It took a while for the Professor to finish securing the crime scene, so my team proceeded to bring in platters, wineglasses, and empty bottles. Sterling and Andy took over dish duty while Steph and Bethany packed up the remaining leftovers and Marty sorted wine bottles for recycling.
I felt terrible sitting and watching them work while I sipped water, but no one would let me help.
“I’m not an invalid,” I said to Carlos, who passed by me with tablecloths and napkins draped over his arm. “I can do something.”
“No, you sit and just rest.” He kissed the top of my head. “We have this under control. There’s nothing for you to do, anyway.” He motioned with his free hand toward Andy and Sterling. They didn’t have to say a word as they rinsed, washed, and dried in a perfectly synched rhythm. “You’ll just be in the way, mi querida.”
That was probably true, but sitting and doing nothing other than replay my every movement before finding Jimmy’s body wasn’t helping. I untied my ponytail and massaged my temples. Who could have killed Jimmy? And why?
There was a possibility that one of the cast or crew was fed up with his inflated ego and stabbed him in a moment of passion. But that seemed unlikely. Jimmy’s self-absorption might have been annoying, but leading someone to kill him? That was another story.
Detective Kerry entered the bustling kitchen shortly after midnight. She wore Thomas’s baggy Ashland Police Department sweatshirt over her black cocktail dress. Thomas was my dear childhood friend and Kerry’s partner in work and life. As the Professor scaled back on his detective duties, Kerry and Thomas had taken the lead. The transition had been practically seamless, since they had shadowed him for years and took a similar approach to community-centered police work.
Her body gave a little shudder as she approached me. “The basement is chilly.”
“I know. We only use it for storage for that reason,” I replied, glancing at the clock above the sink. “You all have been down there for a while, too.”
She nodded and rubbed her hands over her arms. “Can I have a word? Maybe we can talk in private in the tasting room?”
“Of course.” I followed her to the adjoining space.
Kerry took a seat on one of the chairs next to the fireplace and waited for me to pull up a chair next to her. “Doug told us you found the body. How long ago was that?” She didn’t bother with small talk, which I appreciated.
I would have been exhausted even without Jimmy’s murder. Working baker’s hours meant that typically I was up before dawn. I didn’t want to do the math to figure out how long I’d been awake. Just thinking about it made me yawn. “Yes, I found him,” I said to Kerry, covering my mouth with my hand.
She readjusted her long red ponytail and made a note on a yellow legal pad. “Do you know approximately what time that was?”
“I’m not sure exactly. The show had just finished. All the actors had left the stage. We hung around for a while, chatting about the production. Mom and the Professor were there. Andy came outside to tell me that the key to the cellar was missing, so I went inside to find it, and that’s when I found him. I’m guessing it was around ten forty-five or maybe eleven.”
Kerry jotted down notes as I spoke. “Tell me more about the missing key.”
“It’s weird,” I admitted, pointing to the door that led downstairs. “We rarely go down to the cellar. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I was in the basement, but before the show tonight, Tom Rudolph asked for a bottle of reserve.”
Kerry looked up from her notes, her inquisitive green eyes meeting mine. “Who’s Tom?”
“He’s an investor. I think he’s an official partner in the company. Lance will be able to tell you more, but he’s a bit of a wine snob, and apparently our Uva wines weren’t up to his standards.”
She tapped her pencil on the top of the pad. “Did he say that?”
“He didn’t have to. You should have seen him tasting the bottle I opened earlier. It was a production on its own. He was so pretentious and went on and on about the legs of the wine and his tasting notes. I guess not realizing—or maybe caring—that he was basically calling Uva’s wine inferior the entire time.” I shook my head at the memory.
Kerry laughed and rolled her eyes. “I know the type.”
“Anyway, he made a big deal about the cellar key and how we were making a huge mistake by leaving it in the kitchen.”
“Interesting.” Kerry tapped her pencil on her notebook. “How did he know where the key was located?”
“He saw me take it off the hook. It’s not a secret. We leave the key hanging next to the aprons. It’s hardly like we have huge issues with people trying to break into the cellar. The only people who are ever in the kitchen are my staff. Tom scolded me like I was a child for leaving the key out in plain sight. He gave me a lecture about how I should tighten my control. Let’s just say I’m not a fan of that, or him.”
“Uh, no. That’s not cool at all.” Kerry scrunched her eyes together and scowled. She shifted in her chair and held her pencil ready to write again. “Did Tom seem like he was assessing the space? Did you get the sense he could have been scoping out the basement?”
I hadn’t considered that. “You mean like he might have been formulating a plan to lure Jimmy down to the cellar and kill him.”
“Your words, not mine.” She tilted her head and raised one eyebrow.
“Maybe.” I hesitated. “I don’t know. He was really into the wine, so I guess that was my focus. I didn’t really have time for a lengthy tasting, so I wasn’t paying attention.”
“What did you do after the tasting?” Kerry scribbled something on the page. “And where was Tom?
“We both came upstairs. I put the key back on the hook and finished setting up.” I glanced at the cellar door. “Tom was with me. It’s not like he camped out downstairs.”
Kerry closed her eyes briefly and placed the back of her palm over her mouth. “Sorry. I’m slightly off center tonight.”
I could only imagine. I felt the same, and I’d only been in the cave-like room with Jimmy’s body for a few minutes. Kerry had been downstairs examining the scene for nearly an hour. It gave me even more empathy for her line of work. I spent my days (whether frenzied or not) baking rhubarb crisps and citrus scones. Kerry faced death as part of her occupation, by choice. I served a little taste of joy into the world with raspberry cupcakes, and she ensured that justice would be served when it came to Jimmy’s murder.
I was struck by the juxtaposition, and I appreciated that she was opening up. When she’d first arrived in Ashland, she had kept her emotions close to her chest. A few years ago, she never would have admitted that she was feeling off.
“Can I get you something?” I asked, leaning closer.
“No. I’ll be fine.” She swallowed hard and continued with her questions. “You’re sure you returned the key?”
“Positive.” I nodded emphatically. “Tom made another comment about being cavalier with our wine collection. At the time I thought he was under the impression that our reserve wines were valuable, but now I’m not sure. He’s the reason that Andy came out to get me.”
“Why?”
“According to Andy, Tom asked to be let into the cellar to get another bottle after the show. That’s when Andy realized the key was missing.”
“Did you see Tom when you went down to the cellar for the second time?”
“No. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Tom since the start of the play. Lance had him and a few other donors stand up and be recognized before the show started, but I never saw him again after that.”
Kerry’s well-defined eyebrows rose ever so slightly. “He wasn’t waiting for the special wine downstairs when you returned, and you haven’t seen him since?”
“Nope. Unless I missed him in the frenzy of activity, but I don’t think I did. I came into the kitchen and checked for the key. It wasn’t there, so I assumed that since Tom knew where we kept it, he had decided to let himself into the cellar. Then I went downstairs, found Jimmy, and came right back up here to the kitchen. I haven’t left, and I haven’t seen any sign of Tom.” As I relayed the information to her, I wasn’t so sure about Lance’s theory that Sophie killed Jimmy. Tom also had a motive, and he had the opportunity. If he wanted another bottle of reserve, why had he disappeared?
Kerry finished asking me a few more questions. She closed her notebook and stood. “You’re free to go once you’re done with your closing procedures. Doug thinks it might be a long night, but there’s no reason that you or your staff need to stay.”
That was a relief, but I felt bad for her. “What about you and Thomas?”
She rubbed her sleeve. “He’s probably freezing down there, but he insisted that I take his sweatshirt. I can’t seem to regulate my temperature right now. One minute I’m freezing, and the next I’m burning up. I’m worried I might be coming down with something, but I need to push through.”
“Do you?” I asked with sincerity, as I moved the chair back in its spot next to the hearth. “I’ve been feeling the same way lately, and maybe it’s a sign from the universe that we’re doing too much.”
She sucked in a breath and squared her shoulders. “Maybe, but a man has been murdered. It’s not like I can take a nap while there’s a killer running loose. The first hours after a crime are critical, so it’s going to have to be a lot more coffee for me.”
“That I can do for you. Coffee is my middle name.” I put an arm around her shoulder. “Thanks for all that you do for our community. I don’t know how you do it. Ashland is lucky to have you, and so am I.”
She squeezed my arm and brushed away a tear. “Don’t make me cry, now. I have work to do.”
“Fine.” I gave her a half hug before pulling away. “But it’s all true. You know that I care about you and I’m here if you need anything.”
“Same.” She didn’t elaborate. She didn’t need to. I knew that our friendship was equally important to her. Once things were calmer, I would find a date for a girls’ night where we could sip some wine, hang out, and catch up.
Carlos was completing the last of the checklist when Kerry and I returned to the kitchen. “Julieta, you look so tired. It is time to take you home, isn’t it?” He looked at Kerry for confirmation.
She nodded. “You’ve all been cleared to leave.”
“Wait.” I held up my index finger. “Not until we make a fresh pot. If you and the Professor and Thomas are going to pull an all-nighter, the least we can do is keep you caffeinated.”
“Sí, and feed you.” Carlos opened the fridge. “Please help yourself to anything.”
We waited until the coffee brewed, and Carlos explained what each of the Tupperware tubs neatly stacked in the fridge contained. Kerry promised to make sure the Professor, Thomas, and anyone else working the case knew they could make themselves at home in the kitchen.
I spent the short car ride home staring out the black window into the star-drenched darkness. I appreciated that Carlos didn’t try to prod or force a conversation. We were content to sit in the comfortable silence.
Once we were home, I slid under the covers, collapsed into his arms, and drifted off into a less-than-restful sleep. Images of the stage crumbling, wine bottles breaking, and rogue corkscrews flying over the audience danced through my fitful dreams. The problem was that Jimmy was really dead. This wasn’t a nightmare I could wake up from.