Last of the Vintage Read online

  Nick and Dulcie tried not to look at each other. They knew that they would both grin if they did. Dulcie had also decided not to bring up the fact that Samantha had just contradicted her previous outburst about her profession.

  Geoffrey grunted and looked away.

  Samantha managed to collect herself. She sat up straight in a businesslike fashion. “Here’s the part that I don’t understand,” she said. “Why did Brendan put the other wine in that bottle anyway? Didn’t he know that he wouldn’t fool Jeremy?” she asked.

  “What?!” Geoffrey now squawked.

  Nick chuckled. “Oh that’s right! You haven’t heard,” he said, turning to Geoffrey. “The 1869 Château Lafite Rothschild is pretty much worthless. Brendan knew that from the start. He was trying to pass off a more recent version as the 1869 so that he could sell it all in perhaps a clandestine manner.” Nick’s gaze riveted on Geoffrey.

  The man turned purple. “I have to make a call,” he said quickly, his chair scraping on the floor as he stood.

  “Sit down,” Johnson quietly ordered. “That’s all been taken care of.”

  Geoffrey looked over at him, bewildered. “What do you… I don’t know what you mean,” he said.

  “Your deposit into a certain account in the Cayman Islands has not gone through. Brendan MacArthur’s bank accounts were frozen as soon as he was arrested. He had a number of them around the world. Interpol had taken notice, you see,” Nick said. “You’re a very lucky man,” he added.

  Geoffrey’s knees collapsed under him and he crumpled into his chair.

  “Of course we could still arrest you for conspiring to purchase archeological finds that belong to the government,” Nick said.

  “But how was I to know where it came from?” Geoffrey whined in his defense.

  “Shut it,” Johnson ordered. “You’re fortunate. The sale didn’t go through so there are no charges. We would advise you to be more careful with your investments in the future, however.”

  Patrick patted his uncle on the shoulder. Geoffrey jerked away. “No thanks to you for any of this,” he sneered at him.

  Nick collected the notes in front of him and rose from his seat abruptly. “Well, I think this concludes our investigation. Thank you all for coming. Johnson will see you out,” he said. He left the room.

  Johnson clicked off the voice recorder and motioned to Geoffrey, Patrick, and Samantha.

  “Could you tell me where the restroom is please?” Samantha said. She looked decidedly green.

  “Follow me,” Dulcie interjected. They quickly made their way down the hall. Dulcie held open the door as Samantha rushed in and directly into a stall. Several moments later she joined Dulcie at the row of sinks.

  “You okay?” Dulcie asked.

  Samantha splashed water on her face and rinsed out her mouth. Dulcie handed her a paper towel.

  “I’m sorry. It isn’t pretty,” Samantha said. “They make pregnancy sound all nice and rosy, but in reality it’s pretty awful.”

  Dulcie nodded. “Seems like it,” she said. “Samantha, are you regretting this? I mean, are you unhappy about having a baby?”

  Samantha looked thoughtful. She opened her purse and found a hairbrush. “Not unhappy,” she said, fixing her hair. “I think I’m more apprehensive.” She stopped and turned to Dulcie. “To be honest, I’m actually glad to have the excuse to leave that job. I mean, it isn’t that I’m pregnant. That’s not why I’m going to leave it. It’s the fact that my husband was killed. I’d always be ‘That-Weather-Girl-Whose-Husband-Was-Murdered’. No one would be able to get beyond that. Add that to my being pregnant and…”

  “I’m sure ratings would go up,” Dulcie laughed.

  “Sad commentary on the world in general,” Samantha replied. “No, I think that I’ll go back to school, finish my doctorate and go into research like I’d always planned. I’ll have some money, so I’ll be able to do all of that and take good care of Junior here, too,” she said, rubbing her belly.

  “I’m glad to hear it,” Dulcie said. “I do have a question though, and I didn’t want to bring it up earlier,” she said. “During my last encounter with Brendan, he said something about you ‘suggesting’ that Patrick had killed your husband. What was that all about?”

  “Oh,” said Samantha. She busied herself putting away her brush. A guilty looked had crossed her face.

  Dulcie was silent. Finally Samantha looked back up at her. “I met with Brendan. I wanted to plant the seed that Patrick had done it. I was furious at Patrick and his uncle. But it wasn’t as bad is that. You see, I really did think that Patrick had killed Jeremy. Patrick had been stalking me, and I thought he’d taken things to the next step, so…” she said, not finishing the sentence.

  “And you were not only furious, but scared,” Dulcie said, completing the thought. “I can see that. Probably not the best way to go about things, but then you were in a tough situation.”

  “I’m not proud of it, certainly,” Samantha added. “I’m just glad to have all of this over.”

  “Me too,” Dulcie agreed.

  #

  Dulcie stood in the gallery of the Little Ice Age exhibit looking intently at The Magpie. An insurance adjuster stood beside her. They both watched a highly paid artwork restorer carefully examining the painting with a magnifying glass. “You’re in luck, I believe,” she said at last. “I can only find a tiny knick that the keys made. It’s up to the museum that owns the work whether or not they want it repaired.”

  The adjustor looked relieved. “I’ll contact them with the news. Perhaps they’ll accept it as is. The incident does add an interesting chapter to the provenance, after all,” he remarked. “How many people throw a set of keys at an invaluable Monet to set off an alarm and save their own lives?” He shook his head in disbelief, then stepped away from her and took out his cell phone.

  “How many, indeed?” A quiet voice behind Dulcie said. She turned to face her brother. “Got yourself out of another scrape, I see,” he said. “Gee, Dulcie. You go from dating a criminal to dating a cop. At least your taste in men is improving.”

  She smacked him on the arm but then said ruefully, “I’m not sure which is easier to handle.”

  “Oh, I think you know,” he countered. “Nick’s a pretty great guy.”

  “Yeah, he is,” Dulcie agreed.

  “So…,” Dan prompted. He began whistling Mendelssohn’s ‘Wedding March’.

  Dulcie turned on her heel and began walking away.

  “Hey, you could do worse!” Dan called out to her. “In fact, you have!”

  Dulcie kept walking, but Dan knew his sister. She’d barely make it back to her office before she started laughing.

  The Dulcie Chambers Museum Mysteries

  Book #1

  An Exhibit of Madness

  (Previously titled: Portrait of a Murder)

  Dr. Dulcinea ("Dulcie") Chambers has a lot on her mind. She's just opened a new exhibit of Winslow Homer watercolors at the Maine Museum of Art where she's Chief Curator. The exhibit will be complete when the museum's director, the urbane Joshua Harriman, buys the final piece at auction. But when Dulcie discovers a body where the painting should have been, she's one of the primary suspects. Portland Police Detective Nicholas Black is on the case but finds he is less than objective when it comes to the attractive Dr. Chambers.

  Book #2

  From the Murky Deep

  Detective Nicholas Black has cause for concern. He’s investigating the suspicious death of a young woman whose body has just washed on shore in full scuba gear. Normally it would simply be a case of drowning, yet along with this particular body is a stolen Vincent van Gogh painting in a watertight tube. To further complicate matters, the phone number of Dr. Dulcinea (Dulcie) Chambers is written on the dead woman’s hand. As the new director of the Maine Museum of Art, Dulcie is already busy negotiating the sale of one of the museum’s pieces with a wealthy collector. When Dulcie learns that she’s a chief suspect however,
she has no choice but to help with the investigation. Dulcie finds herself diving in to solve this mystery as her relationship with Detective Nicholas Black also reaches new depths.

  Book #3

  The Fragile Flower

  World-renowned abstract expressionist painter Logan Dumbarton is welcomed to the Maine Museum of Art to teach a master class to a group of talented local artists. But he proves more difficult than any of the staff, along with his stunning yet whiny wife and his spinster/business-manager sister, can handle with his constant complaints and egocentric demeanor. Within a week the entire class loathes him. Is he really worth all this trouble? Somebody doesn't seem to think so and it's up to Dr. Dulcinea ("Dulcie") Chambers to find out who. But she'll have to team up with Detective Nicholas Black once again, and their relationship at the moment can only be described as fragile.

  Book #4

  A Mind Within

  While assembling a new exhibit featuring Art Brut or "Outsider Art," Dr. Dulcinea ("Dulcie") Chambers encounters an enormously talented and equally troubled young man, Xander Bellamy. An autistic savant, Xander has not communicated with anyone for several months, since his father was sent to prison for the murder of Xander's domineering grandfather. Detective Nicholas Black thought the case was closed until Dulcie came to him with compelling evidence that the real killer was still at large. When evidence had originally pointed to Xander as the murderer, Xander's father had quickly confessed. Did he do this to save his son from being committed to a mental institution for the criminally insane? Xander's battle-axe aunt has come to live with him and, along with long-time family housekeeper Giselle, they see to his needs. But is there more to them than meets the eye? Meanwhile Dulcie seeks to see inside Xander's mind with the help of psychologist Dr. Raymond Armand. However, the ambitious Armand has other ideas about the lovely Dr. Chambers and is about to give Nicholas Black some competition when it comes to her affections.

  If you would like to read more of the Dulcie Chambers Museum Mysteries please visit the author’s website (kerryjcharles.com) for more information or request copies at your local bookstore or library. Ebook versions are also available from major suppliers online.

  Reviews from thoughtful readers are always welcome on any website or media outlet.

  Thank you!

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Kerry J Charles has worked as a researcher, writer, and editor for NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, the Smithsonian Institution, Harvard University and several major textbook publishers. She holds four degrees including a Master’s in Geospatial Engineering and a Master’s in Art History from Harvard University. She has carried out research in many of the world's art museums as a freelance writer and scholar.

  A swimmer, scuba diver, golfer, and boating enthusiast, Charles enjoys seeing the world from above and below sea level as well as from the tee box. Her life experiences inspire her writing and she is always seeking out new travels and adventures. She returned to her roots in coastal Maine while writing the Dulcie Chambers Museum Mysteries.