Threads of Deceit (Vineyard Quilt Mysteries Book 1) (21 page)

“Since I’m mostly out of leads, that wouldn’t hurt,” Julie said gloomily. “I should tell you about
my
day. It hasn’t gone quite as swimmingly as yours.” She began at the beginning, telling him of her drive to Jefferson City.

“You went investigating without me?”

“You were so excited to get back to the dig. I hated to pull you away.”

“That’s true enough. I forgive you. Hold on a sec,” he said. Julie heard the sound of Daniel moving around in the bunkhouse. Finally he came back on the line. “Julie, I’m going to need to ring you back. I hear something moving around
outside, and I want to check on the site. I can’t afford any vandalism now with us so close to bringing up real cargo.”

“No!” Julie exclaimed. “Do
not
go out there alone.” She growled as she realized she was shouting at the dial tone. Staring at her phone, she wondered if she should call the police. Daniel wouldn’t be happy if they arrived in time to find he’d heard a deer or a raccoon savaging around the bunkhouse. Still, she couldn’t sit around and wait to see if he called back.

She shoved her feet into her shoes and ran all the way down to the first floor. She barely remembered to lock up behind her before dashing to the car. The drive out to Winkler Farm seemed to take forever, though Julie had certainly pushed the car well past the speed limit for most of it.

She took the turn into the farm at enough speed to make the car complain as it bounced and rumbled over the dirt road. She was just around the bend from the farm stand when she saw flames. One of the outbuildings was on fire, and Julie had a sick suspicion she knew which one.

Someone set the bunkhouse on fire.
Julie raced ahead with her heart in her throat, praying Daniel wasn’t trapped inside the burning building.

J
ulie drove as close as she dared to the old bunkhouse, then steered the car off the dirt road so fire trucks could get by. She had the car door open as soon as she jerked the key from the ignition. “Daniel!”

She ran for the bunkhouse and could feel the heat on her face when a voice yelled, “Julie!”

She turned away from the fire and blinked her light-dazzled eyes. She could make out two dark shapes leaning against a small tractor. “Daniel?”

“It’s Joseph Winkler. Daniel’s over here.”

Julie crossed the distance in seconds, careless of the uneven ground. She found Daniel sitting on the edge of some large, mysterious piece of farm equipment. He was bent at the waist with his hands on his knees, head down. His breathing was raspy with an occasional cough. “Are you all right?” she asked.

He nodded. “Thanks to Joe.”

Julie turned to look at Joe Winkler. “I was taking a walk,” he said. “I smelled smoke and followed the scent to the bunkhouse. Someone had shoved a chisel into the crack between the door and the frame to wedge it shut, then dragged a bale of hay into the plantings under one of the windows and set it on fire.”

She turned back to Daniel. “Someone was trying to kill you.”

He coughed. “So it would appear. If Joe hadn’t gotten the door open when he did, the smoke would have killed me long before the fire. The window was cracked where the fire was set, and I couldn’t close it. Someone had nailed it partly open.
And I couldn’t open any of the others for the same reason.”

“On the phone, I thought you were going outside to check on a noise.”

“I was. I did. I barely got out the front door before someone clunked me on the head in the dark. I wasn’t knocked out, but I wasn’t in any shape to fight back when the guy shoved me back through the front door.”

“Someone put a lot of effort into this,” Julie said, then turned back to Joseph. “You didn’t see anyone?”

The farmer shook his head. “No, but I wasn’t looking either. The fire had my attention, and getting Daniel out. I put out the fire with the garden hose, but I also called 911. They should be here soon. They know the way.”

He’d barely finished speaking before they heard sirens. Things became very chaotic after that as people swarmed around the bunkhouse and around Daniel.

Julie spotted Detective Frost in the mix and walked over to him. “I thought I’d come over and hear how you think Daniel managed to knock himself in the head and then trap himself inside the bunkhouse,” she said.

Detective Frost gave her a look as chilly as his name. “I’m always open to revising a theory with new evidence. I admit it’s unlikely your boyfriend did this, though it would be a great way to throw us off the trail.”

“Wow.” Julie blinked. “That was the least definitive admission of a mistake that I’ve ever heard.”

The detective tilted his head to one side. “Speaking of hearing things, I understand you’ve been harassing people in town.”

“I have not. …”

He held up a hand to stop her. “The complaint came from someone with a history of stretching the truth. That’s
why you haven’t heard from me about it.”

Julie assumed that meant the source was the lawyer. If anyone would know what a scumbag the man was, it would be a cop.

“My greater concern is this amateur investigating you seem to be doing,” Detective Frost said. “That kind of thing can get you hurt.”

“I’m well aware of that.” Julie went on to describe the SUV running her off the road.

“Why didn’t you tell me about this before now?” Frost demanded.

Over the detective’s shoulder, Julie saw that Daniel had gotten free of the ambulance techs and was walking toward her, a bit more unsteadily than she’d like. His face was dark with sooty grime and concern.

“There was nothing to tell. My car didn’t sustain serious damage, though the cornfield I drove through is definitely the worse for wear.” She turned back to the detective. “But I’m obviously rattling some cages.”

“Miss Ellis, you’re putting yourself in danger needlessly,” Detective Frost said. “I can handle the investigation fine without the help of Nancy Drew.”

“Aren’t you interested in what I’ve turned up?” she asked. “I have several suspects, including two state senators. And since someone ran me off the road today, I’m inclined to think one of the people I’m investigating is the killer.”

“State senators?” Detective Frost shook his head. “You can’t go around accusing state senators of murder when there is absolutely no evidence to back it up.”

“They’re both clients of your unreliable accuser!” Julie exclaimed, her patience wearing thin.

“Bad taste in lawyers isn’t illegal.”

“Please, could we not yell?” Daniel asked in his raspy rumble. “My head is killing me. Julie, I’m afraid I’m beginning to agree with Detective Frost. George is dead, I nearly died tonight, and you could have been killed this afternoon. We need to let the police handle this.”

“And if you continue with this,” the detective added, “I won’t be able to protect you from the legal action that’s sure to come from you harassing people.”

“I don’t need you to protect me,” Julie snapped. “I’m fully capable of protecting myself.”

With an exasperated sigh, the detective turned and walked off toward the men poking around the bunkhouse.

Julie switched her focus to Daniel. “Shouldn’t you be on your way to the hospital?”

“Now you sound like the techs,” he said. “I’m fine.” At that, he swayed slightly and Julie quickly stepped closer to support him.

“You’re clearly not a good judge of your own condition. You can ride to the hospital in the ambulance or I can drive you. You pick.”

He frowned at her but didn’t argue. “I’ll take the ambulance. Sitting in the waiting area of the emergency room is never much fun.”

“Fine. I’ll follow in my car.”

Julie handed him off to the ambulance techs and watched as they pulled out. Then she headed for her car. Joseph Winkler caught her before she could climb in. “Are you on the way to the hospital?”

“Yes.”

“Tell Daniel that I’ll get the bunkhouse aired out, but he probably can’t stay in it for a day or two. I could put him in our guest room up at the house if he needs a place in the meantime.”

“I don’t know if he’ll want to bring his troubles right into your house,” she said. “I’ll probably take him back to the inn with me.”

“I thought the guests were scared of him.”

“What they don’t know won’t scare them,” Julie said. “I’ll put him in my room if I have to.” She thanked Joseph again for everything and hopped into her car.

At the hospital, Julie managed to slip into the emergency area to wait with Daniel. She stood beside his gurney in one of the curtained-off emergency room bays and listened while he complained that he really was fine.

After X-rays were taken, the doctor confirmed that Daniel had a mild concussion. “I think he’ll be fine,” she told Julie. “But we’d like to keep him for the rest of the night for observation.”

Daniel immediately climbed off the gurney to stand, swaying beside it. “Forget that. I’ve had enough hospital.”

The doctor hurried over to block his exit. “Sit down before you fall down.”

“He can be stubborn,” Julie warned.

Daniel sat down next to the gurney in the chair Julie had dragged in. “I’m not staying.”

The doctor regarded him for a moment. “I could release him
if
he has someone who will stay with him through the night. He can’t be alone, and he needs to take it easy for a couple of days.”

“I’ll take him back to stay with me,” Julie said. “I can keep an eye on him. I shouldn’t let him sleep, right?”

The doctor smiled. “He can sleep. With children, we suggest parents rouse them every few hours just to be certain they can be awakened, but as long as he isn’t showing other symptoms, sleep will be good for him.”

The doctor filled her in on symptoms to watch for and scolded Daniel a little more before she finally let them go. Daniel grumbled about not being an invalid as an attendant rolled him out to Julie’s car in a wheelchair.

When they reached the inn, the sun was barely clearing the horizon. Julie stayed close to Daniel as he shuffled up the steps. She unlocked the front door and held it open. “You can have my bed,” she whispered. “I’ll sleep on the sofa.”

“That doesn’t sound fair,” he said at his normal volume, and Julie winced as the sound seemed to rumble around the entryway.

“Stealth really isn’t your gift, is it?” she muttered, slipping under Daniel’s arm when he bumped into the wall. Between the concussion and the sleepless night, she wondered how well he’d manage to climb all the stairs to the third floor.

Julie guided him toward the main stairway.

“You must have had some night.”

Julie spun to face Millie, who smiled cheerfully at her.

“This isn’t the way it looks,” Julie said.

Millie’s brows rose. “So you aren’t sneaking a man up to your room?”

“I’m an adult,” Julie said. “I don’t sneak men to my room.”

Millie looked Daniel over from the top of his head to his feet. “Your friend looks like he’s had a rough night.”

“I was knocked on the head and locked in a building to burn to death. So all in all, I’m doing great.” Daniel managed a smile and held out his hand. “Daniel Franklin. Pleased to meet you.”

Julie groaned. She hadn’t intended to admit she was bringing
Daniel
back.

“I look forward to hearing more about that.” Millie gave Julie a pointed look, then turned back to Daniel with a smile.
“I’ve heard a lot about your hunt for the steamship. Are you wanting a room? Something tells me you don’t know much about quilting.”

“I’d do my quilt block trick and prove you wrong,” Daniel said. “But my head hurts.”

“Quilt block trick? You’ll have to show me when you’re feeling better.” She turned back to Julie. “He can have the third-floor room again—if he promises not to get into any trouble.”

Julie raised her eyebrows. “Really? Aren’t you worried about how the guests will react?”

“Oh please, I’ve never seen such a tittering bunch of quilters. They love all this drama and mystery. I may advertise him as an amenity.”

“I really appreciate this,” Daniel said.

“You best get your friend upstairs,” Millie said to Julie. “And maybe grab a couple of hours of sleep yourself. I can hold down the fort this morning. Then we can chat some this afternoon.”

“Thanks.”

Though they were far from quick, Julie finally managed to get Daniel up to his tower room.

“Wasn’t I supposed to do something today?” Daniel asked as he tentatively touched the back of his head. “I seem to remember we talked about me contacting someone today.”

“A genealogist,” Julie said. “To track down any connections between our suspects and the name ‘Mey.’”

“Right,” he said. “I remember that now. My friend is a historian in North Carolina. I’ll give her a call and put her on the job. She’s obsessed with the pre–Civil War South. She might already have some material on the family if they were well-to-do.”

“That sounds like a good next step. But first, you need to get to bed. You don’t look like you’re in any shape to make phone calls.”

He smiled. “You sure know how to punch a guy in the ego.”

“You’ll survive.”

Julie guided Daniel over to the bed. She helped him remove his heavy boots. He left the rest of his clothes on and was asleep in minutes. Julie pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat down. She’d promised not to leave Daniel alone, and she intended to keep that promise. She leaned forward and rested her forearms on the bed, intending to rest her head for a moment. In seconds, she was deeply asleep.