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  Fall’s Killer Vintage

  Calla Lily Mystery #3

  Anna Celeste Burke

  Fall’s Killer Vintage

  Copyright © 2019 Anna Celeste Burke

  https://desertcitiesmystery.com

  Independently Published

  All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher except brief quotations for review purposes.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. The use of any real company and/or product names is for literary effect only. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of the respective owners. The author derives no compensation or other benefits from the mention of any company or product.

  Books by USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling

  Author Anna Celeste Burke

  A Dead Husband Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery #1

  A Dead Sister Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery #2

  A Dead Daughter Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery # 3

  A Dead Mother Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery #4

  A Dead Cousin Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery #5

  A Dead Nephew Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery #6 [2019]

  Love A Foot Above the Ground Prequel to the Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery Series

  Cowabunga Christmas! Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery #1

  Gnarly New Year! Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery #2

  Heinous Habits! Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery #3

  Radical Regatta! Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery #4

  Bogus Bones! Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery #5 [2020]

  Murder at Catmmando Mountain Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery #1

  Love Notes in the Key of Sea Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery #2

  All Hallows’ Eve Heist Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery #3

  A Merry Christmas Wedding Mystery Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery #4

  Murder at Sea of Passenger X Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery #5

  Murder of the Maestro Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery #6

  A Tango Before Dying Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery #7

  A Canary in the Canal Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery #8 [2019]

  A Body on Fitzgerald’s Bluff Seaview Cottages Cozy Mystery #1

  The Murder of Shakespeare’s Ghost Seaview Cottages Cozy Mystery #2

  Grave Expectations on Dickens’ Dune Seaview Cottages Cozy Mystery #3

  A Farewell to Arms in Hemingway Hills Seaview Cottages Cozy Mystery #4 [2019]

  Lily’s Homecoming Under Fire Calla Lily Mystery #1

  A Tangle in the Vines Calla Lily Mystery #2

  Fall’s Killer Vintage Calla Lily Mystery #3

  The Vintner’s Other Daughter Calla Lily Mystery #4 [2020]

  Dedication

  To everyone who loves fall colors and all the other special things the season offers us.

  Table of Contents

  Acknowledgements

  Cast of Characters

  1 Blame it on the Moon

  2 Cake, Champagne, & Murder

  3 Old Rivals

  4 A Killer Vintage

  5 Rush to Judgment

  6 Butterflies, Bees, and Rats

  7 Objection Overruled!

  8 The Plot Thickens

  9 The Judge’s Choices

  10 No Nancy Drew

  11 The Lady in Red

  12 Off the Hook?

  13 The Judge’s Journal

  14 Updates and Dead Ends

  15 A Mother’s Missive

  16 Dirty Water

  17 A Shred of Hope

  18 Special Occasions

  19 Let the Filming Begin!

  20 Home for Christmas

  RECIPES

  Champagne Cake with Chambord Filling & Butter Cream Frosting

  Chili Upside-Down Pie

  Fried Plantains

  Pumpkin Spice Muffins

  Brandy’s Mom’s Southern Lemon Cream Cookies

  About the Author

  Acknowledgements

  Thanks to my husband, who put up with all sorts of nonsense as I wrote this book. Not just the usual insecure writer stuff, but the consequences of the fact that I way overbooked myself. He was a good sport when we ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as I worked to meet deadlines. He’s very understanding, which is another reason I love him so much.

  Doreen Keele deserves thanks, too, for jumping into the fray for the very first time as an editor. I’m grateful she was willing to pitch in with a tight turnaround time. Thank you!

  A shout out to Keri Knutson at Alchemy Book Covers & Design, for another lovely book cover. I adore her work and can’t wait to write the next book in this series so you can see more of her artistry.

  Of course, I want to acknowledge my ARC Angels—a very special group of readers—some of whom have been with me since I published my first book in 2013. I never have the right words to thank them for the friendship, support, and encouragement they offer as they read book after book! I am a fortunate author!

  Cast of Characters

  [Note to readers—skip this section if you prefer to discover the characters rather than meet them in advance. If you want to check “who’s who” among members of this ensemble cast, please do!]

  Lead Characters

  Lillian Callahan—“Calla Lily,” as she was called by her Aunt Lettie, is in her early thirties. An actress with a lead role in Not Another Day, a long-running daytime soap opera, her character was killed off in the previous season. When her great Aunt Lettie died, Lily returned to California’s wine country where she spent much of her youth. She inherited her aunt’s estate, including the Calla Lily Vineyards & Winery.

  Deputy U.S. Marshal Austin Jennings saved Lily’s life when they first met. He’s an affable, handsome, lawman who’s madly in love with Lily. His assignments include apprehending wanted fugitives, protecting federal judges, transporting federal prisoners, protecting federal witnesses, and managing assets seized from criminal enterprises. He also gets entangled, one way or another, in Lily’s troubles.

  Judy Tucker is a hard-working, elderly rancher who was Aunt Lettie’s best friend. She’s tough, funny, and handy in the kitchen, the garden, and with tools after years of managing her large ranch.

  Letitia Morgan—Aunt Lettie—now deceased, was a strong, independent woman from Alabama who was considered the “black sheep” in the family with deep roots in the Old South. She raised Lily when, at age twelve, her parents found her too much to handle. Starting with very little, Lettie built the vineyard and winery and left Lily a substantial estate.

  Jesse Hargrove is the Vineyard Foreman/Manager and has a role in maintaining security on the vineyard property where Lily’s house is located.

  Mitchell Carlson is the Head Winemaker at the Calla Lily Winery.

  Lily’s Diva Posse Members/Calla Lily Players

  Zelda Gomez a Latina woman in her late thirties who oversaw hair, makeup, and “ego-wrangling” on the set of Not Another Day. She performed in an improv group, has a background in dance, and knows a lot about what goes on backstage.

  Melody Skidmore is an actress and had a recurring role on Not Another Day. Her character was killed off at the beginning of the current season. She worked as an assistant to a costume designer and for a props master.

  Julie Hemsley is a writer on Not Another Day and worked as a production assistant before landing the job as a writer. She’s also written scripts and plays. Some have been optioned but none were ever produced.

  Carrie Cramer is a TV personality wit
h a background in investigative journalism and has dabbled in acting. She currently works as a sports journalist in LA and frequently covers the LA Angels baseball team.

  Returning from his debut in book 2, it’s “Billie the Kid,” otherwise known as Billie Dundee. Billie has been made Lily’s ward by the courts, at least temporarily.

  Mick Daley is a set designer recently fired from Not Another Day as the series producers announce plans to end the long-running show.

  The Law

  U.S. Marshal, Rikki Havens is Austin’s boss. She’s asked to assist when local authorities discover the seriousness and complexity of the crimes committed in Calistoga.

  Deputy Dahlia Ahern is a member of the Napa County Sheriff’s Department.

  Colin Brinkley is a lawyer and judge. He was a longtime suitor and close friend of Aunt Lettie. He also assisted in Billie Dundee’s placement with Lily.

  Ben Grady the “Hazmat Man” is a crime scene investigator who’s now dating Julie.

  Victoria Boyett is a member of the local Arson investigation team.

  New to the cast in this mystery

  Federal Judge, Trevor Howard, killed at the Taste of Napa Challenge Awards Ceremony.

  Sharon Forrest is Judge Trevor Howard’s wife.

  James Rollins is a suspect arrested for setting a fire at the Ladera de Santa Maria mountaintop winery and the murder of Judge Howard.

  Teresa Reitnauer is the Chairwoman of the Calistoga Gardening Club.

  Rodney Higgins is an owner and CEO of the Ladera de Santa Maria Winery.

  Edward P. Higgins is Rodney Higgins’ uncle, the Higgins family lawyer, and a shareholder in the Ladera Winery.

  Helen Drake is Rodney Higgins’ mother.

  Gregory Hampton is a lower court judge with a shady past who’s a nominee to fill the vacancy created by Judge Howard’s death.

  Addison Wesley is another nominee for Judge Howard’s position.

  1 Blame it on the Moon

  A blood-curdling scream pierced the twilight. Someone must have opened a door because faint strains of music coming from the gathering room at the Ladera de Santa Maria Winery grew louder. Then the music stopped. More shrieks followed, accompanied by shouts of “Fire!”

  I blame it on the moon that Austin and I weren’t inside the winery. Captivated by the enormous golden orb, as it hovered a little above the horizon, we’d stepped outside to gaze at it. We’d wandered along a paved walkway to a lookout point, as it shimmered below us. The Ladera Winery, as it’s referred to day-to-day, is in one of the mountain appellations in the Napa Valley. From the hilltop where the winery was built, the view of the vineyards in orderly rows amid the last of the fall colors was breathtakingly romantic. We were spellbound, wrapped in each other’s arms when chaos erupted.

  Austin took off at the sound of the first scream. I was two steps behind him as we bounded back down the walkway to the winery. Austin dashed to the nearest exit. When we’d caught a glimpse of the moon through the wall of windows in the voluminous winery solarium, Austin and I were waiting for the event organizers to announce the winning vintages in this year’s Taste of Napa Challenge. I’d taken his hand, led him back through the gathering room in the Ladera Welcome Center, and out the front entrance. We hadn’t needed to figure out where the other exits were.

  Disbelief, then horror, washed over me as I realized the side door was being held shut by a stack of heavy wood. They were rectangular, three or four-foot chunks cut from railroad ties often used in landscaping. People trying to get out, pushed against the door as others pounded on the windows. Fortified against the summer heat and winter cold, the windows were made of thick, double-paned, tempered glass.

  Austin motioned, and shouted for them to exit through the front entrance. My heart leapt in my chest when I saw that Aunt Lettie’s old friend, Judge Colin Brinkley was among those trapped inside. He moved closer to the window, pointed toward the front entrance, and shook his head no. I took that to mean it wasn’t possible to get out that way. As thick, black smoke rolled into the room, the people with Colin grew more panicky. Hefting the pieces of wood together, Austin and I tossed the first two or three away when the bar on the door became visible. It was padlocked.

  “Austin, you’ve got to do something. Can we use the wood to batter the windows?”

  “No, the glass is too thick. Even a bullet won’t do much damage unless there’s a vulnerability in the glass already.” Austin searched. “Like that!”

  I didn’t see what he was pointing at, but he waved for Colin Brinkley who came closer to the window. Then Austin pulled out a gun and motioned for the judge to move everyone back. The judge nodded, took charge, and cleared people away from the enormous floor to ceiling window that was closest to us.

  The first shot did nothing except ping off the metal window frame and splinter a bit of wood trim on the roof above. My heart rate sped up as the smoke began to obscure my view of those inside. Austin’s second shot must have hit its mark. The windowpane became a huge moving puzzle as it fractured from the top down. It still held together until Austin fired a third shot, and the shattered glass dropped like a curtain falling. People rushed forward, but there was still another pane of glass in their way.

  “No! Not yet! Back!” I yelled, making hand signals as Austin took aim at the second pane of glass. I don’t know if my words got through to them or if Judge Brinkley ordered them to move, but they stepped away, almost disappearing into the smoke as they retreated.

  Sirens screamed and tires screeched to a halt in front of the winery. Footsteps came running toward us as Austin took aim at a corner of the glass pane. This time he focused on a tiny crack at the bottom. He kept firing and emptied his gun until the pane of glass collapsed.

  “Drop it!” a police officer shouted from behind us. Austin did as he was ordered. Smoke billowed out as people dashed from the building, coughing, and taking great gulps of fresh air. No one appeared to be burned, and I didn’t feel any heat coming from the room they’d vacated.

  “Don’t shoot! This is Deputy U.S. Marshal Austin Jennings,” Colin said in an irritated tone as he dabbed at his eyes with his handkerchief.

  “Are you sure, Judge?”

  “Yes, I’m sure.”

  “Show him your badge, Austin, so he’ll put his gun away. These people are already scared out of their minds!”

  “Sorry, Deputy. No one informed us that you were on the scene.”

  “No problem. I’m sure gunfire wasn’t what you wanted to hear under the circumstances.” Austin picked up his gun and stashed it.

  “We tried to unblock the exit by moving the wood, but it’s padlocked. See,” I said, pointing to the chain and lock on the door handle. I could hear the blaring horns of a firetruck, as well as more sirens.

  “I’ll make sure to point it out to the fire department officials. This is in clear violation of their rules about exits from public buildings. The owners are lucky you were able to get everyone out of there.”

  “It’s hard to believe the owners blocked the exit. Maybe whoever set off the smoke bombs did it,” I suggested.

  “That’s possible, but we’ve received reports of thefts here recently. I hope the owners didn’t take a shortcut to improving their security.” Then he shifted his focus onto crowd control as people were still standing around.

  “Keep moving, please. Stay away from the building and move around to the square out in front.” We also did as he asked.

  “I owe you one, Austin,” Colin said, slapping Austin on the back. A couple of guests said something similar as they scooted past us. I linked my arm through Austin’s arm. His heroics had occurred so often since I’d met him six months ago, I’d taken it for granted he’d rescue the trapped guests. That wasn’t fair to the courageous man who’d wormed his way into my anxious, cynical heart.

  “Glad I could help,” Austin replied. “Why couldn’t you get out through the front lobby area?”

  “It was blocked. I’m not sure how
it happened, but one of the long display tables collapsed. That must have set off a cascade like a row of dominoes because there was a series of loud crashes. When it stopped, a heap of tables, flowers, wine, and food had piled up and a stack of folded tables tumbled on top. When I tried to pick my way through it, something moved, and I got conked on the head for my trouble.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, Calla Lily. I’m fine. You know what a hard head I’ve got.” Colin knocked on the top of his head a couple of times and winced.

  “Let me see,” I said, as we reached the front of the building. I pulled him aside and peered at the top of the judge’s head as he bent over. “There’s no gash but you do have an impressive goose egg. Is Doc Kennedy still around?”

  “Don’t get that old coot involved or he’ll have me in the hospital. I’ve had enough excitement for one night. I want to go home, put some ice on my ‘goose egg,’ as you called it, and read a good book. Under the circumstances, I don’t imagine they’ll get around to announcing the winners, which is too bad. Your Calla Lily Chardonnay was sure to win best in show!”

  “That would have been wonderful since it was one of Aunt Lettie’s dreams that she didn’t live to see come true. I don’t believe anyone can wrap this mess soon. I’m ready to go home too.” I sighed, looking at the mob scene around us.

  The police were cordoning off the entrance to the winery, keeping people well away from the building. People were milling about, some of them in a daze. Others had managed to get to their cars and were trying to leave. They weren’t getting very far with police, ambulance, and fire department vehicles everywhere.