Free Threads of Deceit (Vineyard Quilt Mysteries Book 1) by Mae Fox, Jan Fields

than she expected, given the brief attention span of television news. She was finally able to relax a little at that point.
    As the sun grew warmer, Julie pulled her dark curls into a messy ponytail to let the breeze from the river cool her neck. Antiquities recovery was definitely more interesting than treasure hunting. She began to regret the thick cotton sweater she’d worn with her jeans. But she refused to give up and go back to the inn after the big deal she’d made out of her interest in the hunt. She could almost picture both Daniel and Hannah laughing at her lack of patience.
    The newspaper reporter seemed to be having a similar problem with patience. She’d wobbled back to lean on her car and make cellphone calls. She flicked dirt off her trousersand shoes while giving Daniel and George occasional glances.
    George was the only person clearly having a good time. Periodically, he would burst into song, usually with lyrics he’d obviously come up with on the spot. The songs tended toward bawdy, and virtually all featured really bad puns. In an act of mental self-preservation, Julie had pointedly stopped listening after he belted out, “When you’re down by the sea and an eel bites your knee, that’s a moray!”
    The sound of another car rumbling up the dirt road drew everyone’s attention. It was a mud-splashed pickup truck. The driver looked like an advertisement for back-to-nature farming with his neatly trimmed blond beard and a cap advertising organic something or other. He ambled over to Daniel, nodding briefly at Julie. She assumed she was looking at the farm owner, Joseph Winkler, and her guess was confirmed on Daniel’s first words.
    “Joseph,” he said, “have you met my friend George?”
    The farmer nodded at George. “When he drove in.”
    Daniel pointed toward Julie. “That’s my landlady, Julie Ellis.”
    From her periphery, Julie saw the reporter perk up minutely. She tensed, expecting the woman to move toward her. But apparently the “landlady” wasn’t worth trudging through the mud for.
    “Pleased to meet you,” Joseph said, directing the polite words at Julie but then allowing his head to drift toward the reporter as well. He turned back toward Daniel. “I got a weird phone call and thought I ought to tell you.”
    “A phone call?”
    “Some lawyer. I didn’t recognize the name, though he says he’s local. Anyway, he made an offer to buy my farm.”
    “I didn’t know you were trying to sell.”
    “I’m not. Maddie and I love it here and an organic farm is our dream. The lawyer said he represented someone who didn’t want to be named. They offered me a lot more for this place than it’s worth.”
    “Why would someone do that?”
    Joseph tipped back his cap to scratch his head. “That’s the weirdest part of all. The sale was dependent on my stopping the search for the steamboat immediately. Now, we don’t want to sell, so I’m not stopping you, but it’s weird.”
    Daniel’s face clouded darkly, and he folded his arms over his chest. “I’d sure like to know who would want to shut me down. As far as I know, I’m the only person in America who truly believes there’s a steamship buried on this farm. Well, me and George.”
    George grinned at his friend. “Me? I’m just here for the beer afterward.”
    The farmer looked curiously at George’s equipment. “Found anything yet?”
    George shook his head. “But I still have a fair bit of the grid to cover.”
    Joseph nodded. “I should get back to the farm stand and help Maddie.” He didn’t move toward the truck but watched as George continued with his readings.
    Suddenly, George let out a whoop. “I think I’ve got a live one!”
    Daniel and Joseph crowded around him immediately. Julie hurried to join them. The numbers George rattled off didn’t mean much to her.
    “I don’t really speak math,” Julie said. “Did you find the ship?”
    “Well, the readings aren’t proof,” George said. “But