“No, Mom, we’re fine,” Madison said, shaking her head. “I’ll see you at the clambake in half an hour or so.”
Grammie gave me another squeeze. “See you there, Iris.”
I kissed her cheek. “Sure thing, Gram. Save me a few clams.” We both adored fresh Maine clams.
“What do you want to do with the cardboard?” Jake asked after Grammie and the Morrises walked away. “I can drop it off in a dumpster.”
“Nice of you to offer, Jake, but it’s our mess and we’ll take care of it,” Madison said. She grabbed one end, and indicated for me to take the other. Ian stepped into the water to support the sagging middle, and the three of us awkwardly conveyed the whole shebang to dry land.
“Thanks for saving us,” I said to Jake. Gosh, he was cute with his freckles and wide smile crinkling his eyes. How could I get him back together with Sophie?
“Any time, ladies, any time,” he said with a dip of his head. “Want to give me a push?” he asked Ian, who gave the skiff a mighty shove, sending it out into deep enough water to start the engine.
After Jake roared away, Madison and I stared at the heap of soggy paper that had been our prize-winning dream. Wanting to better understand what had gone wrong, I bent down and examined the front corner. Hmm. That was odd. “Did you put another piece of tape on the seams?” I showed her the spot, where a second piece of tape was curling away from the one underneath. It looked different than the roll I remembered using, actually. It wasn’t as wide and the color was slightly different.
Madison frowned. “No. We only put on one layer of tape. I don’t know where that came from.”
I pulled off a piece. “Look. It’s definitely different. Not as wide.” But the color was a close match, which was why we hadn’t noticed it.
Our eyes locked and I could tell by Madison’s expression she was thinking the same thing I was. But it was Ian who spoke. “Someone messed with your boat,” he said, his eyes flashing with anger. “They wanted you to sink.”
CHAPTER 16
Said aloud, his statement staggered me, in fact it literally made me unsteady on my feet for a moment. Who would do such a thing? And why? “It was a warning,” I whispered. Had to be. Someone wanted us to stop poking into Claudia’s past or Hailey’s death. I couldn’t picture the other contestants bothering to sabotage a competitor. The prizes weren’t that great, though the spa day was pretty cool.
I inhaled deeply, grateful to be on dry land. Despite the unpleasant experience of getting dunked in cold water, we had been in full view of the shore at all times. Wet suits and life jackets meant the chance of drowning had been pretty slight. But not impossible, I reminded myself. What if one of us had panicked?
Madison’s brows knit together as she glanced at the people standing nearby. Stepping closer to us, she lowered her voice. “The boat was fine when it left the shop. How and when did someone get to it?”
Ian rubbed his chin. “Must have been while it was in the back of my truck.” He gestured toward the waterfront park. “The public lots were full so I had to park down behind the library. Near the dumpster.”
I knew the spot, having used it myself when I couldn’t find a place. A thick screen of bushes hid the dumpster from view. But obviously someone had seen him drive down there and then had taken advantage of the opportunity to tamper with our boat.
A cold sensation trickled down my spine—and it wasn’t water. What would they do next? Something worse? I gritted my teeth, warmed by a flare of anger at the idea of someone hurting my friend. Try and stop us, I mentally told the perpetrator. We certainly weren’t going to quit investigating now. This was war.
Madison nudged the ruined boat with her toe. “Ian, can you bring your truck around and load this up? I want to take a closer look after it dries out.”
“Sure thing,” Ian said. “Where do you want me to take it?”
I thought of returning the boat to the store but I didn’t want the wet mess cluttering up the side room. “How about my barn? I’ll ride over to the house with you and get changed there.” Home would be a more comfortable place to wrestle out of the wetsuit than the public changing room.
While Ian trotted off to get the truck, the contestants who had completed the race started paddling back to the launch point, where the prizes were going to be announced. The crowd began to thin as spectators started drifting away.
I remembered Theo with a jolt. Where was he? He hadn’t come over to the landing to watch the end of the race. “Have you seen Theo?” I asked Madison. “I thought for sure we would.”
She gave me a funny look. “No. Why are you asking?”
“I noticed him over at the launch, taking pictures. Then he walked in this direction, but went out onto that dock.” I pointed. “Someone wearing a hoodie was following him.” Who wore a hoodie on a warm day like this, anyway? The same person who ruined our boat? “Something happened to him, I just know it.” My last words rose to almost a shout, and several people glanced my way in curiosity.
Madison sent me a concerned look. “Settle down, Iris. I’m sure he’s fine.” When she saw my mouth open in protest, she added, “Okay, we’ll go look for him.”
“I’ll go,” I said. “Someone needs to wait here with our boat for Ian to get back.” I eyed the pile of cardboard ruefully. “Or what’s left of it.” If we left it unattended, someone would probably throw it away.
Madison chewed her bottom lip. “All right. But if you’re not back in ten, we’re gonna come looking for you.” They’d have to. We didn’t bring our phones onto the boat, for fear they’d get wet. Mine was in my bag, in the rear of Madison’s Mini.
I began backing up, raising a thumb in victory. “So you agree with me. Something might be wrong.” When she nodded, I turned and began to trot, my booties squishing with every step. The wet suit was generally not suitable for running—too tight and it chafed my legs. But I race-walked as fast as I could, along the landing and then down the dock where I’d seen Theo.
We were at the working end of the harbor, and fishing boats and other commercial craft lined this dock, rocking gently at anchor. The wide dock also held barrels and boxes and other large items that blocked my view. My stomach clenched as I checked every boat, object, and even the water around the boats for a sign of the teaching assistant. What if he’d fallen in and no one heard his cries for help? Or what if he was crushed between the dock and the hull of a boat? Dangers were everywhere on the waterfront, especially for the inexperienced and unwary.
I was almost at the end when I saw him, sitting up with his back toward me. My heart leaped, the relief making me weak in the knees. I wasn’t going to find another dead body, not today anyway.
My booties slapped as I ran the rest of the way. “Theo. You’re okay.”
With one hand pressed to the back of his head, he turned to look at me. “Sort of. Someone hit me.” He gestured with his other hand. “And stole my camera.”
His camera. Was it the target of an opportunistic thief? Or did someone believe he had incriminating photos on the card, namely to do with Hailey’s death?
I gently moved his hand away. “Let me take a look.” The skin was barely broken but he had quite a lump. “You need to get checked out. Let me have your phone.” I held out my hand for it, then realized. “They didn’t take that too, did they?”
He shook his head then winced. “No. Just the camera.” He felt around in his jacket pocket and pulled out his phone.
I touched the screen and it lit up. When I saw the screen background, I almost dropped it and had to move my hands fast to save it. Hailey and Theo, heads together, both grinning. “Okay,” I said, hoping he hadn’t noticed me fumbling with his expensive device. “What’s your password?” He told me and I called 911 for an ambulance and the police.
While I did this, Theo sat with slumped shoulders, as though relieved someone was taking charge. After I hung up, I hesitated a second and called Ian. He and Madison needed to know what was up. “Hell
o?” he answered, wary.
“It’s me,” I said. “I had to borrow a phone. Mine’s in the car.”
“Where are you, babe?” he asked. “I’m just pulling down to the ramp and I only see Madison.”
I filled him in quickly. “Why don’t you two drive up and park at the head of the dock? The police should be here any minute.” A siren wailed in duplicate—in my ears and through the phone, on Ian’s end. “Here they come.”
Moments later, the dock shook as medical personnel and officers thundered to the rescue. I was glad to see Anton in the lead. “What do we have here?” he asked when the group reached us.
“Theo has a head injury,” I said. “Someone hit him on the back of the head and stole his camera.”
Anton gave an order to the EMTs, who began to check Theo over, taking his blood pressure and examining his injury. “Did you lose consciousness?” one asked.
“Maybe for a minute,” Theo said. “I don’t really know. I was trying to take a picture when, wham, the next thing I know I’m down on the dock.”
“Did you see who did it?” Anton asked. At Theo’s response, he pressed his lips together in exasperation.
“I saw someone,” I said. “That’s why I’m here. I was worried about Theo.”
Anton took my elbow and moved me aside. Rhonda joined us. “Can you give us a description, Iris?”
I shook my head. “Not really. The person was wearing a black hoodie.” I explained how I’d seen Theo on the shore and noticed the person walking behind him. “It didn’t look right to me. So when he didn’t show up at the landing, I came looking for him.”
The chief glanced at the teaching assistant, who was answering questions for the EMTs. “Good thing you followed your instincts.” His gaze roamed over my outfit. “Where did you see all this from?”
“I was in the cardboard boat race,” I said. “But Madison and I sank.”
“Madison?” Anton’s eyes lit with a fervor I’d seen there before. “Is she okay?” Rhonda rolled her eyes, then winked at me. She’d noticed his interest in my best friend as well.
“She’s fine. In fact, here she comes.” Madison and Ian were walking down the dock. “We want to talk to you later. We think someone sabotaged our boat.”
Anton had half turned and was watching Madison. “We can do that.” He gave her a wave and started up the dock.
Rhonda and I looked at each other and smiled. “Is there anything else you can tell us?” she asked me.
I looked at Theo, who was laughing at something one of the EMTs said. It looked like he was going to be fine, thankfully. “Not really,” I told Rhonda, hoping I could leave. I was starting to get clammy and cold and was dying to change my clothes. “They left Theo’s phone, so I wonder if they were targeting just the camera. For the pictures Theo might have taken.”
She got it. “You mean related to Miss Piper’s death? I’ll make sure to mention that to the chief.” She nodded at me. “You’re free to go.”
After saying goodbye to Theo and promising to check in for an update later, I hurried up the dock. “Ian,” I said. “We can leave.” Anton had rejoined his team but Madison was standing stock-still on the dock, a bemused expression on her face. “What’s up, Mads? Ready to head out?”
She shook herself. “Sure am.” She gestured up the dock. “After you.”
On the way to Ian’s truck, I gave them the update about Theo. Then we rode together to the public parking lot, where I retrieved my tote from Madison’s car and made a plan to meet up at the clambake in an hour. I could tell there was something on Madison’s mind but I didn’t want to question her in front of Ian. I’d wait until we were alone.
* * *
Much longer than an hour later, Ian and I strolled hand in hand through the festival, on our way to join our friends. At my house, we’d taken advantage of the opportunity to hang out and talk and, yes, smooch a little. The porch swing is perfect for that, by the way.
“You’re late,” Madison said with a smirk as we strolled up to the picnic table where she was sitting with Grammie, Sophie, Bella, and Bella’s children. She held up an envelope, flipping it back and forth. “Guess what? We won a prize.”
“For what?” I said hello to the others and smiled at the kids, who were eating hot dogs and French fries. “We didn’t even finish.”
“For most creative,” Madison handed me the envelope. “Here. You do the honors since our boat was inspired by your cat.” She scooted down the bench to allow us to sit down.
“Plus using that darling apron as a sail?” Bella put in. “A real stroke of genius.”
“Why, thank you,” I said with a little bow before sliding onto the bench. “I impressed myself when I came up with it.”
“Why don’t I go get us something to drink?” Ian suggested, remaining standing. “I take it the clambake isn’t quite ready?”
Sophie patted her stomach. “Ten minutes, they said. I can’t wait. It smells so good.” She was right. The aroma of steaming lobster and clams drifted our way from the nearby pits and my own belly gave an excited rumble in response.
“Clams? Yuck.” Connor, Bella’s eleven-year-old, wrinkled his nose. “They’re disgusting.” He chomped on a fry, starting at one end and feeding it into his mouth.
His sister, Alice, twelve, made a face. “Eww. I hate slimy food.”
“That’s why you’re having hot dogs,” Bella said. “I don’t have the money to waste on lobster for you two.”
As Ian headed off to the drinks table for two lemonades, I ripped open the envelope. “This must be something good, right? I mean, most creative is really special.” A slip of paper fell out of the envelope. I unfolded it and read, “‘Good for one oil change and tire rotation.’” I threw the paper down. “Seriously? This has to be the worst prize I’ve ever won.” Not that I’ve won many. I’m not lucky that way.
The others groaned in support. Madison picked the paper up and read it front and back, in case I had missed something. Nope. “We can split it. What do you want? Oil change or rotation?”
I started laughing. “Wow. I need to think about that for a while. That’s a big decision.” Madison laughed too, and I knew we wouldn’t forget this incident for a while. We have a lot of stories like that, fun to reminisce about and laugh over.
By the time we returned to the table with full trays holding lobster, clams, corn, and potatoes, Madison’s parents had arrived. So had Lukas and Ruben. Seeing them hovering with full trays looking for a place to sit, Sophie waved them over. “I hope you don’t mind,” she said to us.
I shook my head, my mouth already full of sweet, tender lobster drenched in butter. No one else objected, so the professors sat down at the end, next to Zadie and Horatio.
Next to me, Ian cracked a claw, sending lobster juice splattering. “You’re dangerous with that nutcracker,” I joked. “Good thing I’m wearing a bib.”
“Speaking of bibs,” Bella said. “Are you getting many entries for the contest?” She dipped a plump clam into butter and popped it into her mouth. Her children nudged each other and made faces. “Go on, you two. Go play.” A group of their friends was running around on the grass nearby, shrieking and laughing.
“I have about six or seven entries so far,” I said. “Some of them are real doozies, I can tell you that.”
“We’re getting a real kick out of it,” Grammie said with a grin. “Each one is stranger than the next.” She perused her serving of steamed clams, pouncing on an overlooked morsel hiding in its shell.
“Like the guy who wants electricity,” I said. I gave them a rundown of the entrants, then said, “I can’t wait to see what they come up with on the actual day.”
“Neither can I,” Ian said. “Sounds fun.” He extracted meat from his second claw and added it to a bowl of melted butter.
“Is that how you eat a lobster?” I asked. “Pick everything out first?” I couldn’t wait that long. I’d already gobbled my claws and I was now onto the tail, wh
ich had the most meat.
“Yep.” Ian used his pick to press lobster meat into butter to marinate, then gathered up the empty shells and tossed them into a bucket placed nearby for that purpose. “Do all the work and then enjoy.”
“I bet you ration out your Halloween candy, too,” Madison said. A trace of butter made her cheeks shine. At my gesture, she grabbed a napkin and dabbed her face.
Ian laughed. “You’re right. Well, I used to. My mother would throw out the leftovers every Easter, when I got fresh candy.”
I leaned against his shoulder for a second. “I guess opposites attract.” But eating habits aside, we were actually quite similar. Both of us were entrepreneurial, worked hard, and loved our families and friends.
A contented silence fell over the table while we worked on our dinners. I was torn between absolutely stuffing myself and eating lightly so I could dance rather than waddle. I compromised by not eating my potato and corn. Why did they bother to serve those anyway? One whole lobster and a heaping serving of steamed clams were filling enough.
I caught snatches of conversation from down the table. “It’s a very innovative technology,” Ruben was saying to Horatio and Zadie. “The fuel of the future.” He didn’t waste any time, did he? As well-off and established physicians, I’m sure they seemed like attractive prospects for investing in his seaweed biofuel company.
As Horatio leaned across the table and asked a question, the band struck up the first song. The children on the grass began to dance, some of them adding in gymnastic moves like somersaults and handstands.
“Ready to shake a leg?” Ian asked me, wiping his fingers with a moist toilette.
I leaned back to give my belly more room. “In a few. I need to let everything settle.” Across the table, Sophie stiffened, then ducked her head, pretending great interest in the remains of her dinner.
“Hey, Jake,” Madison called with a wave. “Thanks again for saving us today.”
“Glad to do it.” The lobsterman detoured to our table, looking absolutely scrumptious in faded jeans and a pale green button-down rolled to the elbows. He smiled around at all of us, his eyes lingering on Sophie, who still had her head down.
Thread and Dead--The Apron Shop Series Page 14