The Cross Stitch Puzzle by April Fernsby

Author:April Fernsby
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: humorous cozy mystery, psychic cozy mystery, cozy fiction, Cozy murder mystery, short cozy mystery
Publisher: April Fernsby
Published: 2019-02-18T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

As I ate the cake, I felt a tickle on my left hand. I gave my hand a quick scratch.

Peggy was saying something about the next craft evening she was planning, but I wasn’t paying her much attention. My mind kept wandering to Lyla Gibson-Smith.

The itch on my hand intensified. I scratched it again.

Someone must have called on Lyla on the afternoon she died. Someone she knew. How did they get poison on the thread and the fabric? Did they bring some poisoned thread with them?

My hand was itching like crazy now, but the tickle was centred on my ring finger. I gave it a firm rub.

Peggy put her fork down and said, “What’s wrong with you? Are you allergic to something?”

I frowned. “No, it’s my finger. It feels really weird as if there’s something there. But obviously, there isn’t. It’s probably nothing.”

She looked at my finger. “It’s gone red. Why don’t you nip to the bathroom and give your hands a wash? Something could be irritating you.”

I stood up and headed towards the bathroom, but as I walked past the windows, someone outside on the street caught my attention. “Peggy, come here. Quickly!”

She rushed over to my side and looked out of the window with me. “Is that Kim Webb rushing down the street?”

“Yes. She’s almost running.” I winced. My finger began to throb with pain now. “I think my itchy finger has something to do with Kim Webb. She might be the thief.”

Peggy moved closer to the window so that her face was almost touching it. “I think you could be right. Look how quickly she’s walking. The swift walk of a guilty person. Come on; we need to follow her.”

I was about to argue that we should keep well away from Kim, but the pain in my finger was becoming more intense by the second. I knew for certain now it had something to do with Kim.

We quickly left the café with a brief wave at Erin and then headed along the street in the direction Kim had gone. We couldn’t see her now, but as we rushed past a jewellers’ window, the hair on the back of my neck lifted and I came to a sudden stop. I grabbed Peggy’s arm and said urgently, “We have to go inside this shop right now. I can’t explain why, but we have to.”

Peggy gave me a brisk nod in reply.

We went inside and over to the man behind the counter. When he noticed our approach, he grabbed something off the counter and put it somewhere underneath.

My ring finger felt like it was on fire now, and it was taking all my willpower not to cry with pain.

Peggy noticed my distress and said, “Leave the talking to me.”

The man gave us a wide smile and asked, “What can I help you with?”

Peggy asked, “Has a woman with dark hair been in here just now?”

“Nope.” His smile was still wide.

“You’re lying,” Peggy said whilst giving him an intense stare. “She came in here and sold some rings to you.

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