La Villa Romaine
Murder Mystery Weekends
Envy, Mayhem, and Murder
Story Line: This story begins in a petite French vineyard nestled among the finest wine growers in the Provencal village of Nimes. Jacques Auzeby, a well-respected man and owner of Auzeby Vineyards, was found dead this morning by his manager Carlo Zefferino.
Jacques Auzeby's death brought tears to the eyes of his sisters; Josephine, Nicole, and Madeleine; brother-in-law Jeffery; and his close friends. Everyone in the village knew that the envy and rivalry amongst the three best vineyards (Auzeby, Lenoir and Sabotini) would soon come to a tragic end for all.
Jacques Auzeby's broken body was found lying at the foot of the stairs. Had he accidentally fallen from the top of the stairs last night? Or was he pushed?
It's Friday evening; Jacques’ family and friends have all come together to solve this mystery with the help of Inspector Grasse. A visit to the winery for a wine tasting and lunch on Saturday may give some insight into the true value of the business. Clues will be discovered throughout the weekend. Everyone, including our murderer(s), will attend a gourmet dinner given on Saturday night.
You may be thinking, what if I am sitting next to the murderer? Or worse yet, sleeping with…? Could I be next? You’ll soon find out.
Characters and their costumes
Josephine Auzeby: A ravishing raven-haired beauty whose looks are her trademark. She is a Parisian model, a jet setter, and is accustomed to being pampered. She wears all black with gold jewelry and pearls.
Nicole Auzeby: Beautiful, witty and intellectual. She inherited her beauty, charm and love of antiques from her French mother. The Prince and Princess of Monaco honored her for her charity work, while living in her home in Monaco. She wears a silk blouse, skirt and a scarf with gold earrings and gold bracelet.
Madeleine Auzeby Hughes: Tall, sleek, quite stunning and a head for business. She wears a sweater set, slacks and pearls. She works with her brother Jacques at the winery and plays her weekly game of tennis at the club..
Jeffery Daniel Hughes, II: Sandy blonde-haired Englishman with green eyes and a cute smile. While growing up in England, polo became his favorite sport. He wears a polo shirt, riding pants/pants and riding boots or/tan shirt, slacks, ascot and pipe.
Jean-Claude Lenoir: Blonde hair, blue-eyed Frenchman. He is arrogant, self-absorbed, ruthless and very successful in the winery business. White shirt, slacks, ascot, pinky ring and sun glasses.
Noelle Barclay: Dark wavy hair, green eyes, and soft olive skin. As a young French girl she grew up with wealth and privilege while attending boarding schools in the south of France. She wears a blouse, sweater, skirt or slacks, pearls and a charm bracelet.
Carlo Zefferino: Handsome Italian with strong broad shoulders and mustache. He is self-reliant, aggressive, and opinionated, along with charm and wit. He wears khaki shirt and pants with a straw hat and a nice tan.
Antonio Sabotini: Strong, rugged Italian with dark hair and deep dark smoldering eyes. A real lady-killer. He is fun loving, forthright, honorable, and competitive. He wears a black shirt and black pants with boots.
Monique Dupre: Pretty, petite, dark brown hair and blue eyes. Monique is Noelle's best friend from boarding school. She is an accomplished horsewoman and skier. She is mostly playful, but can be quite demanding and a bit of a snob. She wears a blouse, skirt, scarf, loafers, pearls and a charm bracelet.
Inspector Grasse: Graying at the temples and cold steel blue eyes. Smart, aggressive and relentless. He wears a sports jacket, white shirt, slacks and a tie with a gun, homicide badge and a small pad.
Dr. Robert Latour: Dark hair, blue eyes and broad shoulders. A very dedicated man who finds time to work out at the club or play golf on the weekends. He wears a lab coat and carries a clipboard.
Jacqueline Latour: Dark wavy hair, hazel eyes and a great smile. As a doctor’s wife she is mostly involved in charities, but does spend time on the tennis court. She wears a jacket and skirt with a lot of pearls. She is sometimes seen in her tennis clothes.
Introductions
Characters
Josephine Auzeby
Nicole Auzeby
Madeleine Auzeby Hughes
Jeffery Daniel Hughes, IV
Jean-Claude Lenoir
Noelle Barclay
Carlo Zefferino
Antonio Sabotini
Monique Dupre
Inspector Grasse
Dr. Robert D. Latour
Jacqueline Latour
Josephine Auzeby – Bonsoir. I am Josephine Auzeby. Jacques Auzeby was my brother and the owner of Auzeby Vineyards in the valley. Nicole and Madeleine are my sisters. I have been a fashion model in Paris for several years. I now find myself thrown into the workings of a vineyard. I know absolutely nothing about wine, other than a wine-steward bringing me the finest.
I loved my brother very much. I just can't understand how this happened to Jacques. He is always so careful. As a model, I had only a year or so left. I have become quite comfortable with my lifestyle and it isn't something I am willing to give up. I will miss him always.
Nicole Auzeby - Bonsoir. I am Nicole Auzeby. I also don't know anything about operating a wine vineyard. Like my mother, I loved collecting Louis XV & Louis XVI antiques. Early on, antiques also had become my passion, so I opened a wonderful little French antique shop. I called it Nicole Maleine Antiques.
I will also miss Jacques. We were close as kids and as adults, and, well, he was always chasing my best friends. This guy was crazy about women - a different one every week. He especially liked long dark hair.
Madeleine Hughes- Bonsoir. I am Madeleine. Thanks to my brother Jacques, I met and married my husband Jeffery. I was in Jacques’s office when Jeffery dropped by to play golf. The rest is history. Jacques and I were very close. He was always looking after me, even when Jeffery was around. He was such a good brother to worry about me. I can’t believe he is gone. How will we carry on without Jacques?
Jeffery Daniel Hughes, IV- Good evening. I am Jeffery Hughes, IV. Jacques was my best friend and brother-in-law. Jacques was a good man, but he could be tough on people. We had met on the tennis court. He was quite a good tennis player and golfer. I almost convinced him that polo was going to be his game. We even looked at a couple of ponies. Jacques was not impressed with the Polo Club members. Funny, he called them spoiled and said they were foolishly spending their money on what he considered to be frolicking in the grass, and not a sport. We English take our polo very seriously. I knew I would be able to change his mind.
Jean-Claude Lenoir I am Jean-Claude Lenoir. I own the finest vineyard in the valley. Jacques was a good man, but it's no secret that we were in competition. I have received the Gold Cork Award for the past three years. Jacques wasn't far behind; he won the Silver Cork for two of those years.
I date a wonderful woman named Noelle Barclay, the heir to the Barclay Banks and their fortune. We met while skiing in the French Alps, and have been together ever since.
Noelle Barclay Good evening, I am Noelle Barclay. I love skiing, dancing and riding. I really don't think much about being an heir to the Barclay Bank empire. Jean-Claude always mentions this. He wasn't privileged to wealth as a child, so I will forgive him. I am proud of Jean-Claude because he has become successful without the influence of anyone else.
I did not know Jacques very well since Jean-Claude and he were not close friends. I am very sad for his family and friends.
Carlo Zefferino Forgive me, my English is not so good, even after all these years. I am Carlo Zefferino. I am product manager for Auzeby Vineyards. I oversee the grape pickers who work in the fields. We are lucky to have them come to us from Italy. Lenoir Winery may have many more acres than us, but we believe we produce better grapes.
This vineyard is my life. Jacques was my best friend, and I will miss him dearly. In his sacred memory, I will work very hard to make this winery a continuing success.
Antonio Sabotini I am Antonio Sabotini. I am the owner of Sabotini Vineyards. These vineyards have been in my family for three generations. My vineyards are the best. I have been honored with many awards. I will miss the old rivalry between Jacques, Jean-Claude, and myself.
I have a beautiful sister named Marie France Sabotini. She is an artist who studied in our village near Rome. Her nude sculptures are being shown in a New York gallery this week. I am very proud of her, but also I worry because she is in New York alone and has always been too trusting of men. I am afraid she will be upset to hear of Jacques’s death. He supported her while she studied in Italy.
Monique Dupre Bonsoir. I am Mademoiselle Monique Dupre. I have come from Paris to visit Noelle Barclay. I find myself visiting at a most sorrowful time. I did not know the deceased, but I feel just terrible about the way he died. I hope your police can solve this case quickly, so I can resume my visit of this wonderful countryside.
Inspector Grasse Bonsoir. I am Inspector Grasse. Everyone please understand that while Jacques Auzeby perhaps died falling down the stairs accidentally, we won't know this until there is an autopsy. I will have to ask all of you some questions. Before I do, I would like to introduce to you, Dr. and Madame Latour.
Dr. Latour Bonsoir. I am Robert Latour and this is my wife Jackie. I have been assigned to this case. I know this is difficult for all of you, and I will do my best to make this as easy as possible. Jacques had been my golfing partner for about five years. We haven’t played in quite some time. I believe he said he was spending more time with Jeffery.
Jacqueline Latour My friends call me Jackie. Robert and I have been close friends with Jacques. It’s been quite some time since I last talked to him. I am not sure why I am here, but if I can be of some help to any of you, I will try. Inspector, I believe you had some questions for us.
Inspector Merci Madame Latour. Mademoiselle Josephine, I believe I will begin with you.
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