“It's perfect,” said Jane. “Let's get to work.”
BIG AS A MOUNTAIN MYSTERY QUILT
SECOND SET OF CLUES
Block A—Using 8 of the 4 3/8” squares of both fabrics #1 and #2, place one 4 3/8” square fabric #1 on a 4 3/8” square of fabric #2, right sides together. Draw a diagonal line corner to corner on the wrong side of one. Sew scant seam ¼” away from drawn line on each side. Cut on line. Press to darker fabric. Repeat with remaining 7 squares, creating total of 16 half-square triangle blocks measuring 4” square.
Layout—Place one 4” square of fabric #3 right side up. Place four 4” squares of fabric #1 on each side of it. In the corners, add a half-square triangle block with the 90 degree point of the triangle of fabric #2 touching fabric #3. Sew block together.
Make 4. Square to 11” and Label—Block A.
Block B—Using 16 of the 4 3/8” squares of fabric #1 and of fabric #4, use the same technique as in block A to create 32 half-square triangle blocks. Press to the darker fabric.
Layout—Place a 4” square of fabric #2, right side up. Place a 4” square of fabric #1 so each has one corner touching a corner of fabric #2. Place one half-square triangle block in each space created, with one edge of #4 touching the right edge of square #1 and the top edge of center square #2.Working around the block, place the remaining three half-square triangles to form a star. Check to make sure as you rotate the block, the top star point should always look the same. Sew. Press to solid squares and away from center row.
Make 8. Square to 11” and Label—Block B.
CHAPTER NINE
“I just love doing a mystery quilt.” Susan tucked her feet up under her while she studied the instructions.
“Me too.” Jane dug through the large green plastic box at her feet until she found her stack of precut fabrics. “Even if I guess right away what it is going to look like. I find it very freeing to work on something without having a preconceived notion about what it should look like when it is finished.”
“Well, I think it is silly.” Eleanor snapped. The expressions on the others' faces encouraged her to soften her words. “I just mean I already have more than enough to do.”
Realizing those words for Eleanor were a true apology, everyone nodded and went back to work.
“How are things at the museum?” Susan shifted the conversation back to Martha and Jane. “I heard the grand opening is next Friday at Celeste and Patrick's wedding reception.”
“That's the unofficial opening. Everyone in the county, plus the out of town guests will be free to explore the museum, but we won't actually open to the public then.” Martha massaged one eyebrow. “We hope to have most of the kinks worked out by Thanksgiving.”
“What's wrong?” Several voices asked in unison.
“Oh, nothing serious. The barn and display building are completely ready.” Jane waved her hands in a big circle. “Wait until you see the quilts we have. They are gorgeous. And lots of hands-on exhibits too, like spinning.”
Martha chimed in. “We're waiting for one of the new ovens for the snack bar.”
“A snack bar?” Holly stuffed a bite of cake into her mouth. “Who's going to cook?”
“Sally Calhoun.”
“Really?” Eleanor set her mug down and clapped her hands. “I think that's wonderful!”
Theo turned to Eleanor, surprised the cranky woman was so enthusiastic. “Have you eaten her cooking before?”
“Yes. I hope she hasn't lost her touch. Her pie crust was even better than Blossom's.” She frowned. “Of course, that was before Possum married her and dragged her away to be his prisoner.”
As melodramatic as she made it sound, Theo agreed with the basic story. The abusive man had married Sally and kept her isolated from her family and life in town. “What about her baby?”
“Oh, she's so precious.” Jane cooed. “We have set up a nursery room next to the snack bar and Celeste has promised to help out when she can.”
Eleanor picked up her mug and took a couple of loud gulps of liquid. “Who's Celeste? I don't think I know her.”
“Uhm.” At that moment, Theo realized what Eleanor was drinking and fell silent. Pregnancy made her sensitive to certain aromas she might not notice otherwise. Rum. In her big travel mug, Eleanor had lots of rum and something coconut. No wonder she tended to get quiet in the evenings. She was intoxicated.
Giving Theo a confused look and picking up the story where she stopped, Jane explained. “Celeste is the nice young woman from Kentucky who's marrying Patrick MacLeod on Friday. You know, he's the new high school football coach.”
“Patrick is my nephew.” Scarlet LaFleur's voice traveled through the room like an icy wind.
“The name's not familiar.” Betty whispered to Dottie but loudly enough for all to hear. “Who are his people?”
“My sister, Easter Lily is his mother.” Scarlet's expression did not invite further questions. “I am the only person besides her who knows the identity of his father. I will take her secret with me to the grave.”
As melodramatic as it was, the statement managed to stop further, at least open, inquiry about the groom's complicated family tree.
Tony was a hit with the scouts. He'd arrived at the meeting with enough rope to bind all six of the boys, plus the scout leaders, and Jamie into total immobility. It had taken a bit longer than expected to release them all, but the laughter and jokes made it even more fun.
Chris and Jamie hadn't had any problem talking him into a stop at Ruby's Café for dessert on the way home.
He was surprised when Blossom came out of the kitchen, followed by Ruby. Neither of the women was usually there after the dinner rush. Blossom's eyes were watering and her normally smooth skin looked red and blotchy. She stopped at their table and sniffled.
“Hey Blossom, I didn't think you worked evenings.” It was lame, but Tony was curious.
A shudder worked its way through her, jiggling her extra flesh. “I don't.” She began crying in earnest, buried her face in a towel, and waddled toward the kitchen.
Ruby kept her eyes on Blossom even as she rattled off the desserts available. The moment Blossom disappeared, she turned to Tony. “Poor Blossom. She's hiding here.”
“From what?”
“Some members of Mr. Beasley's family have called and accused her of murder.” Ruby's beautiful brown eyes flashed with anger. “There's just no way.”
Tony didn't dispute her assessment. He was curious, and not just about the identity of the callers. Why pick on Blossom? “Will you ask her if anyone told her their name? I'd really like to have a chat with these people, and as far as I know, none of his relatives live in the area.”
The first quilter to go to bed was Melissa. The young mother stretched and yawned. “I'm going to soak in the tub, without having little hands coming under the door, and then slide into bed. I'll see you all when I see you.”
Eleanor was the next to go to bed. Her room was upstairs and she staggered slightly before grabbing the handrail.
Mumbling complaints about the lack of an elevator and the drab décor, Scarlet followed Eleanor up the stairs to her own room.
The rest of the group worked on until about midnight. Most of the quilters, including Theo, went to bed then, leaving just a few night owls still working.
When Theo got into her room, it seemed stuffy, so she opened the window. Standing in the cool air, she yawned and stretched as she admired the stars and the crescent moon. Other than a few points of light in the hills across from the hotel, the only lights she saw came from the path lights lining the sidewalk around the building. Laughing so much was exhausting, she thought, and climbed into bed. Minutes later, she was sound asleep.
Only half conscious, it took Theo a little while to realize she was awake and shivering. Not stuffy any longer, the room was freezing cold. She smelled rain in the gentle breeze carried through the open window. The breeze blew directly across her bed, so she snuggled under the blankets and listened to the dro
ps hitting the ledge outside the window. The rain was welcome after weeks of unrelenting dry weather, and Theo relaxed back into the pillows, savoring the moment.
She couldn't remember the last time it rained. Tears rose and spilled from her eyes, sliding onto the pillow. She wasn't sad. She was so hormonal, so emotional, that a little rain brought her to this state.
As she lay there, teary and yet pleased by the cool rain scent drifting through the room, she felt one or both of her babies turn. Gently rubbing her belly, she smiled, her eyes drying as the rain dripped from the eaves and splashed on the vegetation outside.
Whipping one hand out of the warm shelter of blankets, Theo pulled her travel alarm off the table and into the bed, diving deeper into the covers with it. When she pressed on a bar at the top of the face a light came inside and she could read the time. Three o'clock. She groaned. It was too cold to sleep and too early to get up. “Why don't they have remote controls for windows? There is one for everything else.” Grousing, she crawled out of bed and headed first to the bathroom then toward the window. She noticed the room was much darker without the glow of the moon and the stars.
Out of habit, she looked out the window. The only lights came from the path lighting, glowing upwards. Illuminated from below, the trees now had a menacing appearance. There was no color. Only shades of gray. The chill air carried the aromas of decaying leaves and damp earth to her. She shivered and reached up for the old-fashioned window sash. As she tugged on it, pulling it down, closing the window, she caught a glimpse of something odd in the shrubs below. It seemed much lighter in color than the bushes. Theo was sure it had not been there when she went to bed. Squinting made it clearer but not clear enough to identify. It looked like a white branch. She found her glasses on the nightstand and looked again.
A bare leg stuck out of the bushes. A woman's leg.
Wide awake now, Theo pulled on her robe and stuck her room key into the pocket. Without taking the time to think about what she was doing, she headed down the hall, across the lobby, past the Trimbles' apartment and out onto the back sidewalk. Not until she was standing on the wet flagstones did she realize her feet were bare and she was alone in the night with a corpse. Shivering uncontrollably, she backed toward the safety of The Lodge, even as she stared at the grotesque scene.
Draped backwards over a rhododendron bush was the very still body of Scarlet LaFleur. The leg Theo saw from her window pointed to the sky, the other one bent into the shrub. Scarlet's head was turned in an unnatural fashion, and rain droplets splashed into the water pooled in her open mouth. Theo thought something long and thin was tied around Scarlet's neck.
Some small creature moved in the vegetation, making Theo realize how vulnerable she was alone with a dead body in the dark. Sickened and terrified, she headed back into the hotel as quickly as she could. Almost to the owner's suite, she heard heavy footsteps coming behind her. Stepping into an alcove, she ducked down behind a potted plant and watched as Art Trimble, dressed in jeans and flannel shirt, walked past her hiding spot without stopping. His heavy hiking boots left a damp trail behind him.
As soon as she heard the apartment door close, Theo headed for her room. Close to panic, she waddled as quickly as she could. It took several attempts before she managed to get the key into the lock. She kept glancing backwards over her shoulder. Not until she fastened the security bolt and chain did she start to calm down. Ignoring the hotel phone, her shaking hands trembled as she lifted her tiny cell phone from her purse. She pressed two, automatically dialing Tony's phone.
Tony's grumpy, mumbled greeting was the sweetest sound imaginable. It brought tears to her eyes. “Tony.” The most sound she could produce was a bare whisper. With her heart pounding in her throat, she had to stop and catch her breath. She took huge gasps of air.
“Theo, honey, is that you?” Instantly, concern replaced the irritation in his voice. “Are you all right?”
“I am now.” Gulping the air had given her the hiccups, and she waited until they subsided some. “Tony, Scarlet is dead.”
“Dead how?” His voice was professional, the words clipped. Under control.
It calmed some of her panic, and she coughed a couple of times, clearing her throat. “I don't know how, but her body is outside in the bushes. It looks to me like her neck is broken. There's something around her throat and now it's raining on her.” As Theo talked her voice rose to a wail and then the hiccups got louder. She kept seeing the gaping mouth. The splashes of water dropping into it. “I was going to wake the Trimbles and call from their apartment, when I saw Art walk by, and he laughs like a seal. He was dressed.” She knew she wasn't making sense, but she couldn't seem to organize her thoughts at all. “Why was he outside at that hour? Did he call to report Scarlet's death?”
“Where are you now, sweetheart?” Tony's voice was calming and so dear. “Are you somewhere safe?”
A hiccup was her answer. “I'm in my room with the chain on. But, but I can see her body from my window.” She felt like a ninny, but she couldn't stop crying.
“Okay, I'm on my way. Just keep watch from where you are and let me know if anyone gets near the body. I'll be there as soon as I can.”
It didn't take Tony long to get ready. Even as he dressed, he called Edith to come over and stay with the boys. She answered on the second ring and arrived at the front door at the same time he did. It looked like she had pulled sweatpants and a sweatshirt on over her nightgown, but her eyes were bright and calm.
“You're a great neighbor.” He kissed her wrinkled cheek as he walked past.
As he drove, the Blazer's light bar was flashing but there was little need for it. He didn't see a single other vehicle on the road. Even keeping his speed down to a safe level as he maneuvered the twisting section, he was able to make good time. Luckily, the only animals he spotted were a couple of raccoons having a picnic next to the road. Their little masked faces made them look guilty as they sat there, immobilized by the bright headlights on his vehicle.
As he drove, he played back in his mind the conversation he'd had with Theo. He hadn't caught it all since he had been sleeping soundly when she started talking, and then when he was wide awake, she was dissolving into what he thought of as pre-hysterics. Why had she been so upset it was raining on the body? And what had she said about Art Trimble? She had seen him outside? She didn't say when, but assumed it was just before she had called. And what else? He slapped the steering wheel when it came to him. Of course, the barking seal. He'd told her about the odd message, delivered in a raspy voice, left on Mr. Beasley's telephone. Had Art Trimble made that telephone call? Had he left the message on the answering machine? And if so, why?
Tony pulled past the covered drive in front of The Lodge and parked the Blazer. He left the covered space for the ambulance. Doc Nash was already on his way up with it. Tony took the camera with him. If this was anything except an obvious accident, he'd get Wade out of his nice warm bed and let him stand out in the cold rain taking pictures.
The front door was locked, so Tony rang the night bell about six times in quick succession. Finally, the disembodied voice of Beth Trimble came through the speaker. “Yes?” She sounded really cranky about being disturbed.
“Beth? It's Sheriff Abernathy. Can you unlock the door please? It's official business.”
“Tony? It's not even four-thirty in the morning. Okay, okay. Art's on his way to open the door for you.” Even as she spoke, Tony saw the door to the owner's residence open. Art Trimble was pulling a dark plaid robe over his baby blue pajamas. His feet were bare as he padded toward Tony, yawning and stretching.
As he pushed the door open to let Tony inside, he mumbled, “Couldn't stay away from Theo, huh?” He gave Tony a sly, leering look that made Tony want to punch him.
“Like I told Beth, it's official business.” Tony noted Art's wardrobe and demeanor. He acted like he had just been rousted from a sound sleep, but Theo had seen him only a few minutes earlier. Had there been en
ough time for him to change and get to sleep? “I'll need you to wait here and let in Doc Nash.”
“I can just unlock the door and go with you,” Art bounced back. “You know, in case you need help.”
Tony stared at him, and finally Art quit jumping around. Why hadn't he asked about the nature of the business? Unless he already knew what it was about. “Just wait here for the doctor.”
Without lingering any longer, Tony strode down the hallway and out onto the walkway. The path lights were the only form of illumination in the back of The Lodge, but at least the rain had all but stopped. Fine drizzle like this wouldn't make the scene much worse. It had to have been almost destroyed already, thanks to the earlier heavy rain. He shone his flashlight on the shrubs. The sudden beam of light sent a pair of rabbits scurrying deeper into the bushes. When it came to rest on the still body, draped so obscenely over the bush, Tony understood why Theo had been so disturbed by the rain. It disturbed him too. It would also make the investigation more difficult.
He looked up, trying to see where Scarlet had fallen from. Theo waved from her window, almost directly above the body. He waved back, even as he noted part of the railing around the veranda on the floor above her room was down. He also noticed where the body lay in relation to the gap in the railing and decided the general scene was wrong for an accident. She hadn't fallen. There was no way the thing around her neck had come to be there accidentally.
Doc Nash trotted along the sidewalk holding a blue golf umbrella over his head as Tony started punching the buttons on his cell phone. “Got us another one, I see.”
Doc Nash waited until Tony snapped a series of photographs before making a cursory examination of Scarlet. He stood for a long time, shining a light on the woman's neck before returning to the shelter of his umbrella.
From where they stood, Tony could see both the body and Art Trimble. Art stood in the doorway of The Lodge, shifting his weight from side to side, making his bathrobe sway. His eyes were moving constantly, never appearing to focus on anything. To Tony it looked like Art wanted to come outside and see what was going on and also wasn't sure he was up to the scene.
Barbara Graham - Quilted 03 - Murder by Music Page 8