The Postman Always Purls Twice Read online

  Praise for the Black Sheep Knitting Mystery series

  “The fast-paced plot will keep even nonknitters turning the pages.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Congenial characters and a mystery that keeps you guessing.”

  —Kirkus Reviews

  “Maggie and her group are as efficient with their investigation as they are with their knitting needles.”

  —Library Journal

  “Small-town crafty ambience. . . . This enjoyable tale is similar in style to the work of both Sally Goldenbaum and Cricket McRae.”

  —Booklist

  “An engaging story full of tight-knit friendships and a needling mystery.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  “A slew of interesting characters.”

  —Single Titles

  “Enthusiastic, engrossing, and exciting.”

  —The Mystery Gazette

  “An intriguing mystery with a few surprising twists and turns.”

  —Romance Reviews Today

  “Delightful. Enchanting. Humorous. Impressive. Witty. Those are just a few adjectives to describe Anne Canadeo’s effervescent cozy.”

  —Book Cave

  Thank you for downloading this Gallery Books eBook.

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  Meet the Black Sheep Knitters

  Maggie Messina, owner of the Black Sheep Knitting Shop, is a retired high school art teacher who runs her little slice of knitters’ paradise with the kind of vibrant energy that leaves her friends dazzled! From novice to pro, knitters come to Maggie as much for her up-to-the-minute offerings like organic wool as for her encouragement and friendship. And Maggie’s got a deft touch when it comes to unraveling mysteries, too.

  Lucy Binger left Boston when her marriage ended, and found herself shifting gears to run her graphic design business from the coastal cottage she inherited. After big-city living, she now finds contentment on a front porch in tiny Plum Harbor, knitting with her closest friends.

  Dana Haeger is a psychologist with a busy local practice. A stylishly polished professional with a quick wit, she slips out to Maggie’s shop whenever her schedule allows—after all, knitting is the best form of therapy!

  Suzanne Cavanaugh is a typical working supermom—a realtor with a million demands on her time, from coaching soccer to showing houses to attending the PTA. But she carves out a little “me” time with the Black Sheep Knitters.

  Phoebe Meyers, a college student complete with magenta highlights and nose stud, lives in the apartment above Maggie’s shop. She’s Maggie’s indispensable helper (when she’s not in class)—and part of the new generation of young knitters.

  To Susan Davis Pereira, with love and gratitude for your friendship. How lucky to have found each other in Mrs. Hammer’s class.

  All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts,

  —As You Like It, ACT 2, SCENE 7, WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

  All the hate and revenge has left me, but is it all out of you?

  —The Postman Always Rings Twice, JAMES M. CAIN

  Chapter One

  “It’s a mystery to me. The movie people haven’t told me much.” Maggie shrugged as she set down a platter of sushi on the long oak table at the back of her shop. Lucy and Dana, the first to arrive, sat in their usual places, sipping wine and gently coaxing yarn and needles from their knitting bags.

  “The cast and crew arrive in town tomorrow,” Maggie continued, “and they’ll be invading this place on Saturday, at the crack of dawn. The shop’s busiest day of the week. What can you do? The show must go on.”

  “Where else are they filming? Is the shop the only spot in town?” Lucy was almost done with her latest creation, Maggie noticed; an airy, oatmeal-colored, dropped-stitched scarf, perfect for the warmer weather. But now she seemed more interested in hearing about the movie than moving in for the kill on her project.

  “Suzanne said they also rented a big house on the beach where they’ll shoot other scenes. I think they’ll be in town about a week. I know I should feel honored, but somehow I already regret agreeing to this.”

  Maggie was quietly proud of the Black Sheep Knitting Shop. She had found the perfect spot for her business years ago, the first floor of a beautifully renovated Victorian building that had once been a private home.

  But she wasn’t surprised at all that the entire town of Plum Harbor had caught the eye of movie location scouts. A classic New England village on the Cape Ann coast, it was as picturesque a spot as any movie set, its tree-lined lanes filled with historic houses, and a row of well-kept shops along Main Street, which led down to a harbor and green.

  But now that reality was setting in, Maggie had serious doubts about whether she’d made the right choice.

  “Come on, Mag. You’re our Hollywood connection. How will we talk our way into being extras if you come off like a big grump?” Phoebe, Maggie’s assistant, walked out from the storeroom, balancing a serving tray laden with other dinner necessities: a stack of flat sushi plates, little bowls for soy sauce, and a pile of chopsticks and napkins.

  Maggie enjoyed cooking dinner for a knitting night, but didn’t have the spare time today. Sushi was a crowd-pleasing choice, and the chopsticks and knitting needles seemed somehow related.

  “I think Suzanne is our official Hollywood connection, and I’m not ready to give up my day job yet.” Maggie began handing out the napkins and chopsticks to her hungry-looking guests.

  “I’ll skip the audition, too,” Dana added with a smile. “But I’d love to watch them film a scene or two, and see how the actors and director work. That would be interesting.”

  Lucy suddenly looked up from her knitting. “I wouldn’t mind going behind the scenes with the actors. Especially Heath O’Hara.”

  Lucy was a fan? Maggie had no idea. “Sounds serious. Does Matt know he has such famous competition?”

  “He drifts into a happy daze every time I mention Trina Hardwick is in the cast, so I’d say we’re even.”

  “She doesn’t seem his type at all. She’s such a ‘bad girl,’ ” Maggie replied.

  “All the more attractive as a fantasy,” Dana noted. “Like most celebrity crushes.”

  “Very true. But that’s just common sense,” Maggie mumbled around a bite of spicy tuna. “No offense.”

  Dana shrugged, rarely offended by the group’s gentle teasing about her profession. When advice from a calm, thoughtful voice was needed, Maggie knew Dana, their resident psychologist, was the first they turned to.

  “I can’t believe that in like . . . less than two days, all those movie stars are going to be in this shop. Maybe even sitting in these chairs.” Phoebe gazed down at her own chair in awe. “It’s totally freaking me out.”

  “Hang in there, Phoebe. They’re not here yet.” Such a vivid imagination; Maggie admired that.

  “Sorry if you don’t think that’s really cool, Mag. But it totally is.”

  “And good publicity for the shop,” Lucy reminded her.

  “Yes, yes . . . That’s how Suzanne talked me into this. I’m hardly the most starstruck person you’ll ever meet.”

  “That we’d all agree upon, for sure,” Dana assured her.

  “I hope Suzanne is coming. I saved her some sushi.” Maggie glanced at her watch. “She must know a little more. I’m not sure if I should straighten up the plac
e, or if they want that lived-in look. Will they be using the merchandise as props? Not that I mind, if they’re careful with everything. I’d just like to know.”

  “Don’t stress. I’m sure you can email someone who will answer your questions. The shop looks neat as a pin, as always,” Lucy assured her.

  “We try our best.” Maggie glanced at Phoebe, who was suddenly staring at her food as if she expected the bits of fish to leap off her dish.

  Keeping the shop in order was one of Phoebe’s main duties; making sure all the project books, needles, and other knitting necessaries were in their proper place and each skein of yarn in a cubby on the big wall, or tucked in a basket, carefully organized by color and fiber type. Phoebe kept up with this task most of the time. But she could so easily get distracted.

  “Who else is in the movie besides Heath O’Hara and Trina?” Phoebe asked.

  “Jennifer Todd is the big star,” Dana replied. “I saw her once on Broadway, in Hamlet. She was amazing as Ophelia. She won all kinds of awards.”

  “Jennifer Todd is a better actress than Trina any day. Trina is mainly famous for being famous. And for her bad behavior,” Lucy added.

  Maggie had to agree. After some early success in teen movies, Trina ran right off the rails—if one believed half the news about her in gossip magazines—trashing hotel rooms, causing scenes in exclusive restaurants. Arrests for shoplifting and driving under the influence. And all her dirty laundry, mug shots, and shocking outfits captured for the world to see on the covers of supermarket tabloids.

  Jennifer Todd’s image would be found a few rungs higher on the magazine rack, gracing the cover of Ladies’ Home Journal or Vogue. Maybe sharing a favorite recipe or beauty tip in her interviews.

  “Let’s face it, the media doesn’t want stories about how happy and settled a movie star’s life is. Scandal sells more magazines,” Lucy observed.

  “The film’s director, Nick Pullman, has had one or two of those,” Dana recalled. “I remember years ago, he was involved in the death of a very young actress. I think she drowned in the pool at his mansion. A real tragedy. She was very young, not even twenty.”

  “That’s awful. I’ve never heard that.” Lucy put her knitting down. “When was this? I don’t remember.”

  “Oh . . . about fifteen years ago. He got off without any big legal problems. I don’t even think the girl’s family sued him. But it was pretty messy, tarnished his reputation for a while.”

  “Interesting.” Maggie looked over her sushi, selecting a next bite. “But some celebrities have a way of smoothing over rough patches that would derail mere mortals.”

  “They do,” Lucy agreed. “Maybe he paid the girl’s family to keep it out of the courts.”

  “And not discuss it openly,” Dana added. “Reporters refer to the incident from time to time, but he’s pretty much shaken it off and moved on.”

  “Few people are untouched by tragedies. Even if their lives seem golden from a distance,” Maggie noted.

  “How true, and Trina’s had some tragedies in her life, too. Her father and older sister were killed in a car crash when she was only a teenager.” Dana had set her plate aside and was already back to work, counting the pale yellow stitches along one needle, just about the color of her straight, chin-length hair. “It’s no wonder she has so many issues now.”

  “Trina is a walking cry for help,” Phoebe agreed. “But I heard she’s been in rehab. This is her first big movie clean and sober.”

  “Well . . . good luck to her,” Maggie said sincerely. “It’s awful to see someone that young, with such great opportunities, throwing everything away.”

  Dana nodded. “I think Hollywood actors lead a hard life. So much pressure and temptation.”

  “Jennifer Todd seems to be completely the opposite. So down to earth, the type of person you could talk to. Or even be friends with. I think she even knits.” Lucy sounded as if Jennifer was already their friend, Maggie noticed.

  “Absolutely,” Dana agreed. “Except for her chauffeur, housekeeper, chef, personal assistant, fitness trainer . . .”

  “Okay, not exactly like us. But you know what I mean. She’s a real girl-next-door type. Though she’s probably about forty?” Lucy guessed.

  “I just read she’s thirty-seven, and she is—or was—the girl next door. Didn’t you know that she grew up around here?” Maggie was surprised her friends didn’t seem aware of that connection.

  “I heard that somewhere, too.” Dana looked up from her knitting. “Is she from Plum Harbor?”

  “Newburyport,” Maggie recalled. The village a few miles north was the last town on the Cape Ann coast and practically a metropolis compared to sleepy Plum Harbor.

  Lucy seemed cheered by the news. “Maybe they’ll hold a Welcome Home, Jennifer parade.”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised. ‘Any excuse for a parade’ is the motto around here,” Maggie said.

  “So . . . that means she graduated high school almost twenty years ago,” Phoebe calculated aloud. “Was she ever one of your students, Mag?”

  Maggie shook her head. “I was at Plum Harbor High. Newburyport has its own secondary school.”

  It seemed like another lifetime, her days as a high school art teacher. She had been teaching more than twenty years when her husband, Bill, had unexpectedly died. Maggie was paralyzed with grief at first, but eventually decided to pursue her “someday dream” and turn her love of knitting into a full-time career.

  A wise choice, she often reflected now, five years after she’d opened the doors of the Black Sheep Knitting Shop. She’d been devoted to teaching, but she loved owning her own business, too.

  “I’m sure there are plenty of people around here who did know her well. Or will claim they did,” Maggie added.

  “I wonder how many Jennifer Todd will actually remember. Or if she keeps in touch with any friends she grew up with,” Dana mused. “I always think it’s a sign of good character when people do.”

  “Yes . . . but her life must be so demanding compared to ours, I think we can cut her some slack,” Lucy replied.

  “I hope you’re all talking about me,” Suzanne sang out from the front of the shop. “Letting me off the hook for being so late and not even sending a text?”

  “Don’t worry . . . we still love you,” Phoebe called back sweetly.

  “Maggie saved you some sushi. That says it all.” Dana pushed a clean place setting over to an empty spot at the table.

  Maggie rose and headed for the storeroom, which doubled as a kitchen. “Sit down and relax. I’ll get it for you.”

  “Thanks. You’re a pal.” Suzanne dropped her big leather tote and landed in the seat with a sigh.

  “Were you stuck with a client?” Lucy asked.

  Suzanne worked in real-estate sales for a busy agency in town, Prestige Properties, somehow managing to fit her career around caring for her three children and her husband. Amazingly, she seemed to thrive on her demanding, fragmented schedule.

  “I wish. Clients are fun. Most of the time. I was stuck figuring out some mix-up with the extra insurance on the house the movie crew is renting. It’s still not straightened out.”

  “We were just talking about that,” Maggie called from the next room. “Do you know how long they’ll need the shop? Will they do all their scenes in one day, or do they need to come back? There’s really so much they haven’t told me yet.”

  Maggie knew she sounded anxious, but she couldn’t help it. She emerged with Suzanne’s dinner and set it down near her place.

  “What service, thanks so much. All my favorites, too . . . yum.” Suzanne surveyed her dinner, chopsticks poised to attack.

  “Enjoy.” Maggie took her seat, eager to hear more details.

  So were the rest of their friends, who all sat quietly now knitting and waiting for Suzanne’s report.

  “I’ve had a few emails with the location manager today. As far as I can see, the schedule seems to change from day to day.”
>
  Maggie shrugged. “I can go with the flow. As long as I have some idea which way I’m flowing.”

  “Here’s the scoop. The cast and crew are flying into Boston and New York over the next few days. I think Jennifer Todd and Nick Pullman are staying at the Copley Plaza for a night. Everyone is due in Plum Harbor on Friday night and your shop is the first stop on their schedule. They say now they only plan on shooting here for one day.”

  Maggie liked that news. “That’s a relief.”

  “But of course, that can change. If they don’t get all their scenes done,” Suzanne reminded her. “I think the town will be insane. I’m picturing a big caravan of trucks for equipment, and fancy trailers for the movie stars rolling in. I also heard they’ve booked most of the Lord Charles Inn.”

  “That makes sense. It’s the only really nice place around here.” Lucy frowned down at her knitting, counting stitches on the needle. She didn’t look happy, but hadn’t called out for rescue yet. Maggie gave her a moment to sort it out herself, knowing that built knitting confidence.

  “What’s the name of the movie again?” Dana asked.

  “Love Knots. I heard it’s a thriller, but there’s a romance in there, too. I’m not really sure of the plot.” Suzanne dipped another bite of sushi into some soy sauce.

  “Maybe there’s a website. Let’s take a look.” Lucy reached for Maggie’s laptop, which sat on the table near her place. She slid it over and began typing.

  Lucy was a graphic designer who worked at home, and her computer was her best friend . . . next to her two dogs and her boyfriend, Matt. She did tend to search online for the answer to every question her life posed. Which was not always the best approach, Maggie sometimes reflected.

  “Let’s see . . . no official website yet, but there’s loads of publicity. ‘Partners Off Screen and On: Jennifer Todd and Nick Pullman Team Up for Love Knots. How will this Hollywood couple handle the knotty mix of producing, directing, acting . . . and marriage?’ ” She looked up from the computer. “I didn’t even know they were married.”