Girls' Night Out Murder (Ryli Sinclair 2) (20 page)

BOOK: Girls' Night Out Murder (Ryli Sinclair 2)
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“Do you think we should take it?” I asked. I was a little
unsure if it was healthy. “Do you think she poisoned it?”

“If she wanted to take us out with food, she’d have done it
at the bachelorette party. As whackadoo as she is, I think she honestly
believed in her craft. I don’t think she’d risk it or her bakery’s reputation.”

I bit my lower lip. Deciding to roll the dice, I reached
down and grabbed the cake from the refrigerator. This was still going to be
Paige’s special day.

Chapter 27
 

By the time everything was sorted out, we’d missed the two
o’clock timeline for the wedding. It took a few hours to give countless statements
over and over again, watch the ambulance carry Jolene’s dead body out in a body
bag, and watch as the EMTs tried to save Susie’s eye. Doc Powell said it was
pointless…the eye was a goner.

When Garrett and Hank hadn’t come back, everyone back at the
house had piled into cars and went looking for us. Luckily Nick had a police
scanner app downloaded on his phone, so he heard the 911 call Garrett had
placed to Chief Taggart. Since it’s such a small town, they just followed the
cop cars and ambulance through town to where Aunt Shirley and I were being
held.

I have to admit, seeing Hank get shot in the neck with a
dart brought back a lot of scary memories for me. If I ever saw a dart again,
it would be too soon.

Garrett must have known I was having flashbacks, because he
didn’t lecture me near as much as he could have on the way back to the lake
house. He did do a lot of yelling at Aunt Shirley, but she could take it.

Paige and Megan had stayed back at the house when everyone
else left to go into town to try and find us. They were to keep the preacher
and his wife entertained so they wouldn’t leave.

As everyone took turns carrying in the flowers from the
backseat of the Falcon, I went downstairs to get ready for the wedding.

I’d just taken my bridesmaid dress out of the closet when my
bedroom door opened. In rushed Mom and Paige, hugging me again at the same
time.

“Careful of the dress,” I hollered, trying to hold the dress
out of reach. And while I appreciated the fact they were so happy to see me,
Mom had done this twenty times during the two hours we were at the crime scene.

“Don’t
ever
scare
me like that again!” my mom said, wiping tears from her eyes. “I’m getting too
old to deal with this. This is the second time in three months I have to hear
about you taking out a murderer.”

“I didn’t take this one out…Aunt Shirley did,” I joked. I
could tell Mom wasn’t impressed with my wit.

“I’m not kidding. I’ve gotten used to having to worry about
your brother with the jobs he’s always had—military, fireman, EMT, and now soon
as a police officer. I shouldn’t have to worry about you…my daughter.”

She knew just how to guilt me into obedience…almost. “Don’t
be sexist, Mom,” I grinned. “Matt shouldn’t have all the fun.”

She swatted me on the butt and walked out the door without
another word. Paige smiled. “Stop giving your mom fits. She really was worried
when we realized something was wrong.”

Guilt again. This time it worked. “I’ll try not to,” I
promised. “I don’t know why, but trouble just seems to follow me wherever I go.”

“We’ve been best friends longer than I can remember…you
aren’t telling me anything I don’t know. Now,” Paige said, taking the dress
from me, “let’s get you in this dress so I can marry the man of my dreams.”

 

* * *
 

A few hours and three glasses of wine later, I was standing
out on the back deck looking down at the semi-frozen lake. I refused to take
off my bridesmaid dress and shawl…I felt too beautiful.

Tipping back the last of my wine, I swallowed loudly.
Nothing like a gun to the head to make you want to drink your worries away.

“I thought I’d find you out here,” Garrett said softly,
closing the door behind him. He wrapped me in his arms, warming me instantly.

I rested my head on his chest. I loved hearing his heart
thump against my ear. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I’m so happy for Paige and Matt…yet I can’t help but be sad
how this week ended up. All these deaths were so senseless.”

“Deaths usually are,” Garrett said, kissing my head.

I knew he was trying to make me feel better, but he wasn’t
helping. “Happy New Year,” I whispered, standing on my tiptoes to give him a
kiss.

We stayed like that for a while, kissing and necking on the
back deck. Just when I was about to make a more aggressive move, the door
opened and out stumbled Aunt Shirley.

“You youngins…always so eager to make out,” she scoffed.

“Please, if Old Man Jenkins was here, you’d be all over that
old man,” I laughed, hugging Garrett to me.

“You’re probably right,” she cackled, zipping up her hideous
parka.

“Did you need something, Aunt Shirley?” Garrett asked in an
intimidating voice. I guess he was hoping she’d take the hint and leave us in
peace.

“Nope,” she said, pulling out her electric cigarette and
blowing a few puffs. She jammed it back in her pocket and turned to leave. “Oh,
by the way,” she said, feigning indifference, “I thought you guys might be
interested in knowing I’ve been hired for a job. Investigation work.”

Garrett set me aside and pointed his finger at Aunt Shirley.
“Now listen here,” he said, “there’s no way you’re going back into the field. You
have to be licensed to be a private investigator, and I know for a fact you’re
not! By law I would have to report you.”

“Oh, simmer down, Barney Fife,” Aunt Shirley said, taunting
Garrett. “I’m not giving you a run for your money just yet.”

I reached up and grabbed his arms. “Don’t kill her on Paige
and Matt’s wedding day, please. It’d put a black mark on the day,” I joked,
hoping to ease the situation.

When Aunt Shirley had first moved back to Granville, Garrett
wasn’t two weeks on the job before he got a proper introduction to Aunt Shirley
and her antics. She was convinced he was useless and couldn’t solve a crime if
she wrapped it up for him and served it to him on a silver platter. Nothing
could be further from the truth, but Aunt Shirley loved to say it.

“What’s this job?” I asked, trying to keep the dread from my
voice.

Aunt Shirley looked inside the house and withdrew the bottle
of tequila she’d stashed in her coat. Saluting Hank she took a swig. He grinned
back.

“Seems I’ve been hired as an investigative journalist to
work at the
Gazette
with you, Ryli,”
Aunt Shirley said, putting the bottle back in her coat pocket.

“The hell you say!” I exclaimed, squinting at Hank through
the closed door. “No way did Hank hire you!”

Hank must have been able to read my lips, because he nodded
and walked toward the kitchen...laughing the whole time.

“Looks like you and me are gonna be a regular Cagney and
Lacey team,” Aunt Shirley laughed. “I already got some ideas where we can
start.”

Garrett growled.

“Cagney and Lacey were cops, Aunt Shirley,” I said quickly.
“We aren’t cops…we’re reporters.”

“That’s what you think,” Aunt Shirley said.

“Now look here,” Garrett started in…but he never got to
finish. Instead, Aunt Shirley winked at me and walked back inside.

“Don’t worry,” I assured him, placing my hand on the side of
his face. “I won’t let her get in too much trouble. Outside of the excitement a
few months ago, nothing really ever happens in Granville. How much trouble can
she get into?”

I leaned up on my tiptoes and kissed him, hoping to take his
mind off of Aunt Shirley and her new job. He deepened the kiss and slid his
arms around me.

Unfortunately, I was the one that couldn’t quiet the voice
in the back of my head that said working with Aunt Shirley was going to be a
very bad idea.

SNEAK PEEK!
 

There will be more books in the Ryli Sinclair series, but
I’m also working on a new murder mystery series…the Sullivan Sisters. The
setting is in Sonoma County, California (where my family still lives, and I
used to reside). There’s nothing I love more than the ocean, wine, and a good
book!

Here’s a sneak peek at the first book coming your way soon…

Murder
on the vine…
Chapter 1
 

“Just relax,” I told my sister, Jax, as we walked up the
sidewalk toward
Plentiful Grapes Winery
.
“You’ve got this. No one can bake like you.”

Jax shifted the cupcake carrier so she could open the door
for me. I was carrying two-dozen chocolate brownies and three-dozen truffles.

“Thanks. I’m just so nervous. As far as I know, only two
other bakers are in competition for this contract.”

My sister had been trying to generate enough business to
finally open her own bakery ever since she moved back to Traveler’s Bay six
months ago. She had worked for a large bakery in Sacramento for four years
before she decided to come back home.

Jax set the cupcake carrier down on the travertine tile
entryway of the winery and wiped her hands on her red and white sundress. Her
short, black hair looked almost blue in the chandelier light.

“Do you know where we’re supposed to go?” I asked, looking
around the silent entryway.

“No. Like I said, Landon called out of the blue yesterday
and said his bosses were looking for a baker to supply the winery with
chocolate.”

Landon was a friend of Jax’s from high school. He’d always
been sweet on Jax, and I guess this was his way of trying to vie for her
attention now that she was back.

I looked around the foyer again. The stone walls and tile
flooring were a pleasant contrast. A large bouquet of flowers sat on an ornate,
wooden antique table next to a guestbook.
The owners obviously hadn’t spared any expense
on ambiance.

Plentiful Grapes
Winery
had only been open for a few weeks. They were still celebrating
their grand opening. Which was why I was really surprised there was no one here
to greet us. Even though it was still early, the tasting room had officially
opened twenty minutes ago.

“I’m so sorry to keep you waiting,” a tall brunette said as
she strolled into the foyer. “There was a problem with some of the workers I
needed to see to.”

With her confident, somewhat condescending demeanor, I figured
she was the manager. She was impeccably dressed in black designer pants and a
white, sheer blouse.

“My name is Rebecca,” she said, looking down her nose at our
baked goods. “I’m assuming you’re here for the interview with the owners?” She
all but dismissed us as unworthy.

The sudden rush of new customers kept Jax and me from
answering. Which was probably a good thing. While I sometimes have difficulty
holding my tongue, Jax is worse. She takes after our Gramps—a retired Colonel
in the Army who never really learned how to sugarcoat things.

Rebecca turned to the new guests. “Hello. Welcome to
Plentiful Grapes Winery
. Right this way
for a tour and tasting.”

Leaving us alone again in the foyer, I tried to ease my
sister’s nerves. Rebecca had definitely rubbed us both wrong. And it definitely
wasn’t very professional to mention to guests that there was a problem with
workers.

“Only two other bakers, that’s good news. I have no doubt
you’ll do fine.”

Jax smiled tightly and tapped her foot. Obviously my small
talk wasn’t helping.

“Thank you, Ms. Davenport,” a loud voice boomed, echoing in
the foyer. “When we make a decision, we will let you know.”

Bonnie Davenport lumbered into the foyer carrying leftover
baked goods. She owned
Bonnie’s Bakery
on
Walnut Drive. Jax learned her first week back that Bonnie would not be an ally.
If the rumors we heard she was spreading about Jax’s baking were true, Bonnie
and I were going to have a come-to-Jesus-meeting soon. No one maligned my
sister!

“We’d like to start ordering immediately, so when we make
our decision tonight, we will expect delivery tomorrow. Is that something you
can do? ”

Bonnie smiled. “That’s not a problem at all. My bakery has
been here for twenty years. I have a reputation for punctuality.”

More like a reputation
for average baking.

Bonnie smirked at Jax. “Oh, Jax, I forgot you moved back to
town. You young people, always moving from one place to another, never settling
down. Best of luck to you, dear.”

The heavy door closed with a loud bang. I rolled my eyes and
gave Jax a reassuring look. “You got this,” I whispered.

“Ladies, my name is Antonio Bassetti. My wife, Nicki, and I
are co-owners of the winery. Our other partner, Paul Degrassi, is out of the
office right now. He is due back tonight. I’m afraid it will just be me you’ll
be interviewing with.”

I immediately liked Antonio Bassetti. He stood nearly six
foot tall and outweighed us by about two hundred pounds. The gray at his
temples and deep-set lines in his face had me guessing his age to be around
sixty.

“But rest assured, I know my wine and my chocolate.” He
patted his stomach and laughed.

My sister stuck out her hand out. “My name is Jax Sullivan.
This is my sister, Jaycee. She came to help me carry in all the baked goods.”

Antonio shook our hands. “Nice to meet you both. Jaycee,
would you like to wait here or come with us for the interview?”

“I’ll stay here. Maybe do a little wine tasting.” I didn’t
want to put Jax on edge any more than she already was.

Antonio laughed and clasped me on the shoulder. “Excellent
choice! We shouldn’t be very long. Make yourself at home. I recommend the
Merlot.”

Antonio and Jax carried the cupcakes, brownies, and truffles
through a door to my left. I decided to do some snooping and headed through the
archway on my right.

The tasting room was a large great room with three different
areas set up for group tastings. The tastings were already in full swing, with
nearly every space along the chest-high bars filled with customers.

I walked over to the one space still available on the other
side of the room. A perky blonde sashayed over to where I was standing.

“Hi. My name’s Lauren. Were you wanting to do a full
tasting?” she asked as she slid me a piece of paper with all the names of the
wines on it.

“Why not. I don’t have to go in until later,” I said.

“Read through and pick five. We’ll start out with a dry wine
and work our way down.”

I picked my five and listened while Lauren went through her
spiel. The five wines I tried were all very good, but my favorite was the
semi-dry red. Deciding on two bottles, I sat quietly while Lauren went to wrap
up my purchases.

“I don’t care if he
is
my boss,” an angry male voice hissed from behind a curtain to the right of me.
“His demands are ridiculous!”

Intrigued, I tried to focus in on what the guy was saying. I
admit, I’m a snoop by nature. Part of my job was just listening to people when
they wanted to talk.

“Keep your voice down,” a female voice shushed. I couldn’t
be sure because she was whispering, but I thought it was the snooty manager,
Rebecca.

“This ends now! I will not continue working here under these
demands. You better say something to him, because if you don’t take care of it,
I will. And believe me, you won’t like it.”

“Don’t threaten me, Roberto!”

“I know about your little rendezvous with Degrassi. Unless
you want everyone else knowing, I suggest you put a stop to this and remember
this is my wine…my wine!”

“You don’t want to push me, you have too much to lose.”

“So do you,” the man shouted back.

I looked around the room to see if anyone else was catching
the altercation. Two of the workers pouring samples on the other side of the
room paused to look surreptitiously at each other with open mouths.

“Don’t forget where Landon found you,” the angry man hissed.
“The owners find out, and you’ll be out on your butt faster than you can blink...regardless
of who you’re doing.”

I sucked in my breath, wondering if anyone else had heard
that last bit. The drape was pulled aside and a short, middle-aged man wearing
a chambray blue button-down shirt came striding toward me. He stopped short
when he saw me. Pushing his black glasses up onto his nose he glared at me. His
black hair was sticking up in all directions, like he’d just raked his fingers
through it.

I heard Jax’s laugh before I saw her enter the tasting room.
I could tell by her flushed face and relaxed shoulders that she was feeling
pretty good. For her sake I hope she’d gotten the contract.
I figured since
she was carrying an empty cupcake carrier that was a good sign!

I slid my gaze back over at the angry man, but he’d already
slipped out of the tasting room. Antonio and Jax walked over to where I was
sitting.

“Well, young lady, you like one?” he asked, indicating my
empty wine glass.

I smiled. “The semi-dry. Bought two bottles.”

He clapped his hands together. “
Eccellente!

“Thank you so much for meeting with me, Mr. Bassetti,” Jax
said.

“Call me Antonio. And the pleasure was all mine. I’ll talk
it over with my partner when he comes in tonight, and we’ll let you know as
soon as possible. Can you have something ready for tomorrow just in case.”

Jax grinned. “You bet.”

Lauren came back with my bottles and Jax and I headed back
to Traveler’s Bay.

 

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