “But I want to see. And take photos.”

  Jackson blew out a breath. “I told you this would get dangerous at some point, but you didn’t listen.”

  “I couldn’t turn my back on Simon and David and Lily and Wallace.”

  “I know, I know. At least let me get the door open and take a look first. Then I’ll wave you in, okay?”

  I nodded. “Okay.”

  He used his binoculars to check out the house and grounds again before slowly stepping toward the barn door. I craned my head around the building and watched him as he reached the door, opened it, and we
nt inside. He came back out, nodded, and took his gun out. He looked around again, then waved me in.

  • • •

  The inside of the barn was dusty, dirty, and dank and filled with old farm equipment and a riding lawn mower. But the one thing it had in its favor was the brand-new Farmer’s Vineyard sign, leaning against the wall, featuring a bunch of grapes on a white background.

  “Kurt or Walter must have taken the photos they sent to David, with this new sign in the background, and then realized their mistake too late,” I said as I snapped photos of the sign.

  “But they didn’t hide it well enough,” Jackson said.

  “Is this enough to prove that they tried to kill David and killed Amy instead?”

  “No, just harassment for now.” Jackson went to the door. “We need to get out of here and call the police.”

  I snapped a few more photos, and we returned to the truck the way we’d come, with Jackson serving as lookout. When we got back inside and Jackson had pulled away from the vineyard, he said, “I wish there was a way to get these to the cops without them tracing it to us. Because they’ll definitely give us a hard time about breaking into the barn. And if for some reason we’re wrong, the Farmers could have us arrested for trespassing.”

  “We could send them to Simon and he could forward them, maybe say that he got them anonymously.”

  “Detective Koren won’t believe that for one second. Check the police department website—maybe they have a place for tips and information.”

  I found the website for the police and checked it for a way to send photos. “There’s nothing here. But we could print the photos out and fax them over with a note. What do you think?”

  “I like it.”

  • • •

  We returned to Nature’s Way, where I used Photoshop on the office computer to enlarge the section of the photo that featured the new sign hidden in the barn as seen from the road and printed it out, along with two up-close photos of the sign in the barn, and attached all of them to single pieces of copy paper with a glue stick. Next, I printed out a note outlining our theory of why the new sign had been hidden.