Hounds of the Basket Stitch

by Anne Canadeo

  “And a big bouquet of roses was delivered the next day,” Maggie added.

  “A lovers’ quarrel,” Lucy said. “I didn’t know they were involved.”

  “I didn’t think so, either. Now I’m not so sure,” Dana said. “Maybe he likes Holly, but she isn’t interested in him?”

  Lucy reflected. “Rejection is an aphrodisiac for some men. They thrive on a good chase.”

  “It is a pattern with some people. When the object of their affection is just out of reach, he or she seems more desirable,” Dana agreed. “And beyond that, I’ve always thought that he and Emily Curtis were together. An on-again, off-again affair, I’d heard. They do keep their private life private. Maybe that’s over, and he was pursuing Holly.”

  Maggie felt a bit embarrassed, as if she’d kept something important from Dana. But the conversation she’d overheard hadn’t seemed that important with everything else going on. It seemed to have relevance now.

  “I probably should have mentioned this sooner, Dana. I overheard Dr. Curtis and Dr. Riley arguing last Friday, when you took me to the center. I was going to tell you, but I put it off, and it just felt too much like gossiping, I guess,” Maggie admitted. “And Rose was in the car.”

  She quickly had the full attention of both her friends.

  “Sounds interesting. Go on,” Lucy coaxed.

  “I was waiting for Dana to come out of her office, and the door to Dr. Curtis’s office was open. Dr. Riley and Dr. Curtis were having a spat. She knew he had an appointment with Holly that afternoon, and she was upset. And jealous. I got the distinct impression that he and Dr. Curtis are not just business and scientific partners but also a romantic pair. At least she seems to think so.”

  Dana’s expression was thoughtful. “They might be together. If so, they keep it very quiet. Maybe for professional reasons. But maybe Holly knew, and that’s why she didn’t want to get involved with him.”

  Lucy had taken out her knitting but left it on the table. “Perhaps it’s one sided for Dr. Curtis. Maybe she’s yearning after a guy who keeps dancing out of reach.”

  “I did get that feeling,” Maggie agreed. “Then again, it’s impossible to judge an entire relationship from one brief conversation. I may have misinterpreted. Either way, it sounds like Detective Reyes does plan on interviewing Dr. Riley. You might mention it to her?”

  “I will. But I don’t think she’ll look at either of them as persons of interest. Does anyone really think that someone like Dr. Riley could react to romantic rejection by trying to kill Holly? Or that Dr. Curtis could be so crazed with jealousy she’d do such a thing? I can’t imagine that either of them is responsible, any more than I think Rose is.”

  Maggie followed Dana’s gaze through the big window in the front of the shop. Rose stood on the small square of lawn, with full control over the three dogs as she put them through their paces with sit, lie, and stay commands. The perfect distraction for her after the police interview.

  “It does sound out of character for any of them,” Maggie agreed. “But who would be angry enough to go to such extremes?”

  “Toby is angry.” Dana turned and met Maggie’s glance. “I didn’t want to talk about him in front of Rose. I don’t want her to be afraid of him. But I gave Detective Reyes an earful.”

  “Whoa . . . Who’s Toby?” Lucy asked. “I can’t keep the scorecard if I don’t know the players.”

  “He’s Rose and Holly’s half brother. Ava’s son from her first marriage,” Dana explained. “He’s already had . . . issues and feels very much the victim in the family. His stepfather, George, lost patience and didn’t leave him any share of the business. So he has his grievances.”

  “Oh, I see. I’d put him on the top of my list if I were Detective Reyes. He should definitely distract her from focusing on Rose, don’t you think?” Lucy’s tone was hopeful.

  “I’ve barely met the man,” Maggie said, “but he was definitely sugarcoating his bitter feelings and seemed completely insincere about coming home to help his sisters.”

  “When he showed up yesterday, I was surprised, but I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt,” Dana said. “Now I’m totally suspicious. I’d like to know where he was Tuesday night, when the fire started, and if there’s any gasoline on his shoes or clothing.”

  “I was thinking the same thing. I felt uneasy leaving you alone with him last night,” Maggie said. “I hope Jack wasn’t too late getting out to the house.”

  “Late enough. Toby and I had a very ugly confrontation. He found me in Holly’s office. I was looking for the home safe or anything to help figure out what happened to her. He lost no time reminding me I’m not a blood relation and claims that he’s filing a legal petition to become Rose’s guardian. At least temporarily, while Holly is unable to fulfill her responsibilities.”

  Maggie felt her heart clutch. “That would be awful. He doesn’t even know Rose. He treats her in such a condescending way and he clearly disdains the dogs. Can he really persuade a judge to do this?”

  Lucy was alarmed, too. “Holly has been sick only two days. Wouldn’t it take a while for a legal decision like that to be worked out? She might be awake and aware before he could even get in front of a judge.”

  “Normally, that’s true. But because of Rose’s disability, things can move very quickly. I feel stupid now for not working out some official arrangement with Holly in case anything like this happened. At least I’m her official health proxy, or Toby would be taking over Holly’s medical decisions right now, too.”

  “What does he hope to gain by this maneuver? Can you figure that out?” Maggie asked.

  “Oh, it’s very clear to me. He’s still bitter about George Piper’s will. He wants the business and the property, or whatever part he can get his hands on. Who knows what damage he can do, even in a short span of time?” Dana took a deep breath. Maggie could see she was very upset but was trying to lay the facts out clearly. “If, heaven forbid, the unthinkable were to happen and Holly didn’t survive her injuries, everything goes to Rose. Since she’s deemed mentally incompetent, her legal guardian would control her inheritance.”

  “That is a dark scenario,” Maggie said quietly.

  “And plenty of motive to attack Holly and leave her in a fire to die,” Lucy pointed out.

  “More than enough, I’d say. Even if he’s arrived by coincidence and is just trying to take advantage of the situation, checking out Toby’s story should deflect attention from Rose for a little while,” Maggie pointed out.

  “We hope so. And we aren’t taking any chances with his threat,” Dana assured them. “Jack thinks he can nip Toby’s legal move in the bud. He’s filing a counter petition, asking that I be named Rose’s temporary guardian while Holly is incapacitated. Even if we need to appear in court, it will certainly slow down Toby’s plan, and Holly might rally by then.”

  “Oh my . . . this is so much all at once for you,” Maggie said.

  She leaned over and gave Dana a hug. Lucy did the same, and Dana finally smiled, though her eyes grew glossy and she looked about to cry.

  “It must be so awkward staying in the house with him now,” Lucy said. “Even if Jack is there with you.”

  “He can’t stand the dogs and announced this morning he was moving into the apartment over the garage. It’s furnished, and sometimes Holly rents it out, but it’s empty now. He’ll take what he needs from the house, I guess. I think his biggest concern is hooking up a TV.”

  “Maybe he’ll disappear again, once his petition is thrown out of court,” Lucy said.

  “With any luck,” Dana agreed. “At least with him out of the house, I can poke around some more. I found some bank statements and I did find the safe, hidden in the floor of Holly’s office. Unfortunately, I can’t find the combination. Yet. I know I should tell Detective Reyes, but I don’t want to until I get it open. There might be something important inside.”

  Something that might contribute to the theory that Rose
was guilty? Maggie wondered. Was that what she was afraid of?

  “Toby interrupted me before I could do a good search of the desk,” Dana said.

  “It’s a big place. The combination could be hidden anywhere. If it’s even written down.” Maggie hated to sound negative by pointing that out, but it was true. Maybe Dana was better off taking her chances and letting the police open the safe.

  “Don’t remind me. I’m trying not to psyche myself out,” Dana said. “If I go room by room, I’m sure it will turn up. It might even be in the one of the outbuildings. Maybe the garage or potting shed? Not the greenhouse, I hope.” She sounded worried about that possibility.

  “We should help you. We’ll come there tonight.” Lucy turned to Maggie. “We can’t sit here, happily knitting away, while poor Dana is trying to figure out who tried to kill Holly . . . and the super-creepy half brother is lurking around.”

  “I did think we should call off tonight’s meeting,” Maggie admitted. “But gathering at the Pipers’ to knit and help Dana dig up pieces to this puzzle is the perfect compromise.”

  “Would you really do that? That would be a great help.” Dana’s face finally lit up with a smile. “We’ll act like it’s knitting night as usual, in case Toby gets suspicious.”

  “I’ll take care of dinner,” Maggie offered. “It’s my turn to do the main dish.”

  “Something we can eat quickly. There’s a lot of ground to cover and not much time.” Lucy sounded serious and psyched, already in her investigation mode. “I’ve been meaning to search Carl Thornton on the internet. I’ll do that today, and I’ll do some research on Toby Nash. From what you’ve said about him, I doubt his background check comes up lily white. Which would help fend off his play for Rose’s guardianship.”

  “Thank you, Lucy,” Dana said sincerely. “Someone in Jack’s office might work on that angle, too. Let’s hope the combination turns up. I have a feeling we’ll find more than cash and jewelry in that safe. Holly has probably stashed some precious secrets there, too.”

  Maggie thought it was wise of Dana to admit the truth. It did seem now that Holly had hidden parts of her life from Dana. Dana prided herself on her close relationship with her goddaughter, but as a psychologist, she surely knew that everyone held at least a few secrets close to their heart, and even hidden relationships.

  Had one of Holly’s secrets nearly killed her? That was starting to look very possible.

  Chapter 8

  “Well, gang, as Yogi Berra said, ‘It’s like déjà vu all over again.’ ” Suzanne pulled up in front of the Pipers’ house, parked the SUV, and shut off the engine. She pulled down the visor mirror to fluff her hairdo and freshen her lipstick, though there was no one joining them tonight to admire her appearance.

  “Yogi was right, too.” Maggie climbed out of the backseat, where she had sat beside Phoebe. She grabbed two pans of food from the hatch—there was much less to carry tonight since she’d been determined to keep the meal simple—and headed up the path with her friends toward the Pipers’ house.

  Exactly one week later, and here they were again. It did feel like déjà vu. A chilly wind tossed the branches above the rooftop, and the dogs inside barked and howled. The small lamp above the portico cast a yellow glow, and the front door slowly opened.

  Except that Holly wasn’t standing in the doorway this time to welcome them. It was Dana and Rose. And though it appeared that they were visiting for another knitting session, their real objective was to search the house and the property for any clues the police may have missed. For any bits of evidence that proved Rose did not carry out such a cruel, heartless act.

  Despite their serious purpose, or maybe because of it, the mood was upbeat and cheery.

  “I heated the oven for you,” Dana said as Maggie and the others followed her into the kitchen.

  Rose was at the table, setting it for six. The everyday china tonight, Maggie noticed, though she certainly didn’t mind.

  She opened the oven door and slipped in the two trays she was carrying, then pulled off the foil covers.

  “Is that pizza?” Maggie could tell from Rose’s tone that pizza was one of her favorite meals.

  “Flatbread.” Maggie closed the oven and smiled at her. “Which is just a trendy word for the same thing.”

  “You’re in luck, Rose. Maggie’s homemade flatbread is a culinary treat. You’ll never look at ordinary pizza the same,” Lucy warned.

  While the flatbread heated, Dana tossed a green salad with some dressing she’d mixed earlier.

  “Ta-dah!” Suzanne pulled two bottles of sparkling water from her knitting bag, as if arriving at a picnic with bottles of champagne. “I know it’s a no wine night, but a few bubbles couldn’t hurt.”

  “Not at all. They might even help,” Maggie replied.

  They had decided to forgo their usual bottle of wine with dinner. They needed to keep their wits sharp for the search, and it was a long drive back to the village. But sparkling water did make the meal more festive and might even spur some creative thinking. There were plenty of puzzles and baffling questions to answer.

  Suzanne poured the sparkling water as if it was a fine vintage and Dana served the salad. The oven timer buzzed and Maggie peeked at her flatbreads, to check that they were ready.

  “Here it is, hot from the oven.” Maggie cut through the crust with a sharp pizza wheel and set down the trays in the center of the table. Conversation stopped as she passed out slices, and everyone happily munched on their dinner. “Best to eat this while it’s hot. Oregano anyone? I brought my shaker from home.”

  “You mean the one you carry in your purse,” Phoebe said between bites. “You’re the biggest oregano fan I’ve ever met. You can put it on practically anything.”

  “I can,” Maggie agreed. “Could be my genetic makeup. I’ve heard it’s very good for you. Lowers the blood pressure.”

  “As long as it has tomato sauce and mozzarella, I’m good,” Rose promised.

  “I’m with you, kid. But I love to see what else Maggie has tossed on top. Roasted artichokes, mushrooms, asparagus. . . chicken,” Suzanne noted, surveying one of the breads. “Not to mention this one, with the blue cheese. You do come up with some very creative combinations.”

  “This is scrumptious, Maggie. I need to get the recipe,” Lucy said.

  “Not much to it. Some store-bought pizza dough and any tasty odds and ends you can find in the fridge.”

  “Some refrigerators have a much better selection of odds and ends than others,” Phoebe pointed out. “If you looked in mine, you’ll see a few shriveled carrots, some hummus, yogurt, and a bag of chocolate Kisses.”

  “Chocolate flatbread. Maybe a few nuts or mini marshmallows on top? That has possibilities,” Suzanne mused.

  Dana nearly laughed. “What a combination. I was thinking more like roasted brussels sprouts.”

  “Sounds about right.” Suzanne dabbed her mouth with a napkin.

  “Speaking of combinations, I’ve been thinking,” Lucy cut in. “Didn’t you say the safe has been in the house for a long time?”

  “That’s right. Holly’s father installed it.” Dana helped herself to more mixed greens and passed the bowl down the table.

  Lucy took another slice of flatbread, choosing the blue cheese and mushroom. “Maybe we should try to figure out where George, not Holly, would have hidden the combination.”

  Dana seemed to like that idea. “Good point. Toby said he found the spare house key in the potting shed, right where their mother always hid it for them. It seems that Holly didn’t change that family tradition. She may have just stuck with the tried and true for the combination, too.”

  “So, where would George stash it? What was he like? How did his mind work?” Lucy asked. “Did he have any prized possessions around the house, where he may have stuck it for safekeeping? In a trophy cup maybe? Or a favorite book?”

  “His favorite book was the Bible,” Rose said. “My dad was very religiou
s.”

  Maggie glanced at Rose. “I’m sure Aunt Dana has already asked if you remember where the combination was written, Rose.”

  “She did. I can’t remember.” Rose shook her head. “But I do remember him. He loved growing flowers and trees. He loved lilies the most, and he loved our family. He always said he’d do anything for me and Holly. He was quiet and kind and went to church a lot. The only thing he didn’t like was when someone went in his office. We weren’t allowed there.”

  “That makes perfect sense if that’s where the safe is. The combination must be in there somewhere, too,” Suzanne said. “Sorry to say it, but even if Rose doesn’t remember, Toby might know where both are hidden. He may have already gotten to it.”

  “You’re right. I didn’t even think of that. He’s been alone here for hours today, ransacking the place, for all I know. We’d better check.” Dana jumped up from her seat. Lucy, Maggie, and Phoebe followed.

  Suzanne rose, too, and began clearing the plates. “I’ll stick around here and be the lookout for Toby.”

  “Me too,” Rose offered. “I can always distract him with dogs. He hates them, and the feeling is mutual.”

  “Good plan.” Maggie was the last out the kitchen door.

  It was good of Suzanne to stand guard, but Maggie wondered why Rose didn’t want to come. Perhaps she was still abiding by her father’s rules and was too well trained to go in his office? Or now that it belonged to Holly, it upset her to be in such a personal space?

  Dana was moving quickly. Maggie, Lucy, and Phoebe raced to catch up to her. They walked past the staircase, then down a short, dark hallway.

  Dana pulled open a heavy wooden door. Once inside, she switched on a lamp. and the others followed “This room is small and packed with furniture. I hope we all fit.”

  “I won’t take offense at that comment, even though I may have put on a few pounds since I got married. And so has Matt,” Lucy admitted.