Cast On, Kill Off (A Knitting Mystery)

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by Sefton, Maggie




  Berkley Prime Crime titles by Maggie Sefton

  KNIT ONE, KILL TWO

  NEEDLED TO DEATH

  A DEADLY YARN

  A KILLER STITCH

  DYER CONSEQUENCES

  FLEECE NAVIDAD

  DROPPED DEAD STITCH

  SKEIN OF THE CRIME

  UNRAVELED

  CAST ON, KILL OFF

  Anthologies

  DOUBLE KNIT MURDERS

  Cast On, Kill Off

  Maggie Sefton

  THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

  Published by the Penguin Group

  Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

  Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) • Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England • Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) • Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) • Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India • Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) • Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

  Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

  This book is an original publication of The Berkley Publishing Group.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

  PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The recipes contained in this book are to be followed exactly as written. The publisher is not responsible for your specific health or allergy needs that may require medical supervision. The publisher is not responsible for any adverse reaction to the recipes contained in this book.

  Copyright © 2012 by Margaret Conlan Aunon.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  BERKLEY® PRIME CRIME and the PRIME CRIME logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  FIRST EDITION: June 2012

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Sefton, Maggie.

  Cast on, kill off / Maggie Sefton. — 1st ed.

  p. cm.

  ISBN 978-1-101-58509-2

  1. Flynn, Kelly (Fictitious character)—Fiction. 2. Knitters (Persons)—Fiction. 3. Murder—Investigation—Fiction. I. Title.

  PS3619.E37C37 2012

  813'.6—dc23

  2011046661

  Acknowledgments

  Once again, I want to thank Kristin Aamodt of Bellingham, Washington, for the novel’s title, Cast On, Kill Off. I had a “Name a Kelly Flynn Mystery” contest on my website two years ago and received many wonderful title suggestions. In fact, I received so many e-mails that I didn’t notice Kristin had sent in two separate e-mails three weeks apart. There were nearly two hundred e-mails and literally several hundred title suggestions. So many excellent titles were submitted, I expanded the winners’ categories and chose fifteen winners in all: five First Place, five Second Place, and five Third Place. I did not pay attention to entrants’ names or locations, I simply chose the titles that best fit the Kelly Flynn mysteries. Last year’s Unraveled was Kristin’s idea as well. There are thirteen title suggestions remaining, so I have lots to choose from for Kelly’s future adventures. Of course, all titles have to pass muster with my editor, too.

  The three short recipes included with this book are also contest winners. Last spring I announced an Appetizer Contest on the Cozy Chicks blog, where I post weekly with six other mystery authors (www.cozychicksblog.com). There were two categories: Hot Appetizers and Cold Appetizers. The Hot Appetizer contest winners’ names are included with their recipes.

  Cast of Characters

  Kelly Flynn—financial accountant and part-time sleuth, refugee from East Coast corporate CPA firm

  Steve Townsend—architect and builder in Fort Connor, Colorado, and Kelly’s ex-boyfriend

  KELLY’S FRIENDS:

  Jennifer Stroud—real estate agent, part-time waitress

  Lisa Gerrard—physical therapist

  Megan Smith—IT consultant, another corporate refugee

  Marty Harrington—lawyer, Megan’s fiancé

  Greg Carruthers—university instructor, Lisa’s boyfriend

  Pete Wainwright—owner of Pete’s Café in the back of Kelly’s favorite knitting shop, House of Lambspun

  LAMBSPUN FAMILY AND REGULARS:

  Mimi Shafer—Lambspun shop owner and knitting expert, known to Kelly and her friends as “Mother Mimi”

  Burt Parker—retired Fort Connor police detective, Lambspun spinner-in-residence

  Hilda and Lizzie von Steuben—spinster sisters, retired school-teachers, and exquisite knitters

  Curt Stackhouse—Colorado rancher, Kelly’s mentor and advisor

  Jayleen Swinson—Alpaca rancher and Colorado Cowgirl

  Connie and Rosa—Lambspun shop personnel

  Contents

  Other titles by Maggie Sefton

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Acknowledgments

  Cast of Characters

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Fourteen

  Fifteen

  Sixteen

  Seventeen

  Eighteen

  Nineteen

  Twenty

  Twenty-One

  La Boheme Shawl

  Best Hot Appetizer Recipe Winners

  One

  Kelly Flynn looked at her reflection in the seamstress’s three-way mirror. The royal blue taffeta fabric shimmered under the bright spotlights shining down from the ceiling. Kelly turned to her left and admired the lines of the bridesmaid gown. Her friend, Megan, had used her own bridal gown’s strapless design to model the bridesmaids’ gowns, except they weren’t floor length. The skirts flared gently past the knee instead. Megan had also chosen strong vibrant colors for the dresses. Kelly’s was royal blue, Lisa’s was lemon yellow, and Jennifer’s was shamrock green. Megan’s sister Janet, who was the matron of honor, was wearing her favorite—fire engine red. Kelly had laughed when Megan told her she wanted “a bold rainbow,” not those pale pastels she saw so often.

  Not bad, Kelly thought to herself, admiring the fabric’s shimmer as she turned to the right. She had to admit Megan had a good eye for color. The royal blue set off Kelly’s dark hair and fair skin perfectly.

  “How does it feel, Kelly?” the seamstress, Zoe Yeager, asked from the floor, where she sat cross-legged, dressmaker pins in her hand.

  “It feels great, Zoe. You did a wonderful job,” Kelly said, feeling the fabric’s crisp texture beneath her fingers.

  “You look gorgeous, Kelly,” Megan said from the corner of the room, where she sat making calls on her cell ph
one. Only three and a half weeks before Megan’s and her boyfriend Marty’s wedding, and all the intricate plans had to fall into place. “I told you that color would look fabulous on you,” Megan said as she paged through her bridal schedule book.

  “Right as usual, Color Genius,” Kelly bantered. “I bow to your expertise.”

  Zoe laughed from her spot on the floor as she ran her fingers over the hemline. “I swear, Megan, you and your friends make me laugh, especially Jennifer. She is hilarious.”

  “Well, that’s Jennifer’s specialty, making us laugh,” Kelly added.

  “Stand straight and don’t move for a minute, Kelly. I want to give this hem a final check.” Zoe scooted backward on the floor, leaned over, and peered at the bottom of the dress. “Okay, now turn in a circle slowly,” she instructed.

  Kelly did as she was told while Zoe scrutinized her handiwork. Kelly observed a slight blue smudge on the side of Zoe’s face which she hadn’t noticed before. Zoe’s medium-length brown hair had obscured it.

  “Looks good,” Zoe decreed, rising from the floor. “Let me help you take it off, and I’ll put this one on the finished rack along with Lisa’s and Jennifer’s.”

  Kelly allowed Zoe to unzip the dress and help her step out of it, hoping nothing would happen to the gorgeous creation once she was in charge of its safekeeping.

  Zoe shook the fabric and examined it inside. Now that Zoe was closer, Kelly could see the middle-aged woman’s face better. There was definitely a blue bruise along Zoe’s jawline that hadn’t been there before. “What happened, Zoe? Did you fall down or something?” Kelly asked, concerned. “You’ve got a bad bruise on your face.”

  Zoe looked slightly startled, then color began to stain her cheeks. “Uh, no . . . I . . . I’m just clumsy. I tripped over my back porch steps, that’s all.” She reached for a satin-covered hanger. “Here, let me put this away in the work closet.” And she hastened from the room, taking the royal blue creation with her.

  Megan approached, holding Kelly’s slacks and short-sleeve top. Early September, and it still felt like summer outside.

  “Don’t ask her anything else, Kelly,” Megan whispered when she was closer. “Those bruises are from her husband Oscar. Mimi told me Zoe had confessed to her about her husband’s abuse a year ago. Mimi tried to get her to leave him, but Zoe hasn’t so far.” Megan glanced over her shoulder to the doorway. “I cannot understand why women stay in those relationships, Kelly.” A familiar scowl darkened Megan’s pretty features.

  Kelly slipped on her crisp slacks. “I think it’s because they’re scared, Megan. Scared of what will happen if they try to leave, especially if there are young children at home.”

  Megan’s scowl evaporated and was replaced by a contrite expression. “You’re right, Kelly. I know you are, but there are shelters here in town for women to escape to with their children. I just wish Zoe would think about going. She doesn’t even have children.”

  “I’d like to think so, too, Megan,” Kelly said, slipping the lightweight top over her head. “It seems everyone has a breaking point, when they decide enough.”

  Zoe came around the corner of the fitting room, a gauzy bit of ribbons and tiny silk flowers in her hand. “Here, Kelly, let’s take a look with the headpiece. I finished this one yesterday.”

  Kelly took the delicate confection and fingered the tiny seed pearls and blue and white silk flowers that adorned the taffeta-wrapped headband. “This is so pretty, Zoe. Simply exquisite.”

  Zoe beamed. “Thank you, Kelly. I love working with those silky flowers. They turn out so nicely. Try it on and let’s take a look.”

  Kelly did as directed, adjusting the headpiece’s small combs into her hair. Gazing at her reflection, she almost didn’t recognize herself. Kelly never wore ribbons or flowery things. But the way Zoe had arranged them, they were very flattering.

  “I look like I should be going to a fairy-tale ball in some castle, rather than poring over financial statements,” she teased.

  “Well, wait until Steve sees you in this dress,” Megan said slyly. “He may invite you to one of those fancy Denver charity balls.”

  Kelly deliberately didn’t look at Megan. She already knew what Megan was doing. Smiling. Now that Kelly was working in Denver several days a week, she and Steve had lunch or dinner together whenever they were both in town. Consequently, Megan had made it a point to offer frequent suggestions as to other recreational activities Kelly and Steve could pursue. “Suggestions,” Megan always claimed. Planting seeds, Kelly surmised.

  Once Steve started driving up to Fort Connor this past spring and summer to play baseball on his old team, Kelly and Steve had a chance to be in each other’s company on a regular basis. Familiar ground. It had made it easier for them to move to the next step of having dinner together. Of course, Megan and the rest of the gang were careful to maintain a relaxed environment. No expectations, Kelly had told them.

  Now that she and Steve had gotten past their sudden and dramatic breakup last year, Kelly figured both of them needed simply to be friends right now, while they figured out what came next. What did the future hold in store? She didn’t know. All Kelly knew was she enjoyed having Steve back in her life. After all, they’d started out as friends before they became lovers once before. Maybe they could again.

  Right now, they were two friends who really enjoyed each other’s company. They talked on the phone every day, even when Steve was traveling on business for the Denver company where he worked. Having watched his own small architect and builder business go belly-up in the recession that followed the recent housing debacle, Steve threw his energy and creativity into Sam Kaufman’s construction company. Sam appreciated Steve’s efforts and encouraged him to follow up on new ideas. Steve had jumped at the chance.

  Zoe glanced from Megan to Kelly and back again, a smile tweaking her lips. “Who’s Steve? Kelly’s boyfriend?”

  Kelly didn’t even have time to answer. Megan did it for her. “He was for over two years. Then they split up last year. All of us are hoping they’ll get back together.” She flashed that Cheshire cat smile Kelly had seen frequently these past six months.

  “I haven’t heard a word from Kelly,” Zoe teased. “Why’s Megan answering for you?”

  Kelly pretended to continue admiring the pretty headband. “Because she does it so well. Megan’s got an overactive imagination.”

  “It’s not my imagination,” Megan retorted. “We’ve all seen you two whenever you’re together. You’re a matched set.”

  Kelly had to laugh at that, and so did Zoe. Removing the delicate headband, she returned it to the seamstress. “She makes it sound like we’re bookends. Now I know what I’m going to give you and Marty for a wedding present. A set of monstrosity bookends. Maybe two huge moose heads or something.”

  “Please, don’t. Marty would probably fall in love with them, and we’d have them on the living room bookshelves.” Megan rolled her eyes.

  “You are so funny, Megan,” Zoe said, chuckling. “Let me put this away and check my daytimer. Now that Kelly’s gown is completed, we’ve finished everything with three weeks to spare.”

  “Wonderful job, Zoe,” Megan said as the seamstress headed for the curtained doorway that led to a workroom in the rear of the small shop located in a neighborhood strip mall.

  Kelly checked the mirror and fluffed her shoulder-length hair. “You’re right on track, Megan. I hate to sound like an anal accountant, but I am. Planning makes all the difference.”

  Megan drew her cell phone from her pants pocket as she returned to her chair in the corner. “You’re preaching to the choir on that one, Kelly. I couldn’t have done it without my lists. Which reminds me that I have to check on those caterers again.”

  “And that reminds me I have to finish up one of my clients’ financial statements. I’ve got an appointment with him tomorrow.”

  “When will you be in Denver again?” Megan looked up from her cell phone screen.

&nbs
p; “Later this week, and no, Steve won’t be there,” Kelly teased. “He’s visiting some specialty building firms at a conference in Oregon.”

  “Too bad.” Megan shot her a wicked grin before she spoke into the phone. “Hello, this is Megan Smith. Is Kevin there? I need to change my wedding reception estimate again.”

  Kelly felt sorry for caterer Kevin. Megan had been increasing the guest list estimate every week for a month. Kelly grabbed her shoulder bag and started for the door. The sooner she finished those financial statements, the sooner she could take a break at Lambspun, the knitting and fiber shop close to her cottage. She had been burrowed in work for several days for her Fort Connor real estate investor client, Arthur Housemann, and her Denver developer client, Don Warner.

  Letting her mind return to matters financial brought another thought from the back of her mind. She needed to pay Zoe for the dress. Kelly was always scrupulous in paying small business owners by check. That way, they kept the entire amount rather than pay credit card fees. It was a small thing, but could make a real difference to a small business owner like Zoe Yeager. Her sewing business had grown substantially thanks to Zoe’s creative designs. Small business success stories always made the accountant lobe in Kelly’s brain buzz. Only the strongest and best survived, especially in a recession environment.

  Kelly changed direction and walked through the curtained doorway that led to Zoe’s workshop. She was about to turn the corner into the lighted area when Zoe’s sharp voice held her in place.

  “Don’t give me excuses. I told you I needed that gown finished by tonight!”

 

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