Cross-Stitch Before Dying by Amanda Lee

Author:Amanda Lee [Lee, Amanda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Craft shops, Crafts & Hobbies, Embroidery, Fiction, General, Mystery & Detective, Mystery fiction, Needlework, Needleworkers, Oregon, Women merchants
ISBN: 9781101626443
Publisher: Penguin Group, USA
Published: 2013-07-09T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

When Angus and I arrived home after work that evening, we found Mom sitting on the sofa in the living room. She wasn’t watching television, wasn’t reading, wasn’t thumbing through a magazine—she was just sitting there staring into space.

“Hello, darling,” she said, as I followed Angus into the living room. He’d already placed his big, furry head on her lap, and she was hugging him.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“Nothing. Did you have a nice day?”

I sat on the armchair, slipped off my shoes, and propped my feet on the ottoman. “I’m not sure I’d call it nice. It has been one surprise after another, though.”

“I should get dinner started,” she said.

“No need, unless you’re hungry,” I said. “I’ll just grab a protein bar on the way back to the shop.”

“Ted isn’t joining us?”

“No. He has to work this evening.” I glanced at the clock over the mantel and saw that it was twenty minutes past five. Henry’s press conference was due to start in ten minutes. “Mom, why won’t you return Henry’s calls?”

“I’ve been distracted. Besides, Ted said I shouldn’t speak with another suspect, right?”

“He did say that, but what advice did Alfred and Cam give you? If you’re still going to work with the man, you’ll have to speak with him sooner or later. That doesn’t mean you have to discuss Babushka Tru’s death.”

“Why the sudden concern over Henry?” she asked.

“He came by the shop today and practically begged me to have you call him.” When she didn’t respond, I felt I had to bring out the big guns in order to see how she was really feeling. “He thinks you might’ve accidentally caused Babs to fall.”

Mom’s jaw dropped. “He’s pointing the finger at me? He was the last person to see Babs alive. I’ll bet he didn’t tell you that now, did he?”

“No, he didn’t. So you think Henry killed Babs?”

“I’m not saying that,” she said, sighing and resting her head against the back of the sofa. “I don’t know what I think. All I know is that I was on my way back to report to Henry when I passed him heading toward the loft’s fitting room.”

“Are you sure he was going to see Babs?”

“I’m not certain, but where else could he have been going? The fitting area was the only thing in that direction.”

“Maybe the two of you should talk,” I said. “You could have Alfred with you, if you think it’s necessary. I mean, isn’t it possible that both of you are mistaken and that neither of you caused Babs to fall? Maybe there’s something else that, if you put your heads together, you’ll remember.” Again, I glanced at the clock.

“Why do you keep watching the clock? I didn’t think you had to be back at the shop until six o’clock.”

“I don’t, but Henry is giving a press conference outside his hotel at five thirty.” I retrieved the television remote. “I think we should watch and see what he has to say.”

Mom was silent, but she didn’t protest.

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