He grinned at her. “Yeah. Stay out of trouble and try not to tick off anyone else today.”
She didn’t dignify that with a response. She also didn’t miss the fact that he was still laughing as she drove off. Regardless of what the big jerk thought, she had a reputation for getting along with all kinds of people, even former soldiers.
Well, at least sometimes.
* * *
It took longer than expected to get to the swap meet. Since they were passing close by the area where Glenda’s friend lived, they’d stopped there first to pick up the quilt. The woman was sorry to lose such a bargain, but, under the circumstances, she was only too glad to sell the quilt back to Glenda. She’d also been able to give them a description of the person at the swap meet who had sold it to her. She didn’t remember seeing any other quilts of similar quality, but space in the booth was pretty limited.
Glenda sighed. “I’m sorry Ruth wasn’t more help.”
Abby was, too, but it wasn’t her fault. “There was no reason for her to have grilled the vendor on where she got the quilt. Neither of them had any idea that it was stolen goods.”
“I just hope that we can recover the rest of the quilts. It doesn’t seem likely, though, since Ruth doesn’t remember seeing any others like it.”
Hoping that they’d recover the other eleven quilts so easily was probably wishful thinking, but maybe they’d get lucky. After all, who would have guessed that of all the people who frequented the swap meet, the one who’d spotted the quilt had been a friend of Glenda’s.
There was no use in giving up on the possibility that they’d find more of the quilts at the same location. “That doesn’t mean they aren’t there. It could be that the proprietor was only putting out one at a time if the booth is small.”
“We’ll just keep our fingers crossed.”
Glenda pointed at a building sitting off to the side of the road. “There, that must be the place. Ruth said it was nothing fancy.”
That was an understatement. Abby eyed the ramshackle structure. The center of the building looked as if it had originally been a small house with wooden siding. There were longer additions jutting out from both sides and the back that were covered in corrugated steel, some of it rusty. Classy.
They had no problem finding a parking spot right by the door. It was the kind of place that probably did the majority of its business on weekends, so they were lucky it was even open.
Once inside, Abby stopped to give her eyes a chance to adjust to the dim interior.
Glenda looked around and then asked, “How do we figure out which way to go?”
Before Abby could answer, a man standing behind the first table on the left held out a sheet of paper. “Hi, there. Here’s a map for you. We try to group merchants with similar wares together to make it easier for customers to find their way to what they’re looking for. Maybe I can point you in the right direction if you’re looking for something in particular.”
That would certainly make things easier for them. “A friend bought a lovely quilt while she was here yesterday. The woman who sold it to her was named Rowena. We thought we’d take a peek to see if she had any more like it.”
He laid the map down on the table and drew circles in three different spots. “This first one is Rowena’s booth, but there are a couple of other possibilities if Rowena doesn’t have what you’re looking for. She does sell a lot of textiles, but these other two also carry some.”
Abby took the map. “Thanks for the help. We appreciate it.”
If he had sold something besides car parts, she would’ve made a small purchase as a way of showing her gratitude in a more tangible form. But as they walked by, she spotted one item that drew her interest. “How much for that toy army Jeep? It looks the right size to go with a friend’s G.I. Joe collection.”
He held it out so she could get a better look at it. “It’s not that brand, but it is the right size. I’m asking twenty dollars for it.”
When she hesitated, he grinned and winked at her. “But for two lovely ladies, I’ll take ten.”
He probably would’ve taken five, but Abby didn’t bother to haggle since he went out of his way to help them. “You’ve got a deal.”
As they walked away, Glenda gave her a knowing look. “I’m guessing that’s for Tripp. How do you know he has a G.I. Joe collection?”
Abby wasn’t about to admit that this wasn’t the first present she’d purchased for her handsome tenant. The ladies from the guild already had too much fun teasing Abby about him. Nothing good could come from giving them more ammunition.
To change the subject, she pointed down the aisle ahead of them. “I know we’ll walk right by the other two places on the way to Rowena’s, but let’s start with her and work our way back.”
“Fine with me, but I know you’re trying to distract me, young lady.” She patted Abby on the arm as they continued on down the aisle. “I just think it’s sweet that you’d buy that toy for Tripp. I bet he’ll think so, too.”
Maybe he would, but the man was anything but predictable. Right now, she had other things on her mind. “I’m trying to decide how best to approach this woman. I have to wonder why she didn’t question why someone would be selling such a beautiful quilt for so little, especially if it wasn’t the only one she bought.”
Glenda’s eyes widened. “I didn’t think of that. Aren’t there severe penalties for dealing in stolen goods?”
“I’m sure there are, but then most of the stuff in this place is secondhand. They could have the best of intentions and still occasionally end up buying something from a person who had no right to sell it in the first place.”
Abby coasted to a stop while she thought things through. “No, I think the smartest thing to do is to play it safe. I don’t think we should mention the quilt Ruth bought was actually yours. Instead, we’ll tell Rowena that your friend told you about the lovely quilt she purchased here. We came to see if she had any more of the same amazing quality, which is more or less the truth.”
The older woman immediately nodded, no doubt all too glad to let Abby take point. “I’ll trust your judgment.”
They each drew a deep breath and took that last step forward into the booth. If Abby had to describe the place in one word, she would call it cluttered. There were heaping piles of doilies on one counter, and crocheted baby blankets, hats, and mittens on another. The shelves on the right wall were lined with plastic crates on their sides to form a row of cubbies. Each one was stuffed full of different yarns, but not very many of any one type. Enough for a small project, perhaps, but not for anything that required more than two or three skeins of the same color.
Glenda was studying a stack of linen tea towels and fancy pillowcases. “My mother had this same kind of towel in her kitchen. I did some of the embroidery on them myself. I also made the lace edging on a lot of pillowcases. I probably still have some tucked away somewhere. They made for a pretty bed, but I really hated ironing them.”
Abby laughed. “Aunt Sybil must have felt the same way about them. I found a bunch up in the attic that she and other members of the family had done over the years. I was going to ship a few off to some distant relatives of her late husband, but I decided to launder them first. They came out of the dryer looking like wadded up paper towels. I might eventually get around to pressing them. Well, provided I can remember where Aunt Sybil kept the ironing board.”
Before Glenda could respond, a lady stepped out of the storeroom behind the counter. “Can I help you ladies find anything in particular?”
Glenda took a half step back to let Abby take charge of the conversation. “You have a lot of interesting things here in your shop, but what we were hoping to find is a quilt like the one you sold our friend yesterday. It was such beautiful work, and we were wondering if you had any more like it.”
“If it’s the one I’m thinking of, I can understand why your friend loved it so much. It was beautifully done.”
“Do you
know if the person who sold it to you had any more to offer?”
“I actually bought three quilts from him.”
Him? It had been a man who had sold the quilts? That fact left Abby feeling a bit stunned.
Meanwhile, Rowena was still talking. “I have two more in the back.”
Abby let a little of her excitement show. “I’d love to see them.”
Glenda waited until Rowena ducked back into the storeroom to whisper. “I’m so tense right now I can hardly breathe. Julie must have let her new man handle the sale for her.”
“It sounds like it. Now, take a deep breath, and you’ll be fine. If they’re our quilts, we’ll pay the lady and return them to their owners.”
The two of them had studied the pictures that Glenda had received from her friends before coming to the swap meet. Neither of them had thought it would be a good idea to walk into the place flashing photographs and demanding to know if anyone had seen a bunch of stolen quilts.
Rowena was back. She carefully unfolded the first quilt and laid it out on the counter. One look was all it took to know it was another of the quilts Julie had taken. Meanwhile, Rowena made room to spread out the second quilt.
Abby traced the minute stitching with her fingertip. “They’re both quite beautiful. Don’t you think so, Glenda?”
“They are. You can tell a lot of hours and love went into the making of these.”
Bracing herself for some serious sticker shock, Abby asked, “How much do you want for the pair?”
Rowena wrinkled her nose. “Actually, I sort of promised two of my regulars first crack at these.”
Abby wasn’t sure if she believed her, so she let the games begin.
“Only sort of promised?” She looked around the booth. “Because it looks like we’re the ones standing right here with money in hand. Well, depending on what you’re asking for them.”
Which Abby was willing to bet would be far more than Ruth had paid for the other quilt. Sure enough, Rowena hemmed and hawed a bit before naming a figure that had Glenda gasping in shock.
Ignoring her friend’s distress, Abby counteroffered with a number only slightly higher than what Ruth had paid.
Rowena sighed heavily. “You see, I really hate to disappoint my regular customers.”
Yeah, right. Abby recognized a shark when she saw one. Rowena would screw over her best friend if it meant a profit. “Again, they’re not here, and there’s no guarantee they would buy the quilts anyway.”
Again, if those regulars actually even existed. The negotiations continued for another minute before they finally agreed to meet in the middle.
Abby handed over her credit card. While waiting for the payment to go through, Rowena refolded the quilts. “I’ll get these wrapped up for you. I hope you enjoy them for years to come.”
Glenda finally rejoined the conversation. “By any chance, did the guy who brought them in say if he’d be coming in with more things?”
Good question, but Rowena’s answer was disappointing. “Nothing specific. As I recall, he mentioned that he’d just started cleaning out his mother’s house and wasn’t sure what all he’d find worth selling. He did say that if he came across anything else I might be interested in, he might stop by the next time he was in the area.”
That didn’t sound very promising at all. “I take it he wasn’t local.”
“It didn’t sound like it.”
Abby handed the bag with the first quilt off to Glenda. “Any chance you could tell me his name?”
Rowena was already shaking her head. “No, I make it a policy to protect the privacy of the people I do business with.”
Abby tried one more time. “Can you at least tell us what he looked like?”
Rowena went on point. “Why? What does that matter?”
Good question. What excuse could she give for wanting to know? “I just thought it might help other vendors know who we were asking about. I understand that you want to respect his privacy.”
“He came in right at closing, and the booth was really busy. I didn’t have a chance to talk to him for long. He was just an average guy. The only thing about him that stood out at all was that he was wearing sunglasses, even though it’s not all that bright in here.”
Then she looked around the booth. “If there’s nothing else I can show you, then I need to get back to doing inventory. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help.”
Abby picked up two of Rowena’s business cards off the counter. She stuck the first one in her purse and then scribbled her own name and phone number on the back of the second one and gave it back. “If he brings in any more quilts, please give me a call.”
The other woman studied the information and frowned. “Are you a collector, or are you buying them to resell?”
“Neither, actually. I recently inherited a large Victorian house that I’m redecorating. These quilts will be perfect for the guest bedrooms.”
“If I see him again, I’ll call. But like I said, he was a little iffy about whether he’d be back by here or not. He didn’t give me any contact information other than his name.”
From the way Rowena’s gaze slid off to the side with that last part, she wasn’t being completely honest about what she knew. Maybe she suspected there was something hinky about the guy but didn’t want to admit it. Regardless, it was pretty clear that they’d gotten as much out of the woman as they were going to without resorting to direct threats. Maybe Gage could’ve convinced her to reveal the guy’s name, but maybe not. This wasn’t his jurisdiction, and they’d already recovered the only quilts the woman had at the moment.
They’d barely walked out of the door when Rowena came charging out behind them. “I don’t know that it means anything, but I just remembered there was something distinctive about the cap that guy was wearing. It was black, and the logo was a fuchsia-colored, lady’s high-heeled shoe. I’ve never seen that particular logo before, and it struck me as odd.”
Every little bit of information helped. “Thanks again.”
Glenda waited until they were some distance away before speaking. “Do you think there’s any chance that she actually already has more of the quilts?”
After pondering the thought, Abby shook her head. “No, I don’t. She had no reason not to show them to us if she did. My gut feeling is that it played out just as she said. The guy waited until she was busy, offered her a deal on the three quilts, and then left just as quickly as he came in.”
“It would be useful if we knew something about the guy Julie ran off with. Maybe then the police could track them down.”
Abby hated to burst her bubble, but the truth was there wasn’t much the police could do about the situation. They had no solid proof that Julie had the quilts, especially with her husband swearing he’d never seen them in the house at all. “We can talk to Gage about it, but he wouldn’t have much to go on.”
“Well, we might as well check out the other two booths while we’re here. I want to be able to tell the other ladies that we tried our best.”
They stopped to study the map. “Looks like we need to turn left just ahead. The first place should be right around the corner and the second just past that one.”
It didn’t take long to learn that the mysterious man hadn’t been in either booth. They had no quilts for sale at all, which was disappointing but not surprising.
Glenda took the news pretty hard. “Well, at least it wasn’t a complete failure. It was too much to hope for that we’d find all of the quilts.”
“I know you’re disappointed, but at least we know a little more than we did before. I’ll tell Gage about what happened. Who knows, maybe he’ll have some ideas about how to proceed from here.”
“I’ll let the two women who made these quilts know that we have them back. Everyone else will be disappointed, but at least I’d warned them we weren’t optimistic about our chances for success.”
As they walked out into the bright sunshine, Glenda seemed to shake off her gl
oomy mood. “If you’re not in a hurry to get back home, why don’t we stop for lunch? You pick the place, and it will be my treat.”
She looped her arm through Glenda’s. “Lady, I love the way you think. Let’s forget all about missing quilts and gloomy thoughts, and just enjoy ourselves.”
If nothing else, she could celebrate the fact that she hadn’t pissed anyone off today. Tripp would be so proud.
Chapter Nineteen
Gage sipped the iced coffee that Abby had brought him and set it aside. “It’s a longshot, Abby, but I can make some calls.”
She fought to hide her disappointment. After all, she’d known when she walked into his office that there probably wasn’t much he could do to help recover the quilts. “Anything you can do will be appreciated. Glenda and the other two ladies were thrilled to get theirs back, but they also feel bad about the ones that are still missing.”
He paged through the stack of five pictures she’d brought him. “These will be helpful to help identify at least a few of the missing ones.”
Abby nodded. “The other three ladies are still looking to see if they have any photos. If nothing else, they both said they can provide samples of the fabrics they used and a description of the pattern.”
Gage set the pictures aside. “So three quilts have been recovered, and we have pictures or descriptions of eight more. If my math is correct, that still leaves one unaccounted for.”
“Yeah, that would be Aunt Sybil’s quilt. Since the ladies didn’t tell each other which quilts they were submitting for the calendar, no one knows which one she gave to Julie, including me.”
“She didn’t keep an album like these other ladies did?”
“To tell you the truth, I haven’t had a chance to check. I’ve barely started going through everything in the house.” She offered him a rueful smile. “Somehow going through her things in the quilting room seems a lot more invasive to me than going through her closet and dresser. Added to that, it never crossed my mind that she might have maintained files of her past work until Glenda mentioned that it was a common practice among the members of the guild.”
Death by Committee Page 20