A Touch of the Grape: A Hemlock Falls Mystery (Hemlock Falls Mystery series) Read Free

Doreen said. She rattled the Doritos bag, then shook all the chips onto the ground. The dog emerged from the bush flat on his belly and inched forward. Grasping the catch pole in both hands, Selena moved to the dog's left. Meg began a series of duck-like squawks as what Quill presumed was an encouraging diversionary tactic. Suddenly, the dog jerked his head back and stared over Quill's left shoulder. Distracted, Quill turned, saw the group approaching the garden shed, and groaned under her breath. Five middle-aged ladies gathered under three brightly colored umbrellas were strolling in a clutch on the path through the gardens. Headed straight for them. That many people were bound to scare him off. Quill turned back to the dog. All she could see was a tail thumping at the perimeter of the azalea bush. The rest of the animal was nowhere in sight. The Doritos were gone. "Damn," Quill said.
    Doreen smoothed her apron and greeted the approach ing group with a toothy grin. The largest umbrella, the one with the Cinzano label on it, dipped forward and a voice cried, "Miss QUILLL-I-yam."
    "Oh, yippee," Meg muttered. "It's the crafty ladies."
    "Qué pasa? " said Selena. "This name-calling does not suit you, Meg."
    Meg looked startled. "It's what they call themselves. Their organization is the Crafty Ladies. They're into …" She waved her hand vaguely. "You know— crafts. They stuff things. They booked into the Inn for a week. As a matter of fact, they're the only guests we've got booked for the entire summer."
    "That's not true," Quill said. "Two of the insurance brokers are staying overnight after their banquet this evening."
    "The Crafty Ladies do more than stuff things," Doreen said indignantly. "I've been talkin' to that Ellen Dunbarton all about it. They're artists. They make things. Quite a bit a money innit, or so she says."
    "And so there is," said the Cinzano umbrella. The canvas tipped up to reveal a cheerful woman with a comfortably plump figure, bright orange-red hair, and a star tling pair of earrings. The earrings appeared to be made of bottle caps. All of the Crafty Ladies seemed to be on the far side of sixty. Quill admired the verve for life that resulted in their colorful clothes and attention-grabbing (if peculiar) jewelry.
    "Ecology-minded, too," Doreen added. "Them are caps from Coke and like that."
    "We recycle," said the red-haired woman. "Have you forgotten, Quill? The tour?"
    "Madonna," Selena said.
    Quill, not knowing whether this was an imprecation or an attempt to seem saliently hip, abandoned her con templation of the dog's tail and made a guilty face. "Oh, dear. I had forgotten we had arranged to tour the Inn."
    "That is a very ugly dog," Ellen Dunbarton observed pleasantly. "OOPS! It went back into the azaleas again."
    "I am attempting to catch it," Selena explained. She waved her catch pole. "I am the dog warden. Warden Summerhill." She smiled in a pleased way.
    "Sorry," Quill said, "I'm forgetting my manners." She began introductions. "Selena, I'd like to present some of our guests."
    "Our only guests," Doreen added, "on account of somebody here'd rather play with dogs than get any more of 'em."
    "Hush, Doreen. Selena, this is Ellen Dunbarton."
    "Vice president, the Crafty Ladies." Ellen smiled graciously at Selena. "And these are all the members of our group but one. We're ladies-in-waiting, you see. Our group has assembled to meet our president, which brings our total organization to six. Fran Grimsby's there in the hand-painted muumuu. Right beside her are Robin Rob inson and Mary Lennox; Robin's the sequin sweatshirt, Mary's the pink twinset—hand crocheted. And that's Freddie Patch, under the yellow umbrella. Short for Frederica. She's our craftless Crafty Lady."
    Selena raised one slim black eyebrow. "But this Mary Lennox is a lady-in-waiting! I study history, you see, when I am not catching dogs and helping my Hugh press grapes. I am getting an associated degree at the Hemlock Falls Community