Chapter 1 Run for Your Life

Rob Lorenz was running. He'd never run faster than today, not even when he ran track at UC Davis. This race was for his life. As he zigged zagged through the vineyard, he heard the sound of the John Deere Gator slowly following him. It was just slow enough behind him to keep him running. Slow enough to make him feel he had a chance. The cloud of dust that suddenly rose from his feet and the sound of a ricochet indicated his chances might not be as strong after all. The sound repeated itself and then the bullets were coming fast enough that he was getting hit by dirt clumps kicked up by the bullets ricochet. Semi blinded, he put his head down and kept running. He pushed through the vines to get to the next row. If he'd done this right, he was just a few rows from his car. He heard the Gator come closer; Lorenz plunged through the next row. There, fifty feet away was his car and freedom. He could get to the cops in Sonoma and this madness would be stopped. Then he stopped. The Gator was in front of him. In the early evening light, he could see the glint of a rifle barrel.

"Robbie, Robbie, Robbie", the voice sang. "You never should have told me you knew how we got the new grapes. You never should have known about how cooked the books were. You should never have said to your drunken friends you were going to the cops."

"Look, I got money. You know I got money. I pay you and I get outta your life forever. Never talk to anyone about this."

The gun barrel swayed. Maybe he had a chance to buy his life.

"Eight large and I walk away." He gambled.

"Where's the money?"

Immediately he knew he'd made a bad gamble.

The gun barrel swayed again. "Where's the flash drive?"

"Hidden man where it's safe. Away from you and anybody else that wants it. Only I can put my hands on it. That's my key to freedom. You keep the money and I'll send you the drive when I know I'm safe. I live, and you have all the evidence about this place. It won't go to the cops.

The barrel swayed. "No, I can't chance it." The voice continued. "You're a liability to me and the winery. One night you'll get drunk and bored and you'll tell the story about we got our good grapes. The barrel flashed twice. Rob Lorenz felt surprised when the bullets hit his chest, then his knees collapsed. He never knew he hit the ground.

"There, I think the tables are ready at last." Kate Ironside sighed. She looked at the large oak planked table, weighed down with her husband's orchids, stacks of assorted plates, wine glasses of all shapes, flatware, napkins, and serving dishes. The other half of the table was crowded with crudités, cheeses, pâtes, and other hors d'œuvres.

"Kate, if this table could make a sound, it would be a groan. I don't believe for a moment you have room for anything else out of fear that the table will collapse. And I deduce from the smells coming from the kitchen, Greta has even more food coming."

Ironside rolled to the patio doors, opened them and stared out on the patio with tables loaded with bottles of red wines, ice-filled troughs holding whites and sparkling wines, and other tables held desserts.

"Do we have any room for people to sit down and eat, or is this one of those chi-chi stand up and try to be comfortable parties when they're really not?"

"Robert, there are plenty of tables and chairs for people to sit down, eat, and talk at."

"The neighbors will all be here tonight."

"Oh yes, my love, it appears that no one sent regrets this year."

"Yes, Greta's cooking brings them all out for this. What about tomorrow?"

"It's all set. Ed and Eve both called. They're coming in late tonight. They'll all stay with Marion and Howard and they'll be here late morning."

"Are the kids coming? Sarah?

"Ed said that his mother and Patrice will have the twins stay with them at the ranch. Catalina can't wait to get here. Ed told me that she's been writing a story for her 'Abuelo Roberto.'"

The Chief smiled. "Her 'Abuelo' is anxiously waiting for her too. How's Fran doing?"

"Fran needs a little downtime. Ed thinks she went back to work far too soon after Maggie and Robbie were born. She's having to adjust to a lot, now that Catalina is with them and the twins. I remember how I felt after Jonathan and Madelaine were born, and she's doing it times three and two of them babies at the same time."

"Just like her father. Too stubborn to listen to good medical advice. Too stubborn to admit she needs to slow down."

"You should know a lot about that."

Her husband ignored her comment. "She has Sarah in the house, and that's a blessing. That just leaves Mark and Diana."

"They're having brunch with his mother and the girls tomorrow morning, but will join us in time for dinner. Sandy and Cyndi will be off doing their various things with friends. Have I accounted for everybody Robert?"

"I assume that Suzanne and Jerry Abbey feel personally responsible for the public safety of Denver County this weekend."

"You assume correctly."

Ironside rolled out onto the patio facing the vineyard. Katherine walked behind him. His right hand comes up alongside and she takes it. He presses it against his cheek.

"You miss them, your children."

"At the risk of sounding maudlin, yes, I do miss them. We haven't been together for quite a while. But they're not my children, never have been. We're just very close friends."

"If you say, Robert. If you say". She broke out in a silvery peal of laughter.

"I say so, Kate." His voice was emphatic, but Kate knew how he truly felt for his former associates and their families.

"How long before the musicians show up?" He asked.

"An hour, but Jamie will take care of that and all the other last-minute details."

"Well, let's make the most of our quiet time. Shall we walk in the vineyard?"

"We'd be fools not to."

Grabbing the wheelchair's handles, Kate pushed Robert along the gravel paths of the vineyard. As they 'strolled', Robert Ironside suddenly shifted his weight forward.

"Listen, do you hear that Kate?" He said throwing up his right hand to have her stop pushing the chair.

"Fireworks?"

"No, they're gunshots and very close by. Someone's shooting on our property."

"Maybe Pasquale has caught up with those rabbits at last."

"No, he uses a shotgun. These are different. Automatic rifle; coming from the east side."

"Shouldn't we call the sheriff Robert? After all, there are gunshots on our property."

"Tom Martinez will not want to be bothered with a call about gunshots unless there's good reason to call him"

"And you want to see if there is a good reason to call."

"I do." From a side coat pocket, he took out his Detective's Special and laid it on his lap. He looked up at his wife. "Just in case those were very large rabbits."

The two kept moving along the path. When they saw the body sprawled in the middle of the gravel. Kate left her husband's side unasked to see if there were any signs of life. She checked for a pulse, shaking her head no.

Her husband pulled out his cell phone and punched three numbers on his keyboard. "This is Robert Ironside. I need to report a murder at my property."