“I never expected you to turn tail and run like this, Maggie,” Suzanne continued. “I always thought you were a fighter. You always said you didn’t care if people gossiped about you. You didn’t care what they said. Why start now?”

  Maggie squared her shoulders. Her mouth twisted but she didn’t say anything. Lucy felt a glimmer of hope that Suzanne’s tough love approach was working.

  “Why start now…Suzanne has a point,” Dana jumped in.

  “Hey, the way we all hang out there all the time, the place always looks crowded. No one’s going to think you lost business,” Phoebe pointed out. She reached over for a cup of coffee and a cinnamon-raisin bagel.

  “We’re your best customers,” Suzanne reminded her. “And we’re not going anyplace.”

  “We certainly buy enough yarn every month to cover the rent,” Dana added in a lighter tone.

  “And probably the utilities, too.” Lucy glanced at Maggie. Her rigid expression was relaxing a bit, wasn’t it?

  “Not with the discounts I give you, ladies…and all the freebies I hand over.”

  “Exactly. That’s why we can’t let you close. We need that free yarn,” Phoebe told her. “Hey, I’ve got it. If Maggie gives up the shop, we take over. Is that brilliant, or what? I can’t put up any cash right now, but you’ll get my management experience. I totally know how to run the place.”

  Maggie made a snorting sound. “You do not.”

  Dana laughed. “Brilliant…I think we should do it. What do you say, Maggie? Is the Black Sheep up for grabs?”

  Maggie turned her head to the side. She sighed. “No…it is not.”

  She didn’t say anything more. Everyone waited.

  Lucy wondered if she was angry and didn’t appreciate being cajoled out of her black mood. Maybe she thought they weren’t taking her crisis seriously enough?

  “I will tell you all that if you need any yarn, the shop will be open tomorrow, the usual hours,” she said slowly. “Suzanne, you’re wasting time with real estate. You ought to get a job for Detective Walsh. In the interrogation room. But you’re right. No use acting as if I have something to hide when I don’t. No use letting people who want to believe the worst about me win. That really isn’t my style.”

  “That’s all I wanted to hear.” Suzanne picked up a bagel and slathered it with cream cheese.

  The bagels look good but Lucy stuck to her coffee. She’d skipped breakfast in her rush to get over here but was trying to watch her carbs. She had to lose ten pounds by the weekend. Just in case she ended up going out with Matt.

  Dana sighed. “Now that we settled that problem, can you tell us about last night?”

  Maggie shrugged. “There’s not too much to tell. There was a lot of waiting. Like a horrible long layover in an airport except much more agonizing. That’s how they try to wear you down. Get you on edge. Walsh asked me the questions along with Detective Reyes and another detective. Gardener, I think his name was. They must have asked a million times if I’d ever seen that hat block before, how it got into the shop. They made me tell them all over again about my relationship with Amanda. Everything I’d told them that first time.”

  “But you must have told them that the block came in the boxes from the Knitting Nest, right?” Lucy asked eagerly.

  “Oh, I did. About a thousand times. I also told Walsh and Reyes I hadn’t seen it at the Knitting Nest when we looked through the shop that first time. And I really didn’t remember if it had been in the boxes of yarn Peter brought over from his house. It might have been there…” She looked at Lucy. “You went through those boxes on Monday. Did you see it?”

  Was that only two mornings ago? It seems like ages ago now.

  “I didn’t,” Lucy told her. “But I didn’t look in all the boxes. Mainly the ones in the storeroom.”

  “They didn’t find it in the storeroom. They found it out in the front room. At the bottom of a carton. Someone called Walsh and said the murder weapon was in my shop. So they ran right over. Can you believe that?” Maggie shook her head, her eyes bright. She was angry. “It had to be Peter Goran. But it’s so transparent, it’s practically unbelievable anyone would try a move that lame.”

  “I’m sure the police are questioning him again today,” Dana said. “I wonder if they’ll get anywhere, though. If they can’t tie him to the block in some way, either, we’re just going around in circles.”

  “For goodness sakes. Let’s wake up and smell the coffee. He was trying to frame Maggie,” Suzanne insisted. “In a village idiot way, I agree. But what else could it be?”

  Lucy almost agreed with her, but it did seem too simple, even for Peter.

  “Well…we know Peter showed Maggie the inventory of the store and he acted as if she was the only one he’d asked to look at it. But he could have been lying to her. There could have been people in and out of the Knitting Nest last week for a lot of reasons, and one of them could have found out you were taking the stock and planted the hat block.”

  “Possibly. Except that Phoebe and I packed the first set of boxes ourselves. Then we carried them out to his truck. He was the only other person who touched them. But he did bring part of the other load from his house,” Maggie added. “My attorney raised that point with Walsh, as well. It didn’t have to be Peter,” she conceded, “though he seems the most likely. It does seems too obvious, even for him.”

  Dana took a sip of her coffee and shook her head. “I keep getting this feeling we’re missing something. It’s right in front of us but we don’t see it.”

  “Me, too. Like trying to find a dropped stitch. Sometimes you see the hole…but you can’t figure out how it got there.” Phoebe sighed and turned to Maggie. “We missed you last night, Maggie. We kept messing up our projects and we didn’t have anyone to fix them for us.”

  “You were knitting while you waited to hear about me?”

  Suzanne smiled. “Of course we were. What else would we do?”

  “I guess that makes sense. I don’t know why…it just really gets me.” She sniffed and blew her nose in a tissue. She’d been under so much pressure, she was just very emotional right now, Lucy realized.

  “Well…tomorrow is Thursday…already,” Maggie reminded them. “We’re still having knitting night, right?. Bring your messes to me then,” she told them.

  “Where are we meeting? I forgot.” Suzanne’s BlackBerry started to buzz. She pulled it out of her purse to check the message.

  “At the shop. It’s my turn,” Phoebe said. Phoebe’s apartment was too small to host the group so when her turn came around, they met at the Black Sheep. “I have a real treat planned for you guys. I’m going to show you how to hand-dye with Jell-O. Is that cool or what?”

  “That does sound cool,” Lucy said. “I think I read about it somewhere.”

  “I think I read about it, too. The question is…why?” Suzanne had entered the meeting info into the BlackBerry, then stood up and gathered her things.

  “Because of the awesome colors you can’t get with regular dye,” Phoebe explained patiently. “And it smells really good. It really gets you in the mood to eat Jell-O. I’m going to bring some, so you won’t be tempted to stick your fingers in the dye baths.”

  “My mother used to make amazing Jell-O molds. Remember those things?” Dana smiled, remembering. “They were about a foot high and had ten different layers.”

  “There’s a real art to a good Jell-O mold,” Maggie agreed.

  “A lost art,” Lucy said.

  “Right…and it can stay lost, if you ask me.” Suzanne rolled her eyes and waved good-bye. “Time to show a house. What a barn. Seller has to drop his price seriously. He’ll figure it out…. See you tomorrow at the Black Sheep?” She looked at Maggie.

  Maggie nodded. “Definitely. See you then.”

  Chapter Ten

  Lucy woke up Thursday thinking about Maggie, wondering if she really would open the shop today, as she had promised. It would be hard for her, no question about that. No one could blame her if she decided to keep the door locked and stayed home again. But Lucy hoped Maggie hadn’t slipped out of the spirited frame of mind they’d left her in yesterday—the Maggie that everyone was used to, the one who would always pull up her skirt and plough on.

  Lucy showered, made coffee, and kept looking at the phone. It was too early to call Maggie, even if she was home. Lucy didn’t know what she could say that wouldn’t sound condescending, as if she was watching her, like a patient in a ward.

  While Lucy considered the possibilities, Tink caught her eye, hopping up and down near the kitchen door. Lucy felt like a bad mother. Thank goodness the dog had a strong bladder.

  She pulled on her jacket, leashed the dog, and headed into town. Tink provided the perfect cover for stopping by the Black Sheep so early. Hopefully, this time, she wouldn’t find any police raids or major upsets.

  When they reached the shop, Lucy was relieved to see activity inside. She tied Tink’s leash to the porch railing in a spot near the large front window and promised to be back quickly. Lucy knew Maggie wouldn’t mind having the dog inside, but considering Tink’s weakness for eating yarn and all the snout-level baskets, it seemed best to keep her out of temptation’s path.

  She walked into the shop to find Maggie sitting at the oak table in back. A coffee mug sat to her right and the newspaper was spread out on the other side. Meanwhile, her wooden umbrella swift was clamped to the table as she read, sipped, and furiously wound away. The swift was whirring around so quickly, she didn’t even notice Lucy until she stood nearby.

  Then again, maybe she did. Before Lucy could say hello, Maggie lifted her head and looked at her over her reading glasses.

  “Good morning, Lucy. You’re out early.”

  “I had to take Tink for a walk. My new routine. I thought I’d stop by.” Not entirely a lie, though she knew darn well Maggie saw through her easier than a lace poncho. She glanced at the front of the shop. Tink had gotten up on her hind legs and was staring through the window.

  “You can bring her in. At least until customers come.”

  So, she expected customers after all? That was a good sign.

  “Thanks, but I’d rather not. I’m trying to cut back on the yarn in her diet.”

  “I get it. How’s it going with the dog? I never got a chance to ask.”

  “Pretty good.” Lucy nodded and took a seat at the table. She couldn’t help smiling. “She did chew a sock. That was my fault, I shouldn’t have left it on the floor. But she’s not much trouble, so far. And I don’t feel like I’m walking around the house talking to myself anymore.”

  “That’s a plus,” Maggie agreed. “And how’s it going with the veterinarian?”

  Lucy was surprised Maggie remembered the vet with everything she had on her mind. But she had a feeling Maggie was trying hard to normalize today and talk about anything but that horrible night and the murder investigation.

  “Not bad on that front, either,” Lucy reported. “He called to see how Tink was doing and when I caught up with him yesterday, he asked me out.”

  Now Lucy couldn’t help smiling.

  Maggie glanced at her. “So he asked you. Just as well. Men say they like women to make the first move but I don’t think they really do. I think it scares them.”

  Lucy mostly agreed with that observation.

  “Maybe they like it, but it also scares them,” Dana offered. Nobody noticed that she’d walked in and was already close enough to hear their conversation.

  Dana set her large coffee cup on the table and slipped off her coat. “So, which of you is planning on scaring a man—and who is he?”

  “Lucy was invited on a date. She was going to ask him, but he asked her first.”

  Dana sipped her coffee. Her eyes widened over the edge of the cup. “Uh-huh,” she said as she put the cup down. “Let me guess…Dr. McDougal?”

  “Am I that obvious?”

  Maggie and Dana glanced at each other.

  “In a good way,” Dana offered. “You’re very…sincere.”

  “When are you seeing him?” Maggie stopped the swift a moment to untangle a strand.

  “Friday night. Dinner and a movie.”

  “Time to talk and get to know each other. But the movie takes the pressure off,” Dana noted with an approving smile.

  “Tomorrow is soon,” Maggie said abruptly.

  “Last time I checked…. Has there been some change I didn’t hear about?” Lucy glanced at her.

  “It’s soon, that’s all I mean.” She shrugged.

  Lucy had a feeling she was about to say something more.

  Ask Lucy what she was wearing or suggest she get a haircut. But then she stopped herself, because she didn’t want to sound like Lucy’s mother.

  Actually, that was her sister Ellen’s territory. Lucy’s mother never asked those kinds of questions, instead she’d want to know where the man had gone to college and what were his politics.

  “I might get a haircut. Just a trim,” Lucy revealed. She tugged a clump of her hair and checked the ragged ends.

  “You’re gorgeous just the way you are. Just be yourself,” Dana insisted. “But a good haircut does give your self-confidence a boost.”

  “You should have seen her the other night…and she was just going to visit the dog at the animal hospital.” Maggie glanced at Lucy. “If she really works on herself, this guy’s in trouble.”

  Was that a compliment, or was Maggie suggesting she should “work on herself” more?

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence in my bombshell potential, guys. But I don’t think he’s looking for a Malibu Barbie.”

  “They’re all looking for Malibu Barbie,” Dana whispered. “Don’t kid yourself.”

  “She’s getting coached by Phoebe on this one,” Maggie murmured. “Heaven help us…”

  The last bit of yarn flew off the swift with a flourish and the little machine kept spinning.

  “Where is Phoebe? Isn’t she working today?” Lucy wanted to share the small victory with her dating coach, though Phoebe would probably suggest that she get her nails done neon green, or antimatter black, and a faux nose ring might be a nice touch.

  “She’s around,” Maggie nodded. “She told me her class was canceled and she’ll be here all day.”

  Lucy wondered if the class really had been canceled or if Phoebe didn’t want to leave Maggie alone in the shop this afternoon, easily falling prey to unhappy thoughts if there were no customers. Or if some customer or fellow shopkeeper came in and said something nasty.

  Phoebe seemed to be a space cadet most of the time, but was surprisingly aware of other people’s needs and feelings. And she did give fairly good advice, despite what Maggie thought.

  “She came down when I opened up,” Maggie added, “but I let her go back upstairs for a while. To work on her Jell-O project.”

  “Oh, right. Tonight is the Jell-O and fiber fest. That concept could catch on with knitters in a big way,” Dana pointed out.

  It was a scary thought, but true.

  Lucy stood up and glanced out the window. Tink had found a sunny spot and finally lay down, looking out through the railings at the world passing by. Pretty good, she thought, though she wouldn’t take her chances and leave her out there much longer. She wasn’t sure how well the leash was tied and if a cat or squirrel caught her eye, she might turn into Houdini dog.

  Just before she turned away from the street view, she saw Suzanne’s SUV pull up. So they’d all had the same idea: coming here to check on Maggie this morning.

  “Suzanne’s here,” Lucy said, turning back to the others.

  “We might as well have the meeting this morning,” Maggie said drily.

  Of course they couldn’t stay and knit. They all needed to head off for work in a few minutes, Maggie was just being sarcastic. Lucy was sure she knew why they’d all dropped by this morning, she just didn’t want to talk about it.

  Suzanne entered the shop at a swift no-nonsense pace. She was either in a hurry to get to her next appointment or had some news.

  “Good…you’re all here. Guess what I just heard? Peter Goran was taken to the police station this morning. Now he’s being questioned. It’s about time, wouldn’t you say?”

  “I expected them to bring him back in,” Dana said. “But why do I feel like the police are just spinning in circles? I’m not sure they’re making any progress.”

  “I heard the police have linked him to the incident at Seabold’s Hardware, too. That’s progress,” Suzanne insisted.

  “He fakes a break-in attempt at another shop to throw the police off his trail and make it look as if there is some berserk burglar on the loose. When that didn’t work, he planted the hat block in Maggie’s shop. He’s been desperate to create some diversion, to keep the police from zeroing in on him.”

  “Maybe,” Dana replied. She still didn’t seem convinced.

  Maggie suddenly looked upset. She tugged on the swift, winding the ball of wool even faster. Lucy knew that wasn’t the best way to do it. She was pulling too hard and would stretch the yarn—a tip she’d learned from Maggie herself—but didn’t say anything to stop her.

  “Did they search his house or anything like that?” Lucy asked.

  “Not that I heard,” Suzanne said.

  “You ought to call Christine later and see if she’s heard anything,” Dana suggested to Maggie.

  “Yes, I plan to. I have to speak to her anyway.”

  Suzanne dropped her voluminous leather bag on the table but didn’t sit down. She pulled out a thick datebook and flipped it open to check something. “Maybe by tonight we’ll have good news. Maybe the police will finally arrest Peter Goran and Maggie won’t have to worry anymore.”

  Lucy was never one to be cheered by anyone else’s misfortune, even when that person seemed to deserve it. But for all the easy banter and good humor between her friends this morning, there was no getting around it—a cloud of unease hung over the Black Sheep.

  The police had already come here once without warning and taken Maggie away. They all knew that until someone else was arrested for Amanda’s murder, it could easily happen again.