Unraveled (30 page)

“How’d she take it?” Curt peered over his coffee mug.

Kelly sat back in her chair, cradling the mug again. “Burt said he’d talk with her this afternoon, then call me.” She glanced at her watch. “But I haven’t heard from him yet.”

“Well, I know someone who is gonna be real grateful you did start sleuthing around and dig up the truth. My friend Renee. I plan to tell her the truth, Kelly.”

“That’s okay, Jayleen. Go ahead and tell Renee. And tell her I’m glad it turned out the way it did. For her and for Arthur Housemann.” She sipped her coffee.

That was the only bright side to this tragedy. Good people who were innocent did not wind up being accused of murder—or having their pasts exposed to public scrutiny. The harsh glare of sensational publicity could destroy families.

Kelly’s phone rang, and she dug it out of her jeans pocket. Burt’s name and number flashed on the screen. “Hey, Burt, I was hoping to hear from you.”

“Sorry, it’s taken me so long, but I had to wait until Peterson came in and Marty showed up before I left Eustace alone. Then I went over to see Lizzie.”

Kelly could hear the fatigue in Burt’s voice. “I bet you’re exhausted. Listen, I’m here with Curt and Jayleen at Curt’s place. Do you care if I put you on speakerphone so you won’t have to keep repeating this story?”

“Sure, Kelly. I’d actually appreciate it.”

Kelly chose the speakerphone option and touched the screen, then set her smartphone in the middle of Curt’s kitchen table. “Go ahead, Burt. You’re on. You said Marty showed up, so he’s taking the case, right?”

“Yes, he is, and I’m glad. Marty will take good care of Eustace.” Burt’s voice sounded more distant as it came over the speakerphone. Curt and Jayleen both leaned over the kitchen table, staring at the little phone.

“I’ll bet Detective Peterson was surprised when you told him what Kelly found out,” Jayleen said.

“Ohhhh, yeah.” Burt’s smile was evident in his voice. “He’s seriously thinking of offering you a job, Kelly, if you ever get tired of accounting.”

Kelly laughed. “Tell him I appreciate the compliment, but I work better as a free agent. Poking into whatever interests me.”

“Did Eustace tell the police everything he told you and Kelly?” Curt probed.

“He sure did, and it looks like he’s not going to contest the charges. At least, that’s what he said to Marty while I was still there.”

Kelly wasn’t surprised. Eustace was a reasonable man, and he could see when the deck was stacked against him. He’d heard all the information Kelly had gathered. He knew the connections. “What kind of sentence do you think he’ll receive, Burt?”

“Well, that’s where Marty’s skill will come into play. He told me he’d try to get Eustace sent to a minimum security prison where he could work in the library or something and continue writing his history books.”

“Lord have mercy, that would certainly make more sense,” Jayleen offered.

“I think so, too, folks. Let’s hope the judge agrees.”

Kelly took another sip of coffee before mentioning the one topic they were all dreading. “How did Lizzie take it, Burt? You said you’d talk with her.”

“Yes . . . yes, I did.” Kelly heard a big sigh. “I’ve gotta tell you, that was one of the hardest conversations I’ve ever had with a close family member connected to a crime.”

“I can imagine,” Curt added. “Bless you for tackling it. She must have been pretty broken up.”

“Oh, yes. She . . . she was trying not to break down, but the tears were trickling down her face the whole time we talked. Thank God Mimi was there with us. She had her arm around Lizzie the whole time.”

Kelly and the others sat silent for a full minute. Finally, Kelly had to ask. “Is Eustace going to talk with her?”

“Yes, he is. The administrative judge set a reasonable bail, and Eustace was able to arrange it. Marty was going to take him back to his hotel, so he could begin to get his affairs in order. They’re going to charge him in a couple of days and take him into custody. So, he and Lizzie will have a little time together. She’s anxious to see him.”

“Lordy, Lordy,” Jayleen chanted, wagging her head.

“I know, Jayleen. It’s a sad, sad story. I never expected it to end this way.”

“None of us did, Burt,” Kelly said sadly. “It almost makes me not want to do any more sleuthing. I feel terrible right now.”

“Don’t do that to yourself, Kelly. You’re not to blame. Eustace was the one who decided to seek revenge. We need you to keep poking into crimes. You’re too good at it to stop.”

Both Jayleen and Curt echoed Burt’s encouragement. Kelly, however, didn’t say anything. Words seemed so inadequate when it came to feelings.

Greg
lifted his beer bottle and saluted Kelly. “Sherlock Flynn strikes again. Congrats, Kelly. I never would have suspected that nice old dude would plan such a devious crime.”

“I’m just glad Eustace has Marty for defense counsel,” Lisa said, leaning over their coffee table and scooping up cheese dip.

“Marty’ll take care of him,” Megan said, patting her fiancé’s knee.

“I’ll do my best,” Marty said as he turned an empty Fat Tire bottle on his other knee.

Kelly settled back into the comfy cushions of Greg and Lisa’s sofa and sipped her ale. “I want to make sure Lizzie is all right. I spoke with Mimi on the way here, and she told me Lizzie was planning on meeting Eustace at his hotel tonight.”

“I sure hope he’s there when Lizzie arrives,” Greg said, then popped a cheese puff into his mouth.

“Is there a chance Eustace would make a break for it?” Megan asked, wide-eyed.

Marty shook his head. “Naw. Eustace is a straight arrow. I’d be willing to bet he’s never done anything illegal in his entire life until now. They ran a check and not even so much as a traffic ticket came up.”

Greg dug out his cell phone and started entering a text message.

“Who’re you texting?” Lisa asked, then sipped her dark beer.

“Steve. He said to keep him posted on what’s happening up here. I’m gonna tell him Sherlock solved another case.” His fingertips moved rapidly.

Kelly wasn’t sure what Steve’s reaction would be. Six months ago, Steve got angry whenever she spent time investigating a case. But then a week or so ago, he’d sounded really mellow and wished her luck when they talked on the phone.

“He’s probably not interested,” she said, trying to sound nonchalant, then took a long drink.

“Don’t be so sure of that,” Greg replied without looking up. “By the way, guys, I asked Steve if he could play ball with us this summer.”

“Fantastic!” Megan said, exuberant. “Did you tell him practice starts next week? Marty and I have scheduled the whole wedding around the fall season.”

“Sure did.” Greg shoved his phone back into his jeans pocket. “He said he probably couldn’t handle practice regularly, but he could be a pinch hitter whenever he could make it up here.”

“All right!”
Marty declared, pumping his fist. “The big bat is back.”

“That’s great,” Lisa chimed in. “It’ll kinda be like old times.” She darted a glance Kelly’s way.

Kelly didn’t say anything. She wasn’t expecting to hear that. It
would
be like old times . . . kind of. But it would be different, too. She and Steve were in new territory now. What would it be like? The future was out there . . . waiting.

Greg looked over at Kelly. “You two aren’t gonna act weird with each other, are you?” he demanded. “We just wanta play ball. Nothing else. You okay with that?”

Surprised by Greg’s direct question, Kelly answered spontaneously. “Sure. Don’t worry, guys. Steve and I aren’t gonna ‘get weird.’ Remember, we played a whole volleyball game last week right across from each other. No weirdness.” She took a long drink of ale, hoping she’d satisfied her friends’ curiosity.

“Except you got him good, we hear,” Marty teased. “Spiked it right in his face.”

“Bet it felt good,” Lisa joked.

“Sure did. Plus, he’d just stuffed me, so I had to return the favor.” Kelly said with a sly smile.

Soft laughter bounced around Lisa and Greg’s coffee table, which was filled with bowls of nuts, cheese puffs, chips, and dips. Kelly felt something inside relax, some little muscle that had been tight for a long time. Good friends always made her feel better. No matter what was happening in her life.

“What I’d pay money for would be to see Megan giving Bubba his marching orders,” Greg said. “Man, I wish I could have seen that. Steve said she channeled her inner Jack Nicholson.”

“I think even the Marines would be proud,” Kelly joked and joined her friends’ laughter as it filled the room.

Kelly
backed her red car out of Lisa and Greg’s driveway and drove down the darkened residential street. She clicked on her smartphone and watched it flash brightly in the dark car as she drove along. Once connected, she saw the familiar blinking green light associated with received messages. When she pulled to a traffic light, Kelly touched the screen and waited for the first message. It was a voice mail. She was surprised to hear her client Arthur Housemann’s voice. He sounded like he used to, before the legal problems started.

“Kelly. I had a call from Renee Turner. She’d learned about your involvement in solving this gruesome murder. Apparently, Renee’s friend Jayleen said you kept on digging until you found the truth. Kelly . . . I am amazed you went to all that trouble and time to investigate this convoluted business. I cannot thank you enough. I’m . . . I’m simply overwhelmed by your efforts. And grateful. Please call me tomorrow when you have the chance. And I hope you have some time Monday morning to come over to the office, so I can express my appreciation in person. Thank you so very much for getting involved in this messy business. You have literally saved both Renee Turner and me from a horrendous fate. And our families. Bless you. Rest assured, I will express my gratitude with something more tangible than words, my dear. Take care, Kelly.”

Kelly was stunned by the emotion she heard in Arthur Housemann’s voice. She drove quietly and let his words sift through her mind in the quiet night. No music on the radio, simply the hum of traffic. Now, she knew why she was driven to keep searching for answers. People’s lives depended on it. Innocent people. She’d made a difference in their lives. That made Kelly feel really good.

Finally she touched the last message. It was from Steve. A text message rather than a voice mail. She waited until another traffic light to read it.

Heard from Greg that you solved another murder. Figured it out when the cops couldn’t. Congratulations, Kelly. You made a real difference. I’m proud of you.

Kelly read the message twice, surprised how good Steve’s comments made her feel. As good as Arthur Housemann’s praise. Maybe more, for some reason.

A blaring horn behind her reminded Kelly she was holding up traffic. The light had changed. She tossed her smartphone to the adjacent seat and turned the corner, returning her attention to her driving, where it belonged.

She wished Steve had left a voice mail like Housemann had. It would have been nice to hear his voice again.

Sweet Summer Tee

This is a quick and simple tee for the warm summer breezes. This pattern was adapted by Stetson Weddle. Courtesy of Lambspun of Colorado, Fort Collins, Colorado

LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE

* Length is easily adjusted between the bottom edge and the armhole. Changes in length or width change the amount of yarn required.

MATERIALS:

Needles:

US Size 9—16-inch circular needle (for neck ribbing)

US Size 9—32-inch circular needle (for ribbing)

US Size 11—32-inch circular needle (or size necessary to obtain gauge)

Additional Supplies:

Stitch holders

Tapestry needle

GAUGE:

3 sts = 1 inch, using US Size 11 needle

PATTERN STITCHES:

Sweet Summer Tee can be knit using any of the following pattern stitches without altering the finished sizes (be sure to CO an even number of stitches):

Stockinette st: (RS) k, (WS) p

Moss st: (RS) *kl, p1* repeat from * to * to the end of row (WS) *pl, kl* repeat from * to * to the end of row