Dyeing Up Loose Ends

by Maggie Sefton

  Another memory popped up in Kelly’s head. A funny memory. “Do you remember how all you cowboys nearly knocked one another down as you rushed inside the farmhouse for Megan’s hot breakfast? I can still see her standing on the porch with a little apron on, a wooden spoon in her hand, telling us she’d just made breakfast. Bacon and eggs and homemade hot biscuits.” Kelly laughed again. “I’d never seen you guys move so fast.”

  “Damn right. You’re talking homemade hot biscuits and bacon and eggs,” Curt added with a satisfied nod.

  “Megan’s cooking is so good, nobody can resist it,” Kelly added. “Besides, she looked absolutely adorable in that apron. She even had some flour on her nose, I think.” Kelly laughed. “I thought young Chet was going to propose to Megan after breakfast, he was so smitten.”

  This time, Curt laughed out loud at that memory. “Chet was a good kid, and he did a great job helping us manage the ranch. Remember, we had to sell off your cattle. There was some fine breeding stock in there. So I took my time with it. I wanted you to get what they were worth, and they brought in a fair amount of money for you to use at that ranch. There were a lot of expenses for an out-of-town owner to manage easily.”

  “That’s for sure. Thank goodness you and Steve arranged to have the property checked for natural gas deposits. Those wells don’t need much supervision at all to keep on pumping, and they bring in a heckuva lot more money than the cattle.”

  “You’re right about that. It was a great way for you to get a feel for running a ranch, Kelly-girl. But those gas wells were much easier to manage long distance. Besides, it didn’t take me long to recognize that everything you were interested in was located right here in Fort Connor.”

  “Including the people,” Kelly added with a smile.

  “No doubt about it, Kelly-girl. No doubt at all.”

  Sixteen

  The next day

  Kelly stepped inside the Lambspun shop and glanced around. Not seeing any of the knitting shop staff, she walked through the central yarn room and set her heavier-than-usual briefcase bag on the library table. Pulling out her laptop and the large stack of files from her bag, she set everything on the long library table. No customers were in sight. Peaceful and quiet, she observed. Perfect for working. In early June, lots of customers were off on family vacations, no doubt.

  She looked around again, and Kelly thought she heard Mimi’s voice coming from the workroom. Walking closer to the doorway into the workroom, Kelly heard the distinct sounds of Mimi teaching a class.

  Kelly felt a little muscle inside relax. She’d been worried about Mimi “coming back to herself,” as Burt put it. The sound of Mimi’s teaching voice coming from the workroom was reassuring. Thank goodness, Kelly thought to herself.

  Grabbing her oversize coffee mug, Kelly walked back into the central yarn room and headed toward the corridor leading to the café. She turned the corner into the café and was surprised to see Jennifer standing beside the grill counter, scribbling on her order pad.

  “Goodness, Jennifer, I wasn’t expecting to see you here today. I thought you’d take another day off, and I just heard Mimi teaching a class in the workroom, so that makes two surprises.” Kelly gave her a welcoming smile as she set her coffee mug on the counter. Then she reached out and embraced her dear friend in a warm hug. Jennifer hugged her back, returning the warmth.

  Eduardo’s voice came across from where he stood at the grill. “Sometimes a hug says more than words.” He smiled at Kelly and Jennifer.

  “Oh yeah,” assistant grill cook Larry spoke up beside him, not taking his eyes off the bacon and sausage patties frying on the grill.

  “That’s for sure,” Kelly agreed as she released her friend. Scanning Jennifer’s face, she saw the unmistakable signs of lack of sleep. Tired lines that usually were not visible appeared mixed with sadness. “How’re you doing, Jen?” she asked in a quiet voice.

  “A little better,” Jennifer replied. “It was hard when Pete and I first got here this morning. We were so used to seeing Julie come in early.”

  “I felt the same thing when I came in yesterday. It felt different. Plus Bridget was handling the customers, and I think I saw a new girl.” Kelly glanced around the café, which was filling up with customers.

  “That’s Candace,” Jennifer said. “Pete asked Bridget if she had any experienced waitress friends who could fill in as well. With my being out and Julie gone . . .” Jennifer’s voice trailed off.

  “Well, it looks like Bridget found someone, thank goodness,” Kelly quickly spoke up, filling the gap.

  “Jen, your order is up,” Eduardo said, looking at Jennifer with concern. “Bridget can take it.”

  Jennifer turned back toward the grill counter. “No, thanks, Eduardo. I’ll take it. Bridget’s busy outside. The sooner I get back into a regular routine, the better. Give me your mug, Kelly, and I’ll fill it up.”

  A regular routine, Kelly thought to herself as she handed over her coffee mug and watched Jennifer pour a steaming black ribbon of coffee into it. “Thanks, Jen,” she said as she accepted the full mug and turned back toward the corridor again. The café was filling up faster now, so Jennifer and Bridget and new girl Candace would have their hands full.

  Walking back into the Lambspun shop, Kelly spotted Burt enter the foyer. “Hey there, Burt,” she called.

  “Well, well, you’re here earlier than usual, Kelly,” Burt said as he met her in the central yarn room. “You’ve got your coffee, too. So you’re ahead of me on two counts.” He grinned.

  “I don’t think I could ever be ahead of you, Burt,” Kelly said as she walked toward the main knitting room. Her briefcase bag sat undisturbed on the library table. She settled into her empty chair. “Have you learned anything new from the police investigation?”

  Burt pulled up a chair near Kelly. “Dan gave me a call a little while ago. The medical examiner finished his report. There were no surprises in it. Julie died from a bullet wound to the brain. At least she died instantly.” Burt’s face clouded. “Poor girl. She must have been in a lot of despair to kill herself. All alone like that. It makes my heart ache to think of it.”

  Kelly immediately pictured Burt’s powerful description and felt her own heart give a little squeeze. “So police have definitely concluded Julie committed suicide.”

  Burt nodded his head sadly. “Yes. Poor girl. Mimi and I are going to handle all the funeral arrangements, and we’ll have Julie interred in one of the cemetery sites we own in the Memorial Gardens on the edge of town.”

  “Oh my,” Kelly mused out loud. “You forget all the arrangements that have to be made once a family member dies. That brings back memories from my father’s death and funeral years ago.” Cobweb-covered memories arose from a back corner of Kelly’s mind.

  Burt gave Kelly a small smile. “When Mimi and I married, we made sure we had enough property to take care of both our families. Young people nowadays don’t think about those things. I think it scares them.”

  Kelly’s cell phone vibrated on the library table beside her briefcase bag. She reached for it and saw Arthur Housemann’s name and number on the screen. “Sorry, Burt. Have to get this. It’s my client.”

  “Don’t ever apologize for doing your work, Kelly,” Burt said as he rose from the chair. “Taking care of business keeps us sane.” He gave her a crooked smile as he walked away. Kelly clicked on her phone. Work keeps us sane. She had to agree with that.

  * * *

  • • •

  Kelly scanned one of the spreadsheets she’d prepared for Arthur Housemann’s rental apartments. Checking her files, Kelly began the methodical entry of expenses into the various categories included in the spreadsheet. Column after column filled up with the different amounts as Kelly moved across the spreadsheet. Precise work, but peaceful in a strange way. Kelly had discovered that feature of accounting years ago.


  “Hey there,” Jennifer’s voice sounded. “Is this a good time for you to take a break?”

  Kelly blinked out of her concentration zone and saw her friend pull out a chair alongside the library table. “Sure. I was just in the revenues and expenses spreadsheet. Easy reentry.” She took a deep drink from her travel mug. Surprisingly, the coffee was still moderately warm. Not great, but good enough.

  Jennifer pulled out a bright turquoise yarn from her large tapestry knitting bag. Kelly noticed there were only a few rows of knitted stitches on her knitting needles.

  “Oh, that’s a pretty color.” Kelly reached over and fingered the soft fibers. “Wool. Are you making a sweater?”

  “Yes, I thought I’d make this for Cassie. I know it’s summer now, but I may not get it finished until late fall anyway.” She gave Kelly a crooked smile. “There’s always so much to do every day, my knitting time gets squeezed. Thank goodness I can take a break here. Especially since the new girl Candace started.”

  “How’s she working out?” Kelly leaned back into her chair.

  “Slow, but that’s to be expected. She’s getting used to a new place and a new system. But she’s catching on, thankfully.” Jennifer’s fingers swiftly moved through the knitting motions—casting on, wrapping the yarn around the needle, and sliding the stitch off. Again and again. The front entry doorbell sounded with its little ring.

  “Well, that’s a blessing. I think you said Candace had waitressed before, so that makes all the difference, I imagine.”

  “Absolutely, and thank goodness for that. I don’t have the energy to train a newbie—”

  Just then, a young man walked through the central yarn room and paused in the arched entry to the main room. “Are either of you Jennifer Stroud?”

  Jennifer turned to him, clearly surprised. “Yes. I’m Jennifer Stroud Wainwright. What can I do for you?”

  “I’m Anthony Browning, Julie’s brother, Tony,” he answered. “Before she died, my sister told me you had our mother’s jewelry box. Is that right?”

  Kelly stared at him. The young man’s tone of voice was definitely confrontational and bordered on hostile, to her ear.

  Jennifer straightened as she rose from her chair. “Yes. Julie gave me your mother’s jewelry box so I could ask the owners of Lambspun to put it in their office safe so it would be secure.”

  “Well, I’ve come to retrieve it,” he announced. “May I have it, please?”

  What an officious, pretentious little twerp, Kelly thought, and she rose from her chair as well, knowing she would be taller than Julie’s little brother.

  “Do you have any identification?” Kelly demanded in any icy tone as she looked down her nose at Tony.

  Tony blinked and looked a little startled for a second. “Uh, yeah, of course.” And he reached into his back pocket. Withdrawing a driver’s license from his wallet, Tony handed it over to Jennifer.

  Jennifer examined it, then handed it to Kelly. Kelly noticed a slight twinkle in Jennifer’s eye. Kelly examined it as well, taking longer than Jennifer. Then she narrowed her gaze on Tony for a bit, then turned to Jennifer. “Jennifer, do you want me to ask the Lambspun owners to open the safe and bring the jewelry box here?”

  “Yes, please,” Jennifer replied in a businesslike tone. “Thank you, Kelly.” Then turning to Tony again, Jennifer asked, “Are you still living at this address, Tony?”

  Kelly heard Tony answer in the affirmative as she swiftly walked toward the front of the Lambspun shop. She thought she remembered seeing Burt walk in that direction earlier.

  Entering the front room, she spotted both Mimi and Burt behind the counter. Burt had his hands full of papers, and Mimi was ringing up a fat skein of Fourth of July Red cotton for a customer.

  Kelly caught Burt’s eye and motioned for him to join her across the room. When he approached, she lowered her voice. “Burt, Julie’s brother, Tony, just came into the shop, and he wants their mother’s jewelry box. I asked him to show us some identification, and he definitely is Anthony Browning. So we have to comply.” She gave Burt an annoyed look.

  “Well, then, we will do so,” Burt said. “C’mon. It’s in the office safe. Let me tell Mimi first.” He walked back to the front counter just as the customer walked away, bright red yarn peeking from a Lambspun shop bag. Burt leaned over the counter and spoke quietly with Mimi for a moment. Kelly noticed the pleasant expression on Mimi’s face disappeared and an annoyed look replaced it. She murmured something to Burt, and he walked away.

  “Okay, Kelly, let’s fulfill our last obligation to Julie,” he said as he headed toward the central yarn room.

  Kelly followed after Burt, curious what his reaction to Julie’s arrogant little brother would be.

  Jennifer was seated at the library table and appeared to be peacefully knitting away with the turquoise wool again. Tony was seated at the table beside her. Jennifer looked up at Burt with a smile.

  “Here he is now. Burt’s a retired detective with the Fort Connor Police Department, Tony. I hope we didn’t disturb you, Burt. Did Kelly explain the situation?”

  “Yes, she did,” Burt answered. Kelly noticed he was using his professional police tone of voice. She’d been around Burt for so long she could detect the different voices he used when questioning people he might be suspicious of.

  Burt peered down at Tony. “You’re Julie’s younger brother, Tony, is that correct?” he demanded.

  Kelly watched Tony’s eyes widen, and he quickly rose from the chair. “Y-yes. Yes, I am.”

  “I need to see some identification,” Burt said, extending his hand.

  Once again, Tony fumbled for his wallet and withdrew his driver’s license, handing it to Burt. Burt scrutinized it for a full minute, looking at Tony, then back to the license.

  Kelly bent her head, because she felt a little smile forming.

  “Excuse me for a minute while I retrieve the jewelry box from the office safe,” Burt said then strode from the main room into the workroom next door.

  Kelly returned to her chair beside the table and clicked on her spreadsheets, only halfway paying attention. Jennifer had returned to peacefully knitting the turquoise yarn, leaving Tony to restlessly shift from one foot to the other as he stood in the archway.

  Several more rows appeared on Jennifer’s needles now, Kelly noticed. Burt walked through the workroom doorway again, this time holding a familiar red leather case with him. Kelly also noticed several papers in Burt’s hand as well. Burt strode through the main room and extended the jewelry case to Julie’s brother. Tony grabbed it eagerly.

  Then Burt held up the papers in his hand. “Mimi and I took the liberty of having all of the jewelry appraised by the expert jeweler in Fort Connor. All of the jewelry together is worth over twenty thousand dollars.” Burt handed the papers to Tony. “If you plan on selling any of those pieces, Tony, I suggest you choose a reputable jeweler who will pay you what they are worth.”

  Tony accepted the papers, but his expression had changed to slightly bewildered. “Uh, thanks. I mean . . . thank you for . . . doing that. Having it appraised and all,” he said finally. Then, he slowly backed away for a few awkward steps, then turned and quickly walked through the central yarn room toward the front door. Kelly heard the shop doorbell tinkle and glanced over at Jennifer. She had a crooked little smile.

  “I wonder how long Tony will last before he sells something,” Kelly said drily.

  Jennifer didn’t even look up from her knitting. “I suggest we all make a point of checking the pawnshops every week.”

  Seventeen

  The next day

  Kelly took a big bite of the juicy burger in front of her. One of Pete’s Café’s specialties. Loaded with all her favorites, Kelly savored the various flavors. Yummy. Double melted cheese dripping down. Super yummy, she decided.

  “Eduardo, you have out
done yourself,” she called to the busy grill cook from her table in the café’s alcove. All the other customers were outside on this beautiful early June afternoon.

  Eduardo turned to Kelly with a grin. “That was Larry’s creation, Kelly. He knew you were picky, and he loves a challenge.”

  Larry briefly held up his right hand, spatula included. “Guilty.”

  Kelly took a deep drink of hot coffee. “I’m impressed, Larry. Not everyone can match Eduardo’s grill expertise. Kudos. You are officially a Burger Master. Or maybe, King of Burgers,” she joked.

  “Thanks, but be careful with the titles,” Larry said giving her a grin. “Or that guy in the robe and the crown may show up in the café.”

  Kelly laughed out loud at that. “I don’t think that king could get past Carl in the cottage backyard. He patrols the garden café as well, and he’d have a barking fit if that king in his robe and crown showed up.” She laughed again, picturing Carl barking at the burger icon.

  “Crazy Kelly,” Eduardo said as he laughed. “Only you could come up with that idea.”

  The new waitress Candace walked over to the counter then. “The patio outside is really packed, and they’re all starving. I’ve got two tables of four.” She placed the slips of paper on the countertop. Larry walked over and picked them up.

  “Wow, you weren’t kidding,” Larry said, examining the order slips. “I’ll mix up some pancake batter, Eduardo. A couple of them want big stacks of pancakes.”

  “They won’t be able to move this afternoon,” Candace predicted as Bridget walked up to the counter.

  “Brother, what’s with all these pancake orders? It’s lunchtime already,” she said, glancing at her order pad.

  “Well, we do promise all-day breakfast,” Candace replied, grabbing a large water pitcher then refilling it before heading toward the front of the café.

  “We sure do,” Eduardo declared. “I’ve noticed over the years that we’ve got a lot of regulars from that. I’m always surprised how many people want to have breakfast food for lunch and even dinner.”