Read Online Murder by Artifact (Five Star Mystery Series) by Barbara Graham - Free Book Online
Authors: Barbara Graham
Tags: Novels
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fabric and chatting with several out-of-town customers. Tony always wanted to call her Brunhild because her voice and body type were Wagnerian. So far he’d managed to stifle the words. When she braided her long blond hair, like she had today, all she needed was a Viking helmet and spear. She looked up and smiled at him. “Theo’s in her studio.”
Tony returned the smile and nodded as he moved toward the staircase to Theo’s studio. From that vantage point, he could see a group of four quilters gathered in the big workroom, quilting on the current charity quilt. A couple of them were tiny old women who looked like garden gnomes and a pair of young women. Susan and Amy, the younger ones, belonged to the Thursday Night Bowling League, a joke name for Theo’s quilting group.
Susan’s voice carried to him. “I heard Doreen might change her mind about letting the new museum display her great-aunt’s quilts.”
“That’s okay by me.” One of the gnomes spoke. “That woman has been a pure aggravation ever since Calvin married her, and I doubt she’ll get nicer with more publicity.”
Tony noticed Theo had added a chain that went from railing to railing at the base of the staircase. On it hung a small wooden plaque, simple and to the point. “Private.” The chain and sign were new.
Wondering why she hadn’t mentioned being bothered, he unclipped the chain, stepped past it, and clipped it behind him. At the top of the stairs, he turned the knob and strolled into Theo’s world, so different from the one he worked in. Hers was full of light and color and the scents of lavender and fabric sizing.
Tall shelves held full bolts and cut yardage of fabrics arranged more or less by color. White flannel covered one whole wall from floor to ceiling, providing her with a design wall. Because quilt blocks clung to it as if by magic, she used it to audition different designs without having to pin everything. Today there was an assortment of vibrant orange and green blocks scattered across the surface. It was eye-catching even if not his favorite colors.
A skylight installed in the high ceiling was augmented with enough electric lighting to illuminate an airstrip. At one end of the room was a large table with a recess for her sewing machine and next to it, a standard table, not quite as large. His brother Gus had built it to her specifications. Taller than a normal table, its surface was covered with a large, self-healing plastic cutting mat. A nearby rack held plastic rulers in all shapes and sizes. Razor-sharp rotary cutters hung from hooks on the wall next to it.
Theo sat at her laptop computer, playing with her design software. She looked up and smiled when he came in.
“We have a break in our case.”
Turning to face him, she ran her fingers through her hair, lifting the curls. “Let me guess.” Her grin widened. “The thief tried to steal the statue of Amoes Siler, our glorious founding father, from the park and it toppled over on him.”
“Different case.” Tony toyed with a little fishing pole leaning against her desk. Spying him, Zoë, the office kitten, dashed from her hiding spot and attacked the fabric fish at the end of the line. He teased the kitten, making the fish jump into the air and Theo laugh as she watched. “I came by to tell you that I have to go to Cincinnati. Now. I’ll stop by the house and pick up a few things on my way out of town.”
“Why? What’s happened?” Theo looked up from the kitten, the smile still lingered on her face.
Enlarged by the magnification of her glasses, her big green-gold hazel eyes appeared huge. Tony chose his words with care. “Our mysterious message-sender has provided me with a ticket to the baseball game tonight. I am to meet him or her before the game starts.”
“That’s awfully cloak-and-dagger, isn’t it?” Theo turned to watch the kitten, hiding her expression.
“Yeah, that’s exactly what I thought, too.” Tony led
Tony returned the smile and nodded as he moved toward the staircase to Theo’s studio. From that vantage point, he could see a group of four quilters gathered in the big workroom, quilting on the current charity quilt. A couple of them were tiny old women who looked like garden gnomes and a pair of young women. Susan and Amy, the younger ones, belonged to the Thursday Night Bowling League, a joke name for Theo’s quilting group.
Susan’s voice carried to him. “I heard Doreen might change her mind about letting the new museum display her great-aunt’s quilts.”
“That’s okay by me.” One of the gnomes spoke. “That woman has been a pure aggravation ever since Calvin married her, and I doubt she’ll get nicer with more publicity.”
Tony noticed Theo had added a chain that went from railing to railing at the base of the staircase. On it hung a small wooden plaque, simple and to the point. “Private.” The chain and sign were new.
Wondering why she hadn’t mentioned being bothered, he unclipped the chain, stepped past it, and clipped it behind him. At the top of the stairs, he turned the knob and strolled into Theo’s world, so different from the one he worked in. Hers was full of light and color and the scents of lavender and fabric sizing.
Tall shelves held full bolts and cut yardage of fabrics arranged more or less by color. White flannel covered one whole wall from floor to ceiling, providing her with a design wall. Because quilt blocks clung to it as if by magic, she used it to audition different designs without having to pin everything. Today there was an assortment of vibrant orange and green blocks scattered across the surface. It was eye-catching even if not his favorite colors.
A skylight installed in the high ceiling was augmented with enough electric lighting to illuminate an airstrip. At one end of the room was a large table with a recess for her sewing machine and next to it, a standard table, not quite as large. His brother Gus had built it to her specifications. Taller than a normal table, its surface was covered with a large, self-healing plastic cutting mat. A nearby rack held plastic rulers in all shapes and sizes. Razor-sharp rotary cutters hung from hooks on the wall next to it.
Theo sat at her laptop computer, playing with her design software. She looked up and smiled when he came in.
“We have a break in our case.”
Turning to face him, she ran her fingers through her hair, lifting the curls. “Let me guess.” Her grin widened. “The thief tried to steal the statue of Amoes Siler, our glorious founding father, from the park and it toppled over on him.”
“Different case.” Tony toyed with a little fishing pole leaning against her desk. Spying him, Zoë, the office kitten, dashed from her hiding spot and attacked the fabric fish at the end of the line. He teased the kitten, making the fish jump into the air and Theo laugh as she watched. “I came by to tell you that I have to go to Cincinnati. Now. I’ll stop by the house and pick up a few things on my way out of town.”
“Why? What’s happened?” Theo looked up from the kitten, the smile still lingered on her face.
Enlarged by the magnification of her glasses, her big green-gold hazel eyes appeared huge. Tony chose his words with care. “Our mysterious message-sender has provided me with a ticket to the baseball game tonight. I am to meet him or her before the game starts.”
“That’s awfully cloak-and-dagger, isn’t it?” Theo turned to watch the kitten, hiding her expression.
“Yeah, that’s exactly what I thought, too.” Tony led
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