Death, Dismay and Rosé

Chapter 1

Norrie’s House,

Penn Yan, New York

I flipped the kitchen wall calendar from May to June and shouted to Charlie, Only thirty more days till my sentence is over. The big brindle Plott hound barely cast me a glance and continued to guzzle his kibble. My sentence referred to the year I committed to overseeing the family winery while my sister, Francine, and her entomologist husband, Jason, traipsed through the Costa Rican rain forests in search of some elusive insect. All part of a grant Jason got from the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station at Cornell University.

Hooray for Jason. He got a grant and I got stuck dealing with more murders on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail than I could ever imagine in my real occupation as a romance and mystery screenwriter for a Canadian film company. I sublet my cozy apartment near Little Italy and returned to our family farmhouse on Two Witches Hill in Penn Yan, New York, adjacent to our winery that bore the Two Witches name.

For years, Francine and I begged our parents to change the name of the winery but our parents, who are now comfortably enjoying retirement in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, adamantly refused. Needless to say, Francine and I were teased relentlessly with all sorts of witch references. Of course, the fact that I just had to dye my hair orange and purple for Halloween in my sophomore year didn’t help.

Now, with a Sharpie marker in one hand and my cup of morning coffee in the other, I reached over to circle June thirtieth. That’s when I spied the small moon images on the calendar page and froze. I put the coffee cup down for fear of spilling it and took a closer look. Sure enough, under June twenty-first, beneath the words summer begins, was a full moon.

Wonderful. As if I don’t have enough to deal with. Now the curse of the full moon on the summer solstice.

It was a ridiculous Penn Yan legend that probably got started two centuries ago when someone tried to cover up a murder. The curse was right up there with the kiss of death gravestone curse that still lingers over the Penn Yan Cemetery on Lake Road. That curse, I think, was meant to keep kids away from the grave markers, but all it did was encourage them to dare each other to place a kiss on Elinor McLandon’s grave, circa 1802, and see if she would materialize and take them with her to the netherworld.

The solstice legend wasn’t all that different. Apparently, if a full moon occurred the same date as the summer solstice, the two witches, who once lived on our hill, would return from the dead and snuff the life out of someone in their sleep. The legend even specified the location—within a five-mile radius from the top of Two Witches Hill. There was a lot of lakefront in that area, including a popular vacation spot, Kashong Point. It was idiotic nonsense, but still somewhat chilling in a bizarre sort of way.

I snatched my iPhone off the table and googled the last date of a summer solstice that coincided with the full moon. It was on a Monday in 1948. Rosalee Marbelton from Terrace Wineries was old enough to remember that date but she wasn’t living here back then. I groaned and tried to think. That’s when it dawned on me. Gladys Pipp might be able to help. Gladys was the secretary for the Yates County Sheriff’s Office and knew more about the goings-on in the county than the deputies who were paid to deal with them.

Maybe I was being silly, but if no one was smothered in their sleep back in 1948, I could pooh-pooh the whole thing and tell everyone else to do the same. I looked at the clock and saw it was a little after eight. Gladys was bound to be at work, especially on a Monday morning, so I phoned her.

Norrie! I haven’t heard from you in a while. Is everything all right at the winery? she asked once she finished with the usual spiel of if this is an emergency, hang up and dial . . .

Great! Everything’s great. Thirty days and Francine will be taking over the helm. She needs to make more jellies and jams.

Gladys was a regular fan of my sister’s assorted berry jams and, much as I hate to admit it, I used lots of those jars to eke information out of her when I needed it. Besides, she was the only friendly face in that entire office.

So, what’s up? she asked.

I know this is a long shot, but you wouldn’t happen to know of anyone who was smothered to death in their sleep back in nineteen forty-eight, do you?

Oh, no. Not you, too.

What do you mean?

I need to keep my voice low. Listen, Deputy Hickman was in here a few minutes ago asking the same question. Said he wanted to be prepared in case the summer solstice curse reappears. Thinks someone might use it as a cover-up for them to commit murder. Had me pull up the obits from Google, but it was worthless. Now he’s sending me to the Yates County Historical Society to go through their records. He even got a deputy to cover my desk while I’m gone. Can you believe it?

Yeah, I can. That curse originated with the two witches who lived on our hill centuries ago. Those kinds of tales can really scare the tourists right out of here or bring in throngs of loonies. Hmm, that gives me an idea. I’m meeting a friend of mine in Geneva for lunch today. I’ll drop by the Geneva Historical Society on my way home and see what their archives say. We can touch base later, okay?

Sounds good to me. Listen, I wouldn’t put a whole lot of credence into those things. They’re only good for one thing—late-night ghost stories around the campfire.

I hope you’re right.

When I got off the phone with Gladys, I took a quick shower and got down to my real job. I had a screenplay due to my producer in two weeks. Actually, to the screenplay analyst who worked for my producer. Then it would be bounced back to me for revisions and his little just a thought notes that were more annoying than anything else. I never knew if he wanted me to change anything or if he merely wanted to point things out.

• • •

At a little before eleven, I closed my laptop and headed to the tasting room before taking off to meet Godfrey Klein for lunch at Tim Horton’s. Godfrey was an entomologist who worked alongside my brother-in-law at the Experiment Station. He was also the only person who kept in touch with Jason and Francine via a satellite phone from Cornell. He was also the only person I ever kissed on the lips for no apparent reason other than a spur-of-the-moment impulse. And while nothing like that happened again, mainly because I was, and still am, dating a lawyer who works in Geneva, I still have mixed feelings about Godfrey. Good thing I’ll be back in Manhattan in July. I like writing drama, not living it.

It felt wonderful to walk down the hill to our winery building in comfortable sandals instead of the heavy boots that seemed to be glued to my feet all winter long. Living in Penn Yan meant dealing with three seasons—snow, mud, and humidity. With mud season out of way, I could look forward to pesky mosquitos, no-see-ums, and frizzy hair. No wonder I moved to the city.

Surprisingly, the tasting room was busier than usual for a midmorning Monday on the first of June. Lizzie, our bookkeeper and cashier, lifted her wire-rimmed glasses from her nose and called out, Good morning, Norrie. Did you happen to notice the June calendar?

Thirty fun-filled days?

Shh! I’m referring to the summer solstice. It falls on a full moon. Not that I believe in all that mumbo-jumbo but—

Just then, Glenda emerged from the kitchen with a full rack of wineglasses. She immediately put them on the nearest tasting room table and rushed over to me. The full moon falls on the summer solstice. It’s not too late, Norrie, she said as she brushed a long strand of pink and silver hair from her face. Zenora and I can smudge this place in less than an hour. It’s wide open so we can move clockwise while we gently wave the sage stick smoke around the room. The winery can’t afford to take any chances. Especially since it sits right on the same property where those two witches lived.

That was centuries ago and none of us really know if they were witches in the actual sense of the word or maybe two hormonal sisters with bad attitudes. Like the one I’m about to have if this keeps up.

Glenda clasped her hands so tight I swore her knuckles were going to turn white. If you must know, I have an awful premonition about this. And I’m not the only one. Zenora dreamt she saw a dead body floating on the lake.

Good. At least it wasn’t on our property. Tell your friend Zenora we can’t risk setting the place on fire with her ritual sage sticks. The séance last summer and the ear-piercing chants around my house were bad enough. We’ll be fine. It’s only a ghostly legend meant to give little kids goose bumps.

I’m not so sure, she replied. Promise me you’ll think about it.

Oh, I’ll think about it. I have no choice. By the way, has anyone seen Cammy? I stretched my neck and looked around the tasting room. Roger was at his table with four customers and Sam was chatting with a full crew at his table.

In the kitchen, Glenda said. Loading the dishwasher. It’s been a busy morning. Glad she’s the tasting room manager and not me. Nonstop customers. Fred and Emma can deal with them at the bistro. Whoa, I’d better get a move on. A few more just came in the door.

With that, Glenda grabbed the glass rack from the vacant table and proceeded to unload the glasses at her spot while motioning for the new arrivals to join her for a tasting.

You know, Lizzie said, it might not hurt to appease her. Glenda’s a gentle soul and she really believes in all that new age stuff.

My sister and I believed in Santa Claus but my father didn’t go running out there to build a shed for the reindeer.

No, but your brother-in-law built one for that Nigerian dwarf goat of his.

Ugh. Alvin. Don’t remind me. Hmm, come to think of it, if those ghostly witches do appear on the solstice, one look at Alvin and they’ll be hightailing it off this hill like nobody’s business. Especially if he starts spitting.

Lizzie laughed. I tend to agree.

Chapter 2

I walked into the kitchen, and sure enough Cammy was busy loading and unloading the dishwasher. She didn’t hear me at first and all but dropped a rack of wineglasses when she turned around.

Sorry, I said. Didn’t mean to sneak up on you. I should have coughed or something.

It’s fine. Believe it or not, we were slammed this morning with customers out of nowhere. I mean, yeah, the weather’s been terrific, but Mondays are usually slow. At least it kept Glenda from rattling us about that full moon curse of the two witches or whatever the heck it is. Remember, I’m from Geneva, not Penn Yan. We have our own imbecilic rumors and curses.

This one followed me all the way through childhood, past puberty, and now well into adulthood. Anyway, I just stopped in to say hello. I’m meeting Godfrey for lunch in a half hour and better get moving.

Cammy raised her thick, dark eyebrows. Just lunch?

He’s a friend. Like Theo and Don from next door.

Theo and Don are a couple. Godfrey’s, well . . . you know. Available.

I want to find out more about when Francine and Jason are coming home. Godfrey’s been on the satellite phone with them. That’s all. I’m not about to muddy the waters as far as Bradley is concerned. Hunky lawyers don’t appear on your doorstep every day.

I wouldn’t know. The only thing that appears on my doorstep, other than bird droppings, is the occasional delivery from Amazon. Oh, before I forget, Madeline Martinez from the Wineries of the West left you a message. She’ll be by today to drop off tickets for the annual WOW Winemakers Dinner in July. I think it’s nice that the six wineries in our section of the lake formed that little group. Great way to promote our wines.

And catch up on the local gossip. Don and Theo draw straws to see which one of them gets stuck attending the meetings. At least the dinner’s being hosted at her winery and not here. Did she say who was catering? I must have dozed off at that meeting.

Chez Claude from Rochester.

No kidding. Too bad Francine and Jason won’t be back in time for it.

Don’t worry, there’ll be tons of events for them to attend, like it or not.

I told Cammy I’d be by the next day and took off to meet Godfrey at Tim Horton’s. True, it was a small chain restaurant, but they had the best cappuccinos as far as I was concerned, and a decent selection of soups, sandwiches, and pastries.

Godfrey was seated by the front window when I walked in and motioned me over. In spite of his receding hairline and slightly overweight physique, he exuded a certain charm that I couldn’t quite explain.

Tell me the good news, I said as I sat down. What time’s their flight getting in?

He had a sheepish look on his face and cupped a fist inside his other hand. Yeah, about that . . . as you know, they’ve made tremendous progress on the global species database, but it wasn’t until recently that they spotted the Haemagogus, epithet unnamed to date, in a small riverbed not far from the—

I pressed both hands against the table and leaned in. What are you saying? They found the damn thing and now have to stick around to visit with its relatives?

Godfrey took a deep breath. Try to stay calm. Francine said you might overreact.

Oh, if I have to extend my watch one more month I’ll overreact all right. I’ll be on the next flight down to Costa Rica with a Costco-size bottle of Raid in my luggage.

And what’s with the ‘epithet unnamed’?

That honor could go to your brother-in-law. The species would be named after him. Like the Haemagogus clarki, named after Dr. Herbert C. Clark, who eradicated yellow fever.

I rolled my eyes and stood. I need to get a cup of coffee and a sandwich. I’ll order whatever you want since I’m going to the counter.

Turkey, avocado, and bacon club. Oh, and a mocha, too.

Fine, I grumbled. Turkey, avocado and bacon it is.

I was practically smoldering when I reached the counter to place our orders. A deal was a deal and it was for one year. I have a life, too. And it belongs in Manhattan. I was so engrossed watching the deli guy prepare our sandwiches that I didn’t notice Godfrey directly behind me. He put a hand on my shoulder and leaned forward. We’re not talking longer than another week or two at most. They need to establish the range. Then Jason will turn over the findings to another team of entomologists.

A week or two?

Uh-huh. You can handle that, can’t you?

I let out a groan. I suppose. Besides, with the way my luck’s been, there’ll be another murder at or near our winery and I’ll be stuck dealing with it.

Another murder? What makes you say that?

Ever hear of the full moon on the summer solstice curse?

Godfrey shook his head. Is that a short story or something?

Don’t I wish. It’s an old legend with its roots firmly planted on our property.

Just then the deli guy handed me our tray and I moved to the cash register. Godfrey skirted around me and got to the register before me. I’ve got it. It’s the least I can do. Come on, tell me about this curse when we get back to our table.

Between bites of my ham sandwich and sips of my coffee, I told Godfrey about the remote possibility someone within a five-mile radius of our hill would be smothered to death the night of the full moon/summer solstice.

He all but choked on his turkey and bacon. "This tops the cake. Really tops the cake. And Glenda wants to have her wacky friend Zenora cast a spell or something?"

Not a spell, I said. A smudging. Like a house purifying thing.

I suppose I shouldn’t offer up a bottle of Clorox, huh?

I gave him a quick kick under the table and we both laughed. It was comfortable being around Godfrey. I could be myself and not have to worry about impressing him. If I wanted to do that, all I would need to do was find a weird insect.

Hey, you remember Alex Bollinger, don’t you? The entomologist who went with us to that convent in Lodi?

Uh-huh. Why? I asked.

He and a crew will be camped at Kashong Point starting next week. They’re doing a study on the Swede midge. It’s a small fly, light brown in color and almost resembles the crane fly. The midge is quite detrimental to all kinds of plant tissue, so we’re studying how to prevent the spread into agricultural areas. Not to say, of course, that the crane fly isn’t detrimental as well. It most certainly is, but that little bugger’s gotten plenty of attention, seeing as how its damage affects golf courses.

I nodded as if any of this meant something to me and continued to chomp on my sandwich.

If you’re interested, we can visit their camp sometime. He’s got a few students going as well. Part of their study program.

The last time Alex wanted me to tag along was in a cockroach-infested apartment building in Ithaca, I said.

You’ll have much more fun at the lake. Heck, our department even has its own boat.

I’m kind of tied up with a screenplay right now but I’ll let you know. Okay?

Sounds good.

Listen, when you talk to Francine, tell her it’s a two-week extension at most. If Jason wants his name on something, he can print it on a wine label.

That’s not the same as having a species named after you.

No, it’s better.

• • •

It was a little past one when we left Tim Horton’s. I drove directly to the Geneva Historical Society on Main Street and parked on the opposite side of the street so I’d be facing the right direction when I drove home. With the exception of an older man walking a small dog, the street was practically deserted. Very different from the fall, when the college students are everywhere.

I walked up the concrete steps to the brick Federal-style building with its arched white doorway and leaded glass side panes. Once a family residence that belonged to the Proutys, the building was later given to the Geneva Historical Society to preserve the area’s history. Oddly enough, I actually remembered that spiel from one of the docents during a school field trip years ago.

Off to my right was a former Victorian parlor, and I seemed to recall something about a style merger in this building/museum combination. On a small table in the foyer was a sign that read Welcome, Visitors. Tours will resume in September. Please feel free to walk about and enjoy our museum. Donations gratefully accepted. Next to the sign was a small glass jar with a few dollars in it. I reached into my bag and stuffed another one in there before walking down the hallway to the door marked, Office. That’s when I heard an unmistakable voice.

Madeline Martinez from Billsburrow Winery, just north of Two Witches, was practically shrieking. You can’t be serious. This is the twenty-first century, not the nineteenth. I see no reason why we cannot add three feet to our existing porch cover. We need some relief from that dastardly afternoon sun.

I crept closer to the door, feigning interest in a landscape that hung on the wall adjacent to the office. Next to it was their alarm box, and some idiot had written the disarm code in blue marker next to the company name. I rolled my eyes and went back to the landscape. For a minute I wondered what Madeline was doing at Geneva’s historical society, but then I remembered that her winery was in Ontario County, not Yates.

The next voice I heard was a man’s. I’m sorry, Mrs. Martinez, but your house falls under the covenants of the Geneva Historical District. As you recall, Ontario County, as well as Yates County, voted to extend their historical district to include the lake property that stretches from Geneva to Bellona.

Hurumph. And they extended our real estate taxes to go along with it. Look, I’m not asking for an approval to remodel our farmhouse. All we want is some additional shade.

Request denied. Of course, you’re free to file an appeal with our board. Our next meeting is September sixteenth.

Madeline’s voice got louder. By then it will be snowing.

One more thing, Mrs. Martinez. Should you decide to make those changes without our approval, you will be fined heavily and you’ll have to remove the entire structure. Preserving our county’s history is our number-one priority.

I’d like to tell you what my number-one priority is right now but I’m a lady.

Suddenly, the door swung open and Madeline all but bumped into me.

Norrie! What are you doing here? I hope you didn’t hear all of that.

Um, it was kind of hard not to.

We stepped away from the office door until we were near the front entrance. I came here to see if anyone died in nineteen forty-eight under suspicious circumstances, I said. Of all the ratty things, that lousy full moon summer solstice curse takes place this month. As if we haven’t had enough drama on our wine trail this year.

Goodness. That silly legend was around when I was growing up. People really don’t believe it, do they?

I bit my lip and grimaced. Oh, yeah. Including one of our own employees. Anyway, I just wanted to check out the archives.

"Then it looks like you’ll have to deal with Vance Wexler, the obnoxious little fussbudget I had words with in there. Not only is he the museum’s director, but he’s the president of the Geneva Historical Society and thinks he’s the crown prince of the empire. Good luck with that. Well, approval or not from the hysterical society, I plan to have our porch extended, beginning this week. We’ve got a contractor lined up to do the work. I want it completed in time for the annual Winemakers’ Dinner. In fact, I was going to drop off the tickets at your winery this afternoon. I’ve got to make the rounds."

Yeah, our tasting room manager, Cammy, mentioned it. Hey, I wouldn’t worry too much about the extra three feet. I doubt anyone will notice it from the road.

Not anyone. That officious Vance Wexler. It wouldn’t surprise me one iota if he came by with a yardstick when no one was looking.

You think he’d do such a thing?

I know it. But it may be the last thing he does.

We said goodbye at the door and I headed back down the corridor to meet the infamous Vance Wexler face-to-face.

Chapter 3

Vance Wexler was sitting at a large wooden executive desk that looked as if it was part of the original furniture for