Threads of Evidence Read Free Page B

to date with were Hollywood figures. But I was pretty sure I’d heard of Skye West. “Didn’t she win an Oscar a couple of years ago?”
    â€œAnd a Tony last year.” Sarah added.
    Gram shook her head. “Sorry. Maybe I need to spend more time at Mane Waves reading People magazine. Can’t say I’ve ever heard of her.”
    Sarah looked disappointed. We weren’t as excited as she’d thought we’d be. “How’d you find that out?” I asked. Whether or not Gram knew who Skye West was, I was pretty sure. And no one but Sarah seemed to have heard she planned to buy a place in Haven Harbor. Sarah’d only lived in town a few years. I wouldn’t have guessed she had an inside track to Haven Harbor gossip. Mainers took a while to welcome people from away into their inner circles, and Sarah had come from about as far away as you could get.
    â€œThat’s even more exciting!” Sarah went on. “Late this morning I couldn’t help spotting a fantastic-looking bloke in his early thirties looking through the stuff in my shop. I’d never seen him before. I sat in back of the counter doing needlepoint like mad and sneaking looks at him.”
    â€œSo,” I said, “a good-looking guy came into your shop. And . . . ?”
    â€œA couple there at the same time was looking at my inventory as though it was a museum exhibit. Lots of looks and no purchases. When they left, the handsome hunk—”
    â€œHunk?” I asked. “Really?”
    â€œWell, he wasn’t Arnold Schwarzenegger, but I’ll bet he lifts weights in his spare time.” Sarah shot me a look that said, “Let me tell my story, my way.” I shut up. “He asked me how long I’d been in business and where I came from. Then he asked me how much I knew about needlepoint.”
    â€œYes?” Gram said, now paying closer attention.
    â€œOf course, I told him about coming from Australia, and about Mainely Needlepoint. He said his mum’s best friend was from Australia, too. I could have fallen through the floor when he said her best friend was Nicole Kidman!”
    â€œAnd so who was this perfect man?” asked Gram. I suspected she didn’t know who Nicole Kidman was any more than she’d heard of Skye West.
    â€œI’m getting to that! He’s Skye West’s son, Patrick. And he’s single and an artist, and he wants me to come and look at Aurora and appraise what’s in there. He said his mum is buying the estate and plans to fix it up, and he’s going to put a studio in the carriage house.”
    â€œSo the place is being sold as is, with the contents?” asked Gram.
    â€œPatrick says the place is a bit of a wreck, but they don’t want to throw out anything valuable, so they were looking for an antique dealer to give it a walk-through. All I could think of was ‘Mansions! Mansions must be warm! Mansions cannot let the tears in, Mansions much exclude the storm!’”
    (Poetry isn’t my thing. But I knew when Sarah said something odd, she was quoting Emily.)
    â€œHe said a lot of stitchery is in the house. Most of it’s in poor condition, but his mother wants some restored.”
    â€œOb mentioned Mrs. Gardener was a serious needlepointer,” I said. “It would be fantastic if they’d pay us to restore all of it! They must have tons of money to even attempt the work that cottage will need.”
    â€œThat’s what I thought. And I couldn’t keep that possibility to myself. Plus, I’m a bit nervous about taking on such a large job. I haven’t been an antique dealer for too long. So I asked Patrick if I could bring a friend when I do the appraisal—a friend who’s an expert in needlepoint.”
    â€œWho’re you going to bring?” I asked.
    â€œYou, of course!” Sarah grinned, brushing a strand of pink hair back from her face. “But remember, I