Chapter 7 The Owner of Golden Vine Winery
Sienna asked, "Kelvin, I'm done with my task. Can I crash now?"
Thinking about how she had slept on the autopsy table all night, Kelvin nodded.
After Sienna left the room, Leroy nudged Kelvin. "Man, it's rare to see you so considerate. If we had asked for a break at such a crucial time before, you would've given us a lecture."
Kelvin rolled his eyes. "Go check out Lally's old place and her current spot. Dig into her social circle. Also, hit up Ava and Lexine to see if we're missing anything."
Leroy instinctively asked, "Do I have to do all this solo?"
"Lally's place is in the same jurisdiction as Cara's. Get some local cops to help you out."
"Kelvin, what about you?"
"I've got other stuff to handle."
Kelvin got up and left. Leroy scratched his head, confused, but didn't slack off and got moving.
Sienna had just opened her car door when she saw a figure in the rearview mirror.
She straightened up and looked back. Kelvin was lazily walking towards her with a cigarette in his mouth, hands in his pockets, not looking like a cop at all.
Sienna said curiously, "Kelvin, I'm heading home."
Kelvin casually got into the passenger seat and glanced at her. "I know where you're going. Just drive."
Feeling a bit exposed, Sienna frowned slightly and got into the car.
Kelvin was even harder to read than she thought. Maybe the rumors about him at the City Police Department weren't totally off.
As Sienna drove away, she noticed Kelvin fumbling in his pocket. She reminded him, "There's a lighter in the top drawer."
Kelvin, who indeed wanted to smoke, held back and asked Sienna, "Got anything to say?"
After a moment of silence, Sienna said, "Logically, with your skills, you'd definitely check the victims' movements after their deaths. But I didn't see any of that in the reports. Was it not investigated, or was nothing found?"
Kelvin rested one hand on the car window and asked calmly, "When did you read the reports?"
"Last night."
Kelvin closed his eyes lightly, the sunlight falling on his face, making him look exceptionally handsome.
He said indifferently, "We pulled the surveillance footage first thing, but the investigation showed they never went home after leaving."
All of them were single, so no one noticed if they didn't come back for a few days.
They had been tracking the victims' appearances in surveillance areas, but they often lost track of them since some places didn't have cameras.
Kelvin had even sent people to check out all the shops near where the surveillance lost them. But it was also possible they got into someone's car, which made the investigation tough.
Sienna frowned slightly and said calmly, "Kelvin, the place they went after leaving must be the killer's fixed spot, maybe the main crime scene."
Kelvin thought the same, but there was no solid proof yet.
After driving for a while, Sienna suddenly frowned and said, "It's also possible that the surveillance footage was misleading."
Sienna quickly dismissed her own idea.
Kelvin glanced at the cigarette in his hand and chuckled, "Your idea's pretty close to mine. Sometimes I think you're more than just a medical examiner."
He looked at Sienna. The car was speeding downhill, but she stayed calm.
Once the car stabilized, Sienna said, "Kelvin, you always say that whatever someone does, there will always be traces, and evidence will be found."
Kelvin gave her a deep look. He was sure Sienna wasn't as simple as she seemed.
An hour later, they pulled up in front of Golden Vine Winery.
They walked in, and the staff asked what kind of wine they wanted. Sienna frowned, thought for a moment, then looked at Kelvin and gently pinched his sleeve. "Kelvin, what was that wine you treated my best friend to yesterday? I want some now."
Kelvin knew she was acting but couldn't help getting goosebumps.
"Aren't you the wine lover? Didn't I let you have a sip last night? You should've known."
Sienna looked reproachful but spoke coyly, "It tasted just like Château Lafite, really good."
The staff smiled apologetically. "Sorry, we don't have any wine like Château Lafite left."
Kelvin squinted. "When did it run out?"
The staff replied calmly, "Just two days ago. Someone bought it all. We really don't have a single bottle left."
Sienna lowered her head in disappointment. "Never mind. Let's try something else. I've heard Golden Vine Winery has many good wines."
Kelvin asked the staff not to accompany them.
After walking a bit, he noticed Sienna still holding onto his sleeve. He frowned and shook her off, saying coldly, "We're here to solve a case. Don't be touchy-feely."
Sienna quickly caught up with him.
Kelvin asked again, "How did you know the wine Lally was drinking came from Golden Vine Winery?"
Sienna's gaze was indifferent, "My family used to love drinking. I could tell from the wine's composition."
Golden Vine Winery had been open for only five years, but it had already gained some reputation.
Once inside, they saw quite a few people buying wine. At a glance, there were more pretty young women, all listening to the staff introduce a new wine.
Sienna went to the wine rack. After looking at the names of the wines, she noticed a staff member and stopped him, asking, "Do you only sell these wines to private buyers, or do you have partners?"
The staff looked at her warily. "Why do you ask?"
Sienna replied calmly, "I found your wine excellent. I want to buy in bulk."
The staff waved his hand. "We only sell to private buyers."
The wines on the rack weren't priced high. If they only sold to private buyers, they wouldn't be able to make a profit.
Sienna and Kelvin exchanged a glance, understanding each other's thoughts.
Sienna smiled and said, "If I offer enough money, can I meet your winery's owner?"
The staff directly refused. "The owner doesn't come to the winery. You won't be able to meet him."
They found this odd. After leaving the winery, Kelvin immediately investigated the owner, Leon Wright.
The name sounded familiar!