The Stitching Hour

by Amanda Lee

  Angus dropped back onto all fours and loped over to the other side of the shop to retrieve his tennis ball. He came back and dropped it at Todd’s feet. Todd took the ball into the sit-and-stitch square. He sat on one of the club chairs and rolled the ball toward Angus. Angus leapt on it and took a victory lap with the ball in his mouth.

  My customer laughed at their antics and then paid for the pattern book she’d chosen. I invited her to the Seven-Year Stitch one-year-anniversary open house.

  “Would it discourage you from coming if I told you both of those clowns are likely to be here?” I asked.

  “Not at all,” she said. “I’ll look forward to it.”

  She took the periwinkle bag containing her purchase and went smiling off down the street.

  “I should have you and Angus perform the halftime show for the open house,” I teased, joining him in the seating area.

  “We’ll sing, won’t we, Angus?” Todd asked. He began to howl, and Angus barked.

  “Please! You’re giving me a headache!”

  “You wound us,” Todd said. “So . . . are you going to the Atwoods’ shindig this evening?”

  “Yeah . . . are you?”

  “Wouldn’t miss it. I have to say, I owe you an apology. Until I met those two yesterday, I thought you were exaggerating.”

  I grinned. “And now what? Are you with Nellie—do you think they’re vampires?”

  “They might be. They’re . . . something.”

  “More than anything, they remind me of Gomez and Morticia Addams from that old show The Addams Family,” I said. “By the way, I have to warn you. Sadie was here earlier, and she said Kiera will be doing the concessions for the party this evening. Keira isn’t happy about it, but—”

  “When is Keira ever happy with anything?” he interrupted. “Hey, Audrey has to work tonight. You and I should go to the party together. It would drive Keira nuts.”

  As he spoke, Ted walked in with lunch. “It would drive me nuts too, Calloway.” He came over and dropped a kiss on my lips.

  “Howdy, Wyatt Earp,” Todd said. “Didn’t mean to get caught poaching on your land.”

  Ted and Todd had a somewhat friendly relationship, which was good albeit a little odd given past circumstances. But that was all water under the bridge . . . pretty much.

  Ted arched a brow. “You aren’t poaching. You’re more than welcome to tag along to the Atwoods’ party with Marcy and me. I’ll even let you hold my hand if you get scared.”

  “Thanks, man. I appreciate that.” He stood, patted Angus’s head, and waved good-bye to Ted and me.

  I smiled at Ted before walking over to the counter to get my BE BACK IN ____ clock to put on the door. “You’re awfully generous today. You’d just better keep one of those hands free for me. Priscilla made me a little nervous today with her talk of their wicked exhibits.”

  “I’m intrigued.”

  “I’m more intrigued with what you have in the bag at the moment.” I set the clock hands for thirty minutes from the present time and followed Ted into my office. “What’s for lunch?”

  “Burgers and fries—compliments of Captain Moe.”

  Chapter Five

  Ted arrived at five o’clock. I finished tidying up the shop, and then we put Angus in the Jeep and drove him home. Ted gave Angus his dinner as I hurried upstairs to freshen up.

  On our way back to the Atwoods’ party, I mentioned to Ted that Manu and Reggie were supposed to meet us there.

  “At least, I hope they will,” I said. “I invited them, and then Reggie didn’t want to impose, and then I cleared it with the Atwoods, and then I called Reggie and left her a voice mail telling her the Atwoods were all for it and would even help promote the library’s haunted house . . . which I think is really nice of them.”

  “What’re you nervous about?” he asked. “This party?”

  “A little. Keira is doing the concessions, and she’s never liked me.”

  Ted shook his head. “I know you better than that. What is it really?”

  “I don’t want to disappoint the Atwoods.” I blew out a breath. “I mean, they’re eccentric, but they seem nice and I want to act really, really frightened and awed by their exhibits. But with Mom being a costume designer, I’ve grown up seeing some of the best special effects work in the business—along with some pretty lousy effects.”

  “But you also grew up around actors.” He squeezed my hand. “Act scared . . . blown away . . . awed by the entire spectacle.” He raised my arm, kissed my hand, and then went up my arm as far as our seat belts would allow while I giggled helplessly. “Let’s make it an evening to remember, cara mia.”

  Yes, of course, I’d told him that the Atwoods reminded me of Gomez and Morticia.

  • • •

  Manu and Reggie were standing on the sidewalk near the Seven-Year Stitch when we arrived. It had started to drizzle, and Reggie held an umbrella over her head. She looked as glum as the weather. Manu, on the other hand, seemed ready to enjoy the show. Unlike his wife, Manu preferred Western clothing. This evening, he wore jeans, a plaid shirt with a brown leather vest, and a brown cowboy hat. Reggie wore a turquoise smock, with white Indian embroidery called chikankari, and matching pants.

  We got out of the Jeep, and I hurried over to Reggie. I hadn’t bothered with an umbrella. I guessed my short platinum hair would go in every direction regardless. The Oregon weather was one of the reasons I hadn’t let it grow out into a style that would’ve been more difficult to manage.

  “Did you bring a flyer for the library’s haunted house?” I asked.

  She nodded. “I have to say, though, I’m still uncomfortable about this whole thing.”

  “She feels threatened by it,” said Manu. “She’s afraid it’ll be some spectacular thing that will outshine the library’s efforts in every way.”

  “They go from one extreme to another,” Ted said, slipping an arm around my waist. “Marcy is afraid she won’t be able to act suitably impressed and will insult the Atwoods.”

  We all laughed.

  “Let’s just go in with the resolution to have fun,” I said. “No matter what.”

  “No matter what,” Reggie agreed.

  Todd joined us and asked what we were doing “no matter what.”

  “Having fun,” I said.

  “All right.” He took Ted’s hand. “Shall we?”

  “Get that hand away from me, Calloway. God only knows where it’s been.”

  “I’ve just been picking my nose is all,” teased Todd. “Besides, you said I can hold your hand if I get scared.”

  “If you’re scared at this point, you’d better go back to the pub and have a juice box, Junior,” said Ted. “Maybe Reggie’s kiddie funhouse is more suitable for you.”

  Todd dropped Ted’s hand and looked at me. “I feel slightly insulted.”

  “Then you’d better suck it up, Buttercup,” I said. “Let’s go on inside before we all get drenched.”

  “I must be adorable for you guys to keep calling me nicknames,” he said.

  “Yeah,” Ted said flatly. “We can hardly stand you . . . you know, because you’re so cute.”

  We all walked into the Horror Emporium, which was filled with familiar faces. Claude and Priscilla greeted us with the exuberance and style I’d come to expect.

  Priscilla was dressed in an Elvira-Mistress-of-the-Night-type gown with her tangerine hair piled high on her head. She wore long black opera gloves and had a large square emerald ring on her left hand. It fit perfectly atop the glove, so I thought it must be part of the costume.

  “Welcome!” Priscilla did a curtsy that I supposed the men appreciated, given the amount of cleavage she was showing.

  Claude tipped his top hat and bowed. This evening, he wore a black tux and tails. He took Reggie’s hand and kissed it. She s
lid her eyes in my direction, and I stifled a giggle. He kissed my hand next and told us all ever so gallantly that he was delighted we could attend their soiree.

  Ted and Manu were practically gaping at each other. Todd, naturally, went right along with the madness.

  “Claude, my good man,” he said. “What a delight to see you and the lovely Priscilla again.” He even made a show of kissing Priscilla’s hand.

  “May we offer you some refreshments?” Priscilla asked. “Please come and join the others.”

  We went over to a long, tall table where Vera, Paul, Blake, and a couple of other shop owners stood. As we made small talk, Keira sullenly dumped popcorn kernels into a popping machine.

  “Hi, Keira,” Todd said. “I haven’t had a chance to talk with you at MacKenzies’ Mochas lately. How’ve you been?”

  “Lovely. Absolutely lovely.” Her monotone and lack of smile belied her words.

  “Glad to hear it.” Todd spotted Will and walked away to chat with him and Paul.

  “What’s with Keira?” Ted asked me quietly, as we took our plates of food to the side to eat. “I know she’s generally not the most chipper person on the planet, but she’s usually able to muster a fake smile.”

  “Sadie said Keira really didn’t want to be here,” I whispered. “One of the waitresses called in sick this morning, and Sadie was having a rough day earlier. She was even put out with the Atwoods for springing this on her at the last minute. I’m surprised Blake is here.”

  “He’d about have to be here to help kick off the Horror Emporium and make sure it all runs smoothly, especially given Keira’s attitude.” Ted dabbed at his mouth with his napkin, and then spoke at a normal volume. “These sandwiches are really good.”

  “They are,” I said. “And the seasoned pita chips are wonderful.”

  Claude rang a tiny bell. “May I please have everyone’s attention? As soon as you finish eating, please make your way into”—dramatic pause—“the Lair of the Serpent.” He turned with the precision of a military marcher, presented his arm to Priscilla, and together they went behind the curtained portion of the Horror Emporium.

  Vera sat her nearly empty plate down on the counter. “Well? What are we waiting for?”

  Paul smiled. “After you, my dear.”

  Blake followed Paul inside.

  Reggie, Manu, Ted, and I looked at one another. None of us wanted to be the first of our crowd to go in. Of course, Vera had already blazed the trail, but the rest of us were hesitant.

  Todd grabbed my hand. “Come along, Marcy Lou!”

  “Marcy Lou?” I asked.

  “Yeah, well, I had all these nicknames so . . .” He nodded at Ted. “You, too, Teddy Bear.”

  “I’m going to kill you before this night is through,” Ted said.

  I put on my game face, ready to seem terrified, and stepped with Todd behind the heavy draperies. I found myself in a shadowy room. I could barely see Todd’s silhouette in front of me.

  I could hear a rattlesnake. I imagined the sinister sound came from a speaker. Then a spotlight flashed on, and I saw an actual, live Western rattlesnake. It was slithering over a branch. I shivered slightly, hoping that the snake was enclosed somehow. Although it certainly didn’t appear to be, I knew the venomous snake couldn’t be allowed to leave the exhibit. I’d have to ask the Atwoods how they’d managed the effect.

  Other spotlights dimmed and brightened, illuminating other snakes in the “lair.” Claude’s voice came over an intercom, and it sounded surprisingly like that of Vincent Price.

  “Good evening, and welcome to the Lair of the Serpent,” he said. “It’s only one room in our Horror Emporium, so don’t get too comfortable here. Follow the yellow arrows on the walls in front of you to escape the serpent and to see what awaits you as you move along our maze.”

  We walked along as indicated by the yellow tape. Suddenly, a huge mechanical serpent with yellow eyes sprang out at us and hissed.

  I squealed and jumped back. Ted laughed and caught me.

  “Oh, come on,” I said. “You weren’t surprised by that?”

  “Sure,” he said. “But Manu and I are officers of the law. We’re trained to handle surprises.”

  “Tell that to my stomach,” said Manu. “It just jumped into my throat.”

  We went on through the maze of horror exhibits, and I had to admit, the Atwoods did an impressive job. There were actors in costume popping out at us with prop weapons, and there were various mechanical beasties as well as dummies and other aspects of staged scenes. I knew the younger adults—and some of the older ones, judging by Vera’s screams and peals of laughter—would adore the Horror Emporium.

  There was a point at the latter part of the journey through the maze where a door opened, a scaly witch flew out toward us on a broom, and a camera snapped a photo of our frightened faces. Claude and Priscilla presented us each with a copy of the photo, and I swore I would treasure it forever. They wouldn’t allow us to pay for the photos, even though they planned to charge regular customers for them. I thought I should at least leave a sizable tip.

  The Horror Emporium’s exit was at the back of the building. To return to the concessions, one had to go back to the front of the shop and reenter. Rather than go through the back door to the Stitch, I told Ted I wanted to go back around the front and express my appreciation to the Atwoods personally.

  “I’d even like to leave them a tip or something. These photos are priceless,” I said.

  “I agree. The look on Manu’s face alone is worth a mint.” He laughed.

  “I’d like to speak with Mr. and Mrs. Atwood as well,” said Reggie. “I forgot to give them the flyer they so graciously offered to display.”

  “I’ve got to get to work,” said Todd. “Marcy, would you mind letting me go through the Stitch so I won’t have to go all the way around the buildings to get back to the street?”

  “Sure,” I said. I stepped over and unlocked the door to the Stitch. “In fact, it would be easier for all of us to simply go through my shop.”

  We went through the Seven-Year Stitch and stepped out onto the sidewalk. We were still talking about the exhibition as we walked toward the Horror Emporium, when I noticed a woman lying facedown on the sidewalk. Was it another prop? One last gotcha!?

  “That’s Keira,” I said.

  “Stay back,” said Manu.

  He and Ted went forward to investigate. Todd, Reggie, and I did not stay back as instructed. We moved forward. Either Keira was suddenly awfully game to play the role of victim for the Atwoods, or else there was something seriously wrong.

  Manu rolled Keira onto her back. Her eyes were open, but they were glassy and staring. On her neck were two small puncture wounds.

  “Her pulse is really weak,” Manu said.

  None of us noticed Nellie Davis walking toward us from the opposite direction. At least, we didn’t until she shrieked vampires and fainted.

  Ted was already calling for an ambulance and for some backup. Reggie, Todd, and I hurried to check on poor Nellie, who’d hit the pavement pretty hard when she’d fallen. Thank goodness, she’d fallen to the side and not directly onto her face or she’d have been hurt worse than she appeared to be. Todd gently moved her onto her back. Her red-framed glasses were broken. I hoped she had another pair handy somewhere.

  After making his calls, Ted joined us. He took Nellie’s pulse and called her name. Her eyes fluttered open.

  “Wh-what . . . happened?” she asked.

  “You fainted,” he said. “I’ve called for ambulances, and they’re on the way. Until the paramedics get here, I want you to lie still. All right?”

  “Okay.” She held a trembling hand up to her face.

  “I have your glasses,” I said. “They broke when you fell.”

  Claude and Priscilla hurried out of the Horror Emporium
.

  “What on earth is happening?” Claude asked. “We heard some sort of commotion and looked outside, and two people are lying on the sidewalk!”

  Manu and Ted exchanged glances.

  The rain began to pick up, and Reggie opened her umbrella and held it over Nellie’s face. “Are you sure we can’t move her inside?” she asked Manu.

  “I’d rather not do anything until the EMTs arrive,” he said. “She took a rather hard fall. They’re only about two minutes out.”

  “Okay,” Reggie said. “I’m sorry, Ms. Davis.”

  “It’s all right,” Nellie said. “It’s not your fault.”

  “So Ms. Davis fell? Did she trip or something?” Priscilla asked.

  “She fainted,” Ted said.

  “What happened to our waitress?” Claude asked. “Did she faint as well?” He sniffed the air. “There isn’t a gas leak or anything, is there?”

  “Was our exhibit that frightening?” Priscilla asked lightly.

  “Actually, we’re not sure what happened to Keira,” said Manu. “She was lying here unresponsive when we came outside.”

  Priscilla gasped. “And here I was making jokes. I’m so sorry. It wasn’t my intention to be insensitive.”

  Manu motioned for Ted and the two conferred quietly. Ted glanced at me before looking back at Manu. A muscle in his jaw worked, and I realized he was gritting his teeth. Uh-oh.

  As soon as the ambulance arrived, Ted came over and took me by the elbow. “Your students will be arriving, and we need to get ready for them, don’t we?”

  “Well . . . under the circumstances, I thought maybe I’d cancel class.” I looked down at my soaked clothing.

  “Come on.” He propelled me into the Seven-Year Stitch.

  “What it is?” I asked. “This isn’t about my class, is it?”

  “No, it isn’t. Let’s go into your office.”