Decanter DetectivesPrivate investigations, Huntington Harbor, California
Kristin and Becky in long trench coats on a harbor dock at dusk, one holding a magnifying glass and the other a glass of red wine and a notebook

Good wine.
Bad alibis.

Decanter Detectives is Huntington Harbor’s only investigative firm founded on a love of true crime and a well-stocked wine fridge. Kristin and Becky have never been wrong about anything that matters.

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Two investigators. One kitchen island.

Decanter Detectives was founded the night we correctly guessed the ending of a documentary in the first eleven minutes. We have not suffered a professional setback since. We do not count the matter of the hydrangeas, which was a misunderstanding.

We work discreetly, thoroughly, and usually seated. Our third investigator works for treats.

Kristin, a blonde woman in a navy trench coat on a marina dock at dusk, holding a notebook and pen and a glass of white wine, one eyebrow raised
Kristin, taking notes. Names have been changed to protect the guilty.

Kristin

Lead investigator, observation & interrogation

Notices what everyone else misses: the exits, the second glass, and whoever suddenly needs the restroom. Has been skeptical of every person she has ever met, and has been proven right often enough to keep going. Takes notes in a leather journal no one has been permitted to read. Drinks white while working, because red stains evidence.

Becky, a woman with black hair and bangs in a navy trench coat, holding a magnifying glass over a wedge of cheese on a dock table beside a glass of red wine
Becky, examining a clue. It was a cheese.

Becky

Lead investigator, forensics & tasting notes

Reads a room like a wine list: top notes, finish, and who is clearly overpriced. Trusts her gut, her palate and, when necessary, a second opinion from Kristin. Believes every case can be solved by looking at it more closely, and has not yet been talked out of it. Takes her evidence with a Cabernet.

Capri, a tricolor Bernedoodle wearing a detective badge, sitting on a wooden dock at sunset in front of a yacht club
Capri, on duty. Badge number withheld.

Capri

K-9 detective, charcuterie division

Sniffs out the charcuterie. Has never missed a cheese board, and has never once been asked to leave one. Works for treats, answers to no one, and can locate a missing brie from two docks away. Her only known weakness is a witness who drops a cracker.

Recent cases

A selection of matters we have resolved to our own satisfaction.

  • The Missing Casserole Dish

    Located in the neighbor’s dishwasher. Nobody was arrested. The dish was returned, mostly clean.

    Solved

  • The Half-Empty Bottle

    Nobody confessed. We confiscated what remained as evidence and examined it thoroughly.

    Solved, thoroughly

  • The Great Hydrangea Incident

    Prime suspect: the HOA. Alibi: a meeting. The meeting was suspiciously well attended.

    Ongoing

  • The Suspicious Seating Chart

    We reseated four guests before dessert. Nobody has spoken to us since, which we take as confirmation.

    Solved

A white motor yacht moored at a string-lit dock beside a glowing yacht club on a foggy night, with a single glass of red wine left on a teak table in the foreground
The Harbor Club. Nothing suspicious has happened here. Yet.

Case file 001, open

Something is off at the Harbor Club

We have been invited to the Commodore’s Cup, the club’s annual black-tie evening on the water. We have also noticed a few things.

The Commodore’s smile
Tighter than the last time we saw it. We took notes.
The wine cellar
Someone has been moving the good bottles, and the inventory sheet knows it.
The guest list
Several people on it have no business being on any list.

We do not have a body. We have a feeling, and we are rarely wrong about feelings. We will be there in our good coats.

The motor yacht SS Suspect, Huntington Harbor, moored beside a lantern-lit clubhouse at sunset
The SS Suspect, moored at the Harbor Club. She has seen things.
Location
The Harbor Club, Huntington Harbor
Occasion
The Commodore’s Cup
Date
Saturday, October 30, 2027
Vessel
The SS Suspect
Dress
Black tie. Trench coats optional but encouraged.
Status
Open, pending developments

Persons of interest

Names withheld pending further gossip. Select a redaction to see what we are willing to say.

  • The Commodore
  • The treasurer
  • The bartender
  • The charming stranger
A detective's evidence board in a wine cellar, covered in blacked-out photos and red string, with a cheese board and two glasses of wine in front
Our evidence board. Not pictured: the evidence.

Hire the firm

Our fees are straightforward. We accept payment in wine.

Consultation
One bottle of red, opened.
Surveillance
Two bottles and a snack that travels well.
Full investigation
A case of something we have been saving.
Discretion
Included. We are mostly discreet.

The Casebook

New cases, rarely on schedule. Leave your email and we will keep you posted.

The tip line is down for maintenance. The detectives are on it, glass in hand.