The Castle on Deadman's Island Read Free Page B

“He’d never take us seriously – he’d say we were just playing Dick Tracy again. And it would only worry my mother. You know what my folks are like – the less said, the better.”
    â€œThen we’d better hope your aunt comes back to town soon.”
    â€œThat’s just it. She won’t,” Graham said. “She called my mother before she took off for the castle and said she’s going on a long car trip afterwards.”
    â€œThis gets worse and worse. A car trip where?”
    â€œShe wouldn’t say. She said she was sick of all thiswill business – her name in the paper and people giving her funny looks, laughing behind her back. When she leaves the castle, she’s just going to get in her old Packard and drive south – she’s been saving her gas coupons. She isn’t sure when she’ll come back, maybe not for a long time … until it all blows over.”
    â€œSo if you don’t get to her now, who knows when you’ll see her again,” Neil said.
    â€œThat’s about the size of it, I’m afraid. Aunt Etta’s always been able to take care of herself. I just hope she leaves before Grimsby and Snyder get there.”
    At Graham’s house, his mother was concerned about Henrietta too. Not about Jake Grimsby or Carson Snyder harming her sister – that thought never occurred to her. After all, they were both well-known, though not well-liked, businessmen. Her concern was that the two would somehow manage to cheat Henrietta out of her rightful share.
    As head of the Historical Society, Henrietta clashed regularly with Grimsby and Snyder over the preservation of Kingsport’s old limestone buildings. Snyder, a real-estate agent known for sharp dealings, wanted to sell them to the highest bidder. Grimsby, a slum landlord, wanted to buy them cheap to add to his string of rundown rooming houses.
    And now these three were to share a castle in the Thousand Islands! The major even put in a clause stating that the castle was not to be sold, and if it was, the entire proceeds would revert to the animal shelter. Nor could an owner’s share be passed on to his heirs. On an owner’s death, his or her shares would revert to the other surviving owners. The major, who got along with everybody, apparently wanted his three friends to see the error of their ways and learn to tolerate each other.
    â€œBut Henrietta absolutely cannot stand either of those two men,” Graham’s mother said. “And that Barbara Snyder’s even worse than her husband, Carson. She seems to think the castle is all hers, Henrietta says.
    â€œIt’s not funny either, Alex,” she added. For Graham’s father couldn’t help chuckling.
    â€œWell, Henrietta doesn’t
have
to go there, does she?” he said. “If she just stays away, then she’ll never have to deal with those two devious rascals, as she calls them.”
    â€œIt’s not that simple, Alex. There’s upkeep and staff to deal with. You can’t just leave a castle worth millions to go to ruin.”
    â€œThen let the other two handle it.”
    â€œAnd do what they want with it? Those two? You know Henrietta would never allow that.”
    â€œNo, I suppose not. But I wouldn’t worry. Your sister can look after herself. Henrietta isn’t called the tiny dynamo for nothing.”
    Mrs. Graham sighed. “I know, but I don’t trust those two men.”

SIX
_
    The following week was the best of times for the students of Kingsport High – the start of the summer holidays.
    For Neil, the end of school also brought his girlfriend, Crescent, home from Havergal College, a private school in Toronto. Now, however, Crescent was into sailing and spent most of her days at the Kingsport Yacht Club, where she raced her family’s sailing dinghy. They often got together in the evenings – not often enough for Neil, though.
    In the