Threads of Deceit (Vineyard Quilt Mysteries Book 1) (25 page)

“Freeze, Parson! One more inch and I’ll shoot!”

Julie collapsed forward in relief as policemen quickly surrounded them. As they hauled Mrs. Parson to her feet,
the senator’s wife immediately reverted to her sweet society lady persona. “My goodness, I’m so glad you’ve come! This young woman is insane!”

“Don’t bother,” Detective Frost said. “I have you on tape.”

The older woman’s eyes narrowed, but she kept up her gentle façade as they hustled her off to the car.

T
he excavation finished as winter set in. More amazing pieces of pre–Civil War history came to light. Daniel was flooded with investors who wanted to contribute to
The Grand Adventure
Steamship Museum in Straussberg.

On the day after the last of the wreck was unearthed, he leaned on the front desk at the inn and offered Julie a wrapped package. “I couldn’t have managed this without you.”

Julie began to peel the paper from the package. “I’m sure you would have done just fine.”

“I’m not even sure I would have survived a week.” He leaned close as she opened the box in the wrappings. Inside, a delicate silver dip pen lay nestled in tissue. “It’s French. There was a whole shipment of them on the ship. I think the museum can spare just one. You can use it to write your book.”

“My book … yes.” Julie smiled. “That’s very generous of you.”

“I wanted to be sure you didn’t forget me, now that all the excitement is over.”

“Over? I don’t know. It feels like excitement is always right around the corner,” Julie said.

Daniel offered a shy smile. “I hope I’ll get to share in it with you. I’m looking forward to being in Straussberg as much as possible for a long time.”

Julie felt warm clear to her toes. “That’s nice to know.”

When Daniel left, Millie slipped out of the library. “I didn’t want to interrupt anything,” she said.

“There was nothing to interrupt.”

“That’s not how it looked to me.”

Julie felt her cheeks flush. “Did you need me?”

“I wanted to tell you that I’ll be leaving for Florida in the morning.”

“Florida? What happened to Branson?” Julie paused. “Would this change of plans have anything to do with the weather forecasters predicting our first Missouri snow for the year?”

“Maybe a little. I always wanted to run away from the cold Missouri winter. Will you be staying on here?”

Julie looked at her in surprise. “Why wouldn’t I?”

Millie snorted. “I’m old, but I’m not senile. You’re no innkeeper.” Julie started to speak, but Millie held up her hand. “But you do a good job, and the guests are thrilled. I have no desire to get rid of you, but if you get tired of being here, give me a little warning. Don’t leave me high and dry.”

“I’d never do that.”

“Then we’re good.”

Julie shook her head as Millie trotted up the stairs to pack. She turned back to her work and nearly ran into Inga. The housekeeper had been acting odd ever since Mrs. Parson’s arrest. Julie assumed she was mad at her for knocking one of her heroes from her pedestal, but the look on Inga’s face wasn’t anger.

“Do you have a moment?” Inga asked, her voice a near whisper.

“Of course,” Julie said. “You know, I’m sorry about Mrs. Parson. I know you admired her.”

Inga shook her head. “I thought I was a good judge of character. I judged Alicia Parson to be a paragon of virtue. And I judged you … harshly.”

Julie didn’t respond to that. She had no idea what to say.

Inga slowly raised her eyes to meet Julie’s. “I must confess
I dug into your past. I thought you were going to bring trouble to the inn, and I love this place. Millie and Shirley are my best friends.” She paused, then took a deep breath. “You’re not the kind of person I believed you to be when I stitched that message.”

“
You
did that?”

Inga nodded, her face a portrait of shame. “I knew your past history was … checkered. I wanted you to leave before you hurt Millie, so I stitched that message.”

“You were being loyal to a friend,” Julie said gently. “It was beautiful work, by the way.”

“That’s not all. When Mrs. Parson asked me to keep an eye on you and report what you did, I did it.”

“Oh.” No wonder the senator’s wife had been eerily well informed about the dig.

“I did what I thought best, given the circumstances,” Inga said.

Julie nodded.

The older woman drew herself up to her usual ramrod posture. “I’ll keep your secret, about your past. About the trouble you’re in. As long as it doesn’t threaten Millie.” With that, she spun on her heel and walked away.

Julie watched the military precision of the other woman’s walk as she disappeared down the hall. After a moment, she shook her head, feeling a smile tug at the corners of her mouth.

She settled down on the stool next to the front desk and took a sip of her lukewarm coffee. Wrinkling her nose at the temperature, she squared her shoulders to face the front entrance. There was no telling what “adventure” might walk through the doors of the Quilt Haus Inn next.

Finished Coaster Size: Size varies

Skill Level: Intermediate

Number of Coasters: 4

Millie’s Vineyard Coasters
Placement Diagram Size Varies

Measure wine glass base from side to side; prepare a circle template 1" larger than the actual size.

Cut 20 circles for prairie points and backings.

Cut 1"-wide bias strips to make 4 (18") lengths for binding.

Cut 4 circles for linings.

Cut 4 circles.

1.
Fold 16 print circles into quarter circles to make prairie points (Figure 1); press.

Figure 1

2.
Layer a print circle, wrong side up; a batting circle; a contrasting circle, right side up; and four prairie points with open folds up and corners meeting in the center (Figure 2). Pin to hold.

Figure 2

3.
Machine-baste ⅛" from edge all around.

4.
Press ¼" to the wrong side on one long edge of a bias strip.

5.
Matching raw edges, pin and stitch binding around the edge of the basted coaster on the prairie-point side, overlapping at the beginning and end.

6.
Turn the folded edge of the binding to the back side; hand-stitch in place to finish one coaster.

7.
Repeat steps 2–6 to complete a total of four coasters.

• For more detailed help with quilting techniques, go to QuiltersWorld.com and choose Quilting Basics under Quilt Essentials, or consult a complete quilting guide. Your local library may have several on hand that you can review before purchasing one.

DON’T MISS THE NEXT
VINEYARD QUILT MYSTERY

PATTERN OF BETRAYAL

The stage is set for the first annual murder mystery weekend at the Quilt Haus Inn. Each guest has a part to play in the drama, but someone will take their role to a deadly extreme. Can Julie and Hannah unravel an intricate pattern of deception and pinpoint a killer before someone else gives their final performance?