Fleece Navidad Part 17

Kelly swung her knitting bag over her shoulder and was about to follow Mimi and Burt into the shop, when something kept her in her chair. She wanted to get up, go into the shop, and finish her Lambspun hat. It was nearly done. Still, Kelly found herself sitting where she was.

What is it? Something about Mimi's last comment kept nibbling at the back of her brain. What was Mimi talking about? Dyed fleeces, Christmas capes, Sheila's niece . . .

The little buzzer inside Kelly's head went off. She remembered something. Mimi was right. Sheila did imply she was an only child. Kelly remembered it, too. "It was just my father and me," she'd told them around the knitting table.

Why then would Sheila tell Rosa she'd bought the cape for her niece? Was that another instance of Sheila lying? Why would she lie about something so innocuous? Just like she'd lied about the phone message from the Sarasota retirement home. Why would Sheila lie about such trivial things?

Kelly signaled the cafe waitress for more coffee as she pulled out her knitting. She could just as easily finish her Lambspun hat here in the cafe where it was quiet. There was something else buzzing around the back of her brain. What is it?

Picking up the knit st.i.tch where she left off, Kelly watched the neat stockinette pattern form on her circular needles. Meanwhile, the annoying little thought kept buzzing. Not close enough to come into her awareness, staying just out of reach. Something about Sheila's present for her niece. Was she an adopted niece? Childless people often called their friends' children "nieces" or "nephews."

Kelly reminded herself there was a simple way to find out. Claudia would know. After all, Claudia had married Sheila's father. She'd know if there were stray relatives in the family.

The irony of calling Claudia to verify something registered on Kelly as she punched in the number. Claudia had been proven to be a liar, too. Good Lord. Claudia lied. Sheila lied. How was Kelly ever to find out the truth?

Claudia's voice came on the line after a couple of rings.

"Hey, Claudia, this is Kelly. How're you doing?"

Claudia's voice immediately started quavering. "Oh, Kelly, I'm not doing very well at all," she said, sniffling. "I'm afraid to leave my motel room ever since Marty told me about that awful woman at the senior center. Oh, why would she lie about me like that? It's just terrible! Now everyone thinks I'm guilty. . . ." Tears saturated her voice now as it turned into a wail.

Kelly decided to hold her tongue and let Claudia cry, hoping she'd stop in a moment. She didn't. Finally Kelly decided a firmer hand was needed.

"Claudia, you have to stop that crying, because I can't hear a word you're saying."

Amazingly, the wailing stopped. Sniffles came over the phone now. "I . . . I'll try, Kelly."

"Good girl," Kelly found herself saying, almost as if Claudia had executed a Carl-like sit . "I wanted to ask you a question about your late husband's family. Did he have any other children besides Sheila?"

There was a pause, then Claudia's voice came clearly. No sniffles to be heard. "Why, no. Sheila was his only child."

"So, he didn't have any other children from a former marriage either?"

"Heavens, no. Nathan and his wife Frances were married over forty years."

"Did Sheila have anyone she referred to as a niece? Maybe a friend's child or something like that?"

"No, I never heard Sheila refer to anyone that way. Sheila was a solitary person. She didn't really have many friends that I knew of. Why do you ask?"

Kelly was amazed by the change in Claudia's voice. Now it was a normal conversational tone. No wailing, no quavering. Clearly Claudia could turn those emotional tirades on and off in an instant. Like a light switch.

"Oh, someone said that she'd heard Sheila had a niece. I guess the woman was mistaken," Kelly lied quickly, surprised how easily it had come. Now she was lying like Claudia and Sheila. Not good. "By the way, don't be afraid to return to the shop, Claudia. It was good to see you around the table yesterday. Like you used to be. After all, it's the holidays."

"Well, if you think so." Her voice softened again.

"Absolutely. Take care, Claudia."

Kelly clicked off before the tears started. Flip of a switch.

"Hi, Kelly, how's that Lambspun hat going? It looks almost finished," a familiar voice said nearby.

"It's getting there, Connie," Kelly said to the middle-aged woman who stood in the doorway, arms laden with Christmas yarns. "I haven't seen you here at the shop much lately. Are you cutting back your work hours for the holidays?"

Connie shrugged. "Yeah, a little. I've been having lots of family visiting this month. It's really getting hectic."

"Hectic holidays, you got that right," she said, gathering her knitting bag and following Connie into the shop. "I'm amazed you're able to work and shop and still entertain relatives."

"Well, they really entertain themselves," Connie said as she refilled yarn bins along the wall that opened into the shop. "They're in the mountains now, skiing. They'll spend several days up there. Then they'll spend time in Denver, poking around before they return to Fort Connor and start exploring Old Town."

Kelly fingered a skein of variegated blue alpaca wool before Connie tucked it into a bin with the others. "Steve and I are hoping to find some time after the holidays to go skiing. After all the hectic has slowed down to normal."

"Ummmm," was all Connie said in reply.

Glancing at her, Kelly noticed Connie was staring into the central yarn room, which was crowded with holiday shoppers. Only the very confident fast knitters or the most optimistic knitters were attempting new projects this close to Christmas.

"Excuse me, Kelly, I'm going to keep an eye on someone. I've seen her before, and I don't trust her."

Kelly reached out to stop Connie. "Have you seen someone stealing?"

Connie nodded. "A couple of weeks ago. I haven't told Mimi, because she wasn't stealing yarns. But I want to keep an eye on her anyway. She may start slipping stuff into her coat pockets."

"Which woman?" Kelly peered into the room.

"See the woman with the black slacks and green sweater? That's the one."

Kelly scanned the room and found the woman Connie mentioned, and she did a double take. Sheila. "Are you sure that's the same woman?"

"Positive. I don't think she knew I worked for the shop, so she didn't pay attention to me at first. But I got a good look at her."

"What the heck was she stealing?"

Connie glanced around at the customers who were browsing closer and beckoned Kelly into the hallway. She bent her head closer to Kelly's. "I was sitting on a stool near the bookshelves, changing the magazines one day, and I watched her rifle through Claudia's knitting bag."

"Did she take anything?"

"Yeah, I saw her take Claudia's car keys. I recognized them, because there's a red pom-pom on the key chain."

Kelly stared back at Connie. "What did she do with them? Put them in her pocket?"

Connie nodded. "Yeah, and then she left. I watched through the window as she drove off. Then, the funny thing is, she came back in a little while and went through Claudia's purse again. This time, I deliberately turned around and started straightening stuff on the table. I saw her drop the keys back into the purse. She must have noticed me watching, because she mumbled something like she found them on the floor. Yeah,right ," Connie said scornfully.

"Where was Claudia all this time?"

"Oh, she was prancing around the shop, showing off her Christmas cape. She'd just bought it." Connie frowned. "People leave their bags around the table all the time, and it's perfectly safe. That's why I want to keep an eye on that woman. I don't trust her."

Kelly stared back toward the yarn room, glimpsing Sheila in conversation with another knitter.

What in the world was Sheila doing with Claudia's keys? Why did she take them only to return them in a few minutes? Where could she go in a few minutes? Suddenly the image of the huge discount store in the shopping center across the street from Lambspun appeared in Kelly's mind. Big Box.

"Connie, do you remember when this happened? Think," she pressed.

Connie closed her eyes. "Uhhhh, when did I change all those magazines? It was early last week . . . oh, yeah, it was Sunday before last. I remember because it was the same day Juliet brought in all the capes, and I had to hang them on display up front."

Kelly counted back on her mental calendar. The day Juliet brought the capes was the same day Mimi and Burt joined Kelly for breakfast in the cafe. Then Claudia showed up and told Kelly and Burt her sad story. Sheila had confronted Claudia in the shop the day before. On Sat.u.r.day.

"Listen, Connie, do me a favor and keep an eye on her, but don't tell Mimi just yet. She's got enough on her mind right now. Let me do some checking around first, okay?"

"Sure, Kelly. I haven't told anyone else, because I haven't seen her steal from us. But a thief's a thief, as far as I'm concerned. So, I'll keep an eye out and let you know what I see."

"Thanks, Connie. I'll talk to you later," Kelly said as she hastened back to the cafe. The knitting table would be noisy and filled with chattering, happy people preparing for the holidays. Kelly didn't want happy and chattering right now. She wanted peace and quiet so she could think.

Signaling for more coffee, Kelly settled back in her cozy corner chair in the alcove off the main cafe. "Julie, can you bring me one of those wicked cinnamon rolls with the coffee, please?" she asked the waitress as she pulled her Lambspun hat out of the bag again.

"Sugar for lunch, huh?" Julie said, laughing, as she refilled Kelly's mug.

Kelly picked up where she'd left off knitting. Only two more inches to go before she switched to the double-point needles to finish the top of the hat. The neat stockinette pattern formed around and around the circle. One row. Another row. Meanwhile, Kelly's thoughts raced in her head like b.u.mper cars at a carnival. Banging and b.u.mping into one another.

Sheila had made a copy of Claudia's car keys at Big Box. That had to be it. Why else would she pilfer the keys only to return them in a few minutes? Why would Sheila want Claudia's keys? Did she plan to "reclaim" the stolen car?

Her careening thoughts slowed down somewhat, no longer b.u.mping into each other. Was Sheila worried that Claudia would leave Fort Connor? Did she copy the keys so she could drive the car somewhere else for safekeeping? No, that wasn't it. Claudia's car was still in the motel parking lot when police confiscated it later that week.

Something else was hiding in the back of her mind, teasing her. What is it?

Another neat row of stockinette formed, then another, and another. All the while, Kelly kept sorting through her thoughts now that they'd slowed down to cruising speed. That always happened when she knitted. The rhythm of the st.i.tches was meditative and peaceful. She found her thoughts becoming more ordered, and new ideas appeared.

Keys. Keys. Claudia's keys. There was something else about those keys that Kelly wasn't seeing. What was it? Sheila had had Claudia's car keys copied. Why? What did she want them for? Maybe she just wanted to have them. But she didn't take the car. Keys, keys . . . what else could she do with Claudia's car . . . ?

Suddenly the elusive thought downshifted and cruised right to a stop in front of Kelly's eyes. Kelly stared at her st.i.tches. Oh-my-G.o.d.

Did Sheila drive Claudia's car that night? Was Sheila the one waiting in the dark on the street, waiting for Juliet Renfrow? Did Sheila deliberately kill Juliet so Claudia would be blamed?

The warm cinnamon roll appeared on the table in front of Kelly, but she barely noticed. Thoughts careened through her mind again. b.u.mper cars no more. NASCAR zoomed through her head now. Triple speed.

Was that possible? Did Sheila hate Claudia so much she'd actually commit murder to implicate her? Clearly, Sheila was obsessed with Claudia. The Sarasota cop said so. Sheila was convinced Claudia had killed her father and was furious when police didn't believe her. They never investigated because there was no proof. After that, Sheila started shadowing Claudia's every move, as if she were looking for something to blame on her. But would she kill someone in order to frame Claudia?

Kelly took a bite of the cinnamon roll, tasted the rich brown sugar filling mixed with the tangy lemon cream cheese frosting. She sipped her coffee and continued knitting, watching the neat stockinette st.i.tches form one after another. Neat and orderly. Soon her careening thoughts followed suit, slowing down, pausing long enough for Kelly to consider one at a time.

Slowly she ran through the events leading up to Juliet's death. Claudia dancing about the shop with her red cape, convinced Jeremy would propose to her that afternoon. Juliet's shyness when Lizzie teased her about her date with two-timing Jeremy later that night. The next day, Claudia collapses in her motel room in hysterics, devastated by Jeremy's rejection. Juliet's body found the following day.

One row, another row, st.i.tching around the circle. Yarn slipping between st.i.tches, connecting one st.i.tch to the next.

What connects Sheila to all of this? Kelly remembered Sheila always seemed to be at the shop, either at the table crocheting or gossiping with others or taking a cla.s.s. Sheila was always around, so she could have easily learned about the melodrama going on between Claudia, Jeremy, and Juliet. Gossip spread easily, Kelly noticed.

But there was something else. Kelly could feel it at the edge of her mind. It just hadn't come into focus yet. Something the Sarasota cop had said about Sheila. What was it?

She continued knitting around the circle, another row of st.i.tches. What was it? Why couldn't she remember?

Maybe she was rusty. She hadn't involved herself in any investigations-murder or otherwise-for nine months. No sleuthing of any kind. She'd promised her friends. Kelly figured she owed it to them. Especially after last winter when her sleuthing nearly got her killed.

She knitted another row. Okay, so she was rusty. So what? That didn't mean she shouldn't try. There was something about Burt's conversation with the Sarasota cop. What was it Detective Watson had said about Sheila? Something about the vehicle theft charges against Claudia. What was it?

Suddenly the memory came into focus. Sheila had called Detective Watson the week before and asked how much jail time Claudia would get on those auto theft charges. He told her it all depended on the judge. Claudia had a clean record and there had been questions as to whether the car was stolen or borrowed. She might get work release instead of going to jail. Sheila became incensed and started swearing and yelling over the phone.

Kelly paused her knitting and took a deep drink of coffee while the memory of that conversation danced in her head. What day did Burt talk with Detective Watson? What day was that? Scanning through her mind, Kelly started matching bits and pieces of memories together, piecing the timeline puzzle together.

She'd asked Burt to call his Florida friend again after she'd overheard Sheila's phone conversation. Burt said he'd try to speak with the Sarasota cop who was involved in the case. Burt called the day after the bazaar. And Detective Watson told him Sheila had called the Monday of the previous week.

Monday, Monday . . . Kelly sorted through memories in her mind. That was the same day she sat at the knitting table and everyone was gossiping about Juliet's engagement and Claudia's rejection. Juliet was dining with Jeremy that evening. Claudia was crying in her motel room. And Juliet Renfrow was killed later that night. Monday night.

Kelly took a big bite of the cinnamon roll. Something to absorb all the caffeine. She was getting way too excited piecing this puzzle together. She needed to calm down and sort through all this methodically. Neat and orderly, like the st.i.tches.

Did Sheila even know what Juliet Renfrow looked like?

Kelly pondered that while she knitted. Then Sheila's comment at the bazaar surfaced. Sheila said she'd been helping Saint Mark's prepare for the holidays "for a couple of weeks." Juliet Renfrow was the volunteer in charge. Of course, Sheila would have met Juliet.

Another row formed around the needles.

Thanks to the gossip around the knitting table that Monday afternoon, Sheila also knew about Juliet's late-night rendezvous with Jeremy. Sheila knew Juliet's habits and her schedule, so she knew when to steal Claudia's car and wait in the dark on Juliet's street.

Kelly kept knitting. Everything she'd come up with so far was purely supposition. Nothing could be proven. There was no way to link Sheila to the crime. Kelly took another bite of the cinnamon roll in frustration. Let the sugar kick in and see what happened. She downed it with Eduardo's black brew.

Sheila was obsessed with Claudia. "So what."

Sheila met Juliet while working at Saint Mark's. "So what."

Sheila was seen taking Claudia's car keys. "So what."

There was no proof she had made copies, let alone stolen Claudia's car from the motel parking lot and driven to Juliet's street.

Kelly pondered that one. Maybe she could ask at the motel. See if anyone noticed someone switching cars that night. After all, Sheila would have to leave her car in the motel lot in order to drive Claudia's.

Sheila owned a red Christmas cape exactly like Claudia's. "So what."

The driver who saw a woman and her car along the street that night couldn't see the woman's face beneath the hooded cape. He couldn't identify her. It could have been Claudia beneath that cape or Sheila. No way to tell for sure.

Kelly pushed away the rest of the cinnamon roll and washed down the sugar with coffee. She still only had supposition. Nothing substantial. Nothing that linked Sheila to Juliet's. .h.i.t-and-run.

She knitted another row. What with all these ponderings about Sheila, the knitted hat was almost finished. Or at least, almost to double-point needle stage. The neat stockinette pattern continued to form on the needles, while Kelly searched through the remaining puzzle pieces scattered throughout her mind.

There was one little piece that had been brushed aside when the big patterns started forming. Pushed aside when the fast cars were zooming through her head.

What was it?It was one of Kelly's first little niggling thoughts when she started wondering about Sheila. What was it? Something Mimi said. Something about Sheila's Christmas cape. Sheila had previously refused to sell it. Then she agreed. She was bringing in the cape so Lambspun could make their Michigan customer very happy.

Kelly knitted another row, losing track. Lost in her conjuring. What was it about Sheila selling her cape that was bothersome?

Sheila had changed her mind. "So what."

But why did she change her mind? insisted Kelly's little voice. Was there a reason Sheila didn't want the cape anymore? What was it? It was a beautiful Christmas cape.