Pinned for Murder (32 page)

“Well, I mean if you don’t want to . . . I understand.”

He laughed. “If you listen really hard, maybe you’ll get your clue after all.”

She did as she was told, an assortment of voices springing to life around her.

There was Margaret Louise.

And Leona.

Debbie, Colby, and the rest of the Calhoun bunch.

Georgina.

Dixie.

Jake and Melissa.

Rose.

Nina and Duwayne.

Beatrice . . .

“You can take your bandana off now.”

Reaching behind her head, she undid the knot Milo had secured like the former Boy Scout he was. As the fabric slid from her eyes, her mouth gaped open.

“Surprise! Happy Birthday!”

She looked from face to face, the reality that was her life in Sweet Briar staring back at her with more love than she could have ever imagined.

“How did you know it was my birthday?”

Nina glanced at the floor. “I saw it on your calendar . . . underneath one of those red circles you keep adding all the time.”

“You should have told me,” Milo insisted. “Don’t you think that’s a piece of information I might have liked to have?”

“It’s just a day. It’s no big deal.”

He cupped her face in his hands. “It’s the day you were born and that makes it a very big deal.”

She blinked against the tears that threatened to turn her into a pile of mush. “I couldn’t imagine spending it with people I love more. You’ve truly helped make Sweet Briar feel like home.”

Beatrice stepped from the crowd, a covered cake plate in her hands. “I made you a cake. I hope you like it.” Slowly, the twenty-three-year-old lifted the cover from the pan, her face falling as she looked inside. “Oh no, oh no . . .”

Tori looked into the pan, her shoulders beginning to shake as the picture registered in her mind. “Kenny Rogers?”

The girl’s face flushed bright red. “I must have grabbed the wrong one by accident.”

Rose muscled her way to the front. “Is his party at five?”

Beatrice looked at the ground.

“Because if it is, I could drop you off on my way home.”

Tori made a face at Rose. “Beatrice, it’s okay. I like Kenny Rogers, too.”

The woman’s face brightened. “Really?”

“Well, sure. But I have to ask . . . how did you land an invite to his party?”

“I didn’t.”

“Then how do you explain the cake?” Debbie asked not unkindly.

“Well, he sends me a card on my birthday every year. The least
I
can do for him is make a nice cake.”

Margaret Louise nodded from her spot beside Rose. “Is that buttercream frosting?”

Beatrice nodded.

“Homemade?”

“Yes.”

“Well, then, ladies—”

Milo, Colby, and Jake cleared their throats.

“Ladies
and
gentlemen . . . the least
we
can do is eat his cake.” Margaret Louise grabbed a knife from the picnic table and slid it into the sweet treat. “Here’s to Kenny . . . and Victoria. May your year ahead be filled with all good things.”

Sewing Tips

When you need to remember to leave part of a seam unsewn as in the hat pattern, or for inserting a zipper, placket, or such, mark the spot where you need to stop sewing by placing two pins next to each other.

Since stitches can be difficult to remove from Polarfleece, it can save time in the long run to stitch slowly and carefully.

To take advantage of the wicking properties of Polarfleece, you have to have the right side of the fabric facing away from your body. Sometimes, the right side of Polarfleece can be difficult to determine. One way is to check the selvage edge. Stretch the selvage and watch which way it curls. The side toward which it curls is the right side. Remember to mark the wrong side of your cut pieces with chalk so that it will be easy to tell later.

A hot iron can melt Polarfleece.

Use long pins with bead heads when pinning Polarfleece. Smaller pins can get “lost” in this type of fabric.

Create a pin disposal receptacle by taking a little jam jar, gluing on the lid, and punching a pin-head-sized hole in the middle. Any time you find a blunt or bent pin or needle, pop it through the hole into the jar. Doing this can eliminate concerns about putting loose pins in the wastebasket.

If you need to sew a seam allowance that isn’t marked on your sewing machine, apply a strip of painter’s tape as a guide.

Chopsticks make great tools when turning projects, finishing corners, and stuffing batting.

Write down all the alterations and note anything else that is relevant right on your pattern. Then if you decide to use the pattern again at a later date, you won’t have to rely on your memory.