Yarned and Dangerous, page 20
Josie sat up straight. “This Albert. The last member of the Historic Preservation Commission. He’s in danger. He’s the only person left who could still bring a lawsuit to stop Trey.”
She picked up her cell phone and dialed. “Evelyn? Oh, hi. Yes, I’m fine. Say, could you give me Sharla’s number?” She paused. “No, of course it’s not about that. I just wanted to ask her a question, that’s all. Um-hmm. Um-hmm. Great, thanks.”
Sharla answered on the second ring. “Hi, Josie. Let me just step out into the hall. I’m watching Andrew take his swim lessons.” A moment later, the background noise greatly reduced, she said, “What can I do for you?”
Josie told her what she’d been thinking. “So you have to investigate Trey,” she concluded.
There was a longish pause. “Josie, you understand that I can’t tell you anything, right?”
“I know.”
“So I will just say that we’re looking into all angles regarding Lillian’s murder. All angles. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Josie breathed a sigh of relief. “So I don’t have to worry about this? You’ve got it?”
There was another pause. “Don’t worry,” was all Sharla said.
“Okay.” Josie met Mitch’s eyes and nodded. He’d been watching her intently. “I won’t worry. But what about Albert? You’re keeping an eye on him, right?”
Pause. “Don’t worry. This will all be over soon. In the meantime, please keep any . . . ideas you have to yourself, okay?”
“I understand. I won’t say anything. Thanks, Sharla. I feel much better now.”
Mitch gave Josie a quizzical look when she hung up. “Well? What did she say?”
“It was more what she didn’t say. We’ve heard the police were close to making an arrest. Pretty sure we can guess who that’s going to be. But she asked me not to tell anyone else. So I have to swear you to secrecy—even though we don’t know anything for sure.”
“That makes sense. We don’t want to jeopardize the investigation or the arrest. My lips are sealed. And Albert? He’s safe?”
“It sounds like the police have this well in hand.”
Mitch leaned back in his chair. “That’s a relief. Dorset Falls isn’t Mayberry, but major crime is unusual here just the same.”
“How will Eb react, I wonder, when he finds out Cora might have been murdered?”
Mitch shrugged. “Same way Eb reacts to anything, probably. Still, he could have been killed right along with Cora. He’ll have to feel something—anger, frustration, fear—even if he doesn’t express it.”
“Well, I guess I’m off the hook until an arrest is made. I told Sharla I’d keep it quiet, and that means from Eb too. What should we do tonight? Watch some television? Project Runway is on later.”
Mitch raised his eyebrows. “Uh, sure. I’m game.”
Josie let out a laugh. It felt good after the tension of the day. “I’m kidding. Project Runway is in reruns until the new season starts. But I should work on my sketches. If Eb gets his cast off tomorrow, I could be going back to New York sooner than I thought.” Her stomach clenched. Wasn’t that what she wanted? To get back to New York?
Mitch’s face was impassive. “I’ve got the new edition of Alpaca Today in the truck. I’ll keep myself occupied while you work.”
“Wow. They have whole magazines devoted to alpacas?”
“They do.” He turned toward the kitchen and gave a sharp whistle. “Jethro! Come on.” The dog bounded into the room and skidded to a stop at the front door. Mitch followed. “Be right back,” he said to Josie.
Josie considered calling the hospital, but decided against it. It wasn’t like Eb would want to talk to her—she’d never seen him use a telephone of any kind—and if there was anything she needed to know, the staff would have called her.
By the time Mitch returned, she’d settled herself at the table and gotten to work. He held his magazine in one hand and hesitated by Eb’s chair. “Oh, go ahead,” she said. “Eb won’t mind if you sit there. Or at least, he won’t know about it.”
Mitch grinned and lowered himself onto the dark orange velour. “Not a bad chair. Squishy.” He opened his magazine and began to read.
Josie glanced over at him. Instead of feeling awkward, or uncomfortable, as she would have thought she might, she found that Mitch’s presence was comfortable. Comforting, even. As though she’d known him a long time. She gave her head a slight shake and reminded herself, once again, that it was no good getting attached to people or places. Still, she’d made up her mind somewhere in the last few days, though she couldn’t have said where or how, to make time to come and visit Eb once she returned to the city. She was fairly sure that under the cantankerous demeanor, he liked her, just a little.
Josie returned to her sketch. She made a few efficient strokes, outlining the puff-sleeved sweater and long slim skirt she’d drafted a few days ago. She added some color, then began to shade in the details. A couple more looks, which she could finish tonight, and she’d have enough to take back to Otto. And maybe, just maybe, she’d finally feel like she was doing what she was supposed to be doing. Josephine Blair—fashion designer. It had a nice ring.
“Well, isn’t this cozy?” Josie looked up from her table at the general store into the disdainful face of Diantha Humphries. Just the person she wanted to see while she was eating breakfast. “You don’t waste any time, do you?” Diantha turned to Mitch. “Watch out for this one.”
“I’ll consider myself warned,” Mitch said, grinning. He smeared some cream cheese on his toasted bagel and took a bite. “What brings you out on this fine morning?”
Diantha’s face creased into a self-satisfied smile. “Oh, just out and about. Preparing for the town council meeting tonight. Big things are going to start happening in Dorset Falls.”
Big things or the Big House? Josie wondered how Diantha would take the news when her precious son was arrested for murder. How much did Diantha know, anyway? Was she so secure in her position in Dorset Falls society that she’d condone—or at least look the other way on—two murders? Somehow, Josie didn’t think so. But she hoped the police leaned on the old battle-ax pretty hard, just the same. It would be lovely to see Diantha sweat.
Diantha turned to Josie, tapping a finger on the face of her watch. “The clock is ticking. When are you going to be out of that building?”
If Josie’s hackles weren’t already up, they were at attention now. Keep it calm, Josie. Don’t let her bait you. She smiled sweetly. “Oh, any day now. Don’t you worry. I’ll be out on time.”
“See that you are.” Diantha turned on her heel and walked out, her large red leather purse swinging in a slow arc in her wake.
Mitch and Josie exchanged a glance. Neither one could say aloud in this public place what he or she was thinking, but words seemed unnecessary. She’ll get what’s coming to her. Josie wished there were something she could do to make that happen.
“I should be going,” Mitch said after swallowing the last bite of his bagel and draining his coffee. “I promised my cousins I’d meet them at the funeral home to help finalize the arrangements for Aunt Lillian. You—” His gaze held hers. “Be careful and don’t go anywhere alone.”
Josie nodded. “I know, I know. And I happen to agree with you. I hate to ask, but would you go with me to the hospital to pick up Eb this afternoon? He likes you more than he likes me.”
Mitch gave a soft chuckle. “Not true. But of course I’ll help. How about if I pick you up here around one?”
“Sounds great. See you then.”
Josie watched his tall form as Mitch retreated out the door.
Maybe there was something she could do to make sure Trey, and Diantha, if necessary, got what was coming to them.
But first she needed to take care of some business. She fired off a text to Monica. Need buyer’s phone number ASAP. Why had Monica not sent the number the first time Josie asked? Monica must have it, or at least an e-mail address, if she was communicating with him or her.
Josie pulled a manila folder from her tote bag sitting on the chair next to her. “Lorna?”
Lorna looked up from wiping the counter. “What’s up? You had an interesting breakfast companion this morning.” She raised an eyebrow.
“Oh, stop. Totally innocent.” But Josie felt a warm tingle just the same. Mitch was good-looking, and good company. If he lived in the city, she would have enjoyed getting to know him a little better. If you lived here, you could get to know him. She put the thought aside.
Josie set her stack of drawings on the clean surface of the counter. “Do you have time now to scan these so I can send them to my boss in New York?”
“Sure, but only if I can look at them first.” Lorna dried her hands on her apron and spun the drawings so they were right side up. She sucked in a breath. “Are you kidding me? These are gorgeous!”
Josie’s heart swelled, just a little. Validation was something she’d not experienced much of while working for Otto Heinrich. Of course, it remained to be seen what Otto would think. A strange feeling came over her, one she struggled to identify. And then it came to her. Confidence. Confidence in her own ability. Did it really matter what Otto thought? She liked the drawings. Unfortunately, that did not pay the bills.
“Thanks. I have a flash drive. Can you put the document on it?”
“Coming right up.” After checking to see that she didn’t have any customers lurking at the counter, Lorna took the drawings and the flash drive to the back of the store, where the combination scanner-copier-fax machine sat along the back wall. She came back a few minutes later and handed the items back to Josie. “Here you go. Knock him dead!”
Josie grinned, replacing the drawings into the folder and sliding it into her bag next to her laptop. “There’s no Wi-Fi here, is there?”
“Hardly. I’ve been trying to get Dougie to put it in, but even the argument that it will bring in customers hasn’t worked. There’s public Wi-Fi at the library.”
“Thanks. I’ll be back in later.” But Josie wasn’t going to the library. She was headed for the Lair.
Chapter 23
Josie walked briskly down Main Street, pausing only slightly at the door to the ladies’ secret hideout. Better to go around back and use the alley door. One of Cora’s keys must fit it. Josie was aware that she was breaking her promise to Mitch again, but it was only temporary. Once she got upstairs she would call Evelyn and ask her to come in.
Josie tried several keys on Cora’s ring before she found the one that worked. She slipped inside, closing the door behind her, and began her march up the two flights of moderately steep stairs. At least this time she wasn’t carrying awkward bags of yarn.
She knocked softly on the door to Apartment 4. When no one answered, she tried several keys until the door swung open.
The couch, chair, and coffee table were still covered in piles of yarn, but now the piles were neatly sorted by color and style. There was no need to call Evelyn. She was in the control room with her back to the door, her headphones firmly in place. A video feed played on one of the monitors in front of her. Evelyn stiffened, then turned around slowly. “Josie! You gave me a fright. What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” she replied, “but I’m not sure I want to know. I didn’t see your car in the alley.”
“It’s parked at Helen’s house, a block away. She convinced me it would be better to leave it there and come on foot. She’s probably right, even though Main Street is dead as a post.”
Josie replied, “I was hoping to use your Wi-Fi to send an e-mail?” She showed her friend the laptop she’d brought with her.
Evelyn seemed to relax. “Of course. Set up anywhere you like. The password is Bondgirl61.” She went back to her surveillance.
Josie sat down at the small table that held the first computer she’d seen yesterday, the one that had been playing the loop of Josie herself in Rusty’s car repair shop. She moved that laptop aside and opened her own. As she waited for her machine to boot up, she watched the other screen. The camera remained trained on Rusty’s counter. He stood behind it, copper-red head down, typing. There was no sound. Perhaps this splinter group of the Dorset Falls Charity Knitters Association had not yet bought sound recording equipment from Spygrannies.com. Rusty looked up, and his face fell into a frown when a woman approached the counter. Although the woman’s back was to the camera, Josie would have bet money it was Courtney, Trey’s wife. She put her keys on the counter, leaving her hand out . . . why? Just in case he wanted to pick it up and kiss it? Josie couldn’t tell if this was old footage or new. She shook her head and returned to her own computer.
She pulled up her e-mail, deleting all the junk as the flash drive engaged with a soft whir. Otto, she typed. Am so excited about these new designs. Let me know what you think. I should be back next week, and I’ll finish the collection. She attached the file with the drawings, paused a moment, and hit send. There. It was out of her hands.
A red light blinked from the coffeemaker in the kitchen. She got up, poured herself a cup, and sat back down. Reaching into her tote bag, she pulled out the instruction manual Helen had given to her yesterday. The one that explained the tracking devices Cora, Evelyn, and Helen had somehow managed to place on the cars driven by members of the Humphries family.
She clicked on the desktop icon on the Lair laptop. Scanning the shortcuts lined up in a neat row along the left side, she double clicked on the one marked GrannyTrack. A screen opened up, and her heart sank. Evelyn had been right. This program might not be terribly user-friendly. Still, she’d give it a whirl.
Thumbing through the pages of the manual, she skipped over the section on “Installing the GrannyTrack Device.” Presumably, they’d figured that part out. Ah, here it was. “Downloading Data.” She followed the instructions, which turned out to be not that difficult for someone who had grown up around computers, like Josie. Punching in a few more keystrokes, she was rewarded when three columns of data filled the screen.
Each column contained dates and times written in military format, along with what appeared to be GPS coordinates. When the columns finished populating, a pop-up appeared on the screen. Interpret Coordinates? Sure. Why not? She didn’t bother to look up what that meant in the manual, just clicked Yes. The columns shifted, and a line appeared in orange under each entry. Street addresses.
Josie sat back, satisfied and horrified at the same time. She’d figured this out fairly easily. But it was unsettling to think that this kind of technology was available to just anybody. There could be a tracking device on her car right now, and she wouldn’t even know it.
She scanned the data more closely, then shook her head. Evelyn would be a pretty incompetent surveiller if she handed Josie the instruction manual and asked her to download data on herself. But that didn’t mean somebody else couldn’t have done it. She tried to put the thought out of her head. There was no discernible reason anyone would want to be following her.
Josie took a sip of her coffee, then got up and went into the control room. She touched Evelyn lightly on the shoulder. The older woman started, then punched a button on her keyboard, which paused the screen in front of her. Evelyn removed her headphones and spun around to Josie.
Her eyes lit up. “Did you figure it out?”
“I did. I’m not sure I know what it means, but you’ll want to take a look at it.”
Evelyn rose and hustled over to the screen. Josie pointed to one of the columns. “I assume there’s one column for each car, but I’m not sure how we’ll tell which one is which.”
Evelyn leaned in, adjusting her reading glasses. The brightly beaded chain around each earpiece swung as she did so. “Easy,” she declared. “Column 1 is Trey. See where he’s mostly been the last few days? To his office at the insurance agency and home. Column 2 must be Diantha. She’s made a number of trips to 121 Main Street. That’s the town hall.”
“So the third column must be Courtney. She’s been all over. Isn’t that the address of Rusty’s car repair shop? And look how many times she’s been to this address in Uncasville, wherever that is.”
Evelyn rolled her eyes. “That’s Mohegan Sun. The casino. Personally, I prefer Foxwoods, but to each her own. She’s probably having lunch there, then heading over to the outlet malls. That seems to be her favorite pastime.”
“So have you caught anything on video?” Josie said. She’d hoped to find something she could use to tip off the police, give them something to go on, without actually revealing the existence of any of these tapes and digital files. She didn’t want to blow the ladies’ cover or, worse yet, get them into legal trouble.
“No.” Evelyn frowned. “Rusty seems to be resisting Courtney’s advances. I’m glad for his wife, of course, but it’s a little disappointing. We wanted dirt on Courtney and Trey to try to disgrace Diantha, but so far, we’ve got nothing.”
Which meant Josie had nothing. Well, it had been worth a try. She looked at her watch. It was time to go to the hospital to see about Eb.
Josie walked back to the general store to wait for Mitch. She was sitting at a table tapping her fingers, thinking about what she’d just seen, when he walked in. “Ready to go?” he asked.
“As I’ll ever be. I miss Eb.”
Mitch grinned as he helped her into her jacket. “I do too. And it’s been tough keeping Eb’s whereabouts secret from my grandfather. Although from the smug look he’s been wearing the last couple of days, I’m pretty sure he knows.”
“I just need to stop at my car and pick up the bag of clean clothes I packed for him.”
Mitch drove around the block and parked in front of Josie’s car. She got out and popped open her trunk, giving a long look to the façade of Miss Marple Knits. Its dark, empty windows contrasted with the bright blue front door, and she felt a pang of sadness. The town meeting was tonight. The meeting that would decide the fate of this old building. She gritted her teeth in frustration. There wasn’t a darn thing she could do to save it. The town council was apparently stacked in favor of Trey’s petition, and even though Diantha would have to abstain from the vote due to her relationship with Trey, from everything Josie had heard around town, the vote was a shoo-in. She wouldn’t even be allowed to get up and speak her mind since she wasn’t a resident of Dorset Falls.
