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Synopsis
The much-anticipated latest installment in USA Today bestselling author Alexis Morgan’s delightful Abby McCree organizing cozy mystery series set in the Pacific Northwest.
When a killer’s handiwork threatens the Snowberry Creek arts community, Abby McCree starts looking for glues in her own murder investigation . . .
As the newest member of the Snowberry Creek City Council, perpetually overextended Abby McCree is picked to liaise between the council and the new planning committee for the town’s first ever arts and crafts fair. As far as gigs go, it’s a fun one—Abby’s spending the weekend tooling around Washington State, checking out similar fairs with her two besties, coffee shop owner Bridey Roker, and ceramic artisan Dayna Fisk.
As Abby spreads the word about Snowberry Creek’s fair, recruiting the industry’s biggest movers and makers, the trip feels like a glittering success. But then, someone is found murdered at one of the events and vendors begin disappearing amid suspicious circumstances. Abby’s determined to keep her hands clean, until Dayna finds herself stuck at the top of the suspect list. Now, Abby must weave the clues together and clear her friend’s name before the killer claims another victim—maybe even Abby herself . . .
Release date: December 27, 2022
Publisher: Kensington Books
Print pages: 304
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Death by Arts and Crafts
Alexis Morgan
“Should we go see if Bridey needs help with her luggage?”
Abby McCree glanced at her companion and shook her head. “That’s what I had planned to do, but she texted me specific instructions just before I left the house. I’m supposed to back into the driveway, make sure the passenger door is unlocked, and keep the engine running for a quick getaway. She promised she’d be right out.”
Dayna frowned as she studied the house. “But didn’t you say that she was really pregnant?”
“Yep, she’s just over six months along.”
If anything, Dayna looked even more confused. “Not that I’ve ever been pregnant myself, but should she be carrying anything heavy?”
Abby trusted that she would’ve said if she needed extra help. However, Dayna and Bridey hadn’t yet met, while she and Dayna had been friends since college. In contrast, Abby and Bridey Kyser had only gotten to know each other after Abby moved to Snowberry Creek.
Today, the three of them were embarking on a mission on behalf of the town of Snowberry Creek. A short while ago, Abby had been coerced into becoming a member of the city council, and her first assignment was to act as liaison between the council and the committee organizing the town’s very first arts and crafts fair.
The event was a week away, and all of the major pieces were in place. But in an unexpected move, the head of the committee and the mayor had approached Abby with a special request. They wanted her to spend a weekend visiting several other fairs to touch base with the artists scheduled to be part of the Snowberry Creek fair. She was to ask if they had any last-minute requests, hoping a little advance warning would help things go more smoothly.
Since several of the events were some distance from Snowberry Creek, the committee offered to foot the bill for a night in a hotel on Saturday night. Deciding it would be the perfect way to spend a summer weekend with friends, Abby had accepted the assignment but with a special demand of her own. She’d make her own reservation and submit receipts for reimbursement after agreeing on a reasonable price for the room charge. Anything that exceeded that amount would be her responsibility.
She had immediately upgraded the room to a suite and invited Dayna and Bridey to join her. The plan was to combine the work she needed to do for the committee with a fun getaway for the three of them. They’d visit two fairs on Saturday before checking into the hotel. Being pampered in the hotel’s spa would be their reward for all their hard work. That would be followed by an expensive dinner and show at the casino next to the hotel.
A good time would be had by all. Well, if they ever actually got started.
Their schedule was pretty tight, and it was past time for them to hit the road with still no sign of the third member of their party. Abby was about to give up and go ring the doorbell when the front door opened. A very exasperated-looking Bridey stepped out on the porch with her husband, Seth, trailing right behind her. Bridey blocked his way and held out her hand. Seth reluctantly surrendered to the inevitable and handed over her suitcase. She grinned and gave him a quick kiss before hustling down the sidewalk to the car. After tossing her suitcase into the back seat, she dove in right behind it.
“Hit the gas, Abby, before he thinks of anything else I should’ve packed. The man means well, but I swear his hovering keeps getting worse. Despite the doctor assuring him that everything is fine, Seth keeps finding something new to worry about. He actually insisted I bring the baby monitor we bought. I’m supposed to set it up so that you can keep an eye on me all night long. Heck, I’ve had to limit his time online just to keep the hysteria to a minimum.”
It was hard not to laugh. Just for grins, Abby revved the engine as if getting ready to tear off down the street. Then she waved at Seth and drove sedately out of the driveway. At least he was laughing as he disappeared back into the house.
“Ladies, we are finally on our way! Nothing but fun and excitement ahead for us.”
Dayna and Bridey applauded wildly as she turned north toward their first stop. “Oh, I should introduce the two of you. Dayna Fisk, this is Bridey Kyser. Bridey owns Something’s Brewing, the best coffee shop and bakery in the area. Dayna is a potter who does truly beautiful work. I have several of her pieces that I just love. In a way, you’re both artists.”
She left it to the two women to get further acquainted while she concentrated on driving through Tacoma and then Seattle. After a while, Bridey leaned forward to ask, “What’s the plan for today? I bet Seth you’d have printed agendas for us to follow.”
Giving her friend a guilty look in the rearview mirror, Abby nodded. “Yeah, I do, but that’s mostly so that I don’t miss touching base with any of the artists I’m supposed to talk to. We should still have plenty of time to take in the sights at each of the two fairs we’re visiting today. Are you looking for anything in particular?”
“I’d love to find a cute lamp for the baby’s room. Maybe some clothes for her, too.”
As soon as Abby heard the pronoun Bridey used, she whooped, “So it’s a girl?”
Bridey beamed with pride. “Yeah, she is. We’d planned to keep it secret, but Seth let it slip to his family a couple of days ago. Once we told my family, we figured we should just let everyone know.”
Dayna twisted around to look back at Bridey. “I take it that this is your first?”
“Yeah, it is. And to be honest, I’m just as wound up about it as Seth is. We’ve had so much fun picking out baby furniture. My husband is an artist, so he’s done some spectacular wood carvings for her room. He’s also painting a mural of a woodland scene that will take up an entire wall. It’s just lovely.”
Abby smiled. “I can’t wait to see it.”
Then she asked Dayna, “Is there anything in particular you need to do this weekend or are you just browsing?”
“Tomorrow afternoon I plan to check in with my business partner at some point. It’s Wendy’s weekend to cover the booth that we share, and I want to see how things are going. Sales on my pottery have been falling, and I’m not sure why. If that trend continues, we both might need to start working every weekend again so we can cover more events.”
Abby frowned. “I thought you cut back on your appearances at the fairs to concentrate on the classes you’ve been teaching and because it would give you more time at the wheel.”
Her friend looked pretty frustrated. “That was the plan, and it worked pretty well when we first started doing it. I don’t know what’s changed, which is why I need to talk to Wendy.”
Dayna drew a deep breath and let it out. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to unload on the two of you. We’re supposed to be having a good time, not whining about my problems. Are you shopping for anything in particular, Abby?”
“I might do some early browsing for Christmas presents.”
“If you think of something specific, I can probably aim you in the right direction. I know a lot of the various vendors, not just the ones who do pottery.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it. To keep on schedule, we can spend about three hours checking the place out. I would also suggest we grab lunch before heading on to the next stop.”
Bridey lit up. “Just as long as we save time for dessert. I might regret it when I have to weigh in at my next doctor visit, but I plan to have an elephant ear with my lunch. I’ve been craving one ever since Abby invited me on this expedition.”
Dayna laughed. “What’s not to love about fried dough covered in cinnamon and sugar? How about you, Abby? What’s your guilty pleasure?”
Drawing a deep breath, Abby let it out with a big smile on her face. “The sugary perfection known as the funnel cake. I probably shouldn’t, but I won’t be able to resist.”
Bridey wasn’t having it. “Hey, no guilt allowed. This should be a weekend where we can indulge ourselves. It’s not like any of us do this sort of thing all the time.”
Abby met Bridey’s gaze in the rearview mirror again and grinned. “It’s a deal. I’ll take care of business as soon as we get there. After that, nothing but fun with no guilt.”
With that settled, she drove the last few miles to the fair.
At their first destination, Abby and Bridey wandered past the booths together while Dayna stopped to visit with some artist friends. Bridey quickly found the perfect lamp for the baby’s room while Abby picked up some small gifts for her mother and the ladies from the quilting guild. She also wanted to get something for Tripp, her tenant and almost boyfriend. After passing by several booths, she stopped to study some custom-made knives in a glass-fronted display case. While she admired the craftsmanship, she finally decided they just weren’t what she was looking for. Hoping she’d have better luck at one of the other fairs, she hustled to catch up with Bridey, who was just paying for several little outfits at a nearby booth.
While the clerk bagged the baby clothes, Bridey sighed. “I don’t know about you, but I think I’d better take a break if I’m going to last through the show tonight.”
Abby held out her hands. “Why don’t I take your bags and stash them in the car? While I do that, you can go stake out a table in the food court and rest. I have two more people to touch base with, and then we can have lunch. I’ll text Dayna to let her know the plan.”
“Sounds good. I’ll get a cold drink and wait for you two to catch up.”
The trip to the car and back didn’t take long. When she returned to the fair, Abby studied the map that laid out where all the various vendors were located. Luckily, the two she still needed to speak to were located near each other. When she reached the first one, she browsed the artwork on display while the woman seated behind the table in the back finished ringing up the only customer in the tent.
Abby assumed she was looking at Bonnie Simon, a watercolor artist who specialized in painting flowers of all kinds. Abby was no expert, but the woman had a delicate touch with the details and a fine eye for colors. The flowers appeared so real that it wouldn’t surprise her to catch the scents of roses and lilacs. She really admired a pair of the smaller paintings that would be perfect on her bedroom wall.
“Hi, are you looking for something in particular?”
Abby turned to smile at the woman. “I’m actually here to talk to you for another reason, but I’ll definitely be taking two of your paintings with me when I go. They’re lovely.”
Her comment clearly pleased the other woman. As they shook hands, the woman said, “Please call me Bonnie. How can I help you?”
“I’m Abby McCree, a member of the city council in Snowberry Creek. You’re scheduled to be part of our arts and crafts fair next week, and I’m here to thank you personally for agreeing to come. I also wanted to see if there’s anything we can do to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possibly for you.”
Bonnie gave it some thought. “Not that I can think of, although it would be nice to choose who I’m next to at the fair. It might come as a bit of a shock, but you know how people talk about artists being temperamental? Well, it’s true in some cases.”
Her smile faltered a bit as she paused to look around, as if making sure no one else was listening. “Luckily, they’re in the minority. Besides, there’s no way to let all of us cherry-pick who we’re parked next to. You’d never get the fair up and running.”
She was right about that not being practical, so Abby settled for saying, “I’ll cross my fingers that you end up next to someone you like.”
Bonnie grinned. “Thanks, I appreciate the thought. But now that I think about it, there is one thing that might make things go smoothly. A fair I was at last week was an hour late opening up because they were short on the help needed to get things set up. Most of us have the process down pat, but we can always use some extra muscle to help fetch and carry.”
That made sense. “I know our committee reached out to the local veterans group. A lot of them have volunteered to help with the setup and teardown.”
Abby held out her business card from the council. “This has my number on it if you think of anything else.”
She spent the next few minutes studying the artwork Bonnie had on display. It was a difficult decision, but she finally settled on a pair for the wall above her bed. “I think I’ll take the two of old roses. I inherited an old Victorian house a while back from my aunt, and both the roses and those rhododendrons look like they came straight from her garden.”
Bonnie took the two paintings back to the table to wrap them in cardboard and brown paper to protect them. “Sounds like your aunt had a green thumb.”
“She did. I’m doing my best to take care of everything, but it’s definitely been a steep learning curve.” Abby picked up her paintings. “I look forward to seeing you next weekend.”
“Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy the paintings.”
Abby’s last stop didn’t take long. The artist in question was doing a brisk business selling his stained-glass art and could only spare a minute. Abby gave him her card and promised to check in with him at some point during the fair in Snowberry Creek.
With her duties done, she followed the tempting scent of barbecue wafting in the air to the food court. She’d worked up quite an appetite, and there definitely was a pulled pork sandwich in her immediate future. It would feel good to catch her breath before the three of them headed down the highway to their next stop.
The second fair offered a breathtaking view of Bellingham Bay to the west and glimpses of the Cascade Mountains to the east. At times, they could also see the summit of Mount Baker, one of the snowcapped volcanoes located along the I-5 corridor in Washington. So lovely. Abby hoped to make quick work of meeting with the remaining three vendors on her list while Dayna and Bridey browsed the fair. With luck, she’d be able to pick up a few more gifts, especially one for Tripp.
As they approached the park entrance, it became obvious that something was bothering Dayna. She’d grown quieter ever since lunch. Clearly something had taken the shine off the day for her. When they waited while Bridey used the restroom, Abby asked, “Is everything all right?”
Dayna stood staring off into the distance, her expression somber. Finally, she blinked and turned to face Abby. “I talked to a couple of my potter friends at the last fair, and what I heard is disturbing. It seems they all are quite happy with how their sales are going. In fact, they said this has been their best season in years.”
That didn’t make sense. “Then why are your sales down?”
“Good question. One I intend to ask Wendy when I see her tomorrow. I didn’t want to press anyone too hard for details for fear of setting off alarms. Most of the people I talked to are also friends of Wendy’s, and I’d rather not give her a heads-up that I’m not happy with how things are going.”
Dayna sighed. “And maybe it’s just bad luck that we didn’t do well at a couple of fairs. Still, one woman acted a bit odd, kind of like she knew more than she was willing to share. But then again, maybe I’m just being overly suspicious.”
Abby gave her a quick hug. “I’m sorry. I know what it’s like to start doubting your business partner.”
That much was true. In Abby’s case, the problem was compounded by the fact that her partner had also been her now ex-husband, who’d been cheating on two fronts. In the end, Chad had bought out her half of their business as part of the divorce settlement. Thanks to that windfall and her unexpected inheritance from Aunt Sybil, Abby didn’t need to be in any big hurry to start another career. Dayna didn’t have that luxury.
Her friend hugged her back. “I’ll be fine, one way or the other. For now, I’m going to shove all the worry into a box and enjoy the rest of the day.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Abby could only hope that it would be that easy for her friend to shed her concerns for a little while. When Bridey rejoined them, she pointed to where a couple of volunteers were handing out maps of the fair. They each took one and then stood back out of the flow of foot traffic to get their bearings. Abby took a few seconds to study their choices before asking, “Okay, ladies, where do we start? Right, left, or straight ahead?”
Bridey pointed to the right. “It looks like there’s a wooden-toy booth that way. I’d like to check it out.”
The decision made, they merged back into the crowd making its way through the fair. While Bridey and Dayna checked out the toy booth, Abby wandered on down the way to where another woodcarver had his wares on display. She coasted to a stop in front of a chess set.
While not full-sized, it wasn’t as small as some of the other travel sets she’d seen. It was beautifully made in natural wood tones. The chess pieces themselves were simple in their styling, but truly lovely. She liked how the case was hinged and opened flat to form the game board, and the inside was cushioned to protect the pieces when the case was being carried.
Tripp would love it.
He and some of his friends from the veterans group liked to hang around after their meetings to play chess. Right now he had an old plastic set he stored in a cardboard box held together with camo-colored duct tape. She could already picture Tripp and Gage Logan, the local police chief and fellow veteran, studying the board as they tried to outmaneuver each other.
The man behind the counter stopped in front of her. “Can I help you?”
She glanced at the vendor’s name tag as she smiled at him. “Maybe, Mr. Hostler. This chess set would be a perfect gift for a friend, but I almost hesitate to ask how much it costs.”
He winked at her. “Well, let’s just say he’d have to be a pretty good friend to deserve a gift like this one.”
She’d been afraid of that. If it wasn’t just so absolutely perfect, she would’ve thanked him and walked away. Instead, she gave him a considering look. “Are we talking having to eat ramen for dinner for a few weeks or are we talking second mortgage territory?”
That had him laughing and shaking his head. “No, it’s not that bad. This set is normally two hundred fifty dollars. But because I like your sense of humor, I’ll let it go for two twenty-five.”
Time to play hardball. “Come on now, I’m funnier than that. How about two hundred dollars instead? And did I mention the man I’m buying it for is a decorated veteran?”
He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “Seriously?”
She met his gaze head on. “Yep, twenty years in the Special Forces. I wouldn’t lie about that.”
“Lady, you do drive a hard bargain, but I can respect that.” He held out his hand. “You have a deal.”
Abby whipped out her credit card before he could change his mind. When he handed her the receipt and the bag containing the chess set, he smiled again. “Thank your friend for his service for me.”
“I will.”
Happy with her purchase, there was one question left unanswered. Would she be able to wait until Christmas to give Tripp his present? Somehow, she doubted it, but that was a problem for later. Right now, it was time to check the last few vendors off her list.
Two hours later, Abby followed her friends through the front door of the hotel. “If you’ll watch my things, I’ll go get us checked in.”
Bridey immediately sat down on a nearby couch with a sigh of relief. Abby didn’t blame her. She suspected they were all really looking forward to getting a massage. Thankfully, there was no line at the check-in counter, so the clerk made quick work of completing their registration and handed over three card keys. “Your suite is on the top floor in the west wing. It has one bedroom with a king-sized bed and a second with two queens.”
“Thank you, that’s perfect.”
He looked past her to where Dayna and Bridey waited. “Would you and your friends like help with your luggage?”
They didn’t have all that much and under ordinary circumstances Abby would have handled it herself. However, this was all about splurging a bit and enjoying a few luxuries. Besides, Bridey wasn’t the only one feeling a little tired. “We’d appreciate it, thanks.”
He waved to get the attention of one of the bellhops standing over by the concierge’s desk. “Heath, would you please help these ladies with their bags?”
The bellhop grabbed a cart and hustled over to where Abby had rejoined her friends and passed out the room keys. Once Heath had everything situated, he led them over to the bank of elevators along the back wall of the lobby. As they filed into the elevator, Bridey grinned at Abby. “I don’t know if I’ve thanked you for inviting me along on this adventure, but I really appreciate it.”
She placed her hands on her baby bump. “It might be years before I get to do something like this again.”
It was hard not to envy her friend’s excitement over her pregnancy, but Bridey and Seth deserved every bit of happiness they’d found together. Giving Bridey a quick hug, she said, “Then we’ll make tonight one to remember!”
Then she offered each of her friends a high-five. “The first round of drinks is on me, even though it has to be sparkling grape juice for you, Bridey.”
Bridey rolled her eyes. “Fine, I accept my assigned role. I’ll watch as the two of you get sloppy drunk and then pour you into bed. At least I won’t be the one with a massive headache tomorrow while we make the rounds at the fairs.”
Pinning Abby with a superior look, Bridey put her hand on her chest with a dramatic sigh. “I just hope I don’t have to tell the mayor how you showed up all hungover when you’re supposed to be representing the fine city of Snowberry Creek.”
Acting very much put-upon, Abby gave Bridey a mock glare. “Fine, I’ll behave . . . well, mostly, anyway.”
Dayna pouted. “And here I was hoping we’d all have a few too many and end up at an all-night tattoo parlor. Seriously, it’s been way too many years since I’ve done that.”
Bridey looked intrigued. “Really? What kind of tattoo did you get? Can we see it?”
Dayna nodded in the direction of their helpful bellboy. “It’s a flower, but things could get a bit awkward if I showed it to you right now.”
Luckily, the elevator came to a stop before the conversation could continue. Heath looked as if he was struggling to hold back a laugh. Abby grinned and doubled his tip as he departed their suite.
Contrary to Bridey’s playful predictions, Abby had felt great on Sunday morning as they made the rounds at the first fair on their list. The previous evening had been the perfect blend of relaxing and entertaining. After dinner, they killed time until the show began in the casino, playing the slots and a few hands of blackjack. Happily, Lady Luck was with them, and all three walked away with more money than they’d started with. Admittedly, their combined winnings would barely cover the cost of lunch at the fair. Still, a good time was had by all.
They’d just arrived at the final stop on their trip. The day was quite a bit warmer than the previous one, so they stopped at a fresh lemonade stand located just inside the entrance. . .
Abby McCree glanced at her companion and shook her head. “That’s what I had planned to do, but she texted me specific instructions just before I left the house. I’m supposed to back into the driveway, make sure the passenger door is unlocked, and keep the engine running for a quick getaway. She promised she’d be right out.”
Dayna frowned as she studied the house. “But didn’t you say that she was really pregnant?”
“Yep, she’s just over six months along.”
If anything, Dayna looked even more confused. “Not that I’ve ever been pregnant myself, but should she be carrying anything heavy?”
Abby trusted that she would’ve said if she needed extra help. However, Dayna and Bridey hadn’t yet met, while she and Dayna had been friends since college. In contrast, Abby and Bridey Kyser had only gotten to know each other after Abby moved to Snowberry Creek.
Today, the three of them were embarking on a mission on behalf of the town of Snowberry Creek. A short while ago, Abby had been coerced into becoming a member of the city council, and her first assignment was to act as liaison between the council and the committee organizing the town’s very first arts and crafts fair.
The event was a week away, and all of the major pieces were in place. But in an unexpected move, the head of the committee and the mayor had approached Abby with a special request. They wanted her to spend a weekend visiting several other fairs to touch base with the artists scheduled to be part of the Snowberry Creek fair. She was to ask if they had any last-minute requests, hoping a little advance warning would help things go more smoothly.
Since several of the events were some distance from Snowberry Creek, the committee offered to foot the bill for a night in a hotel on Saturday night. Deciding it would be the perfect way to spend a summer weekend with friends, Abby had accepted the assignment but with a special demand of her own. She’d make her own reservation and submit receipts for reimbursement after agreeing on a reasonable price for the room charge. Anything that exceeded that amount would be her responsibility.
She had immediately upgraded the room to a suite and invited Dayna and Bridey to join her. The plan was to combine the work she needed to do for the committee with a fun getaway for the three of them. They’d visit two fairs on Saturday before checking into the hotel. Being pampered in the hotel’s spa would be their reward for all their hard work. That would be followed by an expensive dinner and show at the casino next to the hotel.
A good time would be had by all. Well, if they ever actually got started.
Their schedule was pretty tight, and it was past time for them to hit the road with still no sign of the third member of their party. Abby was about to give up and go ring the doorbell when the front door opened. A very exasperated-looking Bridey stepped out on the porch with her husband, Seth, trailing right behind her. Bridey blocked his way and held out her hand. Seth reluctantly surrendered to the inevitable and handed over her suitcase. She grinned and gave him a quick kiss before hustling down the sidewalk to the car. After tossing her suitcase into the back seat, she dove in right behind it.
“Hit the gas, Abby, before he thinks of anything else I should’ve packed. The man means well, but I swear his hovering keeps getting worse. Despite the doctor assuring him that everything is fine, Seth keeps finding something new to worry about. He actually insisted I bring the baby monitor we bought. I’m supposed to set it up so that you can keep an eye on me all night long. Heck, I’ve had to limit his time online just to keep the hysteria to a minimum.”
It was hard not to laugh. Just for grins, Abby revved the engine as if getting ready to tear off down the street. Then she waved at Seth and drove sedately out of the driveway. At least he was laughing as he disappeared back into the house.
“Ladies, we are finally on our way! Nothing but fun and excitement ahead for us.”
Dayna and Bridey applauded wildly as she turned north toward their first stop. “Oh, I should introduce the two of you. Dayna Fisk, this is Bridey Kyser. Bridey owns Something’s Brewing, the best coffee shop and bakery in the area. Dayna is a potter who does truly beautiful work. I have several of her pieces that I just love. In a way, you’re both artists.”
She left it to the two women to get further acquainted while she concentrated on driving through Tacoma and then Seattle. After a while, Bridey leaned forward to ask, “What’s the plan for today? I bet Seth you’d have printed agendas for us to follow.”
Giving her friend a guilty look in the rearview mirror, Abby nodded. “Yeah, I do, but that’s mostly so that I don’t miss touching base with any of the artists I’m supposed to talk to. We should still have plenty of time to take in the sights at each of the two fairs we’re visiting today. Are you looking for anything in particular?”
“I’d love to find a cute lamp for the baby’s room. Maybe some clothes for her, too.”
As soon as Abby heard the pronoun Bridey used, she whooped, “So it’s a girl?”
Bridey beamed with pride. “Yeah, she is. We’d planned to keep it secret, but Seth let it slip to his family a couple of days ago. Once we told my family, we figured we should just let everyone know.”
Dayna twisted around to look back at Bridey. “I take it that this is your first?”
“Yeah, it is. And to be honest, I’m just as wound up about it as Seth is. We’ve had so much fun picking out baby furniture. My husband is an artist, so he’s done some spectacular wood carvings for her room. He’s also painting a mural of a woodland scene that will take up an entire wall. It’s just lovely.”
Abby smiled. “I can’t wait to see it.”
Then she asked Dayna, “Is there anything in particular you need to do this weekend or are you just browsing?”
“Tomorrow afternoon I plan to check in with my business partner at some point. It’s Wendy’s weekend to cover the booth that we share, and I want to see how things are going. Sales on my pottery have been falling, and I’m not sure why. If that trend continues, we both might need to start working every weekend again so we can cover more events.”
Abby frowned. “I thought you cut back on your appearances at the fairs to concentrate on the classes you’ve been teaching and because it would give you more time at the wheel.”
Her friend looked pretty frustrated. “That was the plan, and it worked pretty well when we first started doing it. I don’t know what’s changed, which is why I need to talk to Wendy.”
Dayna drew a deep breath and let it out. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to unload on the two of you. We’re supposed to be having a good time, not whining about my problems. Are you shopping for anything in particular, Abby?”
“I might do some early browsing for Christmas presents.”
“If you think of something specific, I can probably aim you in the right direction. I know a lot of the various vendors, not just the ones who do pottery.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it. To keep on schedule, we can spend about three hours checking the place out. I would also suggest we grab lunch before heading on to the next stop.”
Bridey lit up. “Just as long as we save time for dessert. I might regret it when I have to weigh in at my next doctor visit, but I plan to have an elephant ear with my lunch. I’ve been craving one ever since Abby invited me on this expedition.”
Dayna laughed. “What’s not to love about fried dough covered in cinnamon and sugar? How about you, Abby? What’s your guilty pleasure?”
Drawing a deep breath, Abby let it out with a big smile on her face. “The sugary perfection known as the funnel cake. I probably shouldn’t, but I won’t be able to resist.”
Bridey wasn’t having it. “Hey, no guilt allowed. This should be a weekend where we can indulge ourselves. It’s not like any of us do this sort of thing all the time.”
Abby met Bridey’s gaze in the rearview mirror again and grinned. “It’s a deal. I’ll take care of business as soon as we get there. After that, nothing but fun with no guilt.”
With that settled, she drove the last few miles to the fair.
At their first destination, Abby and Bridey wandered past the booths together while Dayna stopped to visit with some artist friends. Bridey quickly found the perfect lamp for the baby’s room while Abby picked up some small gifts for her mother and the ladies from the quilting guild. She also wanted to get something for Tripp, her tenant and almost boyfriend. After passing by several booths, she stopped to study some custom-made knives in a glass-fronted display case. While she admired the craftsmanship, she finally decided they just weren’t what she was looking for. Hoping she’d have better luck at one of the other fairs, she hustled to catch up with Bridey, who was just paying for several little outfits at a nearby booth.
While the clerk bagged the baby clothes, Bridey sighed. “I don’t know about you, but I think I’d better take a break if I’m going to last through the show tonight.”
Abby held out her hands. “Why don’t I take your bags and stash them in the car? While I do that, you can go stake out a table in the food court and rest. I have two more people to touch base with, and then we can have lunch. I’ll text Dayna to let her know the plan.”
“Sounds good. I’ll get a cold drink and wait for you two to catch up.”
The trip to the car and back didn’t take long. When she returned to the fair, Abby studied the map that laid out where all the various vendors were located. Luckily, the two she still needed to speak to were located near each other. When she reached the first one, she browsed the artwork on display while the woman seated behind the table in the back finished ringing up the only customer in the tent.
Abby assumed she was looking at Bonnie Simon, a watercolor artist who specialized in painting flowers of all kinds. Abby was no expert, but the woman had a delicate touch with the details and a fine eye for colors. The flowers appeared so real that it wouldn’t surprise her to catch the scents of roses and lilacs. She really admired a pair of the smaller paintings that would be perfect on her bedroom wall.
“Hi, are you looking for something in particular?”
Abby turned to smile at the woman. “I’m actually here to talk to you for another reason, but I’ll definitely be taking two of your paintings with me when I go. They’re lovely.”
Her comment clearly pleased the other woman. As they shook hands, the woman said, “Please call me Bonnie. How can I help you?”
“I’m Abby McCree, a member of the city council in Snowberry Creek. You’re scheduled to be part of our arts and crafts fair next week, and I’m here to thank you personally for agreeing to come. I also wanted to see if there’s anything we can do to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possibly for you.”
Bonnie gave it some thought. “Not that I can think of, although it would be nice to choose who I’m next to at the fair. It might come as a bit of a shock, but you know how people talk about artists being temperamental? Well, it’s true in some cases.”
Her smile faltered a bit as she paused to look around, as if making sure no one else was listening. “Luckily, they’re in the minority. Besides, there’s no way to let all of us cherry-pick who we’re parked next to. You’d never get the fair up and running.”
She was right about that not being practical, so Abby settled for saying, “I’ll cross my fingers that you end up next to someone you like.”
Bonnie grinned. “Thanks, I appreciate the thought. But now that I think about it, there is one thing that might make things go smoothly. A fair I was at last week was an hour late opening up because they were short on the help needed to get things set up. Most of us have the process down pat, but we can always use some extra muscle to help fetch and carry.”
That made sense. “I know our committee reached out to the local veterans group. A lot of them have volunteered to help with the setup and teardown.”
Abby held out her business card from the council. “This has my number on it if you think of anything else.”
She spent the next few minutes studying the artwork Bonnie had on display. It was a difficult decision, but she finally settled on a pair for the wall above her bed. “I think I’ll take the two of old roses. I inherited an old Victorian house a while back from my aunt, and both the roses and those rhododendrons look like they came straight from her garden.”
Bonnie took the two paintings back to the table to wrap them in cardboard and brown paper to protect them. “Sounds like your aunt had a green thumb.”
“She did. I’m doing my best to take care of everything, but it’s definitely been a steep learning curve.” Abby picked up her paintings. “I look forward to seeing you next weekend.”
“Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy the paintings.”
Abby’s last stop didn’t take long. The artist in question was doing a brisk business selling his stained-glass art and could only spare a minute. Abby gave him her card and promised to check in with him at some point during the fair in Snowberry Creek.
With her duties done, she followed the tempting scent of barbecue wafting in the air to the food court. She’d worked up quite an appetite, and there definitely was a pulled pork sandwich in her immediate future. It would feel good to catch her breath before the three of them headed down the highway to their next stop.
The second fair offered a breathtaking view of Bellingham Bay to the west and glimpses of the Cascade Mountains to the east. At times, they could also see the summit of Mount Baker, one of the snowcapped volcanoes located along the I-5 corridor in Washington. So lovely. Abby hoped to make quick work of meeting with the remaining three vendors on her list while Dayna and Bridey browsed the fair. With luck, she’d be able to pick up a few more gifts, especially one for Tripp.
As they approached the park entrance, it became obvious that something was bothering Dayna. She’d grown quieter ever since lunch. Clearly something had taken the shine off the day for her. When they waited while Bridey used the restroom, Abby asked, “Is everything all right?”
Dayna stood staring off into the distance, her expression somber. Finally, she blinked and turned to face Abby. “I talked to a couple of my potter friends at the last fair, and what I heard is disturbing. It seems they all are quite happy with how their sales are going. In fact, they said this has been their best season in years.”
That didn’t make sense. “Then why are your sales down?”
“Good question. One I intend to ask Wendy when I see her tomorrow. I didn’t want to press anyone too hard for details for fear of setting off alarms. Most of the people I talked to are also friends of Wendy’s, and I’d rather not give her a heads-up that I’m not happy with how things are going.”
Dayna sighed. “And maybe it’s just bad luck that we didn’t do well at a couple of fairs. Still, one woman acted a bit odd, kind of like she knew more than she was willing to share. But then again, maybe I’m just being overly suspicious.”
Abby gave her a quick hug. “I’m sorry. I know what it’s like to start doubting your business partner.”
That much was true. In Abby’s case, the problem was compounded by the fact that her partner had also been her now ex-husband, who’d been cheating on two fronts. In the end, Chad had bought out her half of their business as part of the divorce settlement. Thanks to that windfall and her unexpected inheritance from Aunt Sybil, Abby didn’t need to be in any big hurry to start another career. Dayna didn’t have that luxury.
Her friend hugged her back. “I’ll be fine, one way or the other. For now, I’m going to shove all the worry into a box and enjoy the rest of the day.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Abby could only hope that it would be that easy for her friend to shed her concerns for a little while. When Bridey rejoined them, she pointed to where a couple of volunteers were handing out maps of the fair. They each took one and then stood back out of the flow of foot traffic to get their bearings. Abby took a few seconds to study their choices before asking, “Okay, ladies, where do we start? Right, left, or straight ahead?”
Bridey pointed to the right. “It looks like there’s a wooden-toy booth that way. I’d like to check it out.”
The decision made, they merged back into the crowd making its way through the fair. While Bridey and Dayna checked out the toy booth, Abby wandered on down the way to where another woodcarver had his wares on display. She coasted to a stop in front of a chess set.
While not full-sized, it wasn’t as small as some of the other travel sets she’d seen. It was beautifully made in natural wood tones. The chess pieces themselves were simple in their styling, but truly lovely. She liked how the case was hinged and opened flat to form the game board, and the inside was cushioned to protect the pieces when the case was being carried.
Tripp would love it.
He and some of his friends from the veterans group liked to hang around after their meetings to play chess. Right now he had an old plastic set he stored in a cardboard box held together with camo-colored duct tape. She could already picture Tripp and Gage Logan, the local police chief and fellow veteran, studying the board as they tried to outmaneuver each other.
The man behind the counter stopped in front of her. “Can I help you?”
She glanced at the vendor’s name tag as she smiled at him. “Maybe, Mr. Hostler. This chess set would be a perfect gift for a friend, but I almost hesitate to ask how much it costs.”
He winked at her. “Well, let’s just say he’d have to be a pretty good friend to deserve a gift like this one.”
She’d been afraid of that. If it wasn’t just so absolutely perfect, she would’ve thanked him and walked away. Instead, she gave him a considering look. “Are we talking having to eat ramen for dinner for a few weeks or are we talking second mortgage territory?”
That had him laughing and shaking his head. “No, it’s not that bad. This set is normally two hundred fifty dollars. But because I like your sense of humor, I’ll let it go for two twenty-five.”
Time to play hardball. “Come on now, I’m funnier than that. How about two hundred dollars instead? And did I mention the man I’m buying it for is a decorated veteran?”
He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “Seriously?”
She met his gaze head on. “Yep, twenty years in the Special Forces. I wouldn’t lie about that.”
“Lady, you do drive a hard bargain, but I can respect that.” He held out his hand. “You have a deal.”
Abby whipped out her credit card before he could change his mind. When he handed her the receipt and the bag containing the chess set, he smiled again. “Thank your friend for his service for me.”
“I will.”
Happy with her purchase, there was one question left unanswered. Would she be able to wait until Christmas to give Tripp his present? Somehow, she doubted it, but that was a problem for later. Right now, it was time to check the last few vendors off her list.
Two hours later, Abby followed her friends through the front door of the hotel. “If you’ll watch my things, I’ll go get us checked in.”
Bridey immediately sat down on a nearby couch with a sigh of relief. Abby didn’t blame her. She suspected they were all really looking forward to getting a massage. Thankfully, there was no line at the check-in counter, so the clerk made quick work of completing their registration and handed over three card keys. “Your suite is on the top floor in the west wing. It has one bedroom with a king-sized bed and a second with two queens.”
“Thank you, that’s perfect.”
He looked past her to where Dayna and Bridey waited. “Would you and your friends like help with your luggage?”
They didn’t have all that much and under ordinary circumstances Abby would have handled it herself. However, this was all about splurging a bit and enjoying a few luxuries. Besides, Bridey wasn’t the only one feeling a little tired. “We’d appreciate it, thanks.”
He waved to get the attention of one of the bellhops standing over by the concierge’s desk. “Heath, would you please help these ladies with their bags?”
The bellhop grabbed a cart and hustled over to where Abby had rejoined her friends and passed out the room keys. Once Heath had everything situated, he led them over to the bank of elevators along the back wall of the lobby. As they filed into the elevator, Bridey grinned at Abby. “I don’t know if I’ve thanked you for inviting me along on this adventure, but I really appreciate it.”
She placed her hands on her baby bump. “It might be years before I get to do something like this again.”
It was hard not to envy her friend’s excitement over her pregnancy, but Bridey and Seth deserved every bit of happiness they’d found together. Giving Bridey a quick hug, she said, “Then we’ll make tonight one to remember!”
Then she offered each of her friends a high-five. “The first round of drinks is on me, even though it has to be sparkling grape juice for you, Bridey.”
Bridey rolled her eyes. “Fine, I accept my assigned role. I’ll watch as the two of you get sloppy drunk and then pour you into bed. At least I won’t be the one with a massive headache tomorrow while we make the rounds at the fairs.”
Pinning Abby with a superior look, Bridey put her hand on her chest with a dramatic sigh. “I just hope I don’t have to tell the mayor how you showed up all hungover when you’re supposed to be representing the fine city of Snowberry Creek.”
Acting very much put-upon, Abby gave Bridey a mock glare. “Fine, I’ll behave . . . well, mostly, anyway.”
Dayna pouted. “And here I was hoping we’d all have a few too many and end up at an all-night tattoo parlor. Seriously, it’s been way too many years since I’ve done that.”
Bridey looked intrigued. “Really? What kind of tattoo did you get? Can we see it?”
Dayna nodded in the direction of their helpful bellboy. “It’s a flower, but things could get a bit awkward if I showed it to you right now.”
Luckily, the elevator came to a stop before the conversation could continue. Heath looked as if he was struggling to hold back a laugh. Abby grinned and doubled his tip as he departed their suite.
Contrary to Bridey’s playful predictions, Abby had felt great on Sunday morning as they made the rounds at the first fair on their list. The previous evening had been the perfect blend of relaxing and entertaining. After dinner, they killed time until the show began in the casino, playing the slots and a few hands of blackjack. Happily, Lady Luck was with them, and all three walked away with more money than they’d started with. Admittedly, their combined winnings would barely cover the cost of lunch at the fair. Still, a good time was had by all.
They’d just arrived at the final stop on their trip. The day was quite a bit warmer than the previous one, so they stopped at a fresh lemonade stand located just inside the entrance. . .
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Death by Arts and Crafts
Alexis Morgan
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