Free Dandelion Dead by Chrystle Fiedler

to go,” Simon said. “In fact, new research out of UC Davis shows that organic fruits and berries have up to fifty-eight percent higher natural antioxidants than nonorganic do.”
    â€œOrganic farming is really just so much better for the planet and people,” I said. “I’m proud of you for going in this direction, Simon.”
    â€œYou inspired me.” Simon smiled. “And it’s paying off. If we can just figure out Amy’s murder, and who’s out to get David, it’ll be smooth sailing.”
    â€œYes, that.” Jackson sounded a little bit impatient.“To that end, can you please tell us what happened this morning? I need to get back to the farm.”
    â€œYour wish is my command.” Simon walked over to the fire-engine-red barn door and pulled it open. “The scene of the crime is just inside.”
    We went inside the barn, and Simon flipped on the overhead lights. It felt stuffy and warm and smelled of oak. Huge wooden barrels and even larger steel tanks were on either side of the barn, while bottled wines were on each end in massive racks on the cement floor.
    We followed Simon to the south end of the barn, where police tape partitioned off a yellow forklift, a section of the wall with two ragged, gaping holes, a large wine rack that had been smashed into pieces, and shards of glass and puddles of wine on the floor.
    â€œThis is where it happened.”
    â€œWalk us through it, Simon,” Jackson said. “Give us the details.”
    â€œOkay, David was picking out a few bottles for a customer, and he had his back to the rest of the room. But when he heard the forklift coming, he turned around. He said a guy in a white jumpsuit with a hard hat, wearing large sunglasses, was the one driving. David yelled at him to stop, but whoever it was kept coming at him. Luckily, David managed to move out of the way, and the forklift went right into the wine rack, the bottles, and the wall, and missed him by inches. Then, whoever it was jumped off and ran out of here.”
    â€œCould he identify who was on the forklift?” Jackson said.
    Simon shook his head. “Nope. It happened too fast, I guess.”
    â€œCould it have been Leonard Sims?” I said. “After all, he was here.”
    â€œNo, he arrived afterward. I saw him pull in.”
    â€œAnd you also escorted him out,” Jackson said. “When did the police get here?”
    â€œAround nine, a little while after it happened. It was just Detective Coyle; he said that Detective Koren was busy working on something else.”
    â€œGlad I missed him,” Jackson said. “So what did he say?”
    â€œDavid went through the series of events and then said he had to start his talk. After he went, I mentioned to Coyle that I thought that the two-hundred-thousand-dollar prize for the competition was a good incentive for a rival vineyard to want to hurt David, and that maybe one of them did this and was behind those nasty texts and e-mails as well. Of course, I didn’t mention David’s love life.”
    â€œSo you think that could be a factor, too,” I said.
    â€œDefinitely.”
    â€œOkay, and what did Detective Coyle make of that?” I said.
    â€œNot much. But he did ask if Lily had been around when it happened.”
    â€œSo they’re zeroing in on her to the exclusion of any other theories or suspects,” Jackson said. “Sounds about right—neither of them is very good at big-picture thinking.”
    â€œI know Lily didn’t try to kill David or do this,” I said.
    â€œWas she at work this morning?” Jackson said.
    â€œNo, she has the day off.” I suddenly felt mystomach drop. Despite my instinct that Lily was no murderer, I felt a frisson of doubt.
    â€œDon’t do that.” Jackson put his arm around me. “Just because she has the day off doesn’t mean that she did this.”
    â€œHe’s