Quilter's Knot

* * * *

Carla sneezed. They had just gone through an open doorway into another space. She sneezed again.

'I have hay fever,” she said, apologetic. “There must be something in here.” She stepped carefully along the wall of the new room. Something rustled when she swept her hand overhead. She took a half-step and reached up again.

'Feel this,” she said, and guided Harriet's hand up to what felt like a clump of dried flowers. She stepped forward and felt again. “I think someone is drying herbs or something in here. It feels like a series of bouquets or something hanging from the ceiling.'

Harriet stepped around Carla and crept forward, moving her hand from one bunch to another.

'I think you're right. Did you notice the dried flower arrangements in our rooms? Someone here seems to be into it. In my room they have dried lavender and eucalyptus in the arrangement. I guess it's a good way to keep the rooms smelling fresh.'

'Does eucalyptus grow here?” Carla asked.

'I don't think so. But I bet they harvest wildflower seeds for the meadow. I've tried using those wildflower mixes, and the first year they look great but the second year only the ugly stuff comes back and it goes downhill from there until you have a big patch of weeds. I'd be willing to bet someone seeds that meadow by the pond. It looks too good to be natural.'

Carla sneezed again. “Come this way,” she said. Harriet moved toward her voice and bumped into her.

'Sorry.'

'It's okay. I think I felt a little air coming from across the room. Hold my hand-we're going to take it slow.'

Harriet was impressed by how surefooted Carla was. She led them carefully across to the other corner of the room and then along the wall to the right.

'There's a door here,” she said.

'Let me see.” Harriet found the latch and opened the door. “You're right, there's a definite feel of fresh air in here.'

Carla once again led the way.

'Stay close,” she said. She started carefully across the room then stopped. “There's a step here. I'm going to go up and see if there are more.” She moved, and Harriet heard a thump followed by an “Ouch!'

'There are steps that go up, but the ceiling doesn't.'

Harriet stepped onto the first step and reached up. She patted the sloped ceiling. “Do you still have the little light?'

Carla handed her the penlight, and Harriet turned it on, scanning the ceiling.

'Yes,” she said, and held her hand up for a high five. Carla slapped it. She swept the small light around the space they were in.

'This is some kind of root cellar, and if we can pry the latch open, it's our path to freedom.'

Carla worked her way to a wall shelf revealed by the dim light. Harriet heard the rustle of metal.

'There are some old tools here.” She came back with a hammer and some kind of file or chisel. Harriet wedged the chisel under the latch and hit it. The latch popped out of the door on the first try.

It took three tries and all the strength both women possessed, but finally the door swung open with a bang.

'Let's get out of here,” Harriet said quietly and limped forward.

They had come out on the west side of the building.

'I think we should go into the woods and circle around the meadow, since we don't know where our tormentor is.'

'I like the dark,” Carla said quietly.

Harriet shook her head and limped quietly into the woods. A last glance back revealed smoke seeping out of the high windows of the workroom.

'How bad is your foot?” Carla asked. “Do you want me to go get help?'

'It hurts, but I think it's just my toe. It'll be okay. Let's get back to the Tree House and call for help.'

Carla positioned herself next to Harriet and pulled Harriet's arm over her thin shoulders.

'Here, lean on me.'

They were on the path to the Tree House almost a half-hour before they heard sirens. There wouldn't be much left for the firefighters to work with.

Chapter Twenty-one

Mavis pulled the door open as Harriet, leaning heavily on Carla, came onto the Tree House porch. She took over providing support and guided Harriet to the sofa.

'Dios mio!” Connie cried, glancing heavenward as she pulled a pillow from the chair and put it on the coffee table. “What have you done?” She gently guided Harriet's foot to the pillow and began undoing her shoelaces.

'What time is it?” Harriet asked, looking at Mavis.

'He hasn't come yet, if that's what you're asking. Are you okay?” she asked Carla.

'I'm fine.” Carla collapsed onto the sofa beside Harriet.

Connie fetched two glasses of water. “Here, drink this,” she commanded.

Harriet took a sip and set her glass down. “Someone tried to kill us,” she announced.

'They burned Selestina's studio,” Carla said at the same time.

Mavis held her hand up. “One at a time.'

Carla's face flushed, and she was silent as Harriet gave a recap of their discovery of the outbuilding, being locked in, trying to call Aiden without luck and then escaping through the root cellar.

'Oh, my gosh-Aiden!” said Mavis. She went to the phone and began dialing. “He called here looking for you. He said he'd gotten a cryptic message. I told him you'd gone to the meadow to look for Selestina's workroom.'

She left a brief message stating that Harriet and Carla were back at the Tree House.

'I think we should pack up and go home,” Connie announced. “First Aiden's in an accident, and now Harriet and Carla are nearly trapped in a fire.'

'What about Lauren?” Harriet asked. “I can't believe I'm saying this, but if we leave now, what's going to happen to her? I'm not saying I owe her or anything, but after the setup we saw, it's pretty clear she's, at the very least, a victim of plagiarism. If we leave, she's the number-one suspect in Selestina's murder with no one to defend her.'

'Shouldn't we call the sheriff's office?” Connie asked.

'And tell them Carla and I were locked into a building we'd broken into, and then someone set it on fire? We don't even know for certain we were the target. Maybe whoever was burning the place locked the door out of habit.'

'That makes no sense,” Mavis argued as she wedged herself between the two younger women. “Why would they bother to lock an interior door if they were going to burn the place down? I do see what you mean about breaking and entering, though.'

'The door wasn't locked,” Carla offered.

'Well, I guess that's something, honey.” Mavis patted her leg.

Harriet closed her eyes and leaned her head back, listening to Connie and Mavis argue the merits of going versus staying. A sudden hammering on the front door interrupted the discussion. Mavis got up, but the door opened before she could reach it.

'Harriet,” Tom Bainbridge shouted.

'Tom?” Harriet took her foot off the table and stood up.

'Good afternoon, ladies.” He nodded to Connie and Mavis and ignored Carla. “If you don't mind, I'd like to speak to Harriet.'