A Killer Stitch

by Maggie Sefton

  “I ordered you some hot chocolate, Diane,” Kelly said, lifting her mug. “The waitress will bring it to the table.”

  Diane’s gaze darted about the yarn room. “When’s that woman, Jayleen, coming?”

  “She’ll be here soon, don’t worry. Jayleen’s a great gal. You’ll like her.” Kelly gave her a reassuring smile and gestured through the archway. “C’mon, let’s wait for her in here. This is where we all meet, eat cookies, knit, and talk our heads off. It’s a great group.”

  Diane held back. “Uh, I don’t wanta meet anyone.”

  Ignoring Diane’s hesitation, Kelly beckoned her into the room and pulled out two chairs. Kelly was relieved to see some familiar faces at the table. Lizzie and Hilda were deep in conversation with another knitter, a motherly sort that Kelly had spoken with countless times.

  Thank goodness. If ever there was anyone needing maternal nurturing, it was Diane Perkins. Jayleen would provide the strong shoulder and the strong arm necessary to get Diane through this rough period, but some of Lizzie’s motherly warmth would be welcome right now.

  “Have a seat, Diane, and I’ll introduce you to everyone,” Kelly said loudly, hoping to catch the women’s attention. Diane was hovering beside the chair, her eyes darting to the many smiling faces. “Folks, this is Diane Perkins. She’s a friend, and she’s going to join us for a while this afternoon.” Diane sat gingerly on the chair, as if it might be hot. Kelly continued smoothly. “Diane’s going to help Jayleen at the ranch. Jayleen’s really swamped, especially with the kids’ party coming up.”

  Diane nodded at the friendly greetings sent her way, mumbling a soft thanks as she ducked her head.

  Hilda spoke up from the end of the table. “Lizzie and I want to contribute to this charity event, Kelly. It sounds like a worthy cause indeed. Tell us what we can donate. We may not be sprightly enough to chase after children anymore, but we can help in other ways.”

  A pile of pastel yarn lay in Hilda’s lap and was slowly turning into a baby sweater. How many nephews and nieces did she and Lizzie have? Kelly wondered. “Let me ask Jayleen. She’s supposed to bring us a list,” Kelly replied, reminding herself to take another chore off Jayleen’s plate tonight.

  “Yes, dear, we’d love to help,” Lizzie said, glancing up from her busy needles. Kelly thought she recognized another baby blanket, this one multicolored, coming into shape. “Can the children use some knitted sweaters? I have a veritable collection of extras that I’ve knitted over the years. That’s why I’ve switched to blankets.” She smiled, revealing the deep dimples in her rosy cheeks.

  “I’ll check with Jayleen,” Kelly said, moving her mug aside so Julie could set two large paper cups of hot chocolate in front of Diane.

  Diane stared at the cups. “Two?”

  “I thought the warm milk might be soothing,” Kelly said softly, as Lizzie and Hilda responded to questions from another knitter. “Besides, it tastes good.”

  Diane’s gaze darted Kelly’s way for a split second before it dropped. “Thanks,” she whispered. Lifting one of the cups, she took a drink, then another and another.

  Lizzie turned to Diane and beamed. “Do you knit, dear?”

  Diane looked startled that someone had spoken to her. “Uhhhh, no.” She shook her head, then drained the hot chocolate.

  Watching Diane quickly finish the second chocolate, Kelly congratulated herself on the idea. Warm milk might not be much, but it was something. Who knows? Maybe Diane hadn’t eaten anything all day.

  “You must be the outdoor type, then,” Lizzie continued. “You certainly look strong and fit and healthy.”

  Kelly let Lizzie chatter away, while Diane mumbled replies and drank hot chocolate. Meanwhile, Kelly dug in her bag for a forgotten knitting project that needed unraveling. Gesturing to one of Mimi’s helpers, Kelly beckoned her closer and whispered, “Rosa, could you tell Julie in the café to keep those hot chocolates coming, please? Two at a time, every half hour, okay?” Rosa nodded, with a bemused grin, as she hurried off.

  Eavesdropping on Lizzie’s one-sided conversation with Diane, Kelly recognized a familiar line of questioning. Subjects were circling in on dating and male and female companions. Subjects of undeniable interest to a sheltered, spinster schoolteacher like Lizzie—especially one with a rather vivid imagination.

  Kelly was about to head Lizzie off at the pass, when she noticed Lucy Adair approaching the other side of the table. Lucy settled into a chair and exchanged shy smiles with her fellow knitters. Thank goodness, Kelly thought. Lizzie’s attention would be deflected from grilling Diane.

  Lizzie beamed across the table. “Hello, dear, it’s so good to see you looking so well.”

  Lucy blushed at Lizzie’s compliment, glancing down shyly. “Thanks, Lizzie. You’re sweet to say that.”

  “Lucy, I must say I have heard marvelous testimony about your spinning classes. In fact, I am tempted to try again to master the craft,” Hilda proclaimed in a voice that could be heard all the way out to the entryway, no doubt. “I have failed miserably in every other attempt to learn to spin. Perhaps you will be able help me.”

  “Of course, Hilda. I’ll be happy to help,” Lucy said softly, removing a canary yellow yarn from her bag.

  “Hilda is being much too hard on herself,” Lizzie said. “She was coming along fine, but simply lost patience.”

  “My sister exaggerates my abilities,” Hilda decreed. “I assure you, I was wretched at the wheel. Couldn’t keep my hands and feet together.”

  “Well, from what I’ve observed in Lucy’s classes, that sounds like par for the course,” Kelly said. “Everyone in the class had trouble.”

  “Everyone except Megan. She’s doing quite well,” Lucy said, needles working the yellow yarn. Kelly thought she recognized a sweater sleeve.

  Kelly was about to agree when she glanced toward Diane. Diane Perkins was staring across the table at Lucy, the empty paper cup squeezed tightly in her hand.

  Uh-oh, Kelly thought, wondering if Diane recognized Lucy as one of Derek’s other girlfriends. Kelly held her breath, waiting for Diane’s reaction.

  “Kelly, who is that girl?” Diane whispered.

  Kelly hesitated, choosing her words carefully. Total honesty was out, given both women’s past history with Derek Cooper. “She’s one of the instructors here at the shop. She teaches spinning classes, why?”

  Diane stared across the table again, ignoring the arrival of two more cups of hot chocolate, steam wafting from the tops of both. “Do you see that necklace she’s wearing?”

  Kelly nodded, noticing the gold chain around Lucy’s neck for the first time.

  Diane leaned closer, obviously wanting to keep their conversation from the others. “That’s the same necklace Derek wore. It looks exactly like it.”

  Kelly stared back into Diane’s sea green eyes, realizing that Diane didn’t recognize Lucy, just the necklace.

  “Uhhhh, really?” Kelly waffled, glancing to Lucy again. “It looks like a regular gold chain to me.”

  “There’s a charm on it,” Diane whispered. “I can see it. A spider on a web. Derek had a necklace exactly like that. He started wearing it several months ago and wouldn’t take it off. Even when we were in bed together. He called it a good luck charm.”

  Kelly stared at the gold chain around Lucy’s neck again. Was it possible that Lucy gave Derek a necklace like hers? Sort of a love token? Or was Diane’s imagination on overload like the rest of her? Kelly pondered, wondering what to say to ease Diane’s curiosity. She was about to ask Lucy when Lizzie did it for her.

  “My, that’s a lovely necklace, Lucy,” Lizzie remarked. “Is that a charm I see?”

  Lucy’s busy needles paused while she touched the charm at her neck. Diane sat, riveted, holding her hot chocolate.

  “Yes. It’s a spider on a web. My spinning logo,” Lucy said softly.

  “That’s sweet,” Lizzie cooed.

  Kelly released an inner sigh of relief. Leaning n
ext to Diane, she said, “See, that’s what it is. I told you she was a spinner.”

  Diane stared across the table for a few seconds more, then drained her third hot chocolate before turning to Kelly. “I want to see that logo up close.”

  Surprised at her persistence, Kelly countered the best she could. “Well, we can’t go up and stare at her neck. Maybe there’s a flyer or something with the logo on it.” Deciding she needed to get Diane away from the table lest she come out and confront Lucy about the necklace, Kelly said. “Let’s go find Mimi. She may have a flyer.”

  Kelly shoved the half-unraveled project back into her bag and headed for the main room, beckoning Diane to follow. Kelly fully intended to plop Diane at the front of the shop if necessary and put her to work. Unraveling was amazingly relaxing, Kelly had discovered. Maybe unraveling would keep Diane occupied and away from Lucy Adair until Jayleen arrived.

  Kelly hustled around yarn-laden tables, past looms, and into the front of the shop, where holiday shoppers lined up at the register. “Why don’t you save my place in line while I find Mimi,” she suggested.

  “She’s running errands, Kelly,” a voice called from the corner. “What do you need?”

  Kelly hadn’t even noticed Rosa, who knelt on the floor, digging through a bucket of bamboo knitting needles. “I wondered if you had a flyer or something with Lucy’s spinning logo on it. You know, a web with a spider?”

  Rosa peered up at Kelly, looking distracted. “I think they’re in that cabinet behind the counter. I’d get it for you, but I have to find these needles for a customer. Ask Connie.”

  Kelly was about to join Diane in line when her cell phone rang. “Be back in a minute,” she said as she hurried from the noisy sales room into an adjoining, quieter yarn room. Ellen looked up from a bin of lollipop yarns she was inspecting.

  “Hey, Kelly.” Jayleen’s voice came over the line. “I’m driving through the north of town now. How’s Diane doing?”

  “Jumpy as hell,” Kelly replied, giving Ellen a wave. “I’m drowning her in hot chocolate, hoping that will calm her down.”

  Jayleen chuckled. “Hot chocolate, huh? Can’t hurt. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

  “What’s this about hot chocolate?” Ellen asked as Kelly clicked off her phone.

  “Oh, I’m just trying to calm down a friend who’s strung pretty tight right now. I figured hot chocolate would be soothing,” Kelly said, fondling the same bright fluff balls that Ellen was.

  “What’s wrong? Is someone in trouble?”

  Kelly glanced toward the library table where Lucy was surrounded by nurturing knitters. Then she looked back at the line of shoppers where Diane was standing alone, consuming the fourth hot chocolate and not talking with anyone. “Actually, she’s trying to get over Derek Cooper’s death, just like Lucy. Unfortunately, Diane has some other problems mixed in as well. It’s kind of complicated.”

  Ellen paused for a moment. “Sounds like Derek messed up lots of people’s lives.” Glancing around, she asked, “Where is she? Not with Lucy, I hope.”

  “Believe me, I got Diane away from the table as soon as I could. She’s saving my place in line,” Kelly said as her cell phone rang again. Recognizing a client’s number, Kelly pointed to the front room. “Ellen, I’ve gotta take this call. Could you do me a favor and tell Diane I’ll be there in a minute? She’s wearing a denim jacket.”

  “Sure,” Ellen said with a friendly smile.

  Kelly sped through the foyer and stepped outside, only to see the phone screen read MISSED CALL. Brother, talk about impatient clients. Checking the number, she listened for messages as she peered through the large front window and noticed Diane was almost at the register.

  Phone tag could wait for later, she decided as she hurried back into the shop. Right now, babysitting Diane was more important.

  “Was that you outside? I thought you were in the other room,” Diane said as she stepped to the counter. Their turn at last.

  “Yeah, I had to talk to a client. Didn’t someone—”

  “Hey, Kelly, how can I help you?” a weary Connie asked.

  “Hang in there, Connie, only a couple more hours to go.” Kelly encouraged the normally exuberant clerk. “I just need a flyer with Lucy’s spinning logo on it. My friend and I need to see one.”

  “Sure, let me get it.” Connie opened a lower cabinet and began flipping through file folders. “Here’s one,” she said, handing a flyer to Kelly.

  “Thanks, Connie, you’re a jewel.” Kelly stared at the logo at the top of the sheet, beside Lucy’s name. A little spider was nestled in the middle of a delicate spiderweb. LUCY ADAIR, SPINNER AND TEACHER was printed beside the drawing. “See, it is her logo. That’s why she wears the necklace,” she said, handing the flyer to Diane.

  Diane stared at the flyer for a minute. Whether she was picturing Derek or reading about Lucy, Kelly didn’t know, so she gave one last deflective comment. “It’s just a coincidence, Diane, that’s all.”

  Diane shook her head. “I don’t know. It looks exactly the same. That’s what’s so…so spooky.”

  Feeling a slight break in Diane’s skepticism, Kelly ventured, “Well, when you think about it, wouldn’t every drawing of a spider on a web look the same? I mean, it would have to, right?”

  Diane started to nod, when Jayleen Swinson’s voice cut through the shop noise. “There you are, Kelly,” she said as she strode past the customers. “Why don’t you introduce me to your friend?”

  Kelly sent another silent prayer of gratitude out into the heavens. “Jayleen Swinson, this is Diane Perkins,” she said, gesturing to both women.

  Jayleen stepped forward, snowflakes on her denim jacket, her hand outstretched to an obviously startled Diane. “Glad to meet you, Diane. I hear you’re looking for a lotta work and a safe place to land. I can offer you both.”

  Ten

  Kelly hurried across the driveway toward the shop entrance, the icy wind whipping her knitted scarf behind her. The light snowflakes had been chased away in the night by a frigid storm front that threatened to bring several inches of snow by this evening. As was typical in Colorado, the storm was being introduced by strong and blustery winds. Even Carl wanted to stay inside the cottage this morning.

  Stomping both feet on the sheep-shaped mat, Kelly pushed through the entry door and into the warmth. “Brrrr,” she said noisily, in case someone was nearby. Hearing no response, Kelly wiggled out of her winter jacket and left it and her bag on the knitting table in the main room. She paused for a moment to enjoy the peacefulness of the empty knitting shop, then grabbed her mug and headed toward the café and coffee.

  Yawning as she rounded a corner, Kelly nearly bumped into Mimi, who had her arms laden with skeins of colorful yarns.

  “Oops,” Mimi squeaked, jumping out of the way. “We’ve got to get mirrors for these corners.”

  “My fault, Mimi,” Kelly apologized. “I wasn’t paying attention. I’m still not awake yet. Didn’t get much sleep last night.”

  Mimi made a sympathetic noise as she walked toward an antique cabinet in the corner of the main yarn room. “You’re working too hard again,” she chided as she deposited the yarns and arranged them in the cabinet. “I thought your consulting schedule was easier.”

  “Well, it wasn’t my consulting that kept me up,” Kelly said as she leaned against a bin that spilled over with red, white, and green striped yarns. Sock yarns, already imprinted with the colors so that, once knitted, they revealed a Fair Isle pattern. “I was at Jayleen’s last night helping with her client accounts.”

  “Why? Is Jayleen sick?” Mimi asked, looking concerned.

  “No, she was helping a friend of Jennifer’s who’s a friend of mine now, I guess.” Kelly shrugged. “She’s got a real drinking problem, and Jayleen was kind enough to volunteer to help her stay sober. She’s up there at Jayleen’s now, working at the ranch.”

  “What a wonderful thing for Jayleen to do. It’s…it’s exactly l
ike Vickie helping her.” She gave Kelly a maternal smile. “So, while Jayleen was helping this girl, you were helping Jayleen. How like you, Kelly.”

  Kelly felt a slight flush. “Well, it wasn’t only me. Jennifer was there, too, finishing all the lists for the kids’ party this Sunday. Jayleen had her hands full trying to keep Diane from panicking.” She gave another big yawn. “Boy, I need some coffee, bad.”

  “How late did you stay?”

  “Actually, all night. Both Jen and I fell asleep about two this morning, then woke up and came back into town early.”

  “Goodness, have you had breakfast yet? C’mon, I’ll join you.” Mimi didn’t wait for Kelly to answer, taking her arm instead and escorting Kelly down the hallway and into Pete’s café. They settled at a bay window table where they could watch the snowstorm approach over the mountains.

  Jennifer walked over, coffeepot in hand. “You look as bad as I do,” she joked as she filled Kelly’s mug.

  “Just keep this coming. I’ve got to catch up on my work today. This weekend is going to be super busy with the kids’ party and decorating Curt’s ranch house.”

  Jennifer took both their orders and hastened away, while Kelly indulged herself with Eduardo’s rich brew, hoping to stay awake in front of the computer. Glancing across at Mimi, she decided to take a risk. Maybe it was sleep deprivation, whatever. Kelly decided it was time.

  She leaned forward over the table and—in her customary go-for-it manner—jumped in. “You know, Mimi, I’ve noticed that you’ve been looking radiantly happy lately. And I think I know why.”

  Mimi looked at Kelly, obviously startled. “Wh-what do you mean?”

  “Mimi, you and Burt make a great couple. Everyone thinks so. There’s no reason to be shy about it.”

  Mimi’s cheeks flushed a bright pink. “How—how did you guess?”

  Kelly decided to fess up. “Well, I didn’t notice at first. Actually, Lisa and Jennifer figured it out first, then they told me.”