Knit to Kill

by Anne Canadeo

  “I’m not sure. I don’t see him as a killer. But I also didn’t see him as the type of person who would steal intellectual property and try to sell it under the table. Not before this morning.” Lucy shrugged. “He seems so stable and responsible. He seems so . . . kind. He’d mentioned that he was at the hospital Thursday night into Friday morning, dealing with a patient emergency, and didn’t get back to Osprey Shores until the police cars were whizzing past his cottage.”

  “The time of Morton’s murder has to be a very small window,” Dana pointed out. “He was killed sometime between setting off for his run, maybe about seven-thirty, after he reported the car vandalism, and a quarter past eight, when the fishermen on the beach saw his body flying off the cliff.”

  “So the police must have ruled out Dr. Fielding quickly,” Suzanne said. “But suppose he got back from the hospital earlier and hid his car somewhere? He could have killed Morton, hoofed it back to his car, and sailed through the gate just ahead of the police cruisers, giving him a solid alibi.”

  “He could have worked it that way,” Dana agreed. “I guess the police will have to take a closer look at the time he left the hospital and the time he drove through the gate, and see if there was enough slack for him to track down Morton. They probably didn’t bother to check his alibi that closely since they had no reason to suspect him.”

  “But they will check the timing closer now, we hope. Once we lead them on the scent.” Suzanne looked fired up, eager to go.

  “Enough said. You ought to set off right away,” Maggie urged them. “Phoebe and I will head to the beach. You can meet us there when you get back.”

  “Good plan. I’m going to text Amy and let her know that we’re coming and have some news. She said they just started questioning Rob.”

  “I hope they hear us out and don’t think we’re a bunch of silly, gossiping women. Strangers to the area, to boot,” Dana said.

  “They might think that at first. But we’ll convince them otherwise.” Suzanne had on her game face, her tone tough and confident.

  Lucy didn’t want to cause a scene at the police station, but she knew Suzanne wouldn’t mind doing so. If that would produce the results she was seeking.

  A short time later, they arrived at the Eaton’s Landing police station. Amy was nowhere to be seen in the outer lobby, and Suzanne sent her a text to let her know they’d arrived. Amy texted back quickly. She was in a waiting room upstairs and would be down to meet them soon. Detective Dunbar had called a break in the interview, and Amy was talking to Rob’s attorney.

  “Well, no time like the present,” Suzanne said, glancing at a glass window behind which a police officer presided. He was looking through some paperwork and didn’t seem to notice them. “Let’s try this guy and see how far we get.”

  Lucy and her friends followed Suzanne to the window. The officer stared back at them with a grim expression. “Can I help you?”

  “We have some important information for Detective Dunbar, regarding the Morton murder case,” Suzanne announced.

  “Important information?”

  “That’s right. Very important,” Suzanne echoed with confidence. “This could break the case wide open.”

  The officer looked doubtful that anything Suzanne had to say could help the police. “Detective Dunbar is conducting an interview. I’ll see if I can find someone to take your information. Name please?” Suzanne quickly replied, and he jotted it on a slip of paper. “You can wait by those chairs near the exit.”

  “Thank you, officer.” Suzanne graced the dour man with a huge smile.

  She turned to Lucy and Dana. “That wasn’t too bad,” she said in a hushed voice.

  Dana led the way to a row of plastic chairs. “Well done, Suzanne. I could tell he wanted to brush you off, but you sounded too determined.”

  “I am determined. To help Amy and Rob. And get Detective Dunbar to start looking in a different direction for Morton’s murderer.”

  They waited in the drab lobby for someone to come out and speak to them. Suzanne and Dana checked their phone messages. Lucy read the yellowed safety posters that warned about drunk driving and home security.

  “I wish I’d brought my knitting. I didn’t think we’d have to wait this long,” Dana said.

  Suzanne looked up from her phone. “I wish I was on the beach with Maggie and Phoebe. But this is more important.”

  A few minutes later, Officer Hobart walked out a door near the glass window. “Suzanne Cavanaugh?”

  Suzanne waved her hand and stood up, though they were the only ones in the lobby. “Right here, Officer. Remember me? You interviewed us Friday morning at Osprey Shores.”

  “Yes, I remember.” The police officer walked over to them. “You have some information for us about the Morton case?”

  “My friends figured out something you need to hear,” Suzanne replied.

  Officer Hobart looked over at Lucy and Dana. “Is there something you didn’t tell me when I interviewed you?”

  “No, nothing like that,” Lucy replied. “But we do have a good idea who found the plans for Dr. Morton’s invention and used the alias Fred Sigmund to try to sell them. And it’s not Rob Cutler. Or Tanya Morton.”

  “So you already know about that? News travels quickly.” Officer Hobart was clearly surprised that they knew so much about the investigation. “I guess you ought to come back to my desk and tell me your . . . theory.”

  He sounded smug and patronizing, as if he was obliged to hear them out but didn’t believe they had anything worth saying. Lucy couldn’t do anything about that. She hoped he would at least pass their ideas on to Detective Dunbar, who must be frustrated by making so little progress in finding Morton’s killer. She might be ready for a fresh point of view.

  It didn’t take long for Lucy and her friends to explain that they suspected Dr. Fielding and why they suspected him. To his credit, Officer Hobart took notes. His expression was hard to read. Lucy couldn’t tell if he was interested and thought the lead was worth pursuing, or if he would toss his notes into the trash as soon as they left.

  “I’ll pass this information to Detective Dunbar,” he said. “If she has any questions, she’ll call you.”

  “Thank you, officer. We hope you figure out the case soon,” Suzanne said.

  “So do we,” Officer Hobart replied.

  When they returned to the lobby, Amy was waiting for them. “Where were you? The desk sergeant said you were speaking to Officer Hobart.”

  “We were. Lucy and Dana figured out that Fred Sigmund is probably Dr. Fielding’s alias,” Suzanne replied quickly. “Morton was his patient and probably told Dr. Fielding all about the invention and even where it was hidden. We have a strong suspicion Dr. Fielding found the plans and was the one trying to sell them.”

  Amy looked surprised at this theory. “Dr. Fielding? But he’s such a nice man. Do you really think he’d do something like that?”

  “We think he’s nice, too. But he certainly has motive,” Dana said.

  “He loves Meredith, and must have felt great distress seeing her treated so badly by her ex-husband. Especially now that she’s sick,” Lucy added.

  “Do you think Dr. Fielding killed Julian Morton?” Amy looked surprised again, coming to this conclusion.

  “We’re not sure,” Dana replied. “He has a good alibi for the time of the murder. He told us that he was at the hospital all night, caring for a patient and returned to the development right after the police arrived. But he could have parked his car outside of the development, gone on the cliff path and killed Morton. Then walked back to his car and driven through the main gate as if he was just getting home.”

  “We’ll leave that part to the police to figure out,” Suzanne said.

  Amy’s expression was thoughtful as she seemed to consider the theory. “I guess anything is possible. I hope they take your theory seriously and look into it. It would certainly draw Detective Dunbar’s attention away from Rob.”


  “That’s what we hope, too,” Lucy said.

  Suzanne wanted to stay with Amy, so she gave Lucy the keys to her SUV. She would get a ride back to the development with Amy and Rob, once Rob was released. Lucy and Dana left the police station and drove back to Osprey Shores without much conversation.

  “That went better than I expected.” Dana had been looking out her window but now turned to Lucy, who was driving. “Amy seemed pleased that we told the police our ideas. At least Officer Hobart was polite and professional.”

  “I think it did boost Amy’s spirits. But I felt like Hobart didn’t take us seriously, despite being so polite.”

  They were driving along the main road, which was lined with houses and a few B&Bs and small hotels. The water was visible in the distance, and Lucy realized that any one of the crossroads she passed would eventually lead to the cliff path. The killer could have easily parked on a road a short distance from the development and come down the path, then waited to kill Morton without driving through the Osprey Shores gate, as they now suspected Dr. Fielding had done.

  Dana’s words interrupted Lucy’s thoughts. “As long as Officer Hobart passes our information to Detective Dunbar, we’ve got a shot at helping. I wonder if he would interrupt Rob’s interview to give it to her?”

  “That seems doubtful. He’ll probably wait until Rob’s interview is done,” Lucy replied.

  “Either way, Detective Dunbar looks sharp. I think she’ll look into it,” Dana replied.

  Lucy wasn’t so sure of that. But she did think the detective would at least consider their theory. “Hard to say what will happen now. We’ll be leaving in a few hours. We probably won’t be here to see how this puzzler turns out.”

  “I guess not,” Dana agreed. “Though now I’m itching to know.”

  “You’re sure that’s not poison ivy?” Lucy teased her.

  Dana laughed. “I’m sure. Though I think we all feel the same. Curiosity can be just as contagious.”

  Chapter 11

  Lucy and Dana met Maggie and Phoebe on the beach a short time later. Lucy set herself up on a lounge chair under an umbrella, facing the waves. She slapped on sunscreen and took out a book and her knitting. She was determined to enjoy their last few hours on Osprey Island, though she felt distracted and unsettled by the morning’s events.

  Dana’s phone rang. She quickly scooped it out of her tote bag. Lucy could tell Suzanne was on the line. Dana sighed, then replied in a bright tone.

  “I’m so relieved. I hope the police leave Rob alone now. They have a whole new trail to follow with Dr. Fielding. Or should I say Fred Sigmund?”

  Dana laughed at something Suzanne said. Then replied, “Really? Fast work. I guess they took our information seriously. Let me know if Rob’s attorney has any more inside news.” She paused, listening. “Oh, interesting. I guess that nails it. Okay. We’ll see you down on the beach soon. We’re in the same spot we had the other day.”

  Dana ended the call and put her phone away. “Good news! The police released Rob. They couldn’t find any link between him and the mysterious Fred Sigmund so they had to let him go. Amy’s attorney doesn’t think they’re going to pursue the scheme with Tanya to sell the device either, since it didn’t come to much. So that’s another bullet dodged.

  “Meanwhile, Detective Dunbar did follow through on our information, and Rob’s attorney said Dr. Fielding was just brought in for questioning. They found him at the hospital, visiting Meredith.”

  Lucy put her knitting down and sighed. “I know I helped bring that about, but now I feel bad. How embarrassing for Dr. Fielding and how upsetting for poor Meredith. I hope this doesn’t affect her recovery.”

  “That is a concern.” Maggie was also knitting and paused to glance over at Lucy. “But I think you did the right thing. These situations are rarely black and white.”

  “It is complicated,” Dana agreed. “I do believe Dr. Fielding found the invention plans and was trying to sell them. But he does seem like such a solid, genuinely good person. It’s hard to process.”

  Process was a good word; as in food processor. Lucy felt like she was in an emotional blender. She couldn’t get her mind around all this information and come to a satisfying conclusion.

  “Dr. Fielding probably tried to sell the plans for the invention. But now I’m not really sure he killed Morton, too. I hope the police don’t jump to that conclusion,” she said finally.

  “I don’t see him as a cold-blooded cliff pusher either,” Maggie said. “But now that we’ve opened Pandora’s box and handed it to Detective Dunbar, who knows what will pop out.”

  True enough, Lucy thought. She didn’t know what else to say.

  “I feel badly, too . . . and I barely had anything to do with pointing a finger at Dr. Fielding,” Maggie added. “Maybe we should stop by the hospital on our way out of town and bring Meredith some flowers or something. Dr. Fielding seems to be her main support. I’m sure she’s upset and could use some company.”

  “Good idea. We don’t know her well, but friendly faces are always welcome when you’re alone in a hospital room. And with the police questioning your romantic partner, no less,” Dana said.

  Lucy and the rest of her friends agreed on the plan. Lucy felt a bit better. She felt responsible for Dr. Fielding’s absence from Meredith’s bedside today, while the poor woman was still critically ill. The least they could do was bring her some flowers and show her some concern and kindness.

  Suzanne soon arrived. She seemed happy to relax and enjoy the beach after such a long visit to the police station. “I told Amy we would swing by before we leave later, to thank her and say good-bye.”

  Everyone agreed that was a good idea, though no one was in a hurry to leave the beach. It had turned out to be a perfect day, and when the sun slipped toward the horizon and the shadows grew long, it was very hard to pack up and head back to the cottage. Lucy and her friends still lingered.

  “Listen, I’m fine with getting back late tonight. I don’t need to be at work until eleven,” Suzanne said.

  “I have late patients, too,” Dana replied. “It’s Maggie and Phoebe who are the early birds and need to open the shop.”

  “Oh, we’ll manage. A late opening won’t matter one way or the other. I don’t have any classes scheduled.” Maggie turned to her knitting and began a new row. She didn’t look eager to leave the beach today either. “Let’s take our time. No sense driving right into rush hour on the thruway. There won’t be any traffic later. We’ll fly home.”

  “With Suzanne at the wheel, we will,” Lucy agreed. She worked from home, and everyone knew she made her own hours. The worst delay she’d face starting her day late would be complaints from her dogs, who were used to an early walk.

  Phoebe had taken a stroll with her camera and returned looking pleased. “I got some good shots of an egret. The light is perfect now.” She dropped into a chair with the camera in her lap.

  “I’d love to see your photos, Phoebe. Are any ready for prime time yet?” Lucy teased.

  “You can’t see the egret shots yet. But here are the photos I took the first morning. I finally finished working on them.”

  Phoebe handed Lucy the camera and helped her scroll through the photos. Beautiful beach scenes, all featuring the nesting birds and rocky shoreline, with the early morning fog drifting in smoky clouds.

  “These are beautiful, Phoebe. Very artistic,” she added.

  “Here’s a good one. The bird is carrying something to build her nest. Isn’t that sweet?”

  Lucy looked over the photo. Phoebe had enlarged the photo a lot to get a close-up of the bird. She’d also brightened it and enhanced the color. It was a very beautiful picture with high contrast. The drops of sea spray clinging to the mossy, black rocks and the plover’s fine feathers looked distinct enough to reach out and touch.

  “I thought she was carrying beach grass in her beak at first. But once I enlarged the photo, I could tell it was a piece of yarn,” Pho
ebe explained.

  Lucy took a closer look. A bit of lime green yarn was clamped in the bird’s beak, about six inches long. It made for a charming picture. Though Lucy wondered where the bird had found this precious bit of nest-building material. Maybe from residents who sat on the cliff walk benches and knitted. Lucy hadn’t seen any knitters out there, but it was possible.

  “It’s a lovely photo, Phoebe. Really. And that bird is a very clever, resourceful builder. I bet she’ll be a great mother.”

  Phoebe looked back at the photo. “I think so, too.”

  They lingered on the beach a while longer, until their cold drinks and snacks gave out. Finally, everyone was ready to go, albeit reluctantly.

  * * *

  Back at the cottage, they showered, dressed, and packed up. Lucy hadn’t brought much, and she packed quickly. Why was it always so easy to pack up after a trip, but impossible to pack when you were going away? She’d left her bedroom at home filled with discarded outfits and shoes. Too many choices.

  She searched the cottage for forgotten belongings, books, her bicycle helmet, and extra sandals. Once the car was packed with their luggage, Lucy and her friends quickly cleaned up, determined to leave the cottage in the same pristine condition they had found it.

  Suzanne stood at the fridge with her coolers. “Luckily, not much food to bring home. Or wine and tequila, for that matter.”

  “We can’t help it if you’re such a great cook and mixologist,” Lucy teased. “Among your other talents.”

  Suzanne looked pleased by the compliment. “What can I say? You guys inspire me.”

  They were soon all out on the porch, watching Suzanne lock the front door. “Let’s walk over to Amy’s and drop off the key,” she suggested.

  “Of course. We need to send her a thank-you gift when we get home,” Maggie noted.

  They followed Suzanne up the path to Amy and Rob’s cottage. The door flew open before Suzanne had time to knock or ring the bell.