The Corpse With the Golden Nose (33 page)

Bud smiled and squeezed my good arm. “True,” he admitted. “I'll give you that. Why
did
Ellen lock you into the apple store?” he continued. “I guess that's what she did? I know she was alone while I was getting dressed to be able to give her a ride.”

“You know, Bud, I believe she had become wary of me, and didn't want me around tonight. With a killer's instincts, she knew it was better to split us apart. Keep us from working as a team. It was clear that her attempt on her ‘rival' tonight was premeditated. I think that my reaction to her denial that there was anything going on between Raj and Serendipity might have made her think that I knew more than I did. When she locked me in the apple store, she didn't know I
hadn't
worked it all out. But—and here's the wonderful, fabulous, and quite worrying, irony of it all—you're right, Bud, if she
hadn't
locked me in, I wouldn't have stumbled on that second photo. Actually, if I hadn't gone back to pick up my cigarettes and lighter I wouldn't have found it—but I'm guessing you don't want me to mention that, right?”

Bud tutted, and I carried on regardless.

“So, yes, if I hadn't been locked in,
or gone back for my smokes
, I wouldn't have twigged to Annette's pregnancy,
or
have extrapolated how that played with Ellen's obsession with Raj. I wouldn't have warned you to stick close to Serendipity when I did, shortening Ellen's window of opportunity to a timeframe when Colin was there with his replacement Epi-Pen. Sheri had a spare one in her purse, but I'm not sure she'd have thought of it unless it were her own boy in need. I
would
have got there in the end, but it might have been too late to save Serendipity.”

“Well, that's where
I
almost let everyone down—especially Serendipity,” said Bud quietly.

“No!” I held up my hand “
Don't
start that again! You
couldn't
go into the loo with her. You
told
her to not leave your side, but she chose to. She
is
her parents' daughter, after all. It wasn't
your
fault. It was Ellen's doing.”

“Would-have, could-have, should-have?” he smiled.

I nodded.

“Did they have any other flavors?” I asked holding up the Cup-of-
sort-
of-Soup. Bud shook his head. “Probably just as well,” I muttered. “It might just taste worse.” I sighed, and looked into the eyes of the man I loved, and knew I would always rely upon. “Bud, when they've fixed my wrist, can we please go back to Anen House, get some sleep, then drive until we get home?
Please?
I don't want to
be
here anymore. I want to be in my own little place, with a giant pizza—with extra cheese and pepperoni, and, okay then, maybe a glass of wine. But nothing from the Mt Dewdney Family Estate Winery,
right
! However good it might be—never again.”

“Okay, we'll get you sorted here, catch a few hours of sleep, then hit the road. We'll have to arrange to collect Marty on the way, and then we can pick up a pizza, or
two
. Because you're not very good at sharing,
right
? Not pizza, not wine, not information pertaining to a crime . . .” Bud was shaking his head.

“Sorry about that,” I said.

“A heads-up a bit earlier on might have been useful. After all, I couldn't possibly have been expected to suspect Ellen, could I? Not when she was the only one crying ‘murder,' eh?”

“That's
precisely
what put me onto her in the first place,” I replied, as patiently as I could.

“Yes, so you said.” He nodded.

“You're right. I did.”

“Hey—here comes the Doc to fix you up,” Bud rose to meet the short, dark-haired woman walking toward us. “She looks like she'll take good care of you,” he observed.

“Yes, you're right, she does,” I replied.

Bud's always right.

Well, except when he's wrong.

And that's what he's got me for, right?

WHENEVER I HAVE VISITED THE
Okanagan Valley, especially the area in and around Kelowna, I have met only wonderful people. Those who work at the wineries, in the bookstores, at the lake-front facilities, hotels, bars, and restaurants are fully aware that they are living in a beautiful part of the world that offers the chance to live an amazing life. And they do. So I'd just like to emphasize that the characters in this book are total fictions, created by me in such a way that they work within this book, and within this book alone. If you visit this area, you'll meet an eclectic mix of folks. It's just one element in the complex recipe that gives this region its unique flavor. In other words, this area is more beautiful than it's possible to convey and it certainly deserves its reputation for fine wines, liquors, and foods, but it's not peopled by such alarming folks as you find in this book!!

My thanks to Pinki Gidda and the entire team at Mt Boucherie Family Estate Winery in Kelowna. Pinki was a great help during the writing of this book—she checked facts and gave me wonderful insights. I also want to thank everyone at the winery for allowing me to use elements of the descriptions of some of their wines: I only drink reds, and can attest that they are all just wonderful. (I'm sure their whites are just as good!)

My thanks to Andy Cave, coroner at the
BC
Interior Region Coroners' Office in Kelowna,
BC
, for sharing his professional insights in such a timely, pleasant, and professional manner.

My thanks to my Mum and sister: if not for their support and encouragement, I might never write another sentence. They read what I have written and give me the most honest feedback it's possible to give someone you love. Because I write, my husband puts up with a lot. Only he knows just how much, and he never mentions it. Thank you.

The entire “TouchWood Team” is wonderful: my thanks to you all. My special thanks to Ruth Linka, the publisher who allows Cait and me to have these adventures and solve these puzzles; Emily Shorthouse, who publicizes the fact that Cait's on the case again; and Pete Kohut, whose cover designs sing out on the shelves of bookstores and libraries. Of course, my thanks go to Frances Thorsen, whose fabulous bookstore Chronicles of Crime in Victoria,
BC
, provides the perfect setting, and background knowledge, for her to be a wonderful editor, and to Lenore Hietkamp, without whose copy editing there'd be flocks of misplaced punctuation flying about the place.

Thanks to all the printers, distributors, booksellers, and librarians who play a part in bringing this book from me to you, the reader, and, of course, my thanks to you, for taking the time to enter Cait's world: I hope you enjoy your time with her. I know I always do!

Welsh Canadian mystery author
CATHY ACE
is the creator of the Cait Morgan Mysteries, which include
The Corpse with the Silver Tongue
and
The Corpse with the Golden Nose
. Born, raised, and educated in Wales, Cathy enjoyed a successful career in marketing and training across Europe, before immigrating to Vancouver, Canada, where she taught on
MBA
and undergraduate marketing programs at various universities. Her eclectic tastes in art, music, food, and drink have been developed during her decades of extensive travel, which she continues whenever possible. Now a full-time author, Cathy's short stories have appeared in multiple anthologies, as well as on
BBC
Radio 4. She and her husband are keen gardeners, who enjoy being helped out around their acreage by their green-pawed Labradors. Cathy's website can be found at
cathyace.com
.

The Corpse with the Silver Tongue

by Cathy Ace

In the south of France where hatred simmers in the heat, a man seemingly admired, and certainly feared, drops dead at a dinner party. All of the guests fall under suspicion, including Welsh-Canadian professor Cait Morgan. A criminologist who specializes in profiling victims, Cait sets out to solve the murder—and clear her name. Add to this the disappearance of an ancient Celtic gold collar said to be cursed and there you have the ingredients for a Nicoise salad of death, secrets, and lies. Will Cait find the killer before she too falls victim to a murderer driven by a surprising and disturbing motive?

The Corpse with the Silver Tongue
is the first in the Cait Morgan mystery series, a classic whodunit series featuring the eccentric Professor Cait Morgan.

The Corpse with the Golden Nose

by Cathy Ace

A heartfelt plea to look into the death of a world-famous vintner goes hand in hand with the opportunity to attend an exclusive gourmet event in British Columbia's stunning wine country. How can overindulgent foodie and criminologist Cait Morgan resist?

Sure that the award-winning owner of a family-run vineyard was murdered, Cait shares her findings with Bud Anderson, a retired homicide cop. But he is convinced that the woman took her own life, whatever her grief-stricken sister might say. That is, until death strikes once again, in the neat rows of grapevines that clamber up the banks of magnificent Lake Okanagan. Uncovering obsessions that might have fuelled murderous thoughts among the victim's wacky neighbours is a start, but as Cait unravels the clues, she realizes that more lives are at stake. Can she think, and act, quickly enough to thwart the killer?

The Corpse with the Golden Nose
is the second book in the Cait Morgan Mysteries, a classic whodunit series featuring the eccentric Professor Cait Morgan.

Deadly Dues

by Linda Kupecek

When former TV star Lulu Malone finds her evil union representative stabbed to death, her first instinct is to run. Unfortunately, the exit is crowded, as she has four actor friends with her. Without much choice, Lulu becomes enmeshed in the real-life detective hunt, one that she has only experienced as an actor on TV. With her life in danger, and her beloved dog Horatio kidnapped, Lulu's days are filled with threats, thrift store finds, and hindrances by unknown, overweight assailants.

Get ready for the Lulu Malone mysteries, a gutsy new detective series that presents meditations on the life of the artist, in between muggings, murders and mayhem.