1 The Underhanded Stitch by Marjory Sorrell Rockwell Page A
Authors: Marjory Sorrell Rockwell
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Madison taking the ring with her.”
“That’s why everybody wanted the ring,” squealed Agnes, unable to contain her excitement. “Mister Jinks wanted his ring back from his girlfriend. And Mayor Caruthers considers himself the rightful owner since it had belonged to his ancestor to begin with.”
≈≈≈
Lizzie was next to come up with information. “My husband Edgar says Henry Caruthers has a safety deposit box at Caruthers Corners Saving and Loan. Edgar remembers the mayor renting the box back in ’98, shortly after the Centennial festivities,”
“In other words, around the time he bought that fake ring and swapped it for the real one in Tall Paul’s quilt,” surmised Maddy. All the pieces falling into place.
“I’m surprised he would tell you that much about bank customers,” said Cookie.
“Edgar will tell me anything when I put on that red negligee that matches my hair and crook my little finger.”
Maddy laughed. “More likely, you agreed to let him take you on a fishing trip to Canada.”
“How’d you know that?”
“Your husband invited Beau and me to go along.”
≈≈≈
“Got it,” announced Bootsie.
“What?” said Lizzie. “A case of poison ivy?”
“No, silly. I’ve found out how the mayor pulled the ol’ switcheroo with Tall Paul’s quilt.”
“And – ” prodded Maddy.
“It seems the mayor borrowed the quilt to display in the Town Hall during the Centennial celebration. Not only was the quilt an award-winner, it depicted the town of Caruthers Corners. Well, at least its main buildings.”
“Why would Paul loan him a quilt with a ruby ring in it?” asked Lizzie.
“Remember, Paul didn’t know about the ring being in the quilt. When his granny told him the ring was beneath the Town Hall, he thought she was talking about the real building.”
“But how did the mayor know the ring was hidden in the quilt?” asked Agnes, trying to follow the details.
“He didn’t,” said her grandmother. “He really did borrow the quilt for the Centennial, but he felt a lump inside it when hanging it in the Town Hall. Opening it up, he found the ruby ring.”
“Why did he put the fake in the quilt?” Cookie wanted to know.
“He couldn’t be sure that Paul didn’t know the ring was there, so he took the one he’d bought for his Jacob Caruthers costume and swapped it for the real thing.”
“And the note?” asked Tilly. She and her husband had just put a down payment on that old Victorian on the town square where her mother had grown up.
“Mayor Caruthers has always been jealous of descendants of the other founders, afraid they would steal his limelight. He refused to let Beau put up a statue in honor of the Colonel. And he preferred Paul’s ancestor to remain in obscurity. Ferdinand Jinks has practically been erased from the history books. You see, the mayor’s a bitter man who couldn’t pass up the chance to taunt Jinks’ descendant that he had retrieved the ring. But as it turns out, Paul never found the note. We did.”
“All that theorizing is well and good,” said Ben Bentley who had accompanied Cookie to this meeting of the Quilter’s Club. “But how are you gonna get your hands on that ring in his safe deposit box?”
“That’s where Agnes and I come in,” said Maddy.
Chapter Twenty-Three
A Return Engagement
“Y ou again,” said Tall Paul Johnson, not happy to see her.
Maddy stood her ground. “Oh I think you will want to hear what I have to say this time.”
“What makes you think that? I’m pretty busy here. My wife had a bad day on Sunday. Some kind of cleaning service showed up, but left before they finished. Then a dog got bumped by a car right in front of the house. Taken away by a real ambulance and everything. She’s not used to so much excitement. She’s in frail health, you know.”
“I know where the real ruby ring is.”
“Do tell?” His interest immediately captured. “Does your husband
“That’s why everybody wanted the ring,” squealed Agnes, unable to contain her excitement. “Mister Jinks wanted his ring back from his girlfriend. And Mayor Caruthers considers himself the rightful owner since it had belonged to his ancestor to begin with.”
≈≈≈
Lizzie was next to come up with information. “My husband Edgar says Henry Caruthers has a safety deposit box at Caruthers Corners Saving and Loan. Edgar remembers the mayor renting the box back in ’98, shortly after the Centennial festivities,”
“In other words, around the time he bought that fake ring and swapped it for the real one in Tall Paul’s quilt,” surmised Maddy. All the pieces falling into place.
“I’m surprised he would tell you that much about bank customers,” said Cookie.
“Edgar will tell me anything when I put on that red negligee that matches my hair and crook my little finger.”
Maddy laughed. “More likely, you agreed to let him take you on a fishing trip to Canada.”
“How’d you know that?”
“Your husband invited Beau and me to go along.”
≈≈≈
“Got it,” announced Bootsie.
“What?” said Lizzie. “A case of poison ivy?”
“No, silly. I’ve found out how the mayor pulled the ol’ switcheroo with Tall Paul’s quilt.”
“And – ” prodded Maddy.
“It seems the mayor borrowed the quilt to display in the Town Hall during the Centennial celebration. Not only was the quilt an award-winner, it depicted the town of Caruthers Corners. Well, at least its main buildings.”
“Why would Paul loan him a quilt with a ruby ring in it?” asked Lizzie.
“Remember, Paul didn’t know about the ring being in the quilt. When his granny told him the ring was beneath the Town Hall, he thought she was talking about the real building.”
“But how did the mayor know the ring was hidden in the quilt?” asked Agnes, trying to follow the details.
“He didn’t,” said her grandmother. “He really did borrow the quilt for the Centennial, but he felt a lump inside it when hanging it in the Town Hall. Opening it up, he found the ruby ring.”
“Why did he put the fake in the quilt?” Cookie wanted to know.
“He couldn’t be sure that Paul didn’t know the ring was there, so he took the one he’d bought for his Jacob Caruthers costume and swapped it for the real thing.”
“And the note?” asked Tilly. She and her husband had just put a down payment on that old Victorian on the town square where her mother had grown up.
“Mayor Caruthers has always been jealous of descendants of the other founders, afraid they would steal his limelight. He refused to let Beau put up a statue in honor of the Colonel. And he preferred Paul’s ancestor to remain in obscurity. Ferdinand Jinks has practically been erased from the history books. You see, the mayor’s a bitter man who couldn’t pass up the chance to taunt Jinks’ descendant that he had retrieved the ring. But as it turns out, Paul never found the note. We did.”
“All that theorizing is well and good,” said Ben Bentley who had accompanied Cookie to this meeting of the Quilter’s Club. “But how are you gonna get your hands on that ring in his safe deposit box?”
“That’s where Agnes and I come in,” said Maddy.
Chapter Twenty-Three
A Return Engagement
“Y ou again,” said Tall Paul Johnson, not happy to see her.
Maddy stood her ground. “Oh I think you will want to hear what I have to say this time.”
“What makes you think that? I’m pretty busy here. My wife had a bad day on Sunday. Some kind of cleaning service showed up, but left before they finished. Then a dog got bumped by a car right in front of the house. Taken away by a real ambulance and everything. She’s not used to so much excitement. She’s in frail health, you know.”
“I know where the real ruby ring is.”
“Do tell?” His interest immediately captured. “Does your husband
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