Quilt As You Go (20 page)

Aiden and Harriet both assured Carla her cooking was wonderful, and that she'd set a beautiful summer table. They helped clear the dishes while Carla cut slices of apple pie. The crust had been patched in places, but the apples had a caramel flavor that was incredible. Harriet decided she'd ask about the recipe when she had both the time and the attention to actually retain the answer.

"Would you like some more coffee or tea?” Carla asked when they had finished their pie.

"I hate to eat and run,” Harriet said, “but I have to go to a meeting."

"You have to go to a meeting?” Aiden repeated when they'd said their goodbyes and were walking from the porch to the car.

"It
is
a meeting. We're just all in different cars,” she said with a smile. “What did you want me to do? Tell her we had to go so we could spy on her boyfriend?"

"Where are we supposed to go?"

Harriet was spared having to answer by the ring of her cell phone.

"It's Sarah,” she said, and put the call on speaker phone.

"This is Silver Needle reporting. The stitch is running. Repeat, the stitch is running."

Aiden started laughing.

"What?” Lauren said in the faraway voice created by the conference call and speaker phone combination.

"Terry's moving,” Sarah said in disgust. “He's headed into downtown Foggy Point, just like we expected."

Terry had not moved early, so the other two cars would be in place along two of the three main roads leading out of downtown. Aiden turned up a steep side street that would allow them to drop down onto the third option before Terry got there, should he choose that route.

"Good work, Silver Needle,” said Harriet, getting into the spirit of things. “Roll toward town, and as soon as he commits to a route, we'll let you know where to go next."

"Silver Needle?” Aiden said when Harriet had disconnected.

"Hey, whatever works. Besides, what's wrong with having a little fun along the way?"

"This isn't a laughing matter,” he said, serious again. “You have no idea what this guy is into.” He pulled to the curb and parked just before the through street, leaving the engine running.

Harriet's phone rang again. She pressed the talk button followed by the speaker phone option.

"Silk Thread here,” came Jenny's voice. “He turned toward the strait. Lauren's got one car between him and us."

"Good job,” Harriet said. “Robin?"

"We're here,” Robin answered. “That is, Cotton Thread here,” she corrected, and Harriet could hear the laughter in her voice.

"You two go down the beach road a little way. Aiden and I will be parallel and three blocks over in case he goes inland."

"Sarah?” There was no acknowledgment. “Silver Needle?” she tried.

"Silver Needle here,” Sarah said. “Can you go back into town and then take the shortcut through Fogg Park to the spot we marked in yellow on the map?"

"Will do. Thimble, over and out."

"You ladies are nuts,” Aiden said as he drove to their next position.

Once again the phone rang.

"Harriet?” said Jenny. “You've got him. There's a small red truck in front of a yellow van and then he's the gray sedan."

"Everyone get that?” Harriet asked.

"Okay, we know where to go next,” Robin said.

"We're still aiming for the yellow spot,” Connie said.

Harriet spotted the red truck as she disconnected the call. Aiden let another car pass before he pulled out into the flow of traffic. They drove up a long curving slope that had transitioned from planned housing developments to single houses and then to grassy fields interspersed with sections of forest on both sides of the road.

"Hello,” Aiden said as they came up a slight rise and drove past the gray sedan, parked at the side of the road.

Harriet picked up her phone and dialed the others.

"Listen up, everyone,” she said. “Our subject has left his car and is traveling overland. He's headed into the woods on the back side of Miller Hill. Aiden and I will follow on foot. Robin and DeAnn, you two stay on the beach road in case he goes over the hill and keeps going. Silver Needle, you take the west side of Miller Hill, and Lauren, you two take the east side of the hill. Go up to that little park near the top that has the mineral water well and wait for Aiden and I to show up on foot. I'm assuming he won't stop before the top, since there's nothing between here and there."

"I hate to rain on your parade,” Lauren said, “but other than the park, there's nothing
anywhere
on Miller Hill. He's either meeting someone in the woods or he's on to us."

"I guess we're going to have to follow him to find out, then, aren't we?"

"Over and out,” Lauren said and disconnected.

Less than a quarter-mile past Terry's gray car was the wide mouth to a gated drive that was set back from the road. Aiden parked several car lengths past the gate, got out and went around to the back. He rummaged around and pulled out a pair of binoculars and a gallon jug.

"What are you doing?” Harriet asked.

"Props,” he said. “When we run into Terry and he asks what we're doing, I want to have some crumb of credibility. I'm bird-watching and you're getting some of that famous Miller Spring mineral water. Let's go."

He led the way back along the shoulder of the road and then into the knee high grass that bordered the forested top of Miller Hill. They reached the parking area adjacent to the well and its pump without encountering Terry. Lauren and Jenny pulled into the lot right after Aiden and Harriet arrived.

"I'm going to make use of the restroom as long as we're here and he isn't,” Harriet said.

"You're not going alone,” Lauren said. “Not after last time,” she added, referring to Harriet's kidnapping from a restroom at the Angel Harbor Folk Art School a few months earlier.

"Fine, come on, then."

Aiden walked to the far edge of the clearing and put the binoculars to his eyes.

Jenny joined the trek to the restroom. She flipped her hood up to cover her silver hair. Aiden was standing outside the small building when they came back out.

"Did you see anything?” Harriet asked. It wasn't dark yet, but the sun was almost down, so it wasn't likely he could see much, but he might have gotten lucky.

"I can't see him clearly, but he's sitting on a big rock on a slight rise with his back to us, as near as I can tell. From the position he's in, my guess is he's using binoculars. The angle is wrong for me to see what he's looking at."

"You could have just asked me,” said Terry as he came out of the forest.

"What are you talking about?” Harriet asked.

"Could we please not waste both of our time? Since you're here and insisting on sticking your nose into my business, maybe you can help me."

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean,” Harriet insisted.

"Harriet,” Aiden said. “You're busted. Let's hear the man out."

"How did you know we were following you?” Lauren asked.

"I didn't know
you
were. I spotted the car that sat in front of my motel all afternoon almost immediately—the plates belong to some kind of senior living center. I didn't know how that fit, but when I passed Aiden and Harriet parked on the side street, it started to come together."

"So, get to the part where you tell us why you're spying on someone else,” Lauren demanded.

"Let me show you. Stay behind me and stay low when we crest the rise,” Terry said. “And you...” He indicated Lauren. “Do you have something dark you can put over your shirt?"

"I've got a navy windbreaker,” she said, and went to her car to get it.

When Lauren was properly dressed, the group set off down the path through the woods, and then through the grass and up the small rise. Terry signaled them to stop before they reached the rock.

"Come and look, one at a time,” he said.

Harriet followed him up to the rock. Below them was Foggy Point Fire Protection. She looked at him, and would have asked a question if he hadn't held his finger to her lips.

"Just look,” he whispered. “We can talk back at the park.” He handed her a set of low-light binoculars.

Foggy Point Fire Protection was bustling. Garage-style doors stood open at one end of the main building. Light poured out, and she could see people moving about inside. A forklift carrying a pallet of boxes came around the end of the building and went inside the open doors. Harriet sucked in her breath, and Terry once again put a finger to her lips. He took the binoculars and led her back to the others. He took Lauren next and then Aiden and Jenny.

Everyone started talking at once when Jenny and Terry got back from the rock.

Terry held up his hand.

"Please,” he said. “Am I correct that the fire turn-out company doesn't run a night shift?"

"They don't,” Jenny said. “And haven't for a long time."

"Have any of you heard anything about them renting out the company to someone else to make a different product?"

They all shook their heads.

"I
have
seen a few new people in town who didn't look like they belonged here,” Lauren said. “Besides you, that is."

"That doesn't mean anything,” Jenny said. “We do have a small seasonal work force this time of year. They work at the organic farm out past Smuggler's Cove."

"Okay,” Aiden said, and took a step toward Terry. “It's time for you to tell us why you're spying on the factory and why you're in Foggy Point. The real reason this time."

At six-foot-three, Aiden could look imposing when he wanted to. Harriet didn't know what had happened to him during the three years he'd spent doing animal research in Uganda, but there was an underlying toughness to him she guessed hadn't been there prior to his trip to Africa.

"I have to get down there.” Terry looked at the black Luminox watch on his wrist. “I'm meeting a guy. It's almost his break time. I'll know more after I talk to him. I promise, I'll tell you what this is about later."

Aiden started to grab Terry's arm, but Harriet stopped him.

"Let him go,” she said.

Terry gave her a grateful look and took off through the woods.

"What now, Mata Hari,” Aiden asked.

Jenny pulled her hood off and repositioned her short ponytail.

I'll call off the others,” she said. “Shall we meet back at Tico's?"

"I'll call Jorge and make sure no one else is using spy central,” Lauren said.

"They're right,” Harriet said. “We need to get together with the Threads."

Harriet called Aunt Beth on the ride back to Tico's Tacos. She knew that, even though her aunt would have nixed the idea of following Terry, she'd want to be in on the results of the enterprise.

"So, let me get this straight,” Aunt Beth said when the Loose Threads and Aiden were all seated in Tico's back room and Jorge had supplied iced tea and lemonade for all of them—minus Sarah, who had presumably gone to salvage her hot date. “You followed Terry because you were suspicious about where he went every night. You discovered he's following someone else for reasons unknown."

"That pretty much sums it up,” Aiden said. “I wanted to squeeze it out of him, but your niece wouldn't let me."

"He said he'd tell us everything as soon as he met with his source,” Harriet reminded him.

"And of course you believed him because you trusted him so much. He's so trustworthy you had to follow him all over Foggy Point tonight."

"He had official binoculars,” Connie offered.

"And of course that means he's legit,” Aunt Beth said.

"It doesn't mean he's legit,” Harriet said. “But the important part isn't what he's doing. it's more what he's not doing."

"We were trying to see if he was doing something that would be harmful to Carla,” Lauren said. “I didn't see anything we should worry about."

"What kind of person skulks around at night following other people who are probably doing something perfectly legitimate?” Aunt Beth said. “I don't think you've proved anything. In fact,” she continued, “from where I'm sitting, you've raised more questions than you've answered."

Jorge brought a platter heaped with cheese-drenched nachos and set it in the middle of the picnic table.

"Dig in folks, it'll help you think more clearly,” he said.

Aiden had just scooped a tortilla chip dripping with cheese into the beans and salsa on the edge of the platter when his pager sounded. Harriet took the gooey bite from his hand and ate it as he called the animal clinic.

"Gotta go,” he said. “Can you get a ride?"

"Of course she can,” Connie said. “You go save the animal world."

"Let's talk about what we know,” Robin said, and pulled the yellow tablet and a pen from her purse.

"Terry is following someone,” DeAnn offered.

"Not following,” Lauren corrected. “He's spying on someone at Carlton's factory. I take that back. He's spying on the factory. We don't have any evidence he is spying on a particular person."

"Good point,” Harriet said grudgingly. “He was spying on the activity taking place at the factory. Right now, we don't know if there is anything unusual about what's going on there. Just because we don't know about a night shift doesn't mean there isn't one."

"So, that's the first thing we need to figure out,” Robin said. “If Terry is spying on the ordinary operation of a factory, then we have to wonder what he's up to and if he's planning some criminal activity. If, as he tried to lead us to believe, there is something wrong with what's happening at the factory, then we have to wonder why Terry's involved in spying on that wrong activity."

"He said he was meeting someone there, so we can't really say he was spying on the factory,” DeAnn pointed out. “He could have been verifying that his friend was there before he went down."

"You're quite the spies,” Aunt Beth said with a laugh. “You've just concluded that after all that following, you really don't know anything."

"We learned that Terry has some interest in Foggy Point Fire Protection and whatever is going on there at night,” Harriet told her.

"At last,” Aunt Beth said. “That is a fact."

"What do we do next?” DeAnn asked.