Chapter 89

The afternoon staff meeting came and went without anything special turning up, and I knuckled down to beaver away at the paperwork. The days ticked by, and by Friday I was beginning to feel that I was back on top of things again. The long investigation that had begun with the murder of Madame Dixie and had come to a head with the capture of the four thugs and the rescue of their latest victim had thrown all of us more than a little bit off schedule.

Mike and I got a pleasant surprise when we arrived at the wine shop Friday evening. I walked up to the counter to talk to a couple of people, and the owner said, “I’ve got something here for you, George.”

He handed me a bottle of very expensive wine, and I said, “What’s this?”

“I got a phone call today from one of your guests from last weekend, Charles Barnett. He purchased this and asked me to give it to you and Mike. He said that he and his friend really enjoyed meeting our group.”

“Wow, I’ll have to call and thank him.”