A Killer Stitch (10 page)

Kelly had no response. Jayleen had told her how, after a lifetime of drinking, she'd turned her own life around with Vickie Claymore's help. If Jayleen wanted to make that kind of difference in someone else's life, who was Kelly to say no?

“All right, Jayleen.” Kelly acquiesced. “But only if you'll let me help. I can at least do your clients' accounts. Take some of that burden off your shoulders.”

“You don't have to do that, Kelly.”

“Hey, you're not the only one who can give orders,” Kelly said. “Now, what do you want us to do for Diane? Right now, I mean. Jennifer's babysitting her but has to leave soon.”

“Have Jennifer bring her over to the shop until I can get over there. Will you be able to stay with Diane until later this afternoon when I can drive into town?”

“Sure,” Kelly replied, mentally wiping her work schedule clean for the day. She could catch up tonight. “What do you plan to do when you get here? Take Diane somewhere? To a meeting or a counselor?”

“Not yet. I'll take her home tonight and stay with her, try to talk some sense into her if I can. She's gonna have a rough night, if I'm not mistaken. I'll take her to the AA meeting tomorrow night. But first, I'll put her to work helping me at the ranch. It'll be good for her. Is she tiny and weak or sturdy and strong?”

“She looks pretty sturdy to me, and she worked for a landscaper for years.”

“Great,”
Jayleen exclaimed. “Then she won't be lacking for work here. I've got tons of postponed projects around the barns and corrals. With any luck, she'll be exhausted.”

Kelly's mind swam with the enormity of Jayleen's commitment. “Whoa, Jayleen, you're taking on entirely too much. Please let Jennifer and me help. Please!”

“If I need help, I'll ask. And, matter of fact, I do think I'll take you up on that offer with the accounts. I was planning to tackle them tonight, so any help will be welcome.”

Kelly wiped the night work schedule, too. Tomorrow would be good enough. “You've got it, Jayleen. See you here at the shop later this afternoon.”

“I'll be there.”

Kelly found herself saying a prayer of thanksgiving as she punched in Jennifer's cell phone number.

“Julie,
could you do me a favor, please?” Kelly said as she gestured to one of the café's afternoon waitresses.

“Sure, Kelly. Do you want a refill?” Julie asked, reaching for the omnipresent coffee mug.

“Not yet, but would you make two big mugs of hot chocolate for my friend? We'll be over in the shop at the knitting table.”

“Sure thing, Kelly. I'll bring it over in a minute.”

Kelly headed down the hallway and found Diane Perkins exactly where she'd left her—standing in the main yarn room. Kelly had hoped that the surrounding color and texture would entice Diane to touch something. Anything.

Kelly had no experience babysitting adults, so she decided the best way to keep Diane occupied and distracted would be to plop her beside the knitting table and envelop her completely in colors, textures, cookies, and conversation. And hot chocolate. Kelly figured all that hot milk might calm Diane's nervousness.

Jumpy hardly described Diane Perkins at this moment. Gone were the glimpses of humor or self-awareness that Kelly had seen two days ago. Now Diane radiated fear. She reeked with it. The tinkling doorbell gave her a start, and she jumped at a customer's squeal of delight at finding exactly the right yarn. Kelly had no idea if hot chocolate would help, but she figured it couldn't hurt. Hot chocolate and the warmth of the afternoon knitting circle could do the trick. A “double dose.”

“I ordered you some hot chocolate, Diane,” Kelly said, lifting her mug. “The waitress will bring it to the table.”

Diane's gaze darted about the yarn room. “When's that woman, Jayleen, coming?”

“She'll be here soon, don't worry. Jayleen's a great gal. You'll like her.” Kelly gave her a reassuring smile and gestured through the archway. “C'mon, let's wait for her in here. This is where we all meet, eat cookies, knit, and talk our heads off. It's a great group.”

Diane held back. “Uh, I don't wanta meet anyone.”

Ignoring Diane's hesitation, Kelly beckoned her into the room and pulled out two chairs. Kelly was relieved to see some familiar faces at the table. Lizzie and Hilda were deep in conversation with another knitter, a motherly sort that Kelly had spoken with countless times.

Thank goodness. If ever there was anyone needing maternal nurturing, it was Diane Perkins. Jayleen would provide the strong shoulder and the strong arm necessary to get Diane through this rough period, but some of Lizzie's motherly warmth would be welcome right now.

“Have a seat, Diane, and I'll introduce you to everyone,” Kelly said loudly, hoping to catch the women's attention. Diane was hovering beside the chair, her eyes darting to the many smiling faces. “Folks, this is Diane Perkins. She's a friend, and she's going to join us for a while this afternoon.” Diane sat gingerly on the chair, as if it might be hot. Kelly continued smoothly. “Diane's going to help Jayleen at the ranch. Jayleen's really swamped, especially with the kids' party coming up.”

Diane nodded at the friendly greetings sent her way, mumbling a soft thanks as she ducked her head.

Hilda spoke up from the end of the table. “Lizzie and I want to contribute to this charity event, Kelly. It sounds like a worthy cause indeed. Tell us what we can donate. We may not be sprightly enough to chase after children anymore, but we can help in other ways.”

A pile of pastel yarn lay in Hilda's lap and was slowly turning into a baby sweater. How many nephews and nieces did she and Lizzie have? Kelly wondered. “Let me ask Jayleen. She's supposed to bring us a list,” Kelly replied, reminding herself to take another chore off Jayleen's plate tonight.

“Yes, dear, we'd love to help,” Lizzie said, glancing up from her busy needles. Kelly thought she recognized another baby blanket, this one multicolored, coming into shape. “Can the children use some knitted sweaters? I have a veritable collection of extras that I've knitted over the years. That's why I've switched to blankets.” She smiled, revealing the deep dimples in her rosy cheeks.

“I'll check with Jayleen,” Kelly said, moving her mug aside so Julie could set two large paper cups of hot chocolate in front of Diane.

Diane stared at the cups. “Two?”

“I thought the warm milk might be soothing,” Kelly said softly, as Lizzie and Hilda responded to questions from another knitter. “Besides, it tastes good.”

Diane's gaze darted Kelly's way for a split second before it dropped. “Thanks,” she whispered. Lifting one of the cups, she took a drink, then another and another.

Lizzie turned to Diane and beamed. “Do you knit, dear?”

Diane looked startled that someone had spoken to her. “Uhhhh, no.” She shook her head, then drained the hot chocolate.

Watching Diane quickly finish the second chocolate, Kelly congratulated herself on the idea. Warm milk might not be much, but it was something. Who knows? Maybe Diane hadn't eaten anything all day.

“You must be the outdoor type, then,” Lizzie continued. “You certainly look strong and fit and healthy.”

Kelly let Lizzie chatter away, while Diane mumbled replies and drank hot chocolate. Meanwhile, Kelly dug in her bag for a forgotten knitting project that needed unraveling. Gesturing to one of Mimi's helpers, Kelly beckoned her closer and whispered, “Rosa, could you tell Julie in the café to keep those hot chocolates coming, please? Two at a time, every half hour, okay?” Rosa nodded, with a bemused grin, as she hurried off.

Eavesdropping on Lizzie's one-sided conversation with Diane, Kelly recognized a familiar line of questioning. Subjects were circling in on dating and male and female companions. Subjects of undeniable interest to a sheltered, spinster schoolteacher like Lizzie—especially one with a rather vivid imagination.

Kelly was about to head Lizzie off at the pass, when she noticed Lucy Adair approaching the other side of the table. Lucy settled into a chair and exchanged shy smiles with her fellow knitters. Thank goodness, Kelly thought. Lizzie's attention would be deflected from grilling Diane.

Lizzie beamed across the table. “Hello, dear, it's so good to see you looking so well.”

Lucy blushed at Lizzie's compliment, glancing down shyly. “Thanks, Lizzie. You're sweet to say that.”

“Lucy, I must say I have heard marvelous testimony about your spinning classes. In fact, I am tempted to try again to master the craft,” Hilda proclaimed in a voice that could be heard all the way out to the entryway, no doubt. “I have failed miserably in every other attempt to learn to spin. Perhaps you will be able help me.”

“Of course, Hilda. I'll be happy to help,” Lucy said softly, removing a canary yellow yarn from her bag.

“Hilda is being much too hard on herself,” Lizzie said. “She was coming along fine, but simply lost patience.”

“My sister exaggerates my abilities,” Hilda decreed. “I assure you, I was wretched at the wheel. Couldn't keep my hands and feet together.”

“Well, from what I've observed in Lucy's classes, that sounds like par for the course,” Kelly said. “Everyone in the class had trouble.”

“Everyone except Megan. She's doing quite well,” Lucy said, needles working the yellow yarn. Kelly thought she recognized a sweater sleeve.

Kelly was about to agree when she glanced toward Diane. Diane Perkins was staring across the table at Lucy, the empty paper cup squeezed tightly in her hand.

Uh-oh,
Kelly thought, wondering if Diane recognized Lucy as one of Derek's other girlfriends. Kelly held her breath, waiting for Diane's reaction.

“Kelly, who is that girl?” Diane whispered.

Kelly hesitated, choosing her words carefully. Total honesty was out, given both women's past history with Derek Cooper. “She's one of the instructors here at the shop. She teaches spinning classes, why?”

Diane stared across the table again, ignoring the arrival of two more cups of hot chocolate, steam wafting from the tops of both. “Do you see that necklace she's wearing?”

Kelly nodded, noticing the gold chain around Lucy's neck for the first time.

Diane leaned closer, obviously wanting to keep their conversation from the others. “That's the same necklace Derek wore. It looks exactly like it.”

Kelly stared back into Diane's sea green eyes, realizing that Diane didn't recognize Lucy, just the necklace.

“Uhhhh, really?” Kelly waffled, glancing to Lucy again. “It looks like a regular gold chain to me.”

“There's a charm on it,” Diane whispered. “I can see it. A spider on a web. Derek had a necklace exactly like that. He started wearing it several months ago and wouldn't take it off. Even when we were in bed together. He called it a good luck charm.”

Kelly stared at the gold chain around Lucy's neck again. Was it possible that Lucy gave Derek a necklace like hers? Sort of a love token? Or was Diane's imagination on overload like the rest of her? Kelly pondered, wondering what to say to ease Diane's curiosity. She was about to ask Lucy when Lizzie did it for her.

“My, that's a lovely necklace, Lucy,” Lizzie remarked. “Is that a charm I see?”

Lucy's busy needles paused while she touched the charm at her neck. Diane sat, riveted, holding her hot chocolate.

“Yes. It's a spider on a web. My spinning logo,” Lucy said softly.

“That's sweet,” Lizzie cooed.

Kelly released an inner sigh of relief. Leaning next to Diane, she said, “See, that's what it is. I told you she was a spinner.”

Diane stared across the table for a few seconds more, then drained her third hot chocolate before turning to Kelly. “I want to see that logo up close.”

Surprised at her persistence, Kelly countered the best she could. “Well, we can't go up and stare at her neck. Maybe there's a flyer or something with the logo on it.” Deciding she needed to get Diane away from the table lest she come out and confront Lucy about the necklace, Kelly said. “Let's go find Mimi. She may have a flyer.”

Kelly shoved the half-unraveled project back into her bag and headed for the main room, beckoning Diane to follow. Kelly fully intended to plop Diane at the front of the shop if necessary and put her to work. Unraveling was amazingly relaxing, Kelly had discovered. Maybe unraveling would keep Diane occupied and away from Lucy Adair until Jayleen arrived.

Kelly hustled around yarn-laden tables, past looms, and into the front of the shop, where holiday shoppers lined up at the register. “Why don't you save my place in line while I find Mimi,” she suggested.

“She's running errands, Kelly,” a voice called from the corner. “What do you need?”

Kelly hadn't even noticed Rosa, who knelt on the floor, digging through a bucket of bamboo knitting needles. “I wondered if you had a flyer or something with Lucy's spinning logo on it. You know, a web with a spider?”