Thread and Dead--The Apron Shop Series

by Elizabeth Penney

  The men exchanged smug glances. “They won’t go after us,” Patrick said. “Not if it’s pinned on Jamaica.” He laughed. “She was so dumb to chase me down that day and beg me to come back to her. I said no, babe, that ship has sailed.” He puffed out his chest with a laugh. “And then she went and lied to the police about it.”

  “Sweet, sweet Jamaica,” Ruben said. “She’s taking the big fall.”

  Oh, Jamaica. But I’d been there, making a last-ditch effort for a relationship that truly shouldn’t be saved. She’d obviously been too humiliated to tell anyone, and backtracking on her alibi would only make her look guilty. But Jake had seen her, so it was sure to come out now, once—no, we couldn’t let that happen.

  I closed my eyes and tried to picture my phone screen. Edging even closer to Sophie so they couldn’t see my movements, I slipped my fingers into the clutch and touched the screen. It wasn’t locked, thank goodness. But I really needed to look at it so I could send a text.

  The boat rocked in the wake of a larger ship farther out, and that gave me an idea. With a groan I rolled over onto my stomach. “I feel sick. I always get so, so seasick.” So, so big a lie. I groaned again, more deeply this time, and began retching, my whole body convulsing.

  “Don’t throw up on the deck,” Patrick said with alarm. “Do it over the rail.” We were out in the harbor now, far from the lights of shore.

  “Okay,” I whimpered. “I’ll try to make it.” Gagging and retching, I crawled to the transom in the rear and leaned over the rail. My great acting job kept them all far away, I noticed with satisfaction. While I was curled over, still pretending to throw up, I slid my phone onto my lap. First I turned off the ringer. I didn’t want them to hear ringing if someone tried to call. I texted Ian and Anton. Send help. Patrick’s boat Jamaica’s seaweed farm Ruben gun. Without waiting for a reply, I put my phone on record and slipped it into my pocket. After retching a couple more times, I crawled back to Sophie.

  “Ugh,” I said, making a show of wiping my mouth. “That was awful.” I almost laughed at how absurdly disgusted they looked. Thinking of my phone busily recording away, I said loudly, “So you’re taking us to Jamaica’s seaweed farm, I’m guessing.”

  “Quit guessing,” Ruben said with a snarl. “And stop talking. You’re about the nosiest woman I’ve ever met.”

  “You know, I really didn’t suspect you, Ruben,” I said, practically shouting his name for the phone’s benefit. Sophie threw me a strange look. “I thought Patrick killed Hailey. Or even Jamaica.” I looked at Theo. “Or you.” I knew there wasn’t much chance Ruben would have a change of heart and let us go even if he had jumped to conclusions falsely, but it was a worth a try. And oh, how I hoped someone would hear this someday.

  Ruben chuckled, as if reminiscing. “It wasn’t really planned. I followed her out to the cliffs that morning to see if I could talk sense into her. But good luck with that. If I didn’t pay her a huge sum of money, she was going to blow the whistle to the other scientists and my investors. I couldn’t believe it. She was my top student and I even took her to a premier event at Chateau de Mount-Gauthier.” He pushed one palm forward. “So, pow. Over she went.”

  Picturing the scene, my belly lurched, the feigned sickness about to become real. “And you pinned it on Lukas by using his jacket.” Maybe if it hadn’t gotten ripped, Ruben would have left it at the scene. Anything to point the finger at someone else.

  “Why not?” Ruben said. “He didn’t like her either. If she didn’t get the fellowship, she was going to claim discrimination. She had a letter to the dean all drafted. I saw it when I searched her pack.”

  I hated to say it, but Hailey really had gone to the dark side in her struggles to get ahead. Not that she deserved death for it, though. Maybe getting kicked out of school and a little jail time for attempted blackmail.

  “She tried to blackmail me, too,” Patrick said, his tone heavy with disgust. “She was going to tell Jamaica my plans to push her out of the seaweed business. I planned to have Theo take over her lease.”

  “Seriously, Theo?” Even I could hear the disgust in my voice. “You were helping these crooks?”

  In response, Theo’s shoulders hunched and he looked scared. As he should. Sabotaging plants was one thing. Aiding and abetting our murders, quite another. Figuring he was the weakest link, I decided to try and break him.

  Cliffs loomed out of the dark, which meant we were almost to Jamaica’s seaweed farm. I stared back at the harbor, praying that someone had gotten my text and was raising the alarm. My glance fell on a box of Patrick’s Seaseme Bars. “Can I have one?” I asked, pointing. “Theo, would you bring me one?”

  He looked at Patrick, at the wheel, and at Ruben, sitting on a bulkhead with his gun. Patrick jerked his head in answer, as if telling Theo to go ahead. Bracing his legs against the movement of the boat, Theo went to the box of bars and pulled out a few. He brought them over to us.

  When he handed me one, I took hold of it and whispered, “Help us.” I put everything into those two words, trying to convey that it wasn’t too late for him but soon would be.

  He stared back at me with glassy eyes and I couldn’t tell if he got the message or accepted it. But I didn’t say anything further. I couldn’t, because Ruben was watching us. I ripped the wrapper and took a bite. Hmm. Not as bad as I expected. If I didn’t know there was seaweed in them, I wouldn’t be able to tell.

  Lights moved across the water. Someone coming to help us or just random boats? I prayed it was help coming. Patrick cut the engine and we drifted, water lapping against the sides. Mooring balls floated in the water, marking the seaweed-growing area.

  A tense silence fell over the boat. This was it, the moment when they disposed of inconvenient us. My mind whirled with possibilities for self-defense as I glanced wildly around the boat. We weren’t going down—literally—without a struggle.

  Then Theo darted forward. What was he doing? Going after that oar to hit us? But instead he picked up a flare gun. With a loud bang, the gun went off, releasing a burst of orange light that could be seen for miles.

  “What did you do that for?” Patrick left the wheel and launched himself on Theo, punching him. The two men, locked together, staggered back and forth. Ruben entered the fray, trying to help Patrick after Theo landed a good one on his jaw.

  Sophie jumped up and ran to the wheel. Of course. She knew how to pilot a lobster boat, because of Jake. She throttled up the engines and took off toward the harbor, sending the men flying. Patrick and Theo fell to the deck, Patrick hitting his head hard. Theo managed to sit up, but blood was gushing from his nose.

  Ruben pointed the gun at Sophie. “Stop, right now,” he ordered. I grabbed the oar and whacked him right in the back, hard enough that the gun flew into the air, over the side of the boat, and, plop, sank without a trace.

  Ruben tried to pull Sophie away, so I hit him again. Another boat loomed up out of the night.

  Jake and Ian, in Jake’s lobster boat. My heart stuttered then soared with joy and relief. I’d never been so glad to see anyone in my life. The two of them were tall and handsome and magnificent.

  “Coast Guard and Marine Patrol are on their way,” Ian called. “It’s over.” As if underscoring his words, two other, much larger, boats came around the point. Jake cut his engine and brought his boat around alongside Patrick’s.

  Ruben grabbed Sophie, his arm around her neck. “Let us go or I’ll hurt her.” When I waved the oar at him, he tightened his arm, making her choke.

  Jake’s eyes frosted over. “It’s too late, Ruben. You’ll never get away. The Coast Guard is already in formation.” He reached under the console, where I knew he kept a shotgun. All the lobstermen did, in case they ran into trouble on the water. But the gun would be no use with Ruben using Sophie as a shield.

  Then a familiar little orange face popped up over Jake’s rail. Quincy? What was he doing here? With a magnificent leap, he cleared the slice of open water and lan
ded on our boat, then launched himself at Ruben, spitting, hissing, scratching, and snarling like a bobcat. With a shriek of pain, Ruben fell back, releasing Sophie. “Get him off me!” he shouted, putting his hands over his face as Quincy climbed him like a tree.

  Holding a hand to her throat, Sophie snatched the key out of the ignition and threw it overboard. No one was going anywhere now.

  “Iris!” Ian called. “Over here.” He stretched a hand to me and I clambered into Jake’s boat. He gathered me tight, his arms like iron bands around me. “I was so worried about you.” He swallowed audibly. “I thought”—his voice grew husky—“I thought I might have lost you.”

  With my face mashed against his shirtfront, I murmured, “I take it you got my text?” I felt laughter rumble in his chest. Something soft brushed my calf. Quincy was back, his mission complete. He wound through our legs in a figure eight while purring up a storm. I picked him up and snuggled him between us, the three of us warm and safe.

  “How did Quincy get here, anyway?” I asked. “Last time I saw him, he was with Grammie.”

  Ian laughed. “While we were looking for you, he somehow got out of his harness and followed us. He found the apron you dropped, by the way, which was our first clue. Then somehow he sneaked onto Jake’s boat without us noticing him.”

  “That sounds like him.” I kissed my cat’s head. “I love you both so much,” I whispered. Then I froze. Had I really said that out loud? So much for my resolve to stay in the slow lane this time. Ian hugged me harder but didn’t say anything. Maybe he hadn’t heard me.

  The Coast Guard and Marine Patrol arrived right then with engines roaring, lights flashing, and orders shouted through bullhorns. Officers, including Anton, boarded Patrick’s boat, taking over from Jake, who was holding the trio of baddies at bay with his shotgun.

  Sophie was seated in Jake’s captain’s chair, sipping from a bottle of water. Jake bent to put the gun away, then turned to his ex-girlfriend. I peeked at them, heart in my throat, as I waited to see what would happen next.

  Jake gently took the bottle of water from her and set it aside. With a sob, he put his arms out, his chest heaving with emotion. Tears streamed down Sophie’s face as she threw herself into his arms. “I love you, Jake. Please forgive me.”

  He bent over her, smoothing her hair with one large hand. “There’s nothing to forgive. It was all my fault.” He kissed her on the head. “I love you too, babe. It’s okay, it’s all going to be okay.”

  I glanced at my guys, who were also watching this touching reconciliation. It is going to be okay, I thought as I reached a hand up to Ian’s neck and pulled his lips to mine. It most certainly is.

  CHAPTER 27

  “Gin and tonic, Iris?” Brendan asked as he held out a tray containing tall and frosty drinks. He was one of several servers hired for Eleanor’s garden party a week later, which had turned into quite the bash. Grammie, Ian, and I were seated at a table next to the pool, waiting for Madison and Sophie to arrive, while Bella watched from a lounge chair as her children frolicked in the pool.

  “I’d love one.” With a smile, I selected a glass, lifting it in a toast of thanks. Now that the mystery of Hailey’s death had been solved, a weight seemed to have lifted from Brendan’s shoulders. He returned the smile, seeming so much freer with them now, and offered Grammie a drink. Ian was sipping from a bottle of beer.

  I settled back in my chair with a sigh. What a treat this was. The weather was perfect: warm and dry with a gentle breeze off the bay. A jazz group played on the veranda, and under a big white tent on the lawn, tables groaned with a cold salad and seafood buffet. Huge grills nearby sent clouds of delicious smoke into the air. Our hostess was flitting around the terrace saying hello to all her guests and making sure that everyone had enough to eat and drink.

  “Eleanor is doing so much better,” Grammie said, watching her laugh at something Horatio Morris said. “It’s like she’s a different person.”

  Grammie was right. The confusion was gone, she had more energy, and she was much less stressed now that Craig was totally out of the picture. In fact, he’d been arrested for spiking Eleanor’s herbal capsules with Valium. We’d also figured out that he had been playing tricks on her, like putting her eyeglasses in the refrigerator and claiming she must have done it. Gaslighting 101.

  “I wonder what the big announcement is,” I said, taking a sip of tart and tangy gin, so refreshing on a hot afternoon. “I tried to get her to tell me but she wouldn’t say a peep.” The auction houses had finally responded to my queries, and we had auctions lined up for the clothing and the jewels. The expected proceeds would allow Eleanor to make some major repairs on the house and still have enough for a sizable nest egg. She and Cookie had been cloistered off and on for the past week, working on something top secret.

  Lukas and Jamaica sat at a nearby table, deep in conversation. He had decided to take the university job in Connecticut and would be moving later in the summer. As the pair laughed together, I had a feeling we’d be seeing him in town now and then.

  Regarding Jamaica, I had been so relieved when my suspicions turned out to be unfounded. She’d come clean to the police about chasing Patrick down the day of Hailey’s death in her boat, an impulse she soon regretted. They’d talked before Patrick encountered Hailey on the shore, so fortunately she hadn’t been withholding anything really relevant to the case. Later she had told me how relieved she was that he didn’t want her back, especially after his illicit activities came to light. Releasing her from their toxic cycle was about the only nice thing he had done. She’d learned her lesson, she’d said, and would pay attention to any red flags next time.

  Patrick had finally confessed to this meeting at the cliffs with Hailey right before her death. She had caught him in Jamaica’s lab after hours and threatened exposure—unless he paid her. Soon after they parted, Patrick saw Ruben and Hailey together on the cliffs from his boat, and watched Ruben push Hailey to her untimely death. In return for his silence, Ruben promised Patrick a stake in his new company. In his confession, Patrick also cleared up a couple of troubling incidents. He had stalked me outside the store and had sliced our boat. He was trying to scare me, to stop me from asking questions.

  Ruben was now facing murder-one charges in Hailey’s death, as well as kidnapping and attempted-murder charges for forcing Sophie and me onto Patrick’s boat. As I’d thought, the fact that he was wearing Lukas’s jacket when he committed the crime and then left it in Lukas’s room had boosted the charges to premeditation. If he hadn’t tried to frame Lukas, he might have been charged only with manslaughter.

  Ruben had mugged Theo to get his camera, worried that the student might have taken an incriminating photograph that morning. But there was nothing, only the photograph of Patrick’s boat, which the police hadn’t thought much of at first. After the BOLO went out, Patrick had painted the boat white and given it a new hull number, which is why he had been able to slip into the harbor undetected.

  As for Theo, his decision to help us on the boat followed by an offer to testify against Patrick and Ruben would probably mitigate the jail time he was facing. Although he had willingly agreed to sabotage Jamaica’s lab, he soon found himself in over his head with the evil pair. He’d been afraid they would kill him too, which was why he was even there when Ruben kidnapped us.

  “When is everyone else getting here?” Ian asked me, his hand reaching for mine under the table. Ever since that night a week ago, we’d been closer than ever. But although I was now pretty sure he’d heard me, he hadn’t returned the words. I was fine with that, I decided after a brief bout of hurt feelings. I didn’t want either of us to make decisions based on the heat of the moment. Been there, done that, lived to regret it.

  I glanced at my phone. No new texts. “They’re probably on their way.” Over at the pool, a deeply tanned man with super-white teeth lowered himself into a chair next to Bella. He said something and she laughed, tossing back her long hair. Go, Bella
.

  Grammie had noticed him as well. “That’s the dentist’s son, Lance Pedersen. He’s quite the sailing champion, as you probably know.” Lance was an Olympic medalist adored by the media for his good looks and charismatic personality.

  “He’s back in town?” Ian’s brows lifted in interest. He studied Lance, who had been three or four years ahead of us in school. “I’ve always enjoyed following his career.”

  “Me, too,” I said. As a long-time patient of Dr. Oslo Pederson, Lance’s father, I’d heard plenty about his celebrity son.

  “Here they come.” Grammie waved as Madison, Anton, Sophie, and Jake came through the gate onto the terrace.

  “I’ll get another couple of chairs,” Ian said, jumping up to grab empty ones from nearby tables.

  Sophie and Jake were holding hands, looking totally blissed out. Over the past few days, I’d often thought about our ordeal on Patrick’s boat, marveling at the bravery we had displayed. I know my focus on saving Sophie had been responsible for allowing me to keep a relatively cool head. When we compared notes, she said the same thing, that all she could think about was fighting to save me. We’d always been good friends, but now our bond was even deeper.

  “Great party,” Madison said, glancing around. She waved at her parents then bent to kiss Grammie’s cheek. She hugged me then sat in the chair Anton held out for her. After she was settled, he bent to kiss her before taking his own seat. Looks like that was going well. Madison, my bestie partner in crime, was happy, which made me ecstatic.

  Sophie and Jake remained standing, still holding hands. When we looked at them with curiosity, Jake said, “Sophie and I have something to tell you.”

  She smiled up at him. “We just came from the attorney’s office. Jake and his dad signed papers about the transition of the business.”