“Andy’s quilt,” she screamed. “You had Andy’s quilt?” Her voice was loud and angry. She moved the bed quickly and pulled the quilt out. “I can’t believe this! And I’m going to have to admit to Charles and Sophie that it was here all the time. And…oh no…I’ll have to admit it to that dreadful policeman who was sure I was addled.” She continued to scold Barney as she hugged the quilt like an old friend, but when she looked over at Barney, she saw he was shaking.
“Oh, Barney! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you. You were just looking for a safe place to curl up when I left you alone. Come here, Barney.” She held out her hands to cuddle him, but he curled up in a tighter ball. She sat down on the floor by him and softly rubbed his back and scratched his ears. “I’m sorry I yelled. That must have scared you.”
Sarah had no idea what Barney might have been through when he was living on the streets, but he trusted her to provide him with a safe home. She felt terrible about frightening him. After a while, he lifted his head and placed it on her lap. Finally, he rolled his eyes upward and looked at her. She hugged him and said, “Let’s go for a walk.” He was a bit reluctant at first, but ten minutes later he was trotting up the street and greeting all his furry friends with a familiar sniff. All was forgiven.
But Sarah had some phone calls to make!
Chapter 30
“Well, my dear, what would you like to do for our anniversary?” Charles asked with a sly grin.
“And what anniversary would that be, my dear man?” she asked in a coy manner that made him laugh.
“Next Friday will be exactly one year since you walked into the center’s snack bar and took my breath away.”
“You kidder,” she responded. “Really, what anniversary?”
“That’s it. The day I fell in love with you.”
“Oh now, come on. You didn’t fall in love with me that day!”
He grinned and kissed her gently. “Well, I could have. But anyway, it’s the anniversary of the day we started getting to know each other. So, back to the original question, what would you like to do?”
“You make some suggestions, and I’ll tell you what sounds good.”
“Okay,” he said, rolling his eyes toward the ceiling as if he were attempting to come up with a plan. “How about we…oh…let’s see. How about we fly to New York for the weekend and take in a show?” He looked proud of himself for coming up with the idea.
“Hmm. Well, that’s an interesting thought, but how about I make a suggestion as well.”
“Okay,” he responded. “Let’s hear it.”
“How about we…oh…let’s see. How about we pack a picnic and go back to that picturesque state park with the hiking trails and the waterfall?”
“You would actually prefer that to the excitement of New York City?” he asked, somewhat astounded.
“The fact is,” she said thoughtfully, “I really would.”
“Okay,” he said. “I’m game, but you have to let me do one thing. I want to provide all the food.”
“You?” she responded with astonishment. “You don’t cook!”
“I might not cook, but I can sure come up with a picnic fit for a queen. Trust me,” he said with a twinkle in his eye as they arrived back at Sarah’s house after a relaxing walk through their local park.
“Do you want to come in for coffee?” she asked.
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead. “Not today, sweetie. I told Geoff I’d meet him at Barney’s to discuss some of his ideas for the shop. I don’t know much about the computer business, but he seems to think it will help to run his ideas by me.”
“Well, he’s right. That level head of yours will be a tremendous benefit to him.” She squeezed his hand and turned to take Barney into the house. Looking back at him, she felt her heart take an extra beat. Such a good man. He winked and got into his car.
The phone was ringing as she walked into the house. “You’re making a public nuisance of yourself, necking out in the street for all the world to see.”
“Now Sophie, you know we weren’t necking. That was just a little good bye kiss. Now, why are you calling me the minute I walk in the door?”
“I wanted to know how he took the news.”
That morning Sarah had called Charles and asked him to drop by. They took Barney for a walk and, while walking, she told him about the discovery of the previously missing tie quilt. She wasn’t sure how he would react. In fact, Charles was extremely relieved to learn that it was Barney and not an intruder. He suggested they go into the police station the next morning and talk to Amanda about it. Knowing what the previous officer had written in his report, he didn’t want Sarah to report it directly to him. “She’ll know what to do.”
Sarah told Sophie about her talk with Charles and then asked her if she would like to come over and help her check the quilt to see if there is anything hidden in it. Sophie was eager to find out and hurried right over.
“How are we going to do this without destroying the quilt,” Sophie asked.
“Charles suggested we start simply by feeling it on a flat surface to see if there is anything lumpy. Then maybe we should squeeze it to see if anything crackles or crunches like something paper, such as money or a map. He suggested we hold it up to a window to see if we can spot a shape inside, but I don’t think that will work. The ties are all dark and I doubt we could see through them.”
“But we could try,” Sophie said. “Did he have any other ideas?”
“Yes. He thought we should go over it with a magnet. If there’s something metal, like a key or jewelry, the magnet should respond.”
“If there’s something metal we’ll be able to feel it,” Sophie said with authority.
“Maybe.”
Together they spread the quilt out on the bed and went over every inch with their hands, feeling for lumps. They felt nothing unusual although there were a few thick spots where seams came together.
“Is this something?” Sophie asked, showing Sarah a lump where the ties came together at the sashing.
“I don’t think so, Sophie. That feels like fabric to me.”
“Maybe the bed is too soft,” Sophie suggested. “Let’s spread it out on the kitchen table.” They moved into the kitchen and again went over the quilt, one section at a time.
“I don’t feel a thing unusual,” Sarah said finally. “Let’s try a magnet.”
“And do you happen to have a magnet in your possession?” Sophie asked sarcastically, expecting the answer to be no.
“Actually, I do have one,” Sarah said smugly. “But only because Charles left one here when he was working on my sewing table. In fact, he left me a whole tool box,” she added.
She brought the tool box out and removed the magnet. They began moving the magnet slowly over the quilt with no results until they got to the last quarter. Sarah was holding the magnet when she thought she felt a slight pull. “Wait! Let’s go back.” She slowly retraced her previous path up and down the fourth quarter of the quilt one inch at a time. She felt the pull again.
With excitement, she put the magnet down and began feeling. “Here! Touch right here. Do you feel something?” she asked Sophie.
Sophie carefully examined the area Sarah had located. “I think so, but it’s very small. If that’s a key, it’s too small to open anything of any significance.”
“Let’s wet just that part and see if we can get the fabric to take the shape of whatever is inside,” Sarah suggested. They tried it and the small lump became more prominent, but they couldn’t determine for sure what it was. “But it responded to the magnet, so it must be something metal that doesn’t belong there.”
“Unless his grandmother left a straight pin or a needle in the quilt,” Sarah suggested in a disheartened tone.
“We need to open this quilt up and see what it is,” Sophie announced with far more enthusiasm than Sarah felt.
“I think we need to see Andy.” Sarah said. “I don’t want to p
ull his grandmother’s stitches out without his permission.”
“Let’s go by the prison tomorrow and see him,” Sophie suggested. “I want to go see him anyway. I was just putting it off because I know he’ll ask for news about Caitlyn and we don’t have any. I keep thinking we should be doing something to help find her, but I don’t know what.” Sarah wasn’t accustomed to seeing Sophie in such a serious mood.
“I know, Sophie,” she said sympathetically. “I feel the same way, but I think we’ve done all we can by getting the police involved in the search. They can do so much more than we can.”
“You’re probably right. But we promised to help.”
Sarah reminded Sophie that Charles was spending several days a week in Hamilton walking the streets, looking for her.
“True. I guess there isn’t anything else we can do. They will find her eventually. I’m just worried about her.”
After relaxing awhile and getting some perspective on the quilt issue, Sarah spoke up and said, “I think we should put the quilt away for now. Then tomorrow I think we should go see Andy and find out if he wants us to open the quilt, even if it results in damaging it. And, if he agrees, then we should stop at Ruth’s shop and ask her opinion on how to go about it causing the least damage.”
“I like it. Good plan. Much better than your last plan,” Sophie said.
“My last plan? What was that?” Sarah asked looking perplexed.
“Hula hooping!”
Barney, lying on his stomach with his head resting on his outstretched paws, watched the two women laugh. He sighed deeply and closed his eyes for a mid-afternoon nap.
Chapter 31
Amanda’s cell phone rang. “Officer Holmes,” she responded.
“This is Kanita Jackson, over in Hamilton. I wanted to let you know we got through on that cell phone number you gave us. I managed to get him into a conversation long enough to trace his location. He’s here in Hamilton.”
“Hamilton,” Amanda responded with surprise. “I’d suspected she was long gone by now. This is good news.”
“In a way, it’s good news,” Kanita responded, “assuming she and the discarded cell phone are both in the same city. The problem is that we’ve run out of leads. No one seems to have seen her for the past two weeks.”
“She has been seen, though?” Amanda asked.
“Yes. Do you think you could come to Hamilton and work with us for a few days?”
Amanda arranged with her lieutenant to be temporarily detailed to the Hamilton department to help in the search for the young girl.
When she arrived in Hamilton, a city of about 100,000, Amanda was immediately discouraged. She was reminded that the city was more than three times the size of Middletown, and she realized how easy it would be for Caitlyn to simply disappear. At the Hamilton police station, she was introduced to the young investigator, Kanita Jackson. Officer Jackson was assigned to the Missing and Abused Children’s Division and had been working on Caitlyn’s case for about a month. “Call me Kanita,” the young woman said.
“And I’m Amanda.” They left immediately and decided to check out all the shelters first. “We’ve done this before,” Kanita explained, “but every day the shelter population changes and there’s a chance she’s either there, or has been there.”
“Yes, I’ve seen that young lady,” the first shelter manager said looking at Caitlyn’s school picture. “She comes in with her grandmother. Well, let me amend that,” he added. “She used to come in with her grandmother. I haven’t seen either of them for several weeks.”
Amanda and Kanita got the same response from all four shelters. “We can check with the churches,” Kanita suggested, “but there are dozens of them. Let’s try a couple of the most likely ones this afternoon and the rest tomorrow.”
“Yes. I know this girl,” Pastor Sweeney said. Her name is Susan. She was here with her grandmother about a month ago, and she just came back a few days ago by herself. I called her in to my office to talk to her about her situation and to ask about her grandmother. She’s much too young to be out there alone. While I was taking a phone call, she vanished. I looked all over the grounds, but she was gone. I’m sorry.”
“We’ve learned a couple of things,” Kanita said, reviewing their progress as they slowly drove up and down the streets of the east side. “They were together up until a couple of weeks ago, and now apparently the girl is on her own.”
“Another thing we know now,” Amanda offered, “is that she’s using the name Susan. I wonder who the grandmother is.”
“No telling,” Kanita responded. “…some street person who attached herself to Caitlyn. They do that sometimes. These people are usually loners but when a young girl comes along, occasionally it brings out a woman’s maternal side and she tries to protect the kid.”
“There’s plenty to be protected from.” Amanda said wistfully. “She’s alone now. I sure hope she can protect herself from the sick predators out there.”
The next two churches hadn’t seen her, but the staff they spoke with admitted they weren’t always involved with the housing portion of the program. The two officers left a picture of Caitlyn and their cards everywhere they stopped, encouraging people to contact either of them if they think of anything else or if Caitlyn comes in.
They drove through the park, but it was getting dark and they were unable to see the faces of the young people clearly. So many young people, Amanda mused.
Amanda got some recommendations from Kanita for a reasonable motel where she could stay for the few days she would be in Hamilton. Kanita drove Amanda back to the station where her car was parked. That night Amanda decided to drive the streets on the off chance she might spot Caitlyn. She parked in a rather unsavory part of town and went into a rundown coffee shop. She drank black coffee since she didn’t trust the milk which appeared to have been sitting out all day. The metal pitcher was warm to the touch. The coffee was acidic enough to kill anything that might attempt to grow in it, she decided.
As she sat, she watched the young girls who came and went. She was facing the front windows and could watch the street as well. At one point she saw an old woman walk by with a cart, and she thought about the grandmother Caitlyn had been seen with. She dropped money on the counter and followed the woman for a couple of blocks. The woman turned into an alley.
Amanda pulled out her gun before walking into the total darkness. She snapped on her flashlight and looked around. A mass of humanity lay on the ground along the walls of the buildings butting up against the alley. There was little response to her presence. The woman she was following turned and looked at her. “What’re you doing here?” she demanded in a crackling voice.
“Looking for a young girl,” Amanda said softly. “I want to help her.”
“Go help yourself. We don’t want you here.” She shoved her cart into Amanda but pulled it back, not wanting to lose her only possessions.
Amanda lost her balance temporarily but was able to keep from falling. She felt angry but didn’t want to alienate the woman who was possibly her only chance of finding Caitlyn. “Will you look at a picture?” Amanda asked gently. The woman turned and slowly limped away. Amanda sighed but didn’t leave right away. She shined the light into the face of each person there, rarely getting any response. Caitlyn was not there. How many more alleys are there like this, she wondered.
Amanda returned to her motel room and showered. She spent a sleepless night thinking about a young girl struggling to survive.
Chapter 32
Sarah placed all of her blocks on her design board and they barely fit. She had been making extras of some of her favorites from the class, like the log cabin, the bear paw, and the bow tie. She had also chosen eight more blocks from her book of traditional blocks.
Since she was making Charles a civil war period quilt, it wasn’t important to her whether the blocks fit into the various stories about the use of blocks in the Underground Railroad. She had looked the subject up on th
e internet and discovered that, indeed, there was much controversy about whether the story was fact or fiction. Most historians questioned its validity. But the blocks she was using were traditional and used in the 1800’s and the fabrics were true reproductions from that period. She knew Charles would love it.
As she moved the pieces around on the design wall, she was amazed to see new patterns emerging. She was only vaguely aware that the pieces of her own life were also moving into new places and forming new patterns.
* * *
The next day, Amanda and Kanita continued their patrolling of the streets of Hamilton and questioning people likely to have come into contact with Caitlyn. The few people who’d seen her over the past month all reported her name as Susan, but no one could offer a lead as to where she might be.
Amanda told Kanita about her run in with the old woman in the alley. Kanita immediately drove to the location. It was completely empty. “We’re getting nowhere,” Amanda announced. “Absolutely nowhere.”
When they stopped for lunch, Amanda said she needed to check in with her friends in Middletown. She went outside while they were waiting for their order and dialed Sarah’s number.
“Hello, Amanda,” Sarah answered, still enjoying her caller ID. “How is it going in Hamilton?”
“It’s not going so well. We keep finding places Caitlyn has been, but no one has seen her lately. I’m beginning to wonder if she’s still here.” Amanda was quiet for a minute and then said, “I’ll be coming back to Middletown in a few days.”
Sarah thought that Amanda sounded disheartened. “Are you okay,” Sarah asked.
Running Stitches Page 14
