Quilt By Association

'You guys make me feel like I'm twelve when you arrange my affairs without asking me.” It wasn't the first time Harriet had mentioned this, but her heart wasn't really in the argument this time, since she wouldn't able to drive herself until the cast was off, and she had to admit all the pampering had been sort of pleasant.

'What are we going to do about Iloai?” she asked. “I know Lauren thinks we should let the detectives handle it, but I think we owe it to DeAnn and her family to warn them what's about to happen. And I'm not sure it's an issue for the local police. I'm wondering if we should talk it over with Phyllis before we do anything else, too. I mean, Joseph is her employee, and if he's been involved with stealing children, she could be liable. At the very least, she'd know how to handle it.'

'We don't even know for sure Joseph was involved,” Mavis pointed out. “The orphanage on the other end might have pulled the switch. We need to talk it over with your aunt in the morning, but I agree we need to tell DeAnn before anything else happens.'

'Are we having a Threads meeting on Monday, or are people just dropping off quilts?'

'I think people want to meet. Jenny and Robin both left me messages with reasons we needed to get together as a group, but I think they just want to know what's going on.'

'I'd like to see Connie and find out what, if anything, is happening with Kissa.'

'I'm curious about that myself-I haven't spoken to her today. Do you feel like watching a show?” Mavis asked, ending their discussion of quilts, The Loose Threads and the recent troubles.

Chapter 38

'Do you think any of the Threads would be willing to volunteer to hold dogs?” Aiden asked the next day when he and Harriet were on their way to breakfast.

'What do you mean?'

'It's just a theory at this point, but I think these hoarded dogs would heal faster if we began the process of socialization. I want to try having volunteers come sit with the them, one on one, and pet them and hold them and generally give them attention. None of them are so big they couldn't sit in a lap.'

'I'm sure they would. Well, Sarah won't, and Lauren will complain first, but I think everyone else would be happy to do it. Where will you be doing this?'

'Dr. Johnson said we could set up one of the storerooms with rocking chairs and a television and DVD player.'

'Sounds nice, actually.'

Aiden drove down to the waterfront in Smuggler's Cove and parked in front of a small storefront restaurant with a view of the dock. They both had eggs cooked in a cup-shaped slice of organic Black Forest ham. Cinnamon toast and sliced fruit completed the meal. Aiden drank coffee while Harriet sipped tea. For once, they met no one they knew and were able to enjoy a relaxing meal.

'Want to play hooky and go for a drive?” Aiden asked. “Dr. Johnson told everyone they couldn't call me unless it was a dire emergency, which didn't include simple re-stitching jobs.'

Harriet agreed, and he did take her for a drive-to Port Angeles. They went to a double feature movie then drove to Port Townsend and had sushi at Ichikawa.

'I can see why Ichikawa keeps winning the best Japanese food in Jefferson County award,” Harriet said as he paid the bill and they made their way to the front of the downtown eatery. He kept his hand lightly against her back as they strolled down the sidewalk.

'I'm glad they caught Joseph,” he said.

'Me, too. I just wish I knew why he attacked me.'

'Besides the fact you were trespassing and being a peeping Tom or Tomasina or whatever girl voyeurs are called?'

'Do you think he could get off because of that?'

'I'd be more worried about you getting arrested than him getting off. I haven't heard anyone say yet that they actually have any evidence against Joseph in the murder of either Rodney or Neelie. Given what you've dug up on them, it's quite possible someone connected to them followed them here and murdered them.'

'If that's true, we've ruined Joseph's career and maybe his life by helping make him a suspect.'

'That's what I was thinking,” Aiden said. “Almost makes you hope he's guilty.'

'If he isn't guilty, he's acting pretty weird. You saw how stressed he was at the coffee shop and then he no- showed at work and disappeared when I was attacked and Rodney was killed.'

'He could just be scared. Wouldn't you be, if everyone in town thought you were a murderer?'

'I don't know what to think,” Harriet said with a sigh. “I wish Neelie Obote never came to our town with her pretend baby and claims about her nonexistent dead sister.'

'If what you learned from her foster mother is correct, it's her town, too. She was coming home.'

'I know I'm not being generous but I don't care if this was home. She should have stayed away.'

'With Joseph in jail and my dogs all on the mend, maybe we can leave the drama behind and get on with our mad, passionate love affair.'

'Don't even think the word affair around my aunt or Mavis,” Harriet warned as he stopped and pulled her into his arms for a slow kiss, ending all discussion.

'Where have you been?” Aunt Beth asked from the porch as Harriet hobbled up the path toward the front door.

'We went to breakfast,” Harriet replied with a smile.

'For eight hours?'

'It was a long breakfast.'

She made her way into Aunt Beth's living room and sat down on the sofa.

'I'd like to go home,” she said.

'Honey, I know you were jerked around by your parents, and I know that left you feeling helpless. I also know that you compensate by being stubborn about your independence. Ordinarily, I'd try real hard to respect that, but tonight, I'm just too pooped to peep.

'As long as you're on crutches, you need help, whether you think so or not. Mavis or I would have to go to your house, and after running the long arm machine all day, I just want to sit in my chair and watch one of my programs and then go to bed. Tomorrow, when you get your walking cast, I'll move you back home.'

Harriet held out her hand, and her aunt came to sit beside her on the couch.

'I'm sorry. I'm being selfish. I do appreciate how much work it is for you when I'm out of commission. Not only have you taken good care of me and Fred, but you've had to do all my quilting. Meanwhile, I'm acting like a spoiled brat.'

'Oh, honey. You're allowed to be out of sorts when you're hurting.'

'I'll just take myself off to bed and you can rest.'

Aunt Beth offered and Harriet declined both dinner and a snack. She and Aiden had gotten ice cream cones for the trip home, and she was pretty sure she'd never be hungry again.

'I think I'll go upstairs and read,” she said. “I enjoyed my day out, but I am pretty tired, and tomorrow is a big day,” she said and wiggled her encased foot.

'See you in the morning,” Aunt Beth said with a yawn.

Chapter 39

'Don't stress out if it takes longer than an hour at the doctor,” Aunt Beth said as she picked up her purse and coat the next morning. “I've got a little more to go on Phyl's quilt, so I'll be at your house when the Threads arrive. I can entertain them until you get done.'

'I thought you said Phyl's quilt was going to be simple,” Harriet said. She balanced on her good foot as she reached into the coat closet and pulled out her gray hoodie and put it on. She was wearing jeans that had the side