Crewel Intentions (An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mini-Mystery) by Lois Winston Page A

stew of jealousy, greed, and sex...” and a “Sopranos-worthy lineup of eccentric character...” – Publishers Weekly
     
    “Winston provides a long-suffering heroine, amusing characters, a...good mystery and a series of crafting projects featuring cloth yo-yos.” – Kirkus Reviews
     
    “A fun addition to a series that keeps getting stronger.” – Romantic Times Magazine
     
    “Chuckles begin on page one and the steady humor sustains a comedic crafts cozy, the third (after Death by Killer Mop Doll)... Recommend for Chris Grabenstein (“John Ceepak” series) and Jess Lourey readers.” – Library Journal
     
    “You'll be both surprised and entertained by this terrific mystery. I can't wait to see what happens in the Pollack household next.” – Suspense Magazine
     
    “The book has what a mystery should...It moves along at a good pace...Like all good sleuths, Anastasia pieces together what others don't...The book has a fun twist...and it's clear that Anastasia, the everyday woman who loves crafts and desserts, and has a complete hottie in pursuit, will return to solve another murder and offer more crafts tips...” – Star-Ledger

 
    Crewel Intentions
     
    An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mini-Mystery
     
    by Lois Winston
     
     
    Also by Lois Winston
     
    Talk Gertie to Me
     
    Elementary, My Dear Gertie
     
    Love, Lies and a Double Shot of Deception
     
    Assault with a Deadly Glue Gun
     
    Death by Killer Mop Doll
     
    Revenge of the Crafty Corpse
     
    Mosaic Mayhem
     
    Top Ten Reasons Your Novel Is Rejected
     
    Once Upon a Romance
     
     
    Writing as Emma Carlyle
     
    Hooking Mr. Right
     
    Finding Hope
     
    Four Uncles and a Wedding
     
    Lost in Manhattan
     
    Someone to Watch Over Me

 
     
     
     
    Crewel Intentions copyright 2012 by Lois Winston. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
     
    This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, locations, or events is coincidental or fictionalized.
     
     
    Cover design by Scott Winston

 
     
     
     
    ONE
     
    “Anastasia, I need your help.”
    I recognized the voice at once. “Erica? You shouldn’t be calling me.”
    “I had to. I don’t know where else to turn.”
    “Hold on.” I poked my head out of my cubicle and found the hall empty. Quickly I darted down the corridor to the models’ closet, a walk-in storage area where I kept arts and crafts supplies and models from past magazine issues.
    Once inside, with the door closed and keeping my voice to a whisper, I said, “Are you crazy? You’ll get kicked out of the program.” Although I had gleaned my knowledge of WitSec one hundred percent from a now-canceled TV show, I assumed breaking the No Contact With Anyone From Your Past rule was definitely grounds for expulsion.
    “I’ve taken precautions.”
    “What kind of precautions?”
    “I’m on a burner phone. No one will know.”
    Erica Milano, former American Woman fashion editor and daughter of crime boss Joey Milano, now lived under an assumed name in an undisclosed city, compliments of Witness Protection. Several months ago, she’d provided a federal prosecutor with evidence against her ex-boyfriend after he tried to kill me. Attempted murder was only one of the many crimes that permanently relocated Ricardo to a federally run establishment with bars on the windows and razor wire landscaping.
    In addition, Joey Milano now awaited trial on more than two dozen counts. Thanks to Erica, the feds had enough information to cripple her father’s organization and put him in standard-issue neon-orange jumpsuits for the rest of his life—unless his goons got to her before she testified against him.
    “I really shouldn’t be