Crosspatch, p.8
Crosspatch, page 8
“You’ve got that determined look on your face,” said Piper.
Beatrice said, “I’m trying to resist the temptation to start something new. Like Meadow said, that’s where I get into trouble. It’s like there’s a shiny new object and it pulls me off in another direction. Maybe I need to organize all the projects and fabric I have. A spreadsheet would be a good way to do it.”
Piper looked doubtful. “Would it? It seems like it could be a good way of spending a lot of time tweaking the spreadsheet and less time with actual quilting.”
“True. And I do tend to get carried away, as you can imagine. But I do love a good spreadsheet. I remember when I was working at the museum, I felt like I could really keep track of all the hundreds of exhibits so easily with a simple inventory. We’d lend out exhibits to other museums, and it helped so much. I don’t have as much stuff at home, of course—the fact that Wyatt and I reside in a tiny cabin really helps my stash from getting out of control. But I feel like I’m not even totally sure what I have in my fabric collection. If I noted each one that I have and write a short description of the pattern, I think it would really help.”
Will had been listening to his grandmother intently in Piper’s arms. He couldn’t have known what she was talking about, but a big grin spread across his face as if he just enjoyed listening to her voice and having one of his favorite people nearby.
After the meeting, everyone helped themselves to more food and catching up. Maisie, the shop cat, had padded curiously into the back room to see what everyone was up to. Then she’d happily curled up in Savannah’s lap, purring loudly.
Beatrice walked over to her. “Looks like you’re stuck.”
Savannah cuddled the cat. “It’s worth it. Of course, when I go back home, Smoke is going to think I’ve been cheating on him with another cat.”
“Can I get you a plate of food or some water?”
“I think I’m all right. Thanks, though.” She paused. “I heard from Piper that you were the one who found Summer.”
Beatrice pulled up a chair and sat next to her. “I’m afraid so.”
Savannah said, “I was kind of confused. Not about the murder, but about who she was married to. Piper was saying she was married to the manager at the grocery store. But I’d seen her with someone else who was definitely not the grocery manager.”
“Was it Quinn?” Beatrice remembered her conversation with Meadow. She’d said that someone in the guild had spotted Quinn and Summer together.
Savannah brightened. “That’s his name, yes. Quinn. I’d thought he was married to that woman who is always volunteering at church, but then I figured I’d gotten it wrong.”
“No, I’m afraid you got it right. Tobi is from church. I understand that Quinn and Summer might have been seeing each other.”
Savannah raised an eyebrow. “Well, they weren’t being very secret about it. That’s why I thought they were the ones who were married. Summer was acting like she had every right to be with him.”
Beatrice was about to respond, but Savannah lost interest in the conversation. “Piper and Will are coming over,” she said with a big smile.
Will was everyone’s favorite part of guild meetings. He didn’t always come with Piper, so when he did, it was a treat. He was always very good and would spend the meeting munching on a cookie and taking in all the colors and textures of the quilts surrounding him. This time, Piper had brought some cardboard lacing cards with her. The cards had pictures of farm animals on them and the idea was that Will could lace the shoelaces through the cards as if he were sewing along with the group.
Piper said, “Will wondered if he could say hi to Maisie. And you, too, Savannah.”
Will grinned at Savannah, who smiled back at him. “Would you like to see Maisie, Will?”
The little boy gently rubbed the cat as he and Savannah had a little chat.
Beatrice said to Piper, “How did you manage to get Will away from Miss Sissy? She usually tends to hog him whenever she sees him.”
Piper chuckled. “I think this time she was more preoccupied with the food table. Posy put out some especially appealing treats this time. Meadow is probably the one we have to worry about. I saw her eyeing Will a couple of minutes ago.” She turned more serious and said, “How are you doing, by the way, Mama? Finding Summer was pretty dramatic. Have you been sleeping all right?”
“Well, I had a hard time at first. I did better last night. But I was thinking about you this morning and wondering if you’d figured out another way to exercise. You’d seemed really excited about going to Summer’s studio.”
Piper shook her head. “I mean, I know it’s a minor point compared to poor Summer’s death. But I was really looking forward to having some guided classes that were local to me. Right now, Dappled Hills doesn’t have any really dedicated fitness programs. Of course there are classes at the church, but those don’t always fit my schedule.”
Beatrice said, “I wonder what Harlowe plans on doing with Summer’s studio. It sounds like it was really going to fill a need here in town.”
“I hope he’s going to continue with it, but I totally understand if he doesn’t. The whole place must hold very painful memories for him.” Piper looked at her mother, noticing the lines of worry on her face. She quickly said, “On to better topics. I’m so excited that you finished that project of mine. I think it’s going to cover that tired old hand-me-down chair in our living room.”
Beatrice smiled at her. “To cover it up?”
“Well, let’s say to brighten it up.” Piper grinned back at her. “It’s not that I don’t really appreciate free furniture.”
“If it were a cat, it definitely looks like it’s at the end of its nine lives. The avocado green isn’t particularly appealing, either.”
Piper said, “I’d forgive the chair for its general unattractiveness if it were at least comfortable.”
Beatrice chuckled. “I’ve had the misfortune of sitting in that chair before and know exactly what you mean. I think that’s an excellent spot for the quilt. At any rate, it will make that corner more cheerful.”
The quilters caught up with each other for a little while longer, and then the meeting broke up. Beatrice helped Posy get the room back in order and then headed home to take Noo-noo for a walk.
Chapter Ten
The walk ended up being a longer one than expected. When Beatrice had turned around to head back in the direction of the house, Noo-noo had stopped, looked at her, and pulled her forward. There was apparently a lovely smell coming from further down the road. After quite a bit longer, Noo-noo found the wondrous spot, explored it, and finally acquiesced to turning around for home.
Wyatt came home earlier than usual and Beatrice and Noo-noo arrived there right when he did. “What a pleasant surprise,” said Beatrice, giving him a peck on the cheek.
Wyatt gave her a hug. “My meetings for the afternoon got cancelled. I thought we could do something fun.”
“I’m all ears.”
“Maybe get some ice cream downtown? I’ve been craving their peanut butter and chocolate fudge flavor. A little sugar might be just what I need to give me a pick-me-up today, too. I found myself nodding off at my desk.”
“Ice cream would be perfect. And then maybe you and I could go to the store? You saved the day yesterday, but I think we’re in the same fix for today, with nothing really appealing in the fridge.”
And so the plan was set. Wyatt got two scoops of peanut butter and chocolate fudge in a cone and Beatrice went with her usual favorite of mint chocolate chip in a cup. She couldn’t figure how Wyatt was able to eat his ice cream without it melting in the cone and getting all over him. But once again, he was completely spill-free as he finished his treat. Beatrice, on the other hand, had somehow managed to drip mint chocolate chip on herself, even with the cup.
“Should we head over to the grocery store?” asked Wyatt as they threw away their trash.
“Let’s. And let’s try not to make it like our last joint grocery shopping expedition.”
Wyatt grinned at her. “You mean when we somehow purchased a hundred dollars’ worth of groceries and had nothing to make a meal out of? I think we only do that when we’re hungry.”
“Well, we’re certainly not hungry now, so let’s avoid a repeat.”
They drove the short distance to the grocery store and walked inside. Beatrice grimaced. “I really should have jotted down a list before we walked in. This is how I end up getting into trouble with impulse buys.”
Wyatt said, “How about if I make a list while we start off in the produce area? We can’t get into too much trouble there with impulse buying. Do you have paper and a pencil in your purse?”
Beatrice was quite sure she had pretty much everything anyone could possibly want in her purse, which was why it had been so impossibly heavy lately. She mentally put cleaning her purse out on her list of things to do. She handed him a small notepad and a pen.
Wyatt poised the pen over the notepad and thought. “Let’s see. Healthy, easy meals.” He pondered this for a while as Beatrice walked listlessly through the produce department, picking up various fruits and studying the vegetables.
“Any ideas?” she asked him. “I’m drawing a complete blank.”
Wyatt said, “It’s almost as if I can’t remember what we eat on a day-to-day basis.”
“Oh, believe me, I know. How about salads? We eat those sometimes.”
Wyatt, however, didn’t find the idea of a big salad for supper very appealing. “Maybe a potato and a salad?”
“Perhaps, if we’re going for healthy, it should be a sweet potato and a salad.”
Wyatt said, “That makes one meal.”
“And a sort of pitiful one, at that. If we don’t think of others, we’re going to be in this exact same spot tomorrow, too.”
They must have looked quite the picture, frowning into space. Edgenora, the church’s excellent administrative assistant, said from behind them, “Are the two of you in some sort of trouble?”
They turned around, looking rueful. Beatrice said, “The sort of trouble where you can’t think what you need to get at the store when you’re already at the store.”
“Can you throw out some supper ideas for us, Edgenora?” asked Wyatt with a wry grin. “You’re so efficient that I have the feeling you have a sensible list with you.”
Edgenora did indeed have a list. “Shredded chicken tacos, salmon pasta, honey chickpea bowls, and shrimp scampi with zucchini noodles.”
Wyatt and Beatrice looked at each other. “Sensible, just as I mentioned,” said Wyatt. He quickly jotted down the ideas Edgenora had given them.
Edgenora looked pleased. “I simply got tired of showing up at the store and coming home with nothing for meals.”
“We were just saying the same thing,” said Beatrice wryly.
“It made sense for me to keep something on my phone—something I always have with me. Because, if I don’t have any ideas, I end up gravitating to burgers or frozen pizza,” said Edgenora.
Wyatt waved the notepad. “Well, we appreciate the help. Otherwise, I fear Beatrice and I would have ended up making ourselves grilled cheese sandwiches for the umpteenth time. And I’ve been trying to eat healthier lately.”
Edgenora, having helped, was now clearly eager to get her grocery shopping done and getting herself back home. “Good seeing you both,” she said before striding away, list in hand.
Beatrice and Wyatt peered at the list, brainstorming ingredients they needed and trying to compare them to their somewhat faded memories of what they had at home. They were still creating the list when they heard someone say Wyatt’s name.
They turned and saw Quinn Daxton standing there. He had a cart full of mac and cheese boxes and frozen pizzas and looked as if he hadn’t slept. Or as if he’d tried to sleep in the clothes he was currently wearing. He had a large mug of coffee in the cart’s cupholder.
“Quinn,” said Wyatt, looking concerned. “Is everything okay?”
He shook his head. Despite his rumpled appearance, he was still a very handsome man of the tall, dark, and handsome cliché. “I actually planned on calling you later.”
Beatrice said, “Should I . . . ?”
Quinn shook his head. “It’s okay. It’s going to be public knowledge soon, if it’s not already. My wife, Tobi, left me yesterday. I’m . . . well, I guess I’m in total shock.”
“Of course you are,” said Wyatt. “We’re so sorry.”
Quinn took a deep breath. “It’s amazing how fast everything fell apart. The house doesn’t even seem civilized anymore. I guess I’ve found out in just a day’s time what a slob I am without having Tobi constantly picking up after me.”
Beatrice tried to keep her face neutral and hoped she was doing a good job. She wondered if perhaps Tobi had simply gone on a labor strike.
“Did Tobi give a reason why she was leaving?” asked Wyatt.
Quinn gave a short laugh. “She didn’t have to. She found out about the affair I had with Summer shortly before Summer died. I kind of hoped she’d understand that I was planning on ending things with Summer; that I’d realized I wanted to make my marriage with Tobi work. But Tobi just thought the affair ended because Summer had died. Maybe she even thinks I was involved in Summer’s death somehow.” He gave a hopeless shrug of his shoulders.
Beatrice said, “Were you able to give her an alibi? Were you with Tobi when Summer was found?”
“That’s part of the problem. I haven’t been sleeping much lately, so I’ve been getting up really early and just heading downstairs to do some work on the computer. Tobi wouldn’t have been able to cover for me, even if she wanted to. And I’m not sure she wanted to. She was really careful not to give Ramsay an alibi for me.”
Beatrice said, “How did she find out about the affair?”
Quinn sighed. “She saw a text message from Summer before I could delete it. I guess I’d gotten kind of lazy with covering things up—another sign I needed to end things. This was right before Summer died. I told her I was going to tell Summer that she and I were through. But then Summer was murdered before I had the chance to speak with her. Tobi must have been trying to figure out if she wanted to stick around with me or not, and I guess she made up her mind yesterday.”
“You must have a lot of conflicting emotions about Summer’s death. It’s got to be such a tough ,” said Wyatt.
Quinn nodded. “I feel awful about it, of course. On one level, I cared for Summer. But in some ways, her death was . . . not exactly a relief, but closure.”
Beatrice, who wasn’t very impressed with Quinn’s narrative so far, thought it was a rather violent closure.
“Believe me, I’d do anything to take back the fact Summer and I had an affair. I don’t know what I was thinking or why I was even tempted. I guess it was the fact that I was flattered by the attention I was getting from Summer. Maybe Tobi and I had gotten too used to each other. Anyway, I really regret it now.” He gave Wyatt a twisted smile. “You’ve got to wonder why I’m telling you all this. Summing up, Tobi left me, and I want her back. Can I schedule some counseling sessions with you?”
Wyatt said, “Of course you can. But is that something Tobi wants to do? Have you spoken with her about it?”
Quinn’s shoulders slumped. “I would have talked with her about it, but she won’t talk to me. She doesn’t take my calls or answer the door when I knock. I thought, maybe, if you called and just reached out that it might be better.”
Wyatt said quietly, “If Tobi isn’t onboard with counseling, I’m not sure it’s going to be very productive. But I’d be happy to meet with you one-on-one. I can tell this has got to be hard for you.”
Quinn nodded. “That makes sense not to force Tobi into couples counseling. I guess I deserve what’s happening, anyway. I was the one who strayed.”
Beatrice said, “Maybe you should just give her some time, Quinn. It sounds like she still might be processing everything. She could be more interested in fixing your marriage after a bit of time has gone by.”
“Good advice.” Quinn sighed. “That’s another of my endless faults—impatience. Just another thing I’ve got to work on, if I have time. The way the cops are looking at me, maybe I’ll end up in the clink for the next couple of decades.”
“Since you were spending time with Summer,” said Beatrice delicately, “were you able to give the police some ideas about who might be a suspect?”
Quinn shrugged. “It’s pretty obvious to me that it’s Harlowe.”
Wyatt said, “Did he know about your relationship with Summer?”
“Did he?” Quinn snorted. “He practically challenged me to a duel. He definitely found out. Besides, he and Summer were having other problems, anyway. She told me they’d been arguing a lot, and that Harlowe was having money problems.”
“Money problems? Just on Harlowe’s end or for both of them?” asked Beatrice.
“According to Summer, they maintained separate accounts. She said that Harlowe was irresponsible with money. They bought everything separately in case he went into debt—she didn’t want the burden of paying off his debts. Her car and the house were in her name, for instance.”
Wyatt frowned. “I thought Harlowe was intended to be in charge of the studio’s accounts.”
“True. Summer said he did a better job keeping the books. He just didn’t do a good job with spending less than he made.” Quinn shrugged. “I wouldn’t have thought she’d have made him the studio manager, but I guess she wanted to give him a shot at it. She was pretty type-A, though. If she’d thought he wasn’t doing a good job, she’d have fired him.”
Beatrice thought about Dan Whitner and the way Summer had harangued him about his work. She wondered if she’d done the same with Harlowe. Maybe it had been the last straw for him.
She asked, “You said there were people spreading rumors about you and Summer. Do you know who found out about your affair originally?”
