Maceration

Maceration

Brian Briscoe

Published by Brian Briscoe at
Smashwords

Copyright 2011 Brian Briscoe

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Chapter One

Robin Felix lifted the glass to
the morning light, swirled its ruby contents and nosed its bouquet
as only a professional winemaker can. His bulbous lips engulfed the
liquid before spitting gobbets of macerated grape juice through
clenched teeth into a silver spittoon.

“
What a shame
Peter’s not here,” he said sarcastically. “ He’s never missed an
initial tasting of my cabernet.” He edged closer to the light. “
Something funny about this one though. What do you think dear
brother?”

Len Felix nervously looked at
Robin,“ I really don’t think we should be tasting first wine
pressings without Peter. He insists on being here to ensure…”

“
Don’t rabbit
on Len, just taste the bloody stuff!”

Robin turned to pour another
glass and froze. Extruding slightly from the tap was a vision that
shocked him. He timidly reached out, touched it and recoiled in
horror. He retched and held his hand over his mouth to cover the
rising acid that was burning his throat. A portion of finger had
become wedged in the tap and protruded from the spout like a pig's
snout. A blackened nail was dangling from a flap of lacerated skin
and blood seeped from the flap in droplets mixing with the oozing
cabernet wine.

“
What’s that
Len?" Robin cried out.

“
What? Let me
see. Shit! It’s a bloody finger.”

“
I can see
it’s a bloody finger alright but what’s it doing in my
wine!”

Len climbed with skill to the
rim of the crusher and peered into the bubbling, purply brew.

“
What is it
Len? What’s wrong?” called Robin. “ You look like you’ve seen a
ghost. For God's sake man do I have to do everything around here?”
He pulled his huge frame up a metal ladder to peer into the brew
from the opposite side of the vat.

“
Strewth, it’s
brother Peter!”

Chapter Two

Inspector Maxine Lake’s 'iPhone'
sang as the field in the first race at Victoria Park rounded the
sweeping final bend and powered as one into the home straight. She
raised an eyebrow and read the message from Superintendant
Faraday,“ Body found. Felix Winery. Attend immediately!”

She knew she’d better go. She
watched as her investment lost by a short half head and shrugged.
Her day at the races would have to wait. The pathologist would be
waiting and she’d learnt not to keep Dr Van Hoffman waiting.

Maxine reached the Adelaide
Hills winery within the hour. It was perched atop a picture perfect
knoll on the Hahndorf to Oakbank Road: Hans Heyson country.
Impressive ghost gums, sweeping paddocks and fat Jersey cows. Rows
of grapes galleried the gravel driveway that lead to the cellar
door of the Grand Estate Felix. She parked her Citroen next to Van
Hoffman’s Ford Territory and a local hills zone police car. Police
tape cordoned off the vast cellar entrance indicating the probable
crime location.

Feeling underdressed in her
Dunlop Volleys, Jag jeans and casual short-cut top she walked
through the large wooden cellar door entry into the winery itself.
She looked around the vast dark space to see Van standing on a
platform straddling a large grape crusher. The pathologist fitted
snugly into his white overalls. Her mind wandered.

“
I do admire a
man in uniform,” she called.

“
Do you? I’m
pleased. Nice to see you dressed for the occasion,” he
replied.

“
Oh I always
do for you. Haven’t you noticed?”

Van smiled his cheeky smile and
beckoned with a cursory wave. “ We’ve got a tricky one here Maxine.
Better suit up.”

The Inspector clambered into the
plastic garb and climbed the scaffold surrounding the vat. She was
accustomed to death but always steeled herself for the moment. The
sight that greeted her was not pleasant and as normal for her she
struggled to control her nausea. Being a police inspector didn't
qualify the bearer to, as a matter of course, possess a steel
constitution.

A gangly middle-aged man had
been mangled, right arm and face first, into the Archimedes screw
which spanned the width of the crusher. His arm was inserted up to
his elbow and the screw's blades had slashed his face. This left
one side that gazed disconcertingly at Maxine. His exposed body
parts had been stained purple, giving him an alien appearance and
he looked oddly like he was reaching into the giant screw trying to
retrieve something he’d lost. Massive slashes appearing like plough
furrows circled half of his body. The Archimedes Screw had only
failed when his body could be screwed no further. It was made for
grape crushing after all.

“
Who he is
Van?” Maxine said, moving to study the body with greater care. It
reminded her of a twisted crash-test dummy.

“
Peter
Felix.”

“
One of the
Felix brothers? Oh that’s a shame. Makes a great pinot.”

“
I’ve heard.
He’s been macerated dear Maxine. Archimedes would not be pleased.
He seems to have marks on his neck, which I’ll examine under
laboratory conditions later, and cuts to his knees, but I can’t
really tell you much more until we get him back to Adelaide. I’m
waiting on my team to help move him. We’re going to have to
dismantle the whole crusher. That lot over there are not
pleased.”

“
Who are
they?” questioned Maxine, staring at a worried clump of people
standing beside an enormous basket press.

Van whispered,“ The rest of the
Felix clan. Watch out for the big bugger he’s a first class
bastard! Must have passed bastard school with honours first class!
Know the type?”

Maxine tipped her head and
winked. " Meet one a week in my job Van. See you later."

Chapter Three

“
Inspector
Maxine Lake. I’m truly sorry for your loss,” consoled Maxine,
extending her hand. She received a thin sweaty palm in
reply.

“
Thank you
Inspector Lake. I’m Len Felix; this is my brother Robin, and our
chief winemaker Paul Lange. “ Look, this is just so terrible. Let
us know of anything you need to help with your investigation. I'm
not sure what we can do but...”

Robin pushed him aside,“ Oh for
pity’s sake Len don’t be such a wimp! We all know how terrible this
accident is, but what we need to know from the pretty inspector
here is when can we recommence crushing? We’ve a thousand case
order to ship to America.”

Maxine lifted her eyes to Robin.
She’d dealt with bullies before, “ What makes you so sure it was an
accident?”

“
Well of
course it was an accident. You don’t think someone pushed him and
held him in the vat do you? Really Inspector Lake that’s crazy!
Now, when can we have our winery back?” He moved closer to Maxine
using his large frame to intimidate.

Maxine ignored him and turned to
the chief winemaker, “ Now Mr Lange what do you think could have
happened?”

“
Please call
me Paul Inspector Lake. The screw may have failed, but it hasn’t
failed before. The equipment is serviced and maintained regularly,
and Peter certainly knew what he was doing. A finer vigneron you
wouldn't find. So to answer your question, no I don’t.”

Len was uptight. He rubbed his
hands together and mumbled, “ Peter was a workaholic. Would have
been working late. Could have slipped, bumped his head, anything!
He cared so much about our wines.”

Robin was sick of being ignored;
“ Now look here Inspector you still haven’t answered my bloody
question. When can we have our winery back?”

Maxine turned to Robin and took
one abrupt step forward. She stared into his eyes, lowered her
voice and spat back, “ Mr Felix you will have your winery back when
the chief pathologist gives me the all clear and when I am
satisfied that we have collected all evidence required. The Office
of Workplace Safety will need to inspect the site, as this is a
death in the workplace. So until I say so, nothing, and I mean
nothing happens here. The Felix Winery is closed! Now if you don’t
mind I’d like to talk to Mr Lange in private.”

And with that statement Maxine
took Paul’s arm and led him quickly away with Robin visibly
smarting and Len physically upset.

Chapter Four

“
Robin’s not
used to being spoken to like that Inspector. His bark is worse than
his bite, but he’s not my favourite person.”

Paul led Maxine outside to a
series of bins full of grapes waiting to be crushed.

“
This is what
he’s worried about. He can’t use the crusher for his remaining
grapes until it’s free. And he was right when he said we’d get
behind and jeopardise our shipment. He’s obsessed with America.
Fancies himself at the Waldorf hosting a tasting.”

Paul took a handful of grapes to
show Maxine. She was immediately impressed with him. He’d have to
be pretty tough to work with three egos like the Felix’s.

“
Peter’s Pinot
I presume,” said Maxine, taking the firm bunch from his
outstretched hand. “ Cool climate wines, popular in the Adelaide
Hills region. Good drop too, The Peter Felix."

“
Not just good
Inspector, bloody excellent. The first batch is in the basket
press. Robin and Peter always argued as to whose wine would be
processed and bottled first. America beckons! Come on, I’ll take
you out to the block where these beauties come from, ‘Peter’s
Paddock’.”

“
I’d like that
Mr Lange.”

“
Look call me
Paul,” he said, as they bundled into a beat up Toyota
utility.

“
Sure, call me
Inspector,” she laughed. “ No, call me Maxine. This thing air
conditioned?”

“As if,” he laughed.

Maxine admired the winery as
Paul drove between rows of leafy grapevines. Fantasies about being
a winemaker entered her thoughts. An endless supply of red, healthy
lifestyle and an attractive fellow like Paul to help wallow the
nights away. She knew the reality though would be very different.
Probably end up like Robin Felix, angry and in debt.

Paul’s voice brought her back to
reality. “ The paddock’s on the northern slope so that it utilises
maximum sunlight. I heard that caused a stir when it was first
planted. Robin wanted it for his cabernet but Peter stood his
ground. No one beat Peter. Incredibly tough, idiotically
idealistic, and completely driven. Poor sod. Driven to make the
best pinot. Couldn’t care less about sales. We’ve got cases of the
stuff sitting around at seventy five dollars a bottle.”

Paul guided the ute across a
small wooden bridge that crossed a dried up creek bed.

Maxine said," No point having a
great wine if it’s too expensive for the average punter like me to
buy. Especially when I can go down my local pub and get a great red
for twenty bucks.”

“
Exactly. He
thought he’d compete with a Henschke or a Grange, but you need
years of respect in this industry to do that. The Felix’s have a
good name but not a great one.”

Paul swung the utility beside a
small galvanised shed that looked over a sweeping expanse of vines.
He pulled the handbrake and the two climbed from the vehicle.

He leaned on the bonnet, “
Peter’s Paddock. Some say thirty-five acres of the best pinot in
the country. What I wouldn’t do to own that.”

Maxine studied his face, rugged,
interesting, “ And what would you do for it? ”

He burst out laughing, “ I don’t
like the Felix’s, but I’m not about to bump them off one by one to
get the winery if that’s what you’re implying. This isn’t ‘Midsomer
Slaughter’ Inspector. And anyway, looks like an accident to
me.”

“
Does it? You
never know. I’ve come across many a strange motive in my time, and
having a sunny smile doesn’t exclude you from suspicion.” She
turned and strode into the rows of vines.

Paul called after her.“ I don’t
know if that’s a compliment or not, but I’ll take it as one. I’ve
got some work to do so take your time and have a good look around.
I'll collect you in about half an hour. You might find a clue if
you're lucky Miss Marple.”