“What happened to the pigs?” I asked.

  “Sent off to a rescue center,” said James. “And he kept a few. Gave them all names. He loved his animals whether they had fur or trotters.”

  “It’s beautiful here,” said Helen.

  “I like it,” said James. “Fifty acres, all producing top-quality wine. Come on, we’ll take a walk around. Then I’ll set up our own private tasting experience.”

  I ambled along as James explained how the grapes were chosen, cultivated, and then picked when ripe, before being processed and bottled for sale.

  Flipper walked along beside me, happy to explore his new surroundings. Now he was away from Dillon, he was back to his old self. I was convinced Dillon’s ghostly presence was the cause of his sickness. Still, a quick trip to the vet wouldn’t do any harm, just to make sure everything was fine.

  “Who are they?” I pointed to a group of people in the distance.

  “Probably a tour group,” said James, as his gaze followed my finger. “We run them in the summer. People love to come and have a look around and sample the wine. Also an excellent way to flog a few bottles. It’s delicious stuff.”

  “When do we get to try the wine?” asked Helen.

  “Well, beautiful lady, you set up the picnic out here. I’ll go and snag us a few bottles. Wine tastes even better outside in the sunshine.”

  Helen nodded, and we followed James to a large wooden barn, the double doors thrown open and a strong scent of fermenting grapes drifting out.

  “There’s a good spot around the corner,” said James, as he handed Helen the picnic basket. “Get out the food. I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

  We wandered around the side of the barn. I could hear murmurs from the visitors inside and the chink of glasses.

  Helen set the blanket in a shady spot and took out the food, arranging it neatly on the blanket. “Isn’t this lovely? Just what we needed.”

  “You’re right. This is nice.” I felt relaxed now we were here and had barely thought about Honey and her situation. She’d be fine; the police knew what they were doing. If she was innocent, they’d let her go. And if she wasn’t, well, that would be a shame, but at least Blake’s murder was solved.

  I sat on the blanket, and Flipper joined me, his nose pointing straight at the food, just in case any escaped and happened to fall into his mouth.

  “Don’t worry; you’ll get some,” I said. I’d packed him a special treat, so he wouldn’t keep pestering us for food.

  James strolled around the corner a moment later, two bottles of wine tucked under each arm and two in his hands. Three long-stemmed glasses hung from his fingers.

  “We’re going to drink all that?” I wouldn’t be able to stand up if we did. And there’d be no way I’d get in a car after James had downed that wine.

  “These are just for starters,” said James, grinning at us as he set down the glasses and wine. “And you don’t have to drink a whole bottle if you don’t want to. We’re only sampling. But you can pick your favorite and I’ll get us a bottle of that.” He shrugged off his linen jacket and squeezed onto the blanket before uncorking the first bottle.

  “What’s this one?” asked Helen, as James passed around a small measure of white wine.

  “Firefly Vineyard has five different varieties. Each one has the word pig in the name, in honor of our former residents. This is the Clever Pig Chardonnay. It’s a cheeky little number, with a crisp flavor and a hint of lemon and grass.”

  I raised my eyebrows as I sniffed the wine. I was no wine connoisseur and couldn’t pick up any hints of lemon or grass. But I liked Blake naming the wine after the animals he’d saved. I took a sip. It tasted like white wine. It was nice enough. I could drink a glass or two without complaint.

  “This is lovely,” said Helen, after she’d taken a sip. “I might have to get a bottle of this.”

  “Plenty of the stuff back at the house if you ask Julianne nicely enough,” said James. “She might need someone to talk to over a glass of wine after everything that’s happened. Honey is a big problem for Julianne. I bet she’s fretting about what to do, worried the villagers are gossiping.”

  “It’s not just Honey that’s a problem,” I said, wondering how much James knew about Julianne’s financial concerns. “She was talking about cutting business overheads, even letting go of staff.”

  James’s eyes widened. “First I’ve heard of it.”

  “I only know because she asked me to look over the books. Julianne was worried there might be unnecessary expenses going out.”

  “And are there?”

  My fingers tightened around the wine glass. “There are a few anomalies, one in particular. Do you know anything about a company called J.M. Smithe?”

  James sat up straight. “Not familiar with that name. Is it a local firm?”

  “Not sure. But they get paid regularly. I can’t figure out what for.”

  “What amount are we talking about?”

  “Five thousand a month.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “Blimey. What do they do to earn that? It’s not a wine merchant. I’d know them. What does Julianne think about it?”

  “I haven’t had a chance to tell her,” I said. “Only found the amounts this morning.”

  “I’d like to help,” said James, as he scratched a hand through his hair, “but accounting isn’t my thing. I find the money and make the investment and then leave things to flourish. But if someone is skimming money off this business, then we need to get it sorted. Can’t have anyone taking my profits.”

  “Any idea who might want an extra cut?” I asked. “Any member of staff been unhappy?”

  “Again, not my sort of thing,” said James. “But a smart girl like you will figure things out. Julianne’s already said how pleased she is with your work.”

  “I hope she’s happy with the work I’ve been doing as well,” said Helen, as she finished her wine.

  “I’m sure she’s thrilled with you both.” James smiled at Helen. “Ready to try the next bottle?”

  “Absolutely.” Helen grinned, her cheeks already pink from the wine.

  We spent the next half an hour sampling wine and eating cheese and bread. The accounting issue kept playing on my mind, despite how hard I tried to ignore it. I doubted Honey would have been skimming off the books, but she was a smart young woman, no matter what Julianne and Marcus said about her. Maybe Blake had taught her too well. Guess that would be another thing the police would figure out. Honey was stealing money, Blake caught her and she panicked. Just another nail in her coffin, another reason for wanting him dead. Another reason for killing him.

  We were about to sample our third bottle. I felt pleasantly relaxed and a little tipsy, when Flipper shot to his feet, abandoning his dog chew.

  I reached for his collar, but before I could stop him, he’d dashed away through the vineyard.

  “What’s up with him?” asked Helen, as she cut a large chunk of cheddar cheese and placed it on a slice of bread.

  I clambered to my feet and watched Flipper race through the vines. “Not sure, but I better go get him. He’s probably spotted a rabbit or another dog and is off to make friends.”

  “Don’t be too long, or we’ll drink all the wine,” called Helen.

  I gave her a wave as I called to Flipper, but he ignored me. I saw him racing toward a fence, which he leapt over without pausing.

  Increasing my stride, I stopped by the fence. There was nothing in the field other than recently mown grass, so I didn’t have to worry about Flipper racing through crops and getting shot by an angry farmer.

  As I looked for a way to get over the fence while maintaining my dignity, I heard barking. I looked up to see a husky dash across the field, grab something, and then turn and race back the way it had come.

  The dog looked familiar. As I hauled myself over the fence, I spotted a person. From this distance, I couldn’t be certain, but it looked like Taylor, the dog trainer.

  I watched as the husky sat at her feet and dropped whatever was in its mouth. She petted his head and then fed him a treat before sending him off to retrieve something else.

  When the dog returned, she started him on a series of commands, including sitting, laying down, and then jumping up. He did everything she asked. Taylor was good at her job. I’d have to get her to teach me how to make Flipper stop running away whenever he found something interesting.

  She looked up and waved as she saw me approach. Flipper was now sitting by her feet, his tail tucked neatly around him. He’d do anything for a treat. No doubt Taylor had a stash of goodies on her.

  “Sorry about Flipper,” I said, as I reached her. “He must have smelt your dog and come to investigate.”

  “I was using a dog whistle,” said Taylor. “Perhaps that’s what he heard. Some dogs react to it and some completely ignore it. I also use hand gestures when teaching dogs new tricks.”

  “I’ve never used a whistle with him,” I said. “But if it brings him to heel like this, then I’m buying one today.”

  Taylor laughed and pushed her curls off her face. “Didn’t know you were here.”

  “James is giving us a tour,” I said. “Julianne is having a couple of days away, so I’ve got the day off.”

  “Oh, yes.” Taylor looked down at the dogs. “The whole village is talking about what happened, Honey getting arrested and all that.”

  “She hasn’t been formally charged. But Julianne is convinced Honey’s involved with Blake’s death.” Thanks to a little prodding from me, something I still felt guilty about.

  “You think she’s innocent?”

  “Don’t know,” I said. “I was just getting to know her when they arrested her.”

  “The police will sort it out,” said Taylor. “And if she did anything to hurt Blake, then she deserves to go to prison. He was a nice guy.”

  “You trained their old dog, Dillon?”

  “That’s right. Up until he died, he used to come to one-to-one classes once a week. I’ve been running this business for fifteen years and was around when they got Dillon as a puppy. And I hope to train Charlie, as well. Have you met him yet?”

  “Yesterday,” I said. “He’s a cutie.”

  “He’s perfect. And Julianne will need a companion, given everything that’s happened,” said Taylor. “I’ll drop by in a few days and see if she needs a hand with Charlie. He will take her mind off everything. When you have a dog in your life, everything seems brighter.”

  I smiled and nodded. She was right there. Until I got Flipper, I always felt there was something missing in my life. “What are you doing out here?”

  “Julianne lets me use this field for training,” said Taylor. “I tried to pay her to rent it, but she said it’s just going to waste. Wrong soil type to grow grapes. So I come here most days and train the dogs. Sometimes, I use it to give Brutus a good run around. He’s got a lot of energy. And it’s nice out here. I like the peace and quiet.”

  “I must come out here with Flipper. You can show us a few tricks,” I said.

  “He seems like a well-behaved dog.” She petted his head and he gave her a doggy smile.

  “When he wants to be,” I said, with a wry grin. “But he has a mind of his own.”

  “Best kind of dog,” said Taylor. “I like the ones with character. You know when they’re coming to your command that they’re doing it because they respect you, not because you’ve forced them. Positive reinforcement is the best way to go. You can get them to do anything when they know there’s a bit of liver sausage at the end of it.”

  I grinned. Taylor certainly knew her animals. “We could meet up next week for a walk and a training session?”

  “You’ll find me here almost every day,” said Taylor, as she pulled out a card from her pocket and handed it to me. “Send me a text when you want to meet.”

  “Sounds great,” I said. “Well, we’d better get back to our wine tasting. I’m worried Helen will drink everything and I’ll have to carry her to the car.”

  Taylor raised a hand as we walked away before sending Brutus off for another retrieval.

  Flipper jumped over the fence, and I hauled myself over. I turned to look back at Taylor and Brutus and paused. Someone else had joined her.

  I squinted my eyes. It looked like Marcus. But what was he doing with Taylor?

  I watched as Brutus ran toward them. He dropped the ball he held in his mouth. Marcus made a gesture with his hands and Brutus backed away and then ran straight at Taylor and jumped at her.

  My eyes widened as I heard them laughing. Taylor got to her feet and brushed herself down.

  Marcus repeated the movements and Brutus did the same thing before sitting and barking until Taylor gave him a treat.

  I backed away from the fence, my heart thudding. The theory about Blake being pushed overboard was correct. But it wasn’t Honey who pushed him over. We had been right the first time; it was Dillon all along. But he didn’t do it by accident. He’d been trained.

  I felt sick as I ran through the vines. For whatever reason, Taylor and Marcus had trained Dillon to kill Blake.

  Chapter 21

  I found Helen and James giggling like schoolchildren as they finished another bottle of wine.

  “I’ve just seen Taylor training her dog,” I said, raising my eyebrows at Helen.

  “That’s nice,” said Helen.

  “She does that,” said James. “Uses the field next door to train the dogs.”

  I tried to shove my muddled thoughts into order as I caught my breath. Why would Taylor train Dillon to push Blake off the yacht, and how was Marcus involved?

  Helen gave me a quizzical look as I continued to stand in front of her. “Everything okay? Want to try some more wine?”

  I scraped my hair off my face. “Not sure. And no to the wine.” I turned to James. “Do you know if Taylor and Marcus are an item?”

  “Marcus Patel dating Taylor?” James laughed. “He is not her type. She likes the outdoorsy sort, lumberjack shirts, beards, and walking boots. Never seen Marcus out of a suit and tie.”

  “Why do you ask?” Helen sat up straight, finally seeming to sense something was wrong.

  “You interested in Marcus?” asked James. “Thought you said you weren’t available.”

  “I’m not.” I needed a chance to work through what I’d seen. “We should go. Don’t want to get back too late in case Julianne returns.”

  “Don’t worry about her,” said James. “She’ll be away for at least a day.”

  “Even so, we need to get back.” I shot Helen a meaningful look, trying to get her on my side, but she was busy picking over the last bits of cheese.

  “I’ve got a couple more bottles for you to try yet,” said James. “We’ve got the Noisy Pig and the Angry Boar to sample.”

  “Let’s try them back at the house,” I said, searching around for a convincing argument to get them to leave the wine and cheese. “Helen, you’d better not stay out any longer. You don’t want to get sunburnt.”

  Helen frowned and checked her arms. “I’m not burning.”

  “Even so, you can never be too careful.” I grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet, the time for subtlety over. “And I’m driving.”

  “I’ll be fine to drive.” James clambered to his feet and wobbled to one side.

  “Don’t even try to argue about this,” I said.

  “Very well,” grumbled James, as he fished his keys out of his pocket. “But we were having such fun.”

  “We can keep having fun at the house,” I said. “You pack up the leftover food and wine. We’ll meet you at the car.” I dragged Helen away.

  “What’s the matter with you?”

  “I’ve seen something that makes me think Taylor and Marcus are involved in Blake’s death.”

  Helen blinked rapidly and the wine flush on her cheeks faded. “What did you see?”

  “Taylor and her dog, Brutus. I think Taylor trained Dillon to push Blake overboard. I watched her own dog jump on her and shove her when Marcus performed a hand gesture.”

  “That’s terrible,” said Helen. “We should get her to explain herself.” She made a move away from me, but I grabbed her arm.

  “We need proof first,” I said, “a way to get Taylor at the house and show everyone what she did.”

  “And why she did it,” said Helen. “And how is Marcus involved?”

  “Could be they’re working together. He could be the one skimming the money out of the business. He didn’t want me to study the accounts. It makes sense now if he’s stealing. He got greedy and wanted more. Maybe Blake found out, or Marcus felt he needed him out of the way to avoid detection.”

  “Marcus is ambitious,” said Helen, “wanting to model himself on Blake and be the next big entrepreneur.”

  “We have to get them to confess to what they’ve done.”

  “Poor Dillon,” said Helen. “Trained to kill his owner. It’s so sad.”

  “We can be sad later,” I said. “We’ve got to get the killers to confess to what they’ve done and make sure Honey isn’t charged with a crime she didn’t commit.”

  I drove us back to the house, my thoughts racing. James fell asleep on the back seat almost instantly, alongside Flipper, leaving Helen and me to talk.

  “How about a dinner?” suggested Helen. “We could get everyone together to celebrate the arrival of Charlie. That way, it wouldn’t seem weird if we invite Taylor. You can get her to do tricks with Flipper and see if she reveals what she’s done.”

  “That could work,” I said. “But we need Julianne to witness it and she’s not even here.”

  “I’ll be in charge of the dinner. I need a day or two to get everything together, so we don’t have to do it tonight. We also need to make sure everyone is free to attend.”

  “We’ll have it this Friday,” I said. “Julianne will be back by then, and I’ll message Taylor and ask her to come over.”

  “What about Marcus? How are you going to prove his involvement?”

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17