Free The Long Stitch Good Night: An Embroidery Mystery by Amanda Lee Page A

Blake. Now, on top of everything else I have to deal with, I’ve got houseguests.”
    “Were you mad earlier today because you saw Ted come by the shop?”
    She put her fists on her hips. “I wasn’t mad at you, Marcy. Contrary to what you might think, not everyone’s actions revolve around you. I hadn’t even had time to think about you today. I was doing well to put one foot in frontof the other and keep going without breaking down.” She sank onto the ottoman that was directly behind her and began sobbing.
    My tears were still close enough to the surface that they spilled out all over the place as soon as Sadie’s started. Not knowing whether I’d be slapped or embraced but willing to take a chance, I went to Sadie and knelt beside her. She hugged me, and we wept together until Angus came and began licking our faces. Laughing, we pulled away from each other and lavished affection on the lanky dog with the bemused expression.
    “I’m sorry,” I said at last. “You’re right. I
do
tend to think everything is about me.”
    “No, you were right. I was pushing everyone away today. I didn’t want help, and I didn’t want to tell Mom and Dad because that made everything more real to me.” She wiped her eyes. “I keep waiting for this mess to resolve itself.”
    “Well, you know me,” I said. “
Wait
isn’t in my dictionary. I’ve already scheduled meetings with the four other fraternity brothers who were at the Brew Crew last night.” I gave her an abbreviated version of my conversations with the men.
    “That’s great,” Sadie said. “But why did youtell Charles the truth when you were so cagey with the rest of them? He could have something to hide, too, you know.”
    “I know, but the only way I felt I could get him to cooperate was to make him feel like he had something to gain as well—the story. Actually, I did that with all of them. I’m buying Andy dinner, paying Mark for a personal training session, and—in a roundabout way—offering Roberto the possibility of networking with my mom or some other Hollywood insiders.” I shrugged. “An article was all I had to offer Charles.”
    “It seems to have worked.” She smiled. “Thank you.”
    “I’ll let you know what I find out,” I said. “By the way, do you know a woman named Tawny Milligan?”
    “The name sounds vaguely familiar. Why?”
    “Robbie told me some of the fraternity brothers had spoken about her, and I’d hoped to contact her to see what she could tell me about Graham. The number I got for her from Todd’s Rolodex had been disconnected, though.”
    “We could look her up in the
Beaver
,” Sadie said. She laughed when my eyebrows shot up. “It’s the name of Oregon State’s yearbook. Blake only has the yearbook for the last year hewas at school, but if this Tawny chick was friends with some of the fraternity guys, then she had to have gone to the school and should be in the yearbook. Maybe it would at least tell us where she was from, and we would have something to go on.”
    “I’ll mention her to the guys, too,” I said. “That is, if I can find a way to work her into the conversation.” I smiled. “Maybe I could tell Mark I want biceps like Tawny Milligan’s.”
    “And, with your luck, she’d have the scrawniest little arms imaginable.”
    I walked toward the Brew Crew. There was a thick fog everywhere, and I could barely see. It was crowded—people were scrambling inside for the free green beer because it was Saint Patrick’s Day. I could’ve sworn I saw a leprechaun. I closed my eyes for a moment, and when I opened them, he was gone. Rats. No gold for me.
    I heard gunshots. Oh, no! I had to stop it.…I had to keep Graham Stott from being murdered. I had to get to Todd and Blake and tell them…something…tell them not to get involved…tell them to run…tell Todd not to invite his fraternity brothers to this party…tell him…tell them…
    I stepped inside and saw all these people: Sadie,Todd,