online store. When I clicked on it, two folders appeared. I clicked on the one labeled “Crochet.” There was a long list of files with unintelligible names. I clicked on a few and saw that each had a picture of a crocheted item and a brief description and whether she’d sold it, and for how much, along with how long it had taken her to make it and how much the yarn had cost.
She had spent a lot on yarn, but she’d also sold the pieces for a lot. The fact that they were one of kind and almost art pieces was probably why she got her price. I wondered about the other folder under the “Online Store” heading and backtracked until I got there. It was marked “Non-Crochet Items.” Kelly must have been selling more than just things she made. I clicked on the folder and a list of files with numbers instead of names showed up.
I was about to open the first one, when Adele sashayed in. “Pink, I thought I’d find you in here. What are you doing?”
I took it as a rhetorical question and didn’t answer it. “Did you find anything else made with the bull—” Adele looked around to see if anyone was listening. “You know that special stitch.”
Adele moved further into the room and began looking around. She noticed a pillow that had fallen off the couch. It had a three-dimensional design with rows and rows of different-size bullion stitches.
She picked it up and was touching the stitches as if they could impart the magic of how to make them.
Suddenly CeeCee swept into the room. “There you two are. I’m going to have to leave. The atmosphere in there is terrible. All those people staring at Dan. He finally got up and went outside.” CeeCee saw Adele clutching the pillow and took it from her to examine it.
“Dear, those bullion stitches are lovely.” She commented further on how perfectly the stitches laid next to each other before turning to Adele. “The Hookers should make something using that stitch. Of course, we’d probably have to teach almost everybody how to do it.” She looked at Adele again. “What do you think, dear?”
Adele squirmed and looked to me for help. I shrugged as an answer. CeeCee was busy looking at the pillow and around the room and didn’t notice Adele’s look of panic.
“I had no idea that Kelly was such a fine crocheter,” CeeCee said. Adele had plastered herself against the back of the couch with the terrified expression as if any second CeeCee was going to make her prove she knew how to do the tricky stitch. CeeCee apparently had other things on her mind, because she didn’t seem to notice that Adele had never answered her comment. She checked her watch.
“I have to get across the Valley to a meeting,” she said moving toward the door. “Success has its drawbacks,” she said in a feigned upset tone. “Everybody wants you in their project.” She waved her hand toward the yard. “I’m surprised the L.A. 911 people haven’t asked me to do a guest spot.”
When she was gone, Adele let out her breath. In panic mode she grabbed a hook. She made a foundation chain and the next thing I knew she was wrapping the yarn around the hook and then trying to pull the hook through it with no luck. I thought Adele was going to cry and did my best to console her as I pulled her out of the room and shut the door.
“Pink, you really are the best friend I’ve ever had,” Adele said. She had lost her usual look of bravado and appeared vulnerable as she hugged me. But typical Adele, she was back to her usual self by the time we reached the living room and she made her way through the people standing around. I didn’t see Dan anywhere.
I picked up some used dishes and carried them into the kitchen. The window over the sink faced the driveway. Dan was standing there having an animated conversation with Nanci Silvers. Abruptly she put her arms around him and hugged him tight.
Not exactly the sign of a grieving husband.
CHAPTER 23
“You’re drinking tea with the detective every night now?” Mason said. “What happened to the idea that he was just a boarder? The whole ships passing in the kitchen thing.” Mason didn’t sound happy.
“It’s nothing. We don’t talk about anything personal.” I noticed that there was suddenly a furrow of worry