The Body in the Basement by Katherine Hall Page Page B

valuable.”
    â€œThat’s possible,” Pix agreed, “but the police would have discovered that by now.”
    â€œHow do we know they haven’t?” Jill asked.
    â€œWell, if you don’t know, no one on this island does,” Dot teased her, and Jill obliged by turning red.
    â€œHas anybody claimed him yet?” Serena Marshall asked. “Because when they do, you march right down, Louella, and get your money back.” Serena was partial to Court TV. Cable had changed the landscape of the minds of islanders forever. “They have to settle his debts from the estate.”
    Everyone nodded and they moved away from the topic of Mitch to the consideration of a new member.
    â€œShe hasn’t lived here that long, but she does beautiful work and they are year-round now.”

    Pix assumed they were talking about Valerie Atherton. She said Samantha was enjoying her work at the camp.
    â€œOh no, not Valerie”—Mabel laughed—“though she’d liven things up. I don’t believe that girl has ever even threaded a needle in her life. We’re talking about Joan down to the inn.” Joan Randall and her husband, George, owned the Sanpere Inn. Smiles of the “silly old Pix” variety crossed some lips and Pix lowered her age to five. She loved these women—but one at a time.
    â€œI don’t see why we shouldn’t have her,” Louise said. “There’s a space open.” Everyone grew silent for a moment as they remembered their friend who’d died the year before. “Joan’s eager to join and she’s a gifted quilter, although a bit shy about her talents. I’ve seen her quilts. In some of them, she’s taken the traditional patterns and given them a new twist by using contemporary fabrics. She has a wonderful sense of color.”
    It was agreed that Joan would be the newest Sanpere Stitcher and informed of this signal honor as soon as possible so she could contribute to the sale.
    The afternoon drifted on. A lot of coffee was drunk, some gossip conveyed, and a surprising amount of work accomplished. The only note of discord had been struck when Adelaide misplaced her scissors and, finding that her sister-in-law was sitting on them, chewed Rebecca out in no uncertain terms, “I do believe you are getting scattier by the minute, Rebecca! You know you put cream that had turned in the gravy last week.” Rebecca appeared not to hear her and just went on working. It was something she’d grown adept at over the years. The other women ignored Addie, too. They’d also heard it all before.
    After the last woman left, Ursula looked about at the wreckage of half-filled cups and crumb-laden plates and said, “Don’t you wish we could leave all this until tomorrow?” Unfortunately, Gert had had to leave, as it was her evening to do
for the Bainbridges. Besides Ursula, Gert seemed to do for most of Sanpere.
    â€œWhy don’t we? Come to my house for supper and leave everything,” Pix suggested. She had no problem with it, yet she was sure what her mother’s response would be.
    â€œGetting up and seeing a pile of dirty dishes in my living room would be worse than seeing a … well, let’s just say would be unpleasant.”
    Pix knew what her mother had intended, but she didn’t agree. Seeing a body would be far worse. And she, Pix, should know.
    It didn’t take as long as they thought to clean up. Ursula turned down Pix’s offer of supper. “Maybe it’s the noise, but all I ever want on Sewing Circle days is a boiled egg and early bed.”
    Pix kissed her mother good-bye and headed home. She felt like talking to Sam and hoped her husband would be around. She’d always thought it was one of life’s little inequities that when a man was left on his own, he was showered with dinner invitations—the poor thing. When Sam was out of town, kids home or not, no