Part 14 (1/2)
It didn't look as if they'd taken anything. Not even the quilt I found folded on the fainting couch, back side up, also quilted but with a different palette of colors, this side as dusty-clean as the other.
No body grunge. Dante was right. What a relief.
I was guessing the police hadn't figured out that the bones had been wrapped in it. I was of two minds: Don't tell. And don't tell until after I spent more quality time with the quilt.
I went with: don't tell, yet.
I wanted to take it home, but I didn't want to touch it, so I emptied the drawer from the cabinet and sat the folded quilt on top so I only touched wood. Last time I checked, I couldn't read old furniture. On the stairs, I screamed when Dante materialized in front of me.
”See?” he said. ”You always scream, no matter where I appear around you.”
”I have to run, but I'll be back tomorrow.”
His disappointment gave me a little heart twitch, but I kept going. I locked up, opened Eve's back door, and set my package inside.
Eve about fainted when she saw the quilt. ”We're now carrying two, no, three psychic firecrackers? In my car. Don't take this wrong, but I want you and your vision makers the h.e.l.l out of here.”
”Take me home, then.”
”I'll do the computer search on the quilt tonight.” She smacked her head. ”Bizarro! Do you think that's the prize quilt we're looking for?”
”If I'm taking my clues from the universe, I think it's possible, though I won't say I'm thinking straight. I'm weeks behind in getting the shop ready and twelve days away from my grand opening, which won't be half bad now that the White Star Circle of Spirit witches are having their Halloween costume ball at my place.”
”Say again?”
I told her about Fiona's request.
”Can I come?” Eve asked.
”Sure, and bring a date.”
”You're on.”
When we got to my house, she ran my psychic firecrackers up to my room for me, she so didn't want to be around when I touched them.
”I have an idea,” I said when she came back down. I handed her a cinnamon bun. ”Want to go and talk to Sampson's sister?”
Eve checked her watch. ”It might be a bit late for a social call by the time we get there. It's a heck of a haul around the river along those winding roads.”
”Not by rowboat, it isn't.”
”You're right. We could be there by seven forty-five as the fish swims.”
”The Sweets hinted that Suzanne was dating Tunney, which would only give him motive for killing Sampson if he planned to marry her and if she's Sampson's heir and if he's greedy, which he most certainly is not.”
”On the other hand,” Eve said, ”maybe she seduced him into it and she's the greedy one. Men have been known to do stupid things in the name of love.”
”So true. I'd like to think Tunney's above that, but-Let's tell her we need her help to get Tunney off the suspect list and gauge her reaction.”
”Makes sense,” Eve said. ”Want to change clothes?”
”Of course!” I ran upstairs.
”Can I borrow a spare Windbreaker or something?” Eve asked behind me. ”That's the beauty of wearing casual all the time. I'm up for anything.”
”Except formal,” I said, donning a cashmere cowl-neck top, jeans, matching jacket, a Hermes scarf, and least-favorite boots, in case we had to get out in the mud.
From my closet, I tossed Eve an orange variegated knit poncho.
She squeaked and dropped it as if it would bite. ”Get out of my way, you wackadoodle. What do you have that's black, or at least dark?”
She pulled out the same poncho in browns and blacks. ”Brat,” she said, sliding it over her head.
I laughed. ”You can't blame a girl for trying.”
We knew our rowboat and had long ago mastered the art of cutting swiftly through the water, the two of us in sync. Soon, we were pulling up to the Sampson dock.
One problem. Sampson's sister wasn't alone, but sitting on the patio kissing a man in a wheelchair. Flirting and foreplay, definitely, when she was supposed to be dating Tunney, or so the Sweets implied, as Virginia Statler nearly did when she bought the parking lot kimono.
”I don't think it's a good time,” Eve whispered.
”No kidding. She's cheating on Tunney.”
”Nah. They're . . . exploring new territory.”
”Is that man-magnet speak?”
”Yes, we rule mere mortals.”
I started rowing. ”Let's hope Tunney agrees.”
”You're not going to tell him?”
”Of course not, but he's bound to find out.”
Sampson's sister stood. ”Is someone in the water?”
”There's no one there,” the man said. ”Stop being so easily spooked. You'll give us away.”
”Row faster,” I whispered.
”She didn't see us,” Eve said, out of earshot.
”I'm having heart palpitations, anyway.”
”Did you expect us to get into, and out of, more trouble at home than we did in New York?”