Free Dandelion Dead by Chrystle Fiedler Page A

right,” Simon said. “And I didn’t see her anywhere.”
    â€œThat’s something, I guess,” I said.
    â€œDid Detective Coyle say anything else?” Jackson said.
    â€œHe asked if we’d found Amy’s cell phone, but I told him no, and he told me that they had no info yet about the texts and e-mails, and then he left to talk to Ivy as well, since she entered the barn right after the accident.”
    Something Simon had just said prompted a thought about Ivy, but I couldn’t quite grasp it. I let it go, hoping that it would come back if it was important.
    Simon continued, “The crime-scene people were here for about an hour after he left. But I don’t know what they found.”
    â€œSo no tox screen yet?” Jackson asked.
    â€œNot that I heard. Coyle wasn’t exactly sharing information.”
    Jackson checked his watch. “I need to get going. I have a vet coming at twelve thirty for two of my new rescue horses, but first, I need to talk to a horse rehab expert from the Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen.”
    â€œAre they going to be okay?” I always worried about the state of the animals that Jackson rescued. But I also knew that if anyone could bring them back to health, it was Jackson and his team of vets and volunteers.
    â€œI think so, with some tender, loving care. I got them from a horse farm that’s being investigated for abuse. It was bad, really heartbreaking. The rest of the horses went up to the Farm Sanctuary.”
    Animal abuse, especially when done for money and higher profits—think puppy mills to supply pet stores, horses and greyhounds for racing, and farm animals for food—upset me more than any other issue. But I tried to be productive with my anger by going vegan, offering delicious vegetarian and vegan dishes at Nature’s Way, and helping Jackson as much as I could.
    â€œOkay, I know that’s important, you need to go—but what’s our next step in terms of investigating?” Simon said.
    â€œI think we focus on the wine auction tonight in Mitchell Park,” I said. “All of the most prominent vintners will be there, and it might yield a few more suspects.”
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    After Jackson left, Simon and I went to his office to discuss the case. On the way upstairs Simon took a call from his contractor to discuss a new covered pavilion for the back lawn that Simon was planning for next season. Once it was done, guests would be able to listen to live music on the weekends while sipping a Pure vintage.
    We entered the office, Simon finished the call and went over to his desk, and I walked over to the window in the office that faced the east side of the property. From there, I could see David move up and down therows of vines as he gave his class, while workers continued to harvest grapes around him.
    â€œHe doesn’t seem upset at all now.”
    â€œI told you.” Simon sat down in his desk chair and put his feet up. “He’s in the zone.” He pointed to his phone. “Oh, by the way, I found a tech guy in the city to go over David’s texts and e-mails. So far, he hasn’t found the source, just like the cops.”
    â€œDid your tech guy say whether there were calls from other women, besides Ivy, on the phone?”
    Simon put his phone down on the desk. “No, but I can ask him. What are you thinking?”
    â€œI talked to David last night, and I asked him about other women and he denied it, but you said that wasn’t true. Who exactly is he seeing—Carla from Sisterhood Wines?” I decided to leave Lily out of the discussion for now.
    â€œThat’s been going on for a while, but there have been others. Last summer, he had a new woman every weekend.”
    â€œDoes Ivy know?”
    â€œHard to say, but she’s supersmart, so it’s very probable.”
    I wondered if Ivy knew about Lily. “Do you think that