Fabric of Life

by Judith Post

  “See the old coffee can on the top shelf?” Gabe asked.

  Thea reached for it and took off the plastic lid. A small, bald teddy bear that had once been fuzzy nestled inside.

  “Didn’t want him to get dusty,” Gabe said.

  “It’s yours?” It was worn smooth from lots of use, and one of its legs dangled at an odd angle where stitches had been torn loose.

  “Mom made beautiful dolls, but what boy wants a doll? So she made me my own personal teddy bear instead. T-Bear went everywhere with me for years, and when I got too old to be seen in public with him--the other boys would have never quit teasing me--I slept with him every night. When I started working with Dad on his cabinets, I knew I was too old for my bear, but I couldn’t throw him away. So he became my shop buddy.”

  Thea rubbed Teddy’s smooth, brown body. She studied his round, button eyes and embroidered smile.

  Gabe grinned. “I used to sit him on my workbench when I made dulcimers. He was a good companion, my muse.”

  “He’s wonderful.”

  “I want you to give these to my parents when you drive them to the airport today,” Gabe said. “Tell them they brought me happiness every time I looked at them.”

  “I will. You’ve come up with the perfect thing.”

  She couldn’t stop thinking about how thoughtful Gabe was, how thoughtful he’d always been, on her drive to Cynthia’s house later that day. When they were together, he always knew the right thing to say, the small thing to do to make her feel better when she’d had a bad day. Cynthia’s ex, Randall, on the other hand, always knew the hurtful zinger that would go deep, the small gesture that would put Cynthia in her place.

  Thea wanted to stop in and check on her friend before her long drive to Indy to drop Gabe’s parents at the airport. The last time she saw Cynthia, she had hollow, dark circles under her eyes and looked worried and frazzled. Since Aggie was watching over her, though, a rested and relaxed Cynthia greeted Thea at the gallery.

  “It’s great to have the Patek women champion you,” Cynthia said. “You’ve always been there for me, your sister’s acting as my bodyguard, and Hannah creams anyone who tries to cross Toby. I highly recommend your services.”

  “No visitor since Aggie’s here?” Thea asked. “Has anyone even tried to haunt you?”

  “Hannah said that her mom felt someone drift in two nights ago, but when she saw Aggie, she left.”

  “She?” Thea asked.

  “Aggie’s convinced my visitor is a female.”

  “At least she disappears when she sees Aggie,” Thea said. Whoever the ghost was, she wasn’t confrontational. She didn’t try to out-muscle other ghosts she met.

  “Since you’re helping me, I wanted to help you,” Cynthia said. “What if I pick up Hannah at school and bring her home with Toby tonight? I’ll fix them supper, and she can stay until you get back from the airport.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate it. I’ll let Josh know he doesn’t need to worry about it.”

  “Josh? Would he remember her?”

  “He might forget everything else, but he never forgets Hannah. She makes sure of that.”

  Cynthia laughed. “I wouldn’t want to be on the bad side of Hannah.”

  “Neither does Josh. Even lost in his own world like he is, he knows what can make him even more miserable. If anyone can do it, Hannah can.”

  “Good, it’s settled then. Have a good trip and don’t be in any hurry to get back. Besides, this will be nice for Aggie, too. She can hang out with Hannah while she’s here.”

  Thea was almost out the odor when she stopped for a moment. “Would you call Shari and Nancy and see if all of us could get together for a quilting session tomorrow at my house? Would that work for you? I need to talk to all of you.”

  Cynthia studied Thea’s face. “We’ll be there. Guaranteed.”

  “Thanks.”

  Thea saw Josh on her way to Annabel’s house and stopped to tell him the news. “You could drive to Indy with us,” she invited. “That way, you could keep me company on the drive back.”

  But Josh’s eyes had a faraway look, and Thea knew that her invitation hadn’t really registered. “Thanks, but I want to get this done.” Josh pointed to the large chunk of wood that looked even more like a mermaid. The big strokes were finished, and Josh was working on the finer details now.

  “It’s beautiful,” Thea said. She wondered why water fascinated Josh so much on her drive to Annabel’s. Her attention was pulled to her task at hand, though, when Annabel’s renter clamored down the steps of the Queen Anne with an armload of boxes. The U-Haul parked at the curb was already mostly full.

  “Just about done,” he called to her. “I want to be on the road in an hour.”

  “Good luck with everything,” Thea told him. She wondered how Annabel was taking the move. She wondered how she was coping with Muriel and David leaving.

  Thea braced her shoulders, planted a smile on her lips, and hurried toward the house.

  Chapter 19

  Rachel and Isak flanked Annabel as Muriel and David said their goodbyes.

  Annabel blinked back tears. “Come back soon,” she said, “or I might not remember who you are.”

  “I will, Mom. I promise.” Muriel squeezed her tiny mother in a tight embrace. “I’ll fly back every chance I get.”

  “Don’t wear yourself out,” Annabel said. “I know you’re busy.”

  Muriel hesitated, reluctant to leave. “Are you sure you’re going to be all right?”

  “Me?” Annabel glanced at Rachel. “I’m not crazy yet, am I?”

  “Not yet,” Rachel teased. She looked at Muriel. “Isak and I asked Shari’s mother-in-law, Barb, to run the bakery today so that we can clean out a room upstairs and move in a few things. We’re going to spend the nights here from now on, and move in the rest of our things a little at a time.”

  Muriel’s face showed her relief. “Good, Mom won’t be alone.”

  Annabel’s eyes flashed. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

  “No, but we need a place to stay,” Rachel said, “and the price is right here.”

  Annabel chuckled. “Free?”

  “Just what we can afford.”

  As Thea led Muriel and David to her car, Rachel and Isak helped Annabel into the house. The leave-taking had gone better than Thea expected. She waited until they were well on their way before she told Muriel, “The sack on the backseat is for you two. It’s from Gabe.”

  “From Gabe?”

  “He couldn’t materialize for you, but he wanted you to know how much he loves you and how happy you made him as parents.”

  Muriel opened the plastic bag with shaky fingers. When she saw the worn bear, she gave a soft sob. “T-Bear, I thought he’d died.”

  David gripped the carved slingshot and whistle and ran his fingers over and over the smooth wood. “That boy cost me a new window because of this slingshot.” But his words were filled with pride.

  Thea explained how Gabe had saved them all these years. “You were always with him that way.”

  The trip to the airport was emotional, and Thea felt drained on the drive home. Her heart went out to Muriel. She not only lost her son, suddenly and unexpectedly, but she had the additional worry about her mother. Thea thought about her own mother. Kate was so active, she had such a strong personality, that Thea couldn’t imagine anything defeating her. Breast cancer hadn’t, and hopefully, old age wouldn’t either. But everything in life changes, and there were no guarantees. Thea knew that, and she knew that she and her mother would face those challenges when they came, just as they’d faced cancer together.

  A road sign announced, “Emerald Hills, 40 miles.”

  Enough thinking and fretting, Thea decided. She turned on the radio and tried to push away any serious thoughts. But she couldn’t help worrying about the new ghost in town. What had happened to the young girl? Why had she stayed instead of going to the light? And why was she lashing out at people she
didn’t even know? When her friends came for the quilting get-together, maybe they could help Thea piece some ideas together. Between them, they knew almost everyone in town. They’d know if any young girl recently died. And once they knew who she was and what had happened to her, they could concentrate on how to stop her and send her away.

  Chapter 20

  Afternoon was gone, and it was nearly seven before Thea pulled in front of Cynthia’s gallery. Tourists still clogged the sidewalks and filled the chairs at outdoor cafés. Kids licked ice cream cones or slurped slushies as they followed their parents from shop to shop. Dads or grandparents stood with them while the rest of their group went inside to scope out goods. Thea was happy to see a respectable number of people browsing in the gallery when she passed its large, plate glass windows. Cynthia’s assistant, Virginia, saw her and waved. Thea gave her a thumbs-up for luck with sales before she climbed the stairs at the side of the building.

  Cynthia opened the door of her third floor apartment and put a finger to her lips. “You’ve got to see this,” she said.

  Thea followed her to her own, private studio at the rear of the building. Windows lined one wall, letting light spill into the room. Easels and canvases dotted the floor. Hannah stood in front of one, a frown creasing her forehead while she chewed on her bottom lip. Smears of paint smudged her arms and spattered her jean shorts. Deep concentration kept her focus on her work. She didn’t even realize that Thea was there. Toby dabbed paint on another canvas, slapping big globs of color here and there with no apparent reason.

  “Wait till you see Hannah’s painting. I showed them a few basic procedures,” Cynthia said, “but Hannah has tons of natural talent. You’re going to love this.”

  Hannah turned when they went to look at her canvas, and she scrunched her nose in disappointment. “Are you here already?”

  Thea grinned at Cynthia. “Don’t kids make you feel loved?”

  Hannah flipped her long, straight hair in disgust. “I’m not finished yet.”

  “Does she have to leave now?” Toby complained. “We were having fun.”

  Thea ignored their suffering. “Let me see what you’ve done.” She felt excitement zip through her as she stepped in front of the canvas. Hannah had painted a street lined with shops in Emerald Hills. Old brick buildings nestled beside clapboard Victorians. Flowers spilled from hanging baskets, attached to hooks on street lamps, and more flowers filled painted window boxes. Striped awnings covered doors and windows. Blobs of color gave the impression of tourists strolling the street. There was a sense of bustling movement.

  “It’s wonderful,” Thea said.

  Hannah gave a satisfied smile. “Cynthia said she’d give me lessons. Is that okay with you?”

  “Are you kidding?” Thea studied the painting. “It’s better than okay.” She tilted her head and squinted. “What’s the whitish splotches floating above the sidewalks?”

  Hannah gave her “the look.” “Ghosts, of course.”

  “That many?” Thea asked.

  “Sometimes.”

  “Doesn’t anyone leave here when they die?” Cynthia asked.

  Hannah rolled her eyes. “Sure, silly, but sometimes spirits come back to check on us.”

  Cynthia rubbed her arms. “They can’t see anything we don’t want them to, can they?”

  “You mean, like watching us in the shower or something?” Hannah asked. “No, that would be tacky.”

  Cynthia looked relieved.

  “If there are that many ghosts, have any of them met the new spirit in town?” Thea asked.

  Hannah signed her initials in the corner of the picture. “Mom says that the new ghost is scared.”

  “Of what? How do you scare a ghost?”

  “Mom thinks a mortal is involved somehow, but she doesn’t know how.”

  “We can scare a ghost?” Cynthia asked.

  “Mom told me to tell you that you should look for a living person who’d want Gabe and Sheila dead, not a ghost.”

  Thea was stunned. “How do I do that?”

  Hannah cocked her head. “What?” She frowned, listening. “Mom says she’d start by looking for who’ll benefit. That should tell you who and why.”

  “Your mom’s right here? Right now?” Cynthia looked uncomfortable.

  “Easier said than done,” Thea grumbled.

  Hannah listened and smiled. “Mom says, ‘Just do it.’”

  “She always was bossy,” Thea said.

  Hannah listened again and laughed.

  “What now?” Thea demanded.

  “I can’t tell you. I’d get in trouble.”

  Thea raised both of her hands in defeat. “I don’t want to know.” Aggie had been a smart-ass when she was alive. She had no shame as a ghost. Thea turned to Cynthia. “The new ghost is why I wanted us to get together tomorrow. I think she’s pulling bookmarks at random, that she’s frustrated and angry and striking back.”

  “I called Shari and Nancy. Is one o’clock okay? We can open our shops and get things in good shape before we come. Can we just make it lunch, though? This is Memorial Day weekend. We’re going to have more business than we can keep up with.”

  “Perfect.” Before Thea could leave, Hannah stopped to listen to her mother again.

  “Mom says she thinks you’re wrong, as usual. She says ghosts wouldn’t bother with bookmarks.”

  Thea glared at the spot Hannah kept talking to. “Aggie always did think she was smarter than anyone else. We’ll brainstorm it tomorrow. There has to be some reason this ghost keeps coming to my studio, and there has to be some way to stop her.”

  Chapter 21

  Thea was exhausted by the time she and Hannah got home. For all of her protesting, Hannah looked tired, too.

  They came to a mutual decision to dig into bowls piled high with ice cream and to pop a DVD into the player. They stayed up late, watching the movie. There was no school tomorrow, and Hannah had a three-day weekend with Memorial Day.

  Emerald Hills was geared up for the holiday. Flags flapped on the front of every building. A parade was planned tomorrow that would circle the perimeter of the shopping area, starting at Shari’s Inn and circling town on Ruby Riverwalk. Clowns, bands, antique cars, and horses were all part of the celebration. When the parade was over, people could rent carriage rides or antique car tours. Gordon Neilson offered special prices for helicopter rides over the entire area, so that tourists could see the picturesque town and its surrounding lakes and forests from the air.

  All of the shops stayed open on Sunday, and there were fireworks planned for Monday. It would be a fun weekend, and Thea was looking forward to it. The quilting session would have to be short tomorrow, though. The shops would be busier than usual. Her friends couldn’t stay away for long.

  The movie was only halfway over when Hannah sagged sideways and fell asleep on Thea’s shoulder. Thea turned off the TV and gazed at her sister’s daughter. She smoothed her long, straight, light brown hair away from her face. She rearranged herself slightly, so that Hannah’s sturdy, tanned body would slump comfortably against hers. She should wake her and guide her to bed, but these moments were rare these days. Hannah was growing up. There was less snuggling, more attitude.

  Thea flipped the movie back on. She’d finish watching it with Hannah cradled against her. It felt good, reassuring. She couldn’t believe how much she loved Hannah. She’d worried about that at first, after Aggie died. Could she possibly love this child as much as she loved her own?

  She and Hannah didn’t have the same relationship Thea had with her own two children. For one thing, Thea never tried to take Aggie’s place. After all, Aggie was still around. She might not be able to parent, exactly, but she could still love and enjoy her daughter. That left Thea free to enjoy Hannah in a whole different way, more as a live-in aunt. Not as much responsibility, but just as much love. It was a nice combination.

  Thea’s shoulder ached by the time the movie was over. Hannah was no light-weight any
more. It took a few gentle shakes before she woke Hannah enough to get her to her feet to steer her down the steps to the downstairs bedrooms.

  After Thea tucked Hannah beneath her sheets, she stood by the bed and gazed at her. Lucky, she thought. She was a fortunate woman. She had two beautiful children of her own, and one spectacular spare. The only thing she needed to make her life complete was Gabe by her side. But Gabe couldn’t drift in tonight. He was busy guarding the studio and protecting peoples’ lives. If Thea and Gabe had their way, not one more person’s bookmark would be unraveled, and whoever was responsible for these deaths would pay.

  Chapter 22

  Thea decided on fast and simple for her friends. They were going above and beyond the call of duty to meet with her, and she appreciated it. She was putting the finishing touches on a Shrimp Louis salad when Shari’s Cadillac darted past the window. Bread sticks nestled in a basket on the table, and Shari grabbed one on her way to the kitchen. She frowned as she looked around. “I don’t see a dessert.”

  “Key lime pie,” Thea said. “It’s in the fridge.”

  Shari shook her head. “I’m glad you thought of this. I needed a break from the inn. Every room’s full. People are splashing themselves silly in the pool, and kids are running all over the place. It’s a zoo.”

  “Was Barb all right with your leaving her to deal with everything alone?”

  “Hank’s there too.” Shari waved a hand. “That woman’s a damned saint. The crazier it gets, the more she likes it.”

  Nancy’s SUV pulled in next. When Nancy came into the kitchen, Shari looked at her and laughed. Nancy’s thick, wavy hair had frizzed in the humid heat. “You look like the bride of Frankenstein,” Shari told her.

  Nancy frowned. “You work in a hot kitchen and see how gorgeous you look on a day like today. We’ve got people standing in line for tables.”