“I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical about Marine being a quilter when I saw her.”
“I know Michelle’s mom was very good to my sister, but I never got that same vibe from Michelle. Unless she’s changed from when we were younger, Michelle never does anything that doesn’t benefit Michelle.”
Sharon sat down at the table, and Harriet introduced her to Jules. They talked about California and modeling and anything else but the murder.
“I better go,” Jules told them. “I have to be at work at midnight, and I need to go home before that.”
Harriet walked him to the studio door.
“Thank you for doing this.”
“Don’t thank me until I get Michelle to talk.”
He reached for the doorknob, and Harriet stopped him with a hand on his arm.
“Jules, I’m sorry. For the way I’ve treated you.”
“Don’t be. I may not be the villain you thought I was, but I’m nobody’s hero, either. I’m just a guy from the streets trying to get along.”
“Thank you for doing what you’re doing. Even if it doesn’t work, thank you for being willing to try.”
He looked away from her.
“I gotta go.”
Harriet dropped her hand, and he went out the door.
“How do you feel about pizza?” Harriet asked Sharon. “It’s eight o’clock, and I’m sick of cookies and coffee drinks.”
“Pizza sounds really good right now.”
Harriet put food in Scooter’s dish on the kitchen floor and set a dish of dry food on the counter for Fred.
“Let’s go.”
Chapter 29
The opening notes of the song “Jane” by Jefferson Starship sounded on Harriet’s phone as she reached her driveway the next morning at the end of her run. She stopped and keyed her phone on.
“Hello?”
“It’s Morse. I talked to the DNA people. You were right. Michelle sent two female samples. I went to the case detectives, and they’re on board. I also talked to your friend Jules. He worked last night, so we’re going to let him sleep a few hours before we have him approach Michelle. That’ll give us time to get Carla and Wendy out of the house. Are the kids still stashed at the Renfros’?”
Harriet assured her they were.
“Stay out of the way, and I’ll let you know when it’s over.”
“Thanks for letting me know.”
“And Harriet....you can’t say anything to Aiden about this. It’ll be over soon enough, but until we have the evidence, you can’t tell him.”
“I hate it that he has to suffer for another day.”
“I know. But you have to realize that, for him, it will only be trading one pain for another. It’s going to be real hard when he finds out his sister was willing to let him go to jail for life—or worse.”
“I’m assuming she did all this as yet another ploy to get her hands on her mother’s house and money,” Harriet told her.
“This will end all that. If she killed Marine and her dad, she’s going away and never coming back.”
“I feel sorry for her kids.”
“I’ll call Cookie Jalbert. You probably know she’s a clinical psychologist. She can be trusted to keep her mouth shut until it’s over. But she can also be figuring out the best way to help the kids through this. It wouldn’t surprise me if she and Marcel ended up with them. I’ve heard some things about Michelle’s ex.”
“That’s nice of you to think about them.”
“Yeah, it seems like the children are the ones who suffer most in these situations.”
“Let me know what’s happening when you can.”
They said their goodbyes, and Harriet put her phone back in her pocket.
“Sharon,” she called as she came into the kitchen from the studio.
“What’s up?” Sharon answered, coming down the stairs.
“Morse called as I finished my run. They’re going to have Jules do his thing this afternoon. We need to let the Threads know.”
“I can call people while you shower, if you want. Don’t we need to let Carla know so she can make herself scarce?”
“Detective Morse said something about getting her out of the house. I imagine they’ll plan the meeting in some public place for Jules’s safety. Assuming Michelle takes the bait, they probably have to wait until she delivers the money to him before they can arrest her. If she goes back to the house, Carla probably shouldn’t be there. We should touch base with her just to be sure she knows. I think she and Connie already talked about it, but still....”
“Give me the numbers of whoever you want me to call.”
“If you just call my aunt, she can let Carla and Connie know. There’s a card with all the Loose Thread numbers on it by the phone in the kitchen. And thanks.”
Harriet came back downstairs forty-five minutes later. Sharon sat at the kitchen table drinking coffee.
“Did you have any trouble getting hold of my aunt?”
“No. She said she’d take care of things.”
“I was thinking maybe we could drive over to Sequim today. They’re having their annual tour of homes and gardens this week. I’ve heard they’re stunning.”
Sharon stood up.
“Don’t you want to be here while all this goes down?”
Harriet poured water into the coffeepot and clicked a pod into place.
“Of course I’d like to be here. That’s exactly why we need to go somewhere else. I thought we could call Lauren and see if she and Jessica want to come with. Besides, I feel like Lauren and I should do something touristy for you two before you go home. Somehow, I’m guessing trying to clear someone of murder charges wasn’t on your agenda when you came here.”
“On the other hand, I’ve already told you I came here for reasons other than quilting, and Lauren is helping me with my search.” Sharon put her cup on the counter beside the coffeemaker.
“Well, I think we should go to Sequim anyway. I’ve been warned over and over again to keep out of police operations. I’m trying to do as they asked.”
“Okay, if you say so.”
“I’ll call Lauren.”
“That fairy garden was amazing,” Jessica said as she settled in beside Sharon in the middle seat of Harriet’s SUV.
Sharon buckled her seatbelt.
“I have to admit, I was skeptical about going on the garden tour with everything that’s been happening, but, Harriet, you were right. It was a great distraction.”
Lauren turned in her seat so she could see everyone.
“I told Jessica I would take her to Annie’s Coffee Shop before she leaves. Is everyone up for a hot beverage?”
They all nodded.
“Good. There’s a chance some of my…friends will be there. Besides, Annie makes the best cinnamon twists in the universe, bar none.”
“I’m never one to pass up a cinnamon twist; even a mediocre one works for me,” Jessica said.
Harriet pulled her car from its parking spot and headed back to Foggy Point.
“Annie’s, here we come.”
Lauren pulled her tablet from her bag and tapped on its screen.
“Do you know what time they were going to have Jules talk to Michelle?”
“Morse just said ‘afternoon.’ He has to call her and set up a meeting time and place, and then they have to meet and arrange for the payoff, if it gets that far.”
“So, it could be anytime and anywhere.”
“Pretty much. Morse will call when she can. Meantime, we stay out of the way and wait.”
“Who are you, and what did you do with my friend Harriet?” Lauren asked.
“What?”
“We never sit on the sidelines. There’s always a plan.”
“I told Morse we’d stay out of the way. Besides, I don’t want to do anything that might jeopardize Aiden.”
“It doesn’t seem right for us to be going to gardens and sipping coffee when all the action’s happening.”
> “Morse is right, though. We’ve been lucky in the past that none of us has been seriously hurt. She said to leave the police work to the police, and I intend to do just that. Michelle may have killed two people, and she knows who we are. I don’t want to give her any reason to look my way.”
“Yeah, whatever.”
Harriet parked in front of the Pins and Needles Quilt Store.
“We can cut through the alley to get to Annie’s, and if you want, we can make a last shop on our way home.” She looked back at Sharon and Jessica. “Marjory has a secret stash of embellishment stuff in the attic. Usually, only locals get access to it, but I think you guys have earned the right to a trip upstairs.”
“Oooh, that sounds exciting,” Jessica said. “My crazy block needs something to give it a little pizazz. It’s not quite right yet.”
Sharon crawled out of the middle seat.
“Where are those best-in-the-universe cinnamon twists?”
“Follow me,” Harriet said as she clicked the doors locked.
Lauren held the back door to Annie’s open for the other three to pass into the coffee shop.
“Annie used to be a librarian, in case you can’t tell.”
Bookshelves lined the walls. In addition to serving coffee drinks and pastries, the shop had an unofficial library that ran on the honor system. People brought in books they no longer wanted, and anyone could borrow or even keep a book, if they wished. An old wooden library table had been converted into a service counter.
Lauren went to the back of the room to a table for four and set her bag down while the rest of the group ordered. Harriet ordered cinnamon twists for everyone and mochas for Lauren and herself.
“Thank you,” she said when the food and drinks were delivered to the table.
Jessica grabbed a twist and took a bite.
“Yummm!” she said when she’d swallowed the first bite. “These are every bit as good as—” She froze, her mouth open. “Isn’t that…?” She made a small gesture with her twist toward the door. “Don’t turn around,” she said to Lauren and Sharon.
“Oh, my gosh,” Harriet whispered. “It’s Michelle.”
“So, she didn’t take the bait?” Lauren whispered back.
Michelle scanned the room, and when she saw Harriet, she waved. Harriet raised her hand in a halfhearted acknowledgment.
“Hey, what are you doing here?” Michelle asked as she walked up to their table.
“Our guests are going home, and they hadn’t tasted Annie’s cinnamon twists yet,” Harriet told her. “We’re going to the quilt store from here.”
She wasn’t sure why she’d shared that. She thought about Morse telling her to stay away from Michelle because she couldn’t avoid tipping her off and clamped her lips shut.
Michelle looked at Sharon and Jessica.
“I hope you enjoyed your visit to Foggy Point.” She was looking at the door before she even finished speaking. “I better go get a table. I’m meeting a friend.”
There weren’t many other people in the shop. Harriet recognized a guy sitting near the window wearing a gray sweater and sporting black-framed glasses. He was one of Lauren’s nerd herd. She didn’t know the people working at the counter, but that wasn’t too surprising. Both of the coffee shops in town turned over their barista staff several times a year.
Lauren scooted her chair closer to the table and leaned in.
“Do you think we should leave?”
Jessica took a sip of her latte and set it down.
“That would draw more attention to us. I mean, we just got our pastries and drinks. I think we should just keep our heads down, eat our food, and then casually leave.”
“I think she’s right,” Sharon whispered.
“Oh, no,” Harriet groaned.
“What?” the other three said at almost the same time.
“Jules just walked in. Michelle’s here because it’s going down—here and now. She must have made him wait a couple of hours.”
“I wonder why?” Lauren said. “She wasn’t scheduled to work today.”
“I’m not even going to ask how you know that,” Harriet hissed. “Look natural, everyone.”
They picked up their cups in unintended unison and brought them to their lips. Their eyes met, and they laughed, and Sharon and Harriet put theirs down.
“Morse probably has people watching the front and diverting people,” Harriet said, keeping her voice low. “I guess they didn’t think about the back alley entrance.”
She watched as Jules took his time going to the counter, flirting with the cashier and ordering his drink. She glanced at Michelle, who was now sitting two tables away. She was at right angles to Harriet, tapping her spoon nervously on the table.
Harriet took another bite of her twist, keeping her eyes on Michelle the whole time. Michelle slipped a hand into her pocket and came out holding something small.
“Jessica. Don’t stare, but can you see what’s in her left hand?”
Jessica picked up her cup and sipped, looking over the rim as she did.
“It looks like a vial with liquid in it.”
Jules finally came to Michelle’s table and sat down. He ignored Harriet and her friends completely.
Harriet looked at each of her friends.
“Does anyone here read lips?”
They all shook their heads. Michelle leaned toward Jules and smiled. Jules’s face was hard. He finally got up and went to the counter, returning a few moments later with a cup of coffee. Michelle talked and smiled more. Harriet had spent enough time around her to know the amount of smiling she was doing was not natural.
Jules said something, and Michelle leaned back in her chair. She lifted her mug, sipped and made a face. She set it down and said something to Jules. He sighed and got up, taking her cup back to the counter.
Harriet had almost looked away, but the quick motion caught her eye. Michelle pulled the vial from her pocket, unscrewed the top and upended it over Jules’s cup. She dropped the empty vial back in her pocket and leaned back, re-crossing her legs.
Jules came back to the table, set Michelle’s cup on the table in front of her, and sat down in his own chair.
“She’s poisoning him,” Harriet hissed. “Jessica, follow my lead. I’m going to the restroom,” she announced loudly. “Anyone want to join me?”
She got up without waiting for an answer, Jessica hot on her heels. She took three quick strides toward the restrooms by way of Michelle’s table, where she brushed too close to Jules and pretended to stumble. Jessica toppled into her, pushing her onto Jules’s lap. Harriet reached out to the table as though to break her fall and grabbed Jules’s cup in the process, spilling hot coffee on both of them.
He hastily slid his chair away from the table, pulling Harriet with him.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said from his lap. She brought her face close to his as she struggled to stand up. “Don’t drink or eat anything,” she whispered in his ear. He made eye contact briefly.
“I’m so sorry,” she said. “I must have tripped. Let me get you a fresh cup. Coffee?”
“Me, too,” Jessica added. “I mean, I didn’t trip. I was following too close behind, and when Harriet tripped I couldn’t stop.”
The female barista came over with a white mop rag and began sponging the table. Harriet took Jules’s empty cup to the bar.
The other barista met her at the counter. She slid the cup toward him; but before she could ask for a plastic bag to put it in and figure out how she was going to explain it, he picked it up and whispered, “I’m with the police. I’ll get this to the detectives.”
At the same time, he handed her one already filled with coffee to take back to Jules.
“I’m really sorry I’m so clumsy.” She set the mug in front of Jules and turned to Michelle. “I’m so sorry I interrupted you.”
Michelle glared daggers at her. Harriet smiled at her and continued on to the restroom.
Lauren wadded up h
er napkin as Harriet returned to their table several minutes later.
“I think it’s time for us to go.”
“I think you’re right,” Harriet agreed.
The four women picked up their bags and coats and made their way out the front door of the coffee shop. Harriet was surprised no one stopped them as they walked to the corner.
“We’re going to have to go around the block, since we came out the front door,” she told the two visitors.
Lauren led the way.
“We can use the extra walk after eating all those cinnamon twists.”
Detective Morse was waiting in Pins and Needles when they arrived, leaning against a table of sale fabric. She looked at Harriet and Lauren and then down at her feet.
“I don’t even know what to say.”
“Complete coincidence,” Lauren told her.
Jessica smiled sheepishly.
“We did go out of town today.”
Harriet stood in front of the detective.
“We went to the garden tour in Sequim and decided to go get cinnamon twists at Annie’s on our way here. You said you were going to let Jules sleep a few hours then have him call Michelle. We figured this would be all over before we got back.”
“You thought wrong. That being said…” Morse paused. “…it appears you saved Jules’s life. Michelle was going to eliminate him before he even got to set a price. We have to test the coffee mug, but I think we know what we’re going to find.” She held her hand to the tiny receiver in her ear. “Okay,” she said to someone not in the room. “Thanks, I’ll be waiting to hear.
“She took the bait,” Morse said. “He gave her until tomorrow morning to deliver the hush money.”
“I hope you’re going to take better care of Jules this time. As you said, it appears we were the ones to save his life. And we stumbled in there by chance.”
Morse turned her head away.
“Let’s just say my team members were less than enthusiastic about our plan. Until this drama went down, they were still convinced Aiden was their killer. They were only cooperating because the captain told them they had to.”
Crazy as a Quilt (A Harriet Turman/Loose Threads Mystery Book 8) Page 23
