that my shoulder rested against him and he took my hand and squeezed it. Detective Heather looked over just then. I saw her lip quiver when she spotted Barry’s hand holding mine.
“Omigod. I have to go,” I said, pulling away. “I left Milton Mindell at the bookstore.” Messy clothes and all, I took off down the street.
As I walked into the bookstore, the kids were just coming out of the tent. Two boys took one look at me and started pointing with happy horror faces. “Eww, it’s Rhonda the Zombie.” I gathered it was a character in the latest book, because other kids started saying the same thing.
I glanced toward the table of presigned books and Dinah waved. She was already collecting tickets and handing out books. I blew her a kiss.
Then I remembered the overflow kids I’d left with Adele. Worried that she’d abandoned them and they were taking apart the children’s section, I rushed over. Mason was just escorting Milton Mindell to the center of the group. When Mason saw me, he looked concerned and stepped away. Not that the kids noticed. They were looking at Milton like he was some kind of rock star.
I told Mason it was tomato sauce on my shirt and then immediately began to thank him for helping out. “How did you do it?” I said, gesturing toward Milton and the kids. Milton had always been a stickler about only dealing with the kids in the tent.
“Are you really okay?” Mason asked, touching a dollop of tomato and rubbing it between his fingers. I nodded and his face relaxed into a grin.
“I think after what I did you owe me,” he said. “If you want to know how I wrapped Mr. Mindell around my little finger, you’ll have to have dinner with me. Of course, you might want to change first.” I realized I’d been wrong about there being something starting up between Dinah and him. Later she told me all he’d done was ask her about me.
I sensed somebody behind me, and when I looked over my shoulder I saw that Barry had caught up with me. When he saw Mason, he glared at him. Mason nodded and saluted Barry with a little raise of his eyebrows. It was the barbecue all over again.
CHAPTER 26
“IT WAS A NICE IDEA TO MAKE AN EVENT OUT OF presenting the shawls,” CeeCee said as we stood outside the Cottage Shoppe. The storage container was gone, and now that the remodeling was done, a permanent sign for Kevin’s Kitchen had been added. For tonight the whole place was closed for the private party. It was just going to be the women from the shelter, the Tarzana Hookers and a few guests. Kevin had made a special buffet of his soups and homemade breads, and I had provided the cheesecake cupcakes for dessert. The plan was that after everyone had food, we’d hand out the shawls.
“Where’s the rest of the crew?” Sheila asked as she joined us. She sighed. “I can’t believe how good it feels to know that Detective Gilmore isn’t going to pop out of the bushes with any more questions.”
“Do you think my stylist is right?” CeeCee turned, model fashion, to show off her sleek outfit. She’d given up trying to lose the five pounds once her stylist told her that the right clothes could make her look as though she had. We both gave her a thumbs-up, and CeeCee asked about dessert.
Dinah arrived breathless with E. Conner and Ashley-Angela in tow. “They’ll be good, I promise.” She threw me a hopeless look. “Jeremy called again with another stall, and the babysitter didn’t show.” Then she sighed. “I’m afraid he’s never going to pick up his kids.” I didn’t want to say anything, but I’d been thinking the same thing.
“Ladies,” Eduardo said, taking a place next to CeeCee. His long black hair was loose, and he’d dressed in slacks and a sport jacket. He had asked me several times why Adele was acting so strangely. He appeared to have no idea he’d done anything wrong because, I gathered, he’d only thought they were crochet partners. I covered by saying that was just Adele.
No one could accuse Adele of being subtle. She joined the group with a snap of her black cape, which she’d worn over a purple silk dress. She made a point of ignoring Eduardo as she said in an extra loud voice that her boyfriend William was picking her up.
Only I knew who William really was. After the episode with Eduardo, Adele had rethought her date with Koo Koo the Clown, aka William Bearly, and decided she liked him after all. He’d been thrilled when she called him, or at least that’s what she said. Adele threw me a panicked glance after she mentioned his name, apparently afraid I would give away his other identity. I said nothing. Her secret was safe with me.
“Why are you all standing out here?” Mrs. Shedd said. I’d invited her but didn’t know she was coming until she showed up. All she knew about Milton’s fiesta was that it was a huge success moneywise. Adele had conveniently forgotten she’d been afraid of Milton and had run off when she’d gotten upset over Eduardo. She took lots of credit for the horror author’s success and had convinced Mrs. Shedd she should work with me on any events that were kid related. I guessed I could live with that.
Mrs. Shedd took the lead, and we all followed her up the stairs into the store. Soft light glowed out from the windows and it looked inviting.
Benjamin Bradford was in the entrance hall acting as greeter. Actually he had come up with the idea for the shawl presentation and had Bradford Industries sponsor it. He had several motives. The Women’s Haven really was his pet charity—he’d spent time with his mother in a place like it and it was his way of saying thank you. He wanted to do something good to counteract all the problems his wife had caused. Well, soon to be ex-wife. He’d filed for divorce almost before they finished fingerprinting Patricia. She had been charged with two murders, and one attempted. Because of the charge, she wasn’t given bail and had plenty of time to crochet while she waited for her trial. And Benjamin still hoped to get elected and recognized the shawl event as a good publicity opportunity.
It was the first time I’d been in the store since the work was finished. Mr. Work Boots had done a good job and the place looked great. Kevin was rushing around making last-minute adjustments in the restaurant area.
“Come in, come in,” Kevin said as we approached the redone dining room. Several long tables had been set up, and a buffet had been arranged on a dark wood built-in sideboard. Overhead the wrought iron chandelier had been dimmed.
The women from the shelter arrived along with their director, and we intermingled as we found seats. Everybody wanted to sit next to Eduardo and he solved the problem by moving around. He really was so much more than a handsome face; he had that ability to make people feel good. He also invited everyone to come to his poetry reading at the bookstore.
Kevin knew his way around soup, and everyone had multiple bowls. He had added some salads and stuffed mushrooms to the buffet, too. He was no slouch in the bread department, either.
“I’m so glad you’re all here,” Benjamin said getting up to the front of the room when everyone was finished eating. I noticed a photographer and man with a video camera had come in and were capturing the moment. Benjamin finished his remarks by announcing it was time for the Tarzana Hookers to give out their handiwork.
We came up one by one and handed out the hugs of comfort shawls we had made. After each of us had wrapped a shawl around a recipient’s shoulders, we gave the women a real hug. The women from the shelter all said how much it meant to them—the physical feeling of being wrapped in something soft and warm and that someone had cared enough to make it for them.
By the end there wasn’t a dry eye.
Afterward, Kevin showed off the sales area. “Dorothy talked me into keeping it half restaurant and half store.” He took us into the living room and pointed to the alcove and room beyond that were devoted to consignment items and handicrafts. “I’m glad that Trina decided to come back to us,” he said as we admired the items. He pulled Sheila aside. “I just wanted to make sure that your check was for the right amount. I don’t want to take a chance losing your scarves and blankets. They are big sellers.”
“Blankets?” Adele said, getting into the middle of it.
“You haven’t seen them?” Kevin picked up a soft heathery red blanket off the arm of the rocker.
“But it’s knitted,” Adele sputtered, touching it like it was made of worms.
So Sheila was the one who’d been making the blankets all of us had admired. She was full of surprises, but not good ones, according to Adele, who was going on about how she couldn’t believe one of our own was a closet knitter. Koo Koo arrived just in time and collected her.
