Knot in My Backyard (A Quilting Mystery) by Mary Marks

Simon has to be in court this afternoon, so we only have these two for a short time. Dana’s going to be taking notes.”
    Dana smiled and wiggled her fingertips before looking back down at her iPad.
    Ed provided a cardboard container of Starbucks coffee and pastries from Eva’s European Bakery in a pink box. Next to the pink box sat a white box from Western Donuts with six apple fritters. I glanced up. Crusher watched to see which box I’d choose. I took a fritter. Crusher smiled.
    Dear God.
    I took a seat in a brown chair so large that my feet dangled awkwardly above the floor.
    “Okay. Let’s review the facts.” Simon Aiken took control of the meeting. “Martha, can you tell us about finding the body and the homeless camp? Then maybe you can walk us through the details of your search for those possible witnesses. Start at the beginning.”
    All eyes turned toward me and I put down my coffee and fritter. “I discovered Dax Martin’s body Monday morning behind the Beaumont School ball field on the riverbank. He died where he lay. Looked like he was beaten to death.” I explained my theory about how, since Martin was a bully, he wouldn’t have gone outside the perimeter fence alone—unless he knew his attacker and felt safe.
    Ed nodded in agreement. “The guy was a tool.”
    I took another sip of coffee. “You know how the sides of the river back there are covered with stucco? Well, on the far side, the riverbank is overgrown with bushes and small trees. Before I discovered the body, I noticed a couple of bedrolls, a metal pot, and other camping items hidden in the underbrush. I wonder if whoever slept over there witnessed the attack on Sunday night. I learned there were two of them, a man and a woman.”
    Simon typed something on his laptop. “Tell us how you found that out.”
    I reviewed my conversation with Hilda and her setting up the ten o’clock meeting with Switch. “You probably are all aware of what happened afterward.”
    Simon circled his index finger in the air in a gesture for me to continue. “I want to hear it from your perspective. Don’t leave out any details.”
    “I contacted Yossi and—”
    Dana looked up, confused. “Who’s Yossi?”
    Crusher shifted in his seat and grunted. “Me.”
    Dana looked at him, raised her eyebrows, snorted, and then bent once more to her typing.
    “I contacted Yossi and asked him to back me up. He came up with the plan to hide on the off-ramp while I talked to Switch. I brought my friend’s German shepherd with me for protection. Switch told me the possible witnesses were Hispanic, Javier and Graciela. He said he collected rent from them. He also led me to believe he knew where they were. That thief charged me four hundred dollars for the information. Then he grabbed my arm and tried to drag me into the bushes. You know the rest.”
    Ed looked shocked. “You paid him four hundred dollars of your own money? Wait right there.” He briefly left the room and returned with four $100 bills. He kissed my cheek. “You’re really awesome.”
    Aiken looked at Crusher and Carl. “Tell me again for the record what happened.”
    Crusher leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees. “As soon as that guy touched Martha, me and the boys went in. Maybe five, ten seconds is all it took us. The dog attacked and Switch cut him. In the scuffle, the little slime ball was disarmed and he got cut too.” Crusher looked around the room, but he avoided my eyes. “Maybe a few times. Meanwhile, some of his guys came out of the bushes, but we fought them off. Carl’s job was to take care of Martha. As soon as she got out safely, we left too.”
    Aiken turned to Carl. “Tell me what you did.”
    “Like Crusher said, we got there in only a few seconds. I grabbed Martha’s shoulders from behind and dragged her around the other side of her car and told her to go. She wouldn’t leave her dog. So I helped her get him inside the car and she laid rubber getting out of there.