Free Wildcat Wine by Claire Matturro Page A

similar, and they were each about four or five feet high, little models that appeared to be workable, with little, metal, robot-type arms on the sides of miniature motors in a center frame. They appeared complex, but with no obvious purpose.
    Weird. What, Earl made Star Wars models for recreation when he wasn’t making sulfite-free wine?
    Behind me, the barn door opened and I turned and saw a small, dark man with the look of mixed Spanish and Indian blood. “You no supposed to be here,” he said.
    â€œOh, no, it’s all right. I’m a friend of Earl and he said it was okay.”
    â€œNo. ¡Fuera de aqui! Get.” The short, dark man pulled his features into a vaguely menacing look.
    Well, all right. Be that way.
    â€œCan do,” I said. Jogging through the barn toward the exit, I shoved past the little man and walked out.
    Behind me, the little man slammed the barn door.
    Not totally frustrated yet, but close, I went back around to the front door of the Gift and Wine Shoppe and went in. Earl was explaining to the tour group what a muscadine was.
    Earl raised his eyebrows at me, and I smiled as a bent man screeched a question into Earl’s face. Then Earl poured little wine samples for the tour group, and slipped over to me while they slurped down his fine, organic wine.
    â€œLilly,” he said, smiled, and pushed his glasses up on his nose.
    â€œEarl.”
    Okay, we knew who we were. Now how did I launch into my mission? “I’m actually here on business, of a sort.”
    â€œYou’d like to buy in bulk?”
    â€œNo. Thank you. But I would like to buy a case. I’m a lawyer, and I’m here on behalf of Dave Baggwell, and his friend Waylon, er, Waylon.” I realized I didn’t know Waylon’s last name.
    Earl nodded, and I thought he looked disappointed in me. “You want me to forget prosecuting them over the wine, that is, if I get it back?”
    â€œOh, yes, that would be so much better for everybody. Oh, and better for you especially. You really don’t want to get tied up in testifying and wasting all that time going to court. Do you have any idea how much time it takes, and how irritating it is, to be sucked into the criminal-justice system, even as the”—technically, victim was the word here, but that wasn’t the connotation I wanted, so I paused and waited for the blue god of wordsmithing to descend with just the right phrase—“eh, witness, and if you drop the charges, I will personally see that you are reimbursed for any losses. Plus, of course, the wine will be returned.”
    â€œYeah. That other lawyer, Philip Cohen, has already spoken with me too.”
    Oh, good for Philip, I thought, early worm and all that. Of course, not having spent the night in the ER, he could get up earlier.
    â€œAnd we can count on your cooperation?” Beam, beam, beam toward Earl.
    â€œI will tell you what I told him. I will think about it. I’ll call him and let him know what I’ve decided. But Dave and Waylon were employees of mine, and I can’t tolerate theft by employees.”
    â€œOh, I think it was more of a”—A what exactly, a bad joke? An extremely bad idea? A typical Dave money-for-nothing adventure?—“a frolic. They’re not career criminals, or anything. I don’t think they will bother you again.”
    â€œNo, one way or the other, I’m sure they won’t. And like I said, I will think about dropping the charges. But I have other things on my mind now, more important things.”
    â€œEarl, thank you. I know you will do the right thing.” I offered my hand, and to my pleasant surprise, he took it. “You do have a wonderful place here, and I would like to buy a case of your wine.”
    â€œYou don’t have to. I can’t be bribed that easily.”
    â€œI really like your wine, it’s not bribery.”
    He nodded, and I bought a case of his