Knot Guilty (12 page)

We were interrupted by the arrival of Paxton pulling a cart with several big plastic bins on top. He wheeled it right to the back of the booth and had me sign for the order of yarn. “Please don't mention this to my grandmother. I can't see why she would mind, but she's been so jumpy, I don't want to take a chance on upsetting her.”

When Paxton left, Adele came up to me. “Pink, you have to do something. I can't be accused of anything. That would be the final straw with Mother Humphries. I know I've teased you about doing the detective thing, but you've got to find out who really killed K.D.”

“There you are,” Dinah said, catching up to me as I threaded through people in the aisle between a booth featuring gorgeous handspun yarn studded with sparkle and one that had a display of little shopping bags with kits of organic cotton to make small items like washcloths.

“You made it,” I said. The agreement had been that she would come after her day's class and help out with the booth. I was thrilled to see her, not only for the help she offered, but also for her understanding ear. I held up my coffee cup. “I just got this, but if you want we can go back and pick up a drink for you.” She shook her head and we continued up the aisle together.

When we got to the front of the aisle, we walked to the area near the stage and catwalk. For the moment it was quiet, and it seemed like a good place to talk away from the others. From there we had a good view of the administration table. Audrey Stewart was leaning over, talking to a little girl who had some knitting in her hands. The girl's mother was capturing the moment of her daughter talking to the actress on her cell phone camera. Mason was propped against the wall. CeeCee was watching from the end of the table and appeared annoyed.

“So fill me in on what I missed,” my friend said. I brought her up to speed on the shoplifting actress's arrival and attempt to get herself off the hook, along with my reporting it to Mason. “We just had a moment together and Barry showed up.”

“Barry and Mason both here,” she said with a laugh. “It sounds like a handful.”

“But I haven't gotten to the important part,” I said. And then I brought up Adele and how Barry had set her up.

“She must be hysterical,” Dinah said.

“You would think so. But it's Adele we're talking about. She dropped it in my lap and told me to find out who killed K.D. Then she went on like it was problem solved.” Just then Delvin stepped up to the microphone.

“And now we're having an audience participation fashion show. I know it is a tradition to wear something you've made. This is your chance to show it. Do we have any volunteers?” The words were no sooner out of his mouth than a line of women and two men formed near the staircase that led up to the stage.

I nudged Dinah and pointed. “See what I mean.” Adele was the fourth person in line and was adjusting her stash buster shawl as she moved up. Delvin had repositioned himself and his microphone near the short staircase. He questioned the first person in the line and then turned to the crowd. “First we have Becky from Chatsworth wearing a knitted mohair blend scarf.” He gave a few more details about the design used as Becky made her way down the catwalk. I was sure Becky wasn't really a model, but it was amazing how quickly she picked up the swirling and holding out the scarf to show off the intricate stitches.

“That's the woman who thought we were in her space,” I said as the second model stopped next to Delvin.

“I'm not sure if this is really fair,” he said with a wink in his voice. “Rain is one of our vendors, and she's modeling one of the pieces she has for sale.” He described the luxurious gray shawl as she walked the length of the narrow walkway. “Rain wanted me to be sure to mention that this was only the sample and that it comes in other colors.”

“Maybe we should go up there,” I said. I looked down at the multicolored cowl I'd added to my outfit. Dinah had on a long skinny scarf crocheted in pale yellow cotton. We traded glances and both shook our heads. “And maybe not.”

We hung around the spot until Adele had her turn. “See what I mean,” I said. “She doesn't seem worried at all that the cops have her hook and her fingerprints.”

Dinah nodded in agreement. “If it was me, the last thing I'd be worrying about was showing off my crochet.” We both rolled our eyes.

It took her quite a while to tell Delvin about her wrap, and he seemed a little uncertain as he began his patter. “And now we have Adele who belongs to the Tarzana Hookers.” He paused long enough for the titter of laughter to subside. “I'm sure you all realize that is hooker as in one who crochets. She's modeling her own crochet design of a stash buster wrap. Adele wanted me to mention that this is the first year that we've included crochet in the show, and she is teaching a class in how to make her stash buster wrap tomorrow afternoon.”

Adele was at the end of the catwalk now and turning and showing off the wrap. She undid the pin that held it closed and lifted it up to show off all the different yarns.

I noticed that Leonora Humphries was in the front and Adele was playing up to her. The problem was, Adele should have been heading back down the catwalk by now. Delvin cleared his throat into the microphone several times, no doubt trying to give her the message. But typical Adele didn't notice. Finally, she held up a crochet hook and started circling her hand in a triumphant gesture. I think she was trying to say that crocheters rule.

Delvin got tired of waiting for her to return and simply announced the next model.

When Dinah and I headed to the booth, Adele was still hanging on to the spotlight. As we walked, I went over the strikes against Adele. “As far as Barry is concerned, that hook places Adele at the murder scene.” I looked at Dinah. “And she told me she was going to talk to K.D. and work things out about the logo and banner. But now she's insisting she didn't go up to K.D.'s suite.”

“Do you believe her?” my friend asked.

“I think so. But it's hard to tell. She could think denying she went up there is the best policy. Not that I think Adele killed K.D. She's crazy for crochet, but even she has limits about how far she would go to promote the craft.” I glanced back toward the fashion show. “Still, it is so odd how she seems to have dismissed being a murder suspect.”

“Maybe not,” Dinah said. “I think it makes perfect sense in Adele's world. She has so much confidence in your detective powers that she isn't worried anymore.”

In a strange way, what Dinah said made sense. “I just wish I felt as confident as she does.”

“We need a plan,” my friend said.

“For starters, how about we play our Sherlock Holmes game,” I said. Dinah had helped me in previous investigations, and one of the things we did was try to look at things the way the fictitious detective did. “Maybe if we put our heads together we can deduce something that will get her off the hook.” The words were barely out of my mouth when I realized the double meaning.

Dinah laughed. “Get Adele off the hook? Never.”

Something going on behind Dinah caught my eye. “It looks like Mason is back on duty.” She turned and we watched together as Mason and Audrey stood near the administration table with Kimberly Wang Diaz. The reporter was holding her microphone, and her cameraman was close by. Audrey held up some knitting. From here, all I could see was something pink hanging off her long needle. Mason seemed to be intently listening to what she was saying.

The group began to move, talking as they went. I nudged Dinah and we caught up with them as they stopped in the doorway of the room that held the auction items.

Audrey seemed very animated as she talked. Mason's expression was unreadable. I suppose it was a lawyer version of a cop face. Then his face lit up and he tried to step in.

The newscaster held out the microphone toward Audrey Stewart, and Mason looked frustrated as his client continued to talk. Audrey had delicate features, which gave her a waif look and seemed to inspire people to want to take care of her. Even the newscaster seemed sympathetic as Audrey told her tale.

“My attorney doesn't want me to talk until everything is settled, but I think it is important for me to explain how I've turned a bad situation into a positive one. How I got the needles isn't the issue. I feel bad about all the problems it's caused, and now with K.D. Kirby's death, I wanted to do something to help.” The group started to move into the room, and Dinah and I followed along. They stopped in front of the long table at the back. The snowy white tablecloth made a nice background to the perfectly displayed auction items. Audrey gestured toward the prime spot.

“I've not only paid for the needles but donated them to the auction. All the money raised by the auction is going to charity. It's my way of trying to make things right.”

There seemed to be a tear in Audrey's eye as she spoke, and she had just the right emotional tone. I heard an “aw” sound go through the crowd that was following her along with us. I stepped a little closer to get a view of the infamous needles. The satin roll had been opened, and the recessed lighting in the ceiling reflected off the silver needles and caught the sparkle in the diamonds on the end. Audrey was saying that she hoped that now that the needles had a story they would bring in even more for the charity than the store value.

“She's playing them like a violin,” CeeCee said. I saw that our celebrity Hooker had joined us. She was shaking her head as Audrey continued on, saying that she was going to be at the show all weekend. CeeCee seemed even more unhappy when the younger actress said she'd be helping with the auction and the fashion show at the banquet and would even assist attendees with their knitting problems.

“When K.D. approached me about being a judge, she said I was going to be the celebrity guest,” CeeCee said. “I'm supposed to help with the auction and the fashion show at the banquet. After that story of hers, do you think anyone is going to pay attention to me even if I do have Oscar buzz about my performance in the Anthony movie?”

Then CeeCee admitted the whole reason she'd agreed to do everything at the show was for the publicity. “The Oscar nominations come out next week. You see how Kimberly Wang Diaz is hanging out here. It was a chance to get my face out there at a crucial time when people are voting.”

I'd never seen CeeCee seem so upset. She was clearly dressed for her close-up. She'd kept the simple hairstyle she'd worn for years, which gave the impression that she hadn't really changed, though the perfect shade of golden brown was the artistic creation of her hairdresser. Her makeup was flawless, and her classic slacks and jacket had just the right look of authority to set her apart from the crowd. I could see her point. Audrey had definitely made herself the center of attention.

“You know that K.D. wanted to press charges against Audrey about the needles,” CeeCee continued. “No matter what Audrey says, they had her on the surveillance camera putting the needles in her bag and then walking out of the yarn shop a few minutes later. K.D. thought it was as if Audrey figured she could get away with anything because she was a celebrity, and K.D. was going to show her that she couldn't.”

CeeCee put her head down. “I'm sorry, dears. I must sound so petty. But I've waited a whole career for this chance at an Oscar nomination. And then to see my spotlight stolen.”

Dinah and I both put an arm around CeeCee and told her we understood.

Mason was sticking close to Audrey, monitoring what she said. Still, he looked over at me and our eyes met. His softened, and there was a trace of smile all meant for me. CeeCee saw it.

“I saw the detective here before and now Mason,” she said, shaking her head. “You lead a complicated life.”

We didn't get to play our Sherlock Holmes game. When we got back to the booth, there was a crowd gathered around the front table as Adele, fresh from her fashion show appearance, was helping several people make the granny square pins. I saw that “Anthony” was back and Eduardo had just arrived. This time he was dressed in the cowboy outfit from his cover model days. He'd worn the works—jeans with a silver belt buckle, blue denim shirt, boots and a Stetson. And all I could say was the man knew how to wear the outfit.

Dinah was supposed to be the one handling the granny square lessons but left it to Adele, and Dinah and I took over handling sales from Elise. She was glad to be able to put all her energy into moving her vampire kits. Having her husband dressed up as the crocheting vampire certainly helped.

“I'm glad we kept it simple,” I said as a few people stood around the end of the front table and began to make the little squares. The original plan had called for them to be dipped in fabric stiffener at the end and a pin back glued on. But to keep it moving, we'd cut out the stiffener and the pin back and simply given each person a small safety pin to attach their newly made granny square to a shirt or scarf. I looked at the pile of packets of pin supplies I'd made earlier and was surprised they were almost gone.

Adele was using the opportunity to give people a close-up on the wrap she'd modeled in the fashion show. “And to think this is all made with scrap yarn.” She looked over the group huddled around the table. “And we all have lots of bits and pieces of yarn, don't we?” There was a ripple of agreement. “There are still some spaces in my class for tomorrow.”

Adele stopped paying attention to the group around her and zeroed in on Leonora Humphries as she approached the table. It was obvious by the way the older woman was trying to see over the crowd that she was curious what was going on. “Mother Humphries, why don't you make one of the pins,” Adele said, motioning her to join the group.