Wicked Stitch (12 page)

O
n Monday morning, even though I was wearing my green noblewoman gown, I went to the Seven-Year Stitch rather than the Ren Faire so that Julie could go to her interview with Riley. Julie had felt terribly worried that she was leaving me in the lurch, but I’d told her I’d be happy to open the shop and that she could come in after her interview and tell me all about it.

I was happy to help Julie, but the truth of the matter was I wasn’t looking forward to returning to the Ren Faire. After what I’d found yesterday, I couldn’t imagine that whatever awaited me today could be worse. And yet dread gnawed at my stomach.

One of the deputies processing the crime scene had found scratches on the lock at the rear entrance of the merchants’ building, indicating that the lock had been picked. From that, the police consensus was the vandal had entered the building between the time the festival closed Saturday and the time it reopened on Sunday. That, of course,
explained how no one had seen anything or anyone suspicious. It also confirmed that the vandal’s attack had been leveled directly at me. No one else’s booth had been disturbed, and no one had reported any missing merchandise.

Manu had assigned me a “security detail.” My security detail was currently sitting in his patrol car across the street.

Naturally, Ted felt that I should have a team of mixed-martial-arts fighters protecting me, but since the Tallulah Falls Police Department didn’t even have a SWAT team on the payroll, the MMAs were out of the question. Ted had been joking when he mentioned the highly trained group—I think—but he was checking in with me often enough to make sure I was safe but not so much that I completely freaked out because he and the department thought my life was in danger.

I was tidying up the shop—dusting shelves and restocking bins—when Vera and Paul came in. Vera hurried over and crushed me to her in a nearly suffocating hug.

“Oh, my poor darling, we just heard! Who is the flea on a rat’s butt responsible for demolishing your booth? I want first crack at ’im!”

I gently extricated myself from her embrace before the deputy across the street barged into the Stitch thinking Vera was trying to smother me.

“Let’s sit down, and I’ll tell you all about it,” I said. “Would either of you like some coffee?”

They both declined the offer, and we sat down in the sit-and-stitch square.

“There isn’t much to tell about what happened to my booth,” I said. “Almost all my handmade items were destroyed, and everything else was broken or trampled on.”

“Do the police know who did it?” Paul asked.

“Was it Nellie Davis?” Vera demanded.

“I don’t believe it was Nellie,” I said. “While she doesn’t have a verifiable alibi—she said she was home alone—I can’t imagine her going out in the middle of the night or the wee hours of the morning, climbing the fence at the fairgrounds, and picking the lock to the back door of the merchants’ building.”

“No, I can’t see her doing that, either,” said Vera. “But who else has it in for you?”

“The police seem to think that the person who killed Clara is trying to get me to leave the Faire,” I said. “Maybe this person believes that I know or saw something. I certainly wish I had. I wouldn’t be in this predicament right now if that were the case.”

“They think your life is in danger?” Vera asked.

I nodded toward the window. She and Paul both turned to look out at the patrol car on the other side of the street.

“It’s just a precaution,” I said.

“I, for one, am glad they aren’t taking any chances,” Paul said. “You never know who could be out there. Take Marcus West, for example.”

“He’s the one whose building burned last week, isn’t he?” Vera asked.

“Right. His building burned, along with all his files, and he hasn’t been seen since,” said Paul.

I didn’t want to mention that Ted was investigating the cold case involving the murder of this man’s partner, but I did want to know whatever information Paul could give me. “I heard something about Mr. West’s business partner dying a few years ago.”

“That’s right. His name was Joe Palmer.” Paul leaned forward, putting his forearms on his knees. “Joe was murdered, and it was never determined whether his killer was his wife, his business partner, or someone else. The wife, Lacey, got a heck of an insurance payout, but the partner inherited a very lucrative business. As for why someone else would’ve murdered him, the police were unable to find a motive.”

“So now that Marcus West has gone missing, you think he’s the one who killed his partner?” I asked.

“It looks that way. You see, officers had started asking questions again,” said Paul. “I have to wonder if West didn’t just get scared, burn any evidence that tied him to Palmer’s murder, and skedaddle.”

“On the other hand, West could’ve been killed,” said Vera. “You said he’d gone missing. You didn’t say it appeared he’d gone on the lam.”

Paul straightened and patted Vera’s knee. “Listen to my gal here. Does she have a knack for investigative journalism or what?” He chuckled. “West
could
be dead. His bank accounts haven’t been touched in the days leading up to or after the fire, and his credit cards haven’t been used.”

“If Mr. West is dead, then suspicion falls back onto the wife or the unknown suspect,” I said.

“Or the unknown
subject
—the
unsub
—as they say on
Criminal Minds
,” Vera pointed out.

“Right. So what’s your opinion?” I asked Paul. “Who do you think killed Joe Palmer?”

“At this point, I’m leaning toward Marcus West,” he said. “If West is innocent—of the murder as well as of setting his business on fire—then where is he?”

“Unless they find Mr. West’s body somewhere,” Vera added. “And then, I suppose it’s anybody’s guess.”

“There is that,” Paul agreed. “I think I’ll take you up on that coffee after all, Marcy.”

I got up to get the coffee. “Vera, will you have some, too?”

“No, I’m still fine,” she said.

As I returned with Paul’s coffee, creamer, and sugar, Julie walked through the door. She was beaming. I handed Paul the cup, placed the sugar and creamer packets on the coffee table, and went to give Julie a hug.

“I take it by that smile that everything went well?” I asked.

“I got the job!”

“That’s fantastic! When do you start?”

“I’m still going to be able to fill in for you here during the Ren Faire,” Julie said. “But after working here, I’ll go by Riley’s office for some training each day.”

“If you need to go ahead and start working, I can
work here during the day, reschedule my classes, and work at the festival in the evenings,” I said.

“You can’t do that,” she said. “Everybody loves that blackwork class . . . and I’m sure they love your other classes, too. Riley said this would be an excellent transitional time for all of us.”

“I couldn’t help but overhear,” Vera said. “You’re going to work for Riley Kendall?”

“I am,” Julie said. “And while I was there, I even got to meet a client. As a matter of fact, it was the young woman who was here looking for Clara that day.”

“Well, that’s great,” I said. Naturally, I was dying to know what someone who’d been looking for Clara was doing in a law office, but I wouldn’t have tempted Julie to break Riley’s confidence.

Vera, however, had no such qualms. “When did someone come here looking for Clara? And what was she doing in Riley’s office today?”

“She came in here on Saturday,” Julie said. “She apparently hadn’t realized that Clara had died. And I suppose there are any number of reasons she’d have been in Riley’s office.”

“That’s true,” I said. “I go by there as often as I can just to visit. I know you’re going to fit in well there.”

“Thank you,” Julie said.

“What did this girl look like?” Vera asked.

“I’d say she was in her mid- to late twenties, blond hair, average height.” Julie shrugged. “Pretty, but not remarkably so . . . your average girl next door, I suppose.”

“She could be one of Clara’s step-granddaughters,” Paul said. “If that’s the case, I imagine she retained Riley with regard to Clara’s husband’s estate.”

“That would make sense,” I said. “I imagine with Clara gone, there are going to be a lot of people fighting over his money.”

I noticed Julie’s eyes had widened. She was likely thinking she was going to lose her job before she even got to start it.

“But, again, we don’t even know if that’s who the girl was or why she was in Riley’s office,” I said. “Julie is going to make a wonderful administrative assistant. She didn’t tell us a thing.”

“No, you absolutely did not, Julie,” said Paul. “Good show.”

“We should be going,” Vera said. “Marcy, I’ll try to look you up later at the festival.”

“Okay. I’ll be looking forward to it.”

“Good luck with your new job,” Paul said to Julie.

“Yes, dear, we wish you well,” said Vera. “I’ll have to send you a plant once you’re settled in.”

“Thank you,” said Julie.

After Paul and Vera had headed off down the street, Julie turned to me.

“Thank you for helping me with those two,” she said. “When Vera started asking questions about the girl who was in here, I didn’t know what to say.”

“I think you did very well,” I said. “They were good practice for you. Be sure and practice
I’m not
at liberty to say
and
you’ll have to speak with Ms. Kendall about that
. And if the person is brave enough to ask something of Riley that isn’t any of their business, then they can simply suffer the consequences.”

Julie laughed. “I’d only met Riley in one of your classes, and she was very sweet and laid-back there, but I can see that she takes her job and her clients seriously and that she could get her dander up in a hurry.”

“I do hope you’ll enjoy working with her,” I said. I’d have hated to bring the two of them together only to have it not be a good match.

“I’m sure I will.” Julie glanced at the clock. “Do you need to head to the festival?”

“Yeah, I guess I’d better.”

She frowned. “Aren’t you enjoying it?”

“Not as much as I’d hoped.” I told her about the condition of my booth when I’d arrived yesterday morning.

She gasped. “I’m so sorry! Are you okay?”

“Sadie and I had an impromptu pity party-slash-memorial for the wreckage when I came here to get supplies to replenish the booth yesterday. I’m okay now. Sure, it still hurts, and it makes me furious when I think about it, but there’s nothing I can do but move forward.”

I didn’t mention the security detail, but I wondered if someone should keep an eye on Julie and the Seven-Year Stitch while I was gone. If the person who killed Clara hadn’t seen me but had only heard that the owner of the Seven-Year Stitch
found his victim, then he might not know what I look like and he might think Julie was me. I’d call Ted and get his opinion as soon as I got in the Jeep.

I zoned back in to Julie telling me how sorry she was and how people could be so horrible.

I agreed but then said, “But we’re not focusing on bad things today. Only good. You have a new job! Have you told Amber yet?”

“No. I’m going to call her as soon as she gets home from school.”

“I’m really happy for you,” I said, making another mental note—this time to have the bakery make a congratulatory cake and send it over to Julie.

I gave Julie a quick hug. “I guess I’d better go. Hopefully, I won’t have any bad surprises when I get to the Ren Faire.”

“I hope not, too.”

“Hey, at least
some
good came of it,” I said. “The other merchants were really supportive, and some even brought gifts!”

“That was nice,” she said. “I’m glad they were there for you.”

“Me, too. And don’t look so worried. Manu really beefed up security after that.”

“He hadn’t done that after you found Clara dead?” she asked.

“He had, but he assigned even more officers to the Ren Faire. I’m sure they’ll be thrilled when the whole thing is over. They’re having to work double shifts now.”

“They’ll be fine for a few days,” she said.
“Besides, double shifts mean overtime pay. I was always happy for overtime at the bank . . . as long as it wasn’t a full-time thing.”

When I went out to the Jeep, I first called the bakery and ordered the cake for Julie. Then I called Ted and expressed my concerns for Julie’s safety.

“I believe she’ll be fine,” he said. “It’s broad daylight, with people walking up and down the sidewalk in front of that huge window all day long. Still, I’ll make sure extra patrols are made. Did you warn her to call nine-one-one if she notices anything suspicious?”

“No. I didn’t want to scare her,” I said. “Do you think I should warn her?”

“Everything will most likely be okay,” he said. “You were probably right not to mention it. If she’s looking for something suspicious, she’ll see something spooky everywhere she looks. By the way, how did her talk with Riley go?”

“She got the job!”

“That’s great news,” he said.

I laughingly told him about her telling Vera, Paul, and me that she’d already met her first client and that it was the young woman who’d come by the Seven-Year Stitch on Saturday looking for Clara.

“Vera immediately started grilling poor Julie. Who was this young woman? Why had she been asking about Clara? Why was she in Riley’s office? But Julie did exceptionally well. She didn’t give anything away.”

“That’s good,” Ted murmured. “Although now I’m wondering . . . who
was
this young woman? Why had she been in the Stitch asking about Clara, and what was she doing in Riley’s office?”

I laughed.

“Actually, I’m serious,” he said. “Maybe I should go by Riley’s office and—”

“No! You can’t! She’ll know Julie said something, and it might cost her this job. Please, Ted.”

“Okay. I’m not on that case, anyway, remember? Besides, Manu is talking with everyone in Clara’s immediate and extended family.”

“Thank you,” I said. “We’ll find whoever is behind this whole mess.”

“I know, Inch-High. I have faith in you.”

I
parked the Jeep, locked it, and headed up the hill to the gates of the fairgrounds. I wished I’d brought Angus with me, but I knew he’d be much happier in the backyard today.

I showed my merchant badge to the ticket master, and he waved me on through. The Ren Faire was in full swing, especially for a Monday. There were people everywhere.

I suddenly felt the presence of someone beside me. I glanced warily to my right. It was the Crow, his creepy gold mask bent close to my face, his cloak covering his hair and body.

I tried to hurry away from him, but his strides were longer than mine and he easily kept up.

“Leave me alone,” I said. “Leave me alone, or I’ll scream.”

“Please don’t,” he said. “I have to warn you.”

“Warn me about what?”

“I told you before that there was a viper in your midst,” he said. “I know that the evil one’s work is not yet done. You must get away from this place.”

“Are you the one who destroyed my booth?” I demanded.

“Not I.”

“But you know who did!”

He inclined his head. “I’m sure I do.”

“Then, for goodness’ sake, go to the police and tell them what you know! Or at least let me call Ted Nash, so you can talk with him.” I took out my cell phone. “You can talk to him right now and remain anonymous.”

“He wouldn’t believe me,” said the Crow. “I must remain in the shadows for now to protect myself from the very menace that’s stalking you. Go. Be safe.”

“There are a whole bunch of guards hanging around the merchants’ building now, and I have every intention of staying,” I said. “If you know something, the police will protect you. Trust them . . .
please
.”

“The merchants’ building might be safe now, but you never know where the viper will strike next.” He started walking away.

“Wait!” I called.

I started after him, but a juggler stepped into my path. He was carrying unlit torches, and he held a lighted candle out to me.

“Not right now. I’m in a hurry,” I said, trying to see past him to wherever the Crow had gone.

The juggler acted as if he couldn’t hear me. He held the candle out again.

I took the candle.

He held out one of the unlit torches. I realized he needed me to light it for him.

I lit the torch and handed the candle back to him. He blew out the small candle flame and then used the lit torch to kindle the others. He smiled and nodded at me before starting to juggle the flaming torches.

“That’s wonderful! Thank you!” I said, hurrying away.

As I did so, it dawned on me that the guy did
not
need to be juggling fire in the midst of all these people! He might set the whole Faire aflame! As soon as I found the Crow again, I’d report the juggler to . . . to someone. Maybe Sister Mary Alice was manning Nellie’s booth. I could see the stern nun taking the juggler by the ear and making him blow out the torches.

Try as I might, I couldn’t find the Crow. He’d lost himself in the crowd, and I had no idea where he’d gone.

Also, as luck would have it, Nellie’s booth was being manned not by Sister Mary Alice but by Washerwoman Jan.

“Jan, there’s a guy out there juggling flaming torches,” I said breathlessly, having raced to Nellie’s booth.

“Oh, where? That sounds exciting!”

“He isn’t on one of the stages. He’s out walking among the crowd.”

“I wish I could go see him,” she said, eyes sparkling.

“Don’t you think that could be dangerous?” I asked. “Since you’re on the fairgrounds committee, isn’t there someone you could call to ensure that everyone at the Ren Faire is safe from this guy? I mean, what if he drops one of those torches?” I didn’t mention that I’d lit the first one for him.
What was I thinking when I did that? Nothing, that’s what. I had my mind focused on the Crow.

She looked down at the floor for a moment, and then looked up brightly. “I know! I’ll call and have someone watch the booth for me, and I’ll go see to it myself. Thanks for telling me.”

“You’re welcome.” I went over to my own booth. Happily, it was just as I’d left it yesterday afternoon.

I straightened the one blackwork-embellished shirt I had left. It was a little wrinkled and a tad soiled. I think some people who hadn’t been to my booth before the . . . incident . . . might have thought that was simply part of the Ren Faire look. I was taking orders based on the shirt, and I’d received a few yesterday. I’d also had several people interested in that particular shirt. I’d told them to come back on the last day of the Faire and that I’d sell it to the first one to ask for it.

I heard a deep, sexy voice behind me say, “Ah, there is my fair Marcella.”

I turned, laughing. “Don’t you dare call me that.” I threw myself into Ted’s arms.

“Well,
Marcy
doesn’t sound very Renaissance-y.” He swept me off my feet in a fierce hug.

“Neither does Ted . . .
Theodore.
”

“Yowch! You wound me . . . Marcy.” He bent his head for a kiss before setting me back on my feet. “It looks like everything is in order today.”

“It is,” I said. “Well, as far as the booth goes.”

“What’s not in order?” he asked.

I lowered my voice and explained to him about the fire juggler.

“Oh, I saw him on the way in and had him extinguish those torches immediately.”

I smiled. “Thank you. I’d have felt so guilty if something bad had happened.”

He asked the question with one lift of his right eyebrow.

“I lit the first torch,” I admitted.

Ted’s blue eyes widened. “You what?”

“Okay, in my defense, I was really, really distracted.” I went on to tell him about my encounter with the Crow.

“I’ve had enough of this guy,” Ted said. “He knows something, and I’m going to find out what.” He took out his cell phone, called Manu, and asked him to alert all officers at the festival to be looking for a man in a black cloak wearing a gold carnival mask with a long, beaky nose.

“If they catch him, let me know. I want to question him.” He thanked Manu and ended the call.

“Are you afraid of this guy?” he asked me.

“Yes and no,” I said. “I mean, I’m leery of him, but he told me he was hiding out. Do you think the same person who killed Clara might be after him?”

“Either that, or
he’s
the person who killed
Clara,” Ted said. “If he has nothing to hide, why wouldn’t he talk with me like you suggested?”

“I don’t know except that he said you wouldn’t believe him.” I shrugged. “I hope your guys do find him and can question him. Just maybe give him the benefit of the doubt.”

He rolled his eyes. “You give
everybody
the benefit of the doubt.”

“And you think everybody is a suspect.” I grinned. “That’s why we’re so great together . . . opposites attract.”

“Is that it? I thought it was because you were wonderful and I appreciate that fact.”

“Well, there is
that
.” I kissed him again.

“I stopped in to see Julie before I came here,” he said. “I told her that since someone had vandalized your booth here at the festival, we were concerned that someone might try to vandalize the Seven-Year Stitch as well. I said everything would probably be fine but to keep an eye out for anything suspicious.”

“Oh, that was really good,” I said. “You warned her without putting her in a panic.”

He nodded. “She was fired up about the booth. She said if she saw anyone even
thinking
about vandalizing the Stitch, she’d punch him in the nose.”

I giggled. “Did she talk with you about her job?”

“Not much. I had to hurry. I can tell she’s thrilled about it, though.”

“Do you want me to go get us some lunch?” I asked.

“No, I’ve already taken care of it,” he said. “It should be here any minute.”

“You ordered in?” I asked.

He smiled. “In a way.” He nodded toward the door of the merchants’ building. “Ah, here it comes now.”

I squealed with delight to see Captain Moe coming toward the booth with two boxes that smelled heavenly. I gave Ted a hug.

“What are you hugging
him
for, Tink? I’m the one with the burgers.”

I went around to the front of the table. Captain Moe set the boxes on the table and gave me a bear hug.

“I heard about what happened to you yesterday, and I’m ever so sorry,” he said.

“It’s all right,” I said. “I know you never work on Sundays, and there was nothing you could’ve done, anyway.”

He planted his fists on his hips. “Thank you ever so much!”

“I mean, you’ve more than made up for it now!” I gestured toward the boxes.

He laughed away my discomfort at saying there was nothing he could have done. “This is the least I can do, wee Tinkerbell. Feed the body and hope it helps to nourish the soul.”

“It does,” I said.

“It nourishes my soul,” said Ted, opening one of the boxes and taking out a cheeseburger. He noticed both Captain Moe and me giving him a quizzical look. “Well, it does!”

Captain Moe kissed my cheek. “I’ll leave you two to your lunch. I hope you enjoy it.”

“You know we will,” I said.

As Captain Moe left, I sat down beside Ted and took my cheeseburger out of the box. First I inhaled the beefy-cheesy scent and appreciated the textures of the bun, the tomato, the onion, the pickles, the lettuce . . . it was a thing of beauty.

Then I took a bite. It was a thing of joy.

“You’re right,” I told Ted. “That really does nurture the soul.”

We ate in silence for a few minutes, and then I told Ted more about Vera and Paul’s visit to the shop.

“In addition to them scaring Julie into thinking they might cost her the job with Riley, Paul shared his theories about Marcus West’s business burning,” I said.

“Oh, did he, now?”

I nodded. “He thinks Mr. West burned his business to the ground to destroy evidence that he killed his partner, Joe Palmer.”

“You didn’t . . .”

“Of course I didn’t. He did mention that Mr. West was missing,” I said. “I hadn’t read that in the newspaper account of the fire.”

“That’s because Manu asked Paul to keep it out of the paper for now. We have an APB out on West that includes the hospitals and morgues.”

“Do you think Mr. West killed his partner?” I asked.

“I’m not sure,” Ted said. “With him missing, it
could just as likely be that whoever killed his partner has eliminated West, too.”

I glanced up and saw Vera and Paul approaching. “Speak of the devils . . .”

“Were you talking about us?” Vera asked with a smile.

“We were,” I said. “I was just telling Ted Paul’s theory about Mr. West setting fire to his business to destroy evidence.”

Paul leaned forward and spoke in a stage whisper. “The case just got curiouser and curiouser. After Julie mentioned seeing the young woman in Riley’s office, I got to thinking it might be Clara’s stepdaughter’s child. So Vee and I went to the funeral home and got a list of Clara’s relatives.”

Vera nodded.

“If the woman Julie saw
was
in fact Clara’s step-granddaughter, then she very well might have been Erin Palmer,” Paul said.

Ted pushed back his chair. “Wait a second. . . . Joe Palmer’s widow is related to Clara?”

“By marriage,” Paul said.

“I’ve got to make sure Manu knows about this,” Ted said. “Will you all excuse me?”

“Of course,” Vera said. “We’re happy we could help.”

Ted gathered our trash, gave me a quick kiss, and left.

“What do you think this means?” I asked.

“Oh, I have no idea,” said Vera. “But I’m sure it means something.”