Mary stood on the top of the slight incline, watching Dalia follow Millie up and down the slope, sniffing, stopping, trying to find the perfect spot. Finally, she decided on one and squatted. Mary’s attention moved to the flat board fence at the bottom of the hill. Rows of young grapevines were the only thing between where she stood and the dirt farm road that ran along the fence and continued in both directions. That fence had to be the back line of the Blankenship property. She’d never seen it from this angle before. She could make out the roofline of the old barn, the door leading into the hay loft and the rooster weathervane, but she couldn’t see into the yard. She backed up the hill to get a better view.
The kennel building, or the roof of it, came into view. So did the roof of the house, but the kennel runs, the driveway and the large gate leading from the road into the back of Bonnie’s property were hidden. She let her gaze drift back down to the fence. It looked just as high and impenetrable on this side as it had on the Blankenships. Where was the gate Naomi talked about? Her eyes traveled the length of the fence and finally stopped. There it was. Close to where the old barn was located. It blended in beautifully and she would have missed it, but a little light showed through a gap … a gap? Was the gate open? Should it be? That didn’t seem right. Naomi said no one ever used it, even when they had a need to. They didn’t now. Merlot was gone. There was no reason for anyone from the winery to go onto the Blankenship property, and no reason Mary could think of for the Blankenships to come onto the vineyard. Had one of the workmen …
‘Mrs McGill, Millie’s finished. Can we go in now?’
Dalia stood beside Mary, looking at her, Millie sitting at her heels. Ronaldo was down the hill, staring at a grapevine.
Mary tore herself away from the mystery of the open gate but not from the mystery of the murders. She’d been thinking, had an idea she didn’t like, but decided, before she went further, she had to eliminate other suspects. There was one question she didn’t think anyone had thought to ask, and it seemed a good place to start.
‘Ronaldo, can you come up here?’
The boy looked up then back at the grapevine. He started toward them, but slowly. When he got close enough not to shout, he gravely said, ‘There are little dried-up grapes on those vines. They look like raisins. I thought about tasting one, but thought I’d better ask you first.’
‘Very sensible of you, but that’s what raisins are. Dried-up grapes. I think it would be all right to taste one, but first, I have a question for both of you.’
Neither of them looked happy. Dalia’s shoulders tensed and the interested look in Ronaldo’s eyes faded. A look of apprehension took its place.
‘I don’t want to upset you,’ Mary said hurriedly, ‘and if you don’t want to answer, or don’t remember, it’s not something to worry about. I wondered …’
She’d better not drag this out. They seemed apprehensive enough, and Millie was on her feet, looking down the hill. They needed to get inside, but first … ‘Remember the night you found the puppy and the man in the robe brushed past you?’
Both children nodded. The look on Dalia’s face plainly said it wasn’t something she’d forget anytime soon.
‘Did either of you notice what kind of shoes the man wore?’
The expression on Ronaldo’s face went blank and his mouth opened slightly as he stared at her. He didn’t have to say a word. He clearly had no idea what she was talking about.
‘Work boots.’
‘What?’ Mary wheeled around to look at Dalia. The little girl’s face was expressionless, but there was plenty of expression in the word she’d uttered.
‘Work boots. You know, the kind Tony wears when he goes into the vineyard. They lace up around your ankle. That kind.’
‘Are you sure?’ The moment the words came out, she knew they were unnecessary. The child was very sure.
Dalia nodded.
Mary felt a little sick. This was not the way she wanted this to end. Admittedly, she’d wondered.
Enough of the ends fit. In a bizarre way, it made sense. At least, she guessed it did, but it all seemed so sad. Now what did she do? Did she have enough evidence to call Dan? Of course she didn’t. All she had were a few threads and a gut feeling she was right.
‘Hey.’ Alarm sounded in Ronaldo’s voice. ‘What’s she doing?’
Millie stood straight and tense, staring down the hill at the high wooden fence. Mary could hear dogs barking, faintly but barking. Suddenly, Millie gave one sharp bark of her own and took off, tearing the leash out of Dalia’s hand, flying down the hill through grapevine wires, her leash whipping behind her.
‘She’s going to get caught.’ Distress rang out in every word Dalia shouted as she, too, headed down the hill, but not through the wires.
‘I’ll get her.’ Ronaldo was right behind his sister, trying his best to outdistance her.
Dalia ran through the rows until she got to a farm road leading down the hill toward the fence and the slightly open gate.
Millie outran them both.
‘Don’t!’ Mary screamed. ‘Come back.’
No one listened. The race was on and there was no turning back. There was only one thing Mary could think to do. She started after them. Trying not to turn an ankle in the uneven soil between the vines, she hurried as fast as she could and still see where everyone was headed. The gate was Millie’s goal and the children seemed determined to follow her. Mary stopped for a second when she reached the downward sloping road, as much to catch her breath as to see where everyone was. Ronaldo stood by the gate, trying to pull it open a little more; Dalia was halfway through it.
‘Don’t go in there!’ Mary shouted as loud as she could, but she had little breath left. ‘Wait for me.’
Either she wasn’t loud enough or the thrill of the chase had left the children oblivious to anything else.
‘She went in there,’ Ronaldo shouted. ‘Don’t worry. We’ll get her.’ He disappeared through the gate right behind his sister, who was already out of sight.
‘Oh, Lord.’ Mary headed for the gate as fast as the steep terrain and her elderly legs would allow her. ‘Let’s hope I’m not too late.’