She left, slamming the door and letting in a blast of frigid air. The fire jumped and danced as if the Ghost of Christmas Past had just departed, taking all the warmth and festive cheer out of the room.

“What was that all about? What just happened?” Frankie picked up Bianca’s water bottle and empty glass and looked at them. “Was there something in her water to set her off like that?”

“She’s worried about Scotty being found guilty, so she stopped by to plant a few seeds and add a few more suspects to the list of possibilities.”

“Why tell us?”

“I have no idea. People are in here all the time. Maybe she’s hoping we’ll talk, get the rumor mill going after she convinced us there are others who ought to be considered suspects. Plus she knows I’m involved in the investigation since I was the last one to be with Prescott and Quinn and I found him.”

“Did she convince you?”

“She got me thinking,” I said. “Victoria, Grant, and Celia do have motives along with the rest of the family. But, to be honest, I think she was here trying to convince herself.”

“Of what?”

I looked Frankie in the eye. “That her husband didn’t murder his grandfather.”

Sixteen

“I need a cup of tea,” I said.

We had moved to the kitchen after Bianca’s abrupt departure. I went over to the cabinet where we kept the tea and started pulling out boxes.

“Do you think Scotty murdered Prescott?” Frankie asked.

“I think Bianca spent a lot of time trying to cast blame elsewhere. Too much time, if you ask me.”

“You didn’t answer the question.” Frankie took two mugs with the vineyard logo stenciled on them out of another cabinet.

“I know.”

“So, do you?” she asked.

“I don’t know. Do you think he did it?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, there you have it,” I said. “Green tea okay?”

“Yup. Fine.” She filled the mugs with water. “That was a brutal conversation. Because if someone in the family, or even close to the family—Victoria or Celia or Grant, for example—murdered Prescott, you can count the suspects on the fingers of one hand.”

“I know. I feel sick every time I think about it,” I said. “What a legacy after all the good the Averys have done, all the money they’ve given away. Research centers, hospitals, universities, museums. Plus signing the Caritas Commitment. Prescott told me the other day that Rose was the instigator behind that decision.”

“It breaks your heart, doesn’t it?” Frankie said. “All I can think of is Hamlet.”

“Hamlet?” I frowned at her. “Really? The play?”

She nodded.

“Why?”