Knit Your Own Murder Read Online Free Page B

concert in Saint Paul, so I let him cut out early.”
    â€œAh,” said Max. He picked up a pair of very smallpenguins. “I don’t think these come from the same book as the leopard.”
    â€œNo, they’re from a book called
Mini Knitted Safari
. And there are other books by the same author, too. Quite a few children knitted toys designed by her.”
    â€œMaybe we should auction these in lots,” he said.
    Bershada said, “My son Chaz made a wooden model of the Ark, and I’ll finish knitting a figure of Noah tonight. You’re right, and there are duplicates of many of these tiny animals, so I’m going to put a group of pairs into one lot with the Ark and Noah.”
    â€œWow, what a great idea!” said Betsy. “Be sure to tell Mount Calvary about that. They might want it for their Sunday school.”
    â€œYes, that’s a terrific idea.” said Max. “Divide some of the rest of these little bitty ones into lots, so maybe others will get the same idea.”
    Bershada said to Betsy, “See? I told you he was good!”
    Betsy said, “And maybe I can hire Chaz to make me an Ark and sell me the pattern. That should sell more copies of the books—the author has others in addition to that
Safari
one.” Betsy was always on the lookout for ways to improve sales.

Chapter Six

    M ount Calvary Lutheran Church was on the southwest side of Excelsior. The church was relatively new, but not so modern it couldn’t be recognized as a church at a glance. It was built in Gothic style, of pale stone, with lots of parking in back and multiple entrances to the large hall.
    The atrium was large and beautiful, circular in design, with offices, classrooms, a hallway to the kitchen, and another to the restrooms off it. There were lots of tall windows, and there was a big skylight in its slightly domed ceiling. The floor was light-colored tile, currently covered with padded folding chairs in a crescent pattern, facing a lectern. The lectern was flanked by two pairs of long tables, each pair heaped with toy animals, mostly knit, some crocheted, several made of wood.
    On a small, long-legged table by itself was a glass case, and inside it was Irene Potter’s strange vision of theJabberwock. Behind the lectern and tables was a single row of seven folding chairs.
    The doors to the hall opened at 1:15 p.m. People filing in for the auction were directed to a desk near the rear of the atrium to sign in and receive a deep yellow cardboard paddle with a bold black number printed on it. Most of the people signing in took a detour to get a closer look at the toys and the dragon before finding their seats.
    The auction was scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. At 1:30, a musical duo consisting of a husband and wife playing an oboe and a double bass fiddle came in and performed a mix of music as odd as their pairing: some folk, some Renaissance, some original compositions, a couple of Irish jigs. The audience applauded, though more thinly as the hour approached for the auction to begin.
    At 2:25 p.m. the duo quit and left the room as a group of two men and five women filed out of one of the hallways near the tables and lectern. The new arrivals were wearing dressy casual clothing—good shirts and blazers for the men, skirts and fancy blouses or sweaters for the women. Maddy O’Leary, in the middle of the row, wore her usual wool suit, this one a purple so dark it was almost black. Each of them carried a small, bright green canvas bag with the CREWEL WORLD logo on it and a pair of bamboo knitting needles poking out the top.
    They paused in front of the row of chairs, turned to face the audience, then sat down. The audience, which had fallen silent at their entrance, murmured in bemusement.
    Bershada Reynolds came out of the same hallway and stepped up to the lectern. “Ladies and gentlemen,” she said,“these seven people”—she half turned and made a wide