system, smothering my mouth with a dish towel so I wouldn't further embarrass the family.
And as I expected, very shortly Dad found his way to the kitchen.
'Of course, wakes today aren't the same thing at all,' he said over his shoulder as he walked in. I could almost hear the sighs of relief in the dining room when the swinging door swung closed.
'Any more peaches?' he asked.
'In the fridge.' And while he was poking about in the refrigerator, I slipped up behind him and snagged a large brown paper bag that was hanging out of his jacket pocket.
'I don't see any peaches,' he said, turning.
'You were about to lose this,' I said, while squeezing the bag slightly to verify its contents.
'Oh, good job, Meg! I wouldn't want to misplace that,' Dad said, snatching at the bag. I whisked it away.
'First tell me why you're carrying Great-Aunt Sophy around in a paper bag.'
'It's a long story.'
'I have time,' I said, wiggling the bag just beyond his grasp. 'Give me one good reason not to put her back where she came from. No, on second thought, you'd just steal her again. Give me one good reason not to hide her where you'll never find her.'
'I need her.'
'So I gathered; what are you going to do with her?'
'I'm going to switch her with someone else ... in a similar condition.'
'Going to? You've had her for nearly two weeks; what are you waiting for?'
'To tell you the truth, I haven't located the other party,' Dad said, looking discouraged. 'I've looked everywhere I could.'
'If you mean the late Emma Wendell, she's in a cardboard box in Mrs. Grover's suitcase. In Jake's guest room. Unless Jake has moved her for some reason. That is what this ridiculous charade has been all about, isn't it?'
Dad's face lit up. 'Meg, that's wonderful! But how do you know?'
'Michael and I burgled his house. We didn't find anything incriminating, I should point out.'
'No, of course not. But are you sure it was Emma Wendell?'
'Can you think of anyone else whose remains Mrs. Grover would be lugging around in a box marked Emma? I think the odds are good.'
'Yes,' he said. 'And Michael helped you.'
'In a manner of speaking.'
'Good man, Michael,' Dad said, warmly. 'That was very enterprising of both of you, not to mention brave and very thoughtful.'
'Foolhardy and futile were the words I would have used,' I said. 'But thanks anyway.
Now that you know where to find her, what are you going to do with her?'
'Run some tests.'
'Is that what you've been doing all this time with Great-Aunt Sophy?'
'Well, no. Actually, I've been on a stakeout.'
'A stakeout?' I echoed.
'Yes,' he said. 'You see, I realize that Jake couldn't possibly have killed Jane Grover, but I still think he was mixed up in it somehow. Maybe he hired someone to do it. Or maybe he knows something he's afraid to tell. Something that might mean that your mother's in danger. So I've been staking his house out for the last ten days.'
'Staking it out from where?'
'The big dogwood tree in his yard. His phone's just inside the window on that side of the house, and I can hear every conversation he has and see anyone who comes to the front door. And I've rigged a mirror so I can keep an eye on his back door. Jake can't move a muscle without my finding out about it. At least while I'm there.'
I closed my eyes and sighed. I wondered if Jake had really failed to notice Dad perching in his dogwood tree for the past ten days. None of the neighbors had mentioned it. That was a good sign, wasn't it? I made a mental note to cruise by Jake's house later to see how well camouflaged Dad was. Perhaps I should start building a cover story in case someone noticed him. Babble about some rare species of bird Dad suspected of nesting in the neighborhood. Yes, the sheriff would probably buy that.
'Sooner or later, he'll leave the house unlocked and I can pull the switch, now that I know where his late wife is,' Dad continued. 'I didn't have that much time to search the one time I could get in. But now--'
'Let me do it, Dad,' I said. He looked doubtful.
'I'm not sure I should let you. If he finds out we're on to him--'
'I'll get Michael to help me,' I said. As I suspected, that did the trick.
'Oh, well, that's all right, then,' Dad said. 'Just let me know when you've pulled it off.'
And he trotted off. Presumably to continue his vigil.
Saturday, July 2
Michael dropped by as promised the next morning and talked Mother into keeping the blue fabric. In fact, he convinced her that she had picked out the one fabric in the world that would do her living room justice.
'I'm in your debt for life,' I said, as we left Mother and Mrs. Fenniman to contemplate the future glories of the living room.
'Good,' he said. 'Hold that thought. But I have something to show you. Follow me.'
I followed him down the driveway. I began to suspect where he was taking me.
'Jake's house, right?' I asked.
'Right. You already knew about this?'
'I only found out last night. How bad is it?'
He rolled his eyes. I winced inwardly. When we got to Jake's house, Michael stopped, and bent down as if to tie his shoe.
'Up there in the dogwood.'
I pretended that I was idly looking around the neighborhood while waiting for Michael. Dad wasn't quite as obvious as I'd feared. If you knew what to look for, you could rather quickly spot the lump of slightly wilted dogwood leaves and wisteria vines that was Dad. But it actually wasn't all that noticeable. I thought.
'He's been there all morning,' Michael said, standing up and pretending to inspect the other shoe to see if it needed tying. Both of us were carefully avoiding looking at Dad.
'As a matter of fact, he's been there on and off for ten days,' I said.
'Really!' Michael said, barely stopping himself from turning around to stare at Dad in surprise. 'I had no idea. I only noticed this morning. Spike thought he'd treed him.'
'In case anyone does see him and mentions it, mutter something about a rare migratory bird that he wants to scoop Aunt Phoebe with.'
'Rare migratory bird,' Michael repeated. 'Aunt Phoebe. Right. Just for curiosity, is he investigating Jake or guarding him?'
'He's not sure himself.'
'I see,' Michael said, as we began walking on past Jake's house. 'Tell him to let me know if he needs any help. Not necessarily with the actual stakeout,' he said, quickly, noticing the sharp look I gave him. Right. I could see it now: two suspicious lumps in the dogwood tree, one short and round, the other long and lean. And Michael and Dad getting so caught up in conversation that they forgot to keep their voices down. Just what we needed.
'By the way, I have a costume for you,' Michael said. 'The ladies helped me pull it together. Do you want to go in and try it on now, or shall I just come by a little early for the party and bring it?'
'Just bring it. Right now, I want to get the yard ready for the party while Dad's out of the way.'
'I thought the yard was your Dad's territory. I offered to help him out by mowing the lawn, and he
