Quilt As You Go

'Please,” he said. “Am I correct that the fire turn-out company doesn't run a night shift?'

'They don't,” Jenny said. “And haven't for a long time.'

'Have any of you heard anything about them renting out the company to someone else to make a different product?'

They all shook their heads.

'I have seen a few new people in town who didn't look like they belonged here,” Lauren said. “Besides you, that is.'

'That doesn't mean anything,” Jenny said. “We do have a small seasonal work force this time of year. They work at the organic farm out past Smuggler's Cove.'

'Okay,” Aiden said, and took a step toward Terry. “It's time for you to tell us why you're spying on the factory and why you're in Foggy Point. The real reason this time.'

At six-foot-three, Aiden could look imposing when he wanted to. Harriet didn't know what had happened to him during the three years he'd spent doing animal research in Uganda, but there was an underlying toughness to him she guessed hadn't been there prior to his trip to Africa.

'I have to get down there.” Terry looked at the black Luminox watch on his wrist. “I'm meeting a guy. It's almost his break time. I'll know more after I talk to him. I promise, I'll tell you what this is about later.'

Aiden started to grab Terry's arm, but Harriet stopped him.

'Let him go,” she said.

Terry gave her a grateful look and took off through the woods.

'What now, Mata Hari,” Aiden asked.

Jenny pulled her hood off and repositioned her short ponytail.

I'll call off the others,” she said. “Shall we meet back at Tico's?'

'I'll call Jorge and make sure no one else is using spy central,” Lauren said.

'They're right,” Harriet said. “We need to get together with the Threads.'

* * * *

Harriet called Aunt Beth on the ride back to Tico's Tacos. She knew that, even though her aunt would have nixed the idea of following Terry, she'd want to be in on the results of the enterprise.

'So, let me get this straight,” Aunt Beth said when the Loose Threads and Aiden were all seated in Tico's back room and Jorge had supplied iced tea and lemonade for all of them-minus Sarah, who had presumably gone to salvage her hot date. “You followed Terry because you were suspicious about where he went every night. You discovered he's following someone else for reasons unknown.'

'That pretty much sums it up,” Aiden said. “I wanted to squeeze it out of him, but your niece wouldn't let me.'

'He said he'd tell us everything as soon as he met with his source,” Harriet reminded him.

'And of course you believed him because you trusted him so much. He's so trustworthy you had to follow him all over Foggy Point tonight.'

'He had official binoculars,” Connie offered.

'And of course that means he's legit,” Aunt Beth said.

'It doesn't mean he's legit,” Harriet said. “But the important part isn't what he's doing. it's more what he's not doing.'

'We were trying to see if he was doing something that would be harmful to Carla,” Lauren said. “I didn't see anything we should worry about.'

'What kind of person skulks around at night following other people who are probably doing something perfectly legitimate?” Aunt Beth said. “I don't think you've proved anything. In fact,” she continued, “from where I'm sitting, you've raised more questions than you've answered.'

Jorge brought a platter heaped with cheese-drenched nachos and set it in the middle of the picnic table.

'Dig in folks, it'll help you think more clearly,” he said.

Aiden had just scooped a tortilla chip dripping with cheese into the beans and salsa on the edge of the platter when his pager sounded. Harriet took the gooey bite from his hand and ate it as he called the animal clinic.

'Gotta go,” he said. “Can you get a ride?'

'Of course she can,” Connie said. “You go save the animal world.'

'Let's talk about what we know,” Robin said, and pulled the yellow tablet and a pen from her purse.

'Terry is following someone,” DeAnn offered.

'Not following,” Lauren corrected. “He's spying on someone at Carlton 's factory. I take that back. He's spying on the factory. We don't have any evidence he is spying on a particular person.'

'Good point,” Harriet said grudgingly. “He was spying on the activity taking place at the factory. Right now, we don't know if there is anything unusual about what's going on there. Just because we don't know about a night shift doesn't mean there isn't one.'

'So, that's the first thing we need to figure out,” Robin said. “If Terry is spying on the ordinary operation of a factory, then we have to wonder what he's up to and if he's planning some criminal activity. If, as he tried to lead us to believe, there is something wrong with what's happening at the factory, then we have to wonder why Terry's involved in spying on that wrong activity.'

'He said he was meeting someone there, so we can't really say he was spying on the factory,” DeAnn pointed out. “He could have been verifying that his friend was there before he went down.'

'You're quite the spies,” Aunt Beth said with a laugh. “You've just concluded that after all that following, you really don't know anything.'

'We learned that Terry has some interest in Foggy Point Fire Protection and whatever is going on there at night,” Harriet told her.

'At last,” Aunt Beth said. “That is a fact.'

'What do we do next?” DeAnn asked.

'I should be able to find out what's going on at Foggy Point Fire,” Harriet said. “Two of the Willis boys are staying at my house, and Gerry's been coming over to talk with them. They're all trying to sort out what happened with their dad. If Gerry is at my place when I get home, I'll ask him. If not, I can ask him or Carlton tomorrow.'

'That'll be a good start,” Robin said.

'Speaking of the Willis boys and the questions about their father,” Connie said, “do you suppose there is some connection between Terry and Ilsa? I mean, they both came to town at the same time and they both were following someone.'

'Whoa,” Lauren said.

'Could he be her son?” DeAnn wondered.

'If you're asking whether he could be Gerald's son,” Aunt Beth said, “I don't think so. At least, not if he was born after he and Ilsa were married. He was gone not quite twenty years, and Ilsa says they've only been married fifteen. But of course that assumes everyone is telling the truth.'

'That's a slippery slope to go down,” Harriet said. “If we're questioning everything, Ilsa and Gerald might have had a relationship before he left. He did travel, didn't he?'

'You all aren't old enough to really know the man. I'd bet my life he wasn't having an affair on Mavis,” Beth said. “Unless Terry is fourteen, he's not Gerard's son. That doesn't preclude the possibility that he's Ilsa's son.'

'And that might give him a good motive for killing Gerard,” Harriet suggested. “What would he have against Carlton that would have him sizing up the factory?'

'It's not a perfect theory yet, but it does seem to be a bit of a coincidence that Gerard comes back, followed by Ilsa and then it turns out Terry showed up at the same time,” DeAnn said.

'I think you guys are way off track, but let me dig on the internet about Terry,” Lauren said. “I'm not holding out a lot of hope, though. He seems kind of sharp, which means he's probably not using his real name and has probably lied about everything else, too.'

'I've got to check up on Carla tomorrow,” Aunt Beth said. “I'll probe a little and see what Terry has disclosed to her. Who knows? He might have told her something useful.'

'Call if you get anything,” Lauren said and stood up. “I've got to go.” She pulled a few bills from her purse and