Read Online The Corpse With the Golden Nose by Cathy Ace - Free Book Online Page B

just that everyone here knows what happened. A week before Annette died, she changed her will. She left her half of the vineyard to Raj, instead of to me. We only all found out when the will was read, and that was weeks later. So, no, I wasn’t expecting it. No one was.”
    Ellen seemed calm as she announced that she’d been robbed of what she must have always assumed was her birthright. Bud couldn’t hide his surprise at Ellen’s delivery of this explanation. I could see his hand begin to move towards his now perfectly combed hair and I shook my head and made eyes at him. He sat on his hand.
    â€œI’m sorry, Ellen,” he said, sympathetically. “That must have come as a shock for you. I guess you expected that the whole business would be yours?”
    â€œWell, of course I did. Mom and Poppa built it from nothing! They imported the vines, they planted it all. And then it was me and Annette who got the real benefits of the crops, and we were able to make wonderful wines because of Annette’s gift. And, yes, I did think it would all be mine. But Raj is a good and kind man, and he’s an excellent vintner. He hasn’t got as good a nose as Annette had, but he took silver behind her golds for the three years he was with SoulVine Wines, so he’s not only the best in the area, but he’s just about the best in North America. I’m glad to have him. Without him joining the business, I’d have had to find a vintner from overseas, or use someone from Canada or the USA who isn’t as good as Raj. I’m so lucky that Annette thought of it. When Raj found out about it, he left SoulVine Wines immediately . He couldn’t work for anyone other than the company in which he’s a fifty-fifty owner and we get along really well. He has a wonderful vision for the business. I think that Mt Dewdney has a fabulous future ahead of it, and Raj and I will enjoy running it together.”
    â€œEllen,” said Bud in a commiserating tone, “do you think that Annette might have planned the whole thing? That she was depressed, set things up for you in a way that would be good for the business, but had just . . . had enough?” To be fair, he had a point.
    Ellen stood up and clenched her fists as she answered, “No! Annette wouldn’t have! She would never have killed herself! Oh Bud—I thought you believed me. You, of all people!”
    â€œIt’s okay”—I used my calming voice—”Bud’s just playing devil’s advocate, right, Bud?” I glared at him.
    â€œYes, yes, Cait’s right,” he lied. “I have to be sure before I go digging about. And, obviously, you’re quite certain. So that’s good. Well . . . not good . You know what I mean . . .” he stammered. He stood up and announced, “I’m sorry. I hope you don’t think we’re rude, Ellen, but Cait hasn’t quite kicked the smoking thing yet, and I know she’ll be hoping to have a quick puff before we hop into that taxi outside to leave for dinner. We’ll just head outside to the smoking porch at the side of the house for a few minutes, if that’s alright?”
    Now it was my turn to look at Bud as though he was having some sort of life-threatening episode, but, never one to turn down the chance to have a smoke without him nagging me to stub out, I was out of my seat as quickly as possible.
    â€œYou should speak to Lizzie Jackson about that,” called Ellen as I headed toward the front door. “She’s helped Serendipity Soul give up, and she got Marcel du Bois to kick the habit, which, given who he is and how attached he was to his cigarettes, and I mean that literally, is quite something. So maybe she has some redeeming qualities.”
    â€œThanks, I’ll bear that in mind.” I replied to Ellen’s backhanded compliment to Lizzie Jackson as politely as I could, while