Deadly Vintage: A Molly Doyle Mystery Read Free Page B

Typical Italian male gossip. Testino Giordano has been blaming Domenico Mattucci, Carla’s father, for years. The old man sees conspiracies in every corner. You’d never know he’s second generation. He acts like he’s back in the old country with vendetta a daily slice of life.” Passing the platter of eggplant parmigiana, she added, “Since you’re a half-breed, you know the type.”
    Randall grinned. He always got a kick out of Daria referring to his half-Italian heritage that way. “Seriously, what are the accusations and why?”
    Molly was all ears. It was bad enough to have to be around Todd Jessop, but now to hear there might be a real-life family feud going on was more than she’d bargained for. “Uh, maybe I should forget doing the tasting room?” she joked.
    “Don’t worry, Molly,” Daria said. “Testino Giordano wouldn’t step on Mattucci land for all the grapes in the world. But then, that’s what started the feud. Well, mostly, anyway. It was all hugs and kisses in the beginning when Carla and Tony Giordano got married. With a joining of two of the biggest ranches in Monterey County, a dynasty was in the works. But then, after ten years or so, Tony got—” Daria paused when she saw Emma was all ears and wide-eyed behind her Harry Potter glasses. They’d all become accustomed to Emma’s seeming maturity. Sometimes they forgot her true age and that some topics of conversation needed to be edited. “Uh, when Tony got adventurous, things started to unravel.”
    “Adventurous? Did he go on dangerous hunting trips, or something?” Emma asked.
    Randall covered a grin. “Yeah, that’s probably what Daria means.”
    “The veal is delicious, Daria,” Molly said.
    Emma laughed. “Okay, I get it. Change the subject. The kid’s in the room.”
    Molly gave Daria a warning look and said, “I’ve got a lead on a few antique corkscrews for Carla, but now I’m wondering if maybe I should just forget them and the whole thing.” She reached for her wine and sighed. “I’d really love to do this job, but if it’s going to be a daily diet of butting heads with Todd Jessop, I’d just as soon bow out now.”
    “We don’t really need the job, do we, Aunt Molly? The shop is doing great now and with Bitsy paying my school tuition, we can get by okay, can’t we?”
    “We’re fine, honey. It’s just that doing the tasting room could help me start branching out.”
    “I don’t think Jessop is going to give you much heat after tonight,” Randall said. “Let’s not forget that he doesn’t have any stake in Bello Lago. It’s her family operation, not his.”
    “Yeah? Tell him that,” Daria said. “Reggie Sullivan, Bello Lago’s marketing director, and Dino Horne, their master winemaker, were here for lunch last week and they gave me an earful. Todd is wreaking havoc all over the place. Dino is ready to punch him out next time he interferes with his crew. And Reggie said Todd’s badgering him to back his ideas of redesigning the bottle labels. He wants them to ditch the established style of elegant script and romantic vineyards-under-the-Tuscan-sun thing and switch to the new trend of offbeat labels with scantily dressed women and abstract animals. He thinks it will attract a younger crowd of buyers.”
    Helping himself to a large serving of pasta con pesto, Randall said, “Sounds like he wants to attract the football-and-beer crowd with those ideas.”
    “Reggie also told me Jessop was snubbed by the Napa Sonoma clique and is determined to show them up with his cutting-edge expertise,” Daria added.
    “Well, that sure goes along with the stark, minimalist look he wants for the tasting room,” Molly said. “That may be cool for computers but not for wine. But why does he get away with all this? Because he’s family?”
    Daria shook her head. “No. And he’s hardly considered a member in good standing. Carla’s father, Domenico, was furious when she married him. The bad blood there