by Holly Quinn
“Actually, I didn’t know that,” Heidi said with a slight shrug.
Sammy interjected, “The realtor you’re referring to is Randy—my brother-in-law—and I assure you he’s not trying to extort money from you. I’m also pretty sure that anyone he took on a listing appointment wouldn’t have been left alone, even for a second. I’m sure he would’ve kept a close eye on anyone who stepped foot on their property. No one would’ve been able to toy with their gun safe.”
“Are you sure about that?” Jackson forced his hands into the pockets of his Carhartts.
“Yes, I’m positive,” Sammy answered, but she wasn’t so sure Jackson felt the same.
Chapter Eleven
Sammy reached across the table for Heidi’s hand to wordlessly gain her cousin’s attention after Jackson left them alone for a moment within the confines of the kitchen. The farmer had excused himself to use a nearby restroom, and Sammy wondered if the highly stressed man might be ill.
Sammy leaned across the table and whispered, “Heidi, we have to do something. Didn’t you see the look on Jackson’s face? I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I get the impression he thinks Randy could be capable of stealing or extorting money from him. Don’t you? You wanna talk ludicrous!” Sammy jutted a thumb to her chest. “This is my brother-in-law we’re talking about now. Talk about going ballistic! Just wait until Ellie catches wind of this one. I think if we decided to help Jackson find a way inside Wanda’s house, that’d be the least of our problems.”
“Honestly, I don’t know what to do.” Heidi’s green eyes rose to the large clock shaped like an apple above the stove, attached to the kitchen wall. “I know one thing; I’m running out of time. I’ve gotta get to the hospital soon. I don’t want to be late for my shift, and you need to get back to Community Craft to close up too.” Heidi lowered her voice. “I guess we don’t have much of a choice at this point. We can’t really force Jackson’s hand, can we? Quite honestly, it’s not our call to make. We’re going to have to respect his wishes, I guess, and not tell the authorities just yet. But I’m not holding on to this information for long. Tim’s not going to be very happy with me when the truth comes out that we were withholding pertinent information. Not happy at all.” She blew out a frustrated breath as she gathered her long blonde hair over her right shoulder and combed her fingers through it.
The front door opened, and the sound of someone knocking the snow off their winter boots followed. Ellie returned to the kitchen soon after. “I did my best, but I couldn’t hold them out there a minute longer—the kids are getting cold and hungry. I near killed myself trying to run ahead of them in the snow to give you guys a heads-up. They’re all on their way back to the house now. Trust me, they’re not too far behind. Where’s Jackson?” Ellie’s eyes pinballed around the kitchen, looking for the farmer.
“In the bathroom,” Heidi said as she rose from the kitchen chair. “I’ve gotta hurry home and get into my scrubs for work. Otherwise I’m gonna be late for my shift.”
“Okay.” Ellie’s face was strained. “Do we just leave, then?”
“Looks like that’s our only option at this point.” Sammy stood and threw up her hands in defeat before sliding her arms into her winter coat and slipping on her gloves.
“We can’t just leave,” Ellie said. “This feels wrong … what about Wanda?” she whispered. “Now that Jackson understands that Marty’s absence and his sister’s death must be somehow connected, should we tell him about her poisoning? Obviously, whoever is behind all this is most definitely capable of murder.”
“We’ll fill you in on the ride back,” Sammy suggested. “Let’s give this family some alone time to figure out their next move. We were only here to pay our respects and bring your famous lasagna. That is it.” Sammy waved her gloved hands in front of her as if she were the umpire calling safe in a ball game and this call was final.
After Jackson returned to the kitchen, the three S.H.E.s bid him goodbye and assured him that he had a little time before any of them would share news of the ransom note. They explained that eventually they’d have no choice but to alert the authorities. With heavy hearts, they then made their way back to the Jeep.
When all three were safely tucked inside the vehicle, had clicked on their respective seat belts, and were halfway out of the driveway, Ellie said, “Okay, what’d I miss?”
“Well, thank goodness it looks like the plow went through,” Sammy said, completely dodging her sister’s question as she glanced out the rear passenger window of the Jeep. The sun was slipping into the western sky, and she was thankful they wouldn’t have a repeat ride through rough terrain on the return trip home in the dark.
“Come on, you guys! Someone needs to bring me up to speed. You can’t leave me hanging like that. What’d I miss? Tell me now.” Ellie’s voice reminded Sammy of her nephew begging to open his gifts at his birthday dinner.
“I’m not sure you want to know, E, but I can tell you this much: Wanda’s poisoning must connect with something Marty’s got himself involved in. It sounds to me like the guy’s in way over his head. Right, Heidi?”
“Yeah, it’s kinda hard to ignore that Wanda ended up dead due to poisoning and now her husband’s MIA. Marty’s car is found in the ditch, and now there’s a ransom on the guy’s head? Seriously? It’s a lot to take in at this point.” Heidi sighed heavily.
The three remained quiet, allowing the details to settle in their minds. After they drove several miles and passed the site where Marty’s car had been located, Sammy broke the silence. “Looks like they’ve finished up the investigation over here.” The tow truck had removed the vehicle, and the police cars, including Tim’s patrol car, were apparently long gone, as snow was beginning to erase the most recent tire tracks.
“So, you both think holding out and not telling anyone about the ransom is a good idea?” Ellie asked again. “I’m not so sure this is the kind of secret I want to keep.” She twirled her auburn hair nervously through her fingers. “I don’t think this is the best idea, not at all.”
“None of us do, but seriously, what other choice do we have?” Sammy said, then reached to the seat in front of her to tap her cousin lightly on the shoulder. “Heidi, would you mind dropping me off at Community Craft first? I didn’t realize how much time we’d spent over there, and Deborah has already worked way past her assigned hours. I just received a text from her, and she’s literally waiting by the door.”
Sammy returned a text to Deborah after she’d removed her hands from her touch-screen gloves. She sometimes grew frustrated that the gloves didn’t work properly and she couldn’t move her fingers to text fast enough.
“Sure, no problem,” Heidi said as they made their way through town.
“Are you coming over for lasagna after you close up?” Ellie asked.
“Honestly, as much as I appreciate the offer, I think I’d better take Bara for a quick walk after work. I know it’ll be cold and dark, but my puppy needs his exercise. I’ve neglected his legs the last few days.”
“Are you sure?”
“Uh-huh.”
“So that’s your final answer? We’re not telling anyone?” Ellie confirmed as she adjusted her body in the seat to face her sister. When she remained shifted in her seat for several moments, waiting for an answer, Sammy sighed.
“Ellie, there’s potentially a lot of money hidden inside the Wadsworths’ house,” she grudgingly revealed. “Possibly in the thousands of dollars, and Jackson alluded to the fact that the realtor might have known about it.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that Jackson is under the impression that either (a) your husband might have something to do with this, or (b) someone that he brought through on a listing appointment might be involved somehow. That’s what it means.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this before? You’re bringing this up now? Right before we drop you off?” The growing irritation in her sister’s voice was hard to ign
ore.
“Because I didn’t want to peak your anxiety, which I might have done by opening my big mouth.”
“Heidi?” Ellie shifted in her seat and turned toward her cousin. Her tone was pleading now.
“We didn’t want to alarm you, Ellie. Jackson’s understandably upset. People say a lot of things when distressed. Try to see this whole situation from his point of view.” Heidi’s eyes left the windshield momentarily to console Ellie.
“Wait. He’s insinuating my husband could have something to do with this! And you want me to take his point of view?” Ellie’s voice rose an octave. “Maybe I should go right to the police then!”
Heidi eyed Sammy in the rearview mirror, waiting for her response.
“See, Ellie, this is how we thought you’d react. It’s been a very stressful day. I think we all need to go home tonight and sleep on it. Things have a way of looking different in the morning. Do you think maybe you can do that? We’ll regroup in the morning, I promise,” Sammy suggested, although she herself wasn’t sure that would change anything from her own perspective.
“Easy for you to say. It’s not your husband under suspicion.” Ellie readjusted in her seat and turned her attention out the windshield, shutting them both out.
Heidi reached out to her cousin, laying a comforting hand on her arm. “El, Jackson was just trying to figure out who had access to his sister’s house. Randy’s name was only brought up as a person that would have spent time over there. I’m sure he was just brainstorming who would possibly know about Marty’s gun safe and if there was money inside. I’m also pretty sure if Randy knew there was that much cash left inside the Wadsworths’ house, he would’ve insisted they put the money elsewhere while showing the property. Not to worry.” Heidi fluttered a hand of dismissal. “Seriously, he just mentioned Randy in passing, like it was nothing. Right, Sammy?” Heidi looked in the rearview mirror to set her eyes again on her cousin.
Sammy knew Heidi was downplaying the whole scenario. Because what she had witnessed back at the farm was the complete opposite. It was her impression that Jackson very much thought Randy might have something to do with Marty’s disappearance and potentially his sister’s death, but she remained silent.
The Jeep pulled up in front of Community Craft, and Sammy knew she’d have to climb a pile of snow left over from the plow to navigate her way to the sidewalk. “Heidi, can you just pull back out into the road and double-park? I’ll hop out fast. I don’t think I can get the door open in this snowbank.”
“Oh yeah, sure. Sorry about that,” Heidi said, and then moved the Jeep forward as requested.
Sammy opened the door, quickly said her goodbyes, and hopped out of the Jeep. She moved quickly so that Heidi’s vehicle wouldn’t be hit from behind on Main Street. Then she returned a quick wave to Heidi and Ellie before trudging across the wet pavement to the safety of the sidewalk.
Deborah opened the front entrance to Community Craft, and Sammy stepped into the welcome warmth of her shop. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Thanks for holding down the fort.”
Deborah dropped her purse to the floor and put on the winter coat that had been draped over her arm. “No worries at all. Sorry, I can’t stay to chat though. I need to run to the supermarket on the way home for last-minute ingredients for supper. Seems the boys and Danny have broken limbs when it comes to preparing food for themselves. They rely on me far too much.” Deborah adjusted the winter newsboy hat on her head. “That’s something I really need to work on.”
“You’re a great mom.” Sammy smiled.
“Yeah, well … it’s either that or we starve,” she said, laughing. “Did I ever tell you about the time I had to have minor surgery? I swear, the only meal Danny prepared for the kids during my recovery was ramen noodles. To this day, my boys won’t touch those noodles. I was hoping one of my boys would take an interest in cooking, but they seem to be following in their dad’s footsteps. I can’t get either of them to step foot in the kitchen.”
“All right, get going then. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Sammy smiled and encouraged Deborah’s exit by gesturing a hand toward the door. “Thanks again for staying late.”
“Oh, and by the way, Bara’s been sleeping all afternoon. Just to let you know, he’s had a few treats today from customers. Have a good night, Sammy,” Deborah said, before disappearing out the front door.
Sammy sighed heavily. She loved that her customers were so loving to her dog, but sometimes they were almost too loving. She was afraid she might have to address the issue or her dog would end up getting sick. She maneuvered her way through the racks of merchandise and didn’t see a single customer lingering throughout the shop. She went to give her dog a pat on the head before returning to her office to drop off her coat and hat. Bara followed her inside, where she said to him, “No more treats for you today.” She wagged a finger and rolled her eyes. Bara sagged his head, and she could only imagine that, if it were possible, her dog would’ve rolled his eyes right back at her.
Business was slow the rest of the day, which was common after they’d passed the Fire and Ice event on the calendar. It was rare for customers to venture out past dark on bitter-cold evenings. Most wanted to be home cuddled by the fire reading a book, which, if Sammy was being honest, was exactly where she would like to be too. She wondered why she kept the store open as late as she did, but then remembered the evening classes were really what kept her business going during the long winter months. She was thankful there was no class that night, however, and wondered if she should just close early. The quilting group was meeting the following evening because they were working on piecing quilts for local hospice patients, so she’d have to remain open then.
As her stomach rumbled again, Sammy’s eyes bounced around her office, looking for a snack. She reached into her desk and pulled open the bottom drawer, where she often hid a candy bar or small bag of chips, but her eyes stopped suddenly when they landed on Wanda’s quilt, folded and tucked within the plastic bag. She reached for the quilt and unfolded it to glance at the artistry of the lap blanket. She laid it carefully on her desk to fully view the pattern and wondered if Wanda had designed the blocks herself. Her eyes moved from left to right to take in each quilted block, as if she were reading, and immediately stopped at the block four squares over. The block was an exact replica of the one painted on Jackson’s farm—right down to the colors. A geometric star in hues of blue, yellow, and green.
“Huh? That’s interesting,” she said aloud, even though, aside from Bara, she was alone in the office. Wanda must have designed the quilt. How else would Jackson’s star be part of the design? Had the quilt been made first? Or had the barn been painted first?
Bara walked over to the blanket and sniffed the corner that had fallen next to the desk. Without warning, her dog sank his teeth into the quilt and gave a rough tug, pulling it off her desk and dragging it onto the floor.
“Bara!” Sammy tried to get her dog to release his grip by reaching for the blanket, but he refused.
“Bara, drop it!” she said a bit sternly, even to her own ears. Finally, her dog dropped it to the floor, leaving wet drool on the corner’s edge.
“Oh, Bara, what have you done?” Sammy bent at the waist and reached for the blanket to retrieve it from the floor. Although the blocks were machine-pieced, the quilt layers had been painstakingly hand-sewn together, and she was afraid there would be damage. And there was. A few of the hand stitches had come undone where Bara had inserted his teeth. She shook her head disapprovingly at her dog, and Bara hung his head in response, turned out the office door, and headed in the direction of his dog bed. She really needed to leave work and take him for a walk. With all the commotion in the last few days, her dog had been neglected, and his behavior was showing her that he needed to let go of some pent-up energy.
Sammy sighed heavily as she left the office with Wanda’s lap blanket in hand. When she arrived inside the craft room, she placed the quilt on the craft table and rustled thro
ugh a few cabinet drawers until she found what she was looking for: a seam ripper, white thread, a needle, and scissors. She cut a long thread, moistened the end in her mouth, and then threaded the needle.
Sammy pulled a newly painted wooden chair away from the long craft table and took a seat. She was happy with the new chairs that had been donated to Community Craft just a few short months ago. The library had taken on an interior remodel, and the library director had donated the unwanted old chairs to her shop. To revive them, Ellie had taken her painting skills to them and had painted each chair a different color. Deborah had also hand-painted a flower detail to the back of each one, adding even more flair. They gave the room a cheery, eclectic look and feel, which made Sammy smile as she took a seat.
Sammy picked up the corner of the quilt where Bara had chewed on it. She carefully removed the broken stiches with the seam ripper so she could find a place to knot the thread tight and repair the hole. While fingering the fabric loosely, she felt something stiff within the batting—something that didn’t belong. She attempted to smooth out the layers so that when she stitched the quilt back together, it wouldn’t be noticeable that anything had gone awry. She slid her finger inside to smooth the thick batting, but when she pulled out her finger, she was surprised by a paper cut.
“Ouch!” she said, and then she popped her finger into her mouth.
After she plucked her finger from her mouth, she noticed it had begun to bleed. “What the heck?” she said aloud. Once she stopped her finger from bleeding, she continued her attempts to patch the quilt back together.