Read Online While My Pretty One Knits by Anne Canadeo - Free Book Online Page A

up in ten minutes.”
    Yoga class? Since when did Suzanne do yoga? Then Lucy remembered. The yoga studio Dana belonged to was holding an open house today—bring a friend and get a free class—so she and Suzanne had agreed to try it.
    They must have ganged up on her at a weak moment, Lucy realized as she staggered out of bed. She did need a regular exercise routine, no arguing with that. The sands of time were shifting all over her body. Sitting on her butt all day in front of the computer wasn’t helping matters. But yoga? Dana seemed to thrive on it and had promised to take them out for breakfast afterward. What else did she have to do this morning anyway.
    A short time later, Lucy was seated next to Suzanne in the Cavanaughs’ huge SUV, aptly named a Sequoia. The interior smelled distinctly of stale french fries, crayons, and abandoned cleats. Fearing they were late, Suzanne flew down side streets and practically took the last turn on two wheels. She maneuvered the buslike vehicle into a space with remarkable ease, then shut the engine, whisking a sheen from her forehead with her sweatshirt sleeve.
    “Whew…feels like I had a workout just getting here. I could definitely use some stress-busting stretches.” She smiled at Lucy and grabbed her purse from the backseat. “There it is, Nirvana Yoga Center.”
    “Look…” Lucy pointed to the building directly across the street. “The Knitting Nest.”
    Suzanne turned, her expression suddenly serious. “Oh, right. I didn’t realize.”
    They sat for a moment and stared at the storefront, the first floor of a large old cedar shake building that was badly in need of tending. Yellow crime-scene tape that surrounded the front entrance now hung a bit slack, a few strangling piece blowing in the wind.
    It was a damp chilly day and the gunmetal gray sky made the scene even more ominous. The shop windows were dark and the place looked forlorn and deserted. Lucy couldn’t help thinking about Amanda and her gruesome end.
    She felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped. “Come on, we’d better go,” Suzanne said quietly.
    Lucy nodded, grabbed her bag, and hopped out of the SUV. By now, Lucy had seen the newspaper photo of the Knitting Nest covered in crime-scene tape countless times, but standing in front of the place gave her a jolt and brought the reality of Amanda’s murder home all over again.
    Lucy and Suzanne were the last ones to arrive at the class. They found places in the back of the room near Dana and set up mats. Then they settled down for some serious stretching.
    Lucy soon decided that the yoga class was a bit like eating a sandwich made with really tasty bread, but a filling she didn’t particularly care for. She enjoyed the warm-up stretches and the cooldown—“picture your happy place”—segments. But she was sure that forcing her pathetically out-of-shape body into contorted poses, like Downward Dog and Blossoming Lotus, was not leading anywhere near a happy place. More likely to a chiropractor’s office.
    Their teacher, Wanda Gruber, was kind and encouraging. She spoke in a slow soothing voice and her own lithe form seemed to be made of some inhuman, rubberlike substance.
    Dana, who had been practicing for years, could also bend her slim figure into amazing configurations. She could even stand on her head. Lucy realized that feat had ceased to be impressive at say…age ten? But it did seem like an achievement of some kind at this point in life. Dana had studied ballet and modern dance, from elementary school all the way through college.
    Lucy, on the other hand, had played soccer during her formative years. Defensive fullback. What else did you need to know?
    When the class was over and the students busily rolled up their mats, Wanda walked around to chat with the visitors.
    “Did you like the class?” she asked Lucy.
    “Interesting,” Lucy replied. “I’m sure once you get into it, you don’t hear all those cracking and popping sounds,