Read Online How to Dine on Killer Wine: A Party-Planning Mystery by Penny Warner - Free Book Online
Authors: Penny Warner
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returned my attention to thedisaster in the yard. Javier was already righting the overturned tables and chairs. Allison had a can of paint and a brush in her hands, ready to paint over the graffiti. And Rob and Marie were picking up the lights and trying to untangle them. Rob noticed us at the window and made a disgusted face. I assumed he was referring to the mess and not the half-naked man standing next to me.
“I better get out there and help,” I said to Brad.
“Let me get a quick shower and I’ll join you,” he said.
I thought about how I was going to explain Brad’s presence in my room to Rob and Marie—and my mother. Maybe they’d be too distracted by the vandalism to care. “Be sure to lock the door on the other side of the bathroom or you may have a surprise visit from Mom.” I sighed.
Brad took me in his arms and kissed me. “Don’t worry, Pres. I’ll help you fix this. After all, that’s what I do best—clean up after messy situations. And your crew will be here soon, right?”
“Yeah.”
Thank goodness for my band of misfits,
I thought, hoping they were on their way. After Brad headed for the shower, I pulled on blue jeans, another red Killer Parties T-shirt, and black Vans and headed outside to help repair the damage.
Rob stopped his work replacing a party light as I stepped out the front door.
“Who did this?” I asked, surveying the area openmouthed. “Do you think it was that woman, JoAnne, from last night?”
“I’m sure it was,” Rob said. “Did you hear anythingduring the night? Our room’s way at the other end, but yours is right on the other side here.”
“As a matter of fact, I did hear a noise that woke me in the middle of the night. I looked out the window and saw someone in the shadows, but I figured it was your winery manager, Javier. I didn’t see anything like this.” I waved my arm around at the carnage.
“Javier?” Rob asked, his frown deepening.
“I assumed…”
“Javier!” Rob called him over.
Javier righted the small café table he was holding, shuffled over, and removed his straw hat. “Yes, sir?”
“What time did you leave here last night, Javier?”
Javier scratched his head. “Oh, about five, five thirty.”
Rob glanced at me, then asked Javier, “Did you come back later?”
“No, sir,” Javier said. His grip on his hat tightened. “I went to bingo, then home. As soon as I got here this morning and saw what happened, I rang your bell.”
“Thanks, Javier,” Rob said, giving him a pat on the shoulder.
“Wait!” I said to the winery manager. “Did you bring Allison back here after bingo?”
Javier looked at me with troubled eyes and bowed his head. “No, ma’am. I only took her there. She went home with someone else.”
“Allison was at bingo?” Rob asked, sounding surprised.
Javier shrugged, as if afraid to speak, then mutely returned to his work.
Rob turned to me. “Presley, are you sure you didn’t see or hear anything else last night?”
“I don’t think so. Brad, my…associate…he drove up right after I heard the noise—about half past midnight. I let him in, said good night to Allison, and—”
“Allison?” Rob asked.
“Yes, she was in the entry hall when I went to let Brad in.”
“What was she doing up at that hour?” Rob asked, his jaw tightening.
“Uh, just standing there. I thought I might have awakened her, but she was still in the clothes I’d seen her in earlier—the ones she wore to bingo. I assumed she was live-in help.”
Rob laughed coldly. “Live-in help. That’s a good one.”
I frowned, puzzled. “I thought she worked here.”
“She does. But she’s not live-in help. Allison is Marie’s younger sister.”
“Her sister?” I said, stunned at the news. They were as different as night and day. Marie had dark hair and eyes, while Allison was fair. Marie was slim but sturdy. Allison was model thin. Marie dressed in a sensible-casual style, right down to her black flats,
“I better get out there and help,” I said to Brad.
“Let me get a quick shower and I’ll join you,” he said.
I thought about how I was going to explain Brad’s presence in my room to Rob and Marie—and my mother. Maybe they’d be too distracted by the vandalism to care. “Be sure to lock the door on the other side of the bathroom or you may have a surprise visit from Mom.” I sighed.
Brad took me in his arms and kissed me. “Don’t worry, Pres. I’ll help you fix this. After all, that’s what I do best—clean up after messy situations. And your crew will be here soon, right?”
“Yeah.”
Thank goodness for my band of misfits,
I thought, hoping they were on their way. After Brad headed for the shower, I pulled on blue jeans, another red Killer Parties T-shirt, and black Vans and headed outside to help repair the damage.
Rob stopped his work replacing a party light as I stepped out the front door.
“Who did this?” I asked, surveying the area openmouthed. “Do you think it was that woman, JoAnne, from last night?”
“I’m sure it was,” Rob said. “Did you hear anythingduring the night? Our room’s way at the other end, but yours is right on the other side here.”
“As a matter of fact, I did hear a noise that woke me in the middle of the night. I looked out the window and saw someone in the shadows, but I figured it was your winery manager, Javier. I didn’t see anything like this.” I waved my arm around at the carnage.
“Javier?” Rob asked, his frown deepening.
“I assumed…”
“Javier!” Rob called him over.
Javier righted the small café table he was holding, shuffled over, and removed his straw hat. “Yes, sir?”
“What time did you leave here last night, Javier?”
Javier scratched his head. “Oh, about five, five thirty.”
Rob glanced at me, then asked Javier, “Did you come back later?”
“No, sir,” Javier said. His grip on his hat tightened. “I went to bingo, then home. As soon as I got here this morning and saw what happened, I rang your bell.”
“Thanks, Javier,” Rob said, giving him a pat on the shoulder.
“Wait!” I said to the winery manager. “Did you bring Allison back here after bingo?”
Javier looked at me with troubled eyes and bowed his head. “No, ma’am. I only took her there. She went home with someone else.”
“Allison was at bingo?” Rob asked, sounding surprised.
Javier shrugged, as if afraid to speak, then mutely returned to his work.
Rob turned to me. “Presley, are you sure you didn’t see or hear anything else last night?”
“I don’t think so. Brad, my…associate…he drove up right after I heard the noise—about half past midnight. I let him in, said good night to Allison, and—”
“Allison?” Rob asked.
“Yes, she was in the entry hall when I went to let Brad in.”
“What was she doing up at that hour?” Rob asked, his jaw tightening.
“Uh, just standing there. I thought I might have awakened her, but she was still in the clothes I’d seen her in earlier—the ones she wore to bingo. I assumed she was live-in help.”
Rob laughed coldly. “Live-in help. That’s a good one.”
I frowned, puzzled. “I thought she worked here.”
“She does. But she’s not live-in help. Allison is Marie’s younger sister.”
“Her sister?” I said, stunned at the news. They were as different as night and day. Marie had dark hair and eyes, while Allison was fair. Marie was slim but sturdy. Allison was model thin. Marie dressed in a sensible-casual style, right down to her black flats,
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