Chapter 31
As the raku bead class wrapped up, Cora finally received a text message from Brodsky: Round up all your crafters and meet me in your living room in 30.
Why? she texted back.
Let’s chat when I get there.
This had to mean the bloody scarf did indeed trace back to Stan.
What would she tell her guests?
Until this moment, she harbored hope that nobody at this retreat had anything to do with the murder. Now she understood if Brodsky was taking the time to come over, he was certain the killer was among them.
Waves of heat pulsed through her body. She inhaled, exhaled. Get it together, Cora! You must keep it together. No panic attacks. Not now. Think cool. Think cucumbers.
Jane walked up to her. “What’s going on?”
Cora held out her phone, and Jane read it over. Her eyes widened. She grabbed Cora by the arm and pulled her into the closest corner. “Okay. Now what?”
“I don’t know,” Cora said, feeling the blood rush to her chest.
“Are you okay?”
“For now.”
Jane’s deep blue eyes flitted back and forth and her mouth pursed. “Okay. Let’s just be honest with them.”
“Honest? No,” Cora said.
“What? Why not?”
“Because if someone here is guilty, they will take off before Brodsky gets here.”
“I hadn’t thought of that.” Jane folded her arms.
“Okay,” Cora said. “Let’s think of another reason to get them in the living room.”
“Let’s just say we’re having a party?”
Cora rolled her eyes. “No.”
“Well, you think of something then, smarty-pants.”
“Hey, no need for name-calling,” Cora said, and grinned.
The room was full of crafters finishing their projects, chatting, and laughing. And there was a killer among them. Surrounded by beautiful beads. In a space that Cora considered, well, almost sacred.
“Let’s say we’re having a meeting, that something important has come up and we need their feedback,” she said.
“Brilliant,” Jane said.
Cora gestured as if to say, Of course.
“I’ll fill Ruby in,” Jane said, and walked over to where Ruby stood. Cora felt better knowing that Ruby would be informed. She hated keeping the scarf from her.
“Can I have everybody’s attention, please?” Cora said, standing on the steps that led up to Jane’s apartment.
The crowd of women circled her.
“We’ve had a little something come up and are going to have a meeting in the living room at Kildare House in about twenty minutes. We need everybody to attend,” she said.
“What’s going on?” Lena asked.
“We can’t get into it right now,” Jane said. “In due time.”
Jane stood straight, with a calm and professional aura. Cora, on the other hand, was confident sweat poured through her clothes. How could this be happening? How could there be a killer at her retreat? Had she placed others in jeopardy? Oh, she’d never live with herself if that was the case.
Ruby made eye contact with Cora. She bit her lip.
“Everybody has a chance to go to the bathroom, get some snacks, more coffee, whatever,” Jane said. “Please be back in the living room in twenty minutes.”
People began to file out of the studio and head to the main house.
Jane, Cora, and Ruby lagged behind.
“Thank you, Jane,” Cora said. “You handled that well.”
“This is fun,” Ruby said with sarcasm. “Kind of similar to one of those murder mystery weekends, but with a real killer.”
Jane poked her. “Not helping, Ruby.”
“Sorry,” she said.
“From what Jane just told me, I’m assuming the blood on the scarf matched,” Ruby said.
“That must be the case,” Cora said.
“That doesn’t necessarily mean one of our retreaters did it. Someone could have planted it.”
“Unlikely,” Jane said. “Don’t you think we would know if a stranger was hanging around?”
“You’d think,” Ruby said. “Sometimes people can be wily and disguise themselves.”
“I can’t think of any non-crafters who’ve come anywhere near over the last few days, except our usual deliveryman,” Cora said.
“Same guy?”
“Always.”
“Okay, then. I guess we’re off to Kildare House to meet with Brodsky and catch a killer,” Ruby said, rubbing her hands together.
“I don’t know about you all,” Jane said as they left the carriage house. “I’m finding it hard to imagine any of these women being violent enough to kill someone. We’re all getting along so well. They all seem so lovely.”
“It’s scary how two-faced some people can be,” Ruby said. “Best not to trust anybody.”
“That’s a sad way of looking at things,” Cora said.
“Sad, but true. Very few people are worthy of your trust—or your heart,” Ruby said.
“I agree,” Jane said. “Believe me. But our Cora? She’s an optimist.” She wrapped her arm around her shoulders. “And I love her for it.”
Ruby guffawed. “She’s the only one of us who’s getting laid regularly. It’s easy to be an optimist when you’re getting some.”
“Ruby!” Cora said, feeling her face heat. She didn’t want to think about Adrian. Not now. Not while the police were on their way to question her guests.
“Truth!” Jane said, and high-fived Ruby.