“Just watch, sweetheart. Just watch.” Charles pulled her closer as all eyes were glued to the screen.
“My name is Larry Jacob Dunkin, and I work for B&H Construction. I was told to tell my story from the beginning, and I’ll do that. But first I want to apologize to the people I care about. I’ve done the worst thing a man can do. I’ve allowed a good friend and a fine man to sit in jail for a crime I committed. I’ve hurt him and his fine family, and I can never repay them for that.
“The truth is, I never expected you folks to arrest ol’ Charlie, and when you did, I was sure you wouldn’t hold him. I thought you’d know right away he couldn’t do something like that. Of course, I didn’t think I could have either.”
He hung his head in despair. After a period of silence, a voice in the background said, “Go on, Mr. Dunkin.”
“Sorry. It all happened so fast. I was down in the crawl space doing some adjustments on the wiring. They were above me on the main floor. I don’t think they knew I was there. They were yelling and cursing about some shortages or something. Rawlins, that’s the city inspector, kept saying he wasn’t going to take the fall. Braxton, that’s the owner of B&H, he said they had a deal. They both told Max he was ruining them. They cursed and yelled at Max that he was responsible for some investigation that was going on. I didn’t understand most of what they was talkin’ about. I just went on with my work kind of quiet like. And yeah, I was listening. It wasn’t any of my business, but I was listening.
“Finally, Braxton slammed out and Rawlins followed him. They was both still yelling and cussing up a storm. I didn’t realize Max was drinking until he walked past the door to the crawl space and saw me. He had a half-empty bottle in his hand. ‘What the hell are you doing here?’ he yelled. I told him I was working, but he kept on yelling. He said stuff I don’t wanna repeat. He was cussing and slamming around, and he accused me of trying to get something on him so I could get his job. Fact is I wouldn’t have his job.
“Anyway, he turned the bottle up and drank most of what was left in it. He threw the bottle at me and yelled, ‘Get out!’ The bottle missed me, but he came at me. He shoved me against the wall and kicked me. Okay. I’ll admit it. I got mad. I don’t take that from any man. Once I got up, I hauled off and socked him in the face. He went down.
“I figured I should get out of there, and I headed toward the door. I was going to go get my toolbox since I figured I’d probably find myself out of a job the next day. Anyway, I’m walking toward the door and he comes up behind me and grabs me by the neck. I swung around and grabbed the first thing I could reach in my tool belt. It was my stillson pipe wrench. I swung it at him and he went down again. I yelled, ‘Never lay a hand on me again,’ and I stormed out to my truck and drove home. I realized I left the wrench, but I didn’t want to go back. I figured one of my buddies would get it for me if Max fired me.
“I didn’t know he was dead until the next day. I panicked when I heard. I didn’t know what to do. I knew I should go in and talk to the cops, but I figured they’d never find out who did it. Everybody hated the guy, so I just laid low and went on in to work like usual.
“The worst part for me came when they arrested Charlie Parker. I should have gone right in and confessed then, but I didn’t think they’d keep an ex-cop. And besides, he was innocent. I knew they’d figure that out. So I just waited.
“But since then, I got to know the wife and his son, and I knew what I had to do. They were in pain because of me, and they said poor ol’ Charlie was suffering in that cell.
“I’m here to tell you that I’m the one that killed Maxwell Coleman. I ain’t sorry he’s dead, but I’m sorry ol’ Charlie had to spend all that time in jail. I know I don’t deserve it, but I hope he’ll forgive me someday.
“That’s about all I have to say. Please send Charlie on home to his family.”
The room was quiet. No one spoke. No one moved.
Finally, Sarah broke the silence. “What’s going to happen to Larry?”
“He’ll be okay,” Graham responded. “If it goes to trial, I’ll argue self-defense. I already spoke with the prosecutor, and he’s willing to deal.” He then stood and walked into the kitchen, giving the family their much-needed privacy.
Sarah laid her head on Charles’ chest. A tear ran down her cheek and onto his shirt. “I’m glad you’re paying for Graham to represent him. Larry’s a good man.”
“A good man who made some very bad decisions,” Charles responded, shaking his head.
“Haven’t we all?” John added as he walked toward the kitchen to join Graham. “Haven’t we all.”
STITCHED TOGETHER
See full quilt on back cover.
Anna encouraged Sarah to make this 25˝ × 32˝ quilt
from Asian-inspired fabrics. Fussy cut your favorite
panels, and you’ll have a quilt in no time!
MATERIALS
Focus fabric: Approximately 1 yard, depending on panel placement and size
Black: ¾ yard (¼ each for sashing, border, and binding)
Backing: 1 yard
Batting: 33˝ × 40˝
Tip || Fussy cutting is cutting around a design. Add ¼˝ on all sides for the seam allowances
Tip || Your panels may be a different size than Sarah’s. Audition them on a design wall to come up with the best arrangement.
Project Instructions
Seam allowances are ¼”.
FUSSY CUT THE PANELS AND ADD THE SASHING
1.Fussy cut the panels as desired.
2.Measure each panel through the middle. Cut the sashing 1½˝ wide × the measured width and 1½˝ wide × the measured length.
3.Sew the sashing to the panels following the quilt image; then sew the panels together. Press after each addition.
MAKE THE BORDERS AND ASSEMBLE THE QUILT
1.Measure the quilt length across the middle of the quilt. Cut 2 outer border strips 3˝ × the measured length. Add these borders to the sides of the quilt. Press.
2.Measure the quilt width across the middle of the quilt. Cut 2 outer border strips 3˝ × the measured width. Add these borders to the top and bottom. Press.
3.Layer the pieced top with the batting and backing. Quilt and bind as desired.
Turn the page for a preview of the next book in A Quilting Cozy series.
Preview of Moon Over the Mountain
“Another retreat?” Sophie asked. “Is this one on a boat?”
“It was a ship, Sophie, not a boat. But this one is in the mountains,” Sarah responded, opening the magazine to the page she had marked. “It’s this one,” she added, pointing to a picture of a log cabin lodge and a group of women on the front porch proudly holding up their quilts.
Sarah slipped her reading glasses on and read the article aloud. “Quilting in the Great Smoky Mountains. Go back to a simpler time and enjoy the tranquility of the mountains as you learn about southern Appalachian culture while making a memory quilt. Relax on the porch, enjoying the spectacular mountain setting, or hike with local guides along the streams and through the forests to breathtaking scenic spots rarely seen by outsiders. Learn about mountain arts and crafts from local artisans while creating a quilt to display your fondest memories.”
“So, Sophie. How about it? Do you want to go with me?” Sophie was Sarah’s best friend, a short, rotund woman with an infectious laugh and the best friend a person could have.
“Me? I don’t quilt. For that matter, I don’t hike. I do sit on the porch and relax … but I can do that right here.”
“So you don’t want to go with me?”
“Well,” Sophie began, sitting down at the table and picking up her third donut, “I’d probably go with you if it weren’t for Higgy. He wants me to go to Alaska with him in the spring so he can meet Timmy, and I’d better save my traveling energy for that.” The previous year, Sophie met Higgy, who described himself as a creative card consultant, although she later learned this was a major exaggeration. Higgy�
��s real name was Cornelius Higginbottom, but Sophie announced that his name had entirely too many syllables for her taste, so she coined him Higgy.
“I can see that,” Sarah responded. She knew Higgy was interested in becoming much more serious with her friend, and meeting Sophie’s son was a good way to move that process forward. “If you change your mind, I’m sure I can get you in. Just let me know. You won’t have to quilt; I promise.”
Leaving Sophie’s house, Sarah looked across the street and saw her previous home, now empty and with a For Sale sign in the small front lawn. She felt a moment of nostalgia, remembering all the times she and Sophie had scurried back and forth between their homes. Sarah and Charles now lived in their new house on the other side of the Village.
As she walked to the corner and headed up the street to her home in The Knolls, Sarah smiled to herself, remembering all the adjustments she and her new husband had made as they struggled with being newlyweds at their age. In their seventies, it was no easy task getting beyond their own habits and preferences. They were settled now and both wondered, in retrospect, why it had been so difficult.
Within minutes, Sarah was turning into Sycamore Court and heading toward her new home at the head of the cul-de-sac. When they got married the previous year, they had lived in Sarah’s small attached house across from Sophie, but after a few months of needing more personal space, they decided to purchase a new house in their retirement community.
As she approached the front door, she smiled to realize how warm and inviting their home looked. The Village landscaper had offered a tree in front of each house and azaleas along the foundation. Charles left the choice up to her, and she chose a maple tree and coral azaleas. There was a small front porch with a railing where she added a long flower box, filled now with chrysanthemums since her summer flowers had faded and the days had become cooler.
“I’m home,” she called out as she stepped into the living room. She was both surprised and pleased to find the front door unlocked. Cunningham Village had a security fence and security guards who patrolled the streets and manned the entry kiosk. She always felt safe there, but her husband, Charles, was a retired police officer and couldn’t seem to set his suspicions aside. When they first met, he had insisted that she lock her door even when she walked her dog, Barney, on her own block. She hoped this unlocked door meant he was beginning to relax and let go of some of his law-enforcement habits.
“I’m back here,” he hollered from the backyard. “How is Sophie doing?” Over the previous winter, after years of encouragement from her physicians and her friends, Sophie finally agreed to have her much-needed knee replacement. Despite her predictions of a catastrophic outcome, she sailed through the surgery and within a day was walking with the assistance of a walker and Higgy.
Cornelius, now called Higgy by all of Sophie’s friends, moved into Sophie’s guest room in order to take care of her for several weeks following her surgery and only recently moved back to his own house on the other side of Middletown.
“Health wise, she’s doing great, but I think she misses Higgy. She enjoyed having him around.” Barney got up and walked over to Sarah, pushing his head against her in greeting. He’s beginning to show his age, she thought but didn’t say. She had no idea how old he was when she got him from the pound, but the vet suggested he was perhaps seven or eight at the time. Charles was sitting on the ground next to Barney’s doghouse adjusting the siding strips he had added to match their own house.
Barney returned to Charles’ side, watching but not looking pleased. He had made it very clear that he neither needed nor wanted a doghouse. From the day Sarah brought him home, he had slept in his own bed in Sarah’s room. He had reluctantly made one concession when she married Charles; he agreed to have his bed moved into the guest room. But as far as being outside in a green box, well, that was totally out of the question.
“I thought he asked her to marry him. What happened with that?” Charles asked, still mulling over the issue of Sophie and Higgy.
“She still hasn’t answered him.”
“He’s waited over six months for an answer.” he responded skeptically.
“You did, too,” Sarah reminded him with a flirtatious smile.
“You’re right; I did. Well, I suggest she give him an answer before this famous wordsmith gets away,” he said sarcastically. In fact, Cornelius Higginbottom was the worst writer of verse the world had ever seen. “What did you do with that terrible card he attached to Sophie’s housewarming gift, something about a new house and a frisky mouse …?”
“I put it in our wedding album along with the newspaper clippings about your arrest last year,” she responded mischievously.
“Good. They go well together. Anyway, back to the topic at hand. Do you think she’ll ever marry him?”
“I honestly can’t read her on this one. My guess is that she’ll eventually break down and at least give him an answer, but I wouldn’t venture to guess what that answer might be.”
* * * * *
“Sarah, this looks like such fun! I wish I could go with you.” Sarah had taken her quilting magazine into the quilt shop Running Stitches, where she first learned to quilt and now occasionally taught classes. Ruth, the owner, read through the entire article and looked at the brochures and registration forms Sarah had received from the agent. “I went to a retreat in El Paso with these folks a few years ago, and it was terrific.”
“It looks like they use local artisans,” Sarah said, looking back through the brochure.
“They do. In El Paso, they had Native Americans from local reservations do the demonstrations.”
“Quilting demonstrations?” Sarah asked, sounding surprised.
“No, this wasn’t a quilt retreat. It was a Native American crafts retreat. Artisans from several Pueblo reservations brought in beautiful beaded jewelry and demonstrated how they were made. Others brought examples of paintings, pottery, woven textiles, and baskets. They even had a woman who came and taught us how to make a coiled basket using willow twigs and yucca. In fact,” she added, pointing across the room to a small colorful basket on the shelf behind the cash register, “I made that basket while I was there.”
“It’s beautiful, Ruth. I think I should learn more about the kinds of retreats they offer. I’d like to find something that Charles and I could attend together someday.”
Sarah and Ruth continued to chat as Ruth straightened the bolts of fabric that had become jumbled during the sale the previous day. Sarah pulled together a group of fat quarters for a quick lap quilt she was planning as a gift for Sophie. Inspired by Ruth’s basket, she found herself choosing southwestern-inspired fabrics in bold shades of coral, turquoise, and yellow.
“How’s your friend doing?” Ruth asked, knowing what Sarah had been through getting Sophie to follow through once she half-heartedly agreed to the knee replacement.
“What a trooper!” Sarah responded. “After all that, she did beautifully and is walking now without her cane.”
“That’s fantastic. Give her my best. Now, back to this retreat,” Ruth began. “Do you know what you’ll be working on?”
“I don’t know anything about it yet, but it’s called a memory quilt, and we’ll be using some of our favorite photographs. That’s all I’ve been told so far.”
“I’ll bet they’re going to print them out on fabric for you so you can use them in your quilt. That’ll be interesting. I’m eager to hear about it.”
“I wonder if it might be something we can do here in the shop. Maybe a new class?” Sarah said, looking thoughtful.
Ruth smiled, remembering how difficult it had been to get Sarah to teach her first class. But once she overcame her fears, she had become the shop’s most in-demand instructor. “Sounds like a good idea,” Ruth responded with her arm around Sarah’s shoulder.
As Sarah drove past Sophie’s house on her way home, she saw Higgy’s new SUV pull up in front. Sarah smiled as she thought about him going out to buy
a car specifically for transporting Sophie after her surgery. The flamboyant Sophie, of course, insisted on flaming metallic red.
Higgy had whispered to Sarah in an apologetic tone that it was much too flashy for his taste. Smiling, he added, “but whatever my girl wants.”
A Note from the Author
Ihope you enjoyed Stitched Together as much as I enjoyed writing it. This is the fifth book in A Quilting Cozy series and is followed by Moon Over the Mountain, which takes place in the spectacular Appalachian Mountains, where Sarah divides her time between her quilt retreat and helping an abandoned family of mountain children struggling to survive alone.
On page 220, I have included a preview to Moon Over the Mountain so that you can get an idea of what our cast of characters will be involved in next.
Please let me know how you are enjoying this series. I love hearing from my readers and encourage you to contact me on my blog or send me an email.
Best wishes,
Carol Dean Jones
caroldeanjones.com
[email protected]
Stitched Together Download
Copyright © 2018 by C&T Publishing, Inc.
ISBN 978-1-61745-745-6
Published by C&T Publishing, Inc.,
PO Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549.
www.ctpub.com
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