I felt my cheeks grow hot when I remembered overhearing Clarissa berating Holly earlier in the day when Mac and I were going down to dinner.

“I went downstairs to my room and saw Kirk.” She blushed and twirled her dark hair around her finger. “He was just coming in from outside and we talked for a couple of minutes in the hall. Ms. Garrett came down and asked Kirk if the generators were working, because she was worried about losing power with the storm that was predicted. It happens pretty routinely out here.”

She focused on her lap.

“I read a book and rested for a while in my room and then went upstairs to start the turndown.”

Vi cast longing looks at her velvet pouch that contained her pendulum. I saw her flexing her fingers in anticipation of questioning it. I shook my head at her and narrowed my eyes.

“I was just finishing in the hallway outside the turret room when I saw one of the knitter ladies—the one with the tattoos—coming out of the stairwell. She seemed surprised to see me and said she had gotten turned around. I showed her the way to her room and then went to finish turndown.”

“You saw Tina coming out of Clarissa’s room?” Vi said. She leaned forward and rummaged in her knitting bag. She pulled her notebook from its depths and began scribbling.

Holly watched Vi with interest. “I saw her coming out of the turret stairway, not out of the room. I can’t say whether she was in the room.”

Vi’s lips made a thin line. She snapped the notebook shut.

“How did you get along with Ms. Carlisle?” Vi asked.

Holly looked down. “Honestly, I didn’t like her.” She raised her head and met Vi’s gaze. “She was hypercritical of the staff and I often had to calm one of them down after they’d had a run-in with her.” Holly looked at me. “I don’t think she will be very much missed by any of the employees.”

“Do you have any theories about what might have happened?” I asked.

Holly shook her head slowly. “No one liked her, but I can’t see any of the staff actually killing her.” She paused for a moment. “I heard she had some history with a couple of the knitters.” She lifted a shoulder. “Maybe it was one of them.”

“How long have you worked here?” Vi asked.

“Two years. Mrs. Garrett has been wonderful to me.” Her eyes teared up and she blinked them away. “I have a five-year-old daughter who has diabetes. If I didn’t have insurance through my job, I don’t know what I would do. Olivia needs a lot of expensive medication and monitoring supplies. Mrs. Garrett made sure it was all covered and she helps me keep my hours up so I continue to qualify under their plan. I’m taking classes at the community college and working here and Mrs. Garrett is always so supportive and flexible.”

“It must be hard for you—caring for your daughter, working, going to school . . .” I thought of my own relatively responsibility-free life. “Where is your daughter right now?” I asked.

“My mom takes her for me when I’m working or in classes. I called her yesterday and she agreed to keep her for me until the storm passed. The other two housekeepers had to get home to their own kids, so I volunteered to stay. Whenever I can, I try to help out.”

“Where were you when the lights went out?” Vi asked.

“I . . . had finished my work and went back downstairs. I was in my room.”

“Weren’t you scared to be in the basement of a haunted house with no electricity?” Vi continued.

Holly glanced at me and I shrugged. If Vi focused on real evidence and not ghosts and animal messages, she might become a good investigator.

“No. I don’t think the castle is haunted and I had a large flashlight with me. I thought the power would come back on pretty quickly—” Holly broke off and stared at the door. “There she is!”

Vi and I turned to look at the door as well. Duchess stalked into the room, surveyed the area, and approached Holly. Purring sounds filled the air as she rubbed her head on Holly’s legs. The cat jumped up and made herself comfortable on Holly’s lap.

“That’s a beautiful cat,” Vi said. “I haven’t been able to get close enough to see her—she always disappears before I can get near her.” Vi cocked her head at Duchess. She sat very still and stared hard at the cat in what I knew was her “receptive” mode. Duchess continued to purr with her eyes closed, seemingly unaware of Vi’s focused attention.

Vi quietly stood and approached Duchess. Just as Vi reached forward to touch the cat, she jumped off Holly’s lap and zoomed out the door.

Vi tsked. “She’s a clever one.”

“I thought you said you didn’t get along with cats?” I said.

Holly shook her head. “I don’t. That’s the first time she’s let me pet her since she arrived.”

“Very strange,” Vi said. She stroked her chin and watched Holly.

Holly began to fidget under Vi’s glare.

“Thank you for talking to us,” I said. I sent Vi a “back off” look. “Please let us know if you think of anything that might help.”

Holly nodded, stood up, and gathered her things. She cleared out quickly and didn’t look back.

19

Vi had convinced me to come to the workshop with her while I waited for Mac to return from his snowmobiling adventure. We passed Wally in reception. He was huddled over his weather radio and didn’t notice us as we passed.

“If I didn’t know he was innocent, he’d be my first suspect,” Vi said.

“Why? He seems completely harmless,” I said and had to quicken my pace to keep up with her.

“That’s exactly why,” Vi said. “People are never the way they seem.”

Miss Marple was Vi’s new hero—she’d been talking about her all winter as if Agatha Christie were an up-and-coming new author. Quoting her cynical view of human nature had become a new hobby.

“I think that’s going a little far,” I said. “Not everyone is up to something.”

Vi shook her head and looked at me sadly.

Fortunately, we had arrived at the workshop room. I never thought I would welcome a roomful of knitters, but anything to get Vi off this topic was fine with me.

The knitters sat in a circle near the fire, each one clicking her needles rapidly while a buzz of conversation filled the room. Amy’s bright pink head was bent near Mavis’s gray one and they counted stitches on a delicate pink baby sweater. Heather, the nurse, sat near Mom and quizzed her on herbal remedies for headaches and allergies. Mom’s best friend is an herbalist and she’s picked up a few tips through the years. Tina and Isabel knitted brightly colored socks and discussed local yarn suppliers. I glanced back at the door, but Vi grabbed my arm and pulled me forward.

“Clyde! Come sit with me and I’ll get you started.” Lucille patted the couch next to her. I looked over my shoulder again and saw no easy escape. Lucille had a prime seat next to the small fireplace so I climbed over the bags of yarn and needles and sat next to her.

They explained that this was their sharing workshop, so everyone had brought something different to show the other knitters. Selma had just finished presenting a neon-striped scarf that had to be a gift. She wore a brighter shade of beige today with a soft ivory scarf. I murmured polite compliments as they all showed off their works in progress. Then the attention shifted to me.

“Here, Clyde, you can use this yarn,” Mom said. She handed me a soft purple skein that slowly shifted from pale lavender to deep plum. “If you finish a scarf, it will look great on you.”

“Thanks, Mom,” I said.

Mavis handed me a cord with needles on either end, but Vi intercepted it and traded for two thick straight needles.

“Don’t get her addicted to circulars until she learns how to use straights,” Vi said to Mavis.