had, the money that had evaporated or Pat’s murdered husband.
“Pat, do you quilt like your sister?” she finally asked.
“No, that was always Marjory’s thing. I tried when we were young, but my efforts were never as good as hers. My points weren’t sharp enough, my stitches weren’t small enough, my color combinations weren’t as pleasing…” She sighed.
Pat sighed a lot, Harriet noticed. She really had the long-suffering routine down.
“Mom knits really well, though,” Lisa said when the silence had stretched to the breaking point.
“What sort of things do you knit?” Mavis asked.
It turned out Lisa was telling the truth. A lively discussion of knitting ensued, with Pat pulling an intricate green lace scarf from her purse as a show-and-tell.
Tom and Jorge took the dogs out for a walk while Jane Morse and Harriet cleared the table and began washing the dishes.
“What do you know about the trucker couple?” Morse asked. “I interviewed them at the church today, but they didn’t have much to say. I was a little surprised.”
“Why?”
“They seem pretty sharp, and yet, they ate and slept with the homeless folk for several days without seeing or hearing anything? I find that hard to believe. It makes me wonder what they’re hiding.”
“I can answer that,” Harriet said. “They may have other secrets as well, but the big one is that they are homeless themselves. Kate was embarrassed and didn’t want anyone to know. They lost all their money, their business and their house in a Ponzi scheme, which considering this evening’s revelation might move them to the top of the suspect list in Richard’s death.”
“Did they say who their fund manager was?”
“I certainly would have told you if she’d said anything like that. I figured it was a coincidence that both Kate and Pat had lost all their money. Kate said they lived in Sequim when they had their business.”
“I’m definitely going to be talking to them again tomorrow,” Morse said.
“Kate was with Lauren, Tom and I in the parking lot when Richard was killed. Owen was working on their truck. I suppose he could have circled around the camp and approached from the back side. And that still leaves Duane. Isn’t it more likely the same person killed both of them?”
“Maybe there’s a connection between Duane and Richard we haven’t discovered yet,” Morse said.
“But Pat said they were coming to Foggy Point to try to get Marjory’s money. She and Lisa didn’t say anything about meeting a homeless man or anyone else.”
“Sounds like Richard kept a lot of secrets from those two. He may have seen an opportunity to take care of business with Duane and collect money from Marjory at the same time.”
“They made such a mess of trying to get Marjory’s money it’s hard to believe he could have carried off Duane’s killing without leaving a shred of evidence behind.”
“And yet he defrauded how many people out of how much money?” Morse asked.
“Point taken.”
Tom came into the kitchen from the garage, a wet Curly held in one hand, her leash in the other.
“I was starting to think you were trying to avoid me,” he said.
Detective Morse excused herself with a wink at Harriet and went into the bathroom, giving them a little privacy.
“Jane and I were just washing the dishes and cleaning up the kitchen. Besides, it was getting a little crowded in there.”
“I know what you mean. It’s a struggle to come up with things to talk about that don’t set Pat off on a crying jag.” He took Harriet’s hand and pulled her toward him as he spoke.
“I appreciate the fact that you’re here.”
“I wish we could be alone, but I’ll take what I can get, even if I have to dangle off your roof to get it.”
“Thank you for fixing my gutter,” Harriet could feel the heat in her face. “How can I ever repay you?”
“I’m sure we’ll think of something.” He leaned in for a quick kiss. “But not while you have a house full of people, and anyway, I need to go back to the Renfros to check on them. By the way, I didn’t get a chance to tell you earlier, but I heard on the truck radio when I was driving over here that they expect the Muckleshoot to go down below bridge level overnight. You want to go for a ride in the morning and check it out?”
“What time?”
“Eight?” he suggested and kissed her again.
“I’d love to go,” she said with a smile.
Tom took his jacket from the kitchen closet and left through the studio.
“I came to see if you two had drowned in the soapy water,” Lauren said.
Jane came back into the kitchen as if on cue.
“And I’m supposed to make a pot of decaf coffee,” Lauren added.
She handed the empty coffee pot to Jane to fill with water while she filled the percolator basket with coffee grounds.
“Good thing your aunt saved this old relic,” she said as she put the assembled percolator on the stove burner and turned the gas on, lighting it with a match. “Before you ask, your aunt did, indeed, ask Pat and Lisa to join our slumber party, and Jorge is leaving after coffee to take Pat to fetch their car from the church parking lot.”
“I don’t know about you two, but I’ve had enough group drama for one day.” Harriet said. “Let’s deliver the coffee then get Lauren’s bed set up in the dormitory formerly known as my bedroom. My aunt and Mavis can get Pat and Lisa settled.”
Chapter 22
“Harriet had both coffee and hot water ready when Tom arrived the next morning.
“I wasn’t sure if you wanted coffee or tea,” she said.
“You didn’t have to do that,” he said and handed her a warm foil-wrapped package.
“You didn’t, either.” She smiled.
“I think we both know I didn’t. Mrs. Renfro sent this coffee cake over for you and your guests.”
“We wouldn’t want to offend Mrs. Renfro.”
She unwrapped one end of the package and sliced two pieces from the loaf then rewrapped it before putting the cake on paper napkins. Tom poured himself a cup of coffee from the percolator and sat down at the kitchen table while Harriet prepared her tea.
“Where are your aunt and Mavis? I can’t believe either one of them sleeps in,” he said.
“They left just before you got here. Jorge also heard about the bridge and is anxious to get to his restaurant.”
“Where does he live, anyway?”
“He has property somewhere that he’s been building a house on for years, but he lives in an apartment over the restaurant. Aunt Beth and Mavis are going to help him clean out his refrigerators.”
“They probably were happy for the opportunity to get out of here,” Tom said. “Not that you aren’t a gracious hostess or anything.”
“I’m sure they were, for a lot of reasons. They’re being very supportive of Pat and Lisa, but I know it’s taking a toll on them. Plus, this whole storm thing is hard on everyone. And all of us are used to living by ourselves. We spend a lot of time together, but that’s not the same as living together twenty-four-seven.” Harriet sipped her tea.
“On the other hand, I, for one, feel a little better knowing none of you are living alone right now with a murderer running loose in the community.”
“I’m hoping the return of Detective Morse will take care of that. She’s out detecting as we speak.”
“Has she had a breakthrough in the case?”
“If she has, she didn’t tell me about it. It would help if we knew what the connection was between Duane and Richard. Assuming there is one.”
