CHAPTER NINE
A/N It would seem that I haven't answered as many questions as you seem to have, at least some of you. Hopefully this chapter will fill in those gaps. If not, please feel free to send me your questions directly. I don't mind answering them. I truly do appreciate the feedback. This chapter concentrates mostly on the wine and a little on why Jane is hearing voices.
Raymer opened his eyes to find a paramedic and a strange woman staring at him. The paramedic was checking his pulse.
"He's coming out of it. We're ready to transport." The paramedic called to his partner.
Raymer tried to sit up but failed as the restraints prevented more than just his head leaving the stretcher. "Let me off this thing. I'm not going to any hospital!" He shrieked tearing at the metal clasp on the strap across his chest.
"Sir, you hit your head when you fell. We need to get an x-ray and make sure there isn't any damage."
"I refuse medical treatment." Raymer fumed. "In times of great stress, I faint."
The paramedic looked like he wanted to argue, but gave in and waved to his partner. The partner handed over a clipboard and began releasing Raymer. "Sign here, and initial there. The paramedic pointed to the release form. He helped Raymer stand and stepped back next to his partner.
After scanning the forms, Raymer signed and initialed. He returned the clipboard to the paramedic with a clipped. "I know, if I get a severe headache that doesn't go away with treatment, or I feel like fainting again get to an ER. Thank you for your…thank you."
"Anytime." The paramedic tipped his hat and rolled the stretcher back to the ambulance.
Jane watched the paramedic load the stretcher then hop in the ambulance and roar away. She gave Raymer a speculative look. Jane noted that Tommy was watching Raymer closely as well "You wanna tell me why that bottle of wine is so special? I spoke with the daughter, the one who hired you to do the auction. Seems you were interested in that bottle of wine from the second you saw it. She said you spooked her. It's just wine."
"Please!" Raymer whined. "Sacrilege! Someone drank one of the greatest bottles of merlot ever produced. It was a masterpiece! A 1961 Chateau Petrus, a perfect merlot."
"What is merlot?" Tommy asked. He gave an embarrassed grin and admitted, "Every time I ask for red wine on a date, the server always asks 'merlot or cabernet something or other'. Isn't it all the same, basically? Red grapes make red wine; white makes white."
"Peasant!" Raymer shouted. He desperately needed to sit down. He was in the presence of an idiot, he just knew it. One of these uneducated, low class, low-life's had drank a bottle of Chateau Petrus and had no idea what they had consumed. He was sick, truly sick and needed to go to bed.
"You need to sit down," Jane observed leading Raymer into the open office. She helped him into the impressive leather chair behind the equally impressive mahogany desk. She almost gagged on the overpowering scent of an expensive flower arrangement on the desk. The sound of classical music completed the portrait of a self-important nobody.
"Merlot is a thinner skinned variety of grape. A bit more delicate if you will. Easier to bruise on the vine. It is also plumper, and the color is a lighter shade than a cabernet. The flavor of a merlot is less tannic than that of a cabernet."
"Please, Mr. Wizard, don't go off into a discussion of wine tasting." Jane held up her hand. She was here to discuss why that damned bottle was so important to both Maura and this insufferable snob. She just prayed it wasn't more expensive than she could afford to replace.
"Tannic?" Tommy repeated.
"It's how puckery the wine makes your mouth feel. If it's a really tannic wine it will really dry your mouth. Can we please get to the importance of this one bottle?" Jane growled. Spending so much time with Maura was definitely expanding her knowledge base in a variety of subjects.
Raymer wiped a tear then hid his face in a lace handkerchief and openly wept. Jane groaned but went to a credenza on the far wall and poured a small glass of brandy. She pressed it into Raymer's hand and waited for him to calm enough to speak. "Thank you." He whispered. "How did it happen? Did you propose to your barefoot and pregnant girlfriend while drinking it?" he demanded of Tommy.
"Me.. I. I didn't drink it. And I don't have a barefoot and pregnant girlfriend…at least I hope I don't." Tommy looked at Jane lost.
"I drank it, the night of the thunderstorm.." Jane admitted sinking onto a dainty fabric covered chair. She prepared herself for another round of tears.
"Why not just take a Valium like a normal person?" Raymer sobbed.
"My brother drank all the beer…listen this isn't getting us anywhere. Just please tell me why this bottle of wine is so important."
Raymer sipped his brandy allowing his emotions to settle. He offered the empty glass to Jane for a refill. Once he had settled deeper in his chair and taken another sip of brandy he began. "I have been seeking the lost bottle of Chateau Petrus Pomerol for over twenty years. Each time, I lose out to some nouveau riche collector. This is an exceptional bottle of wine, it deserves to be the centerpiece of a great cellar, not the plaything of some rich idiot with no knowledge of fine wine.
"I thought there was something off about that label." Maura announced with triumph. She and Frost had arrived to find the door open and the threesome in deep discussion unaware they had company. "Was that replacement label your handiwork?"
"The esteemed Medical Examiner, welcome. I discovered the bottle during the first walk through of the estate. "Five thousand dollars, I offered that sniveling hag." Raymer spat. "Yes, I created a fake label and replaced it the morning of the auction. I didn't plan on anyone making an offer for the entire contents of the cellar."
"A fair offer, why didn't she take it?" Maura asked moving to stand next to Jane's chair.
"Five grand for one bottle of old wine?" Jane captured Maura's hand and pulled her down onto the arm of the chair. "Guess it was expensive. I'm sorry." Did she have five grand in savings?
"In May of 2010 four bottles sold for $27,000." Frost offered. He moved to the credenza to admire the selection of fine liquors on display.
"Now I feel sick." Jane whined. She would be paying for that bottle of wine for years. "I'm so sorry, Maura. So it's just a really expensive bottle of wine?" She looked at Raymer for confirmation. She got a story of theft and murder instead.
"That bottle was stolen by a bitter field worker after he was fired. Seems he had more passion for the vintner's daughter than for growing the grapes. He persuaded the girl to sneak him into the winery after the family had retired for the night. After making love, he left the sleeping girl and made his way through the cellars. He removed one bottle from each pressing."
"Years later, the thief and his wife found themselves in America. By now, the winery was famous and the wines commanding a high price. It was impossible for the thief or his wife to offer the wine for sale, the family still in the South of France would have had him arrested and the woman would have been forced to return in disgrace."
"The man hired a dock worker to present the bottle as his own and in exchange, he would get ten percent of the sale. The man was to have sold the wine in Boston to a private collector and returned with the money to the French Quarter. The couple had settled in one of the prestigious Upper Pontalba apartments. Unfortunately, that is lost now too."
"
"No honor among thieves." Jane guessed.
"It would seem not. The man was murdered and his wife disappeared. It was believed that the man had killed his wife, then distraught had taken his own life. My family was losing everything. I was determined to once again own the Petrus."
"But it was proven by the police that he was murdered. His wife's disappearance is still an open case to this day." Frost had heard the story when he first landed at the precinct. It was legendary in the Robbery Unit.
"The wine disappeared and was not seen for several years. It was offered for sale at Christie's, but withdrawn. A couple of years later, it was offered at Sotheby's and again withdrawn. Whispers began that the wine was cursed. Strange things happened to those who came to possess the stolen bottle of Chateau Petrus."
"But you weren't afraid of the curse." Frost offered. "Maybe you thought altering the label would break the curse."
"There is no curse on that bottle." Raymer declared. "It is… was my birthright."
"Are you sure, Janie is hearing voices and smelling things." Tommy objected.
"Your birthright?" Jane, Maura and Frost chimed in unison.
"My grandfather is the thief who took it from the winery. He and my Grandmother were killed by an unscrupulous villain. My mother used to bounce me on her knee telling me the story of how her parents came to be in love and in America. When I grew older, my father told me the story of how they were betrayed and murdered. The second I turned 18, I began seeking that bottle of merlot. I vowed it once again rest in the cellar at Pontalba."
"Why did you lie and make up the story about Professor Ravenclaude?" Maura asked not believing Raymer wanted the wine because of his birthright.
"I felt it would raise too many flags if you remembered me as the auctioneer. I assure you, my business is completely above board. I was going to offer you $5000 for the wine."
"Ask why he was in your apartment building the other day?"
"What?" Jane asked aloud. The voices in her head took her completely by surprise when they spoke.
"Yeah, Vanilla. That dude was sniffing around the breaker boxes the day of the storm."
"Really, Rondo?" The pair in her head were suggesting that Raymer was responsible for her electric shock.
"Jane, are you not feeling well?" Maura asked reading the emotions racing across Jane's face.
"Frost, get a search warrant for this office and the buildings out back. Mr. Raymer, or Ravensclaude or whatever your name is you get a free ride downtown where I have a few questions for you." It would take too long to explain to Frost and Maura.
"You wanna tell me what's going on partner?" Frost asked looking from Jane to Maura to Raymer.
"A warrant isn't necessary. I admit, I broke into the breaker box and tried to sabotage your lights. I wanted to search your apartment. I knew Dr. Isles had given you the wine for safekeeping. I just wanted to look at it and make sure it was the Chateau Petrus."
"Frost, take this creep and book him on a B&E. also for threatening a police officer with an unregistered weapon." Jane passed the gun she had removed from Raymer's hand during his faint to Frost. If that weapon was registered, she was a nun.
"The neighbor across the hall?" Frost verified. He had already sent a text to Korsak to get the warrant.
"Yup. You picked the wrong apartment. I'm in twelve, not ten. C'mon Maura, I need more coffee and something to eat." Jane waited for Maura to stand, then headed for the door. Little did she know they were soon going to be hosting an impromptu barbecue.
Jane was in the backyard grilling steak and burgers. She slathered on a layer of sauce and closed the lid to allow the smoke flavor to add another layer of deliciousness.
"Something smells great." Korsak greeted taking the empty chair next to Maura. "Your instincts were spot on, Jane. Found a pair of pliers that perfectly matched the marks on the breaker box and the lock picks he used to break into apartment ten. It will be a while before he calls another auction."
Jane allowed her mother to hug and press a kiss to her cheek. "Is there something you want to tell me about Aunt Shirley, Ma?"
"No, she's fine. Why do you ask?" Suspicion narrowed her eyes. She looked from Frankie to Tommy then back to Jane.
"Her special gift?" Jane prompted.
"Jane, it's just a family story. All families have them." Angela escaped to the chair next to Frost.
"It seems Aunt Shirley and I share the same chapter." Jane pressed.
"Go on, Ma tell her. She's going to drive us all crazy until you do." Frankie urged. Personally, he thought it was pretty cool to have a sister who could talk to dead folks.
"So there is something you're all keeping from me?" Jane demanded pointing the spatula at her mother.
"This is just a story your father's family tells, Jane."
"Ma!"
"Okay. Your Aunt Shirley, Frank's sister was like you, normal until she got struck by lightning one summer at the lake."
"What happened to her?"
"Well, she got some pretty bad burns on her back where the lightning entered her body. They said she was lucky to have survived."
"But?" Jane inquired. She had heard this story a thousand times. She wanted the rest of the story. The details kept secret until now that linked her and her crazy aunt.
"She is what they call a medium. She hears and communicates with dead people."
"I'm not hearing dead people. I'm perfectly alive and so is Rondo." Jane insisted.
"Shirley was unconscious for a few minutes. Maybe you were too, but not as long as her."
"Still, I'm alive and so is Rondo. I haven't heard any dead people, or any other people."
"Jane, there are studies…" Maura began.
"Maura, please." Jane took a deep breath and looked at her assembled family. "You think I died for a minute or so and came back. Now I have the ability to hear voices in my head when I'm in danger. If Rondo were dead, I could go with this explanation. But he is perfectly alive and well."
"Jane, Rondo stays pretty close. He keeps an eye on you. After the….well, he tries to keep you safe." Tommy wanted to remind Jane of the four days she spent in Rondo's care, but didn't want to remind Maura of the horrors she endured and they still had not told their mother all the details of that experience.
"Jane, it's possible. The human mind is a remarkable instrument. Maybe you hear Rondo because you two have bonded on a deep level that only the two of you inhabit. As for yourself, it may just be a case of heightened awareness. Everyone has an inner voice."
"As long as it keeps you safe, I don't care if it's ESP, heightened awareness or spirits from the other side." Frankie declared.
"Me too. Those burgers ready yet?" Tommy asked his stomach growling for all to hear.
"Maura, we need more food since we have two more mouths to feed." Jane gave Frankie a wink letting him know she agreed.
It was sort of comforting having Rondo and J.C. looking after her. She tended to think her skills as a detective got a boost from this "family gift" as well. She knew her peers looked at her as an anomaly. Youngest Detective in the PD. Major arrests that others could only dream of achieving. She had long known it was her destiny to be a cop. Who knew what other gifts would develop as she aged. Right now she was starving and there weren't enough burgers to go around. She had her priorities in the right order.
OK, hopefully this answered the lingering questions. Only one more chapter to go before the dinner party. J Of course, let me know what you think.
