4 Plagued by Quilt Read Online Free PDF Page A

chief among them, followed by “little lady.”
    “Phillip Bell, the assistant director, asked me to stay with Zach until Nadine Solberg gets here,” I said, proud of myself for letting his connotations roll off my buttons without causing a short circuit. “I’m a volunteer.”
    “Not if he told you to stay, you’re not.”
    I should have known Clod would be the first to arrive, and knowing that, I should have apologized to Phillip and hightailed it back to the Weaver’s Cat. That way I could have avoided annoying conversations like the one we were having.
    “I’m a volunteer for the Hands on History program here at the site,” I said as pleasantly as I could through clenched teeth. “Zach is one of our students. Phillip thought you might want to talk to him.”
    “Huh.” Clod rocked on his heels a few times, but otherwise showed no inclination to move. I was tempted to ask him what his part in all this was, other than standing around, but my better judgment wasn’t that foolhardy.
    “Are you expecting the medical examiner anytime soon?” I asked.
    “I thought I’d wait for him,” Clod said unhelpfully. “This shouldn’t take long, though. I’m hardly going out on a
limb
when I say ancient arm bones aren’t going to be a front-burner case.” He followed that with a stiff “heh-heh.”
    I was wondering where Nadine was and what the heck was taking her so long. What could possibly bemore important than unexpected human bones? Or than letting me get away from Clod? I finally saw her coming across from the visitors’ center with a man I didn’t recognize. By the time they arrived, I must have been flushed from containing Clod-based irritation.
    “Kath, you should go back inside and get a glass of lemonade or iced tea,” Nadine said, putting her hand on my arm. “There’s plenty. But before you go—” She moved her hand from my arm to the arm of the man with her. “I want you to meet Wes Treadwell. Wes is our newest board member.”
    Wes Treadwell looked as polished as Nadine, with the kind of shiny veneer that success and plenty of money provide. He wasn’t as tall as Clod, and he was bulkier, but it looked like well-toned bulk. Interestingly, he and Clod wore similar sunglasses.
    “Kath Rutledge,” I said. “Nice to meet you.” The hand I shook was softer than I expected.
    “Kath who knows quilts and coverlets,” he said. “I’m a complete idiot about that kind of thing.” He dropped my hand and looked toward the excavation. “I am interested in these bones, though. I’d like to get over there, take a look.”
    “And this is Deputy Dunbar, Wes,” Nadine said.
    Clod and Wes nodded their sunglasses at each other, and then Wes turned his attention back to the excavation.
    “What do you think, Deputy?” Nadine asked. “I told Wes that we should wait for the medical examiner to arrive before going closer. That’s appropriate, isn’t it? Do we have any better idea how old the remains are? And is it acceptable for the student to be down there with Jerry?” She smiled at Clod and it was his turn for her hand on his arm. “I’m sorry, I’m asking too manyquestions at once, but the situation is new for me and for the site. I can’t help running worst-case scenarios through my head. Jerry said it doesn’t look like a Native American burial, but we don’t want to take any chance of stepping over a line, if that could possibly be the case.”
    “We’ll be fine,” Wes said, his eyes still on the excavation. Then, as though to soften what had sounded curt, he gave Nadine a quick smile over his shoulder. “Any problems that crop up, the board will handle.”
    If Wes’ smile had come with more than a glance, he might have seen Nadine’s frown. But the frown was quick, too. I got the feeling Clod caught that interplay. It was hard to tell, because of the sunglasses, but he stepped into the slightly awkward silence that followed, with an offering of stolid reassurance.
    “The ME