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Stop fidgeting with the flowers.
I'm not fidgeting. I'm... I'm relaxing. See?
Yeah, you look very relaxed. I mean, come on, Ainsley.
It's Sunday, and we're celebrating.
You really can take a break.
I know and I appreciate you having me over for lunch.
It looks delicious, Shannon.
Well, it's not every day that my best friend
launches her new business.
You should be so proud of yourself
for getting it ready in time for the Christmas season.
I am. I mean, I will be.
There's just so much to do... and I should get back to it.
Don't you dare. I made your favorite salad.
I know. Thank you. You're the best.
You have been working
so hard to get Bless Your Arts off the ground.
Take a breath.
Yeah, I suppose I should.
My grandma always said,
Ainsley, you're as busy as a hound in flea season.
Well, she knew you well,
and she did a great job raising you and your brother
after your parents passed.
- Yeah, she really did. - Mmhmm.
And then when we went off to college
and she moved out here to Sweet River...
I mean, those were some of the best summers we ever had.
We got so lucky when Ryan decided to move here
and take over as Sheriff.
And even luckier when he convinced you to move here.
After what happened in the city, I...
Hey, you two. Oh, I wish I could join.
I'm heading down to tap the Tempranillo barrels.
Lots to do.
Does no one take a day off around here?
Says the woman who owns the most popular coffee shop in town
and has gotta be pried out of there at the end of the day?
I'm dedicated.
So am I. I... I should go.
You... stay. You... go.
Yes, ma'am.
Bye, Michael. See you at Bless Your Arts this week.
Yes, you will.
I'm eating. I'm eating.
Okay. Good.
Oh, I ate too much.
It was just a salad and you're the most fit person I know.
Oh, don't forget,
we're starting those Pilates classes next week.
I'm already sore thinking about it.
You know, physical activity and I, we don't always get along.
You're still coming.
Oh, hey. Do you mind if I grab a couple of bottles of wine
while we're here?
Oh, would that be for dinner with a certain fire chief?
Stop! He's my brother's best friend, and I...
Let's just get the wine.
Alright. To the tasting room.
Door's open. Is someone here?
No, we don't have anyone booked for today.
Maybe Michael left it open when he brought up some cases
of wine to restock. But still, there's no point...
In heating the whole outside.
You sound like my brother.
It's not what I was going to say.
But your brother does have a point.
Did you want a Merlot, or...?
Shannon!
What? What is it?
He's dead.
I'm coming. I'm coming, George.
Just hold your horses.
I know you're as excited about the grand opening as I am.
Yeah, today's a big day for Bless Your Arts.
Are you sure that we're ready?
Do you think we are?
Who on earth are you talking to, Ainsley?
Oh! Hello, George. I might have known.
Good morning, Mrs. Whedon. Are you ready for the big day?
I am indeed.
And we really should get started.
Strange behavior, Ainsley. Talking to dogs.
You don't wanna be single forever.
Does she, Georgie?
Yes. Come on.
So, what do you think?
I don't think anything.
That is not helpful.
Good. It's not meant to be helpful.
Hey, Sheriff.
Yes, Kev. Oh, my apologies.
Deputy trainee. He's very sensitive.
Chief Trenton. And not sensitive, just proud.
As he should be.
What do you got for me, Deputy trainee Kevin?
Aunt Maureen wants you to call her.
I know I tried, but she says she has a tip for you.
Of course she does. She always does.
Well, you can tell her that I say "hey". Will you, Kev?
Will do. Call her?
Sure. Yeah.
Now... about Ainsley.
Don't you have a fire to put out?
Happily, the town's fire free.
Stop talking about dating my sister. It's weird.
I'm asking as a courtesy.
I wanna know what you think, you're my best friend.
Exactly. And she's my sister.
Don't you see how this is weird for me?
Ask her out if you want to, just don't tell me about it.
Okay. Well, thanks for nothing, bud.
Don't call me the next time you have a fire.
I'm sure there's a cat in a tree somewhere
that needs saving.
Don't forget... frozen flag football practice this weekend.
Sports!
Sports.
- Looking great, Mrs. Whedon. - Thanks.
Don, need anything?
- No, all good. Ready to go. - Okay.
Maria, your display is impeccable.
Oh, thank you.
- Hey, Michael. - Hey.
Looks good.
Yeah, everything looks great.
Okay. May I have everyone's attention, please for a moment?
I just wanted to say that this day would never have been possible
without all of you who've so generously donated your time
and energy and resources to help creating Bless Your Arts.
And my hope is that this will become
a true creative hub for Sweet River.
It's us that should be thanking you
for restoring this old schoolhouse.
And for giving us all a chance to share what we love
with our friends and neighbors.
Yes. Yes, everyone. It's all lovely.
But it's 9:00. Tick tock.
Of course.
Okay. It's time to open our doors and let Sweet River in.
Welcome to Bless Your Arts!
Come on in.
Hi, welcome. Please come in.
Hi.
I never dreamed you'd be this busy right out of the gate.
I hope it keeps up.
Oh, I do too, Maria.
And people are going mad for your jewelry.
You use a lost wax technique to pour this.
You've got a keen eye. I'm impressed.
Well, it's a very complicated and time-consuming process.
I don't know how you make it all.
Same way I raised five kids, I delegate.
I start my day as Mother Nature
and I end it as a drill sergeant.
Well, it works. And your kids are amazing.
Aww. Samantha, she's on her way here to help out.
Really? On a Saturday afternoon.
Let's just say she was gently encouraged.
And she's a big admirer of yours.
Me? Why?
You've been here less than a year
and you're already a fixture in the community.
You fixed this place up while teaching at the university,
making it look so easy. You're a role model for her.
I'd say you're one for a lot of folks.
Oh. Well, I'm honored,
but I hope Samantha doesn't look too closely.
As George will tell you...
it's not very pretty behind the scenes.
Oh...
It's not for sale!
Don't be an idiot, Michael.
Everything has a price, and you know it.
This isn't how we do business in Sweet River.
Please just leave.
You'll never get a better offer than this.
I'm not taking no for an answer Caldwell!
Michael, what's going on?
It's fine. I'm sorry, Ains. I didn't mean to cause a scene.
Well, who was that guy?
It's just someone that's trying to buy the winery.
I didn't know you two were looking to sell.
We're not.
We're just looking for more distribution
and maybe some investment.
But this guy won't take no for an answer.
I promise it won't happen again.
It's lunchtime.
I have to go to the coffee shop and pick up the lunches
I got for everyone.
Thanks Ains, that's really kind of you.
Hi, Professor. Your order's ready.
Oh hi, Lily.
You don't have to call me Professor here.
I feel like anything else would be weird.
I'll let Shannon know that you're here.
Do you want a coffee while you wait?
Oh... y'all do have the best cup of coffee in town
but I'm good.
I've had so much I could thread a sewing machine
while it was still running.
I like that. I'll have to remember that one.
Hi. Hi. Here's your order.
Thanks.
How's the first day going?
It's going really well.
What are you staring at?
Um, I'm... I'm not staring. I don't stare.
You do. And you were.
Okay. That woman there? Who is she?
I don't know.
Maybe she's a spy from one of the other coffee shops
trying to steal my dark roast secret.
No. No, she... if she were a spy,
she would try to blend in, not stick out like a sore thumb.
Okay. Alright. Thanks for the lunches.
Thanks for the order.
Oh, hey. Will you tell my husband
to stop by on his way home?
Yes. And Shannon...
who's this guy that's trying to buy the winery?
Rick Dean. He's an investor from Houston.
He's been trying to get us to sell.
Yeah, I saw that. He was at BYA this morning,
and he and Michael got into a pretty heated argument.
He really gets under Michael's skin.
We're just looking for more distribution,
a little investment boost,
and he's trying to buy the whole thing out from under us.
Michael is not having it, but I'm sure we'll be fine.
Yes, I'm sure you will be.
Okay. I'd better take these lunches to my hungry vendors.
See ya.
Oh! And don't forget about lunch at my place tomorrow.
We gotta celebrate your grand opening.
I won't. Thank you.
Good night, Ains. Great first day.
Good night, Ains.
Good night.
Hey, Michael. Don't forget to stop by the coffee shop
on your way home.
Oh, hey. Sorry Ains, I didn't hear that.
Shannon wants you to stop by on your way home.
Oh, sure. Yeah.
Great first day, ma'am.
I'll see you back at the winery, Michael.
- Sounds good. - Bye.
Oh, I wish he wouldn't call me ma'am.
Makes me feel old as dirt.
He's a good guy.
He's been a big help since we brought him on for harvest.
Hey, look... I gotta go, okay?
Yeah, hey... Michael, are you sure you're okay?
Yeah. Couldn't be better. Have a good night.
What do you think, George? You believe him?
Neither do I.
- Jake. - Ainsley.
- Hi. - Oh, um...
Oh, let me get the button for you. Yeah.
- Thank you. Um... - Oh. Oh...
- There we go. - Yeah.
Right.
Uh... is it my brother still here?
Yeah. Yeah, he's... he's in his office.
Okay.
Yeah, yeah. Uh...
Oh.
Yeah, you gotta push the... the button.
The button, right, right.
Yeah.
- Yeah. - Yes.
Hey, would you... like to go out to dinner one night?
You... wanna go to dinner?
Well, yeah.
With me?
Well, yeah.
Yeah, I'd love to.
Why don't I make dinner for the two of us next week?
Oh, you don't have to do that.
Well, I'm a better cook than my brother.
Okay, well I'm in.
As long as I get to buy the next time.
There's already a next time?
As long as I'm buying.
Okay, then.
Hey, there.
Hey, yourself.
Is that smile on your face
because of your big opening today?
You didn't come by.
Well, I didn't want people to think you're being raided.
Ha, ha.
You don't need your little brother
looking over your shoulder every five minutes.
True, but I don't mind it occasionally.
I'm gonna come by,
I just want you to get your feet on the ground first.
Oh, they're on the ground. And... and they're sore.
Hey, Sheriff.
Oh... sorry. I didn't know you had someone with you.
Her? She's just my sister.
Thanks.
The Emerson case report is done and filed,
and I'm headed out for the night.
Thank you, Lena.
Have a good night, Sheriff.
You too.
She doesn't like me.
She doesn't know you.
She's new, she doesn't like anybody.
Well, you could have introduced us.
This is a Sheriff's station, not a church social.
Still.
Okay, fine.
I'll introduce you next time, I promise.
Now, is there something you want?
Because I got a lotta work to do.
Super sweet way to treat your sister.
What do you want?
I'm worried.
I need a little bit more information.
Michael Caldwell got into this big argument with a stranger
who wants to buy his winery,
but Michael doesn't wanna sell it to him,
and the guy gave me the creeps.
Did you meet this guy?
Saw him. I didn't meet him.
And what about him was creepy?
Something about the way he amped up
and then... just left.
Felt anxious, maybe even desperate.
Didn't feel like just business.
Something about it didn't smell right.
Smell right to your crime nose or your community nose?
Crime nose.
Okay, that makes me nervous. Anything else?
After that, I saw this strange woman in Shannon's coffee shop.
Well, that coffee shop is a pretty eclectic place.
There's a lot of strange people going in and out.
No. She didn't fit.
Your skills as a criminologist are superb.
That's why you teach a course.
But you don't need to practice them
because you're not in Chicago anymore.
And that's a good thing.
Yeah, maybe you're right.
Leave it with me.
Before I put an APB out on "strange woman" and "creepy guy"?
I'll just have a look around to see if there's anything hinky.
Hinky?
That is a word I've literally never used in my life.
Probably never will again.
Okay. Good night, Ryan. Thank you.
I love you. Good talk.
Good night.
Love you too, sis.
Hinky.
I think I'm right, George.
There's something up with Michael and that guy,
and I don't like it.
I know you'd rather talk about my dinner next week with Jake.
Honestly, I'm surprised that he asked me.
I never dreamed he'd be interested in me.
Oh, am I interested in him? Hmm.
I mean, I never really gave it much thought
because he didn't seem like...
Yeah, I know, I know. I'm a liar.
But you like him because he knows
that secret spot on your neck you like to have scratched,
and that clouds your judgment. But that's okay.
Oh, I'm gonna have lunch with Shannon tomorrow.
No, I'm sorry. You can't come.
Of course she forgives you for eating her flowers.
But it's just a girls lunch this time.
Probably see Michael, though.
To the tasting room.
Oh, door's open. Is somebody here?
No, we don't have anyone booked for today.
Well, maybe Michael left it open
when he brought up some cases of wine to restock.
Did you want a Merlot, or...?
Shannon!
What?
What is it?
He's dead.
Ainsley, no.
Call my brother right now.
I don't... I don't have a phone.
Shannon! Shannon!
What's going on?
I don't know.
Is that Rick? What is he still...?
He's dead, Michael.
Michael, why'd you change your clothes?
Because I spilled wine on them while I was topping the barrels.
Ainsley... you don't think I did this?
No, Ainsley...
I don't know what I think yet.
But it looks like someone murdered Rick Dean.
Ryan, you know Michael.
You know he's not capable of something like this,
it's not possible.
Shannon, I promise you,
we're gonna do everything we can to get to the bottom of this.
But you arrested him?
No. We're bringing him in for questioning
and you know exactly why we have to do that.
Michael has not been charged with anything.
Mrs. Caldwell... what happened?
Danny, it's awful. Someone killed Rick Dean
and the Sheriff thinks Michael did it.
Michael? Well, there's just no way.
Who are you?
I'm Danny Avery.
Danny works with us.
Were you here all afternoon, Danny?
No, I've been in town. I just got back.
Ryan...
Sheriff, can we please take Shannon some place to sit down?
Yeah, of course.
I'll take care of her.
Thank you, Danny.
Okay. Ainsley... please help prove
that Michael didn't do this.
Yeah. I'm sure the Sheriff will do just that.
Okay, don't worry.
Ryan.
Ainsley.
I can call you Ryan when no one else is around.
Michael? Really?
He was at the scene of the crime after having showered
and put his clothes in the washing machine.
That's not so unusual for someone to shower and change
after working in a wine cellar.
Come on.
And there is wine on the floor near the barrels.
How did you...?
I just checked.
Michael said he spilled some on himself while he was there.
And there is laundry and shower for the workers right beside it.
Michael, probably just...
Probably just what? It's not a good look.
He had conflict with the victim which you saw yesterday,
and it looks like, at least initially,
he was killed with a wine bottle.
Sheriff.
I gotta...
You haven't even started this investigation.
Rick Dean could've had any number of people
who wanted to harm him.
Ainsley, don't you think I know that?
I gotta get back to this.
Just please come down to the station tonight
and give your statement to Lena.
Alright? Yes.
Come take a look.
Did you know Mr. Dean was coming to your property today,
Mr. Caldwell?
No, I didn't. I was surprised when I saw him.
I thought I made it clear
I didn't wanna do business with him.
Then why did he say he was there?
He was pressuring me to sell the winery.
Threatening me.
He threatened you? How?
He claimed that he had information
on the winery's illegal business practices, which is ridiculous.
He said he would expose me if I didn't sell.
So there was no basis to his accusations?
No. But he could make things difficult for us.
Cause delays and disrupt business,
even if he was just making false charges.
We're struggling a bit right now, and I'm not even sure why.
But some bad press like that could be devastating.
How did you react to these threats?
I was angry.
So you argued.
I didn't kill him. I didn't even touch him.
I told him to get off my property.
I left the tasting room
and then I went straight to the barrel cellar to work.
And cool off.
I suppose so.
But that's the last time I saw him.
In the tasting room and very much alive.
How long were you in the cellar?
Not long.
I was topping barrels and was doing a bad job of it.
I should have waited for Danny to get there tomorrow. But...
I was impatient and I was just spilling all over the place.
I realized I wasn't getting anywhere, so I stopped.
So. Danny wasn't with you?
No. It was his day off.
So, what'd you do next?
I took a shower,
and then I was heading into the house,
and that's when I heard Shannon scream
and I ran into the tasting room.
Is it normal that you would take a shower there
and not at the house?
I was covered in wine
and I didn't wanna put my coat on over it.
What did you do with your clothes?
I threw them in the washer there.
Do you usually wash your clothes in the winery building?
No. But it was just easier.
There was already a load,
and I just threw my clothes in there and started it.
That's all there is to it.
Where did these clothes come from?
I always keep a change of clothes in my locker
in case something like this happens.
That all sounds a bit convenient, Mr. Caldwell.
That's the point.
It was convenient for me to change there
and not go into my house smelling like wine.
Or convenient to clean up blood by showering
and putting your bloody clothes in the washer.
- No. - Tell us the truth!
It will go a lot easier on you, Mr. Caldwell.
I am telling you the truth.
Can't you stop this?
I think you need an attorney, Mike.
They said you were busy. I asked if I could wait.
I should get a better gatekeeper.
Uh... wouldn't work on me.
I'm so tiny, I'd slip right past them.
I've gotta finish up here
and get over and read the medical examiner's report.
May I see Michael?
No.
Have you already questioned him?
Yes. Ainsley... you cannot be involved in this.
I know that Shannon's your best friend
and that you're very close with Michael.
So are you. Y'all do sports together.
Do sports?
Whatever. I'm into fitness, not sports.
Look... I can help you.
I'm a criminologist and you need one right now.
The reason you left Chicago was to get away from all this.
You were hurt badly.
I was hurt because I got close to something I shouldn't have.
Exactly.
And I brought you here to get you outta the public eye
and to keep you safe.
But I can...
No, no, no. You just can't. Okay?
Look, I know how talented you are and how valuable you were
to the Chicago Police Department as a consultant.
But I also know that I don't know what I would ever do...
if anything were to ever happen to you.
Good morning, George.
I hope you weren't with Ainsley yesterday
for all that dreadful business.
No, he wasn't. And... you've heard?
We've all heard.
Wow. Word travels fast around here.
We were all concerned about you, Ains.
Shannon and Michael, too.
I can't imagine how horrible
that must have been for you, Ainsley.
You too, Danny. Ugh.
Oh no, child. Were you there, too?
Yeah, I came in after being in town.
Has your brother talked to you about the investigation?
Does anyone believe Michael was involved.
I know. And I wish you could provide an alibi for him.
Believe me, so do I.
What can you tell us, Ainsley?
Uh... nothing, really.
Well, that's deeply unsatisfying.
We all just wanna help.
Yeah, I appreciate that. I do.
It's just that it's an active investigation
that I'm not a part of, so I can't tell you anything.
Hey, y'all? What say we give Ainsley a break?
We've all got a busy day ahead of us.
Don, can you keep an eye on our booth this morning, please?
I'll finish getting it set up but I gotta run back
to the winery for a bit.
Yeah, you got it, Danny.
Thanks so much.
Hey... maybe we could all put our heads together tonight
at the book club meeting to talk about what happened.
That's a great idea.
What about the book?
We can talk about that, too.
But something like this just doesn't happen in Sweet River.
We really do wanna help, Ainsley.
We're not just busybodies, you know?
Of course not.
Um... okay. Let's just see what happens at the club tonight.
Will you open for me this morning?
I need to run a quick errand.
Happy to.
George can stay with me.
Okay. Oh, Mrs. Whedon, please don't feed him.
That's my boy.
Ooh!
Oh, Jake! I'm so sorry.
Did you ever play football?
No. No, I don't do sports.
Do sports?
No.
I think maybe you should have.
I don't think I was hit that hard
when I played in high school... or in college.
I'm sorry. I'm... I'm just... just kind of in a hurry.
Yeah. Got that part.
Do you need to check for the fire codes?
I can show you around.
No, Ainsley... the only thing I'm here to check on is you.
I heard about yesterday. You okay?
Uh... yeah. Yeah, I'm fine.
Thank you.
That's... that's so nice of you.
You know, I know about all your criminology stuff.
But still, finding a body... that's, um...
gotta be traumatic.
Yeah, it's not the body.
It's that my friends are involved.
I think I'm still processing it.
I get that.
I thought, uh...
a nice dinner would be a good distraction.
One that you don't make yourself.
We could just flip the order.
I could, um... I could take you out first for dinner tonight.
Yeah. Yeah, I'd like that a lot.
Great. 7:00PM?
Uh... 7 :30?
I have a book club meeting here from 6:00 to 7:00
and then I can meet you at Dooley's after that.
7:30 it is.
Great. Looking forward to it.
I think you were in a hurry.
Oh! I am.
I... I have someone I wanna catch up with.
I'm gonna head over to the E.R. and have them check my ribs.
Think you might've cracked one?
I'm not big enough to hurt.
See you tonight.
Oh, Danny. Good.
What can I do for you, Mrs. Caldwell?
It's up to us to keep the winery running
while Michael is gone. Can you fill in?
Do you need me to get you any help?
No, I can do it.
The vines are pretty much dormant.
You two have already done the blending,
and I can keep an eye on the barrels.
Has Michael told you about how the winery's been doing?
Financially, I mean.
I know he was talking to that Rick Dean about investing.
We've been doing okay but lately it's not okay enough.
I don't know what's happening, but according to the books,
we're losing money.
I'm worried about keeping this place above water
until Michael gets back.
Well, you can count on me.
I know I can, Danny, and it means a lot to us. Thank you.
I'll have someone fill in for you at BYA while you're here
and I'm at the coffee shop.
Thanks. And tell Michael I have his back.
I will, Danny.
You're not gonna get away with this, Rachel.
I can promise you that.
You may have conned my father but you can't con me.
You really need to get a new act, Bridget.
This one's getting very old.
Well, at least I won't have to deal with you for much longer.
Is that a threat?
I think you know exactly what it is.
Miss Dean?
Yes?
I'm looking for Rachel Dean, the deceased's wife.
That'd be me.
I'm Dr. Stevens, the medical examiner for the county.
Are you ready to identify the body?
I'm his daughter, Bridget Dean. I'd like to be there, too.
Of course.
Ainsley.
Kane, hey. I was just in the area.
Thought I'd drop by and say hi.
Now's not a good time.
Yeah, I see that. I'll wait.
Hey. What are you doing here?
Well, I said I'd come by today, didn't I?
Well, today's almost over. We closed half an hour ago.
Technically still today.
Well, I'm just setting up for the book club.
Oh right, yeah. That's tonight.
Well, this place is incredible.
Thank you.
Hey, I didn't know you also set up the art gallery.
Yeah. We had almost 100 people through today.
Congrats.
So, how's the investigation going?
Uh, you know, it's going.
Well, you're gonna go easy on Michael, aren't you?
Go easy on him? He's a suspect in a murder case.
I'm gonna treat him like I treat anybody in that situation.
But you know he didn't do it.
No, I don't, actually.
And I've gotta let Lena take the lead on this,
because if I do it, it's just a conflict of interest.
Lena? She's new. She doesn't know him at all.
Exactly.
I gotta go.
Where?
To continue the investigation.
Oh.
Congrats. The place looks great.
Thank you.
You deserve it.
The victim was definitely hit in the back of the head,
causing blunt force trauma.
The wine bottle.
There were fragments of glass matching the broken wine bottle
found at the scene in the wound and of course,
wine stains in his hair and on his clothes.
But there's no way he'd die
from getting hit by a wine bottle.
That's the thing.
The blow from the wine bottle didn't kill him,
though it very likely knocked him unconscious,
at least temporarily.
So, what was the cause of death?
He was stabbed in the side, chest level.
And they punctured the ventricle of his heart,
causing cardiac tamponade.
The bleeding was predominantly internal,
very little external bleeding there at the entry point
to the stab wound, which is about seven inches deep.
You think it was a knife?
The shape of the wound and the fact that we found
traces of glass in it makes it very likely it was from a shard.
From the same wine bottle.
It appears so.
And the angle of entry makes it very likely the attacker
was left-handed.
See, the thing is, we didn't find a shard that size
at the crime scene.
Or pieces with the amount of blood on them
you'd expect to find from a stabbing.
So that means the murder weapon's missing.
Great.
Thanks, Kane.
You just take a nice nap, George.
You've had a full day. I hope you've had enough to eat.
Oh, thanks to you, he's stuffed.
I'm sure he'll pass out.
He's a growing boy.
He's five.
Okay y'all, let's get started.
Mrs. Whedon?
I'm here!
I'm sorry. Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry.
You made it.
- Hi. - Hi, hi, hi, hi, hi.
About time, Maureen.
Okay. It is our first book club meeting at Bless Your Arts.
And I wanna...
Yes, yes. Let's just get started.
No more speeches.
Oh.
And don't slouch, Ainsley.
You're a tiny little thing already.
Gladys...
Well, at least you still do your readings
with good old-fashioned books, though.
It speaks well of you.
Well, thank you.
But I think plenty of folks enjoy reading
on their electronic devices and it's convenient.
It's barbaric.
It's actually the exact opposite of barbaric, Mrs. Whedon.
I think there's plenty of room in our club for both, Gladys.
The original Widows' Circle Book Club
has to change with the times.
I mean, look around. There's so few of us left.
Now, I like the feeling of having a book in my hands.
The... the fun of turning the pages as you go
and the satisfaction of reaching that last page
and closing the book.
My point exactly, Maureen.
But I don't think it matters how or what you read it on,
it's the actual reading that counts.
About that.
I actually didn't finish the book.
Yeah, I gotta admit, I didn't finish it either.
Me either. Sorry, Mrs. Whedon.
How can we have a lively discussion
if no one has read the book?
Oh, I read the book.
So did I.
Did you read it, Mrs. Whedon?
I've read enough.
But there's so much excitement going on right now,
And maybe we really would be better served
if we use our time talking about the unfortunate event
at the winery.
You mean the murder?
Ooh, yes. Let's talk about that.
My nephew Kevin is Deputy trainee at the Sheriff's office.
We all know, Maureen.
You mention it at least once a day.
What's he told you about the case?
Wait. I don't think Kevin should be disclosing
any information that might compromise the investigation.
Fiddlesticks.
Who is more on the pulse of what's happening in Sweet River
than the Widows' Circle?
And we're fortunate to have Maureen here.
Thank you, Gladys.
Well, Kevin tells me the medical examiner determined
Rick Dean died by being stabbed, not by being hit by the bottle.
Really?
I mean...
I mean, Kevin really shouldn't be telling you things like that.
He's a good boy, and he's so easily bribed
with chocolate chip cookies.
- He's one of my students.
And he does share those cookies in class.
I told him to take your criminology class.
How's he doing?
Oh, I... I can't.
We're off topic, ladies.
Anything else, Maureen?
Yes. They haven't found the murder weapon.
Those sound like important clues to me.
Especially if and when they do find the murder weapon.
I watch a lot of mysteries on TV.
It helps calm me down at the end of the day.
That would keep me up.
Me too. I have to read before I go to bed.
Just not this book.
Okay, I think I need to stop this conversation.
My brother would not like...
As a criminologist, aren't you the least bit curious, dear?
And your best friend's husband's accused of the crime?
Well, I really like Michael, but... how can we even be sure?
We don't have to be sure because my brother
and the Sheriff's department is gonna find out what happened
and make sure that the proper person is brought to justice.
It can't hurt anything, Ainsley, to just discuss it.
We might be able to come up with something that could help Ryan.
Yeah.
Okay. But only on two conditions.
One, nothing we discuss here leaves this room.
Or the fact that we're even discussing it.
And two, we don't do anything to interfere with
or impede the Sheriff's investigation.
Fine.
Those of us here tonight at the Widows' Circle
agree to those conditions.
Okay. Let's schedule a new meeting in a few days.
Give us time to think about the case
and come back with some theories.
Good idea, Maria.
I agree.
And I'll do some more digging with Kevin.
No, Maureen.
Or not.
You're smart woman, Ainsley.
And with you leading us,
I'd imagine we could crack this case.
You want me to lead?
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
With your background, of course you should lead.
Yeah. Okay.
Okay.
I hope I don't regret this.
You're gonna be alright.
Thank you.
She's gonna be with you in a minute.
- Alright? - Okay. Keep breathing.
Dooley.
Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in.
Howdy, Ainsley. He's right over there.
Oh. Thanks, Dooley.
He's been grinning like a mule eating cockleburs
ever since he walked in here.
Wait, am I late?
No, he was early. Been here about 30 minutes. Twitching!
But happier than a clam at high tide.
Thanks, Dooley.
I'll come check on y'all in a minute.
Enjoy yourself.
Evening, Ainsley.
- Hi, Jake. - Hi.
I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long.
I had to drop George off at the house.
No, I just got here.
Oh, Dooley said you've been here a while.
Oh. Did he?
Um... hey.
Yeah.
Oh. Here, yeah... let me.
There you go. No problem.
Oh, I gotta move my jacket put yours here.
Okay. Nice and comfy.
Hang mine up over here.
Oops... wrong way.
Okay.
Oh! Actually, uh... that is mine and this one is yours.
I've been, uh, drinking out of that one earlier, and...
I'm sorry.
I'm acting like I'm trying to put socks on a rooster.
I'm so sorry.
It's totally fine.
You look, um, great.
Thank you. So do you.
Well then, uh...
just try and relax and enjoy a nice meal.
That sounds good.
I'm always in the mood for some of Dooley's Tex-Mex.
Best in the county.
Folks come from all over the place.
- As they should. - Mm-hmm.
You're a native here in town, right?
Yes. Yes. Born and bred.
Family's been in Sweet River for generations.
You know, I've never asked anyone
how the town got its name.
I mean, obviously, the river runs through it.
Well way back in the late1800's,
they discovered oil a couple counties over near the river.
Sweet crude oil.
And folks, they started calling the river the sweet river,
kinda out of luck, but it stuck.
And then when this town grew up on its banks,
I think they just figured it had a nice ring to it.
Better than the sweet crude river, I suppose.
That it is.
So you must be pretty busy being the fire chief
and running your own store.
Yeah, well I have help in both places
and luckily there's not too many calls for the fire department.
Yeah, it's mostly volunteer, right?
It is, yeah. You looking to join?
No. No, no, no.
I think I have my hands full as it is.
Right.
Got that seat just like how you like it.
Hey, Jake. Have you seen that woman around town?
What woman?
Don't look.
Okay, um... how am I supposed to know if I've seen her?
Dooley?
How y'all doing? You fixing to order some drinks?
Yeah, we will be.
But... do you know that woman you just seated at the bar?
No, don't... don't look.
She doesn't want us to look.
Okay.
Okay, look, no. No, I don't... I don't know her.
But, I mean, she was in here every night
since her and her husband came to town until...
you know, well, until he wasn't.
You know, those two sure didn't get along.
They made quite a fuss Saturday night.
The night before her husband was killed?
That's right.
Her?
Do you know her?
Well, I was in here that night too
with some of the guys from the station.
They made a big scene.
Now, I don't eavesdrop... because I don't do that.
But I couldn't help but hear her tell him
that he wasn't gonna be able to leave her...
'cause she wouldn't let him.
He wanted a divorce?
Sure sounded like that to me. But I don't eavesdrop, so...
Are you asking
because of your investigative book club meeting tonight?
How'd you know about that?
I ran into Don on the way over here.
We just had that meeting an hour ago,
and it was confidential.
You know, I don't think that this town does confidential.
I heard about it too.
I sure hope you find out who did it.
You know, it's an awful shame about Michael.
He was an awfully good customer.
And you know, he was in here Friday night with them,
and they had quite a round.
Michael walked out on them.
And you know what? I don't blame him.
That Rick Dean was meaner than a skillet full of rattlesnakes.
He was threatening Michael.
He told him he would ruin them
if he didn't sell them the winery.
Man was an ornery cuss.
Did you tell my brother all of this?
Well, no. I didn't wanna get Michael in any more trouble.
But it might help him get out of it.
What are you thinking, Ainsley?
I'm thinking I need to go talk to this Rachel Dean,
if you'll excuse me for a minute.
Oh, of course. Yeah.
- Excuse me, Mrs. Dean? - Yes?
May I talk to you for a moment?
Why?
Well... first, I'm very sorry for your loss.
I'm Ainsley McGregor.
McGregor... related to Sheriff McGregor?
He's my brother.
You were at the medical examiner's office today too.
What were you doing there?
Um... Dr. Stevens is a friend.
You often visit him at the morgue?
Mrs. Dean, I'm a criminologist and I'm trying to help
find out who killed your husband.
We know who killed him.
It was that awful man from the winery.
No, that's just it. I'm certain he didn't do it.
Of course he did.
Did you argue with your husband here at the diner
the night before he was killed?
What business is that of yours?
There are witnesses that say they saw you two arguing
and they overheard your husband was gonna divorce you.
No. That was never going to happen.
This person you should be talking to is his daughter.
She poisoned Rick against me.
Bridget?
If you have some kind of information
that Caldwell didn't do it,
then the person you should be talking to is Bridget.
She's resented her father her whole life,
especially since he divorced his first wife.
She never even gave me a chance even though Richard and I
were very happy together and very much in love.
So, you know Michael.
Well, no. I met him at a dinner once,
I wouldn't say that I know him.
Where were you when your husband was killed, Mrs. Dean?
Are you here in some kind of an official capacity?
Well... no.
Okay, well... then this interrogation is over.
Okay. If you have nothing to hide,
then why don't you just answer my questions?
I saw that you have a Band-Aid on your hand.
How did you get that cut?
That is none of your business!
Miss McGregor.
I do not take kindly to having my integrity questioned.
When that happens, there are severe consequences.
Hi, George.
Aww, I'm so happy to see you too. Yes.
The date? Well, it kind of got interrupted.
It was off to a good start, too.
But... you know how I am when I get distracted.
We still had a nice dinner, though.
Okay, I'm coming. You gotta go out?
I got the message. I'm coming.
There you go.
Oh, George.
What have I got myself into?
So, think of a crime as a room with people inside
and others outside.
And the people inside have their experience of what happens
from the perspective of where they are in the room
when the crime happens.
Their experience is subjective.
Now, the others, the people on the outside, the investigators,
the criminologists, the forensics team,
they're all viewing the room as two dimensional.
Like a photograph.
Uh... okay. So, your job as a criminologist
is to observe everything you can from this spot,
but then also put yourselves into the perspectives
of the people inside the room.
Alright. Class is done.
Uh... don't forget to read your observational study sheets
I gave you for next class.
Professor McGregor, can we speak to you, please?
Lily, sure.
We heard about your book club.
And we'd like to join and help with the investigation.
Uh... it's not my book club and there isn't an investigation.
It's, uh...
How did you hear about it, anyway?
Gladys Whedon. She's my grandmother.
Ah... of course she is.
She knows I'm studying criminology
and thought it would be a good idea
for me to attend the meetings.
Your next one's tomorrow night, right?
Uh... yeah, but I don't think it would be a good idea
for the two of you to be a part of it.
Especially you, Kevin.
My brother would be irate if he found out.
Then we won't tell him.
He never lets me help out with anything important.
Well, that's because you're an intern at the Sheriff's station.
Deputy trainee.
I know we can help solve the case.
And we'll get to see what you're teaching us in real life.
We're not solving the case. The Sheriff's department is.
And you see enough in my class.
Well, my grandmother said she saw that Rachel Dean woman
going to the dry cleaners yesterday.
How does she even know who Rachel is?
She and Kevin's aunt Maureen have been snooping.
They're good snoopers.
And that's why we wanna come to the meeting,
so we can help figure out what's important and what's not.
Have you asked your parents about this?
We're adults.
We can drive, we can vote, and we can attend meetings.
Right.
Okay. You can come and observe for now.
And I'm asking your grandmother
to move the meeting up to tonight, 6PM.
We'll be there.
Yes.
I forgot to ask you, how was your time with Professor Slade?
You know, it was awfully nice of him to let you
hang out in his office with his doggy while I was teaching.
George McGregor, I think you have a crush
on Professor Slade's dog.
Well, you have good taste.
She's a beauty and very well-behaved.
Maybe she'll be a good influence on you.
What? I'm joking!
Don't be so sensitive.
Hi.
We need to talk.
Hey, Georgie. How you doing, pal?
Is there somewhere we could chat?
Sure.
Why don't we chat in the art gallery
so that the entire building doesn't think
you're about to arrest your own sister?
That's not off the table.
Would you like some coffee?
No, I would not like some coffee.
Rude.
Grandma used to always say you were so contrary
you'd float upstream.
Grandma was crazy about me.
Hmm, true.
But she also said you were quite cantankerous.
Quit stalling.
What are you doing?
I feel like that's too broad of a question.
I mean, today in class, we were talking about
observational procedure
and how you should put yourselves into the shoes of...
Ainsley.
You're talking to witnesses, you're talking to suspects?
You're getting your book club all riled up.
No!
I'm not the one riling them up, they riled themselves.
Really? They're self-rilers.
Yes. They're quite good at it.
And it's not my book club, actually.
Well, whatever it is,
it's drawing too much attention to you.
I went by your house this morning to check on you.
I wasn't at my house, I was in class this morning.
Yeah, I know that. I forgot, but I remember now.
Anyway, you know what I saw there?
A threatening sign taped on my back door, I know.
I didn't touch it
because I thought we might need it for evidence.
No, no, no. We don't need anything.
I need it because it's my job, not yours.
You don't need to be helping out with these investigations
because you're not in Chicago anymore.
With a police department who couldn't protect you,
by the way.
You're here in Sweet River with a brother who can
and that's all I care about.
Please, just... focus on Bless Your Arts.
I am.
And I was gonna tell you about the sign.
You should have told me about it the second you found it.
The second you found it!
Well, Grandma said it's rude to call anyone after 9PM.
Would you stop it?
Instead, you go back into your house alone.
With George.
Oh, forgive me.
You were with George alone in the house,
when someone's outside posting threatening notes.
You should've called me.
At least you know now.
And you said you were talking to suspects?
You're referring to Rachel Dean, aren't you?
Rachel's at the top of our list.
But... no, no.
You know who you should be talking to
is Rick Dean's daughter, Bridget.
There was bad blood between her and Rachel,
and even more between her and her father.
And they had a number of reasons to have possibly killed him.
And at the very minimum,
it isn't cut and dry that Michael did it.
Oh, are you gonna charge him?
You know, you have to within 48 hours since he's been in jail.
I know the rules!
And I'm not talking to you about this anymore.
I can help.
I'm not disputing that.
I just...
I really don't want you to.
I don't want you to...
Get hurt. I know.
And what happened in Chicago was terrifying,
but I don't wanna live the rest of my life in fear.
You shouldn't be taking unnecessary risks.
If I'm helping, if my best friend needs me,
it's not unnecessary.
I'm an adult. I can drive, I can vote.
Where did that come from?
Yeah, I know.
It sounded way better when my student said it.
Okay, look.
I know you don't have the murder weapon
and that Rick Dean died by a stab wound to the side.
Michael's prints were on the shards that we found
at the crime scene.
Ryan, Michael's prints are gonna be on all of the bottles.
He put those bottles on the shelves in the tasting room,
you know that.
Of course I know that.
What we need to be asking is,
how did Rick get to the winery that day?
His car wasn't there.
Did he take a car service, a taxi?
Why would he do that?
We're checking out the car services.
Or someone could have been with him.
Someone who killed him.
I promise, I'm gonna look into all of it.
I'm pretty good at this stuff too, if you recall.
No, you're great at it. But together we'd be phenomenal.
Look, we know the crime must've occurred a short time
before Shannon and I got to the scene.
When I went to check for the pulse,
the body was still warm-ish. Rigor hadn't set in.
Now, I know it doesn't look good for Michael, he was close by.
The thing that bugs me about Michael
is that he's right-handed.
Yeah, you would have to use your dominant hand to have the force
to stab someone the way Rick Dean was stabbed.
Yeah.
We have to find that murder weapon.
Well, I'm headed to the winery now with the search warrant.
Well, I'm coming.
What? No you're not. Not with me.
Yes, I am.
I'm gonna be there for my friend.
Stand by her side.
Thank you for coming here today, Mr. Preston.
You've given me a lot to think about.
I'm very sorry about your personal troubles.
I would like for my company to take away
your financial worries,
regardless of what happens with your husband.
He's innocent.
Oh, I'm sure he is.
But sadly, the justice system does move very slowly.
I know the financials I shared with you earlier
don't look good, but I promise you, that is just a blip.
We were actually doing really well before.
I am aware of the vagaries of business.
I will do more due diligence, but I am confident
that I can make you a fair price for the winery.
A win-win, as I like to say.
That's a huge relief.
What's this?
Oh, no.
Good morning, Mrs. Caldwell.
We have a warrant to search your house and the winery premises.
Ains.
Uh... it's gonna be fine. I'll stay with you.
What are they looking for?
The... the murder weapon.
Uh... Mr. Preston, I am so sorry about all of this.
I, uh... I don't know what to say.
Your personal business is exactly that.
Personal and none of my business.
It doesn't deter my desire to purchase the winery,
nor my commitment to you to make a fair price.
Win-win. I will be in touch.
I will think positive thoughts for you.
You're selling the winery?
I don't know. I might have to.
This is all so overwhelming.
No, you have Danny and we can pitch in and help you
until Michael's back.
If Michael gets back.
Shannon, you can't think that way.
We're gonna prove that Michael is innocent.
We're gonna find out who really did this.
You don't have to sell.
There's more to it than that.
The winery has been slipping for a few months now.
We're falling deeper and deeper into the red.
I didn't wanna say anything before
because I was just embarrassed.
How's that possible?
You said that you had your best summer in sales, and...
and I watched the bottles fly off the shelves.
I don't get it either. The numbers don't lie.
I mean, that's why Michael was talking to Rick Dean
in the first place.
Neither of us ever liked him 'cause he was desperate.
Fortunately, Mr. Preston has come along now.
Yeah. Who's that Preston guy?
He's got some big company in Houston.
Like Rick Dean?
Yeah, but much bigger.
I mean, wineries are a small part of their portfolio,
but they're looking to grow it.
What's his main business?
Like all the big companies in Texas. Oil.
Then what's he doing here in Hill Country?
What does that mean?
Sheriff.
I gotta call you back. What do you got?
We found this bloody shirt
inside Michael Caldwell's locker.
And inside that shirt...
Shard of glass.
Bingo.
Okay, so we found the murder weapon.
With the discovery of the murder weapon
in Michael's locker,
the Sheriff's office really doesn't have any choice
but to charge Michael.
But Michael didn't do this. He couldn't.
I've known him since he was a boy.
He's as fine a man as there is in this town.
Thank you, Mrs. Whedon.
We're here, Aunt Maureen.
Oh, good. I'm so glad you came.
We do really wanna help.
Hi Grandma.
The more the merrier, dear.
Grab a chair.
Does that invitation apply to me, too?
How did you know about the...?
Never mind. Sweet River.
Anyone who wants to help is welcome.
Especially you.
Okay. Whenever we start an investigation,
the first thing we need to determine is
who our most likely suspect is.
So, who had...
Means, motive, and opportunity?
Exactly.
Well, I think we start with Rachel Dean.
From all I've been hearing, she wasn't very happy with him.
Right. And, Rick, with the encouragement
of his daughter Bridget, was planning on divorcing Rachel.
He recently told her that.
Sounds like her money tree was going away.
Well, Bridget thinks that Rachel killed her dad.
Yeah well, she came into the store to get a few things.
Paid with a card, I saw her name on it, so I...
I asked her about her dad.
She was willing to talk to you?
Only all too willing. She was in a horn-tossing mood.
She said that she was absolutely sure
that Rachel had killed Rick.
Said that he told Rachel that
not only was he gonna divorce her,
but he was gonna cut her out of the will
and leave everything to Bridget.
Of course, you know, he didn't get the chance to do that.
So, it all still goes to Rachel.
Yeah. But Bridget said she's gonna fight it.
She still harbors a lot of anger towards her father
for leaving her mother and for, you know, leaving her too.
That's motive for Rachel.
And maybe Bridget.
Yeah, but...
why would Bridget kill him before he changed his will
and made her his beneficiary?
Maybe he wouldn't agree to do it
and it just made her madder at him.
And angry people will do things they don't normally do.
I've got some information that I'd like to share.
Gladys and I have been doing some investigating.
Snooping.
Might as well call it what it is.
Snooping, then.
We saw Rachel going to the dry cleaner
the day after the murder.
We've been keeping an eye on her since she came to town.
Yeah, we think she'd steal the nickels off a dead man's eyes.
So, we went in to see Fred,
he's been doing my dry cleaning for years.
Mine too, he does a really good job.
But he did lose that button, so...
Uh, Maureen... what did you two find out?
She brought a dress in that had wine stains on it.
Said it was quarter and...
Couture.
And he better not ruin it.
Said she spilled a bottle.
But Fred said you don't spill wine the way that dress looked.
Almost like it exploded, he said.
Like it would if you hit somebody over the head with it.
I'd say so.
How did she get to the winery?
Well, she wasn't there when you found the body, right Ainsley?
No, she wasn't. But...
She could've come with him and left in their car
after she killed him.
Yeah, that's certainly possible.
And Ryan told me that the wound was inflicted
by the attacker's left hand.
Rachel had a bandage on her left hand.
I saw it at the diner.
If you stabbed someone with a shard of glass,
you'd almost certainly cut yourself.
Well, Rachel had gloves. I saw them in her pocket,
and there was a small tear in the index finger
of the left hand.
Sorry, uh... quick question.
How did you see them if they were in her pocket?
Observational technique. You don't miss a thing.
It's a big part of being a criminologist.
Yeah.
That's impressive.
Sounds like snooping to me.
Well, the evidence points to Rachel's hand injury
as being something more than a coincidence.
I'm sorry for Rick Dean,
but I really hope all this is true...
for Michael's sake.
- Of course. - Aww.
Are we missing anybody else as a suspect?
Did Rick Dean have other enemies, maybe business rivals?
Seems to me a guy like that would have an enemies list
a mile long.
Shannon, why do you think Rick was so keen
on buying the winery?
I don't know.
When we first met him, he was very charming.
And then when we told him we weren't interested in selling,
we were just seeking an investment,
he became very aggressive.
He's probably a man not used to hearing no.
I mean, the winery is well-run and it makes good wine.
Isn't that enough to justify his interest in it?
Maybe. But something just doesn't feel right.
All the evidence is pointing to Rachel
but I feel like we're missing another suspect.
And I think it has to do with why Rick was so intent
on buying the winery.
I need to do more digging.
It sounds like it's time for a break.
Tea anyone?
Oh, and cookies. I've got lots of cookies.
I love your cookies.
Okay. Well, everyone can take a break, then.
Thank you for not putting Michael's name
on the suspect list.
You know, I ordered some more shirts from the store
like you picked up on Sunday,
so next time you're in you'll have more choices.
Oh, great. Yeah, I really like that one.
Well, I'm glad.
And you? Um... I'm escorting you home tonight.
Oh, you don't have to do that. I have George.
With all due respect, George is a lover, not a fighter.
I think Jake's right.
And if someone like Rachel left that note on your door,
threatening you... you should not be alone.
How did you know about that note?
Whoa, hold on... you got a threatening note?
I didn't know that.
Well, that settles it. I'm following you home.
No ifs, ands or buts.
You don't have to do that.
It's my job. Your... your brother assigned it.
He did what?
He asked me to keep an eye on you,
and for good reason, it seems.
Okay.
But the least you could do is come in for a cup of coffee
and some cake.
Hmm. What kind of cake?
Yeah, you're right. All cake is good.
Back at it.
Okay.
Here you go.
Well, that is not a slice, that is a slab.
You complaining?
No, ma'am.
It's Texas sized and it does look delicious.
Mmm.
Oh... shoveling it in too fast.
Oh, it's just icing. I'm sure it'll come out.
Well, I hope so. I really like this shirt.
Shirt.
Jake... when did Danny come in to buy his shirt on Sunday?
I reckon... I don't know, quarter to two?
Came into the store and he bought a...
bought a new work shirt.
Yeah, I remember thinking it was funny too,
because the shirt that he was wearing
was just way too big for him.
Hmm. That is funny.
Shannon and I discovered the body at 1:30.
We know the murder occurred shortly before that because,
as I told Ryan, the body was still a bit warm.
What's it... 10 minutes from the winery to town?
About that, yeah.
Danny arrived at the crime scene at 2:15.
I remember because I looked at my watch
thinking Ryan and his team were working too slowly
to process the scene
and... and I was worried about Shannon.
But how does that explain the wine on Rachel's dress?
Yeah. She's still the most likely suspect at this point.
I called my brother from the car on the way over
and they're all over it.
They recovered the dress before it was cleaned
and they're bringing Rachel in.
It has to be her. I mean, it has to be.
And from everything I heard, Danny,
he's been nothing but good to Michael and Shannon
since he's been in town.
I mean, did he even know Rick Dean?
You're right.
And I can just see the look on my brother's face
if I asked him to question Danny because he bought a shirt
when all the evidence is pointing to Rachel.
No, George.
You can't have any cake, I'm sorry.
You remember what happened last time?
He literally ate...
I'm calling Ryan.
Jake, the killer was just on my front porch.
I told you I didn't kill my husband.
I couldn't. I loved him.
And yet he was going to divorce you.
That never would have happened.
His daughter made him believe terrible, false things, but...
I would have convinced him.
We checked into your personal finances.
You stood to lose a lot if you got divorced.
I didn't marry Rick for his money
and I don't care about keeping it.
Yes, I've enjoyed this lifestyle,
but what really mattered to me was...
What really mattered to you is what?
Was that he didn't trust me. He wouldn't even listen to me.
He was under so much pressure
because his business was failing.
He was determined to buy that stupid winery.
His business was failing?
Yes.
He was very proud man,
he was determined to save it.
And how would buying a winery in Sweet River do that?
I don't know.
He didn't talk to me about that kind of stuff.
That was part of my frustration. Part of why I got so angry.
Go ahead.
I know you have my dress.
I'm sure by now you know that the wine stains on it
match the wine from the bottle Rick was hit with.
And you won't find my fingerprints on it
because I was wearing gloves. They're ruined now.
The glass from the bottle ripped a hole in them.
Cut my hand.
So, you were at the winery the day that your husband was killed
and you hit him with a wine bottle?
I drove over with him.
He was determined to get Michael to sell him the winery.
Whatever it takes, he kept on saying.
We argued on the way over.
He asked me wait in the car
while he went into the tasting room to meet with Michael.
I was so scared by the look on his face
when he got out of the car.
What happened next Mrs. Dean?
I saw Michael storm out of the winery,
but Rick wasn't with him and I was scared,
so I went in to check on him.
And he was crazed.
I tried to calm him down.
I told him whatever happened, it didn't matter.
As long as we had each other.
And he yelled at me. He told me it was over.
That everything was over.
I have a temper.
I'm not proud of it,
but in that moment all my frustration
just boiled over and...
It's okay.
I grabbed a wine bottle
and I hit him in the back of the head with it.
He went down immediately.
He was unconscious
but I checked on him and he was alive.
He was alive.
I panicked. I ran out.
I got in the car and... I drove away.
I've been sorry ever since.
- It's okay. - No.
It's alright.
I expect it from her, but you?
You were the one that told me to keep an eye on her.
I thought maybe I'd just help her with the case
while I was keeping her safe.
It's not her case.
Uh... I'm right here.
And it was the book club's tip
that helped you get Rachel's dress, right?
And you brought her in for questioning based on that?
Yeah.
She just confessed to hitting him with a bottle.
But not killing him, right?
No.
How'd you know that?
By observing her behavior.
She can flash anger, but she recovers.
I can see her hitting her husband with a bottle
in a moment of rage, but I can't see her finishing him off
by stabbing him.
She would consider what she'd done.
She'd stop.
That's exactly what she said.
Somebody else killed Rick Dean.
Somebody other than Michael Caldwell.
Somebody left-handed...
and somebody who was on my property last night,
leaving that sign on my front door.
Ready for another day, George?
Yeah.
Morning.
You're here early, Ains.
What happened with Rachel Dean
at the Sheriff's office this morning?
How did you...?
She confessed to hitting him with a bottle,
but not stabbing him. And I believe that.
She wouldn't have the wherewithal to plant
that murder weapon in Michael's locker.
Bridget Dean, then.
No. Bridget's your classic red herring.
Morning.
Why was Rick Dean so desperate to buy the winery?
You know, Rachel told my brother
that his own business was failing. So...
how would buying a winery save it?
Hey, Danny?
Do you know this other potential buyer, Mr. Preston?
Never heard of him, but I wouldn't be likely to.
I'd never heard of Rick Dean either.
I studied winemaking and computer science in school,
not investing.
Well, we've sure been happy to have you here
in Sweet River, Danny.
And I know that Shannon and Michael,
they really appreciate you.
Sweet River.
She's off again.
George, if you don't do something about her,
folks around here are gonna think
she's a few pickles short of a barrel.
Barrel. Yes. What are you talking about?
Oil.
Why oil? I said pickles. Are you feeling okay, Ainsley?
No, no, I'm fine.
The Sweet River was named after sweet crude oil
found a couple of counties over, right?
Yeah, that's the history.
Has there ever been any oil found around here?
No. I mean, there's rumors of oil west of town,
but it's never come to anything.
This is wine country.
We're nowhere close to the Permian Basin
and that's where most of the oil in Texas is found.
Right.
Okay. Well, we have a big day ahead of us at Bless Your Arts.
I'll go get the signs outside.
You help me get set up.
Oh, Mrs. Whedon? Please don't...
George's got a mate here, doesn't he?
Yeah, he sure does.
Hey, Danny.
You know, Michael never signed his booth lease for BYA.
I have it right here. Do you mind signing it, please?
Sure. But I'm not an owner.
Oh, that's fine.
I keep it really informal, it's just for my records.
Thank you. Have a great day.
Oh, I'm only here to restock.
Donna's gonna watch the booth today.
I've got some winery stuff to take care of.
That's why I love Sweet River. Everyone helps each other.
Where's the fire?
Funny.
It's just one of my better traits.
I got your text. What's up?
Hey, buddy.
Do you know anything about seismic reflection
and how to use it to detect whether there's oil underground?
Nope.
Not one of my better traits and not the first question
I thought I'd get asked this morning.
Well, look at this.
You set off a small shaped explosion on a cleared area
on the ground.
The shockwaves travel underground,
bounce off the different types of rock
and return to the surface.
Sensors interpret them to determine the underground layout
as a possibility of a petroleum reservoir.
So you don't have to drill.
Have you heard about the rumors of there being oil west of town?
Oh sure, yeah. But nothing's ever come of that.
The Caldwell's winery is out west.
I need to see if my brother's had any reports
of unexpected activity out there.
Well, I can answer that.
The fire department, we had a report of an explosion
a couple months ago near there.
We searched but we never found the source.
Hmm.
Do you know who Jack Preston is?
Well, he looks familiar, but no.
I don't think I've met him.
He owns an oil company in Houston.
He was at Shannon's trying to buy the winery yesterday.
Well, that's interesting.
Yeah. This is his social media.
That picture's of his wife and kids from a few years ago.
I'll be a dog.
Danny.
Danny Avery isn't Danny Avery. He's Danny Preston.
Jack Preston's son.
You reckon that Danny...?
I don't reckon, I know.
And as Grandma used to say,
we need to stop hollering down the well
and get out to that winery. We have a killer to catch.
I'm just gonna say it again.
I don't like that we didn't call Ryan.
We need proof.
Well then, we let the Sheriff's office handle it.
The fire department, they handle fires.
The Sheriff's office, they handle proofing of a crime.
Danny's father is gonna provide him an alibi.
I just know it.
We have to try to outsmart him.
Well, I just wanna go on record that my instincts say
this is a bad idea.
Well, mine say that this is our best shot
at freeing an innocent man.
Danny? It's Ainsley.
Hey, whoa. What are you doing?
Well, we're not sneaking up on him.
Act normal.
If I were acting normal, we wouldn't be here.
I'll protect you.
You are just like your brother.
Stubborn as a mule with his heel caught in a stump.
Oh, that's a good one.
Oh, you like that one?
- Mm-hmm. - Yeah.
Ainsley?
Hey, Ainsley. Jake.
What are y'all doing out here? Shannon's at the coffee shop.
Are you going somewhere?
No, just cleaning up.
I want it to be nice when Michael gets back.
Heard they brought Rachel Dean in.
I'm sure it's only a matter of time 'til let Michael go.
Rachel didn't confess to the murder, Danny.
Well, she must've been involved somehow.
When did you discover the oil, Danny?
I don't know what you're talking about.
How did Rick Dean find out about it?
You're really not making any sense, Ainsley.
Well, I... I kinda think she is. Mr. Preston.
Did Rick just get in the way,
or did he actually work in your favor?
I mean, your father shows up right when it's looking
most bleak for Shannon and the winery
and makes a strong offer to buy it.
That's not what happened.
You've been working here long enough
to have doctored the winery's books
to make it look like it was starting to fail.
I did a little digging on the way over here.
And you're some kind of tech whiz, aren't you?
You sure were in college.
I've been nothing but good to Michael and Shannon
since I've been here. You've got it all wrong.
You got in way over your head and you panicked.
Fortunately, your father came,
picked you up and took you to town.
And then he gave you one of his shirts to wear
while you changed out of the bloody one
you were wearing.
And then y'all, you pulled up in front of my store
to get a new one.
And it's just a shame that you and your father aren't closer
in size, it wouldn't have stuck out as much.
You're not a bad person, Danny.
You just did a bad thing that you never meant to happen.
I was just here to change the books.
And Rick Dean found out about it.
He knew my dad found oil out here.
He was desperate to save his company
and he tried to get to the Caldwell's first.
Rick, he knew your secrets so your dad couldn't touch him.
I was going to head into town to meet my father.
He was here to make the offer to Michael
and to pay off Rick Dean, if that's what it was gonna take.
But I heard this ruckus coming from the tasting room,
and I saw Rachel Dean running out and driving away.
So, I ran to the tasting room.
Rick was on the floor,
but he... he was coming to and getting to his feet.
And I told him that I'd help him,
that I'd call an ambulance.
But he lunged at me.
Said if he was going down, so was I and so was my father.
He caught me off guard and knocked me to the ground.
He was out of his mind... choking me.
I grabbed the nearest shard of glass and I stabbed him.
I panicked.
I called my dad and he came and got me.
But you have to believe me. I never set out to hurt anyone.
I was gonna make sure my dad paid a fair price.
The book stuff was just to encourage them to sell.
Then why did you let the Sheriff's office believe
that Michael had done it?
My dad made me.
Your dad made you?
Danny, come on. You're a grown man.
I was scared.
He convinced me that the best way to avoid being caught
was to pin the blame on someone else.
That being caught would ruin my life.
I was trying to point you guys to Rachel, but...
my life's ruined anyway.
My dad convinced me to plant the shard in Michael's locker.
Danny! Stop talking.
Dad, no.
It's too late, Mr. Preston.
It turns out that your son has a conscience, even if you don't.
There's no way out of this.
You have no idea how things work in my world, ma'am.
Danny, collect your things and come with me.
You don't have to do this, Danny.
- Yes-- - Okay.
He does.
We'll see just how much you're able to prove
once my lawyers get through with you.
Danny... go.
Drop your weapon, Preston!
Stop moving!
I'm taking responsibility for my actions, Dad.
Something you've never done.
Let's go.
Good work.
We'll talk later.
Good talk, bad talk?
I'm grateful. Relieved.
And mad.
You figure it out.
I thought you weren't going to call my brother.
Technically, I didn't call him.
I texted him on the way, and I only dialed him
so that he could hear Danny's confession.
Always good to have a backup plan.
Hmm. Better to tell your partner about the plan.
Partner?
In crime prevention.
Okay.
Can I get everyone's attention, please?
I just wanted to thank y'all for believing in me
and for saving me.
We're so grateful.
I can't imagine having better friends.
What are y'all gonna do about the oil?
We are very curious.
We don't know how or when we're gonna put a well in,
but we have decided that if and when we do,
we will be donating some of the profits
to the National Police Foundation.
- I like that. - Wow.
- That's amazing. - That's amazing.
That's very nice of y'all. Thank you.
It's the least we could do.
If I may, I'd like to ask that the donation be made
in honor of my sister, who will be officially collaborating
with the Sheriff's department moving forward.
And a special thanks
to the Sweet River Widows' Circle... book club?
We'll be coming up with a better name for that,
now that we're doing more investigating than reading.
Well, shall we open the doors and let the customers in?
Absolutely.
Bless Your Arts is 100 percent open for business.
And Sweet River is 100 percent better for it.
Yes.
So, would you like to have dinner tonight?
Oh, I have dinner every night.
You're hysterical.
Pick you up at 7:00?
Yeah, it's a date.
I like the sound of that. A date
We're going on a date.
Official collaborator? Do we need to talk about this?
Ah... we talk enough, don't we?
What if there's coconut cake involved?
- Grandma's recipe? - Of course.
Okay, we can talk. Expect a lecture, though.
Oh, I always do.
I love you.
Yeah, yeah.
I love you too.
Oh, what do you think, George?
As Grandma would say,
it's been a gracious plenty of excitement for one week.
Don't you think?
I know, you want an update. Well, I like Jake.
I like him a lot. But I love you, George.
Yes, I do. You're my...
Baby girl... stop talking to that dog.
I'm glad Jake wasn't here to see that.
Besides, George and I have work to do.
Come along, George.
Yes.
Oh, Mrs. Whedon.
Please don't give him any more treats... never mind.
Oh, I forgot to tell you, George.
I love Sweet River too.
*