Murder by Artifact (Five Star Mystery Series) Read online

  MURDER BY ARTIFACT

  MURDER BY ARTIFACT

  THE MURDER QUILT

  * * *

  BARBARA GRAHAM

  FIVE STAR

  A part of Gale, Cengage Learning

  * * *

  Copyright © 2009 by Barbara Graham.

  Five Star Publishing, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination, or, if real, used fictitiously.

  No part of this work covered by the copyright herein may be reproduced, transmitted, stored, or used in any form or by any means graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, scanning, digitizing, taping, Web distribution, information networks, or information storage and retrieval systems, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  The publisher bears no responsibility for the quality of information provided through author or third-party Web sites and does not have any control over, nor assume any responsibility for, information contained in these sites. Providing these sites should not be construed as an endorsement or approval by the publisher of these organizations or of the positions they may take on various issues.

  Set in 11 pt. Plantin.

  * * *

  LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

  Graham, Barbara, 1948-

  Murder by artifact : the murder quilt / Barbara Graham. —

  1st ed.

  p. cm.

  ISBN-13: 978-1-59414-828-6 (alk. paper)

  ISBN-10: 1-59414-828-7 (alk. paper)

  eISBN-10: 1-4328-2488-0

  eISBN-13: 978-1-4328-2488-4

  1. Sheriffs—Fiction. 2. Tennessee—Fiction. I. Title.

  PS3607.R336M85 2009

  813′.6—dc22 2009027522

  * * *

  First Edition. First Printing: November 2009.

  Published by Five Star in conjunction with the author.

  Printed in the United States of America

  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 13 12 11 10 09

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Acknowledgement

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  About the Author

  This book is dedicated to all the caregivers. Theirs is a difficult and often thankless job.

  And as always, with love to Dennis, Justin and Alexander.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  * * *

  The altogether wonderful Museum of Appalachia in Norris, Tennessee, has a “murder quilt.” I was so enthralled by the name, I had to write a book with such an artifact. They also have a great collection of flax hackles. Inspiration comes from all places.

  To Alice Duncan for seeing the promise in my manuscript and guiding me through the edits. Without her, the book would be a mess. Thank you, Alice.

  Thanks to Michelle Quick, a great friend and pattern tester.

  Special thanks to K. T. Irwin of Northwest K-9 Search and Recovery of Cody, Wyoming. In addition to providing me with expert information, she and her search dogs work long and hard, helping those in need.

  * * *

  NIGHT ON THE MOUNTAIN

  A MYSTERY QUILT BY THEO ABERNATHY

  The finished size is suitable as a wall hanging, lap or crib size top of approximately 42′′ by 54′′.

  All fabric requirements are generous and based on standard width fabric of approximately 40′′ of usable fabric. The instructions assume familiarity with basic quilt construction and an accurate 1/4′′ seam.

  Fabric requirements:

  Lights—3 light prints, 1/4 yard each (fat quarters work fine). If all are from same color family (like yellow) they should be different values.

  Medium or Dark—2 different prints in one color family (like blues). Mediums need to contrast with the chosen lights.

  Medium or Dark #1—1 1/2 yards

  Medium or Dark #2—1 1/4 yards or scraps of various fabrics in same color family as Medium #1.

  Cutting instructions: Make sure to label pieces by color number and size.

  From Light #1—cut 6 squares 3 3/4′′ and cut 24 squares 2 1/8′′

  From Light #2—cut 6 squares 3 3/4′′ and cut 12 squares 4 1/4′′

  From Light #3—cut 30 squares 2 1/8′′ and cut 20 squares 1 3/4′′

  From Medium/Dark #1—cut 4 strips 4 1/4′′ by length of fabric and 4 strips 2 1/2′′ by length of fabric

  from remainder—cut 17 strips 2 1/8′′ by 10 1/4′′ and 32 squares 1 3/4′′

  From Medium/Dark #2—cut 72 squares 3 3/4′′ and cut 12 squares 4 1/4′′

  * * *

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Acknowledgement

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  About the Author

  CHAPTER ONE

  * * *

  “There’s a huge old bloodstain in the center of it.”

  “On what?” Theo Abernathy pressed the tiny telephone to her ear while she walked around her studio, only half listening to her mother-in-law’s phone conversation. Theo wondered if she had time to put the finishing touches on her newest quilt pattern before it was time to pick her sons up from day camp. She still had a few hours. It might be enough.

  “On the donation called ‘the murder quilt.’ ” Jane’s honeyed voice flowed through the receiver. “Honestly, Theo, aren’t you listening to me? That’s what the paper pinned to the front calls it. There’s a short history written on the exhibition release form. I think you need to come see this quilt, and soon.”

  Theo didn’t want to admit she had not been paying strict attention. If she did, Jane’s feelings would be hurt and Theo wanted to avoid doing that. “How soon?”

  “Now.” Jane’s voice held a fascinating mixture of excitement and command.

  “Okay.” Theo conceded, recognizing a summons from her mother-in-law when she heard one. “Who donated this quilt? It’s certainly a catchier name than ‘grandmother’s favorite.’ ”

  Jane didn’t quite snort. Her soft laugh sounded like an agreement to Theo.

  “Well, it’s not exactly a donation,” said Jane. “You’ll never guess who’s offering to loan it to the museum for a while.” Without waiting for a response, Jane hung up on her.

  Theo doubted Jane and her sister had expected such an enormous outpouring of family artifacts when they announced their plans to create a folk museum in Park County, Tennessee. Many of the relics were more trash than treasure. People left boxes of chipped canning jars, scythes, flax hackles, magazines and whatever else they wanted to get rid of at the new museum site. At last count, the ladies had eighteen horse collars stacked in a storage shed. None of them were in good shape.

  In the past month, Theo had received
several summonses to come see antique quilts. As a dedicated quilter and owner of Theo’s Quilt Shop, it was her pleasure. Usually. A few of the items were excessively worn, dirty and smelled of mildew. The owners of those either hoped for a cash buyout or for major, free repairs. The ploy wouldn’t work. Some things shouldn’t be saved.

  As long as she wasn’t getting any work done, Theo decided to drag Nina along as reinforcement. Her best friend loved spur-of-the-moment activities almost as much as she loved chocolate. When Nina answered the phone, Theo spoke without preamble.

  “You have nothing better to do now that school’s out, so put some shoes on. I’ll be by to get you in five minutes.”

  Nina snickered softly. “Okay, will you at least tell me what this is about?”

  “Someone donated a quilt Jane’s all excited about and she won’t tell me where she got it.” Theo disconnected the call.

  Pulling her keys out of her purse, she clattered down the stairs from her studio into her fabric store and nearly plowed into a customer. Summer brought lots of tourists into the shop. “Oops, pardon me.”

  The shopper turned and smiled. She held a small, dark-eyed boy in her arms. “Hello, Theo, do you remember me?”

  Theo paused, considering. The woman looked to be in her mid-thirties like herself. Attractive rather than pretty, she had large blue eyes, short dark hair and a wide mouth coated with flame-red lipstick. Theo thought maybe they had been in school together, but which one? Silersville High or the University of Tennessee? “You do look familiar.” Theo tilted her head. “I’m afraid your name escapes me.”

  “You were talking to my uncle just the other day.” The boy squirmed and the woman changed her grip, exposing a deformed thumb.

  The sight of the unusual thumb jogged her memory. “Vicky Parker.” High school. Vicky had lived up the road from Nina for only a few months and they had all gone to high school together. Theo remembered Vicky had an unsavory reputation and a nasty attitude for which she had earned the nickname “Icky Vicky.” Theo smiled. People grew up a lot after high school. “How are you? Have you moved back here?”

  “No. We’re just visiting.” She squeezed the little boy and he giggled.

  “You’ve certainly got a handsome little boy.” Theo grinned at the child.

  “Thanks.” Vicky ran a protective hand over his shoulder blades, holding him still. “I wanted to come by and say hi. You’re about the only person I liked when I lived here.”

  “Really?” Surprised, Theo considered their history. She doubted they had exchanged more than twenty words in the short time they were in school together. Vicky had actually been in the class behind hers.

  “Yeah. I felt sorry for you ’cause you lived with those creepy old people.” She leaned closer, invading Theo’s space. She reeked of cigarette smoke. “I heard they wouldn’t even let you watch television or talk on the phone and treated you like a slave.”

  Theo felt like she was trapped between an ashtray and the wall. In a lightning quick move, Vicky’s little boy pressed sticky fingers on the lenses of her glasses.

  Theo slipped her glasses off and cleaned them on the bottom of her shirt. “They were my grandparents and I wasn’t a slave.”

  “If you say so.” Vicky lifted her eyebrows.

  Although she loved her grandparents, Theo had to admit Vicky wasn’t too far off the mark about some of their rules. Stepping out of the little boy’s reach, she replaced her glasses and glanced at her watch. She began to sidle toward the back door. “Sorry, Vicky, I’m late for an appointment and have to leave now.” Before she could stop her mouth, she found herself saying something she knew was stupid. “Come by again when you’re in town and we’ll have a nice talk. Over lunch maybe.”

  “I’d love to.” Vicky grinned and followed Theo through the doorway, watching her. She spoke softly to the boy and waved his little arm with her hand. “Say bye-bye, Theo.” Vicky’s smile, as wide as it was, didn’t reach her eyes.

  Theo thought her expression looked oddly like triumph. But why?

  With a groan, she climbed into her car and turned the key. For a change, the minivan started immediately. Theo put it in gear, thinking she and Vicky didn’t have enough memories in common to get them through ordering coffee.

  She mulled over the unexpected interaction as she drove to Nina’s house. Something about it disturbed her. Goose bumps rose on her arms. Theo wondered what put such a satisfied expression on Vicky’s face. It was as though she had wanted Theo to invite her to do something together but not for the expected reasons.

  CHAPTER TWO

  * * *

  Addressed to “Sheriff Marc Antony Abernathy, Personal,” a plain white envelope rested on the top of Tony’s morning mail. He glanced at the envelopes under it. As usual, most of the rest of the mail was addressed impersonally to Sheriff, Park County. Half curious and half irritated when someone used his whole name, Tony slit the top of the envelope.

  A newspaper photograph fell out and fluttered to his desk. Tony left it there while he read the accompanying note. Written on an ordinary index card, it simply read, “There’s more.” Although scribbled in green crayon, there was nothing childish about the message.

  His eyes moved to the fallen rectangle of newspaper. The photograph showed his own face and the bones of a human hand he held. The article had been torn from the Silersville Gazette, their twice-weekly local paper. There was no date on the clipping. Tony didn’t need one. It was now June, and he remembered the incident had happened in March.

  The sudden chill running through him had nothing to do with the refrigerated air blasting from the overworked air conditioner. An unexpected weather front had trapped a pocket of unusually hot and humid air over East Tennessee.

  The headline read, “Sheriff’s wife finds body.” Mesmerized, he continued to read. “Skeletal remains were discovered today by Theo Abernathy. Mrs. Abernathy said she was looking for wildflowers in McMahon Park when she saw bones protruding from the ground. The bones have been sent to the state laboratory for testing and identification. No other details were available at this time.”