Reap What You Sew

Praise for

Pinned for Murder

“[Mixes] a suspenseful story with a dash of down-home flavor… Visiting with the charmingly eccentric folks of Sweet Briar is like taking a trip back home.”

—
Fresh Fiction

“A relaxing and pleasurable read. Ms. Casey has sewn together a finely crafted cozy mystery series.”

—
Once Upon a Romance

“An excellent read for crafters and mystery lovers alike. Elizabeth Casey has a knack for threading together great story lines, likable characters, and surprises in every page. The women in the Southern Sewing Circle are friends we all wish we had. This book was terrific from beginning to end.”

—
The Romance Readers Connection

Death Threads

“A light, fun mystery with southern charm and an energetic heroine.”

—
The Mystery Reader

Sew Deadly

“Filled with fun, folksy characters and southern charm.”

—Maggie Sefton, national bestselling author

“Sweet and charming… The bewitching women of the Southern Sewing Circle will win your heart in this debut mystery.”

—Monica Ferris,
USA Today
bestselling author

Berkley Prime Crime titles by Elizabeth Lynn Casey

SEW DEADLY
DEATH THREADS
PINNED FOR MURDER
DEADLY NOTIONS
DANGEROUS ALTERATIONS
REAP WHAT YOU SEW

Elizabeth Lynn Casey

BERKLEY PRIME CRIME, NEW YORK

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

Published by the Penguin Group

Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) • Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England • Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) • Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) • Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India • Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) • Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

REAP WHAT YOU SEW

A Berkley Prime Crime Book / published by arrangement with the author

PUBLISHING HISTORY

Berkley Prime Crime mass-market edition / April 2012

Copyright © 2012 by Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

Cover illustration by Mary Ann Lasher.

Cover design by Judith Lagerman.

Interior text design by Laura K. Corless.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or
electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of
copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

ISBN: 978-1-101-56152-2

BERKLEY
^®
PRIME CRIME

Berkley Prime Crime Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

BERKLEY
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PRIME CRIME and the PRIME CRIME logo are trademarks of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

10   9   8   7   6   5   4   3   2   1

If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is
stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the
author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

ALWAYS LEARNING

PEARSON

For my family, with all my love.

Acknowledgments

As always, when working on a new story, questions arise that need answers. And the people who provide those story-enriching answers are surely deserving of my thanks. So, to that end, I shall get to it… A huge thank-you goes out to my cousin, William Casey, for sharing his knowledge of the moviemaking process with me. Another, equally huge thank-you goes to Darci Ettari for telling the kinds of stories that send me off into my happy place (and not holding it against me when I get that faraway look).

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 1

Despite the plethora of scientific reference books to the contrary, Tori Sinclair had begun to wonder whether the speed of light had finally found its match. The cues had been subtle at first, many of them more indicative of a coincidence than a true shift in nature. But now, as she glanced at her watch, she couldn’t ignore reality any longer… .

The women of Sweet Briar could, indeed, spread gossip around town at a pace that begged to be studied by modern physicists worldwide.

In fact, the proof had become so irrefutable, it could start a veritable avalanche of grant money for research labs near and far.

Case in point: The originating call had come into the library at ten fifteen. After securing all noteworthy details, Tori had called her predecessor, Dixie Dunn, with the news at ten twenty-five. Now, just three minutes later, she was looking across the main room of the Sweet Briar Public Library at two of her dearest friends—Margaret Louise Davis and her twin sister, Leona Elkin—who had, no doubt, arrived to verify the facts.

The only thing skewing her hypothesis, though, was the blatant look of discomfort on Leona’s flawlessly made-up face and the unexpected hesitation Margaret Louise showed as she approached Tori’s position behind the information desk. It didn’t fit.

“So, I take it you heard the news. Isn’t it wonderful?” she prompted, before slipping off her stool and enveloping the sixty-something grandmother of seven in her arms. “I love the name, don’t you? So distinguished-sounding.”

Margaret Louise offered a less than enthusiastic hug in return, her voice distracted. “Names are good. Important, even.” Spinning around on her Keds, the decidedly plump woman patted the counter area to her left and nodded at the elderly woman a few steps behind Leona. “Right here, Mamma. You can stand right here. Next to me.”

Mamma?

“Mamma?” Tori repeated aloud, a smile stretching her mouth upward. “Is this your mother, Margaret Louise?”

Her eyes still focused on the petite woman at her side, Margaret Louise simply nodded as her slender and stylish sister pranced over to a nearby chair and sat down.

“She’s visiting from Georgia for a few days,” Leona said.

Margaret Louise drummed her fingers on the countertop. “Visitin’ implies a short stay, Twin. And you know as well as I do, that ain’t the case this time.” Waving off the argument that arose on Leona’s face, Margaret Louise flashed a tentative smile in Tori’s direction. “To answer your question, Victoria, yes, this is our mamma, Annabelle Elkin. Mamma, this is our dear friend Victoria Sinclair. She’s as sweet and darlin’ as she is pretty, ain’t she, Leona?”

Leona squinted at Tori, her perfectly penned eyebrows barely moving. “She’d be a whole lot prettier if she would take the time to perfect a few of the techniques I’ve shared with her over the past two years.”