A Vintage Murder (23 page)

Simon laughed. “Would you have let him? You know you’re stubborn, and once you’ve made up your mind when you’re angry, I think that it’s best to leave you alone and allow you to sulk, pout, and overanalyze.”

“I do not overanalyze!”

“Sure you don’t. Here is what I really think.”

“Do tell, Dr. Phil.”

“I think the two of you love each other so much you can’t stand it and it scares the hell out of you both. Neither of you have probably ever felt so deeply in love with someone. Especially someone who started out as your friend. Okay, I know there was always an attraction between the two of you. But you’ve been friends for going on three years now. To take your relationship to the next level, no matter how much you love one another, is scary because there is the thought in the back of your mind: What if you lose him? Or he’s thinking, what if he loses you? Your subconscious is doing double-time for both of you. Because you know that it’s better to be friends and close to each other than take that next step and possibly ruin everything. Because we both know that relationships are never, ever easy.”

Nikki didn’t know how to respond at first. She took a minute to really think about what Simon had said as she pulled up to the winery and stopped the car. “Where did all that come from? The Guru Sansibaba?” she finally asked.

“No. Actually it came from me. But I want to tell you something and I already said it to my brother: Marco and I started out as friends. You know we met at the nudophobia meetings.” That made Nikki smile. Recently they’d revealed that they’d met each other at anonymous meetings for people who were afraid to be naked and/or see anyone else naked. “We were good friends for over a year until we realized that there was something deeper that we could explore, and we took a risk. Right now, things may never work out with Marco.” He shrugged. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. But I tell you, as much as I miss him—and it’s a lot, and it hurts—I would not have traded what we had and what I learned by going forward in our relationship. Even today I am still learning because I allowed myself to fall in love and really love Marco. And, I think if you and Derek don’t allow that for each other, then in the end you’ll be worse off than if you didn’t ever take a chance.”

“You really are a good friend. And, you’re not as selfish as people say you are.”

“I know. What are you going to do about Derek?”

“I’m going to talk to him when I see him. I guess that’s the only thing to do.” She opened the car door. “Thank you.”

“Anytime. This place looks quaint.” He wrinkled his nose while surveying the area.

Nikki knew that when Simon said the word “quaint,” he didn’t think much of it. “Come on, let’s go in.”

They went inside Sarah Fritz’s barn/winery. This evening there was no one hanging around, and Sarah looked to be putting everything away for the evening. “Oh hullo. G’day. How are you?” She looked up from washing a wineglass.

“Are you closed?” Nikki asked.

“Never really closed.” She laughed. “Have a seat. What would you like to try?”

“What’s your best wine?” Simon asked.

So
, Simon—only the best.

“I prefer my Sauvignon Blanc. I’m the winemaker as well as the owner.”

“I’ll give that a try,” he replied.

She poured one for herself and one for Simon. When he took a sip, Simon nearly choked and spit it out.

“Go down the wrong way?” Sarah asked. “Care for some?” she asked Nikki.

“No thanks. I’m driving.”

“Can I have some water please?” Simon asked.

“Me, too,” Nikki said, trying not to laugh. Simon must have felt the same about Sarah’s wine as Derek had.

“You were in here the other day with that other gentleman. The one making a deal with Liam Hahndorf,” Sarah said. “Wait a minute, you’re now starring in that movie they’re making there. I saw you in the paper this morning.”

“Afraid so.”

“That writer sure said some nasty things about you.”

“Yes, there is no love lost between us.”

Sarah leaned on her elbows and lowered her voice, even though no one else was there. “Do you really think that Lucy Swanson was murdered?”

“I don’t know.”

Simon put his hands on his hips and faced her. “What’s going on?” Nikki sighed. Simon knew her a little too well. “You are on some kind of fishing expedition here, aren’t you? You didn’t bring me here for the wine.”

“What’s his problem?” Sarah asked. “And what’s he talking about?”

“The other day when I was in here you said some things about Grace and Liam Hahndorf and Elizabeth Wells, and now that I’m playing her I thought you might be able to enlighten me a bit more.” Simon kicked her in the shin. “Ouch.” Nikki gave him the evil eye.

Sarah smiled. “You want to know about what happened back then?”

“Yes. Maybe you can help me understand who Elizabeth was and what went on at the end of her relationship with Liam,” Nikki said.

“Have you spoken with Grace at all about Elizabeth?”

“No. It does seem to be a bit of a touchy subject.”

“I am sure of that. Everyone knows the truth. Elizabeth and Liam were lovers. I imagine Grace is coming undone over this movie because it must stir up everything again for her. You want the story about what happened with the three of them?”

“Yes.”

“Liam Hahndorf and Elizabeth Wells both loved animals. Elizabeth more than Liam, but he fell in love with her at first sight. They were inseparable. But Elizabeth and Grace were best friends, too, and Grace pined for Liam, like many women around here did back then. Myself included. He is a fine-looking man.”

Nikki nodded. “Yes. So what happened?”

“Grace seduced him one night at a party. He’d had an argument with Elizabeth, who wanted to have another go with the great white shark. He didn’t want to do it, and he definitely did not want her to do it. When they made her first documentary, she nearly got herself killed and Liam didn’t want that.”

Nikki stopped her. “If he loved Elizabeth so much, how is it that Grace was able to seduce him?”

“He’s a man. Liquor him up and make the moves. We’re women. We all know how to do it.”

Nikki didn’t like hearing this at all. She believed that a man or woman in love could handle being seduced by another.

“It also didn’t hurt Grace’s case any when she told Liam that the reason Elizabeth didn’t want to marry him and never would was because she truly belonged to her cause. And, I believe that is true. I think Liam knew it also, and in a weak moment he succumbed to Grace. I told you she is controlling and manipulative. Once Elizabeth found out about the betrayal, that’s when she took off on her own expedition, and the rest is history. It would appear that the night Grace and Liam tangled, she wound up pregnant with Hannah, and so there you have it. The man is weak, loses the love of his life, blames himself for it, and then does the honorable thing by marrying the pregnant cow.”

“What about Hannah? She does not seem like a very happy young woman.”

Simon sighed. “This is a bad soap opera. Oh, go ahead and pour me some more of that
wine
, if I have to listen to this.”

“He always so gracious?” Sarah asked, pouring him a new glass.

“Always.” Nikki turned to him, knowing what he was about to do. “Don’t you dare kick me,” she said, and then faced Sarah again. “Do you know anything about Hannah?”

“You know they’ve had some trouble with Hannah being a bit of a party girl, but my goodness, she is a grown woman. She and her mother have different ideas about her future. Hannah has always wanted to go into zoology. Ever since she was a girl. I’ve known her all her life basically, and she was always into the animals, which of course gets right under Grace’s skin because that’s who Elizabeth was. It’s ironic that here Grace stole Liam from Elizabeth and they had this child together who wants to be exactly like Grace’s nemesis. I think it’s rather humorous. Hannah will get her way from the looks of it, though.”

“What do you mean?” Nikki asked.

“I’ve seen Hannah and Andy Burrow hanging out together and if you ask me she has eyes for him and he looks to be returning the affection. That won’t make her parents happy. They’ve known Andy for years, too. As a matter of fact, Hannah and Andy Burrow came to the winery last evening.”

“Really? I was with them over dinner at the Hahndorfs’ last night.” Nikki glanced at Simon.

“They came in early, maybe five or so, and they were pretty cozy. Although at one point Hannah got upset and Andy comforted her.”

“Andy is old enough to be her father,” Simon interjected.

“Love doesn’t know age. To Hannah, it’s probably pretty romantic. Here is this Aussie hero type, one who is involved with animals like she wants to be, and he’s doting on her.” Sarah finished off her wine in one fell swoop.

“Did you get the sense that he meant it? You know, that he was really into Hannah?”

“My opinion, yup.”

“Nikki, we should get back,” Simon said. “I’m hungry and I want a glass of wine.”

“What do you think that is?” Sarah pointed to his wineglass.

Simon frowned. “Nikki, come on.”

“You better take your friend home. Looks like he turns into a pumpkin when it grows dark.”

Nikki apologized and said good-bye. Back in the car she turned to Simon. “What was that all about? Why did you have to be so rude to her?”

“I don’t like her. There’s something wrong with her.”

“You sound like your brother. I would have thought that you would have loved town gossip.”

“No. What I would love is a good glass of vino and that tasted like horse piss.”

“You drank it.”

“I had to in order to swallow all her banter. She is a liar, Nikki. I can feel it.”

“Now are you going to tell me you have a built-in lie detector, kind of like your gaydar?”

“No. I don’t know what it is . . . maybe I’m like Derek in some way. I really don’t like when people talk so negatively about someone who has been nothing but nice to me, and Grace has been. She came down to the set earlier and we talked. I like her.”

“Wait a minute. She was down on the set today? I didn’t see her.”

“She was there for a little while.”

“What did she want?” Nikki asked.

“I don’t know. I guess to watch a bit. But we got to talking and I was telling her about Marco, and she gave me some sage advice. She said that people will do anything for love, give up anything, go the distance. That’s what love is. I thought it was beautiful, what she said.”

Nikki didn’t know how to respond. She had a lot going on in her mind. First off, everything that Sarah had told them about Grace and Liam and Elizabeth. Was it true, or was Simon right? Was the woman a liar? What she said made sense. It did. But what about Grace showing up on the set? Nikki hadn’t seen her. She would have thought that Grace would want to stay as far away from the set as possible.

They made it back to the vineyard. Will was at the security kiosk. “Nice evening?” he asked.

“Oh hunky-dory,” Simon replied.

Will looked at him strangely and Nikki said, “It was nice. Thank you.” She drove on up to the RV. “You need to really behave yourself.”

“I’m sorry. I’m a bit hungry, and it makes me grumpy if I don’t eat. I think my sugar levels are dropping.”

“Right. Why didn’t you go into acting?”

“Funny. So what are we going to eat?” he asked.

Once inside the motor home, she hunted through the cabinets, which to her delight were stocked with food, bottled water, soda, and even wine. “Hey, check this out. Lucy must have demanded all of this.” She pointed to the food. “I think I can whip us up something.”

“Where is that wine?”

“On its way.” She opened a bottle and poured him a glass.

“Now this is good,” Simon said.

“I’m glad you’re happy.” She found tomato soup, macaroni and cheese, and fixings for a salad. “Comfort food coming soon.”

“Goody.”

They took out plates and bowls and ate their comfort food while splitting the rest of the wine. Talk turned to the set and the movie. “It’s hard,” Nikki replied when Simon asked how things were really going. “I don’t know how I’m doing. I suppose okay, because we are getting through it, but under the conditions of first Lucy’s bizarre death, and now Marne Pickett haunting me, it’s kind of tough. How about you? What do you think of things around here?”

“Interesting. I’ve never been on a movie set before. It’s kind of like its own little city here, with pretty much everything one needs all set up. And then you have the pecking order—which, by the way, I am not low man on the totem pole.”

She laughed. “You’re not, huh?”

“No way. They all buy into my Jiu-Jitsu act. I think I have them scared to death of me.”

“Who is low man on the totem pole then?”

“Who knows, really. What I do know is that Amy and Harv haven’t scored points with many people around here.”

“Tell me about it.”

“I thought that Harv might be cool and we could hang out,” Simon said. “But he’s rude. And that Amy may know how to pick out clothes, but she’s a real bitch. I tried to take her a cup of coffee because I heard her tell Harv she wanted one, and she said that she changed her mind, when I went to give it to her.”

“Why do you think they’re like that?”

“Who knows? Superiority complex.”

“I know they didn’t like Lucy much. Maybe they did her in.”

Simon laughed. “Come on. Why?”

“Because she was horrible to them.”

“So what? That’s showbiz. Actresses are awful to people all the time. I doubt it bothers those two very much. You’re not still on this kick about Lucy’s death being a murder? Is that why we just took the trip down to that so-called winery?”

“Yes I am, and yes that’s why.” Nikki went into everything she’d discovered, from Hannah’s book on poisonous snakes, to Liam’s love for the real Elizabeth Wells and Grace’s jealousy, to the fact that Johnny, Hannah, and Lucy partied with Will the security guard the night that Lucy died. Then of course there was Shawn’s contentiousness with Lucy, along with Kane’s. Nikki had started wondering if Kane might have killed Lucy just because she was setting the schedule back with her temper tantrums. A new actress could get the movie done on time and for less money. That could be, but if so, why wouldn’t he have just fired her? Of course there was also Andy Burrow, who knew how to handle poisonous snakes, was certain that his suit had been moved, and then had changed his story.