who.'
'My mom hadn't been out to her workroom in months,” Tom informed her. He rubbed his hands over his face. “You really aren't going to let this go, are you?'
'I can't.'
'I guess you're going to find out eventually, so I might as well tell you.'
'What?'
'My mom had dementia.” He leaned back and sagged in his chair. “She was still in the early stages, but she wasn't doing any new art. And I certainly don't think she could have carried out a scheme to copy student work. This was going to be her last term teaching.'
'So, that's why you were selling the property?'
He looked directly at her. “I wish it was that simple.'
'I'm sorry,” Harriet said.
Tom picked up the cup Mavis had set in front of him earlier and drained it.
'After my mom got diagnosed, I went through a million different scenarios in my mind. The doctors can't predict how long a person will live with dementia, you know. And no one could tell me what the decline would be like. Some people are aware they have it, others aren't. My mom wasn't, so I couldn't talk to her about it.
'In the end, I figured she'd want to be here as long as she could. I had this idea that I could partner with someone who knows the adult foster care business. We could build a couple of homes right on the property, and then people like my mom could continue to do art as long as they are able to.” He set his cup on the table and ran his hands through his thick hair again. “Now I don't know what I'm going to do.'
'This certainly brings up more questions than it answers,” Mavis said with a sigh.
Chapter Twenty-two
'I can understand why the police suspect Lauren,” said Harriet. “I don't believe she did anything to Selestina, but she has been bad-mouthing her to anyone who would listen because she believes Selestina copied her work. What I don't understand is why someone from the school tried to run Aiden off the road, injuring Cammi in the process.'
'Don't look at me,” Tom protested. “He's the one who hit me. All I know about him is that he stood you up for dinner the other night.'
'Well, it's too many coincidences to just be random,” Connie said.
Harriet looked at Tom and took a deep breath. “Especially since it was a black Ford Explorer that ran him off the road, and one of the school's vehicles is damaged.'
'What? Why wasn't I told about this?'
Before anyone could answer, a sharp knock sounded on the Tree House door. Carla jumped at the noise then got up off the sofa and hurried to open it.
'Is Tom Bainbridge here?'
The voice belonged to Detective Ruiz. Tom rose and met him in the entryway.
'I'd like to ask you a few questions about a black Ford Explorer your business owns.'
'Sure. I only just heard one of the cars was involved in an accident. Can we go to my office?” He glanced back at the women.
Detective Ruiz agreed, and they left.
Mavis gathered the teacups and took them to the kitchenette. Harriet followed her with a handful of used napkins and spent tea bags for the wastebasket under the sink.
'So, Selestina had dementia,” she said.
'That kind of puts a new wrinkle in things.” Mavis started washing cups with a worn-looking sponge. Harriet took each one in turn, rinsed it and set it in a wooden dish rack on the tile counter.
'I'm not sure it does,” she replied. “The effects of early stage dementia could have given Selestina a good reason to be copying student work. Who knows how long it had been affecting her? Maybe she wasn't able to do new work but still was aware enough to know she needed to be putting something out there to keep her reputation.'
'And maybe someone else discovered their work had been stolen and took exception?” Mavis suggested.
'I guess it's still pretty weak. I'm sure no one wants their work copied, but there has to be more to it. I know people kill for pocket change, but not quilters.'
'Are you sure it was a quilter?'
'I guess we don't have any proof other than the fact that she was teaching a quilting class when she dropped. We need to ask Darcy what's happening regarding the poisoning. Is she still here?'
'I saw her up at the office after lunch. She was talking to a policeman, so I didn't interrupt.'
'Anyone home?” Robin sang out as she came into the Tree House.
'In here,” Harriet called back.
'Anybody want to go out to eat tonight?” Robin asked. “I could kill for a burger.'
Mavis glared at her over the top of her glasses.
'Hey, it's a joke.'
'Don't you think it's a bit insensitive, given the circumstances?” Mavis asked.
Robin shrugged. “Chalk it up to lawyer humor.'
'No wonder no one likes lawyers,” Mavis said. She wiped the area around the edge of the sink.
'Did I hear the word burger?” Connie asked. “Sign me up.'
'Sarah said to tell everyone she and Lauren are going into town with someone from Lauren's class to buy some mat board,” Robin added.
Carla agreed to the plan, and after a round of bathrooming and purse-gathering the group of five got in Robin's van and headed for Angel Harbor.
'Jan Hayes was talking about a place called Big's Burgers,” Robin said as she drove up the hill. Harriet could see the yellow tape flapping in the breeze where Aiden's truck had gone over the embankment. “It's supposed to be on the right one block past the UPS Store.'
'Up there,” Mavis said, and pointed to a red-and-blue sign next to a driveway.
Robin parked, and the group got out and headed for the door. A gray sedan pulled into the parking spot next to her van, and Aiden got out.
'Do you have room for one more?” he asked as they gathered in front of the restaurant.
Mavis looked down her nose over the top of her glasses. “That depends.'
'On what?'
'On whether you can behave yourself.'
He had the good grace to blush. “I'm sorry. I don't like that guy to begin with, and he was grabbing Harriet.'
'I can take care of myself,” Harriet said.
Mavis hadn't moved.
'Okay, fine, I'll be good.'
'How's Cammi doing?” Connie asked as they went inside to wait for seating.
'Her doctor is hopeful. She can't really move her legs right now, but they think that might change when the swelling in her back goes down. She's got a little bit of feeling in her left foot, so that's a good sign.'
'That's just so weird,” Robin said. “Do you suppose the other car didn't see you in the rain?'
'Not a chance. I was in front, and the Explorer pulled partway into the other lane and then rammed me so I would go off to the right. Besides, I was in a white full-sized pickup. And it wasn't that stormy.'
The hostess came and led them to a red leatherette window booth that was big enough for them to sit three on a side. She passed out menus and chatted amiably with them about the burger choices, only leaving when she had everyone's order.
'I've had a little time to think about this,” Aiden continued. “I keep going over everything in my mind, trying to figure out why someone would want to run me or Cammi off the road. Between college and my post-graduate work
