Read Online Death by Cashmere by Sally Goldenbaum - Free Book Online
Authors: Sally Goldenbaum
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noticed at first--slight signs of disarray. A desk drawer open, magazines in disarray on the coffee table. A small television sat on the bookshelf. And on the desktop Nell spotted orange earphones and Angie's small iPod that she'd seen her with often--all easily absconded items if the visitor had been a thief. But if not a thief, then what was he--or she--looking for?
Nell looked up to see her niece watching her, reading her thoughts. Nell brushed them away. "Let's go downstairs and get this pretty little thing some food," she said.
"My thoughts, too." Izzy held the door open for Nell and Cass, the kitten a curled ball in the crook of her other arm.
Nell looked back over the apartment one more time, her gaze lingering on a tall narrow table that she and Izzy had found at an estate sale last winter. They thought it would be perfect against that wall--a good place for a vase of flowers or a small lamp, a place to drop your mail. It looked like that's how Angie had used it, too. A small wicker basket held several pieces of mail--advertising and flyers for the coming Fourth of July picnic. A pack of mints, rubber bands, and some loose change--just like the basket on her own kitchen counter. A flash of red in the puddle of change caught Nell's attention and when she lifted up the basket, a set of keys fell out.
"My apartment key!" Izzy said. She looked at the scarlet A on the knitted swatch. "These are the extra keys Angie returned last week."
"The night she died," Nell said, remembering Angie tossing the key ring on the table.
"I guess we know how someone got in," Izzy said. "But--"
"How did they get the keys?" Cass finished. "Where did you put them, Iz?"
Izzy was silent for a moment, rubbing the kitten's fur while she thought back over that night and stared at the keys, looped around her finger. Finally she looked up. "Nowhere. I never put the key ring away, just tossed it in one of the baskets on the table, along with measuring tapes and spare needles and a mess of knitting gadgets. I remember now because someone pulled it out during a beginners' class last Saturday and admired the way I'd used an old swatch-- and the scarlet A for apartment. Everyone laughed at that."
"So whoever came up here took it from your basket," Nell said.
"Next question--who?" Cass followed Nell outside.
"It could have been almost anyone," Izzy said. She cuddled the kitten close as they walked back into the shop. "Everyone from my UPS guy to a class of teenagers knitting sack purses has been in the back room this week," she said. "Even Angus and Pete stopped by. People seemed to want to hang around. Maybe it was a prank, some curious kids wanting to see what was inside. The teenagers loved Angie, thought she was glamorous. Maybe they were curious about where she lived. Whoever did it left the key, so clearly they didn't plan on going back in."
"I don't think so." Nell thought about the desk drawer left open and the disarray in the closet. "I think someone was looking for something up there."
Cass looked over at the big wicker basket in the middle of the table. "Izzy, I think Nell's right. Something was going on with Angie. And I hate it, because it's all tied up with our lives. I want these past few days back. I want our summer back. And that won't happen until we find out what happened."
Izzy walked over to the window seat and sat down, cuddling the kitten. "Well, one thing I know for sure," she said.
"What's that, Izzy?" Nell said.
"I'm going to keep her."
Nell and Cass looked over at her.
Izzy lifted the kitten to her chest and rubbed her cheek against the soft fur. "The kitten. I'm going to keep her. I think she's exactly what we need right now. This sweet little thing came to the Seaside Knitting Studio for a reason, and this is where she will live and be happy."
Cass leaned over and tickled the kitten's chin. "You have a good life ahead of you, little calico--clam sauce fettuccine, grilled tuna, the list is endless."
Nell
Nell looked up to see her niece watching her, reading her thoughts. Nell brushed them away. "Let's go downstairs and get this pretty little thing some food," she said.
"My thoughts, too." Izzy held the door open for Nell and Cass, the kitten a curled ball in the crook of her other arm.
Nell looked back over the apartment one more time, her gaze lingering on a tall narrow table that she and Izzy had found at an estate sale last winter. They thought it would be perfect against that wall--a good place for a vase of flowers or a small lamp, a place to drop your mail. It looked like that's how Angie had used it, too. A small wicker basket held several pieces of mail--advertising and flyers for the coming Fourth of July picnic. A pack of mints, rubber bands, and some loose change--just like the basket on her own kitchen counter. A flash of red in the puddle of change caught Nell's attention and when she lifted up the basket, a set of keys fell out.
"My apartment key!" Izzy said. She looked at the scarlet A on the knitted swatch. "These are the extra keys Angie returned last week."
"The night she died," Nell said, remembering Angie tossing the key ring on the table.
"I guess we know how someone got in," Izzy said. "But--"
"How did they get the keys?" Cass finished. "Where did you put them, Iz?"
Izzy was silent for a moment, rubbing the kitten's fur while she thought back over that night and stared at the keys, looped around her finger. Finally she looked up. "Nowhere. I never put the key ring away, just tossed it in one of the baskets on the table, along with measuring tapes and spare needles and a mess of knitting gadgets. I remember now because someone pulled it out during a beginners' class last Saturday and admired the way I'd used an old swatch-- and the scarlet A for apartment. Everyone laughed at that."
"So whoever came up here took it from your basket," Nell said.
"Next question--who?" Cass followed Nell outside.
"It could have been almost anyone," Izzy said. She cuddled the kitten close as they walked back into the shop. "Everyone from my UPS guy to a class of teenagers knitting sack purses has been in the back room this week," she said. "Even Angus and Pete stopped by. People seemed to want to hang around. Maybe it was a prank, some curious kids wanting to see what was inside. The teenagers loved Angie, thought she was glamorous. Maybe they were curious about where she lived. Whoever did it left the key, so clearly they didn't plan on going back in."
"I don't think so." Nell thought about the desk drawer left open and the disarray in the closet. "I think someone was looking for something up there."
Cass looked over at the big wicker basket in the middle of the table. "Izzy, I think Nell's right. Something was going on with Angie. And I hate it, because it's all tied up with our lives. I want these past few days back. I want our summer back. And that won't happen until we find out what happened."
Izzy walked over to the window seat and sat down, cuddling the kitten. "Well, one thing I know for sure," she said.
"What's that, Izzy?" Nell said.
"I'm going to keep her."
Nell and Cass looked over at her.
Izzy lifted the kitten to her chest and rubbed her cheek against the soft fur. "The kitten. I'm going to keep her. I think she's exactly what we need right now. This sweet little thing came to the Seaside Knitting Studio for a reason, and this is where she will live and be happy."
Cass leaned over and tickled the kitten's chin. "You have a good life ahead of you, little calico--clam sauce fettuccine, grilled tuna, the list is endless."
Nell
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