Till Death Do Us Purl (12 page)

Maggie was awed by the vivid picture Atkins had painted of Jeremy as a boy. How touching, she thought. It sounded as if Lewis Atkins truly did love Jeremy, as if he
was his real blood relation.

“No . . . sorry to say I did not. We’d only met once or twice. I do know his wife, Rebecca, and her mother, Nora,” Maggie replied.

“Rebecca, his beautiful bride.” Lewis Atkins sighed again. “I just met her. I wasn’t at the wedding. I heard it was wonderful,” he said. “What a great loss. And she’s so young.”

“Oh, yes. They say time heals all wounds. I hope it’s true for her.”

“I do, too. Though all the time in the world won’t heal some rifts.”

It sounded as if he’d experienced the exception to that rule. Was he thinking of his break with Philip Lassiter and At-Las Technologies?

But before they could continue their discussion, Maggie noticed that a minister had come up to the front of the room and took his place behind the podium, arranging a pile of typewritten pages.

The room grew silent but he didn’t begin. He kept glancing over his reading glasses, at the seated rows of guests. What were they all waiting for? Maggie wondered. Then she realized, when all heads turned, the delay had been caused by Philip Lassiter.

She turned, too, to watch as he slowly walked up the middle aisle. He used a cane today and his young wife walked on his other side, holding his arm for further support.

He looked very different from the wedding day. Hardly the lionlike patriarch. He was greatly diminished, as if he’d suffered a true body blow and had barely
staggered back into the ring.

Even his fine clothes—a black suit, white shirt, and silvery tie—seemed to be wearing him today, Maggie thought. Large glasses with aviator frames and smoky lenses covered much of his face.

Maggie knew it was unfair, but she had to wonder if this pathos was indeed real, or simply a play for sympathy. Many here would find him culpable in his son’s death. She didn’t doubt that for one moment. Perhaps his infirmity was some sort of diversion? But it was not fair to even suspect such a thing, Maggie realized. The man had just lost a son. Of course he would look depleted and overwhelmed.

As Philip Lassiter ambled past, she found her body growing tense, waiting for some explosion of temper when he noticed Lewis Atkins. The same sort of outburst he’d had at the wedding, sparked by Alec’s unexpected appearance. But there was none. Lassiter either didn’t notice his old friend, or chose to ignore him.

She carefully glanced at Atkins, who sat with his eyes straight ahead, his hands resting in his lap. He showed no interest at all in his former partner—and present rival, if Alec and Claudia could be believed. If Maggie didn’t know better, she would have never suspected that the two men knew each other.

Perhaps their parting was not as bitter as Lassiter’s children believed. Or maybe their hatred had gone completely cold by now.

Once Jeremy’s father was seated, the memorial began. Speaker after speaker painted a picture of Jeremy
as a dedicated scientist, a gifted teacher, a good friend, and an able coworker—a young man with every advantage who was not above sharing his time and talents with those less fortunate.

Stewart Campbell, the principal at Rebecca’s school, spoke about Jeremy starting a science club for children in a low-income neighborhood. In fact, he told the audience, that was how Jeremy and Rebecca met, through their mutual commitment to help others.

“To think that a man of his stature and brilliance would come to our little elementary school every week to teach and inspire these forgotten children. To share his love of the natural world and the method of scientific discovery. I am sure that he’s inspired many youngsters to follow his path. To take his place someday in the halls of scientific study . . .”

Stewart Campbell was not a bad speaker. But he was a bit didactic, Maggie thought, and long-winded at the podium. He seemed quite moved by his own speech, she noticed, and kept pushing the frame of his wire-rimmed glasses as they slipped down his nose, his voice growing thick with emotion.

Finally, he was finished, and a representative of the university stepped up, also praising Jeremy’s intellect and gift for sharing his knowledge in one of the most rigorous scientific areas. “The university and medical school will sorely miss this outstanding scholar and scientist.”

Claudia Lassiter got up and spoke for the family. She told a few anecdotes from childhood that softened and humanized the austere image created by the previous speakers. Jeremy also had a sense of humor and had been quite a prankster, often switching
identities with his brother, Alec, who would somehow always catch the blame, Claudia reported. Alec was the older brother, by two minutes, she explained.

This detail drew a soft laugh from the crowd and even a small brief, smile from their mother, Patricia. She glanced at Rebecca and squeezed her hand.

This was a different side of the young man, one that had not come across at their first meeting, she had to admit. But that was why these gatherings were important. You learned a lot about the person who had passed on and could honor his memory more completely.

Claudia also praised her brother’s commitment to the family enterprise, At-Las Technologies, and his great contributions.

“He felt a deep, personal connection to every one of our employees. He knew them all by name, the names of their spouses and children. He may have seemed the classic, absentminded professor, with his head off in the clouds. But Jeremy was very much of this world and cared about the well-being of everyone who works in this company.”

Maggie noticed Rebecca nod in agreement. She was proud of her late husband’s fine qualities. At least that was some comfort to her.

Finally, the minister led the group in a short prayer. Maggie bowed her head, though she didn’t close her eyes completely. She noticed Lewis Atkins had not closed his eyes, either, and now glanced over one shoulder.

What—or whom—was he looking at? she wondered. She couldn’t help herself and discreetly followed his gaze.

The beautiful Erica
Ferris. Of course. Erica met his glance for a moment, then quickly shook her head. She closed her large brown eyes and continued—or pretended?—to pray.

When the service was over, Maggie rose and looked around for her friends. But before she could make her way out of the row, Lewis Atkins drew her attention.

“It was nice meeting you, Ms. Messina . . . even under such sad circumstances. May I stop by your shop sometime, to say hello?”

Maggie was suddenly flustered. She still didn’t know what to make of Lewis Atkins. Was he the villain of this drama . . . or just much maligned by the Lassiters? The family was no prize package, either. That was for sure.

“Please do. Anytime. Here’s my card.” She pulled one from her knitting bag and handed it to him.

He looked at the card a moment, then slipped it into his wallet. He then offered his card to her.

“Here’s one for you. In case you’d like to Google me,” he joked.

“I didn’t think of it,” she admitted. “But I guess I probably should.”

Her frank reply made him smile. He seemed to like her all the more for it.

“Just remember, you can’t believe everything you read on the Internet,” Atkins reminded her.

“Yes, I know. Remember that if you Google me,” she added as they parted.

As Maggie had expected, the line leading to Rebecca, Jeremy’s mother, and the rest of the family could have circled a city block. Maggie had to get back to her
shop and she doubted Dana or Lucy wanted to wait, either.

She found her friends and they made their way to the foyer, retrieved their coats, and gave the valet their car ticket.

“I’m sorry I didn’t get to speak to Rebecca. But I’m glad I came,” Lucy said.

“I’m glad we came, too. It was very interesting to hear everyone speak about Jeremy. That’s a great benefit of these gatherings,” Maggie noted. “Especially for people like us, who hardly knew him.”

“Who was that sitting next to you, Maggie? You seemed to be getting along very well,” Dana asked as Maggie’s car pulled up.

“You’ll never believe it.” Maggie slipped into the driver’s seat. “It was Lewis Atkins, Philip Lassiter’s former partner. We had an interesting conversation. He said he wants to stop by the shop.”

She didn’t relate that he suggested she Google him. She knew they would tease her mercilessly.

“That is interesting,” Dana murmured in the backseat as they headed to town.

“I also got an earful, sitting behind Jeremy’s brother and sister,” Maggie added. “I didn’t mean to listen in. But they weren’t even trying to be discreet.

“It’s funny how well we can hear when we really want to, isn’t it?” Dana asked. “It’s some amazing connection between our mind and body going on, I think.”

“What did they talk about? Now you’ve made me curious,” Lucy admitted.

Maggie smiled at her. “It was all very
. . . juicy stuff. But I think I’m going to save it for our meeting tonight. I’ll feel bad enough repeating it once. I don’t want to be a complete gossip.”

Dana laughed. “Very noble of you. If you only disclose it once, that doesn’t count?”

“I suppose it does,” Maggie said, caught in an ethical quandary. “Okay, my lips are sealed. I won’t tell you what I overheard. That’s the high road, right, Dana?”

“The high and boring road,” Lucy said.

“Oh, you’ve tantalized us now. Just make sure we all promise not to repeat anything. I think I can live with that.” Dana sighed and sat back in her seat.

“I can, too,” Maggie decided. “People are fascinating. The things they say, their grievances and passions. What makes them tick. I’m sorry, I just can’t help listening in at times.”

“Don’t apologize to me.” Dana patted Maggie’s shoulder. “I make a living at it.”

Maggie laughed. Perhaps she should have gone back to school after her career as an art teacher and become a therapist. But she was better off running her shop and teaching knitting, she decided. More of a fiber therapist. She was helping people, too, she thought. A different path, to the same end.

That night, Maggie was the last one to arrive at Dana’s house for their meeting. Dana greeted her at the door with a hug and hung her coat in the hall closet—tidy as a pin, Maggie noticed, with plastic boxes on a shelf above the rack, bearing labels such as “Baseball Caps,” “Umbrellas,” and “Waterproof Gloves.”

“Where’s Phoebe? Does she have a class
tonight?” Dana asked.

“She has a paper due tomorrow and put it off until the last minute, as usual. She has to hunker down and pull an all-nighter,” Maggie explained. “She did ask me to bring her some dessert.”

“No problem. Lucy made a flourless chocolate cake. It looks like a killer.”

“A slice of that should cheer her,” Maggie agreed.

Lucy and Suzanne looked up from the knitting to greet her as she entered the great room adjoining the kitchen, at the back of Dana’s house. They were seated on the cushy leather sectional that circled a large slate table. A fire flickered in the sleek, black marble hearth.

Lucy had started a new project, Maggie noticed, but she couldn’t quite tell what it was. She’d put aside the shrug she’d begun for herself, right after the wedding. Understandably. It was an unhappy reminder of the newlyweds’ tragedy and was a bit unnerving for everyone to look at it.

Maggie sat next to Lucy and took out her own knitting, and wondered how long it would take for anyone to ask her about it.

Lucy peered over at her project. “What are you working on now? I can’t figure it out.”

“An amigurumi,” Maggie replied, knowing that was no explanation and no one in the room probably had the vaguest idea of what she meant.

“An ama—what?” Suzanne looked at her across the table. “Sounds like an appetizer at a Japanese restaurant.”

Dana laughed. “I know what it is. A
little stuffed toy, right?”

Maggie nodded. “Exactly. There are loads of different patterns. But I’m focusing on a spring theme. I’m going to knit up a bunch of birds and such and put them in the window for a display . . .” She dug around in her knitting tote. “Here’s a picture.”

She put a photo of the cute, colorful amigurumi birds and beasts on the table. Everyone immediately oohed and aahed.

“Oh, these are adorable. You’ll have people asking right away how to make them.” Suzanne picked up the picture to take a closer look.

“That’s my hope. Business has been a bit slow lately. I was thinking of running a special: Birds of a Feather Knit Together. A two-for-one class.” Maggie looked around, trying to gauge their reaction. “And maybe a contest of some kind? Win a free basket of yarns and needles and such. And a lesson or two?”

“That all sounds good to me,” Lucy said. “Maybe everyone is just making that transition from winter knitting to spring and summer?”

“Could be,” Maggie mused. “The birds were a fallback plan. I had really wanted to do a spring wedding theme for the window using Rebecca’s gown and the bridesmaids’ shrugs that you all made. Maybe use some photos of the wedding. Nora even dropped off the gown after the wedding. Before . . .” She paused. Everyone knew what she was about to say. “Well, I certainly can’t do that now.”

“It would be hard to look at her gown or any of that right now,” Suzanne agreed. “But I still want to hear about the memorial
. I’m so sorry I couldn’t make it.” Suzanne stared straight at Maggie. “I hear you sat up close and personal to the Lassiters. And chatted up Philip Lassiter’s old business partner. Who asked you on a date or something?”

“Oh, dear . . . I wouldn’t go that far. He just gave me his card. Who told you that wild story?”

“He was definitely interested, Maggie. I’d be surprised if he didn’t stop by the shop very soon.” Dana set down a plate of freshly made hummus circled by little triangles of pita bread and alongside that, a bowl of cucumber yogurt dip and one of black olives.

“He was just being friendly. I gather he had ventured into enemy territory and was happy to talk to anybody. He did express great fondness and respect for Jeremy,” she recalled. “Alec and Claudia seem to have mixed feelings about him. They call him Uncle Louie and it seems he was a member of the family while they were growing up. But the breakup with Philip Lassiter was definitely bitter. Claudia takes her father’s side. But it sounded like Jeremy sided with Atkins in the feud. Strange, right? But he does have issues with his father.”