Thread and Dead--The Apron Shop Series

by Elizabeth Penney

  Grammie fussed with the sheets, smoothing them. “Are you on any medications, Eleanor? Sometimes they can cause all kinds of funny symptoms.” This was a roundabout way to ask whether Eleanor might have taken too much of something.

  Eleanor held up a forefinger with a laugh. “I’m on one medication. One. That isn’t bad for an old bird like me, is it?” She pointed to the bedside table drawer. “My pills are in there.”

  I opened the drawer, but instead of a medication bottle, I found one of those plastic days-of-the-week containers. Each compartment held rattling objects but I couldn’t identify them through the opaque plastic.

  “The rest of those are my herbs and vitamins,” she said before I could ask. “I take them faithfully, every day, and they’ve done wonders for my health.”

  That was great, but two days were open, not one. Had she taken an overdose of something? Or just left a lid open? I pried open another compartment and studied the contents.

  Eleanor’s face screwed up in distress. “I can’t imagine what’s wrong with me lately. I keep leaving things where they don’t belong.”

  Like putting her eyeglasses in the refrigerator the other day. That had been strange, although I’d put cold milk into the cereal cupboard once. Maybe Eleanor was merely absentminded. We all were at times.

  Madison returned with the water and handed the glass to Eleanor. After taking a few thirsty swallows, she went on. “And I’m so confused sometimes. I thought Craig was an intruder one morning when I walked into my office and saw him at the file cabinet.”

  Doing what? I glanced at Madison and Grammie, who both looked concerned.

  “Let’s tell the doctor all this,” Anne said, patting Eleanor’s shoulder in a comforting manner. “Maybe they need to change your medicine. Or the dosage.”

  “Maybe,” Eleanor said. “Although it’s only medicine for my tummy. I have reflux sometimes.”

  Madison drew me aside while Grammie settled Eleanor comfortably back on the pillows. “Something doesn’t sound right to me,” she whispered. “I’m not a doctor, but I’ve never heard of reflux medicine affecting people’s minds. Or making their voices slur.”

  “Me neither.” I studied Eleanor, who was lying back against the pillows, eyes closed. “But I pray it’s not dementia,” I said. Sometimes those symptoms could come and go, I’d heard. How tragic it would be for this bright, interesting woman to lose her mental faculties.

  Lights flashing through the front windows announced the arrival of the ambulance. “I’ll go down and let them in,” I said, switching on my flashlight again. The electricity still wasn’t back on yet. And it was pouring again, judging by the rain lashing the windows.

  When I opened the front door for the EMTs, I discovered that Anton was with them. The police often answered ambulance calls as extra support. “Thanks for getting here so fast,” I said, standing back to let them in.

  “Hey,” a voice called from the front walk. “Wait for me.” Eleanor’s nephew, Craig, came splashing along carrying a big black umbrella.

  “Excuse me, excuse me.” Craig pushed his way past Anton and the medical personnel and closed his wet umbrella with a snap, throwing drops everywhere. What an oaf. “What’s going on here? Is my aunt all right? I’d also like to know why I wasn’t informed.”

  Since time was of the essence, I ignored Craig and turned to the EMTs. “Eleanor is upstairs, first bedroom on the right in front. When we got here, she was confused and then she collapsed. No broken bones, though, thankfully.”

  “We’ll go check her over,” one EMT said. Shouldering past Craig, both EMTs flew up the stairs. Anton stayed with me, subtly blocking the way to the stairs.

  “The reason I didn’t call you is I don’t have your number,” I told Craig. “I’m sorry about that.” And I was. Maybe his rude demeanor was a mask for worry. I held up my phone. “Why don’t you give it to me now?”

  He stared at me, his bulldog jaw working. “I don’t see any reason why you should have it,” he said. “You and my aunt aren’t that close, are you?”

  No, he was just plain rude, I decided. “Have it your way.” I waved the light beam at the stairs. “Anton? Want to go up?”

  Although Anton had a flashlight on his duty belt and didn’t need my feeble beam, he nodded and gestured for me to precede him up the stairs. Behind me, I heard Craig give a huff and then his heavy breathing as he followed us, footsteps thumping.

  In Eleanor’s bedroom, the medics were checking her vital signs and questioning her about her symptoms. When Madison saw us walk in, she detached herself from the group and came over. Craig went to the foot of the bed and listened, scowling, arms folded across his chest.

  Madison and Anton stared at each other for a long moment before she looked away. “I’m glad you came along tonight,” she said in a low voice. “Iris and I are worried about Eleanor.”

  “The EMTs will figure it out,” Anton said, his voice hearty with reassurance. “They’ll probably take her in for observation and tests. And her doctor will be informed.”

  “My father is her physician, I think Eleanor said,” Madison said. “But I’m hoping you can help.”

  Anton rested his hands on his hips, his brow furrowed. “I’m not following.”

  “I’ve seen one of Eleanor’s spells before,” I said. “She’s confused, forgetful, in her own world. And then a while later, she snaps out of it and she’s normal again.” I thought of something. “But tonight her pupils were really dilated.” That might have been due to the dark, though. “And her voice was slurring.” That certainly wasn’t due to the dark.

  Anton called one of the EMTs over, speaking softly so we couldn’t hear. The medic responded, nodding affirmatively, then went back to his patient.

  “Okay,” Anton said. “There’s some … indication that other factors might be at play here.” Meaning the EMT thought there were possible symptoms of intoxication of some sort.

  I exchanged glances with Madison. “You’ll want to check her bedside table drawer for a purple plastic container,” I said. “She keeps her medications in there.” Lowering my voice even further, I said, “Test them, will you? Something is definitely not right here.”

  The EMTs unfolded a gurney and began to prepare Eleanor for transport. Craig hovered around them, getting in the way. “What are you doing? Where are you taking her?”

  “Move aside, sir,” one of the EMTs said. “We’re taking your aunt to the hospital.”

  “I’m all right, Craig,” Eleanor said in a weak voice. “They’ll take good care of me.”

  The other EMT patted her shoulder. “We sure will, ma’am.”

  Anton retrieved the pill container from the drawer while Craig, who was finally standing out of the way, watched the medical personnel wheel their patient from the room. “Maybe it’s for the best, Aunt Eleanor. Maybe you shouldn’t live alone anymore.”

  Although his words were something anyone in the same situation might say, they didn’t sit right with me. Eleanor had told us that Craig wanted power of attorney. What if her illness had just provided him with the opportunity he’d been looking for to take control?

  CHAPTER 22

  Craig made ushering movements with his hands. “We’re all done here,” he told us. “Time for you to go.” We moved in a bunch toward the bedroom door, except for Anton.

  “Hold on a moment, Mr. Brady,” Anton said. “I’d like to talk to you.”

  Frowning, Craig threw a glance toward the bedroom doorway. He sighed. “Will it take long? I really need to follow my aunt to the hospital.”

  “I’ll be finished by the time she’s loaded in the ambulance and ready to go,” Anton said. We’d been lingering in the room but when the chief directed raised brows at us, we hurried out into the hallway, dismissed.

  “I’m so glad you suggested coming over here,” I said to Grammie as we moved toward the staircase. I looked over my shoulder at the hallway carpet where Eleanor had collapsed. What if she’d lain there
all night? My stomach clenched. Or what if she had tumbled headlong down this long flight of stairs? The fall might have been fatal.

  The front door opened and Lukas walked in. “What’s going on?” he asked, seeing the three of us coming down the stairs. “I saw Eleanor being loaded into an ambulance.” He took off a rain slicker and hung it on a peg near the door, then raked his fingers through his damp hair, smoothing it into place. “They wouldn’t tell me anything.”

  “Eleanor isn’t feeling well,” Grammie said. “But hopefully it’s nothing serious. They’re being cautious and taking her in for some tests.”

  “Whew,” Lukas said, his expression lightening. “That’s a relief. I’ve grown really fond of her.”

  “So have we,” I said. “And guess what? We found out that Claudia left Belgium before her father died.” I knew he’d want to hear this update. “So she didn’t kill him or steal the diamonds from the open safe.”

  “Whew again,” he said. “I’m really glad to hear that.”

  “That’s why we’re here so late,” Madison added. “We wanted to tell Eleanor the good news as soon as we found out. But so far, we haven’t had a chance.” Voices sounded on the upstairs landing, which meant Anton and Craig were coming. Madison hunched her shoulders and put a finger to her lips. “Shh.”

  Lukas seemed to catch on. He pasted a pleasant and neutral smile on his lips as Craig clomped down the stairs ahead of Anton, hand clutching the banister. “I’m so sorry to hear about your aunt’s illness, Craig. Please extend my wishes for a speedy recovery.”

  Instead of thanking Lukas, Craig curled his lip in response. “You might want to seek other accommodations, de Wilde. I’m going to strongly suggest that my aunt stop taking in guests.” The word “guests” sounded like an epithet.

  The smile on Lukas’s face wavered only briefly. “I’ll wait until I talk to Eleanor, if you don’t mind. We paid for the summer in advance, so should she change her mind, we’ll be owed a substantial refund.”

  Craig’s response was to mutter something intelligible, and I had the feeling he was disconcerted by the thought of having to give money back. Without saying anything else, not even good night, he stalked across the hall, picked up his umbrella, and stormed out the front door. We heard a shout as he addressed the EMTs, who were still parked in the driveway.

  “Nice fellow,” Lukas said under his breath. “Poor Eleanor, having to deal with him.”

  Poor Eleanor, indeed. I prayed that she would recover fully and be able to carry out her plan to prevent Craig from taking over her finances. I’d love to be a fly on the wall when he learned that he had been cut out of the will.

  “I’m heading over to the hospital,” Anton told us. “I can keep you posted, if you want.” He patted his pocket, where Eleanor’s medications must be. “We’ll be taking a close look at everything.”

  “We would love to get an update when you have time,” Grammie said. “As long as it’s within bounds of confidentiality.”

  “I can do that.” Anton smiled around the circle, his eyes resting on Madison for a long moment. It was as if magnets were pulling the pair together. “I’ll see you all later. And good job calling it in, Iris. You can’t be too careful with someone Eleanor’s age.” He touched his hat brim and left, closing the door softly.

  The strobing lights faded from view as the ambulance and cruiser started up the drive, followed by Craig’s taillights. Neither emergency vehicle put on its siren, which meant they weren’t treating Eleanor’s condition as an emergency. That was a huge relief. She must not be in any immediate medical danger.

  “If you’ll excuse me,” Lukas said, “I’m going to head up to my room.”

  Grammie looked at us. “The excitement seems to be over for the moment. We should get going.”

  We said good night to Lukas, but as he started up the stairs, I thought of something. “What happened with the police?” I asked. “When you went in for questioning.”

  He paused on the stairs, turning to face us while gripping the banister. “They asked me again about my movements the morning Hailey was killed. According to them, a witness saw me on the cliffs near where she was found.” His blue eyes blazed. “It’s a total lie. Yes, I was in the state park, but I didn’t even see Hailey, let alone talk to her or hurt her.”

  “So the witness lied, then.” Was it Patrick, trying to cover his own tracks, or someone else entirely? I’d thought Patrick, due to timing, but maybe I had jumped to conclusions. “Who was it, did they say?”

  Lukas made a scoffing sound. “They wouldn’t tell me,” he said, his words terse. “Probably afraid I would go after the person.”

  A chilling thought struck me. What if Lukas was lying? The case was stacking up against him—first the ripped jacket, now a witness coming forward. Uncomfortable with even toying with these thoughts, I shifted on my feet, so glad he couldn’t read my mind. I’d believed Lukas was innocent all along, but now the waters were good and muddy.

  “If that’s all…” Lukas began climbing the stairs again. “Please let me know if you get news about Eleanor.”

  “We will,” Grammie called in a cheerful voice. She obviously wasn’t tormented with doubts about the professor. “Have a good night.”

  Outside, the rain had dwindled to occasional big drops landing with splats. We hurried across the drive to the Jeep and climbed in. I was suddenly exhausted, all the adrenaline sparked by the emergency draining away. And my brain was worn out from all the theorizing and speculating. Time to take a break.

  Grammie started the Jeep, the engine catching with a throaty roar. “I’m ready for bed now, that’s for sure.”

  “Me too,” Madison said from the back seat. “This visit didn’t go the way I thought it would.”

  “But I’m so glad we were here,” I said. Despite my resolution to shut off my brain, another terrible thought chimed in my mind. Why had Craig come over tonight? Unless he had a police scanner, there was no way he would know his aunt had a medical emergency. Had he been worried about her due to the storm? Maybe, but the less-than-charitable side of me doubted it. I didn’t like or trust Craig.

  As if reading my mind, Grammie said, “I’m glad Craig doesn’t know about Claudia’s jewelry. I don’t trust him an inch.” In the dim light from the dashboard, I saw that her expression was sour. “I know plenty of older people who have been ripped off by family or even caregivers. Things just happen to disappear.”

  “I’ll never let that happen to you, Grammie,” I said, angered on behalf of her friends. “I promise.”

  She threw me a smile. “Not that we have many valuables worth stealing.” Then we said together, “Except Quincy.” We all laughed.

  The three of us lapsed into silence as we rode through the warm, wet night. Overhead, the clouds dissolved, revealing a sky spangled with stars. The storm was over.

  We had almost reached the farmhouse when my phone and Madison’s went off in unison. “I wonder if there’s news already,” I said, heart in my throat. What if Eleanor had taken a turn for the worse? I picked up my cell phone and scrolled.

  The text message wasn’t about Eleanor, and for few seconds, I couldn’t make sense of it. Then I realized it was from Jamaica. Her name wasn’t in my contacts, only her number. Alarm went off. Someone is trying to break in.

  “Did you just get a message from Jamaica?” Madison asked.

  “I sure did.” I swiveled in my seat. “Grammie, how do you feel about taking a detour? Someone is trying to get into Jamaica’s lab.”

  In answer, she put her foot on the gas and the Jeep took off like a rocket, speeding past our house. I idly wondered if Quincy was watching out the window and what he would think when we kept going. He definitely knew the sound of our cars. I’d seen him go to the door before Grammie even turned up the driveway. She said he did the same when he heard Beverly’s engine approaching.

  Grammie took a detour around downtown, where the speed limit dipped to a frustrating twenty-five
miles per hour. Instead we raced over the back roads circling town and then headed down toward the water again, to the street where the old mill building was located. Grammie had lived in Blueberry Cove all her life, and she knew every nook and cranny and shortcut.

  Another text came in. Where r u? Be there in five. Huh. I’d expected Jamaica to get here first, since she lived closer than us. But maybe she hadn’t been home when the alarm went off.

  “I thought Jamaica would be here,” Madison said. “Where is she?”

  “I have no idea,” I said. Almost there, I wrote back to Jamaica. Grammie slowed to pull into the entrance of the complex. We made it, I added.

  Call 911 if you see anyone. Which meant she hadn’t called already, perhaps preferring to check out the situation first rather than raise a false alarm.

  Or were we walking into a trap of some sort? With a sick feeling, I recalled the lurker in the alley. The sabotage to the cardboard boat. The unknown assailant who attacked Theo.

  I put a hand to my aching head. My thoughts were spiraling out of control and I was seeing danger everywhere. But what if my fears were justified? Maybe I’d been guilty of tunnel vision, eliminating suspects because I liked them. Lukas, the prime suspect. And Jamaica. Something had been off about her claim that she was in her apartment the morning Hailey died. I was pretty sure she was lying. But why? Being at home alone wasn’t much of an alibi.

  Grammie drove through the empty parking lot toward the building, aiming her headlights onto the front entrance. The place looked deserted, with only a safety light shining in the entrance hall. Nothing moved as we pulled to a halt.

  “Let me check the front door,” Madison said, slipping out of the car before I could stop her. In the glare of the headlights, she ran to the entrance and tugged at the handle. The door didn’t budge. Maybe the person was gone, or if they were still inside, they had secured the door for safety reasons. It was hard to tell either way, since the labs were located in the back of the building. Along the front, the windows were dark and blank. I didn’t even know who used these rooms. I hadn’t paid attention to the signs during the tour.