As soon as her daughter was out the door, Pix piled the dishes in the sink and went to the phone. As she dialed, it struck her that she was spending an inordinate amount of time on this instrument—especial y for Sanpere. Other summers when it did ring, it was usual y for one of the kids, and she seldom made many cal s herself.
Earl was in his office, as she had hoped. He'd recovered from whatever feelings of pique her actions at the Bainbridges' had engendered and said he didn't see any harm in tel ing her no cross of any color had been found on the quilt surrounding the corpse.
“Now whether the quilt's an old one or not, I can't tel you, because I don't know. The other one wasn't, though”
Pix was grateful for this confirmation of her suspicions.
“I thought I might do some more antiquing,' she told him. 'Maybe head up toward Bar Harbor. I'm hoping Jil wil come along.' Pix had thought of asking Valerie, too, but decided that a third person would provide a further excuse for Jil to avoid talking about her love life.
“Wel , say hi from me, that is if she remembers who I am.”
Pix returned to what was obviously a more cheerful topic. 'Do you have the results of the autopsy yet?”
“So far, al I've heard is heart failure.'
“Then it may not involve any foul play?”
Pix was finding comfort in phrases like this. The alternatives were overly specific.
“Not necessarily. Could be something was given to her to cause the heart attack. But could also be she was due.”
Pix hung up, feeling better than she had for days. No mark on the quilt and the possibility that death was from natural causes. Addie's weight and eating habits—she disgustedly referred to salads and the like as 'rabbit food'—definitely put her at risk. And as for the quilt, it was no doubt one Rebecca had simply forgotten about.
Next she cal ed Jil .
“Oh Pix, I would like to go. It's so horrible about Addie. I can't think about anything else, and if I don't get out of the shop today, I think I'l go insane”
Pix was surprised at the intensity of Jil 's reaction. She hadn't realized the two women were so close. Maybe Jil was some kind of niece, too.
“But I don't have anybody to cover for me. I can't afford to just close up. There are stil so many tourists in town.
Would you mind waiting while I try to find someone?'
“Of course not. Too bad Samantha's working at Maine Sail, but she does get through after lunch. We could go then if you don't find anyone sooner.'
“That would be great. I'l cal you in an hour if not before to let you know what's happening.”
Pix was not in the mood to sit by the phone. 'If you don't get an answer here, cal me at The Pines. I want to see how Rebecca is.' And maybe get a few words with Mother, she added to herself. She also wanted to drive out to the Point on the way and inspect the foundation. There hadn't been any time yesterday to make sure Seth was doing as he had promised.
Seth and his crew were taking a break when Pix drove up. Nobody jumped up to greet her, but she didn't care. The sight before her eyes was greeting enough. The foundation and basement floor for the Fairchilds' house had been poured and the tart smel of fresh concrete fil ed the air. It was more fragrant to Pix than any number Chanel.
Seth did come over to her as she walked the perimeter of the house, inspecting the job intently.
“It'l be smooth as a baby's bottom. Don't worry,' he said.
“I'm not. It looks fine.' Pix believed in credit where credit was due.
“We're working on the stairs to the beach today. If the weather holds, we should be able to strip the forms and start framing the floor by Thursday, maybe even Wednesday. The wood's already cut and Barton's is holding everything for me—nice number-two Douglas fir.”
Pix nodded. Maybe this wasn't going to be Mr.
Blandings' dream house after al . Maybe Seth would come through.
“The family is some upset about Aunt Addie. Don't understand why Earl had to get al hot and bothered. There was no need to get Augusta involved. Gorry, we'l be lucky to have the funeral by Labor Day.' Seth sounded extremely annoyed.
Pix's recent wel -being vanished.
“He had to cal the state police. Rebecca never saw the quilt before—and it was a red-and-white one, just like the one here.' She had been consciously trying not to recal what had recently lain beneath the surface of the ground now covered by the gray concrete.
“Rebecca doesn't know the color of the blanket on her own bed once she's out of it. No, Earl had no right to ship Addie off for them to cut up. He's been watching too much TV. This is Sanpere, not New York City.”
Seth had bent down and picked up a stick. He was poking the ground ferociously with it as they walked. Pix made sure to keep wel to one side.
She could understand why Adelaide Bainbridge's relatives might be upset, but surely they wanted to find out what had happened. She made a mental note to ask Ursula what she'd heard about their reactions through the island grapevine.
Pix tactful y changed the subject. 'It's going to be lonely for Rebecca in the house now, but I suppose she'l keep running the bed-and-breakfast.'
“Wel , she may not be there for long,' Seth stopped stirring up the dust with the stick and gave it one final shove, driving it into the soil. 'She has life tenancy under Addie's wil , unless she's found unable to be left on her own, and that seems pretty certain.'
“Where wil she go and who wil get the house then?' If you didn't ask, you didn't find out.
Seth did not seem too concerned about Rebecca's future and Pix realized that of course Addie was the relation and Rebecca merely a distant in-law to some one of Seth's parents or grandparents.
“Probably a nursing home on the mainland or maybe one of the Bainbridges in Granvil e wil have her. The house wil be sold and the whole kit and caboodle gets divided in equal shares”
Given what Addie's quilts sold for plus the value of the lovely old house and barn, it would add up to quite a caboodle, Pix figured.
She had the answer to one question at least.
Seth Marshal , unaware that his name had just been starred under two columns, cal ed to his crew to get back to work.
“I'd love to chat with you some more, but I wouldn't want you to think we were wasting time.' He smiled warmly to soften his sarcasm. It almost worked. He real y was attractive, particularly at the moment, stripped to the waist because of the heat, his skin glistening slightly with sweat.
Maybe Jil was tired of good old Earl and wanted a fling with bad old Seth.
“I have to get going, anyway,' she said. 'If Jil can find someone to cover the store, we're going to drive up to Bar Harbor.' She decided not to get too specific about what she intended to do. She needn't have bothered to be circumspect.
“Yup, so I hear. Going antiquing, right?”
Pix's mouth dropped. He laughed. 'Heard it on the CB
just before you drove up. Jil 's got one of the Ames kids. I heard her asking her dad if she could do it.'
“There are no secrets on this island,' Pix remarked.
“Oh, I don't know about that,' Seth said as he walked toward his crew, the sound of their hammers ricocheting in the stil air. 'I'd say there were plenty.”
Doris Ames was sitting at the register reading the latest issue of the National Inquirer, and from the speed at which she was chewing her gum, Pix suspected the story was more racy than some of the fare: MOM SELLS
KIDNEY TO BUY FURNITURE or SPACE ALIEN BABY
FOUND ON MOUNT EVEREST-MEDICAL DR. SAYS
NOT HUMAN.
“Oh, hi, Mrs. Mil er. Jil has been trying to get a hold of you. She's upstairs.'
“I'l go on up, then. How's everything with you this summer?'
“I can't complain. Making good money and don't have to work days.' Pix remembered that one of the Ames
