“Well, there is some good news. Pete returned with Cassie on Sunday afternoon. He and Jennifer brought her over to meet Mimi and Burt and see the shop. Sunday afternoon was a perfect day, because there’re no customers or staff around. It was quiet and peaceful. They didn’t want to overwhelm Cassie with a lot of strangers all at once.”
“That was a good idea. She’s just a little kid, who’s probably scared about losing her grandpa and now she’s having to move to a whole new place.”
“Actually, she’s not so little. Cassie’s going to be twelve in July, and she’s tall and skinny. Speaking of a new place, Pete and Jen have moved into one of Steve’s three-bedroom houses in Wellesley. They asked if they could rent it even before they knew Cassie would be coming to live with them.”
“Well, look at that. Funny how some things just fall into place of their own accord. Pete and Jennifer needed some extra room for themselves and wound up getting a little girl thrown into the mix.”
Kelly glanced at her watch. “Do you want to meet Cassie? I think she’s still here. She’ll go to a summer softball clinic with me twice a week that I’m coaching for girls her age. And Megan can take Cassie to tennis three afternoons a week with her. Lisa can take her to the sports clinic once a week, and Lisa said Cassie absolutely loved going with Greg to his computer lab at the university. Cassie loves everything having to do with computers. So Greg’s teaching her how to take them apart. All of us are helping Jen and Pete by filling Cassie’s summertime days with supervised activities.”
Jayleen’s face lit up. “Well, I’ll be. Wait’ll I tell Curt that all you young folks are taking turns parenting Cassie. He’ll bust a gut laughing.” Jayleen sprang out of the chair. “Sure, I’d like to meet her. Is she inside the shop or the café?”
“Probably the shop,” Kelly said, following after Jayleen, who was halfway up the brick steps. “Mimi keeps giving Cassie little chores around the shop, you know, sorting yarns and filling shelves, stuff like that.”
“I think it’s a great idea, Kelly-girl, and I’m proud of each and every one of you,” Jayleen said as she pulled open the front door.
“Let’s try the main room first,” Kelly suggested as she walked in after Jayleen. They rounded the corner into the main room, and Kelly spotted Cassie unpacking yet another box of Lambspun yarn.
“What’d I tell you, Jayleen. Mimi’s got Cassie working again. Don’t tell me that’s another box of yarn Mimi ordered?” Kelly teased.
Cassie noticed Jayleen, then gave Kelly a big smile. “These yarns aren’t new. I found them in the basement on a back shelf, behind a bag of fleece. Mimi forgot she even had them.”
Kelly laughed out loud, and so did Jayleen. “Boy, Cassie, it’s a good thing you came along to help out Mimi with her inventory. I’ll bet she has more surprise boxes down in that basement.” She turned to Jayleen. “I wanted you to meet my friend Jayleen. She has a ranch up in Bellevue Canyon at the northwest end of town, just past Landport. She raises alpacas.”
Cassie’s eyes widened in curiosity. “Alpacas? Are they like those . . . those animals that climb over mountains and stuff?”
Jayleen smiled at Cassie. “They certainly are, Cassie. Alpacas are smaller cousins of llamas, who’re the bigger, curlier-haired animals that you see in movies and on TV. They’re the ones carrying packs and all sorts of gear slung over their backs in the mountains.”
“Llamas, yeah. That’s it. I forgot the name.” Cassie nodded. Looking back at Jayleen, she said, “So which one do you raise again?”
Jayleen walked over toward Cassie’s end of the table. “I raise alpacas. They’re about a hundred pounds lighter than llamas, and people don’t usually take them out lugging packs over the mountains. They’re raised for their wool. Their blanket is over six inches long when they’re shorn every year, and it’s softer than any sheep’s fleece.” She turned to Kelly. “We have to ask Mimi if she has any of my prize-winning fleeces from last year that she can show Cassie.”
“We’ll find out. But I’ll bet Cassie has already spotted several skeins of alpaca yarn around the shop—haven’t you?”
Cassie brightened. “Oh, yeah! Now I remember seeing that word on the skein package. So those come from your sheep—uh, alpacas?”
Jayleen gave a good-natured laugh. “Not all of them. Mimi gets yarns from lots of breeders and spinners. But she always makes sure to buy some of my fleeces, and Burt spins them. Especially two of my prize-winning females. They’ve got gorgeous caramel-colored fleeces.”
“Wow, they sound really pretty,” Cassie said, clearly interested.
“They sure are. Maybe you’d like to come up to my ranch sometime and see my herd. They’ve all been shorn, getting ready for the Wool Market in Estes Park weekend after next.”
“Jayleen’s got a beautiful place up high in Bellevue Canyon. I escape up there whenever I can, simply to relax,” Kelly added, noticing Cassie’s obvious interest.
“But first, I think you might like to see a working sheep ranch. Kelly’s good friend Curt Stackhouse has a spread closer to Fort Connor, near Buckhorn Canyon.”
“Boy, there sure are a lot of canyons around here,” Cassie observed.
Both Kelly and Jayleen laughed. “You’re right about that,” Kelly said. “Curt’s ranch is on the other side of that big reservoir on the west side of town. And he’s got lots of sheep, as well as some cattle, too. You’d like it. We all love going out to Curt’s ranch and Jayleen’s for cookouts and get-togethers.”
“And this Saturday would be a great time for you to come, Cassie. Curt’s having his annual summer barbecue for all his grandchildren and nieces and nephews, moms and dads. There’ll be a whole passel of kids. And lots of animals, not just sheep and cattle but horses, too.”
Cassie’s face lit up. “Horses! Wow! I’ve only seen them up close when our class has gone on some field trip. Or the state fair. Grandpa and I went to the state fair a couple of times. Then it got too hard for him to walk around.” She looked away.
Jayleen watched her carefully. “I’d be glad to take you over to Curt’s ranch with me this Saturday. I’m bringing over a pot of my famous chili. You can ask Kelly if it’s good or not.”
Kelly rolled her eyes dramatically. “Good doesn’t even come close. It’s delicious, Cassie.”
Cassie smiled. “Sure, I’d like to try it. And I’d really like to see that ranch. If it’s okay with Pete and Jennifer.”
“You bet.” Jayleen nodded obediently. “I’ll go ask Pete right now. If they say it’s okay, then I’ll pick you up here at the shop on Saturday morning, okay?”
“Boy, that sounds like fun,” Kelly said, adopting a disappointed tone. “I wish I could go, but I’ve gotta go help Megan and Lisa beat Greeley in softball this Saturday.”
Just then, the front door’s jingle sounded and Megan came racing around the corner into the room. “Sorry I’m late, Cassie. I had a loooong phone call from one of my clients who was having problems. You ready to go whack some balls?”
Cassie gave slightly frazzled Megan a smile. “Sure.” Turning back to Kelly and Jayleen, she said, “Can you tell Mimi that I’ll finish this up after tennis? And I’d love to go to that ranch this Saturday, if it’s okay with Pete. Mrs. . . . uh . . . Miss Jayleen.”
“Just call me Jayleen.” She smiled broadly. “I’ll check with Pete now.”
Kelly watched Cassie follow after Megan as they both headed toward the foyer. “See you guys later,” Megan called over her shoulder.
“What a cutie,” Jayleen said.
Kelly couldn’t agree more.
Eleven
Kelly recognized her cell phone’s ring as it cut through the noisy conversations of her Denver colleagues around the coffee bar. She took her coffee and stepped away from the crowded area. Donuts and coffee were a necessity to make it through long business meetings.
Burt’s number flashed on her screen. “Hey, Burt, what’re you up to? You still showing Cassie the spinning wh
eel?”
Burt’s familiar laughter sounded. “No, I didn’t want to scare her off. She seems happy with knitting up those little scarves Mimi showed her. She’s finished another one already.”
“Good for her. I bet she’ll be a better student than I was. She doesn’t argue with the yarn.”
“That’s true. Plus, she’s got two great teachers with Mimi and Megan. Megan showed up here this morning to see if Cassie wanted to go to another tennis clinic.” He chuckled. “I’m surprised how cooperative Cassie is. She’s ready to try anything we suggest. She even started drafting some wool with me yesterday when I was spinning with a small class. I’d shown her how to draft when I was demonstrating the wheel the other day, and she got the hang of it pretty quickly. And today, she came into my class and started drafting wool for everybody. She’d sit next to each spinner for a few minutes and draft until they had a big pile in their laps, then she’d move to the next spinner.” He laughed again. “I tell you, I’d never seen that before.”
“Sounds like Cassie really enjoys learning new things. She’s adventurous. That’s a good thing.”
“I’ll bet she’s never had the chance to be around so many different activities before. Her grandfather probably couldn’t drive her to many places, so she may never have had a chance to participate in lots of different activities. I swear, my daughter is in the car all the time, driving my grandkids to one activity after another. Sports teams, choir practice, music lessons, gymnastics, soccer, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts. I get exhausted just listening to her tell me.”
“You know, I think you’re right, Burt. Being around the shop and meeting lots of people are probably entirely new experiences for someone who’s been living quietly in a home with an elderly grandparent. Except for friends and activities at school, Cassie probably hasn’t had a chance to do as many things as your grandkids, for instance.”
“Well, between you and me, I think my grandkids are overscheduled. But with Cassie, her going to the softball sessions with you and the tennis clinic with Megan got her involved with kids her own age. That’s good. It’s also a great way for her to make friends while she’s here in Fort Connor.”
“That’s for sure. I noticed she fit in well with the girls in my clinic and seemed to really enjoy learning. Oh, that reminds me. Jayleen came in to the shop yesterday and got to meet Cassie. You could tell Jayleen took a shine to her right away. And she invited Cassie to come over to Curt’s ranch this Saturday because all his grandkids and nieces and nephews are coming for the first picnic of the summer. Wasn’t that nice?”
“It sure was. I’ll bet Cassie will have a ball over there at the ranch. Sheep and cattle all around.” He laughed. “She’ll get to explore even more. Plus, some of those kids are around Cassie’s age, so she can be around other kids. That’s always good. Keeps them a kid.”
Two Warner colleagues passed by, laughing loudly, so Kelly stepped toward the back of the room where it was quieter.
“I can tell I got you when you’re in Denver. So, before I forget, let me tell you what I learned from Dan this morning.”
Kelly tossed down the rest of the weak coffee. “Oh, yeah. He was going to see what was happening in the investigation of Jared Rizzoli’s murder. What’d he find out?”
“Well, a lot of stuff, actually, but it doesn’t seem to lead anywhere. They found the knife that was used in the murder. It was on the floor of the car. But they weren’t able to get any good fingerprints because the knife was old and the wooden handle was broken and rough. Dan said they couldn’t tell if the killer just tossed the knife down or dropped it accidentally, since there was a lot of blood on it.”
“Well, stabbing someone in the throat is bound to create a lot of blood, right?”
“Ohhhh, yeah. And the main artery was cut, so it spurted out, I’m sure.”
Kelly could picture the gruesome scene. “Yuck. That had to be messy, which means the killer had to have a lot of blood on his . . . or her clothes. That would make them kind of conspicuous, wouldn’t it?”
“You’re right, Kelly. They’ve gotten the time of death determined to be between seven and eight in the evening. At this time of year, we still have daylight. So you’d think someone might have seen an altercation around the car at that time of the evening.”
“You’d think so. I mean, golfers are still on the course, hitting balls. Of course, the car was parked behind those thick trees.”
“Dan says they’re still questioning people who were in the area to see if anyone observed someone talking to a man in a car in that driveway. Surely someone drove past, or biked past, or walked. Or even golfed nearby. Who knows? Maybe a golfer lost a ball and went searching for it. Someone must have seen something.”
“Well, you’d think they’d definitely notice someone who had a lot of blood on their clothes, that’s for sure.”
“You’d think. Meanwhile, they’re following up on any leads or information that’s called in. Something’s bound to turn up.”
Kelly couldn’t resist asking the obvious question, the most important question, to her mind. “Did Dan give any hint as to how the detectives are looking at Malcolm and Barbara? I learned from Madge yesterday that Barbara doesn’t have an alibi for that night, either. Can you believe she went driving into the canyon alone?”
Burt’s long sigh sounded over the line. “I know, Kelly. I’m as perplexed as you are. Malcolm’s lapse is more explainable. Heck, the guy was a recovering alcoholic and he had a traumatic encounter with the man who was responsible for Malcolm’s entire life being turned upside down. But Barbara . . .” He paused. “Barbara’s unexplained disappearance that night looks more suspicious. It’s totally understandable that she’d want some time to think. But to not even remember where she drove for all that time. Well, that’s simply out of character for Barbara. She’s a take-charge gal who excels at details. What’s more troubling, her absence followed not just one but two heated, emotional confrontations with Rizzoli. The last one, she had to be forcibly escorted away by security guards.”
Hearing Burt describe Barbara’s behavior brought a chill to Kelly’s gut. “It does look bad, doesn’t it? I swear, Burt, every time I try to explain Barbara’s actions, I keep coming back to the question: Where did she go? Madge said she asked Barbara when she came home later that night, and all Barbara said was she was driving in the canyon.” Kelly tossed the empty cup into the trash. “That is not good, Burt, and you know it.”
“I know, Kelly. I talked to Madge, too. I’m as perplexed as you are. And I tell you, I’m getting concerned because Barbara rarely came into the shop this week. Last time I saw her was the day Rizzoli was killed. She was only here for a little while gathering supplies. She also brought in more of Madge’s fleeces. Usually she drops in at least two or three times, but this week, not once. I confess that makes my old detective’s sense uneasy. Once again, it’s out of character, and, sad to say, it looks suspicious.”
Kelly hated that word. It was a good word, except when applied to someone she knew . . . or thought she knew. But can we ever really know anyone other than ourselves? she wondered. None of us can get inside someone else’s head or feel what they’re feeling.
“I hate to say it, Burt, but I’ve had the same thoughts, even though I didn’t want to admit it. Old Malcolm may begin looking better when compared to Barbara. What do you think?”
“Boy, that’s hard to say, Kelly. Both of them had reasons to kill Rizzoli. He ruined both their lives. But Malcolm could have killed Rizzoli in a drunken rage and not remember it.”
“Have the cops found any leads to anyone else? Reading all those stories in the newspaper reminds you that there were a lot of people here in town that did not wish Jared Rizzoli well. And some of them were quite outspoken in their hatred of him.”
“Yes, I read those accounts, too. And I asked Dan, but he said that so far no one else has appeared on the detectives’ radar. No one else confronted Rizzoli in person like Malcolm and Barbara
did. Telling a reporter how much you hate someone in a newspaper or television interview is a far cry from actually confronting someone face-to-face.”
“Oh, brother, I was hoping that someone else had aroused police interest in addition to two people we know and care about.” She noticed several of her colleagues return to the conference room. “Looks like we’re about to reconvene for the rest of this overlong staff meeting.”
Burt chuckled. “Seventh-inning stretch, Kelly? Better take more coffee. Are you coming back to Fort Connor or will you and Steve stay in one of those fancy hotels you like?”
“We’re thinking of staying over, so we can go to one of our favorite cafés.”
“Well, you two enjoy. Oh, hello, Lisa. It’s good to see you. Lisa just walked in, Kelly, so I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Say ‘hi’ to Lisa for me, okay?” Kelly said, walking toward the conference room doorway. “She told me she was coming in to meet Cassie today.”
“That makes all four of you girls. Now all we’ve got left are the guys.”
“Yeah, we decided to save the best for last,” Kelly said, laughing.
* * *
Afternoon, the next day
Kelly walked over to her car in the huge Big Box parking lot. Other stores, large and small, crouched around the brand-name retailer, in hope of attracting some of the customers who clogged Big Box’s parking lot. Across the street, the Lambspun knitting and fiber shop hugged the corner, the golf course’s greens stretching behind.
Kelly heard the distinctive beep on her smartphone that signaled a text message. Just saw your message. Our game has been moved to the fields north of town, right? Steve asked.
She quickly sent her reply: Yes. I’m about to drive there now. Where are you?
At a fast food. Tell them I’m on my way.
Kelly unlocked her car door and got in just as her phone sounded with a call this time rather than a text message.
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