The Body in the Basement Read Free Page A

last of last year’s.”
    â€œMonday. The campers arrive tomorrow, but Mr. Atherton said he won’t need me until then. I’ll be there in the mornings to teach the younger children sailing, stay to help with lunch, then I’m through for the day. I promised the Fairchilds that I’d be able to take care of Ben and Amy when they come up in August, so that will be in the afternoons.”
    â€œPhew, that’s quite a schedule.”
    â€œYes.” Samantha laughed. “But think how rich I’ll be!”
    â€œAre you going to have any time for fun?” Her grandmother looked concerned.
    â€œIt’s all fun! Besides, Arlene is working at the camp, too—full-time, so I wouldn’t be seeing her, anyway. And I don’t work weekends.”
    â€œIt’s nice that Jim Atherton keeps the camp going. It must have been the early thirties when his parents started it. He certainly doesn’t need the money.” Ursula exchanged a sharp glance with Pix hinting good gossip to come.
    â€œA labor of love,” Pix remarked. “I can’t imagine Jim without the camp, and Valerie seems to enjoy it, too, although it’s not really her thing.”
    â€œWhat do you mean, Mom?” Samantha asked.
    â€œWell, Valerie Atherton is some kind of interior decorator. I think she likes having the camp around to keep Jim busy while she goes antiquing.”
    â€œIt’s funny. We’re so close to the camp if you go by water, but we don’t really know them. I guess it’s because none of us ever went there. I haven’t even met Mrs. Atherton. My interview was with him.”
    â€œI think you’ll like her,” Ursula said. “She’s not as flashy as she looks.”
    Samantha brightened, “This is going to be interesting.”
    â€œYou know she has a son about your age from her first marriage.”

    â€œYeah.” Samantha made a face. “Arlene says he’s a real dork.”
    â€œIt couldn’t have been easy for him, moving to the island, especially after losing his father the way he did,” her grandmother commented, correctly translating Samantha’s opinion. “Now, why don’t you clear the table. We can have our dessert on the porch. Gert left your favorite—lemon meringue pie!”
    â€œWhat a sweetheart! Please thank her for me.” Sam jumped up from her chair and began to clear the old, large, round dining room table with alacrity.
    â€œI’ll make some coffee,” Pix offered, wondering how she could drop a gentle hint to Gert Prescott that Pix’s own personal favorite was black walnut. Gert probably figured Pix made her own pies, but she figured wrong.
    After consuming two pieces of pie, Samantha went down to the shore to poke around and watch the sunset. Her mother and grandmother stayed on the porch in the fading light.
    â€œMore coffee, Mother?”
    â€œNo thank you. I want to sleep tonight.”
    Ursula was a notoriously sound sleeper, and Pix laughed.
    â€œYou could drink the whole pot and not worry.”
    â€œSo you say. Nobody knows how much I toss and turn. Now, when is Samuel coming?”
    â€œNot until the Fourth. Maybe the weekend before, if he can get away. He’s preparing a big case and it goes to trial soon. It all depends how long the jury takes. We could get lucky.” As Pix spoke, she realized how much she was going to miss her husband. It happened every summer. She didn’t want to leave him, but she really wanted to go—and it was wonderful for the kids.
    â€œNow, tell me what’s been going on since you’ve been here,” she said to her mother.
    â€œNot much. You know how quiet things are in June. It’s
heavenly. And the lupine was the most spectacular I’ve ever seen.”
    Ursula said this every year. Pix had come for a long weekend one June especially to see the fields of tall purple, blue, and pink spiked