by Emmie Lyn
“She did. And I heard you were planning a talk about the history of quilts,” I said, knowing Sue Ellen had canceled the idea. I watched his reaction as I tugged on the purple leash and Pip calmed down. Barry’s eyes narrowed and his jaw muscles twitched.
“That was the plan. Something Judith specifically asked me to do, but Sue Ellen nixed the plan at the last minute. Can you believe it? Why wouldn’t she want me to fulfill Judith’s request?”
I stepped in front of Luke, so I was within a foot of Barry. “You don’t like Sue Ellen, do you?”
“Not a fact I ever hid. She’s the reason Judith left me with all of Sue Ellen’s whispering about how I didn’t treat her right. You know what I think?”
“What?” I couldn’t wait to hear Barry’s theory on this subject. Of course, he would spin it to make himself look good, but it was important to know every side of a disagreement.
“Sue Ellen was jealous. Everything’s a competition to her. Her house is the biggest on the street even if it meant adding a big addition that she needed like a hole in her head. When Judith and I had a small issue, Sue Ellen blew it up to be the worst thing that could happen to a married couple. All I did was move our money into a different bank. Sue Ellen made it sound like I stole everything from under Judith’s nose.” As Barry spoke, his face got redder and redder and his voice louder and louder. He fumed with anger.
With Luke at my back for support, I placed my hand on Barry’s arm, hoping to break the angry spell he had cast on himself and calm him down. “Finding out that Judith was murdered must have been a terrible blow.”
“Huh?” He shook his head as if he was trying to clear something away. “Oh, it was. I thought Judith and I were actually making progress toward getting our marriage back on track.” He pulled on the collar around his neck. “I have to leave before I cause a scene. If Sue Ellen hadn’t interfered—”
“Judith might have decided to move back in with you?” I finished his thought.
“Exactly. But now I’ll never know.” The bitterness in Barry’s voice rang out loud and clear. He turned and squeezed through the small gap leaving us alone again.
“That was weird,” I said. Pip whined and looked up at me. She was confused about the interaction, too.
“He’s distraught. Look at it from his perspective, Dani. He still loved Judith and was trying to make their marriage work. I’m not saying he deserved to have her back in his life, but at least he was trying. Like I told you before, I think he’s a jerk, but we’ll never know how Judith felt about him. My guess is that she was confused and having trouble knowing who was really looking out for her best interest.”
“Interesting angle, Luke, which I never considered. So, you think that it’s possible Judith put all her trust in Sue Ellen only to have her commit the most heinous act?”
“Wait, a minute, Dani,” Luke said. “I’m not saying Sue Ellen is the murderer. I’m only saying to keep everything in perspective.”
“But you have a point. Sue Ellen and Barry both seemed to be pulling Judith in opposite directions. Who was telling the truth? Was Barry really trying to work things out with Judith? Was Sue Ellen really a loyal friend?”
“Good questions, Dani.” Luke led me out of the private cubby. “Now, we really need to hurry. If someone else wins that quilt, Alice will never forgive you.”
As we swiftly moved through the shelves of books, the hum of conversation grew louder. At the entrance to the main room, I panicked at the packed crowd in front of me. “Leaving was a big mistake. We’ll never get back inside.”
Still holding my hand, Luke rushed me through a door to a deserted hallway. “Good thing I know the ins and outs of this place better than you do thanks to my volunteering when I was in high school.”
He led me to the end of the hallway. I was surprised to find myself facing an exit door. Not understanding what this meant, I looked at Luke, puzzled.
“Not that way.” He turned me around a hundred eighty degrees and pushed me through the door opposite the exit sign. I found myself facing the buffet tables. “You are filled with surprises, Mr. Sinclair.”
Leaning close to my ear, his warm breath tickled my neck. “Never underestimate me, Dani Mackenzie. Now, get your spot so Alice can hang that quilt in her room. I’ll keep an eye on who else is interested and try to help you out on the bidding, so she doesn’t lose every cent of her retirement savings.”
“How will you do that?”
Luke gave me a little shove from behind. “Don’t worry how, just pay attention to what happens.”
I smiled and moved to the center of the front row of bidders. Pip looked up at me expectantly. I wondered if she’d intimidate anyone who tried to outbid me.
Sue Ellen stood on a platform with her arms in the air. “I need everyone’s attention, please.” She clapped her hands.
A few people turned toward Sue Ellen, but the majority of people continued talking and sipping champagne.
“Everyone!” She yelled with surprising authority, which did quiet the room. “It’s time for the main event. First, I want to thank the Little Dog Diner for the absolutely mouthwatering, to-die-for desserts. With only crumbs left, I think it’s safe to say that everyone here agrees with my description. Dani, where are you?” Sue Ellen shaded her eyes and scanned the crowd even though I was almost right in front of her.
I felt eyes on me from every direction and was slightly embarrassed, especially since Lily and Rose did the majority of the hard work. I gave a little nod and wave, but not my movie star wave, and turned my attention back to Sue Ellen with the hope that she’d get on with the bidding.
“Before we continue,” Sue Ellen’s voice trembled slightly, “I want to have a moment of silence for my dear friend, Judith Manning.” Complete silence filled the room instantly.
After a minute, Sue Ellen continued her speech in a calm voice. “Without Judith’s incredible design of this piece of art behind me, we wouldn’t be gathered here for this auction tonight. It was her idea and her hard work along with many local women who helped turn her design into this unbelievable representation of our quaint town of Misty Harbor.”
Sue Ellen held one arm out toward the quilt. “Don’t you agree that this is priceless?”
Nods and yeses filled the room. I wondered how long Sue Ellen would drag this out before she started the bidding. The jitters in my stomach told me that the suspense was building, which would make the price skyrocket. I wished I didn’t have this responsibility to Alice and her money. Too late now.
“Are we ready?” Sue Ellen asked.
The crowd replied with a collective, “Yes!”
Sue Ellen, ever the drama queen, cupped her hand around her ear. “I can’t hear you!”
An ear shattering “Yes!” filled the room.
“Okay, then. And remember that all the money, one hundred percent of your dollars, benefits this library for books and supplies. So, as far as I’m concerned, that’s a win all the way around. Do you agree?”
Not thinking it was possible, an even louder yes than before erupted. Sue Ellen was amazing in this role.
“Who wants to start the bidding?”
I almost fainted when I heard Luke’s voice ring out from the back of the room, “Five hundred dollars!”
What the heck was he doing? Did he expect me to bid against him?
Another voice yelled, “Seven fifty!”
Oh, my goodness. My mind reeled. I was so far out of my comfort zone on knowing what to do. Why didn’t Luke give me a clue ahead of time?
“One thousand dollars!” Luke announced.
And then, I got it. I wasn’t bidding against Luke, we were working together. It didn’t matter if he won or I won but with both of us bidding, one of us would get the quilt for Alice.
The bids increased in one hundred dollar increments with more time in between each bid. This dragged out the suspense of waiting to hear Sue Ellen announce sold. Finally, at someone’s fourteen-hundred-dollar bid
, a lull fell over the room. Time dragged, and Sue Ellen waited in the deafening silence.
Was Luke going to bid again?
Sue Ellen said, “Going once.”
My hand rose as if pulled by an invisible string. “Fifteen hundred dollars!” What had I just done? I couldn’t believe I was committing Alice to that much money. Sweat trickled down my side. My hands shook. Would I have to go higher?
I heard another bid for fifteen hundred and fifty dollars seconds before Sue Ellen was about to say sold for my fifteen hundred dollar bid. Who was that?
Without a pause to think, I yelled, loud and clear, “Sixteen hundred and fifty dollars!” I held my breath and crossed my fingers.
Sue Ellen looked around the room as I kept my eyes glued to her face. Seconds ticked. I didn’t dare look at anyone else.
Sue Ellen broke into a grin that went from one ear to the other. “Sold! Sixteen hundred and fifty dollars to Dani Mackenzie! Congratulations.”
I sucked in a lungful of air. My hand went to my mouth. Even though it wasn’t my money, I couldn’t believe the adrenaline rush of those fifteen minutes from Luke’s opening bid to my final winning amount.
It was a lot of money. Would Alice be okay with that?
Pip, sensing my excitement, ran around my legs, wrapping her leash in a tight noose. I would have fallen in a tangled mess if Luke hadn’t magically appeared at my side and kept me upright. He whispered, “Nice job. Especially this trick. Were you and Pip planning a distraction to prevent more bids against you?”
“If that was her plan, she didn’t give me a heads up. Just like you. You could have told me the plan.” I tried to sound annoyed, but I was still too pumped up from the whole bidding war to pull it off.
“It was more fun this way.” He rubbed my neck. “First time you ever bid at an auction?”
“Uh-huh. It was quite the rush.”
Luke laughed. “It is, especially when you know you want something so badly, you’ll keep on bidding. That’s why I got the ball rolling. Once you jumped in, it was a sign to everyone else that you were serious. Alice will be thrilled. The quilt is amazing.”
“I hope so. You don’t think I spent too much of her money?”
“No. The only one who might care is her daughter. She’s here, you know, so she knows the winning bid. I wonder what she’ll say when she sees it hanging in Alice’s house.”
“I never thought of that. Maybe she’ll tell her it was a gift.”
“Good plan.”
Sue Ellen found me. “I didn’t know you were interested in the quilt. I’m so glad you got it.”
“It’s for a friend.”
Sue Ellen’s eyes popped wide. “Who is it? I’d like a picture of this friend with the quilt.”
“I’ll let her tell you.” I wasn’t sure if Alice wanted to keep her purchase a secret.
“A mystery.” Sue Ellen rubbed her hands together. “That adds to the quilt’s story.”
I made a quick glance at Luke who was trying not to laugh at my awkward predicament.
“I promised the library that the quilt could hang here for the rest of the month, so people have a chance to see it. Is that okay with you?” Sue Ellen asked.
“Of course.”
Maggie appeared at Sue Ellen’s side and whispered in her ear.
“I guess that’s good news,” she said. “Can I share this information?”
Maggie nodded.
She clapped her hands together. “Johnny Wilker has been found. He’s at the police station and he had my stolen dime in his pocket. Can you believe it? What if he had lost that little piece of metal?”
“That puts him right at the scene of the crime, not just in the kitchen where he left the champagne. Did AJ share any other information with you?” Luke asked Maggie.
“Are you kidding? He didn’t even tell me that much. I overheard two cops whispering in the back of the room.” She tapped each ear. “Super hearing.”
Chapter Twenty
With the crazy weekend behind me, I was more thankful than ever that the Little Dog Diner was closed on Mondays. I planned to put my day to good use.
“When do you want to visit Alice and tell her about the quilt?” Rose asked before I even made it all the way into the living room.
“Geesh, I need to relax and enjoy my morning beverage before making that big decision.” Pip looked up from the couch with a hopeful expression but settled down after I rubbed her ears and headed for the coffee pot.
“After Pip and I take our run? Or do you think that will be too early for Alice?” I asked Rose when I returned.
“Too early? The day’s already half gone,” she said without any teasing in her tone. With Rose’s early morning routine, she couldn’t understand how I could sleep in until seven on my day off. “Alice is an early riser just like me, so take your run, we’ll drop by her house, and have breakfast when we get back. I’ll bring her the extra lemon donut holes I saved from Saturday.”
Leaving my coffee on the table to cool, I rushed upstairs and dressed for my beach run. No sense wasting time.
Pip didn’t miss my energy when I returned downstairs. She leaped off the couch in anticipation of our ritual. I laughed and scratched her ears. “You’re ready to get going, too?” I took a couple sips of my coffee. And put it back down on the counter. “That can wait. Let’s get outside and enjoy this early morning air, Pipster.”
Rose followed us out to the patio. “Don’t wait for me, I’ll take a slower stroll and you can meet me on your way back.”
After a few lunges and stretches, I chased after Pip who had decided to start without me. No surprise there since she couldn’t resist harassing the poor seagulls.
I let the fresh air and sunshine do their magic as Pip and I ran down the beach. We turned where the beach changed to rocks and slowed to a walk when we met Rose on our way back to Sea Breeze.
“I love this place,” Rose said as we followed the stairs up to her patio. “Just in case you didn’t know.”
The run and fresh air exhilarated me. “Pip and me, too… in case you didn’t know.” I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and squeezed, feeling elated with my good fortune. I made a note to myself—remember to appreciate each moment as it comes.
“Wait for me to grab the lemon donut holes, and we’ll head to Alice’s house. You can drive,” Rose said over her shoulder. She went into the kitchen, and I headed to the front door with Pip.
“Yes!” I did a fist pump in the air as I stepped out the door to my waiting ride. I loved that dark green MG.
Rose slid into the passenger seat with the goodies for Alice tucked under her arm and made room for Pip on her lap. “I found a new bandana for you, what do you think?” she asked Pip.
Pip licked Rose’s chin.
I glanced quickly at my passengers before I started driving and had to laugh. “Perfect!” I said. “It’s the best yet. The dark blue bandana covered with bright red lobsters matched the aprons we had in the diner.
With the top down and the chilly wind swirling around us, Rose was a sight. With one hand, she clasped her straw hat to keep it from flying away, her other arm cradled a box of donut holes. And then there was Pip, balanced half on her lap and half on the dash. Pure bliss.
I zipped into Alice’s driveway, took a quick glance at Sue Ellen’s house, and was happy to see everything quiet on that side of the street.
Rose knocked on Alice’s door and waited. Footsteps tapped on the other side of the door.
“Pip! You’ve brought your friends with you. What a wonderful surprise,” Alice said after she opened the door. “Come in. Come in. I’ve been waiting on pins and needles for a report on the auction. I hope you have good news, Dani.”
“I’ve got really good news, good news, and not so good news,” I announced when we entered Alice’s comfortable living room. Rose had the box of donut holes hidden behind her back.
Alice settled herself in her comfortable chair, refusing our help when
we saw her struggle to bend. “I hope the really good news is that you brought something delicious that I can enjoy with my morning tea,” she said, after landing amid her comfortable cushions with a groan. She licked the corner of her mouth as if she could already taste something sweet. “Those lemon raspberry squares are only a delicious memory.”
“Oh? They’re gone already?” Rose teased.
Alice snorted. “How long have you known me, Rose? Nothing that delicious lasts long around my sweet tooth.”
“Well, in that case, you’re in luck. We do have something delicious for you.” Rose revealed the box and placed it in Alice’s lap.
Like a little kid, she opened it immediately, her smile for Rose full of gratitude. “Thank you so much. I could survive on desserts if it was my choice, but my daughter says I should eat healthier since, in her opinion, I eat too many sweet things.” She shrugged. “At my age, what difference can it make?” She helped herself to the biggest lemon donut hole in the box.
“Would you like me to pour the tea?” I asked, eyeing the pot on her side table.
“That would be nice. And here’s something for you, Pip.” She opened the lid of a jar and Pip’s ears perked up. “There you go. You’ve waited very patiently, so you’ve earned two.”
I laughed and shook my head. “We did go for a run, so she’ll love that extra treat.”
“Something Pip and I have in common—we both love treats.”
After we all had our tea and Rose and I took our seats, Alice helped herself to another donut hole. Only then did she say, “Now that I’ve sampled the really good news, what’s the good news you have for me?”
I rocked in the antique rocking chair, nervous about my answer. I decided to give it in pieces. “First of all, you’re the proud owner of Judith’s beautiful quilt that depicts the town of Misty Harbor.”
A wide grin spread across Alice’s face. “I’d say that ties with the really good news.” She sipped her tea. “What’s the bad news? You had to kill someone to win the quilt?”