Running Stitches

by Carol Dean Jones

  Ruth got directions to Anna’s house and, after a few more minutes of visiting, the four hugged, wept, and parted. Jacob promised to keep Ruth informed about their father’s illness. As Ruth was driving away, she could see that it took Jacob and Rebecca both to get the frail woman back into the house.

  Ruth was emotionally and physically exhausted as she drove. She thought she would spend the night outside of town and visit her sister the next day, but once she got settled into the motel room and called Nathan, she decided to head back home the next morning. She would plan a visit after she talked to Anna and, hopefully, bring Katie along.

  Chapter 18

  Sarah arrived at the shop an hour before her class time. She wanted to make a quilt for her own bed but still hadn’t decided on a pattern. She wasn’t ready to start it yet, but was eager to have a plan and maybe even the fabrics. When Ruth came out of the stock room, Sarah smiled and asked, “How was your trip?”

  “It went better than I expected,” Ruth responded. “Papa was still in the hospital and Mama was willing to come out on the porch. We visited for several hours out there.” Ruth was beaming, and Sarah knew how happy she must be to have made a connection with her family. Ruth went on to tell Sarah about the visit and, in particular, about her sister, Anna. “We will visit Anna soon,” Ruth said confidently.

  “Both of you?”

  “Yes! That’s what so good about it. Finally Katie can meet a few relatives and, in time, perhaps more. I know she yearns for that connection.” Ruth was rearranging the patterns and the two women began talking about Sarah’s quilt and, ultimately, pulled out several bolts of fabric which Sarah thought she would like in her bedroom.

  “I’m not ready to make the quilt,” Sarah said hesitantly, “but I love this fabric. What if it’s gone when I’m ready to make the quilt?”

  Ruth simply smiled knowingly. How often she had heard that very statement! “Well, Sarah, some people buy two or three yards of what they truly love even if they don’t know for sure how they’ll use it.”

  “This goes with it perfectly, don’t you think?” Sarah asked, holding up a second bolt.

  “Yes! That’s a beautiful combination.”

  A half hour later, Sarah was laying her credit card on the counter while Ruth put the four fabrics of varying lengths into a bag. Sarah had included three yards of her favorite one, assuming she would want that for the border and for some of the blocks. The rest coordinated beautifully. She had no idea what pattern she would use, but when Ruth spread the fabrics out on the cutting table, the combination made her feel calm and peaceful. There was no doubt that these were the fabrics Sarah wanted in her bedroom.

  The other members of the sampler class began to arrive. Sarah put her bag of fabrics under her table and greeted the students as they came in. Delores and Danny were the first to arrive. Christina and Kimberly came in next and sat down at a shared table. “Say, Sarah,” Kimberly began. “You were interested in seeing our Sears Roebuck house sometime and we just had a long-arm quilting machine delivered. We had them set it up in the bedroom Papa added for his mother on the back of the house. We aren’t very good at quilting on it yet, but we were wondering if you would like to come see it.”

  “Oh Kimberly, I’d love that. I’ve never seen a long arm. I’m going to be finishing a quilt soon. Are you planning to take in quilts for machine quilting or is this just for yourselves?” Sarah asked eagerly.

  “If you saw the price tag on this machine, you wouldn’t be asking. I figure we’re going to have to do one quilt every hour, 24-7, in order to pay for this machine in our lifetime!” Everyone was listening at this point and they all laughed.

  “Well, you’ll get plenty of business from this shop,” Ruth said as she entered the room. “Just print up some cards and put them on the checkout counter where everyone will see them. I can almost guarantee you’ll be busy 24-7.”

  Ruth put a new block on the design board and said, “This is our seventh block and it’s called Jacob’s ladder. Many of the safe houses had false walls which concealed ladders down to an underground space. This block may have referred to those special hiding places.”

  As she explained the block and passed out the instructions, Dottie came rushing in carrying her six-year old under her arm. “Sorry I’m late. Samantha has a temperature and I couldn’t send her to school.” Dottie placed the child in the chair next to her own and immediately, she laid her head down on the table. Sarah noticed that the girl was trembling.

  “I think she’s having a chill, Dottie. She should be home in bed or at the doctor. Not here.”

  “But I can’t miss the class. I’ve already paid for it and I have my material.”

  Ruth intervened, saying, “Dottie, Sarah is right. I’ll help you catch up with the class, but your child is very sick. Please take her to the doctor.” Dottie huffed and gathered up her child and her tote bag and headed for the door. She was muttering, but the group couldn’t hear what she was saying.

  Katie stuck her head in the classroom and asked, “What was that all about? Did you actually throw Dottie out?”

  “Of course not, Katie. What made you think that?” Ruth responded.

  “She was mumbling that she has been ‘thrown out of better places than this’ as she went out the door.” The group snickered and went back to work on their blocks.

  Sarah finished early and quietly excused herself and gathered up her materials and her bags of new fabric. Sarah was feeling good and wanted to share her happiness with Barney. There was a pet shop a few doors up the street from Stitches, so she put her bags in the car and walked to Paws & Claws.

  Once inside, she perused the shelves of treats and dog toys, undecided between the two. Barney loved treats but the vet said he had put on a little weight so she decided on a toy. Since he needed exercise, she found a ball attached to a heavy rope. The picture on the tag showed a boy throwing the ball and the dog leaping into the air to catch it by the rope. She could see Charles and Barney having a grand time with it.

  As she was getting ready to pay for the toy, she grabbed a box of treats as well. “He deserves both,” she told the youngster who was ringing her up.

  Driving home, she thought about putting her newly acquired fabric into the oak cabinet in her sewing room. But thinking of the cabinet caused her smile to fade. The quilt. I must do something about the missing quilt. She still hadn’t reported it missing. By the time she pulled into her driveway, she had decided to call Amanda after lunch and tell her about it. She wasn’t ready to tell Andy it was missing, but she needed to report it to the police. Obviously, someone had been in her house. It took her many weeks to be willing to acknowledge that simple fact.

  Of course, the faded smile immediately returned as Barney met her at the door. He was always ecstatic when she returned, whether she had been gone five hours or five minutes.

  Barney had been picked up behind Barney’s Bar and Grill and the staff at the Humane Society had named him Barney by default. But the name fit him perfectly. Even though he wasn’t much to look at when Sarah brought him home, after a few trips to the Puppy Parlor, even Sophie had to admit he looked almost handsome.

  Mostly it was Barney’s personality that won over anyone who came into his world. When meeting strangers, he was somewhat reticent at first, but always gave them a chance. Ultimately, he loved almost everyone he came in contact with, but he worshiped Sarah. It was as if he realized she had saved him from an uncertain future and provided him with a life filled with love. He was a very happy dog.

  Sarah took the rope-ball toy out of the bag, sat down on the couch, and placed the toy on her lap. He came over and sniffed it. Then he looked deep into Sarah’s eyes. “Yes,” she said. “It’s yours!” She tossed it across the room and he ran to get it.

  He picked it up by the rope and immediately returned it to her lap. He sat at her feet with his tail rapidly swinging back and forth. He made a slight noise in his throat, not quite a bark. Sarah tossed it again
, and again he returned it. “Let’s go out in the backyard and play,” Sarah said, and the two hurried to the backdoor and spent the next hour playing in the warm sunshine.

  When they came in, Sarah again thought about the quilt and Amanda. “I can’t keep putting this off,” she told herself, and picked up the phone.

  “Sarah. I’m glad you called,” Amanda said right away when she answered the phone. “I want to talk with you, too.”

  “Has something happened?” Sarah asked apprehensively.

  “No, no. I’m sorry to alarm you. Nothing has happened. I just wanted to find out how you’re doing and to let you know what has been going on with Andy.”

  “Well, I have something to talk with you about, Amanda. Is there any chance you can come over?”

  “Of course. I have a report to finish and then I’m off. Can I come by on my way home?”

  “Sure. How about having a light supper with me?” Sarah was planning to make a dinner salad and quickly figured that she could defrost a couple of chicken breasts to put on top.

  “I’d love that,” Amanda replied. “I’ll be there around six, okay?”

  “Good. See you then.” Sarah quickly removed the chicken breasts and put them in the microwave to defrost. She then cut the vegetables and put them in the refrigerator, so she wouldn’t have much to do when Amanda got there. She put a bottle of Chardonnay in to cool and removed a package of crescent rolls ready to bake along with the chicken. “It’s not exactly a celebration,” she said to Barney, “but it will be nice to spend some time with Amanda.” Barney smiled and dragged his new toy into his corner of the kitchen.

  When Amanda arrived, Sarah suggested they have a glass of wine and sit down to their salads before getting into their various issues. She knew she was putting off the inevitable, but another hour or so wouldn’t matter.

  “You haven’t been to the Friday night quilt group yet,” Sarah said curiously. “Have you changed your mind?”

  “Absolutely not!” Amanda responded emphatically. “It’s just that I have three new cases, all needing my attention. I hardly have time to grab a few hours of sleep.” She took a sip of her wine and asked Sarah what the Friday night group has been doing. They talked about the group and quilts in general and Sarah’s projects in particular. After eating, Sarah brought out the blocks she was making for Charles’ quilt. While Amanda looked at the blocks, Sarah told her some of the stories around them.

  Later, they took their wine glasses into the living room. “I’m sorry I don’t have any dessert,” Sarah apologized.

  “No,” Amanda objected. “Dinner was perfect.”

  “Okay,” Sarah began. “I guess we need to get down to business. Tell me about Andy.”

  “There’s not a lot to tell yet, but he has an excellent lawyer. I don’t think there will be a trial at all. I think this young lawyer, Michelson, plans to go before the judge and petition for the new charges to be dismissed. I’m not sure of the legalities involved, but he seems pretty sure he can pull this off.”

  “How is Andy? We haven’t been allowed to visit him.”

  “No. He can’t have visitors until the judge rules on Michelson’s petitions. I’ll let you know. But Andy is doing fine. He seems relaxed and confident that the system will be able to locate Caitlyn. I hope that’s true.”

  “Do you have doubts?” Sarah asked, with concern.

  “It’s a needle in a haystack, Sarah. There are so many kids out there and so many places for them to be and things that can happen to them. Hamilton has a rough element over on the east side. We just have to hope that’s not where she ends up. Men are trolling the streets looking for just that kind of girl – young, frightened, alone.

  Sarah looked horrified. “I’m sorry, Sarah,” Amanda said apologetically, laying her hand on Sarah’s arm. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I should be more careful what I say. I’m sure they’ll find her.”

  Amanda’s reassurance didn’t help because the words were already out there. Clearly, Amanda hoped she would be found, but she also knew what could happen to a young girl living on the street.

  “My friend over in Hamilton told me that Charles has been a tremendous help to them. He has been interviewing people living on the street and in shelters. He has actually gotten a few leads. None of them have led directly to Caitlyn,” Amanda added, “but he has found people who think they have seen her. He is really good at getting people to talk to him. They trust him right away.”

  “He’s a good man,” Sarah said, looking down and blushing slightly.

  “I see,” Amanda responded with a teasing smile. “I see. Well, good for you.”

  “Okay. Enough of this,” Sarah said, making it clear the subject was dropped. “What else have you found out?”

  Looking serious again, Amanda continued, “There was one possible lead last week. A girl fitting Caitlyn’s description was seen in the Hamilton bus station. She bought a ticket to St. Louis. No one knows if she actually went. The bus driver doesn’t remember her.”

  “That’s not good news,” Sarah said. “If she left Hamilton, she could be anywhere.”

  “True. But it might not have been her. We’ll just have to keep following leads and be patient.”

  “Okay, Sarah. On to your business. You wanted to talk to me. What’s up?” Amanda reached for the wine bottle and refilled both glasses.

  Sarah sighed and began the story of the missing quilt.

  Chapter 19

  The young girl got off the bus in Middletown. She had intended to go to St. Louis, but the idea of an unfamiliar city frightened her. She had no idea who she and her mother visited in Middletown but, at least, there was one thread of a connection to the town and she wouldn’t feel quite so alone.

  It was dark when she arrived at the deserted bus station. She didn’t go in but, instead, walked up the street. There were lights and she hoped to find an inexpensive place to eat. She wondered if she could get a refund of the money she wasted on the bus ticket. Maybe she would talk to them tomorrow. Right now she needed food and maybe a place to sleep.

  The restaurant she found was brightly lit and the smells were inviting. She hadn’t eaten since the previous day. She went in and inconspicuously slid into a booth. When the waitress came, she asked for a cup of soup, a glass of ice water, and lots of crackers. She carefully counted out $2.59 and laid it on the table. The waitress brought the water and crackers first. When she returned with the soup, she noticed the crackers were gone. She returned with a basket of crackers, rolls, and butter. The young girl smiled at her shyly. The waitress returned the smile and said, “Let me know if you need anything else.”

  The girl ate slowly now, having gulped the first crackers down. The soup was hot and comforting. She wondered if she dared order a second cup. She counted her money and decided that would be foolish. She didn’t want to run out of money before she figured out what to do. She was glad it was summer. She could sleep outside. The warm soup was making her feel sleepy.

  The waitress smiled at her as she left the restaurant. The girl walked up the street passing several shops. They were all closed. She came to one with a strange name, Persnickety Place. She wondered what they sold.

  As she was passing the shop, the girl noticed a strange structure in the back. She didn’t know it was called a gazebo; she only knew it looked inviting. There was a long bench inside. No one was around. She opened her duffle bag and took out a sweater and bunched the bag up to make a pillow. She curled up on the bench and used the sweater as a cover. Within minutes, she was sound asleep and dreaming of a different life.

  * * *

  “Yes, Sarah. I’m glad you told Amanda about the quilt,” Sophie said impatiently. “What I don’t understand is why it took you so long.”

  “It’s hard to explain, Sophie. I guess I just didn’t want to admit that I’m that vulnerable. If someone can come into my house and take something without me having any idea it happened…well, that’s disconcerting.”

&
nbsp; “Okay. I guess I get it,” Sophie responded rather unsympathetically. “But go on with your story. What did Amanda have to say?”

  Sarah looked sheepish for a moment, then rolling her eyes, said, “She said exactly what you said, ‘why did it take so long to report it.’”

  “Of course she did,” Sophie huffed. “What else could she say?” After a short pause she asked, “What’s going to happen next?”

  “She’s sending someone over today to take my statement and look around the house. Amanda said it’s too late to treat it as a crime scene, but they might notice something we’ve missed. Amanda took a look around and didn’t see anything suspicious. There was no evidence of a break-in. Amanda said whoever came in must have had a key unless I left the door unlocked.”

  “Is that possible?” Sophie asked.

  “It’s very unlikely,” Sarah responded defensively.

  “Someone just pulled into your driveway,” Sophie announced. Sophie never missed anything that happened on the block. “Do you want me to go with you? He’s in uniform.”

  “Thanks, Sophie. I can handle it. I’ll call you after he leaves.”

  The young officer introduced himself as Officer Blakely. He wrote down the details of the robbery as Sarah told it. He asked the same questions Amanda had asked: Who has a key? Do you always lock the door? Is there a key hidden outside? Have you replaced any of the screens since you noticed the quilt missing? What else is missing? When they went into the sewing room, Sarah was embarrassed to see that she had left the room very disheveled.

  She showed him the oak cabinet where the quilt had been stored on the bottom shelf. “Do you always leave the cabinet door open like this?” he asked.

  “Only when I’m sewing,” she responded defensively.

  “Nothing else is missing?” he asked again.