On Pins and Needles

by Elizabeth Craig

  “Are you going to the reception afterward?” asked Beatrice.

  The wife shook her head. “No, we’re actually on our way to Georgia, but took a little detour to pay our respects to Arnold. We’ll be leaving right after the service.”

  The husband looked curiously at Beatrice. “So you’re living here full-time now? How do you like it? Somehow I’ve always pictured you at an urban museum.”

  “Well, that’s what retirement is all about . . . doing something different,” said Beatrice with a smile. “And it’s been a nice change of pace here.”

  They chatted for a few more minutes. When she’d sat back down on her bench again, Goldie, who’d just arrived at the cemetery, walked over to her. “It seems like too pretty of a day to have a funeral,” she said with a sigh.

  Beatrice said, “Isn’t it? Usually it’s horribly hot or pouring down rain.”

  “Although Annabelle’s husband made the cemetery as beautiful as I’ve ever seen it. Those flowers are incredible and I love the chamber music that’s playing.” Goldie sat quietly for a few moments and said, “It’s just a terrible shame, isn’t it? It wasn’t Annabelle’s time to go. The more I think about it, the worse I feel. She had so many years ahead of her and she was obviously excited about starting out in Dappled Hills.”

  Beatrice thought wryly that Goldie was likely transferring her own love of Dappled Hills to Annabelle. She said carefully, “I think she was excited for a fresh start, yes. It’s sad that it didn’t work out.”

  “Oh, I know that she wanted some changes in town. But she was looking out for us, wasn’t she? She wanted the town to focus on getting even better!” Goldie’s eyes shone.

  Beatrice said, “As a matter of fact, I saw the result of some of Annabelle’s activism in town just yesterday at Bub’s Grocery. There was smoked salmon in there and a variety of foods that I’d never seen before. I’m trying to spread the news so that everyone buys it out and gets it restocked.”

  “That’s exactly what I’m saying,” said Goldie. “She wanted to make a difference. I feel like her end-game was to have Dappled Hills be a real destination. A resort town. And instead, of being able to implement all the changes that she dreamed about, she was struck down in her prime. What an awful way to go, too—being stabbed with a sword!” She shuddered.

  Beatrice suddenly sat very still and looked at Goldie appraisingly. She’d been called a girl scout and Beatrice couldn’t disagree. Goldie was the type of person who tried to see the good in people and usually succeeded. She was the type of person who tried to effect positive changes in town and pull everyone together to make Dappled Hills better. Could she also be the type of person who is so passionate about her causes that she strikes out impetuously and kills?

  Beatrice took a deep breath. “Goldie, how did you know that Annabelle was murdered with a sword?”

  Goldie’s brow wrinkled. “What do you mean? Isn’t that how she died? You were there, so you know, don’t you? You’d have seen it.”

  “Yes, but the way she died was not released to the public. The police wanted that kept quiet and so the few of us that were privy to the information have been very careful not to say anything about it,” said Beatrice.

  Goldie suddenly seemed agitated, picking nervously at her fingernails. “I don’t know, Beatrice. I’m not sure where I heard that. You know how many people that I talk to in a day. All I do is drive around or walk around town and talk to business owners and residents. I could have heard about the sword anywhere.” She gazed anxiously at Beatrice as if she’d really like to help her but wasn’t exactly sure how.

  One of the musicians started playing a hymn a bit louder than the chamber music had been. This was apparently the cue that the service was about to start. Goldie looked relieved. “It looks like it’s time for the service.” She hesitated as if not sure what to say next. “Um, sorry, Beatrice.”

  Beatrice slowly walked over to stand at the back of the mourners. How could Goldie have heard that information if she weren’t the person responsible for murdering Annabelle?

  She saw out of the corner of her eye that Meadow’s van had pulled up in a rush. Equally in a rush, Meadow hurried out of her car, smoothing her dress as she went. She caught Beatrice’s eye and made a face at her lateness. A minute later, she’d sidled up to Beatrice.

  The service was one of the nicest ones that Beatrice had ever been to. The instruments sounded beautiful in the quiet setting. The steady breeze and shade kept the temperatures down. And the soloist’s rendition of “Abide With Me” made chills go up Beatrice’s spine.

  Wyatt, who was frequently in the position of having to speak about someone he didn’t know very well, did an excellent job with the background information that both Beatrice and Arnold had provided him.

  When the service was over, everyone filed over to speak with Arnold. He apparently told all the gathered to be sure to attend the reception at The Willows in downtown Dappled Hills. No one needed to be told twice since it was one of the best eateries in town. Inside the white-tablecloth restaurant, the owner himself had set out buffet tables topped with chafing dishes full of prime rib, three-cheese pasta, garlic mashed potatoes, and chicken medallions with sweet potato wedges.

  “I may never eat again,” murmured Beatrice to Wyatt. They were to be sitting with Arnold since Wyatt had officiated at the service, and the owner had carefully laid out name cards to indicate this at one of the tables. However, Arnold didn’t appear to be in the position to be able to sit or eat anything anytime soon. The town of Dappled Hills, after being given such fine treatment, was determined to speak with Arnold and pay their respects.

  Meadow breathlessly joined them in the line. “I know you’re both sitting with Arnold, but would you mind if I joined you if there’s room at the table?”

  Wyatt said, “I’m sure there is—I think there are several more chairs there.”

  Meadow made a face. “Just as long as Ramsay isn’t joining us. He’s spent the entire morning staring at people suspiciously.”

  Beatrice laughed as they walked over to their table. “That’s his job, after all. I doubt the poor man will even sit down or have a bite to eat. When I saw him at the service, he was hovering at the back and keeping an eye on everyone. He’s simply trying to figure out who’s responsible and if they’re here today.”

  Meadow snorted. “Well, of course they’re here.”

  Wyatt frowned. “Do you know something we don’t?”

  “Only that the entire town is here practically. The good citizens of Dappled Hills wouldn’t have wanted to miss out on this! Even weddings here aren’t this elaborate,” said Meadow.

  Beatrice agreed. Arnold must have hired a small army and spent a fortune to get this set up in time. Not only had he hired out the most expensive restaurant in town, but he’d hired a florist to fill the restaurant with flowers. Magnolia blossoms floated in bowls on the tables and there were large floral arrangements everywhere in riotous color. Not only that, but the musicians from the funeral had come over and were now softly playing a selection by Ravel.

  Arnold was still engaged in conversation with guests and motioned them with a small smile to start eating and not let their food get cold.

  Beatrice said to Meadow in a low voice as she picked up her fork, “Did you tell anyone about the sword?”

  “What? No! Don’t even mention such a thing. Ramsay would absolutely have my head if I spilled one of the most important details from the murder scene.” Meadow clutched her neck as if making sure her head was still attached to it. “What makes you ask that?”

  “Because Goldie Parsons mentioned it in passing at the service,” said Beatrice with a sigh. She took a big bite of garlic mashed potatoes. It was delicious and the perfect comfort food. Still, she figured she wouldn’t even want supper after eating all of this food.

  “Goldie did?” asked Meadow, sounding outraged. “How on earth could she know about that? The only people who knew were Ramsay, the state police
, Wyatt, me and you.”

  Wyatt lifted his hands up. “Believe me, I haven’t said a word.”

  Beatrice said, “No, you’re always excellent about keeping secrets. And I haven’t let anything slip. We know Ramsay wouldn’t. I figured you might be the weak link, Meadow.”

  Meadow said earnestly, “Ordinarily, I might agree with you. Oh, you know, if it were something innocuous like someone is dating someone else or a surprise birthday party. That kind of secret I find hard to keep. But I would never have said anything about this. It would possibly mess up our chances at finding out who did this.”

  Wyatt said slowly, “Then, if it wasn’t any of us, it could only have been—”

  “The killer,” finished Beatrice.

  Meadow turned her head and quite obviously scanned the room. She spotted Goldie chatting with Gene and surrounded by a group of people who all seemed to be having a good time while trying very hard to remember and behave like they were at a funeral reception. “Unbelievable,” she muttered.

  Beatrice said, “Now remember, we don’t know that this proves that Goldie is the killer. All it proves is that she knew about the weapon.”

  Wyatt said, “Right. Someone else could have told her about it.”

  “But that person was probably the killer,” said Meadow. “So who told her about it? Did you ask her?”

  Beatrice said, “I did. I felt sort of bad at pressing her at the funeral, but I needed to know. The problem was that she couldn’t remember who’d told her.”

  Meadow frowned. “Is she trying to protect someone by keeping that info quiet?” Then she gasped, putting her hand to her mouth. “Gene! Maybe Gene told her and she’s trying to cover up for him.”

  Beatrice said, “Honestly, it seemed more like she couldn’t remember.”

  Meadow said, “But how could you forget something like that? That’s unbelievable. I’d definitely remember who’d given me a piece of information about a crime scene.”

  Wyatt said reasonably, “I would, too. But we can’t forget that Goldie talks to many more people in a day than we do. Almost all of her day is spent speaking with business owners and other people.”

  “That’s true,” said Meadow slumping.

  “Plus, who knows if she heard it from the killer directly? Perhaps the killer let something slip days ago and then that person told someone else and then it progressed from there,” said Beatrice.

  Meadow sighed. “I suppose we are in Dappled Hills. That’s a distinct possibility. So it’s completely fruitless.”

  Beatrice said, “I don’t think so. I’d like to talk to the person that Goldie heard it from first and then proceed from there. It might really be a lead.”

  Meadow said darkly, “I’d prefer to think of it as a lead. Otherwise, I’m going to get far too down about all this.”

  Wyatt said mildly, “Maybe we should change the subject, then. Speak of other things.” He glanced up and said, “It looks like Georgia is heading over.”

  Meadow suddenly looked more cheerful. “Oh good. I wanted to see how she’s doing.”

  “Has Georgia been having a rough stretch lately?” asked Wyatt, looking concerned.

  Beatrice nodded. “I can’t believe that I haven’t mentioned that. It just goes to show how crazy things have been lately. But yes.”

  “Maybe you and I should plan a short visit sometime in the future?” asked Wyatt. “Maybe with some cupcakes from June Bug?”

  Beatrice smiled at him. She loved this man with his common sense and his concern for others. “That sounds perfect. Maybe one day right after school when the students have already left for the day.”

  Georgia walked up to their table and smiled shyly at them. Beatrice was relieved to see that she was looking a little less anxious than the last time she’d seen her.

  “Hi Georgia,” the three of them chorused together as Meadow leapt up to give Georgia a quick hug.

  “How are things going?” asked Beatrice.

  “Have you gotten your nails done yet?” asked Meadow, craning to see Georgia’s fingernails.

  Georgia shook her head. “I’m going soon, I promise. I ran by there after school, but Trixie had already gone for the day and the other lady had appointments. I’ll try again in the next couple of days. But I wanted to tell you the best news.”

  Beatrice opened her eyes wide. “Tony got a job?”

  Georgia’s smile widened until it engulfed her entire face. “He did!”

  Now they were all giving Georgia a hug.

  “That’s fantastic news!” said Beatrice.

  “Isn’t it? And his benefits are great, too. He’s already given notice at the hardware store,” said Georgia. “And I won’t have to find a second job anymore!”

  Meadow beamed at her. “You must be so relieved.”

  “You just don’t know,” said Georgia with a sigh. “It’s been a lot of stress to start a marriage on. For one thing, I felt like we never really saw each other. I was at school, he was at the hardware store and then in class. It was almost like we were suddenly living separate lives, which neither of us wanted.”

  “But you got through it just fine,” said Beatrice.

  Georgia said, “I just wanted to catch y’all up and thank you for being so supportive. I don’t know what I’d have done if I’d had to just absorb all of my worries and not talk about them. Thanks for being here.”

  Meadow, predictably, misted up. “We’ll always be here. Don’t you worry about that.”

  “Oh!” Georgia grinned at Beatrice. “I can’t believe I almost forgot. Thank you for thinking to tell Savannah about June Bug needing some extra help.”

  Beatrice asked, “Did she ask June Bug about it?”

  “She did! In fact, she’s over there now. June Bug is showing her the ropes at the bakery. That’s just the perfect job for Savannah. She’s good at numbers and with detail and it’ll be good for her to see so many people in a day. Half of Dappled Hills is probably there in a day’s time. That way she can be social and catch up with everyone. I was getting really worried that she was spending so much time alone or with only Smoke for company.”

  Meadow said, “You know what else is good about that arrangement? It takes a load off of June Bug. It’s not like June Bug is taking Savannah on just because she feels bad for her.”

  Beatrice added quickly, “You’re right, Meadow. June Bug seemed really stressed out with the number of customers she was getting in a day. You know how she likes to stay on top of things and she just couldn’t spend the time in baking that she needed to be doing to keep up with orders.”

  Georgia said, “Well, it was perfect timing for Savannah, since her hours at the CPA office were cut back.”

  Beatrice said, “And perfect timing for June Bug. With Katy at school and then playing with friends later, she really needed someone right away. And June Bug is so shy that I just couldn’t see her hiring someone that she didn’t know. Can you imagine June Bug trying to interview someone?”

  Meadow snorted. “No. In fact, I can’t even really picture her interviewing Savannah. It probably went something like this: Savannah said that she wondered if June Bug needed help and then June Bug beamed at her and said yes.”

  Georgia laughed. “That sounds likely. Okay, well, I should let y’all finish your food now. It was good talking to you. And thanks to you both.”

  Georgia walked to her table as Meadow frowned as she looked toward Arnold. “Someone should really rescue that man. He’s been standing for a long time and hasn’t had a bite to eat.”

  Beatrice said, “Oh, I think Arnold Tremont wouldn’t have a problem in the world breaking away from anyone that he didn’t want to talk to.”

  “He may not have much of an appetite,” said Wyatt. “Sometimes grief can hit a person that way.”

  Meadow clucked. “He still needs to eat. And people should respect that. What on earth are they thinking?”

  Before they knew what Meadow had in mind, she hopped out of her chair a
nd strode over to where Arnold was standing with a small group of people. Beatrice had to admit that he did look tired. At the very least, he should have a glass of water.

  Wyatt winked at Beatrice as Meadow appeared briefly to tell the people speaking with Arnold that it was time for Arnold to eat some food. The people quickly dissipated as Meadow practically dragged Arnold back to the table with them.

  Chapter Fourteen

  AS ARNOLD SAT DOWN, Meadow said, slightly out of breath, “Now let me get you a plate or else you’ll attract a swarm of people again. They tend to attack new people.”

  Arnold opened his mouth to thank her, but she was already stomping over to the buffet line, appearing to be prepared to push people out of her way if they attempted to get in between her and the food.

  Arnold gave a small laugh. His eyes were tired. “Everyone has been very nice. I don’t get why Annabelle was having a hard time here. They certainly are friendly.”

  Beatrice asked, “Did Annabelle say she wasn’t enjoying living here?” She kept an eye on Meadow. The last thing they needed was Meadow coming back to the table and ardently defending Dappled Hills.

  Arnold sighed. “Not outright. But she didn’t sound as happy as she should have, either. But Annabelle was like that. She’d set off for something she wanted, determined to get it and to fight for it. Then she’d get it and the thrill of competition was over and she wasn’t as interested anymore.”

  “Is that what you think happened here?” asked Wyatt.

  Arnold said, “In some ways. Also, honestly, the friendliness of the residents might have been an issue for her, too. She did value her privacy and wasn’t used to casual conversation around town. But besides that, I think part of her really relished her struggle to get the house she wanted. She liked sparring with Gene over the property and the house she wanted built. Then, when the house was finally available to her, she wasn’t quite as interested in it anymore.”