Dropped Dead Stitch

by Maggie Sefton

  “Maybe,” Jennifer muttered.

  Jane and Sue wandered over to Kelly’s cluster. “Well, I guess we can kiss that morning trail ride goodbye,” Jane said drily. “Looks like everybody will be packing it in after this.”

  “I imagine Dr. Norcross will talk to all of us after those detectives are finished,” Lisa said.

  “How long do you think they’ll keep us here?” Sue asked, looking anxious. “I’ve got to get back to my job. I work the afternoon shift at Family Times restaurant.”

  “Surely we’ll be finished in an hour or so, don’t you think, Kelly?” Lisa asked.

  Kelly shook her head. “I don’t know. Two years ago when Vickie Claymore was killed in Bellevue Canyon, Lieutenant Peterson was in charge of the investigation since it took place in the county. He’s really thorough. I expect him to come back and interview some of us after he’s talked with his officers.”

  “Oh, brother,” Sue said, clearly unhappy.

  Peterson approached his two officers, and they stood apart from everyone else and conferred. Both officers appeared to be reading items from their notepads while Peterson scribbled in his.

  Dr. Norcross approached Kelly’s cluster. Her pleasant expression was gone, replaced by worry. “This is quite involved. Detective Peterson was really focused in his questions. I must admit I felt ‘grilled.’ Has he spoken with any of you yet?”

  “Not yet,” Lisa replied. “But Kelly here has met him before, and she says he’s not finished questioning people.”

  “Oh, dear. I hope it was nothing as traumatic as this event,” Dr. Norcross said, looking at Kelly.

  Kelly gave her a wan smile. “I’m afraid it was even more so. Both Jennifer and I were in Bellevue Canyon two years ago with a group of visiting knitters, and we walked in and found a weaver friend dead. Her throat cut.”

  “Whoa, that’s ugly,” Jane said.

  Sue flinched. “Oooo, how gross.”

  “Yeah, it was,” Kelly continued. “Detective Peterson was investigating then, too, and I was really impressed with his thoroughness.”

  Dr. Norcross glanced at Jennifer. “What’s your impression of Detective Peterson, Jennifer?”

  “Thorough, just like Kelly said. And he’s actually kind of nice. At least he was when he talked to me. Kind of fatherly-like.”

  Jane snorted. “Never met a cop like that.”

  “Kelly’s had more experience with police detectives than most people,” Lisa added with a wry smile. “She’s poked her nose into several investigations. We call it sleuthing. And it gets her into trouble sometimes, too.”

  “I can imagine,” Dr. Norcross said, looking at Kelly with a smile.

  “This investigation should be short and sweet. It’s obvious Everett drank himself into a stupor and fell off his own deck. Finito. The end. Serves him right, I say. Justice at last.” Jane gave a terse nod, features hardened. “I’m just glad I told the bastard off last night when I had the chance.”

  “What do you mean, Jane?” Dr. Norcross’s worry lines reappeared.

  “I spotted him on the ranch house porch and told him he was a piece of—”

  Kelly had to look away to hide her amused reaction as Jane filled in the rest of the sentence with expletives. Succinct and to the point, that was Jane.

  “Ahhhh, did he say anything?” Dr. Norcross asked.

  Jane shook her head. “Naw. He just scowled at me and ducked back inside. I figure he knew he was persona non grata around here this weekend.”

  Kelly noticed Detective Peterson heading their way. She waited until he was closer before greeting him. “Hi, there, Lieutenant Peterson.”

  Peterson gave her a little smile. “Ms. Flynn. I never expected to see you and Ms. Stroud under these circumstances again.” He glanced from Kelly to Jennifer. “This is twice you’ve shown up at canyon death scenes.”

  “Just bad luck, I guess,” Kelly said.

  “I’ve already interviewed Dr. Norcross about the reason why all of you were gathered here this weekend,” Peterson said as he flipped through his trusty notepad. “Why don’t I interview you next, Ms. Flynn, and you can provide the local color.”

  Kelly tried not to smile at the detective’s wry comment. “Sure, thing, Detective. By the way, some of the folks here have jobs back in Fort Connor they have to report to this afternoon. Any idea when you will be finished with the investigation?”

  Peterson glanced back at the apprehensive faces staring at him. “We’ll probably be finished in about an hour.” Gesturing to the side, he added, “Why don’t we take a little stroll, Ms. Flynn.”

  Kelly fell into step beside Detective Peterson and waited for him to begin his questions. She noticed the emergency medical crew loading Cal Everett’s white-shrouded body into the back of an ambulance.

  “Dr. Norcross told me that you and Ms. Stroud were accompanying her graduate student Lisa Gerrard here to help teach knitting and crochet to the workshop attendees, correct?”

  “Yes, sir. Lisa has asked us to join her for other mountain retreats where we help with the fiber sessions. They’re kind of a relaxing break from the workshop classes.”

  “Had you ever met the ranch owner, Cal Everett, before this weekend?”

  “No, sir,” Kelly replied. Suddenly concerned that Peterson might ask Jennifer the same question, Kelly added, “He was a stranger to most of us, I think. According to Lisa, Dr. Norcross makes all the arrangements.”

  It was a deliberate “fudging” of the facts, Kelly knew, but she was hoping to keep Peterson from stumbling onto Jennifer’s past relationship with Everett. There was no need to put Jennifer through any more emotional pain than she’d been through already. Kelly recognized that she was in full-fledged “rescue mode” but didn’t care. To Kelly’s way of thinking, her friend’s well-being took priority.

  “Dr. Norcross said Everett was outside on the deck last night the entire time you folks sat around a campfire. Do you recall seeing Everett with anyone else on the deck? A visitor, perhaps? Someone from the workshop maybe?”

  “No, sir. He seemed to be talking on the phone most of the time. He did have a visitor in the afternoon, though. And there was a real heated exchange between the two of them. Apparently Everett was late with his loan payments, and the guy came to collect.”

  “Yes, we’ve had several reports of that encounter. Someone named ‘Bill’ apparently.”

  “Everett’s voice kept getting louder and louder last night. Sometimes I heard the word money floating out on the breeze. Sounded like he was trying to raise cash in a hurry.”

  Peterson caught Kelly’s eye and smiled. “Putting things together again, Ms. Flynn?”

  “Can’t help myself, Lieutenant,” Kelly admitted with a grin. “And for what it’s worth, I think Everett got so drunk that he tripped and fell off his own deck.”

  “Well, that’s certainly one theory.”

  “Lisa said she saw him bringing out a bottle of liquor to the deck last night. Any signs that he was drinking?” Kelly pressed.

  “We’re interviewing the ranch staff about that very subject,” Peterson said as he flipped his notepad closed and turned to approach the others. “This was the first time any of you had been to this ranch or met Cal Everett?” he asked them.

  “Yes, Detective,” Dr. Norcross replied as heads nodded behind her.

  “You were all seated around the campfire last night. Was Everett alone on the deck the entire time? Did any of you see someone with him? A visitor, perhaps?” he asked as he drew nearer the women, Kelly following behind.

  Dr. Norcross and the others all answered.

  “He was alone.”

  “I didn’t see anyone.”

  “All by himself.”

  Kelly couldn’t help adding, “He was on the phone a lot.”

  “Dr. Norcross, do you recall who was the last person sitting beside the campfire last night?” the detective asked.

  Dr. Norcross pondered that question for a moment. “I b
elieve I was, Detective. Greta Baldwin, the other graduate student, and I were the last ones to leave the fire. In fact, it was about nine o’clock when we doused the fire and returned to our cabins.”

  “Did you see anyone else out and about when you retired for the evening?” Peterson asked, jotting in his notepad again.

  “No, sir, I didn’t see anyone. You can ask Greta. She’s the short brunette with the green sweatshirt standing next to the tall blonde woman, Dawn.” Dr. Norcross pointed across the barnyard.

  “Thank you, Dr. Norcross. You’ve been very helpful. And the rest of you as well.” Peterson nodded to everyone in the circle around him. “I think you folks will be able to leave pretty soon. One of the officers will let you know, okay?”

  “Thanks, Detective Peterson,” Kelly called as he walked toward the next cluster of women standing in the barnyard.

  “Well, that was painless,” Jane said, watching Peterson approach Dawn and Greta. “You must have answered all his questions, Kelly.”

  “Well, I didn’t answer so much as give him my opinions,” she confessed.

  “Why are we not surprised?” Lisa observed. “What’d you tell him?”

  “I said I thought Everett got drunk and fell off the deck. I’m sure I wasn’t the first one to say it.”

  “For sure. I told him the same thing.” Jane gave an emphatic nod.

  “Well, I did mention Everett’s drinking,” Dr. Norcross agreed. “I spoke with him before leaving the campfire last night, and he smelled of liquor then. He also had a full glass in his hand, I might add.”

  “I told the blond officer that I saw him taking a full bottle out to the deck last night,” Lisa added. “I’m sure we’re not the only ones who noticed.”

  “You know, I passed by Donny when the officer was questioning him, and I swear I heard Donny say he found an empty whiskey bottle on the deck this morning,” Sue added.

  “Told you. He probably sat on the edge of the railing and whoosh . . .” Jane made a swan dive motion with her hands.

  “Well, ladies, I think we should all start gathering our things so we’ll be ready to leave when the police tell us,” Dr. Norcross advised.

  “Good idea,” Lisa said. “Kelly, why don’t you and Jen start while I help Dr. Norcross tell the others?”

  “Okay, we’ll meet out here in the barnyard,” Kelly said as she and Jennifer set off toward the lodge.

  As they walked in silence together, a stray memory surfaced in Kelly’s mind. “By the way, Jen. Did you notice anyone near the deck last night when you were taking your walk? I figured you’d say something if you did.”

  Jennifer stared at the ground as she walked. “No, I didn’t see anyone.”

  “How long were you out?”

  “About an hour . . . I guess,” Jennifer mumbled, then hastened ahead of Kelly toward the cabin.

  Kelly stared after her friend, glad that they would be leaving soon. Jennifer needed to return home.

  Seven

  Kelly grabbed her coffee mug and followed Steve to the cottage front door. “Will you be able to join us in Old Town for dinner tonight, or will those meetings run long?”

  Steve slipped on his leather jacket. “I’ll try. But when you start talking about money, everything takes longer.” He hastened through the door and down the steps.

  “Tell me about it,” Kelly said as she followed after him. “I’ll go ahead and order pizza, so show up when you can.” She gave him a quick kiss as he paused in front of his big red monster truck.

  Steve reached out and grabbed Kelly around the waist, bringing her next to him. “Hey, I need a better kiss than that. These bankers aren’t too friendly right now.”

  Kelly slid her arms around Steve’s neck and gave him a better kiss. Much better. “Good luck,” she whispered after their lips parted. “I’ve got my fingers crossed.”

  “Keep them crossed,” he said as he released her. “It’s getting really bad out there. Buyers have gone to ground.” He climbed into the truck and slammed the door.

  “It’ll get better,” Kelly said, more hopefully than she felt.

  The normally robust Fort Conner housing market was continuing its downward turn. Not a good time to be a builder or developer. New home construction had slowed almost to a standstill. There was still too much inventory on the market, and prices were spiraling lower.

  Kelly was grateful Steve had branched out into some “mixed-use” development in the Old Town section of Fort Connor. Mixing retail with rooftops, so to speak. Last year, he’d renovated and remodeled a century-old warehouse and turned it into retail shops below with spacious lofts above. With views of the Cache La Poudre River meandering nearby, his Baker Street lofts had sold quickly in last year’s better market. It was also the project closest to Steve’s heart. He’d been imagining what could be done with that old warehouse ever since he was a college student.

  Steve gave her a wave, and the truck engine rumbled into life as he drove off. Kelly continued across the gravel driveway to Pete’s café, located at the rear of the knitting shop. Caffeine beckoned.

  “Hey, Julie,” she said as she entered the back door. “Fill ’er up, would you, please?”

  “Sure thing, Kelly,” the college-aged waitress said as she poured a dark stream into Kelly’s mug. “Have a seat in my section. Jennifer is slammed. Burt’s over here already.”

  Kelly spotted the gray-haired retired police detective seated near the bay windows, the remnants of a cinnamon roll on a plate before him. “Hey, Burt,” she said as she approached. “Got any plans for that last bite of cinnamon roll? We ran out of breakfast stuff this morning, so Steve and I have been running on coffee.”

  Burt looked up, his lined face spreading with a warm smile. “You kids have got to slow down long enough to go to the grocery store.”

  “Yeah, I know. It’s on my to-do list today.” She swiped the morsel of pastry and popped it into her mouth. Yum. Brown sugar and cinnamon and butter and lemon cream cheese frosting all came together into a deadly mix of high taste and high calories. Was there any other kind?

  “I was hoping you’d come by this morning, Kelly. Lisa called Mimi last night and told her what happened at the canyon retreat this weekend. I’m counting on you to provide the details. It sounds like something out of a movie.”

  Kelly nodded, then took a deep drink of coffee. “It was intense, I’ll say that. I mean, we’d barely arrived Friday when this guy, Cal Everett, saunters out of the barn to talk to everyone. We were all standing around in the barnyard. Jennifer took one look and froze.”

  “I can imagine. Did she tell you it was him?”

  “Yeah, it kind of slipped out, I think. Anyway, Everett didn’t see Jen because she ducked down behind Lisa and me. She wanted to head home right that minute. I was going to drive her, but Jen’s therapist, Dr. Norcross, started talking to her. They went for a walk while Lisa and I set up the cabin. When they came back after an hour, Jennifer seemed better. Apparently Dr. Norcross told her it was all right to go home if she wanted. Or, she could stay and listen to the workshop sessions. Or . . . she could stay and share with the others in the sessions.” Kelly caught Burt’s gaze over the coffee cup. “Jennifer chose to stay and share, in case it could help someone else. I was so proud of her, Burt.”

  Burt sipped his coffee. “That took a lot of guts.”

  “Yeah, it did.” Kelly toyed with the cup rim. “And tell Mimi that Jennifer used the fiber sessions to start talking.”

  Burt grinned. “You’re kidding?”

  “Nope. It was a stroke of genius, too. According to Jen and Dr. Norcross, the women weren’t opening up in the workshops and talking. But once they got out to the deck where we had yarns spread all over, they loosened up. You know, touching all that soft yarn, they couldn’t wait to start knitting and crocheting. After a few minutes, you could see them relax. That’s when Jennifer started sharing. And sure enough, once she did, others opened up as well. We must have spent three hours
outside on the deck that Friday afternoon.”

  His face clouded. “Did that Everett try to say anything to Jennifer during the weekend?”

  “No way. He barely showed his face after Dr. Norcross chewed him out. She confronted Everett after she and Jen talked outside. Dr. Norcross told him she was aware of what happened with Jennifer and warned Everett she didn’t want him anywhere near the women at the workshop. His ranch helpers could handle it. After that, we barely saw him except late at night on the deck where he was drinking and talking on the phone.”

  Burt stared out the window, a small frown puckering his face. “He must have been drinking a whole heckuva lot to fall off his own deck. I wonder how he managed that.”

  Kelly shrugged, then drained her coffee. “I dunno, but I remember hearing his voice getting louder and louder late Saturday night when he was out there. Lisa saw him taking a full bottle of liquor to the deck, and apparently the ranch staff found an empty bottle there the next morning. So he must have been totally wasted. The slope beneath the deck is pretty steep and rocky.”

  “Did Peterson head up the investigation? I figured he would, since it’s the county.”

  Kelly nodded. “He and his men questioned everyone. He even took me aside for the ‘local color’ as he called it.”

  Burt chuckled. “Well, you and he have some history. This is the second time you’ve found a dead body in the canyon.”

  “Detective Peterson pointed that out,” Kelly said with a smile. “And I kind of did my best to steer him away from questioning Jennifer.”

  Burt’s smile disappeared. His Skeptical Cop expression appeared. “Oh? And how did you manage that, may I ask?”

  “Well, I kind of glossed over an answer or two.”

  Burt’s eyebrows shot up. “Can you give me an example of this glossing over?”

  “Peterson asked me if I had ever met Everett before, and I was able to say ‘no’ truthfully. But I wanted to keep him from asking that same question of Jennifer, because then she’d have to admit her . . . well, her earlier encounter. Soooo, I told Peterson that I thought Everett was probably a stranger to everyone at the retreat because Dr. Norcross made all the arrangements.” She sneaked a peek at Burt. He was giving her one of those looks he used whenever she “pushed the edges.” Something Kelly was inordinately fond of doing.