Caught in the Traminette by J.C. Eaton

Author:J.C. Eaton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: amateur sleuth, fraud, cooking, new york, blackmail, sabotage, women sleuths, dog mysteries, food and wine, small town finger lakes
Publisher: Beyond the Page Publishing

Chapter 22

The next morning was so bone-numbing that I thought my fingers would get frostbitten, even with gloves on. It seemed pointless to start up my car for less than a quarter mile down to the winery but halfway through my walk, I had second thoughts.

At a little before ten, I walked inside and was immediately greeted by Lizzie. “Morning, Norrie. You just missed Deputy Hickman’s phone call. He’s on his way over. Didn’t sound too happy.”

“He’s never happy. Did he mention what it was about?”

“Nope. Only that he needed to speak with you.”

“It could be good news. Maybe the lab found out who peered into my window the night our wine barrel was tampered with.”

“Let’s hope so.”

I breezed into my office, booted up the computer, and then went to the bistro for a large coffee. My fingers hadn’t yet thawed and I really needed to warm up and wake up. I’d spent most of the night trying to get the manure residue out of my car before showering and washing my clothes. One good thing—at least my parents decided to become vintners rather than dairy farmers.

A few minutes later, having greeted everyone, I started for my office when Grizzly Gary made his appearance. Lizzie was right. He looked even more craggy than usual. That heavy furrow line between his brows seemed to have gotten deeper and I could have sworn his eyelids drooped more than usual. Maybe he didn’t get much sleep either.

“May I have a word with you, Miss Ellington?”

“Uh, sure. Let’s go into my office. Do you want coffee or anything?”

“Thank you, no. I’m fine. This should only take a minute or so.”

I offered him a chair and pulled mine next to it. “Is this news about the peeping Tom?”

He chuckled. “In a manner of speaking, yes. But not the one at your place.”

Uh-oh. This isn’t going to be good.

The deputy leaned back in his chair and looked directly at me. “I got a phone call this morning from Victor Dahl at Dahl Farms shortly after the farm report.”

Really not good. And again with that farm report. “Uh-huh.”

“He has a surveillance camera aimed at the driveways and checks it every morning.”

I nodded and didn’t say a word.

“Tell me, why was your car parked midway down his driveway at precisely seven forty-nine p.m.? And yes, I checked the license plate myself. Good thing New York State requires front and back licenses.”

“I plead the Fifth.”

“You’re not on trial, Miss Ellington. Yet. Let’s keep it that way, shall we?”

“All right. Theo and I drove over there to see if Stanley blackmailed or bribed him. We figured there would be some sort of evidence in the office. Like a letter, or email. If it was blackmail, then Victor would have had a motive for murder.”

“So, essentially, breaking and entering.”

“More like entering. We didn’t break anything to get inside the barn door where the cows were. The barn led to the office.”

Grizzly Gary ran his fingers through his hair. “Miss Ellington, that is considered breaking and entering.

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