Christine E Blum - Clarets of Fire

METHOD OF MURDER

Augie sat down at my conference table. He clearly had something on his mind.

Can I get you a water? Coffee or tea?

Im fine thanks. But I have some news that I know youre not going to like.

Is it about Rico and Isabella? You cant possibly think that you can build a case around a dough hook.

Its not that.

Then what? Spit it out, Augie.

I had a meeting with Inspector Mason and his team this morning. They have determined that the fires point of origin was in the attic that is open all the way through the mall. Some of the proprietors used it for extra storage. The fire was started above the drugstore.

Okay, that should completely exonerate the Brunos. I cant imagine them crawling over six stores worth of stuff just to point the blame elsewhere. And theyd have to crawl all the way back before the fire got to them. They are innocent.

For now, maybe.

And?

Masons team found thick glass shards where the fire started and were able to piece enough of them together to determine that a so-called Molotov cocktail was used as the incendiary device. There was a label on this bottleit was a wine bottle. They found enough to be able to decipher the name. It was a claret and it was from the Abigail Rose Winery.

Books by Christine E. Blum

FULL BODIED MURDER

MURDER MOST FERMENTED

THE NAME OF THE ROSE

CLARETS OF FIRE

Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation

Clarets of Fire

A Rose Avenue Wine Club Mystery

CHRISTINE E. BLUM

KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.
www.kensingtonbooks.com

All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

Table of Contents

KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by

Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018

Copyright 2019 Christine E. Blum

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as unsold and destroyed to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this stripped book.

KENSINGTON BOOKS and the K logo are Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

ISBN: 978-1-4967-2482-3

Electronic edition:

ISBN-13: 978-1-4967-2483-0 (e-book)
ISBN-10: 1-4967-2483-6 (e-book)

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A big thank-you to Fire Station 62 and to Captain Darin Laier, not just for providing background for my book but for protecting us in times of emergency. There wouldnt be a story if it werent for the real members of the Rose Avenue Wine ClubI love you all. And Bardot, you barely lifted a paw in the writing of this book, but that wont stop me from giving you an extra biscuit.

Chapter One

Welcome to the annual Rose Avenue block party, Peggy announced in her best outside voice while hoisting a brimming glass of Tooth & Nail cabernet.

Hear, hear, replied several neighbors.

From the back corner of her yard, I canvassed the somewhat motley crew gathered on this beautiful, sunny September Sunday. I started with my inner circle of imbibers, dear friends that share the group moniker of the Rose Avenue Wine Club. They are listeners, sisters, partners in crime (literally), and the best friends a transplant from New York City could have. Since I moved to the sleepy, beach community of Mar Vista, California, nearly four years ago, I really havent had a moment to look back. Id wanted a new life and, boy, did I get it. It appears that in addition to us girls declaring wine tasting an Olympic sport, we also share a penchant for solving crimes and giving the perpetrators their proper due. Somewhat to the chagrin of the denizens of Rose Avenue but ultimately welcomed by them, unless of course, one of them committed the evil deed (which has happened once... or twice)...

From my vantage point, like a mobster in a restaurant facing the door with his back to the wall, I could see any new arrivals to the party. Peggys yard, like her house, was kept pristineperfectly trimmed boxwood hedges and weedless narrow flowerbeds lined the perimeter. Id been witness to her methods of motivating her gardener on multiple occasions, and lets just say that the shortest route to living a long life involves doing Peggys bidding. This octogenarian was showing no signs of slowing down.

Beside me sat my best- est friend, Bardot, the yellow Lab now famous for diving underwater and saving my life. I noticed that while she sat in a relaxed AKC conformation pose (shes a total ham), her nose was pointed skyward and her olfactory glands were pumping harder than the speakers at a Sir Mix-a-Lot concert. Unlike English Labs that would sell their soul for a morsel of anything even resembling food, Bardot is an American Field Lab and she is much more motivated by words like, Ready? Go! So I dismissed party snacks as the reason for her persistent pulsing proboscis, and that left me a little on edge and confused.

Halsey! So happy that you and Bardot have saved me the best seat in the house, Sally shouted, making her way over to us while balancing a plate of fruit and cheese along with two filled wineglasses. I noticed that tucked under her arm was the accompanying bottle; I would expect nothing less from my closest Rose Avenue friend. I quickly jumped up to relieve her of the wineglasses but she held on tight, insisting instead that I take the plate. I watched as she lowered her lithe, African American frame down into a lawn chair while not spilling a drop of the grape elixir. Id also managed to abscond with a small patio table, so we had room for all the food groups: wine, cheese, and wine.

If you build it I laughed, noticing rosy-cheeked Aimee and Peggy making their way over to us. They too didnt arrive empty-handed. Too bad that Aimee couldnt provide some of her sinful frozen yogurt from her shop, but it wouldnt travel well on a day like today.

I may have to pop by the Chill Out for dessert...

No sign of Penelope and Malcolm yet? my silver-haired, madras shortsclad friend Peggy asked.

While technically Peggy was the only other single lady in the Wine Club, we were both now officially off the market. A widow for almost ten years, she recently reconnected with an old friend and work buddy of her late husbands. His name is Charlie and the two quickly became an item as Peggy quaintly put it. Qualified by and he lives in another area code half the time, which is just the way I like it. Charlie resides in San Diego but is conveniently a small plane pilot and can shuttle up to the Santa Monica Airport whenever he wishes. Well get to my guy in a minute.

I talked to Penelope about twenty minutes ago, Aimee said with a smiling, flushed face. Theyre coming directly from the airport. Malcolms second cousin Andrew picked them up. She didnt have much time to talk but said that the honeymoon was dreamy.

The thought of that made her complexion turn even redder, so she waved her hands frantically in front of her face to cool her cheeks down. Aimees emotions were always just a millimeter below the surface waiting to jump out, a fact that us jaded cynics find so endearing.