him by, so that must mean something, too,” Harriet said.
'I can't believe our dad left us and married someone else,” Harry said in a hollow voice.
'This is
'There's one more thing,” Harriet said. “I'm not sure if this was a coincidence or if it's connected, but your mom was called to go babysit for your brother Pete during most of the re-enactment. She got back just before we saw your dad lying at the edge of the forest. She told me she thought something was off about the request. Pete told her their babysitter had to attend an out-of-town funeral, and then Mavis ran into the girl at a coffee shop. She fled when Mavis recognized her.'
'You're not trying to say Pete's in on this, are you?” Gerry asked. “Why would Dad ask Pete, of all people?'
'I don't know what I'm trying to say. It just seemed weird. It came up all of a sudden, and then the girl was in town when she was supposed to be gone. I think that's a pretty big coincidence.'
Gerry stared at the ceiling. “This just keeps getting better,” he said.
'What's so important about that particular polymer?” Harry asked. “Is it poisonous or environmentally dangerous?'
'No more so than any of the other chemicals we use to make the fireman's turnouts. None of the stuff we use is without its dangerous properties, but nothing radical. But I'm a business guy, what do I know. We can ask one of the chemists tomorrow, if you want.'
'Speaking of tomorrow, it's going to be here before we know it.” Harriet took her cup to the sink and rinsed it before putting it in the dishwasher. “I'm going to bed. Can I trust you not to tear the place up?'
'I'll behave,” Harry said. “I'm sorry I over-reacted. This has been a lot to take in.'
'I'll take responsibility for the coffeepot,” Ben offered.
Harriet thanked him, called Fred and went up to bed.
Chapter 18
Mavis was drinking tea in the kitchen the next morning when Harriet and Fred came downstairs.
'How's the shoulder, honey?” she asked.
'It's getting better each day. I'm really tired of this tie-down though.” Harriet wiggled the fingers on her injured side.
'I'm sorry the boys misbehaved last night. They confessed as soon as I got here this morning.'
'Where are they?'
'Harry is out running, and Ben went to get doughnuts.'
'Did they mention what we talked about last night?'
'Yes, and I'm sorry you had to be in the middle of all this, honey. I'm sure it was no picnic telling them about their dad's new wife.'
Harriet looked away. “I wasn't sure if I should be the one to break the news, but they were getting worked up about hiring an investigator. I felt like I had to stop them before they actually did something.'
'Well, I'm sorry, honey.” Mavis reached over and patted Harriet's good arm.
'Have you decided what you're going to do?'
'About what?'
'Ilsa, the funeral, all of this?'
'There's not much I can do. Ilsa's the one whose husband just died. Gerald Willis has been dead a long time. Ilsa seems pretty sensible. I thought I'd see what she wants to do about a memorial. If she doesn't want to do anything public, then the boys and I will do something private ourselves.'
'Have you talked to James yet?” Harriet asked. “You need to find out where you stand legally. We're assuming Ilsa is the widow here, but if Gerald was never dead, than you were still his wife when he died. It doesn't matter if he changed his name or married a second time or anything.'
'Honey, I'm trying to avoid thinking about the insurance money I've been getting all this time. I suppose there's nothing for it, though. James has to be in court this morning, but he said he'd come over when he's finished and see what he can figure out.'
'What a mess this all is. I wish we knew what was so important about that polymer. It doesn't make sense. If something made Gerald leave, what about a polymer could make him come back?'
'I think I hear Aunt Beth arriving,” Harriet said. “I'm going to check in with her, and then I'm going to Pins and Needles. The needle I'm using for my hand-piecing doesn't feel right. I realize it could be the fact that I have to hold my work at a weird angle, but my hand gets a cramp if I work for very long. I thought I'd try a short needle.'
'I'm going to wait here with the boys until James arrives,” Mavis said. “Could you check and see if Marjory has that extra-wide backing fabric in a pale yellow while you're there?'
'Sure,” Harriet said, and went through the connecting door into the studio.
Driving was a little harder than Harriet had anticipated, and she had to park three blocks away from Pins and Needles in order find a spot big enough to lurch her car into.
'Hey, Carla,” she said as she came into the quilt store. Her young friend was behind the counter. She explained her needle problem, and Carla showed her the array of needles Marjory stocked. Harriet ended up choosing a Jean Lyle big-eye quilting needle. It was short and should prove easy to thread.
'I heard one of the teachers in Angel Harbor say we should try quilting thread for our hand-piecing. She seemed to think it was easier to use,” Carla offered.
'I'll try anything. It's hard to keep my thread from tangling when I use sewing thread, so maybe this will be the answer.'
'Mavis told me to cut my length of thread shorter and it wouldn't tangle so much.” Carla looked at her feet. “She said it didn't pay to be lazy.'
'Threading a needle every five minutes isn't my idea of fun, so I guess I'm lazy.'
'Mavis showed me how to wax the end of my thread on a candle and then load a whole package of needles onto my spool. You tie a knot in the end of the thread and then each time you want a new needle, you grab it and pull some thread out, then clip the thread and needle from the spool and retie the end of the spool piece.'
'She's been holding out on me,” Harriet said. Carla blushed. “That technique could really help me now. I think I'll get two packages of needles. My aunt can thread them on for me, and then I can stitch for quite a while without having to bug her.'
Carla followed Harriet to the checkout counter, carrying the thread and needles for her. She rang up the purchase then hesitated as she put the items into one of the flowered bags Pins and Needles used for that purpose.
'Can I ask you a question?” she asked, looking everywhere except at Harriet. “About men,” she added, her face turning the familiar red color.
'Sure,” Harriet said, not sure she knew much more than Carla did where men were concerned.
'It's about the dinner I made the other night.'
Harriet's mind immediately went to the practice meal Aiden had dumped her for, and wasn't sure if she'd be able to talk about it without her anger being obvious.
'I cooked dinner for Terry, my friend, the other night,” she started then faltered. Of course-she was going to talk about the main event, Harriet thought with relief. Why would she give the practice dinner a second thought?
'And?” she prompted. “What happened?'
'He cancelled. I'd already prepared the do-ahead stuff and everything. What did I do wrong?” Carla pleaded.
'What did he say?'
