Ray drove up to the precinct where Liam was just coming out of the building. He was speaking with Harry Byron, an older officer whose only ambition was to wake up one morning, go to work, fall asleep at his desk poring through old cold cases, and not get back up. Harry was a lifer and was not looking forward to retirement, despite the necessity to continue to pass fitness tests, mental acuity tests, and the range test to carry his police-issued firearm. Ray was pretty sure it was staunch determination in refusing to deteriorate to the point that he failed one of these tests that kept him going. He was also Liam’s go-to guy whenever he had to be out of range of the precinct.

Ray watched as Liam issued final orders for the weekend to keep the precinct running smoothly. His dark hair caught the light of the lamp post above him, and the silver in it twinkled. Ray imagined what it would be like to run his hands through it as he tilted his head back under him if he had him pinned to the bed and, yep. That train of thought was going to get him nowhere fast.

Ray winced as he tried to get the image of his best friend, former partner, and secret crush’s dark eyes out of his mind. He had spent many nights wondering what it would be like to be held captive by those eyes. They’d shared a kiss and upped their game trying to convince the SSK, if he was watching, that they really were a couple. Ray’s memory of that night was a blur in some regards and crystal clear in others. He remembered everything that went down with the SSK with clarity. The thing that wasn’t clear to Ray was if his feelings and arousal had been reciprocated during that kiss. There were kisses that screamed habitual, and then there were soul-searing, earth shattering kisses that left your mind tripping over them for weeks. That was the hazy part of the night. Ray hadn’t stopped thinking about that night. Had Liam been just as hard and aroused as he was? Had he noticed that Ray was desperately trying to come off as casual while feeling anything but? The whole thing made Ray’s head hurt.

Liam certainly hadn’t complained when Ray had offered him a room at his place to stay. He also hadn’t mentioned that night before, so Ray was left bumbling around in the murky cloud of that memory, wondering if he was insane for being in love with his best friend, or if there was a justifiable reason. Liam had tried for a decade to bring Ray back into the force, but Ray had kept his distance. He wasn’t sure if he was afraid of another incident with the SSK or if he was afraid of making an ass of himself in the presence of Liam, who would be his boss as he had been promoted to captain.

Ray sighed and braced himself for the flood of warmth that always washed over him whenever Liam was in close proximity. He prepared himself for the onslaught of emotions that he knew he could never give away, and so he steeled himself when Liam walked over and opened the passenger door to his pickup and hoisted himself in. The reaction hadn’t changed in all these years. Ray busied himself with the lights of the truck and then the key to hide it.

“I grabbed the to-go bag in your closet and the suit that was hanging up. Apparently, this is a pretty posh place. You sure that suit’s still going to fit you?” he asked.

Liam grunted and laughed at him. “Well, if the place is posh, then I’ll fit in. What are you going to do?”

Ray shrugged and then grinned. “Be a pain in the ass until someone gives me some answers.”

“So the usual, then?”

“Exactly.”

“Fair enough, and yes, the suit still fits, jackass.”

All was right and well, and the drive was a comfortable one now that they had gotten the formalities out of the way. It wasn’t far out to the farm, and Ray soon pulled the truck into the driveway of the impressive property. There was a purely decorative lattice fence that spanned the length of the front lawn. The farm itself was lavish and had been repainted and re-shingled. There was a broad, intricately decorated sign boasting the name of the farm, and Ray could see several outbuildings that sat to the sides and back. He assumed the vineyard was out back, but he couldn’t see it due to the night’s impenetrable darkness.

“Impressive.” Liam murmured.

“Mhmm.” He killed the engine and got out of the truck, grabbing his bag and walking toward the front door. Liam was right behind him, and he jogged up the steps, held the iron railing, and reached out, ringing the doorbell. He wondered if he was waking Elijah up, as it was very late, but then he supposed if the bottle of wine was that important to him, he probably wasn’t sleeping anyway.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, Elijah answered the door. He didn’t look disheveled, although his hair was damp, and he was wearing pajama pants and a housecoat. Ray noticed the man standing behind him was also in similar garb, and his hair was also damp. He cast a sideways look at Liam who raised his eyebrows but said nothing.

“Ray, hello! Thank you for coming. Come in, come in.” Elijah stepped back, and Ray crossed the threshold, taking in the open concept with sparsely decorated spaces. It was all so clean and classic, and he wondered how it didn’t drive Elijah crazy. If Misha were here, she would have begun filling the place with color immediately. Ray wasn’t an over-decorator by any means, but he had inherited his house from his grandmother, and it was full of antiques, which gave it a rich, old feeling. He hadn’t been able to bear to part with any of them, so he left the house as it was and continued on. His office was a different story. There was a place for neat and clean, and he felt wholeheartedly, that was his office space. Ray could understand the need for decoration that was spartan. He felt it was professional looking.

Ray wondered who Elijah let into his life, if anyone, to whom he would divulge the secret of his most valuable possession. The first suspects would be anyone close to Elijah, of course. They alone would know how to get into the cellar where Elijah kept the bottle. Or at the very least, they would know how to obtain a key without Elijah knowing. A lot could be said about the way someone decorates their home. It didn’t always reveal a person’s lifestyle and choices, but it did drop subtle tells. Ray wondered if Elijah had ever grown close to anyone after college.

Then there was the mysterious man, who clearly was eyeing them with suspicion, if not contempt. It was concerning to Ray that the thief might be under Elijah’s own nose.

“Detective Raymond Knott.” Ray held out his hand to the gentleman.

“Noah St. James. It’s a pleasure.” Clearly, judging by the man’s reserved and guarded expression, he didn’t think so, but Ray guessed this was a man who was accustomed to standing on ceremony. His handshake was firm, though, and Ray could appreciate the confidence, although he also took mental note of it.

“This is Captain Liam Ferguson.” He introduced Liam, who shook hands with both Elijah and Noah.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Captain.”

Both men fell silent for a moment, and then Elijah, remembering he was the one who called, said, “Right, why don’t we drop your bags off in your rooms. Since Noah is the only other guest here, you have your pick of the rooms on the left side of the house.”

“Great. Can we get adjacent rooms? Preferably that connect with a side door in some way? Or maybe via a balcony? And if at all possible, that have a view of the cellar that the bottle was stolen from?”

“Well, the problem is, the only two rooms that overlook the cellar and connect are the master bedroom and the adjoining suite. Noah has the suite and…”

“Your room has a pull-out sofa, Elijah. I could stay on that so that the Detectives could have the other room. That suite also has a pullout bed in the wall, in addition to the bed that is there.”

“Well, this is true, but I thought we were going to try to come across as singles. That’s the point of the retreat. And the detectives might not want to share a room.”

“Actually, I think that would be the best idea.” It was Liam who spoke up, and Ray looked at him, surprised.

“Why is that?” he asked.

“Because with the list of guests who have been invited, it is a sure bet someone is going to recognize me. We can get away with the undercover bit by presenting the tickets you have and saying we weren’t aware of the retreat. Technically, Valiant Vines has to honor them, correct?”

Elijah looked momentarily confused but nodded, so Liam continued.

“We can’t use fake names for me. We’d be called out on it. It is part of my job to make contact with prominent members of society to secure votes and funding, and sometimes charitable contributions for the precinct. If we really need to, we could say Elijah simply extended his invitation to us for the weekend, as an exception to the singles rule, and he just wanted us to come celebrate.”

“Sounds like a solid plan. Mr. St. James, do we have your cooperation in this? I assume you were with Elijah when the theft occurred?”

“Yes to both, and please call me Noah.”

“Excellent. Then that’s worked out.”

“Yes, but how do we explain Noah’s presence in my room? He has been so kind, and I want him to have the best amenities in the house.”

“Well, as long as he is awake and out of the room before the guests arrive, it can be explained tomorrow night that the two of you hit it off, and that will justify his presence in your room. We are all adults here, aren’t we?” Liam responded. His tone was one that brooked no argument. He was a take-charge kind of man, and it was a quality that Ray admired. He was happy they had the makings of a plan.

He still wasn’t content with the arrangement of Noah in Elijah’s room, especially if Noah was the thief, but he didn’t see any way around it. Elijah clearly wasn’t willing to ask him to compromise and take another room, and Ray wondered how influential Noah was that he had such sway over him already. He wondered what other wily charms Noah had employed since his arrival.

“When did you get here Noah?”

“A few hours ago. I had the taxi drive me from the airport and drop me off here. Then I took Elijah out to dinner, and we came back here and discovered the bottle was missing. Elijah called the police and then called you. Then we had a glass of wine and enjoyed the hot tub to try to calm down and wait for your arrival.” Noah flashed him a wolf’s grin as he divulged some rather personal information. Elijah was blushing profusely, but he didn’t argue with him.

“Fair enough. Where did you eat? I’m starving.” Ray asked casually.

“Le Petit Cépage, a little French bistro about ten minutes from here.” Elijah’s voice wavered, like he was trying to disguise his embarrassment. Ray felt for him. “It’s closed now. It’s very formal, but you are welcome to anything in the kitchen of course.”

“That is very kind.”

They made their way into the kitchen, and Ray began to wonder at how formal the weekend was going to be. He waited to call Misha, because the task he had for her was a delicate one. He wanted her to begin checking up on Noah St. James, and she above anyone could dig up dirt on people.

“Elijah, you said these people are impressive, and that the bistro is very formal. Is that something that is to be expected all weekend?” Ray hoped not, but he was banking on his answer to drop some clues.

“Yes, there are wealthy people who have been invited. This isn’t something that is normally talked about, Ray. Do you think, uh, you’ll be able to blend in well enough? The bistro is a suit-and-tie affair if you decide to go this weekend. It took me ages to figure out what to wear tonight.”

Bingo. “Ages, huh? It usually takes me about five minutes to slap on some jeans and a t-shirt and call it a day.”

His plan was working. “Oh, um, it took about a half an hour to get ready, wouldn’t you agree, Noah? I have some suits that might fit you, Ray, if that would make you more comfortable to fit in.” Everyone looked uncomfortable, and Ray made it a point to look abashed.

“Sure, sorry. I didn’t realize how swanky this place was. That’s really nice of you.”

“My pleasure.” The four of them stood staring at one another a long moment before Elijah jumped and said, “Well, it’s almost midnight. Noah, if you would like to put your things in my room, the door is open. Please take the bed. I’ll help Detective Knott and Captain Ferguson get something to eat.”

Noah looked like he was about to argue, and Ray had hoped they would all go up together, but it would give them a chance to question Elijah without Noah hovering over them. Noah might have the opportunity to move the wine bottle, though.

Elijah moved off into the kitchen, and Liam and Ray followed. Ray gave Liam a look, and he nodded, understanding the game Ray was playing. He watched as Noah strode down the hall and disappeared from sight before he asked, “Elijah, how long have you known him?”

“We just met tonight, why? You can’t tell me you’ve never been instantly attracted to someone, Ray. I mean, come on.” Elijah looked between Ray and Liam, and Ray wanted to grimace, but he kept his face passive.

“Don’t you think it’s a little odd that he showed up the very night the bottle went missing? You said it yourself, he had a half an hour where he could have gone down to the cellar and broken in and taken it and returned in time for you to be ready to go to dinner.”

“What? No! No, you have it all wrong, Ray. Noah has been so nice and caring. He stuck around when I almost had a complete meltdown, and he has been so understanding. I honestly don’t think it was him. I get what you are saying, but it just doesn’t feel right to me. I know that sounds crazy, but I can sense it in my gut that it wasn’t him.”

Liam looked at Ray. They were both aware of gut reactions and instincts. It didn’t let Noah off the hook, because sometimes instincts were wrong, and it was clear Elijah was infatuated with him, if not a bit smitten. Charm was a clever hood to pull over someone’s eyes, but for now, Ray would give Noah the benefit of the doubt until Misha got back to him. There were plenty of other people with access to the cellar on a farm this large.

“Alright, Elijah, who else has access to the cellar? Have any other guests arrived early who you sent away? How many people know about that specific bottle, and can we have a look at the cellar tonight?”

“Yes, of course. I’ll take you there after you eat. Unfortunately, anyone can go in the cellar. I don’t keep it locked, because there is a tasting room above it. The alcove where that particular rack is locked is at the back, and only I have the key as far as I am aware, but apparently someone else does too. The man that used to live here used the cellar as a storage facility before I converted it, but I have no idea what he stored down there that needed to be locked up. It’s possible he still had a key, but I honestly don’t know. When I bought the place, he handed over the key ring, and it gave me access to all of the buildings. I never thought I would have to lock an old chicken coop.”

“Well, Mr. Montgomery, given that the function of the building is no longer a chicken coop, you might reassess that practice.” Liam had been listening attentively and noting the surrounding area whilst Elijah cooked them up some steaks. It was his job to be observant, and if asked to recall the decorations and the rooms he had been in so far, Ray was certain he could provide a crime scene sketch from memory at this point.

“Yes, Captain, that is apparent.” Elijah sighed and looked deeply troubled. This bottle apparently meant a lot to him.

“And the other guests?” Ray urged. If Elijah was this heartbroken over this theft, he was clearly invested in his business, and it meant more to him than probably most things ever had. Ray could appreciate the dedication he must have put into this place apart from the money or the monetary value of the bottle itself. That meant more to Ray to help him out than anything.

“I haven’t seen anyone else. My assistant, Elise, is constantly coming and going, you will meet her tomorrow. I let her leave early tonight since this weekend is going to be hectic for her, but she has been an angel through the process of planning and setting everything up. Although the weekend is going to be leisurely, it is my intention to have multiple tastings and tours, so she has had to arrange everything for that, in addition to the normal production as harvest time is upon us. She is constantly in and out and around the farm. You’ll absolutely adore her. Everyone does.”

“I look forward to meeting her.”

Ray and Liam ate in silence, contemplating the information they had gathered so far. Liam fielded a few texts from the precinct, and Ray was just starting to wonder if he should text Misha instead of waiting and calling her in the morning when Noah walked back in the room.

“All moved.” He smiled at all of them, and Ray noticed his smile was more genuine for Elijah. Very interesting. Maybe his presence was simply instant attraction.

As he and Liam finished up, Ray watched as Noah’s hand found the small of his back as he moved the plates from the granite counter top to the kitchen sink.

“Ready to go and see the cellar?” Elijah turned back, and his cheeks were pink, but he looked slightly more invigorated.

“Lead on.” Liam said. Ray and Liam kept a respectful distance, watching the two. Elijah informed them of the farm’s fifty-plus workers and that he employed many of the Mexican immigrants who were looking for work. When Liam questioned him about their legal status, Elijah looked almost offended.

“I have made sure anyone I hire is legal to work,” he replied. “I have worked hard to build this business, and although I sympathize with those who are unemployed, I am a selfish man when it comes to my business, and I am not willing to risk it. Think of me what you will.”

Ray noticed Noah take his hand and give it a squeeze before he turned back around. He didn’t say anything, and neither did Liam. They were used to having to ask the tough questions. The one thing that concerned Ray the most was how tough it would be on Elijah if the main suspect turned out to be the man he was developing feelings for.