by Anne Canadeo
“Meredith mentioned that to me Saturday night, when she was tending bar. She talked a lot about Cory and seemed to believe he wanted a closer relationship with his father. Maybe he had come around and tried to visit, uninvited.”
“Maybe Tanya couldn’t find the final plans because Cory already stole them,” Suzanne suggested.
“But what about Morton’s murder? Do you think Cory did that, too?” Maggie had finished knitting and begun packing her bag.
“Meredith told me that Cory lives in Boston and made the trip up Saturday night, after he heard that his father had died,” Lucy said.
Suzanne shook her head, crunching on another cookie. “Boston isn’t far. He could have snuck into town, waited in the shrubs for his father to pass on his morning jog, and done the nasty deed. Then hoofed it back to the city to wait for his mother’s call. He looks strong enough to overcome his father, especially if he stunned him with a blow to the head.”
“That sounds plausible to me,” Lucy said. “I wonder if the police are even considering him a suspect.”
“Yes, I wonder. They seem so focused on Rob,” Dana noted.
“And Tanya. Let’s not forget the lovely siren.” Maggie carefully placed her knitting in her bag and rose from the couch. “I’d love to sit and unravel these questions with you, but I have to lead that second knitting workshop. I’d better be on my way.”
Lucy jumped up from her seat. “I planned on coming, too.”
Suzanne and Dana echoed her reply. Lucy never thought for one moment they’d let Maggie go to the group on her own, though Maggie seemed to think so. Unless she was just pretending she didn’t expect them to join her because she didn’t want anyone to feel pressured. That might have been it, too, Lucy reflected.
“I think I’m just going to hang out here and work on my photos some more.” Phoebe stood up, still holding her camera. “I got some great shots of the plover and terns building nests. Want to see?”
Phoebe held out the camera and Lucy stared down at the screen. “This is a wonderful photo, Phoebe. Straight out of a nature magazine. I love the way the fog is swirling around the bird, and the water is glistening on the rocks near the nests. What’s the bird holding in its beak? A bit of beach grass?”
Phoebe took the camera back, looking pleased at Lucy’s compliments. “I think so. I didn’t enlarge this one yet, so it’s hard to tell. The birds find the oddest things and weave them into their nests. I saw one carrying a popsicle stick. That’s in another shot.”
“I want to see them all, but I’d better get going or I’ll be late for Maggie’s workshop. Can you show them to me when I get back?”
“Sure. I’ll be done editing them by then, too.”
Phoebe seemed pleased to have time alone to work on her photos. She was truly a creative soul. A real artist, Lucy thought as she hurried to gather her knitting and set off for Mermaid Manor with her friends.
The rain had finally stopped, and a late-day sun struggled to break through the clouds. “We might have a dry sunset at least,” Suzanne said. “Cocktail hour on the covered porch tonight?”
“I second the motion.” Lucy fell into step beside her friends. “I don’t mean to complain, but it’s been annoying to lose a whole day of our weekend to the rain.”
“I feel the same. I would have liked another afternoon on the beach. That was so much fun,” Dana said. “I heard it will be perfect weather tomorrow. That always happens, right?”
“I have no reason to rush back to Plum Harbor. Maybe we should stay and enjoy the sunshine. Does anyone else need to be home early in the day?” Maggie glanced at Suzanne, who had the most home front responsibilities and the strictest office hours.
“I’m down with that plan. Kevin can handle the kids a few more hours than he expected. I usually take Mondays off anyway, so work isn’t a problem.”
“Great. It’s decided then.” Maggie pulled open the heavy wooden door at Mermaid Manor’s main entrance. “No sense in cutting short Lucy’s weekend. As far as I can see, she’s hardly flung.”
“I’m flinging plenty. Honestly,” Lucy protested. “Let’s stop worrying about that and enjoy the rest of our time here.”
Her friends nodded, though Lucy could see Dana and Suzanne exchange glances, about to burst out laughing at her little tirade.
Lucy was glad when they reached the library, where everyone in Amy’s knitting group waited for Maggie. Lewis Fielding was there, sitting next to Meredith Quinn. Betty Rutledge, Helen Shelburn, and Regina Thorne were there as well. They greeted Lucy and her friends as they walked in and found seats.
Maggie stood at the head of the long library table and took out the shawl she had been working on. “How are you all doing with the pattern? Coming along?” she asked, her tone encouraging. “I know I said this pattern could be completed in a weekend, but I’ve been having so much fun with my friends, I’m only halfway done myself.”
“I’m almost finished. It was easy, once I got into it.” Regina Thorne held up her work. The peachy shade of yarn was soft and feminine looking.
“I love that color, Regina. It will look great on you.” Meredith held up her own project, which was not that far along, but the summery, lime-green shawl would be beautiful when completed. The color would bring out her green eyes, Lucy thought. “I always get chilly in the yoga studio, and this shawl is just the right weight to wear there.”
“I was working on another project, but I’m enjoying this one.” Betty Rutledge showed her progress, too. She had chosen a sunny, yellow yarn.
Lucy was not surprised to see Betty, though she did wonder if Betty had been contacted by the police again. Lucy watched her pick up her needles and begin to knit, looking placid and unruffled, as she usually did. Perhaps she had told told the police about her brother’s dark history with Morton early in the investigation, as she’d claimed and maybe Betty and Ted had solid alibis for the time of Morton’s death. Still, Lucy wondered if Betty and Ted could be struck off their list of suspects so easily.
Seated on the far side of the table, Helen called out to Maggie. “I guess I’m the only one having problems. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.” Helen held up her work; only a few rows were completed. The lace work looked gnarled, even from a distance.
“Let me take a look. We’ll figure it out.” Maggie spoke in a reassuring tone as she made her way to Helen’s spot at the table.
Lewis Fielding was still working on his granddaughter’s scarf, in her college colors, but for some reason, he had come to the workshop anyway. Maybe he just enjoyed the company. He and Meredith had been chatting quietly as he snipped lengths of gold yarn for the scarf’s fringe.
Meredith began coughing. She covered her mouth with her hand and tried to get a breath, but the coughing wouldn’t stop. Lewis looked concerned. He touched her arm. “Are you all right, Merri? Let me get you some water.”
Meredith nodded, overtaken by another wave of coughs. “I just need some air,” she gasped. She rose from her seat, but seemed weak, shaky. Lewis grabbed her around the waist, catching her before she fell.
“Merri? What’s wrong? Maybe you should lie down . . .” He was trying to lead her to one of the couches in the room when Meredith gripped her chest, her face contorted in pain. “I can’t breathe, Lewis. I can’t get a breath . . .”
“Someone call 911! Please!” Lewis shouted. He scooped Meredith up in his arms and carried her to a long leather couch.
Betty was the first with her phone out. Lucy heard her tell the emergency operator where they were and what was going on. “She might be having a heart attack. It’s hard to tell,” Lucy heard Betty say.
Most of the group sat in stunned silence. Amy and Helen tried to try help Lewis and Meredith. Lucy didn’t know what to do. Meredith had stopped breathing, and Lewis was giving her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and practically crying between breaths. Whispering, “Hang on, Merri. Stay with me. Please . . .”
“Give me a turn, Lewis. I used t
o be a nurse,” Regina said.
Lewis stepped back, and let Regina take over. He looked bereft, his eyes glassy with unshed tears. He stood close to Meredith and held her hand while Regina worked on her.
“I’ll go watch for the ambulance.” Helen headed toward the mansion’s entrance.
“My goodness. I hope she’s all right,” Maggie murmured as Lucy and her friends clustered together.
“She was coughing in our yoga class, but nothing like this. She said it was allergies,” Lucy recalled.
“This seems like more than hay fever,” Suzanne replied. “Poor thing. This seems serious.”
“She’s breathing again.” Regina stood up and took Meredith’s pulse.
“Thank God,” Lewis said.
“Her pulse is very fast. She needs to get to a hospital.”
Lucy silently agreed. She didn’t have to be a nurse to see that Meredith was in dire need of medical attention.
Lucy heard the ambulance siren outside and moments later, emergency medical workers rushed into the room. It may have been only minutes since Betty called, but it felt much longer. One of them gently peeled Lewis away from Meredith. Another quickly strapped an oxygen mask on Meredith’s face. She had roused somewhat, and was still coughing but not as violently.
Lucy heard the emergency team ask Lewis questions about what happened and what Meredith’s symptoms were. Another was trying to question Meredith, but she was too weak to answer.
They soon wheeled Meredith away on a stretcher. Lewis ran alongside, still holding her hand. It seemed more than friendly support to Lucy. She’d already had a hunch that Lewis and Meredith were romantically involved, and this scene supported that theory.
Once they were gone, the room seemed strangely silent. The knitters stood in small groups around the room, whispering to each other.
Helen stood with Lucy and her friends. “I wonder what’s wrong with her, poor thing. My son had a serious asthma attack, and he couldn’t breathe. Just like that. They gave him a shot of adrenalin, and he was fine. Maybe she has the same thing.”
“Maybe.” Lucy nodded. She had heard that asthma attacks could be life threatening. Though Meredith’s illness seemed more than asthma.
“The hospital is nearby, thank goodness. That’s one of the reasons I chose this place,” Betty said. “They’ll find out what’s going on with her quickly. Poor thing.”
Regina had offered the most hands-on help and looked a little shaken. “At least she has Lewis. She must be terrified. I wonder if Cory is still in town.”
Maggie turned to her. “Good question. I’m sure he’d want to know that his mother is ill. Was he staying with Meredith, do you know?”
Meredith didn’t live in the Osprey Shores condos, Lucy recalled. The development was too expensive for her. She had an apartment in Eaton’s Landing.
“I’m not sure if he’s still in town, or if he went back to Boston. He may have just come up to see if his father left him anything in his will,” Helen replied. Lucy knew the answer to that. Meredith had already told her, that as far as she knew, Cory was not named in the will.
“I guess Lewis will get in touch with Cory,” Betty said.
“Yes, Lewis will let him know. I wonder if Meredith has any other close family who would want to be informed about her emergency,” Helen replied.
Maggie nodded. “I’m sure Lewis will handle all that. I think I’ll call the hospital later and check on her condition.” She looked around at the women who were gathering their handbags and knitting totes. “I’m sorry our meeting was cut short. I’ll be here until tomorrow evening. If you have any questions, please get in touch,” she said politely.
A few of the knitters stopped to thank her for the workshops as they headed out of the library. Maggie packed up, and Lucy and her friends put the room back in order. Then they left, too.
Meredith’s emergency had been unsettling. A strange note to end the day. It was fortunate that Lewis Fielding was there to help her. Once again, Lucy had the sense that their relationship was much closer than they let on in public. But why the secrecy? They were both single. It seemed an interesting question. Another interesting question, Lucy noted.
Chapter 10
Back at the cottage, Lucy and her friends sat on the porch and sipped a batch of Suzanne’s cocktails. They should have been figuring out where to have dinner. The drinks were strong and the appetizers—chips and salsa and some goat cheese dip—on the light side. But instead they were talking about Meredith Quinn’s health episode.
“Here’s what I don’t understand. It seems obvious to me that Lewis and Meredith are more than knitting-group friends. Did you see his reaction when she lost her breath? And the way he took care of her until the ambulance came? He also called her Merri. Nobody else calls her that,” Lucy noted. “That night we were at The Warehouse he was eating dinner alone at the bar. I thought that he looked sort of sad, and he must have been out, trying to meet someone. But Meredith was working. I think he was there to spend time with her on a Friday night, even though she was tending bar. I think they have a romantic relationship. But act as if they hardly know each other.”
Maggie scooped up a bit of salsa on a chip. “I noticed that, too. I wondered if Meredith was a patient of his. So they would act a bit distant in social situations. A therapist isn’t supposed to get involved with a patient. Isn’t that so, Dana?”
“It is difficult to have a social relationship with a patient. There are limits. And you’re absolutely not allowed to get romantically involved. I suppose it’s possible that she’s his patient, or was. Her ex-husband, Dr. Morton, was also in therapy with Lewis Fielding. Cory told everyone that at the support circle. Maybe Dr. Fielding felt that dating a patient’s ex-wife was a conflict of interest. Some would see it that way.”
“Maybe Lewis didn’t want Dr. Morton to know. Maybe Lewis thought Morton would get angry and leave therapy if he knew that he and Meredith were an item,” Maggie said. “Morton sounds like someone whose feathers would have been ruffled by something like that. He wasn’t exactly a ‘live and let live’ sort of guy.”
“Excellent point, Maggie. But Morton is dead. Why not come out of the therapy closet?” Lucy sipped a blue concoction Suzanne had mixed. She called it a Mischievous Mermaid. “Or a Malicious Mermaid, depending on how you feel about those deep sea sirens,” Suzanne had said as she served them each a glass.
Lucy wasn’t sure how she felt about mermaids, or how Suzanne had made the drink blue. Was it food dye or a special tequila? She didn’t want to know. The best part was the garnish, strung on a long toothpick—a raspberry head, a slice of mango carved with mermaid curves, and a triangular slice of pineapple for a tail fin. A clever touch. Lucy wasn’t sure what was in the mix, but it was very tasty and went down in easy sips.
Maggie shrugged and spread a bit of goat cheese on a cracker. “Maybe they’re not ready to be an item. This community is a beehive of gossip. Maybe they don’t want people talking about them.”
“Or maybe Cory objects to Dr. Fielding having a relationship with his mother for some reason?” Phoebe suggested. She was still fiddling with her camera. “I mean, who would object to Dr. Fielding? He’s a total teddy bear. But Cory seems like a real piece of work.”
Dana sipped her cocktail and made a face. Lucy had guessed she wouldn’t like the drink, which was a bit sweet. “As I mentioned yesterday, Cory definitely has issues. Phoebe might be right. When Lewis tried to calm Cory down at the support circle, Cory shook him off. Then Cory made that crack about Lewis mourning the loss of the fee from Morton’s therapy.”
Suzanne had finished her Mermaid and poured herself another. “That was cold. Maybe Phoebe is right. Cory doesn’t seem to like, or even respect, Lewis.”
“Come to think of it, since Lewis was Morton’s therapist, maybe we should add him to the list of people who knew about the invention. Morton must have bragged about his brilliant creation, and maybe even how cleverly he hid the final plan
s.” Lucy sat up and looked around at her friends, to see what they thought of this revelation.
Dana took another small sip of her drink. “Morton was clearly a narcissist. He would brag a lot to his therapist. But those conversations are largely privileged information, and the client’s privacy is protected by strict laws. There are exceptions that differ from state to state, especially if the information is relevant to a criminal investigation. But so far, the police aren’t looking at anyone but Rob and Tanya in connection to the hidden plans.”
Lucy considered Dana’s words. “Unfortunately for Rob. I still have a niggling feeling that if Dr. Fielding knew where the plans were hidden, it would connect him to this whole tangled mess.”
Maggie set down her cocktail and picked up her phone. “I’m going to call the hospital and see how Meredith is doing. If it was something simple, like an asthma attack, she might be on her way home by now.”
“I hope so,” Lucy said. Meredith did not have it easy. Lucy wondered if she even had insurance to cover a hospital visit and stay. The poor woman didn’t need a health crisis on top of everything else.
They waited as Maggie was connected to various operators. Finally, she reached patient information. “I’m calling to check on a patient, Meredith Quinn. She came into the emergency room a few hours ago,” Maggie explained.
Lucy and her friends were silent as Maggie waited for a reply.
“Oh, dear. That’s not good news. Thanks for your help.”
Maggie hung up the phone, her expression bleak. “She’s in the ICU. She must be in very serious condition.”
“For goodness’ sake. That’s awful.” Suzanne looked shocked. “Did she have a heart attack or something? Did they say what’s wrong with her?”
“I’m sure the hospital staff isn’t allowed to say, even if they know. Her condition is clearly more serious than we thought.”
“I feel so bad for her. She seems so alone in the world, struggling to get by,” Lucy said. “At least, that’s the idea I got talking to her in the bar Saturday night. I think we should call Lewis and see what’s going on.”