Death, Dismay and Rosé Page 26

  In the days that followed, I went about the task of saying my goodbyes to everyone since my sister would be back to take the helm at Two Witches Winery and I’d be free to return to my quirky sanctuary in Manhattan.

  “I feel like this is the finale of The Wizard of Oz,” I told Theo.

  He laughed. “You’re going back to Manhattan. A day’s drive from here. Not Kansas.”

  The toughest part was saying goodbye to Charlie. I threw my arms around that smelly old Plott hound and hugged him close to me. “I’m going to miss you, buddy. Even if you get my bed muddy and bring in all sorts of yucky stuff.” The dog slobbered my cheeks and I tried not to cry.

  A few seconds later, I felt the vibration of my cell phone in my pocket and read the text message. It was from Godfrey.

  Satellite call from Costa Rica. They want Jason to take a three-week hiatus in Madagascar. Hissing cockroaches. Call me.

  Call him? I’ll murder him! And the entire entomology department!

  Endnotes

  The haunted gravestone legend mentioned in this novel is based on a real one—the “Lady in Granite” gravestone found at the Lakeview Cemetery on Elm Street in Penn Yan, New York. The gravestone belongs to the Gillette family, and more information can be found at:

  hauntedhistorytrail.com/explore/bishop-gillette-headstone

  Books by J. C. Eaton

  The Wine Trail Mysteries

  A Riesling to Die

  Chardonnayed to Rest

  Pinot Red or Dead?

  Sauvigone for Good

  Divide and Concord

  Death, Dismay and Rosé

  The Sophie Kimball Mysteries

  Booked 4 Murder

  Ditched 4 Murder

  Staged 4 Murder

  Botched 4 Murder

  Molded 4 Murder

  Dressed Up 4 Murder

  The Marcie Rayner Mysteries

  Murder in the Crooked Eye Brewery

  Murder at the Mystery Castle

  About the Author

  J. C. Eaton is the pen name of husband-and-wife writing team Ann I. Goldfarb and James E. Clapp.

  A New York native, Ann spent most of her life in education, first as a classroom teacher and later as a middle school principal and professional staff developer. Writing as J. C. Eaton, she and James have authored the Sophie Kimball Mysteries, the first book of which, Booked 4 Murder, took first place in the 2018 New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards in the Cozy Mystery category. They are also the authors of the Wine Trail Mysteries and the Marcie Rayner Mysteries. In addition, Ann has published nine YA time travel mysteries under her own name.

  When James E. Clapp retired as the tasting room manager for a large upstate New York winery, he never imagined he’d be co-authoring cozy mysteries with his wife. Nonfiction in the form of informational brochures and workshop materials treating the winery industry were his forte, along with an extensive background and experience in construction that started with his service in the U.S. Navy and included vocational school classroom teaching.

  You can visit Ann and James at www.jceatonmysteries.com, www.jceatonauthor.com, www.facebook.com/JCEatonauthor/, and www.timetravelmysteries.com.