Till Death Do Us Purl (9 page)

“I’ll let you know when I hear more about the memorial plans,” Maggie said as she left them.

“Yes, let us know.” Dana’s tone was somber. “I never imagined we’d be donning our black dresses again so soon. And for such a sad occasion.”

No one replied. No one had
to. Lucy knew Dana had just expressed what they were all thinking and feeling.

Lucy left the shop with Dana and Suzanne. Instead of turning up Main Street toward home, she and Tink walked with Dana to her office, which was in the center of town, not far from the harbor.

The two friends walked in silence for a while. Main Street was bustling with activity: young mothers pushing strollers, men and women in business dress hustling to their offices. Seniors were out for their daily exercise and window-shopping.

The sun shone brilliantly and Lucy could hear chirping in the bare branches all around. She sensed spring stirring, the earth waking up after a long winter sleep. It all seemed wrong today, out of synch.

She turned to Dana and shook her head. “How can everything look so busy and . . . happy today? How can life just go on, after what happened to Jeremy and Rebecca?”

Dana’s expression was sympathetic. She reached out and touched Lucy’s arm. “I know just what you mean. I feel the same. In a way, it’s a comfort. Life does go on, Lucy. No matter what. Something larger lifts us up and carries us along, if we let it.

Lucy sighed. She understood what Dana meant. She hadn’t gotten there yet. She needed more time to process this sad news.

They reached Dana’s building but she seemed in no hurry to rush upstairs. They stood together on the sidewalk and Tink leaned against Lucy’s leg.

“Do you remember when Jeremy saw Rebecca in her gown last Tuesday night? He laughed when Nora said it was bad luck. But Nora and Rebecca were very upset.”

“I do remember.” Dana took a key chain
from her purse. “It’s an eerie coincidence. But I don’t believe in that stuff . . . do you?”

“No . . . I don’t, either.” Lucy agreed. Though she did have a few quirks in that department. No one was going to catch her walking under a ladder anytime soon. Or crossing paths with felines of a certain hue.

Dana leaned over and gave her an impulsive hug. “See you soon . . . and call if you want to talk some more, okay?”

Lucy nodded. The news was so sad and shocking, Lucy had a feeling her entire circle of friends would get some free therapy from Dana this week, especially when they met for their knitting meeting.

Lucy started back up Main Street, intending to go home. But she found herself stopping at Matt’s office, Harbor Animal Hospital, which was not far from the village green.

She rarely dropped in unexpectedly. She didn’t like to bother him at work. The office was usually wildly busy with patients of all species, and their owners, trying to get along peacefully in the waiting room. Or Matt was in surgery and completely unavailable.

But today she had a yearning to see him. Just for a minute. To look into his eyes and connect with his warm, reassuring smile. Just long enough to recharge her battery.

Surprisingly, when she walked in, the waiting room was relatively quiet. A gray-haired woman waited, a cat carrier balanced on her lap. Tink immediately investigated, sniffing close enough to inspire a low growl from deep within the plastic box.

Lucy walked up to the receptionist’s window and Tink jumped up, her paws on the
edge of the counter.

After exchanging greetings Phyllis, the secretary, buzzed Matt and gave Tink a biscuit. “He said it’s fine. Just go on back.”

Matt’s office was the last room on the corridor. Lucy opened the wooden door and walked in. Tink immediately jumped up on the small leather couch, opposite Matt’s desk. She curled up in a ball with her head on her paws.

“Hey. What’s up?” Matt looked up and smiled that amazing smile of his, the one that flipped all her switches. She tried to smile back, but this time, couldn’t manage it. It felt as if the corners of her mouth had somehow been stapled down.

“I hope I’m not bothering you . . .”

“Not at all. I’m pretty bored. It’s just about time for my beautiful-woman break.” He smiled and walked toward her, then rested his hands on her shoulders. “Is everything okay?”

Lucy shook her head, losing her voice for a moment. “I have some bad news. Jeremy Lassiter died last night. There was an explosion and fire in his lab.”

“That guy who just got married on Saturday to your friend?” Lucy nodded bleakly. “That’s awful. His poor wife. How did you hear about it?”

“I went to Maggie’s shop this morning, to see some pictures from the wedding. Ironic, right? Dana had heard a news report on TV.”

He gazed down at her with a sad, sympathetic expression. Then pulled her close in a warm, strong hug. “I’m so sorry, honey. You must feel awful.”

“I do.” She didn’t want to start
crying, but thought she might. “They were such a sweet couple. So totally crazy about each other. When I saw them together last week they seemed so happy and connected. So . . . in sync. Know what I mean?”

He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. “Like me and you, right?”

She couldn’t tell if he was teasing her or not. If he was, it was in a good way, she decided.

“Exactly,” she agreed. “An eccentric, reclusive, totally neurotic graphic artist obsessed with knitting and dogs. And an equally weird vet.”

Matt laughed. “Don’t forget nerdy. Me, I mean,” he said.

“Didn’t I say nerdy? I meant to.”

He hugged her again and didn’t say a thing for a while.

“I’m sorry we can’t get together tonight,” he said, and Lucy remembered Matt had to drive to Boston for some veterinarian association meeting. “Can this nerdy, neurotic guy make you dinner tomorrow?”

“Hey, who could resist an invitation like that?”

“Great.” He pulled back a bit and looked down at her. “There’s something I want to talk to you about.” Lucy’s expression must have immediately revealed her alarm. “Nothing bad,” he promised.

“Okay, if you say so.”

Lucy didn’t exactly hate surprises. But she sure hated it when people—like boyfriends, for instance—said they needed to have a talk. Then made you wait to find out what it was about.

But before she could ask any questions, both the phone and the intercom buzzed at once. “Sounds like my break is over.”

“That’s okay. I have a few other bored
men on my list to visit today.” She tried for a breezy tone and his alarmed expression was pleasing. Though they both knew she was only joking.

After an encouraging yank on Tink’s leash, the big dog finally hopped off the couch.

Matt picked up the phone, then covered it with his hand. “I’ll call you tonight. But I’m glad you came here today to talk to me.”

“I’m glad, too,” Lucy admitted.

She hadn’t wanted to seem needy—the absolute kiss of death to relationships. She could see now there was no reason to worry. She and Matt really did seem to be in sync in all the ways that counted. That was saying a lot.

When Lucy got home she sat staring at her computer and forced herself to do deal with some mindless but necessary tasks. It was very hard to concentrate. Her thoughts kept drifting back to Jeremy and Rebecca. Lucy couldn’t begin to imagine what the poor girl was feeling right now.

At the end of the day, she found an e-mail from Maggie, addressed to their whole group.

Just wanted to check in with everyone. It was hard to keep the shop open today but I managed. A little knitting helped. I’m sure you all feel the same. I’ve decided to visit the Baileys tonight. Rebecca is staying with her mother, and Nora’s brother said he thought a few neighbors would stop by. Anyone interested in joining me? Let me know. Maybe we could ride together.

—XO, Maggie

Lucy wrote back right away.

I’ll come with you. Call me and we’ll figure out a good time.

XO, L.

Why not visit Rebecca and her
family? She didn’t have any plans and knew she’d just sit around tonight, feeling bleak about the whole thing. It would even be hard to knit. The shrug that she’d started for herself would remind her too much of the wedding.

No, it was far better to get out and do something—bring Rebecca and Nora flowers or some food. People could always use something good to eat at a time like this, couldn’t they?

Down in the kitchen Lucy checked the refrigerator and cupboards to see what she had on hand. Not too much. There was a chicken. Very promising. Never underestimate poultry, that was her cooking motto. One of them, anyway.

She grabbed an apron and got busy.

A few hours later, Lucy and Maggie arrived at the Bailey home, a wooden frame saltbox. The style was indigenous to New England and perennially popular. The neat, conservative-looking home, dark blue with white trim, was just the sort of place Lucy imagined Nora living. Though Rebecca had grown up here, she and Jeremy had their own apartment in the village, Maggie had mentioned. But Rebecca was staying with her mother now, at least until the funeral. Lucy had driven, picking Maggie up on her way.

“No other cars here yet,” Maggie noted as Lucy parked her Jeep.

Lucy had noticed that, too. It was good in a way and bad. Good because she didn’t know what to say to people she’d never met before, under these circumstances
. . . after figuring out how they both knew the family and deceased. Bad because it would be hard to sit alone with Nora and Rebecca. Hard to know what to say to them about the tragedy, beyond the obvious.

Lucy took a breath as she retrieved the casserole dish from the backseat. These situations were never easy. This one in particular was uncommonly sorrowful.

Maggie had also whipped up something for the Baileys—a large date nut loaf that she’d wrapped in a basket.

“That smells good. What did you make?” Maggie asked, glancing at Lucy’s dish.

“It turned out to be roast chicken with mushrooms, artichokes, and a few sun-dried tomatoes. Pretty much what I was able to scavenge in my kitchen.”

“It sounds very tasty. I’m sure they’ll appreciate it.”

Lucy smiled but didn’t answer. These acts of condolence cooking made the cooks feel a bit better. But she wasn’t so sure that those on the receiving end noticed one way or the other what they were eating at such intense times of grief. If they were even able to eat.

Maggie rang the doorbell and Nora’s brother, Gary, answered. He seemed to recognize them. “Hello, ladies. Come right in. Nice of you to stop by.”

“We won’t stay long. We just wanted to see how Nora and Rebecca are holding up, and drop off some food.”

“Rebecca is upstairs, resting. Nora’s in the living room. Her next-door neighbors just left. Go right in,” he told them.

Gary took their offerings to the kitchen while Lucy and Maggie made their way to the living room.

Nora sat in an armchair but stood up when the
two women entered. “Maggie, Lucy . . . thank you for coming.”

“No need to thank us,” Maggie insisted. “I’m so very sorry.” She gave Nora a hug and Lucy did the same.

“I don’t know what to say. It’s just so unbelievable.”

Nora nodded sadly. “We still can’t believe it. It’s like a nightmare. You want to wake up and have everything be just the way it was. But you can’t.”

“Have they figured out how it happened?” Maggie sat down in an armchair and Lucy sat next to her.

“Not yet. It sounds to me like the fire department is in charge of sorting it out. They’ve called in special arson investigators. Jeremy worked with a lot of flammable chemicals. Even if he wasn’t mixing them, there were many in his work space. A fire may have started and reached some explosive substance before he could put it out.”

“What about sprinklers . . . that sort of thing?” Lucy asked. “Don’t labs have all sorts of safety devices?”

Lucy remembered the lab in her high school and how their science teachers always demonstrated the special emergency shower to be used if anyone’s clothing caught fire or if anyone suffered a chemical burn. There was always some kid who acted out every year by pulling the cord and flooding the room.

“Oh, there were plenty. But the sprinklers couldn’t prevent the explosion. Once that occurred . . . it was . . . over.” She swallowed hard and looked away. “The police officer I spoke to said poor Jeremy was . . . was blown to bits. There was no hope, even if someone had heard the alarm quickly.” She took a deep, shaky breath and looked up at them
again. “I know Jeremy was dedicated to his work and under a lot of pressure right now with his special project. But for goodness’ sake, they’d just been married and about to leave for their honeymoon. Why did he have to go to that lab and work Monday night? If only he’d stayed with Rebecca.”

If only
. . . famous last words, Lucy thought. She sighed aloud. But there was nothing she could think of to say that would offer comfort.

“What is this project about, Nora? Do you know?” Maggie asked curiously.

Nora took a tissue from a box on the table and wiped her eyes again. “From what I can gather . . . it’s just . . . glue. Some special miracle formula that’s going to change the world. The world of glue, that is.”

Maggie glanced at Lucy. No one could blame Nora for her sarcastic tone. It was obvious that she didn’t think much of her son-in-law sacrificing himself to this questionable cause.

And her daughter suffering such a heartbreaking loss. One that would stay with her the rest of her life.

“A special type of glue?” Maggie also did not sound especially impressed.

“That’s right.” Nora glanced at the entrance to the living room, where they could see the foyer and staircase that led to the second floor.

“Rebecca doesn’t like me to talk about it. That’s why she’s hardly told me anything about his work. Not that she knows that much. He had told her that it’s some sort of amazing adhesive that could even be used by construction companies and to build cars, and for a lot of other industries.
Supposedly, it will save companies millions of dollars in production costs.”

Such a product would be extremely valuable and worth millions of dollars, Lucy thought.