A Dark and Stormy Knit by Peggy Ehrhart

Author:Peggy Ehrhart [Ehrhart, Peggy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington Books
Published: 2024-05-17T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 11

Pamela stepped out to fetch the Register the next morning to see Bettina en route across the street carrying the white bakery box from the previous day.

“I thought you’d be dressed by now,” she called as Pamela bent toward the newspaper.

Bettina herself was already dressed, dressed to impress another fashionista perhaps, given the nature of the errand she and Pamela had planned for that morning. She was wearing burgundy wool pants in a chic wide-legged style, paired with a boxy jacket the same color but made from a quilted velvet fabric. Under the jacket a black turtleneck was visible, and a striking pair of garnet earrings echoed the burgundy of the outfit.

Pamela straightened up with the paper in its plastic sleeve dangling from her hand. “I didn’t know we were going first thing,” she said.

“The point”—Bettina paused to catch her breath after her sprint across Orchard—“is to deliver the Danish in time for breakfast, breakfast with Adrienne. That will give us a chance to chat, and after we chat for a bit about . . . whatever . . . we bring up the idea that maybe she was the intended victim.”

“You’ll do the bringing up,” Pamela said. “I’m not good at asking people whether they are having affairs with married men.”

Bettina laughed. “I won’t exactly put it like that. I’ll find a way.” She made a shooing motion with the hand that wasn’t holding the bakery box. “Get back inside and put some clothes on. I’ll sit on your porch—we won’t have too many more of these warm fall days.”

* * *

Less than ten minutes later, Pamela rejoined Bettina. Her toilette, as Bettina often pointed out, was quite unimaginative, but once summer was past she enjoyed pairing her usual jeans with one of her hand-knitted sweaters. Today’s sweater was the one she had made from the wool imported from the Shetland Islands. The design involved wide cables like multistrand braids decorating the front and sleeves.

They proceeded across the street with Bettina still carrying the bakery box. Stepping onto Adrienne’s porch brought back memories of Halloween night, and Pamela felt herself shudder, though the chair that Mel’s body had occupied was long gone. In its place was a tiered plant stand holding several potted chrysanthemums in colors ranging from amber to deep maroon.

Bettina rang the bell, which echoed inside, and they waited for the sound of footsteps within as prelude to the door swinging open.

There were no footsteps, however, and the door didn’t swing open.

“She’s got to be here,” Bettina commented. “She’s not like you with the walks, and her car is here.” Indeed, Adrienne’s BMW was parked in her driveway. Bettina pushed the doorbell’s button again, this time more forcefully, and she left her finger in place as the bell chimed again and again.

Now they did hear footsteps, and the door swung back so swiftly that the outer storm door rattled.

“You two!” Adrienne addressed them from behind the storm door, her voice slightly muffled. She was wearing a silky negligee trimmed with much lace.

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