Bottle 4: The Tension Builds

The group was in shambles. Jamie’s unidentified messages threw gasoline on the already burning fire of suspicion. While Abby and Sara stayed nearby, the others began to splinter into factions. They were in search of answers to questions they did not know.

Lori stood by the large picture window, staring out into the pitch-black forest surrounding the lake house. Her hands were clasped tightly in front of her as though praying for clarity. Traci and Nina sat at the dining table, whispering heatedly, their voices rising and falling like waves. Eve paced furiously near the fireplace, throwing sharp glances at anyone who dared to meet her gaze.

Abby rubbed her temples as she looked at Sara, who was still shaken. “What do you think those messages meant?” Abby whispered.

Sara frowned. “I don’t know. It sounded like Jamie was in debt to someone and they are coming after him: Remember? ‘The cost is too great. Share your location?’ But in debt over what? I can’t make sense of it.”

“Coming after him or came after him?” Abby questioned Nina.

“But why?” Sara asked.

“Maybe his crypto? Or NFTs?” Nina questioned.

Abby sighed. “Why all this secrecy? The text messages, the way he was acting... something’s not right.”

Across the room, Nina threw up her hands in exasperation. “I’m telling you, it’s not as complicated as you all want to make it. Jamie was stressed. He just bumped his head in the wrong place. That’s all this is!”

Traci slammed her hand on the table. “Stop oversimplifying! Did you even hear the messages Abby found? He was clearly dealing with something bigger than any of us realized.”

Eve stopped pacing and pointed a finger at Traci. “And how would you know? You’re the one who was glued to his side all night. Maybe you know more than you’re letting on.”

Traci’s face reddened. “Excuse me? I am sick and tired of all these implications, Eve?”

“You heard me,” Eve shot back. “You were the one with him in the kitchen and the one holding the bottle when we arrived. Maybe you know what was going on, and you’re just too scared to admit it.”

“Yeah, and I saw you confronting him about the dictation microphone while everyone was arriving!” exclaimed Nina.

“Good grief! AHHH” Traci screamed out. “I was upset about the fact he switched my dictaphone! I never thought those would be my last words to him or I would have just let it go. So, yes, I had words with Jamie before this happened, but it certainly was not a reason to off his ass.”

“Enough!” Lori’s voice cut through the chaos like a scalpel. She turned from the window, her usually calm demeanor now brimming with frustration. “We’re getting nowhere by tearing each other apart.”

“Off his ass?” Sara shook her head and snickered under her breath.

The group fell silent, but the tension in the room was palpable.

Sara broke the quiet. “Maybe Lori’s right. Let’s take a step back and think logically. Jamie’s acting strangely and the messages. What do we actually know?”

Abby folded her arms. “We know he was distracted and nervous all evening. We know someone was texting him about something he couldn’t avoid. And we know...” Her voice wavered and she was unable to finish her statement.

Traci bit her lip. “We know he’s been working crazy hours lately. What if... what if he was covering for someone? Taking on too many patients; seeing some when he is covering the hospital. Or maybe he was hiding a mistake? That could explain the stress. He wasn’t back involved in all that political stuff again, was he?”

“Not that I know of.” Nina answered.

“Or” Eve interjected, “what if someone was blackmailing him? That message — ‘This is on you now’ and ‘share your location’ — Well, I am not sure about y’all in Ohio, but in Florida, those are threats.”

“Blackmail?” Nina asked skeptically. “Jamie was being blackmailed over what?”

Sara’s eyes narrowed. “It doesn’t have to be something obvious. Jamie was doing a lot with wine education, right? What if this has something to do with that? Maybe he got in over his head with someone in the wine world.”

Abby shook her head. “That’s a reach, Sara, even for you. If there’s something here, it’s more likely tied to his work in neurology than wine. We deal with life-and-death situations every day. One mistake, one secret... it could ruin a career.”

“Or kill you” Nina interrupted.

“Yes, or kill you” Abby reiterated.

As the group mulled over Abby’s words, Lori wandered toward the coffee table near the couch. Her eyes fell on the remaining bottles of champagne. Without a word, she picked one up and inspected it closely, her brow furrowing.

“What are you doing?” Traci asked.

“Look at this,” Lori said, holding up the bottle. “This isn’t the usual stuff Jamie brings. He always made a big deal about getting the best vintage for our retreats. But this? It’s just some plane old, generic label.”

“I told you they were switched.” Eve stated.

“So?” Nina said, crossing her arms.

“So,” Lori continued, “Jamie would never settle for this unless he had no choice.”

Traci added, “what does that label say anyway?”

“it just says 2001” Lori said curiously.

Abby joined her, taking the bottle and inspecting it herself. “You’re right. He was always so particular about his wine and more specifically, his champagne. Why would he bring something so... ordinary, so generic?”

Eve’s voice was ice-cold. “Maybe because he didn’t pick it. The cork had French words on it, not “2001” and like I just told you guys, its fake! The cork was swapped!”

The accusation hung in the air, thick and heavy.

“Eve, I believe you; it certainly appears that someone tampered with the champagne?” Sara said, her voice somewhat puzzled.

Eve continued, “And until we know the truth, we shouldn’t rule anything out.”

Abby set the shards of glass down, merely held together by the label, and looked at the group. “All right. Let’s focus. If Jamie’s death really wasn’t an accident,” She hesitated, “Then we need to be prepared for the possibility that someone here knows more than they’re letting on.”

Traci looked around the room, her eyes darting from face to face. “We’re all in this together,” she said quietly, though the words felt hollow.

“Oh, you’d like that” Eve sarcastically stated, “If that’s the case, maybe I will go over here by myself because if y’all involved in this, I want no part of it.”

Nina snorted, “It doesn’t feel like we are in this together.”

“Nina” Abby warned, but Nina held up a hand.

“No, Abby. If we’re going to figure this out, we need to be honest. And right now, I don’t think any of us are telling the whole truth.”

Lori’s discovery that Eve was correct and that someone swapped the champagne bottle raised new questions. If Jamie didn’t bring it, who did? And why would they change it? As mistrust continues to grow, the group realizes that the answers they seek may reveal more than they’re ready to face.

To be continued May 31st, 2025.