A Crafter Knits a Clue

by Holly Quinn

  “Hurry up! I can’t keep up with these kids coming after me looking for balloons. What’s taking you so long?” The costumed man panicked. He jumped off Sammy, jerked quickly to his feet, and vanished past Heidi, out the front door. Sammy sat upright, clutched her bruised wrist to her chest and tried to catch her breath as Heidi rushed to her side.

  “Oh, my God. Are you okay? Did you fall? What are you doing on the floor?” Heidi’s eyes darted around the area, trying to make sense of what had happened. But not putting two and two together.

  Sammy’s words spurted out fast as Heidi helped her to her feet. “Did you see that guy?”

  “You mean that flash of green that near knocked me off my feet?”

  “Yes! Stop him!” Sammy scrambled to her feet and tripped forward. After collecting herself, she sprinted out the front door with Heidi in pursuit. The parade had begun, and swarms of people crowded the sidewalk. Sammy tried to get a visual, but the costumed man had disappeared. Gone. She squeezed her body between bystanders, cheering as the Heartsford Marching Band went by, playing a familiar fight song they often played at the high school football games. She pushed forward on the crowded sidewalk, dodging lawn chairs and bystanders. Kids sprinted in front of her to catch the candy tossed from a float following the marching band, slowing her pace. A quick sighting of the weird purple pointed hat caught her attention, sending her adrenaline into overdrive. She maneuvered through the crowd, careful not to lose him, but her short height worked to her disadvantage as her head bobbed between people and she tried to follow him with her eyes. But it was no use. The costumed man had dissolved into the crowd. He was gone.

  Sammy threw up her hands in defeat. “I lost him.” She bent over and rested her hands on her knees to catch her breath.

  “Lost who? Why are we following that green blob anyway? You mind telling me what’s going on?” Heidi squeezed next to her and spun her cousin to squarely face her.

  A look of panic crossed Sammy’s face. “I have to find Bara. Where’s my dog?”

  Sammy turned from her cousin and maneuvered back through the crowd and pushed her way back to Community Craft. She sprinted back inside the store, calling her dog in a panic, “Bara! Bara!”

  When she noticed the office door closed, she ran toward it and threw it open wide. Bara stood on the other side of the door with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. Sammy sighed with relief as she fell to one knee and grasped him tightly. The dog wiggled until she released him to lick her cheek with his tongue. “Oh, Bara! You’re here! Thank goodness.”

  “Okay. You mind telling me what the heck is going on?”

  “That guy attacked me. The green blob!” Sammy pulled herself to her feet and rubbed her wrist. Now that the initial shock of the attack was over, she tried to soothe the throbbing pain in her right arm.

  Heidi reached for her cousin’s arm to take a closer look. “He attacked you?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Whaaat?”

  Sammy was afraid to tell her cousin what the costumed man had said, for fear she would again tell her to back off the investigation again. But the words tumbled out anyway. “He threatened me and told me to stay out of it or I’d end up like Ingrid.”

  “Nooo.” Heidi’s hand flew to her mouth and covered it. After the surprise had worn off, she said, “Do you know who it was? Any idea at all?”

  “Nope. I haven’t a clue.” Sammy stroked Bara’s back to help relax her breathing and calm her nerves. “He used helium to disguise his voice. But he did smell of alcohol. Maybe it was Larry? Who else do you know that drinks this early in the day?”

  “Well, whoever it was, we have to find this guy and bring him to his knees.” Heidi’s nostrils flared, and her eyes were blazing. Sammy couldn’t remember ever seeing her cousin this angry. “This is downright ridiculous,” Heidi added.

  “I thought you’d be mad at me and tell me to stop with my nonsense sleuthing?” Sammy rubbed her hip, which now was beginning to throb. She must have hit it hard when he dropped her to the floor. Her body would ache after the adrenaline wore off, of that she was certain.

  Heidi put her arm around Sammy’s shoulder and gave a light squeeze. “No, cuz. I think it’s time we all put on our S.H.E. hats. This is getting out of hand. I’m tired of looking over our shoulders wondering who’s involved in Ingrid’s murder and who’s making threats at you. And if the police can’t do it, then we will.”

  “Really?” Sammy smiled weakly at her cousin.

  “Really. No one does this to my family and gets away with it.” Heidi reached for the ice pack in the freezer and handed it to Sammy after wrapping it in a nearby paper towel. “Here, you’re starting to swell.”

  It made Sammy chuckle as the nurse in her cousin couldn’t help but do her job by fixing the hurt.

  “What about Ellie? Do you think she’s willing to help? We need all three of us to bring back our childhood club. Three brains are better than one. If I remember correctly, we were a pretty good team.”

  “When she finds out what happened to you, I’m sure she’ll join in. This. Has. Got. To. Stop. And I guess us three chicks are the ones who are going to have to make that happen.” Heidi rubbed her jaw hard.

  “What about Tim? Won’t he be upset if you start meddling along with me?”

  “Never mind him.” Heidi waved a hand, brushing the thought aside. “He doesn’t have to know everything I’m doing all the time.” She winked. “Besides, it doesn’t look like they’re getting any closer to solving this thing. We’ve got to stop this guy. I definitely think it’s a man who committed the crime. Don’t you?”

  Ellie rushed into the office. “There you are! I’ve been wondering where you two were hiding! You’re missing the parade. What is so important that it can’t wait? We’ve waited all winter for this! You guys! It’s time for Spring Fling!”

  “You’re right! I for one am not going to miss another minute.” Sammy dropped the ice pack to the desk. “Let’s get out of this office.” She leashed Bara to bring her dog outside with them for protection and comfort.

  Ellie’s eyes darted from Sammy to the ice pack to Heidi. “Is somebody going to tell me what’s going on here?”

  “Later.” Heidi gave Ellie a light shove toward the door. “Trust me, we’ll talk about it later. But for now, let’s go.” She gave Ellie an encouraging smile. “You’re right … we waited a long winter for this. Everything else can wait for now.”

  The three stepped out onto the mobbed sidewalk. Sammy made a conscious effort to not let the attack ruin her day. She’d waited too long to come out of hibernation. For now, she would set the episode aside and feel the warmth of the sun on her face and the jubilation of the crowd. She would report the incident later, but right now she was going to enjoy the long-awaited parade. The Jazzercise club was now dancing their way down the parade route. Sammy searched Lynn in the lineup and waved, as her friend in black biker shorts and a bright pink sequin top danced her way past them. Lynn’s smile widened as she caught Sammy’s eye.

  The Heartsford basketball team was next in line, in full red and white uniform. Sammy was so glad she hadn’t missed this part of the parade. The coach sat in a lawn chair on the back of the red pickup truck, surrounded by a few team members, driven by Assistant Coach Dave. Other players walked alongside the truck with the cheerleaders, shaking their red and white pompoms. Carter sprinted toward the three of them and gave them all a high five and then handed candy to the nearby kids. His face was flushed with excitement. The sight of him happy and enjoying the day made Sammy’s heart swell.

  Next the horses, along with their owners, decorated in full parade dress, strolled in a unified pattern. Strings of live flowers adorned the horses’ necks, and the riders wore large matching straw hats ornamented with large silk daisies. Two of the riders tossed candy from their satchels as they rode by. Heidi leaned in close to Sammy and pointed out the two alpacas that followed along with the knitting group. The ladies of the group were tossing
pairs of hand knit alpaca socks, and folks in the crowd were fighting to catch a pair. Annabelle Larson didn’t miss a beat, despite the new gossip of her affair with Miles Danbury. She waved to Sammy and tossed a pair of socks to someone standing nearby. In the commotion, Sammy turned her head to see who had won the prized possession, and it was Harold. Until that moment, Sammy hadn’t realized he was standing within a few feet of them. Harold handed the pair of socks to his wife who seemed riddled with excitement over the catch. Sammy handed Bara’s leash over to Ellie and then moved over to the couple and took the opportunity to make a connection.

  “Lucky you. It looks like you won the prize,” Sammy said to the older man. His wiry gray hair jutted out from his head in a random way, completely absent of style.

  Harold smiled and folded his arms across his chest. “I guess I am pretty lucky. You’d sure think so, the way the crowd is fighting to catch a pair, eh?”

  “Hey, I heard you were going to open a new hardware store in town? I sure could use an update on the tools in my kit here at the store. I never have the right screwdriver and whatnot.” Sammy tried to sound nonchalant but, even to her own ears, she sounded ridiculously sneaky.

  The older man’s gray brows came together in a frown. “Now where would you hear the likes of that? I’m too old to be opening a new store.” His attention left her, and his eyes returned to the parade as if to say We’re done here.

  Sammy could see she wasn’t going to get very far, but she pushed anyway. “I’m glad you caught the socks. The knitting girls are sure going to miss Ingrid’s shop. They won’t be able to make those anymore without The Yarn Barn selling that local alpaca fiber. And your wife won’t get to crochet either, not without driving for miles to pick up a natural skein.”

  She thought she saw the old man flinch before she moved back to stand with her cousin and sister, both of whom looked at Sammy with their mouths agape.

  Heidi leaned into Sammy and spoke privately in her ear. “Did you find anything out?”

  “No, but at least I know he wasn’t wearing green paint on his face today. Lynn mentioned the police already questioned him. If he was a viable suspect, I guess he wouldn’t be standing here watching the parade with us anyway. You know me, though … I still had to poke the dragon.”

  The crowd cheered as Mayor Allen and Connie drove slowly down the parade route in a canary yellow Mustang convertible. Connie was tossing full-sized candy bars, which made the kids go absolutely ballistic. Sammy noticed Randy snag one for Tyler nearby. He held it over his head like a trophy, making the two cousins laugh and Ellie scowl. Sammy’s sister was convinced giving Tyler candy made him hyperactive, which it did. However, her reaction always made people want to give it to Tyler even more. Heidi leaned into Sammy as she pointed inconspicuously across the street. “Isn’t that Larry’s wife?”

  Sammy turned her head in the direction of her cousin’s finger. “Yeah. So?”

  “I can’t help but notice her husband isn’t with her.”

  Heidi was right. Upstanding Larry. President of the school board. Was noticeably absent.

  Chapter Twenty

  The aroma of cooked sausage wafted through the entrance of Community Craft as Sammy opened the door and stepped outside in search of Carter, who was manning the grill in front of the store. Ellie was teaching Deborah how to run the cash register, and Heidi was aiding customers on the display floor. With the store coverage in decent shape, Sammy had a moment to check on the progress with the fundraiser. A few other basketball team members along with Carter had the lid of the grill open and were rolling the sausages to keep the meat from charring as it cooked.

  “Looks like you guys are experts!” Sammy leaned over the grill and breathed in the scent. Her stomach rumbled in agreement. “I’m going to have to try one.”

  Carter handed her a bun, while a basketball team member plucked a sausage from the grill with a set of tongs and centered it on the bread. Sammy blew on the food and then took a bite without adding any condiments. With a full mouth, she said, “Fantastic job, guys!” She showed approval with a double thumbs-up.

  “Actually, looks like we may sell out.” Carter pointed to the white Styrofoam cooler.

  Sammy flipped the lid with her empty hand and noticed only a few packages left. “I can’t get any more. We literally bought them out.”

  Carter shrugged. “That’s okay. We’re doing really well.” He reached down and picked up a coffee can and flipped the plastic lid in front of her to reveal the contents stuffed with cash. “People are so generous in our town. Knowing this money is going to help the coach, they aren’t paying our cost. Instead, they’ve been handing us tens and twenties. Isn’t that nice?”

  “That’s great news. I think I’ll take the can inside for you and empty the cash into the office drawer, so it’s safe and then bring it back.” Just as Sammy was about to retreat inside, she noticed the coach slowly approaching on crutches. She set the can of cash in a safe place, inconspicuously back behind the grill.

  The coach gradually made his way closer to his team. Carter plucked a nearby empty lawn chair and set it down for him to take a seat. “Here, Coach.”

  The coach nodded his head at Carter. “Thanks, Allen.” Then he turned his attention to Sammy. “I can’t thank you enough, Samantha, for what you’re doing for me.” The coach placed his crutches against the lawn chair as he carefully maneuvered into the seat. He then shifted the crutches to rest in his lap.

  “We are so sorry for your pain. But, honestly, your appreciation should be directed to Carter. He’s done all the hard work and preparation for today.” Sammy lightly touched her adopted brother on the arm.

  Carter’s face flushed with embarrassment. “Not true.” He shook his head in disagreement. “It’s all Sammy.” The teen retreated closer to the grill and returned to helping the rest of the basketball team as they served customers and flipped meat on the grill, leaving Sammy and Coach a bit of private time.

  Sammy took a seat on the sidewalk next to the coach’s lawn chair and rested her arms on her legs. “I’m so sorry for the loss of your aunt. I didn’t properly pay my respects to you at her funeral. I had to get back here.” She raised her hand and gestured backward toward Community Craft. She wouldn’t dare mention that the new detective in town had her hot under the collar during the memorial. And it was driving her crazy not to know every detail of the investigation.

  “It’s okay, Samantha. I appreciate that you came. And everything else you’ve done for me. It’s incredible. Really. The generosity … it’s overwhelming.”

  Carter interrupted them by handing the coach a bratwurst. “This is the jalapeno and cheese one. It’s good. Do you want ketchup?”

  “I’ll take a little sauerkraut. If you don’t mind?” He held up the bun and Carter returned with the condiment and spread it on top with a plastic spoon. Coach took a bite and nodded as he chewed. “Wow. I can see why you’ve drawn a crowd over here. You kids are not only great on the basketball court, but you can also cook a mean brat.” He took another large bite, and Carter grinned before returning to the grill.

  As the coach sat and relished his bratwurst, Sammy said, “If there is anything else we can do for you here at Community Craft, please don’t hesitate to ask. You have been incredibly instrumental in Carter’s life. I’m sure you already know that. He’s been through so much in his young life. You’ve done a great deal to lift his spirits. He talks very highly of you.”

  The coach devoured the last of his bratwurst and brushed her compliment aside along with the crumbs. “He’s a great kid. One of the best I’ve had over the years.” The coach breathed deep and took a slight pause before saying, “You know what, Samantha? There is something you can help me with. I hate to even ask with all you’ve done for me already. But I know how connected you are in this community, and maybe you can suggest someone who would be willing to help me with this type of thing…”

  “What is it that you need?” Sammy redirected h
er attention from watching the boys cook to focusing squarely at the coach.

  “I’m going to have surgery in two days. And I need some help with Ingrid’s things. I didn’t have a close relationship with my aunt, and truly I’m not sure why her family is leaving me in charge of her stuff. Especially in my condition. Not very empathetic I’m afraid.” He looked down at his leg for a moment and then returned his eyes to Sammy. “My aunt was estranged from most of our relatives at the time of her death. She was pretty good at alienating people, God rest her soul. I think it had something to do with the way the old family money was distributed—with her at the top of the heap. It ticked off a lot of family members. I don’t know. I try not to involve myself in all that family drama. It’s too exhausting.” He adjusted his arm in the chair and winced. “I honestly don’t know what made her move back here to Heartsford to set up shop. It baffles me to this day. She mentioned she had to right a wrong but never really explained what that meant. It certainly wasn’t with me; I didn’t have any beef with her. And now she’s gone so … Guess I’ll never know.”

  Sammy wasn’t sure how to respond. She didn’t want to agree with him and risk offending, but she certainly didn’t disagree that his aunt was hard to get along with. Instead, she suggested, “Don’t worry about finding someone, I’ll do it. My sister and cousin can help too. You tell me specifically what you’re looking to do and we’ll handle it for you.”

  “Really? Are you sure?” The coach reached for a crutch that was about to fall from its perch.

  “Absolutely. No problem. What exactly can I do for you?”

  “I can’t believe I’m asking you for more help. You don’t know how much I appreciate the fundraiser right now. I owe the funeral home money. I was the one who had to front the deposit for her memorial and cremation. The rest of the family refused to help. Can you imagine? Yet they had no problem traveling out here to attend,” he grunted. “Sometimes true family are the ones in the community who you live and work with. The ones who really care, such as yourself. My blood relatives leave a lot to be desired.”