Trooper Gartener grunted and began one of his long, dark-eyed stares at me.

I did my best to look completely innocent, but all I could think of was the rabies tag he'd found in Mike's yard, evidence that my dogs and I had done some illicit sleuthing.

"You'll have to show us later, Miss Vanderling," he said calmly in that deep, warm voice, "where you found this box."

"On the riverbank," I answered. "In front of Blueberry Cottage."

"Any idea how the box, and its contents, got into the river?"

"Somebody must have thrown it into the river thinking it would sink or be washed out into the lake."

"Who would do that?"

I answered his question with a question. "Someone who didn't want the world to find out about grudges he held against the deceased?" I stared directly at Irv. "You said Mike wasn't smart enough to set Smythe up to burn down my cottage and injure Smythe so that I'd be blamed for everything. Who did come up with the scheme? Smythe?"

Irv lifted his chin. "Are you kidding? Smythe?"

And yet Irv had said Smythe was making it all up . . .

Herb called out, "Irv's the smart one in the bunch, at least to hear him talk."

Skippy defended her husband. "He is smart. He's our mayor, after all. None of the rest of you could do that job, not even Mike."

Irv growled again, "Shut up, Skippy."

But Skippy wouldn't be quiet. "Did it never occur to you that Mike might have carved that inscription just to make trouble between you and me?" Huge tears welled from her eyes.

Naomi, Opal, and Edna flurried to console her.

Uncle Allen took Irv's arm and summarized the evidence we'd collected about Irv, the paint on his boots, the possibility that his boots would match the print found in the paint, the noisy snow tires, the theory I'd come up with earlier about the theft of the timber, and this latest evidence that Irv might have believed something was going on between his wife and Mike. And to top it all off, the evidence the police hoped to find when they read the papers they'd discovered in the box.

Herb called out, "Mike got the last laugh, Irv. Even after his death, he proved you aren't as smart as you like to think."

That must have been too much for Irv. "He's the one who ended up dead." He glared at me. "It would have all worked out fine if she hadn't stuck her nose in where it didn't belong. She humiliated Mike in front of the whole town. He couldn't have that. I told him so. I told him he had to get even. Didn't take much convincing, either. He wanted to take her down a peg or two. Her and all her weird, crafty friends over there." He gestured at Haylee and her mothers. "I told him to bring Smythe along so we could leave him behind to take the blame, like we used to do as kids."

Irv had orchestrated Tuesday night's entire fiasco and had involved Mike. But all along, he'd had an agenda he'd hidden from Mike. Even before he'd found the box with the name Skippy carved on it, Irv must have harbored suspicions about Mike and his wife, suspicions that, judging by Skippy's behavior, could have been false, could have been fostered by Mike for the "fun" of making Irv angry. And Irv had been ready to be angry. He had to have known that Mike had stolen the timber from him, including the beloved old tree and its nostalgic tree house.

Mike had been too arrogant to realize that Irv's plan was really for Mike to end up dead, and for Smythe or me to be blamed.

Irv had succeeded in killing Mike and had nearly succeeded in sending Smythe or me to jail for the crime.

Uncle Allen relinquished Irv to the state troopers. "You'll need to question him further, impound his truck, and search his premises, especially where he burns his trash. You'll also need to Mirandize him. I'll come along to help as soon as I get a ride back to my cruiser and, um, get it started."

Trooper Gartener drilled into him with his policeman eyes. I winced on Uncle Allen's behalf and offered Gartener a half smile. He gave me the barest hint of an unsmiling nod. From that taciturn man, it nearly amounted to a declaration of friendship.

The two state troopers escorted Irv, in his stocking feet, toward the door. As they passed Haylee, something jingled near Trooper Gartener's boot. He bent over, picked the object up, and handed it to Haylee, saying very courteously, "Ma'am, I think you dropped something."

Haylee's eyes went wide, and she started to shake her head, then closed her fist on the thing, and thanked him. I tried to catch her eye, but she seemed to be avoiding looking anywhere near me.

The troopers went outside and helped Irv into a sparkling, new cruiser.

I had one more question for Smythe. "Did you hide inside Opal's store Friday night, eavesdropping on our storytelling?" I was fairly sure he hadn't, unless he'd borrowed a black pickup truck.

Smythe tilted his head as if confused. "I came straight inside the moment I arrived and gave you honey, remember? Then I left with Rhonda and Aunt Betty."

A dawning softness on Rhonda's face said that Smythe had a chance with her, now that Mike was gone. "That's right, he went out with us."

Smythe looked away from her. He was probably considering confessing to Mike's murder and asking for a sentence that would end only after Rhonda found herself a different man.

"Did you let someone into Tell a Yarn when you went out the door?" I persisted.

Aunt Betty put her hands on her hips and stared at her husband.

Uncle Allen cleared his throat and shuffled his boots.

Hugging her notebook, Edna advanced on him. "No search warrant?"

Uncle Allen looked up without seeming to focus on anyone. "I had a murder to investigate," he growled.

Aunt Betty tripped over her snowmobile suit pant legs in her rush to her husband. "I'll take you to your car and jump-start it for you again." She placed her fists on her hips. "You've been saying for years that you'd retire after you solved a big case. Now's your chance."

Uncle Allen squinched up his mouth. "Maybe."

Dr. Wrinklesides boomed, "Think about it, Uncle Allen!"

Uncle Allen boomed back, "Are you going to retire anytime soon?"

Dr. Wrinklesides laughed. "Can't. Too many patients."

Uncle Allen retorted, "And I've got too many criminals."

Uh-oh.

Uncle Allen looked his wife up and down. "If I retire, I won't be able to wear my uniform jacket anymore, and I'll need my snowmobile suit back."

"What will I wear?" Aunt Betty asked. "I don't have anything else as comfortable or warm."

Rosemary had the answer for that. "Haylee gives classes where you'll learn to make scrumptious coats. Naomi can help you quilt them, and Edna and Willow will help you embellish them."

"Speaking of which," Opal said, "we'd better go." She and Naomi and Edna led their students outside.

Belting out an aria, Dr. Wrinklesides carried his package down the street. Luther, Jacoba, Herb, Rhonda, Aunt Betty, and Uncle Allen left.

Twisting his hat between his hands, Smythe came to me, with Haylee beside him. Haylee opened a drawer in my cutting table and thrust something jingly inside. I caught only a glimpse of the object, but it looked a lot like Sally's lost rabies tag. With a conspiratorial grin, Haylee shut the drawer.

I was stunned. Gartener should have passed that "evidence" to the rest of the crime investigators. Why hadn't he? Because he wanted to confront me with it first to see what I said, and I had come across as totally innocent? How had I managed that?

I realized Smythe was talking. "Sorry to have caused you so much trouble, Willow. I'll bring your camera back."

I said, "You didn't cause me nearly as much trouble as I caused you just now with my false accusations. I didn't want to believe you were a murderer, couldn't believe it, really, but I kept finding all these clues that pointed to you. I'm really sorry, Smythe."

He looked down at his hat. "Don't be. If I'd confessed my part in Mike's scheme from the beginning like I should have, the false accusation would have come from Uncle Allen, and I'd be in jail for Mike's murder now, but thanks to you, I'm free. Except for-" He made one of his funny faces. "I think they can charge me with . . . something."

Haylee touched his arm. "They won't." Throwing me a smile that said she would have done the exact same thing if I'd been the one hanging around someone she suspected of murder, she headed for the door. Smythe and her students followed her.

Clay gave the dogs good-bye pats and climbed over the railing. This morning, for once, he hadn't asked me what was wrong the moment he arrived, but he had to have realized something had been terribly wrong when our bus sped past him, and he had, as always, come to my rescue.

"Thanks, Clay," I said, knowing it was inadequate.

"Anytime."

"I guess we won't be able to renovate Blueberry Cottage until we can get permits," I began. With Irv in custody, who could act as zoning commissioner?

"We'll figure it out." He nodded toward the Threadville tourists preparing for this morning's embroidery lesson. "It looks like you have work to do. Talk to you later."

Haylee had known me for years and obviously understood why I had accused Smythe. If she'd suspected I was dating a murderer, she'd have exposed him for what he was. Smythe, who was entirely too trusting, seemed to have forgiven me, too. Someday, maybe, I could forgive myself.

But what about Smythe's friend, Clay? He was kind and helpful like Smythe, but not as trusting, which was probably a good thing-he wasn't likely to get into the sort of predicament that Smythe had gotten himself into. Clay and I might get to know each other-and to trust each other-one of these days, maybe when we renovated my cottage together. It was something to look forward to . . .

Susannah broke into my daydreams. "What are we doing today, Willow?"

"Stumpwork."

My students cheered.

I grinned. I loved my embroidery boutique, and I loved Threadville.

Willow's Embroidered Cell Phone Case.

Whether you own an embroidery machine or not, you can use basic thread art techniques to embroider and embellish your sewing crafts. Naturally, I would like you to come to my sewing and embroidery machine boutique, In Stitches, in Threadville, where you can browse and join our classes. Meanwhile, here are instructions for a simple project you can do with any sewing machine that sews a satin stitch (zigzag stitches sewn tightly together), followed by instructions for those of you who already own embroidery machines.

Materials everyone will need, whether you own an embroidery machine or not Embroidery hoop to fit your embroidery machine, or if you don't have an embroidery machine, any embroidery hoop about ten inches in diameter 2 squares of felt in color(s) of your choice and large enough for a couple of inches to stick out all around the hoop 1 square of heavy stabilizer or 2 squares of midweight stabilizer, the same approximate size as the felt Embroidery thread Nylon lingerie thread (Optional) button, snap, ribbon, or hook-and-loop closing Instructions for those of you still deciding which embroidery machine to buy 1. Lower or remove the teeth ("feed dogs") that move your fabric for everyday stitching.1 2. Fill the bobbin with nylon lingerie thread and place it in your machine.

3. Install a special spring-loaded embroidery presser foot.1 4. On 1 square of felt, draw around the sides and lower edge of your cell phone, making a U shape that's about a quarter inch larger on all three sides than your phone. Inside the U, draw the design that you will stitch over (also known as freehand thread art). Simple sketches are best at first.

5. Place this square of felt on top of the stabilizer in the hoop. Tighten the hoop, being careful not to tear the felt or stabilizer.

6. Slide the hooped felt under your presser foot and lower your presser foot. Holding the hoop with both hands, start your machine stitching. Guide the stitches along the design you've drawn, changing the top thread color whenever it suits you. Go wild!

7. Fill a bobbin with embroidery thread that goes nicely with your felt and with the design you've stitched. Place the new bobbin in your machine.

8. Keep the felt that you just decorated in the hoop. You don't have to insert the second piece of felt into the hoop. Instead, pin it to the back of the first piece. The stabilizer will be sandwiched between the two pieces of felt. Without stitching inside your U shape, baste the layers together. Remove the pins.

9. Carefully stitch a line of straight stitching to follow the U shape you drew. Leave the top unsewn. Your two pieces of felt are now sewn together, with your design on the front.

10. Carefully satin stitch over your straight stitching.

11. Remove the felt from the hoop. Carefully cut around the outside of the satin stitching without snipping stitches. The top can be cut straight across, or you can leave envelope-like flaps and add a fastener of your choice.

12. Last but not least-send me Willow@Threadville Mysteries.com a photo of your project that I can display along with your name on my website gallery. Extra points if you incorporate stumpwork using the method I described in the preceding pages of this book!

Instructions for those of you who already own an embroidery machine Follow steps 1a5 above.

6. Fasten the hoop to the embroidery machine. Stitch a design in the center of the felt. You can purchase a commercial embroidery design, create your own, or download one of my free original designs from www.ThreadvilleMysteries.com.

7. Fill a bobbin with embroidery thread that goes nicely with your felt and with the design you've stitched. Place the new bobbin in your machine.

8. If you don't have embroidery software, remove the hoop from the embroidery machine, but keep the project in the hoop. Using your sewing machine, follow steps 8a12 above.

If you do have embroidery software, keep the project in the hoop and keep the hoop in your embroidery machine. Slide the second square of felt underneath your hoop. You don't need to insert it in the hoop. Instead, stitching around the inner edges of the hoop and away from the design you stitched, machine-baste (a simple procedure for those who already own embroidery software) the second piece of felt to the first piece. The stabilizer will be sandwiched between the two pieces of felt.

9. Use your embroidery software to create a new design of a simple straight-stitched U that is about a quarter inch larger than the lower 3 sides of your phone and will surround the design you already stitched with the design centered.

10. Create a satin-stitched outline over the first line of stitches. Send the design (straight stitches covered by satin stitches) to the embroidery machine. Stitch.

To finish, follow steps 11a12 above.

Thread Art Tips.

Thread Art Tips for everyone, whether you own an embroidery machine or not. (Be sure to read the instructions that came with your machines.) Needles.

Use the correct needle: Embroidery needles will keep embroidery thread from tangling or breaking. Metallic threads require needles designed specifically for them. If sewing on leather or leather-like fabrics, use needles created for leather.

Never use a dull needle. The rule of thumb is to replace it after four hours of sewing, but if it becomes dull, nicked, or bent, replace it immediately.

Thread.

Can you ever have too many colors? Thread tends to dry and become brittle with age, so to prevent breakage, use it freely and buy new spools often (like whenever you see another color you just have to have . . .).

Stabilizer.

Never stint on stabilizer. If you don't use enough, your design may pucker.

Hooping.

When tightening your hoop, don't distort your fabric.