Skein of the Crime

by Maggie Sefton

  “Boy, that does sound pretty.” Lisa looked off into the yarn room. “Maybe there are places in the canyons that you could rent for the ceremony. You know, then we could all come back into town for the reception.”

  “I don’t know, that sounds like double the work,” Megan said dubiously.

  “You know, Megan, there are places that schedule weddings and receptions near Rocky Mountain National Park,” Jennifer offered. “I was at one several years ago. They had the ceremony down near the creek right by the water. Then the reception was held inside this main building that had a dining hall and outside decks and all that. It was really pretty.”

  Megan brightened. “Really? Where is it? What’s it called?”

  “Oh, I know which place you’re talking about,” Lisa broke in. “I went to a day meeting there. It’s private, but it’s right outside the entrance to the national park.”

  “Guys, that’s still in Estes Park over seventy-five hundred feet up. Bad weather blows in fast there.”

  Megan dug in her bag. “Let me write that down anyway, so I can check with the park service.”

  Mimi walked into the room then, arms filled with yarns. Her somber gaze swept the table, landing on Megan, and her face lit up. “Megan! I’m so glad you came in. I heard the wonderful news, and I wanted to give you a big hug.” Mimi dumped the yarns onto the table and hurried over to Megan.

  They both embraced. “Oh, I’m so excited for you,” Mimi said. “We all need some happy news around here.” She squeezed Megan again. “I bet your family is ecstatic.”

  “Crazed is more like it,” Megan said when they separated. “My mom is so excited she may not last a year till the ceremony.”

  Mimi laughed. “I’ll bet. Have you two decided on the date yet? You mentioned a year from now.”

  “Yeah, we have some savings goals we’re trying to meet first. Plus, it looks like we’ll need all that time just to organize things.”

  “Well, I’ll be more than happy to help you organize if you need me. After all, you did such a tremendous job with our wedding.”

  “Uh-oh, Megan,” Kelly warned with a grin. “It’s payback time. Remember how you ran Mimi and Burt ragged getting their wedding organized.”

  Everyone around the table laughed at that memory. Burt and Mimi were exhausted.

  “Actually, I could use your help organizing this thing, Mimi. And I may have you try to calm my mother down. She’s gone into hyper-wedding planner mode. My sister didn’t have a wedding so it’s all come down to me, I guess. I’m going to need some help with her. To keep her from driving me crazy.”

  “I understand,” Mimi said, patting Megan’s arm. “I’ll be glad to talk to your mom and tell her everything that’s available here in Fort Connor. Catering firms, musicians, hall rental, and all those things.”

  “Whoa, I didn’t know you knew all that, Mimi,” Lisa said.

  “Oh, yes, I used to organize a lot of parties for the university when I was still married to my husband. So, I’ve got lots of contacts. Plus, several of my customers are in the business, too. Burt and I didn’t use them because our ceremony was so small.”

  “Fantastic!” Megan exclaimed. “Mimi, you’re a gold mine.”

  “Have you given any thought to what sorts of catering you’d like? Sit-down dinner, large buffet reception?”

  “Matter of fact, no. We’ve just started thinking about the wedding and trying to settle on the exact date. We haven’t even made lists yet,” Megan admitted sheepishly.

  “What! No lists? Megan, I don’t believe it,” Lisa exclaimed, hand to her breast. “You’re going to have to start thinking about food, wines, liquor, reception halls, music. And lots more stuff.”

  Megan held up both hands. “I know, I know. Just thinking about it stresses me out. It’s easier to plan other people’s stuff. When it’s yours, it’s different.”

  “Don’t forget a dress,” Jennifer added with a grin. “You’ll have to choose a gown or something. Unless you two plan to get married in your softball jerseys and cleats.”

  Kelly laughed at the picture Jennifer created. “That would be kind of cute.” She could almost picture Megan and Marty now, standing at home plate saying “I do.”

  Lisa rolled her eyes. “Only Kelly would think so. Speaking of dresses, are you going to have bridesmaids? Are we included?”

  “Of course!” Megan declared. “I just wish I could have all three of you guys as maid of honor, but I’ll have to choose my sister to keep my mom happy. But you guys will be my bridesmaids and you’ll be in charge of keeping track of everything so I can enjoy the ceremony.”

  Kelly saluted. “Got it, Imperial Commander. We hear and obey.”

  “Oh, no, don’t get her started.”

  “Just make sure you consult us when you decide to pick colors, okay?” Lisa said. “I went to a wedding once where all the bridesmaids were in charcoal gray, and it looked like a funeral.”

  “Okay, no gray, I swear,” Megan promised with a nod.

  “Why don’t you come back tomorrow morning, Megan?” Mimi suggested. “I’ll gather lots of magazines from my friends and we can start looking through everything and getting ideas. And we can make some notes.”

  “That would be great, Mimi,” Megan said, visibly relaxing. “Thank you for helping me get organized. I’ve had so much IT work lately that I haven’t had a chance to even think about the wedding except to listen to my mom.”

  Mimi reached out and patted Megan on the arm. One of Mother Mimi’s maternal “pats.” Meant to reassure. “And if you’d like information on jewelers, then Burt and I can help you with that, too. We’ve both lived in Fort Connor for years, and we know all the shops.”

  Megan closed her eyes and leaned her head back. “I know, I know . . . we have to choose a ring. But we have to save up for it. Marty wants to buy a big ring but he’s still paying off his law school loans so he doesn’t have that much saved. I told him I didn’t need a big ring. I’d be happy with a small one or one of those other stones. I don’t need a diamond to make me happy.”

  Mimi beamed at Megan. “You’re the diamond in that relationship, Megan. And Marty knows it. You let him choose the ring. That’ll be his surprise for you.”

  Kelly watched Megan blush at Mimi’s praise. Mimi was right on. Megan was a diamond.

  Burt appeared in the archway then and gave Megan a smile. “Hey, can I have a congratulatory hug? Or, is it best wishes for the bride-to-be? I get them mixed up.”

  “Thank you, Burt,” Megan said as she went to embrace him.

  “I couldn’t be happier if you were my own kids,” Burt said, squeezing Megan before releasing her. “I’ve always thought of you girls like second daughters.”

  “Second and third and fourth . . .” Jennifer joked, counting heads around the table.

  “You’re a sweetheart, Burt. And so is Mimi. She’s going to help me get organized. Can you believe I haven’t made any lists? And it’s my wedding.”

  Burt threw up his hands, feigning shock. “What? Megan has no lists? The same girl who made my life miserable a few months ago with daily lists? Well, I’ll just have to make some up for you.”

  “Don’t worry, Burt. I’m taking care of that detail,” Mimi said. “I have a few minutes now, Megan, if you’d like to get started. Lisa and Kelly and Jennifer can jump in with suggestions.”

  Jennifer checked her watch. “Actually, Jennifer’s break is way over, and she has to get back to the slow Monday café traffic. You guys can fill me in on what you come up with later.”

  Lisa shoved her knitting into its bag. “And I have to get to the university and study before class. See you guys.”

  Kelly decided this was a good time for a coffee refill and pushed back her chair. “Hey, Jen, I’ll go with you. I need to fill my mug.”

  “I’ll join you, Kelly,” Burt said, accompanying them as they headed through the central yarn room toward the café.

  Kelly waited by the counter as Jenn
ifer refilled her mug, inhaling those enticing aromas of breakfast foods—eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes. What was it about them that was so tempting? Aside from the fact they tasted so good.

  “Thanks, Jen,” Kelly said, accepting the mug. Jennifer refilled Burt’s cup, then returned to checking customers. Kelly gave Burt a quizzical look. “What’s up, Burt? I can tell you’ve got something to say.”

  Burt smiled and motioned her over to an empty table. “You and I are getting so we can read each other’s body language, Kelly. We can’t hide anything anymore.”

  Kelly settled into the chair across from Burt. “That’s scary. I might like to get away with something sometime.”

  Burt took a sip of coffee, then spoke. “I heard from Dan this morning. The medical examiner has finished his work, and they’ve been able to establish Holly’s cause of death.”

  “What was it? How was she killed?”

  “There’s no sign anyone killed her. She wasn’t assaulted in any way. Just that lump on the back of her head. But the medical examiner found a large amount of opiates in her digestive system. They’ve ruled that an overdose of opiate narcotics is what killed Holly.”

  Kelly drew back, appalled. “Opiate narcotics? Good lord! Did she shoot up with something?”

  “There were no signs of injection sites. Whatever Holly took, she ingested them, probably in pill form.”

  Kelly stared off into the café, where Julie was clearing a customer’s plate and refilling his coffee cup. Kelly didn’t even see it. All she could see was an image of pretty blonde Holly lying lifeless along the river trail.

  “Why would Holly do that? She’d been off drugs for a month. She was taking classes again. What was she thinking?”

  “I’m not sure she was, Kelly,” Burt said, wagging his head sadly. “If someone’s hooked on pills or drugs of any kind, it rules their lives. They don’t think, period.”

  “How could she be so stupid? And what was she doing taking opiate narcotics? She was taking Ecstasy the night she showed up at my place. That’s a hallucinogen like acid.”

  “Who knows? All sorts of pills are passed out and sold at those parties, Kelly. It can be a real pharmacological stew, I’ve been told.”

  “Did the examiner find out what she took exactly?”

  “Sometimes all they can tell is what the main chemical ingredients are. Opiate narcotics are powerful painkillers, and they’re carefully regulated and controlled because they’re addictive. Doctors prescribe them in small amounts. Even so, they still wind up on the street. They’re some of the most pervasive drugs out there.”

  “Which ones?”

  “Vicodin is probably the most often abused, but Percocet is right behind it, along with OxyContin. They’re called ‘oxies’ on the street.”

  Kelly stared at the design laminated into the table, unseeing. She’d never been able to understand how anyone could risk their body and their life by using illegal drugs just to get high. What would make Holly go back to that party scene and back onto the drugs when she was turning herself around?

  Then Barbara’s words came back to mind: I’ve watched Holly try to change her dangerous habits before. Unfortunately, she always falls back into those old ways after a while.

  “Have the police contacted Tommy yet?”

  Burt shook his head. “The police wouldn’t even know to contact Tommy since he’s not Holly’s relative. Dan asked me if I knew of anyone who would be a responsible party that could authorize where her body should be taken. You know, a funeral home and all that. I told him Holly had no relatives in town anymore and had lost all contact with her father. No one knows where he is. And her mother is dead. I did give him Barbara’s name and number. Maybe she will agree to do it. If not, Mimi and I will.”

  “Had you already spoken with Barbara?”

  Burt sighed. “Yes, the night before. Right after I called you. I’m sure she’s called Tommy by now.”

  Kelly stared off at a laughing couple at the corner table. Their whole lives in front of them. “This is going to break Tommy’s heart.”

  Five

  A slight breeze picked up, flipping Kelly’s silky yarn scarf across her face as she stood with a small group of mourners at the cemetery gravesite. The normally bright Colorado sun was obscured by clouds this morning, making it chilly whenever the wind passed through the nearby trees.

  The open grave was covered with a bright green tarp, but Kelly could still see the raw brown earth edging the tarp that indicated the ground had been freshly turned. Kelly shivered. Whether it was the wind or the bleak view of the waiting grave, waiting for the young girl who died much too early, it gave her a chill.

  The minister’s voice droned quietly as he read a passage from the Bible. Beside him stood Tommy and Barbara, both of their faces white and drawn. Patty stood next to Barbara and was holding tissues to her face, wiping away her tears.

  Tommy’s shoulders shook repeatedly with his obvious effort to quiet his sobs. Kelly, Mimi, and Burt stood across from them, and there were clusters of college students who hovered on the edges, looking uncomfortable. Behind them were four young men and a young woman who stood tall and straight. The insignias on their sleeves indicated they were all with the Fort Connor emergency medical team and ambulance service. Tommy’s friends and colleagues.

  The minister held up his hand and said a blessing, then invited everyone to bow their heads in silent prayer. Kelly fervently wished that some of the college students in attendance would let this experience be sufficient warning to keep them from following the same path Holly had.

  “That’s so sad,” Lisa said, looking across the knitting table at Mimi, who was nursing a cup of Earl Grey tea.

  Kelly took a sip of coffee. “Tragic, really. How could Holly throw away her life like that?”

  Burt spoke up beside her. “I don’t think any young person consciously thinks about it. I’m afraid too many of them have this belief that death happens to other people. It could never happen to them.”

  “And in answer to your question, Kelly, it sounds like Holly’s problems started a long time ago when she was a child. It doesn’t sound like she had much guidance or even affection at home, so the poor girl probably started looking for outside substitutes for affection,” Lisa said, as her fingers worked the reddish-orange wool.

  “Spoken like a psychology major,” Kelly observed. “But you’re right. Sounds like her home life was nonexistent.”

  “That’s why she gravitated to Tommy. He became her guardian angel of sorts,” Mimi said.

  “So Barbara’s house became a home for Holly,” Burt added sadly. “Like a home away from home.”

  Steve’s unfinished hat lay on the table, and Kelly returned to her stitches, picking up where she left off. “That was nice of Barbara and Tommy to take care of Holly’s . . . uh, final expenses. You know, funeral service and all that.”

  “That’s what family is for,” Mimi said, leaning back in her chair. “Barbara and Tommy were the closest thing to family that Holly had. Once Holly was old enough to work and go to college, her father packed up and moved to Florida. Tommy said he never kept in touch with Holly.”

  “Poor girl, no wonder she felt abandoned. She really was,” Burt said.

  “I feel so sorry for Tommy. He looked devastated. He could barely hold himself together,” Kelly said, looking up from the yarn. “Did you have a chance to speak to him after the service, Mimi?”

  “No, I didn’t even try. He looked like he’d fall apart if you tried to comfort him. Poor dear.”

  The front door’s tinkling bell sounded, then loud anxious voices in the foyer. The voices came louder, moving through the central yarn room toward the knitting table.

  “Tommy, please! Be sensible. You cannot stay away from your classes like that. You’ll risk your scholarship,” Barbara’s voice came clearly.

  “Mom, stop! I have to do this!”

  Kelly and the others exchanged concerned looks. What was Tommy up
to? Both mother and son paused in the archway. It was impossible to miss the anguished looks on both faces.

  “Tommy, there is nothing more you can do for Holly. Please don’t throw your future away,” Barbara pleaded, her face already streaked with tears.

  “Let me be, Mom,” Tommy protested, hands up between himself and his mother. “I’ve gotta do this. Please, let me be!”

  Tommy turned away from Barbara and approached Mimi. “I wanted to thank you folks for coming to Holly’s service this morning. I . . . I really appreciate it,” he said, his face still puffy and his eyes red-rimmed.

  Burt rose from his chair and came over to Tommy, wrapping a paternal arm around his shoulders. “Both Mimi and I know what it’s like to lose a loved one.”

  Mimi stood and wrapped Tommy in a big hug. “You’re family, Tommy, and we take care of each other. Please sit down next to Kelly and Burt, and let me bring you something warm to drink.”

  Tommy hesitated just a moment before he allowed himself to be guided into the chair between Kelly and Burt. “Some coffee would be good.”

  “I’ll get it for you,” Mimi offered, approaching Barbara, who was still hovering forlornly in the doorway. “Have you had anything to eat? I’ll bring some of Pete’s cinnamon rolls.”

  Without waiting for Tommy’s answer, Mimi beckoned to Barbara as she headed toward the café.

  “Some food sounds like a good idea,” Burt said, patting Tommy’s arm. “You’ve rescued enough fainting people to know how easy it is to pass out on an empty stomach, especially in a stressful situation.”

  Tommy’s face relaxed a little. “Yeah, you’re right, Burt. I’ll try to eat something.”

  “Is there anything we can do to help you, Tommy?” Kelly asked, wondering what had precipitated Tommy’s argument with his mother.

  Tommy’s shoulders sagged and his head dropped as if some invisible weight had been placed upon his back. He clasped his hands between his knees. “I don’t think anyone can help anymore. It’s too late for Holly. I just want to find out who was the creep that gave her those narcotic pain pills that night. Holly had never used opiates before. She didn’t know how to handle them.”