A Stitch to Die For (An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Book 5) (25 page)

“For a laundry list of criminal activities. Between the indictments coming down from the county, the state, and the Feds, Salvatore Capperato—AKA Lawrence Tuttnauer and a dozen other alias—will spend the remainder of his life behind bars.”

~*~

Mama’s blood pressure concerned the doctors enough to keep her overnight for observation. I considered that a blessing.

Spader met us at the hospital after booking Salvatore at headquarters. He ushered us down the hall to an empty family lounge and indicated we should take seats at a small round table located in the center of the room. “How much have you told her?” he asked Zack.

The question made me bristle. “I’m right here, Detective. How about you start from the beginning and tell me everything yourself?”

Spader made eye contact with Zack. Zack nodded. “She deserves to know.”

“Damn right, I deserve to know,” I said, “considering I cracked this case wide open for you, Detective.”

“Actually, Benini did that with his DNA match,” he said.

“What about the bank statements, passports, and diamonds I found?”

“The state Organized Crime Task Force has you to thank for that,” he conceded. “They’ll be filing additional charges against Capperato. As will the Feds.”

He stood and walked over to a coffee station in the corner of the room, popped in a pod, and waited for the cardboard cup to fill. “Anyone else?” he asked.

Both Zack and I declined. I was already too wired. A cup of coffee at this hour would keep me awake all night, not something I wanted after last night’s insomnia.

Coffee in hand, Spader returned to the table. “I wasn’t quite honest with you a minute ago, Mrs. Pollack. You do deserve some credit. I doubt Benini would have copped to the Hunterdon County murders if not for you mentioning them to me.”

“Why did Capperato want Cynthia dead?” I asked.

“She became a liability. Perez was collateral damage. Capperato had no way of knowing what Cynthia may have told him. According to Benini, Capperato’s daughter tried to blackmail him. He needed to shut her up.”

“Blackmail him over what?”

“Part of the story he told you about Nevada had some grains of truth to it. His first wife did die but not from an overdose. He killed her. Cynthia somehow discovered the truth. That’s probably why she started using drugs.”

“He didn’t testify against a drug kingpin?”

“There was no drug kingpin. Benini claims Capperato caught his wife cheating on him. He killed the guy, too. Not in Carson City, though. They lived in Houston. The bodies were never found. Capperato told everyone his wife ran off with her lover. No one suspected foul play. After a reasonable period of time, he resigned his position at the brokerage firm where he worked and moved east, explaining to his friends and coworkers that Houston held too many bad memories for him and his daughter.”

“Cynthia found out her father killed her mother?”

“That’s what we suspect. Benini wasn’t clear on exactly what Cynthia knew that set Capperato off. He never told Benini, just said she was blackmailing him and needed to be shut up. Permanently. For the right price Benini didn’t ask questions.”

“Is Benini even really his cousin?”

“That part of his story is true. He reached out to Benini and offered to launder mob money in exchange for the new identities.”

“But how does all this connect to Carmen and Betty? Why did Capperato want them dead?”

Spader and Zack exchanged another look that sent fear skittering up and down my spine. Zack reached out and took hold of my hand. “You’re not going to like this part,” he said.

“I’m not liking any part of this. Tell me.”

Spader heaved a deep sigh. “Because your mother kept bragging about your ability to solve murders, Capperato didn’t want you sticking your nose into Cynthia’s death. The Hunterdon County medical examiner had ruled the death an accidental drug overdose, and that’s the way he wanted it left.”

“Oh my god!” My hands flew to my mouth; my eyes welled up with tears that quickly cascaded down my cheeks. “I’m responsible for Carmen’s and Betty’s deaths?”

Spader sucked air through his gritted teeth. “Technically, your mother is responsible for Capperato’s actions, but he wanted to make sure you were too busy snooping around murders in your own neighborhood to get involved investigating Cynthia’s death. He paid Benini to knock off a couple of your neighbors and make it look like more than one killer had targeted the neighborhood.

“Benini’s a film buff. He decided he’d have some fun by reenacting scenes from some of his favorite movies and TV shows. He also planted the knife in your yard and phoned in the hostage incident that led to the swatting.”

I turned to face Zack. “I caused their deaths. How can I live with myself?”

“Benini killed them,” he said. “On Lawrence’s orders.”

“But if not for me, they’d both still be alive.”

Spader cleared his throat. “Not for long.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Benini researched the people on your street. He chose Bentworth and Cordova because both were already dying.

“Dying? They both looked perfectly healthy to me.”

“Bentworth had advanced stage pancreatic cancer and had refused treatment. Mrs. Cordova had an inoperable brain tumor. She had less than a month to live. She and her family were aware of the situation.”

“Great. A killer with a conscience. Is that supposed to make me feel better? Carmen suffered a horrible death.”

“No, she didn’t,” said Spader. “All her stab wounds were postmortem. The medical examiner discovered a bullet to the back of her head. Benini stripped off her clothes, then placed her in the shower and stabbed her repeatedly. Like Bentworth, she never knew what hit her and died instantly.”

I shook my head. “Small consolation, Detective. I still robbed her of what little time she had left with her family. And all because Mama bragged about me? How evil can one man be?”

“I’ve seen far worse,” said Spader.

“Again, not helping, Detective.” I turned to Zack. “Mama can never learn about this. It would kill her.”

“Agreed.”

~*~

I took off work the next day. Zack accompanied me to the hospital to pick up Mama and bring her home. That was the easy part. We still had to tell her about her husband—everything except the part she played in the deaths of my neighbors.

We found her sitting on a chair in front of the window in her hospital room. “I can’t imagine what got into Lawrence last night,” she said. “I suppose it was the shock of being mistaken for a killer, but I’m going to insist he get a complete medical check-up. He may be developing dementia or have a brain tumor. There are no other logical explanations for his behavior.
 

“I hope he and the police sorted everything out afterwards.” She craned her neck to look behind us. “Where is he? Why isn’t he with you?”

“He’s in jail, Mama.” I proceeded to tell her what we’d learned about her husband.

“Impossible,” she said. “Lawrence is a lover, not a killer. I don’t believe it. There has to be some mistake. Someone is framing him.”

“Believe it, Mama. You can thank Lucille for saving your life. If she hadn’t deliberately tripped him with her cane, you might have become his next victim.” I have no doubt Salvatore Capperato would have gotten rid of Mama as soon as she was no longer of use to him in his getaway plan.

The thought of being indebted to Lucille caused Mama physical pain. Her face contorted. “That pinko pig—”

“Saved your life,” repeated Zack, a bit more forcefully than I had.

Mama scowled. “Well, I suppose even
she’s
capable of a good deed now and then.”

“The man you knew as Lawrence will spend the rest of his life behind bars. What will you do, Mama?”

“Well, I’m certainly not staying married to a killer! I suppose I’ll have to divorce him.” Mama had never filed for divorce. All her husbands died on her. The expression on her face told me she didn’t relish the idea. “Do you think I have grounds for an annulment?”

“We’ll look into it,” I said, adding, “I’m sorry this marriage didn’t work out for you, Mama. You seemed so happy.” At least at first but I’d noticed telltale signs of unrest from the moment she and her latest husband had returned from their honeymoon.

“I am, too, dear.” Mama sighed. “At least this husband didn’t die on me. Perhaps the curse is broken, and I’ll find my happily ever after with the next man who enters my life.”

In the back of my mind I heard Ralph squawking, “
There stays a husband to make you a wife. Romeo and Juliet.
Act Two, Scene Five.”

Anastasia’s Knit and Crochet

Baby Blankets

Knit Blankets

Abbreviations:

K=knit

P=pearl

st(s)=stitch(es)

Garter Stitch Bordered Knit Blanket

Materials:
12-oz. 4-ply knitting worsted in desired color, size 7 knitting needles

Cast on 135 sts.

Rows 1-9:
K 135
 

Row 10:
K 6, P 123, K 6

Row 11:
K 123

Repeat Row 10 and 11 until blanket measures 32”.

Repeat Rows 1-9.

Bind off.

Basket Weave Knit Blanket

Materials:
12-oz. 4-ply knitting worsted in desired color, size 7 knitting needles

Cast on 135 sts.

Rows 1, 3, 6, and 8:
P 5 * K 5, P 5. Repeat from * across row.

Rows 2, 4, 5, and 7:
K5, * P 5, K 5. Repeat from * across row.

Repeat above eight rows until piece measures 32”, ending with row 8. Bind off.

Crochet Blankets

Abbreviations:

Ch=chain

SC=single crochet

DC=double crochet

st=stitch

Super Simple Crocheted Blanket

Materials:
24-oz. 4-ply knitting worsted in desired color, #4 crochet hook

Ch 118

Row 1:
Beginning with second chain from hook, work SC in each chain.

Row 2:
Turn blanket. Work 1 SC in each stitch.

Repeat Row 2 until blanket measures 30”.

Fasten off.

Shell Patterned Crocheted Blanket

Materials:
24-oz. 4-ply knitting worsted in desired color, #4 crochet hook

Ch 118.

Row 1:
Work 1 SC in first Ch, skip 2 Ch, 6 DC in next Ch *, skip 2 Ch, 1 SC in next Ch, skip 2 Ch, 6 DC in next Ch. Repeat from *, ending row with 1 SC in last Ch. Ch 2, turn.

Row 2:
* 1 DC in each DC of shell, taking up back thread only. Skip SC between shells. Repeat from *, ending 1 DC in last SC. Ch 1, turn.

Row 3:
1 sc in first dc *, 6 dc in space between third and fourth dc from sc just made. 1 sc in space between the next third and fourth dc. Repeat from * across row, ending with 1sc in last dc. Ch 2, turn.

Repeat rows 2 and 3 until piece measures 30”.

Border:
Work 2 rows of SC around entire blanket, working 3 SC in each corner st.

Edging:
Starting on third st from corner, work 1 SC *, skip 2 sts. 6 DC in next st. Skip 2 sts. 1 SC in next st. repeat from * around entire cover, skipping only 1 st at corners. Fasten off.

A Note from the Author

Dear Reader,

I hope you enjoyed
A Stitch to Die For
, the sixth full-length novel in my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series. If so, please consider leaving a review at your favorite review site.

I love to hear from readers. You can contact me at
[email protected]
, and if you’d like to stay informed about upcoming releases, events, and other news about me and my books, you can sign up for my author newsletter by clicking
here
.

Happy reading!

Lois Winston

About the Author

USA Today
bestselling and award-winning author Lois Winston writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, children’s chapter books, and non-fiction under her own name and her Emma Carlyle pen name.
Kirkus Reviews
dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” In addition, Lois is an award-winning craft and needlework designer who often draws much of her source material for both her characters and plots from her experiences in the crafts industry. Visit Lois/Emma at
http://www.loiswinston.com
and Anastasia at the Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers blog,
http://www.anastasiapollack.blogspot.com
. Follow everyone on Tsu at
http://www.tsu.co/loiswinston
, on Pinterest at
http://www.pinterest.com/anasleuth
, and on Twitter @anasleuth.