Mystery in the Sand (7 page)
“Let’s see,” Benny said. He unfolded the paper Violet gave him and read, “‘Please be ready for me at 10. Thank you.’”
Suddenly Benny began to feel in all of his pockets until at last he pulled out another paper. He unfolded it and put it beside Miss Lane’s note.
“Look at that!” he said. “I think I understand something now.”
All the Aldens looked at the two notes.
“The same kind of paper!” Violet said.
“And the same writing, I’m almost sure,” Henry said, beginning to smile. “See the ‘thank you’?”
Benny said, “That’s what I think. But what about that funny sentence, ‘All thanks you’? Miss Lane wouldn’t write that, would she, Violet?”
Then Violet made a clever guess. “Let me see those notes,” she said. “Look, Benny, the word isn’t
all
. It’s the name
Ali
. The letter
i
looks like the letter
l
.”
Benny said, “Then the note says
‘Ali
thanks you. We all thank you.’ And Ali Baba is Miss Lane’s favorite cat, so she must have written the note and put it by our trailer. Well, that’s another mystery solved.”
“Not quite,” Henry said. “That thank-you note was written after the grass fire in the Tower House yard. But Miss Lane and Miss Smith didn’t know who we were or where we were living. How did the note get delivered?”
Violet said, “I don’t know. But the note fits with the ladies being so shy. I really never met anyone as shy as Miss Lane and Miss Smith.”
“I wish Miss Lane wanted to paint my picture,” Benny said. “Maybe I could find out how she knew us and where we lived at the beach.”
Just before sunset that evening, Mr. Lee walked down the beach with Richard. He did not have his metal-finder with him. He was interested in hearing about Violet’s visit.
When he had heard all the news, he said, “There are famous paintings of cats, and the artist’s name is Ruth Lane. There are a lot of people who buy and collect those paintings. In fact I’ve seen cat portraits by Ruth Lane in New York shops. But I just happen to like dogs better than cats.”
Mr. Lee patted Richard, and the big dog wagged his tail.
The Aldens walked with Mr. Lee along the beach until he was nearly home.
“I don’t think I’ll be taking any midnight walks,” Mr. Lee said as they told him goodnight. “I mean I feel I’ll sleep well tonight,” he added quickly.
As the Aldens walked back toward the trailer, Benny said, “I wonder what Mr. Lee meant about not taking a midnight walk. That remark just slipped out. He seemed sorry right after he said it.”
Henry laughed at Benny and said, “There you go again. Still looking for mysteries.”
But Benny was stubborn. “Well, there are still a few mysteries. One big one is why Miss Smith doesn’t want that locket. It just has to have something to do with her or Miss Lane.”
Jessie said, “Tomorrow’s another day. Maybe we’ll find the answer then. I think it’s time for bed.”
On her second visit to Miss Lane, Violet knew what to expect. She knew that the little artist had a sharp tongue, and she didn’t mind too much. Violet felt sorry for the little lady who had shut herself off from people.
As Violet sat down in the chair, Miss Lane said, “Never mind holding the cat. I can paint him in any time. I’ve drawn your arms.”
Then Violet noticed that Miss Lane was painting today, not drawing. She worked quickly, almost as if she were painting a house, Violet thought.
“You paint fast,” Violet remarked.
“I have to,” answered the artist. “This paint dries in twenty minutes. It’s not oil. It’s acrylic paint. Look right at me. Never mind smiling.”
This amused Violet. She couldn’t help smiling a little. She knew Miss Lane was painting her eyes.
Suddenly without any warning, Miss Lane said, “Good. That’s enough. Come day after tomorrow.”
Violet got up and started to go out. Miss Lane said, “Look at the picture if you want to.”
“Oh, may I?” asked Violet, surprised. She took one look at the picture. “That looks exactly like me!” she said.
“Yes, it does. Today was easy. Everything came right, and the colors are just right.” Miss Lane looked very much pleased.
Violet said, “It must be wonderful to paint so well. You must be very happy.”
Miss Lane shrugged but said nothing.
Violet asked, “Will you sell this?”
“Probably.”
“I hope people won’t know it is my picture,” Violet exclaimed. “You aren’t going to put my name on it, are you?”
“No,” Miss Lane said gruffly. “The name of the picture is ‘Girl with Cat.’”
“Oh, thank you,” Violet said.
“I’ll do more than that,” Miss Lane went on. “I’ll change the mouth so the picture doesn’t look like you. I’ve never changed a picture before for anybody.”
“Oh, that’s very kind of you!” Violet burst out. “I know an artist doesn’t like to change his picture.”
Miss Lane had certainly never been called kind before in her life. But this time she did feel kind—and it was odd, she liked it.
Violet said, “Please don’t change the picture. My grandfather might want to buy it. I do wish you’d paint Benny. But nobody could paint him. He’s never still a minute.”
“I expect he can look straight at me for one minute and then later for another minute?”
“Oh, yes. He’d try. He might not like the idea of sitting still to have his picture painted, but he would do it for Grandfather.”
“Who is this grandfather?” Miss Lane asked.
“Grandfather? Well, we live with him. Our parents died years ago. He is James Henry Alden, and my brother Henry is Henry James Alden. He is the best grandfather anyone ever had.”
“You do sound like a very happy family,” Miss Lane said, and Violet thought her voice had a sad sound. The sharpness that had been there earlier was gone.
Violet said slowly, “I have an idea I hope you will like. Here at the beach we have picnics all the time. We like to eat outdoors. Couldn’t you and Miss Smith take the noon hour and come to have lunch with us? It is really not very far. I’d love to have you know Henry and Jessie and Benny.”
Miss Lane shook her head. “No, I don’t think we’d better.”
“Oh, dear!” Violet said. “We’d all like it so much. I’ll tell you how to make it easier. Henry will come for you about noon, and you won’t have to do a thing but get in the car.”
Something in Violet’s voice and in her smile must have touched Miss Lane. She said, “It is very kind of you. Yes, we can come after all. What time did you say?”
“Well, I said noon, but let’s call it quarter of twelve. By that time Benny will be shouting for lunch. He is always hungry. I’ll tell Jessie.”
“Don’t you have to ask her?”
“Oh, no. Jessie is the housekeeper. She expects things like this—company for lunch.”
Miss Lane called Miss Smith and said, “Mary, we are going out for lunch today.”
Miss Smith looked very surprised.
Violet saw her family waiting in the blue car. She said, “Oh, do please come and meet my family.”
The two women went with Violet to the door. In an instant both Benny and Henry were out of the car. Violet introduced everyone, and the ladies said “How do you do” to each one and nodded stiffly.
The Aldens tried not to look too surprised to see the two women no one in Beachwood knew.
When the blue car was well on its way, Violet said, “Jessie, I’ve asked Miss Lane and Miss Smith to come for a picnic lunch—today.”
“And are they really coming?” asked Benny.
“Yes, they are!” Violet answered.
Henry laughed and said, “Violet, sometimes you can really surprise us.”
“It wasn’t so hard,” Violet said. “I think no one has ever tried to ask the ladies before. People have thought they were unfriendly. They’re really just shy.”
“And independent, too,” Jessie said. “They have thought they could get along without people.”
Benny said, “Have you ever noticed that cats are like that, too? They are always independent and like to be free. They don’t make the kind of pets dogs do.”
“Perhaps that’s why the Tower House is a home for ten cats,” Henry said. “But I’d still like to know if Miss Lane and Miss Smith left us that note.”
J
essie said, “For this picnic party I’m going to make sandwiches. I don’t want to take time to make a fire on the beach and cook hamburgers. I’ll make ham sandwiches and tuna and—”
“And peanut butter,” finished Benny.
“Right. And we’ll have quarts of pink lemonade and cookies—everyone likes that.”
Violet said slowly, “The ladies may like coffee, the way Grandfather does.”
“Then I’ll make some hot coffee.”
“We are lucky,” said Henry. “We have had pleasant weather almost every day. Today is just right for a picnic.”
Just at quarter of twelve, Henry’s blue car stopped in front of the Tower House. At the same moment the door of the house opened and Miss Lane came out. Miss Smith followed.
Violet and Benny had come with Henry. “We left Jessie at the beach,” Benny said, jumping out of the car. “She’s the housekeeper. Miss Lane, you climb in beside Henry, and Miss Smith will sit in the back with Violet and me.”
Miss Lane said, “We could have walked and saved you all this trouble.”
“Oh, but it’s much more fun to ride,” said Benny. “You don’t get so much sand in your shoes, either.”
“What if people see us going for a ride this way?” Miss Smith asked. “What will they think?”
Miss Lane said, “Don’t be silly, Mary. Let them think what they like. We don’t have to speak to anyone else.”
Violet thought suddenly, “This is a big step for these ladies. And it certainly would be a surprise if the people in Beachwood knew. Maybe little boys would stop talking about witches living in the Tower House.”
Down the short back road they went. Henry stopped the car right behind the trailer house.
“Come in,” called Jessie. “We want you to see the house.”
Violet put her hand lightly on Miss Lane’s arm. “This way,” she said.
The two women had never seen a mobile home from the inside. Miss Smith liked the tiny kitchen with a place for everything. Miss Lane liked the living room which changed into a bedroom at night.
“You see, it’s quite roomy,” Jessie said.
So, very slowly, the Aldens got their company outdoors onto the sand. The water was very blue and beautiful, and there were now two chairs and a table and a beach umbrella. There was even a little breeze off the water, and it was very comfortable.
Benny threw himself on the sand and said, “Let’s eat, Jessie.”
“Right, Ben. I was just going to ask you to help bring out the things. You get right up. Take a plate of sandwiches in each hand, Benny, and then come back.”
Benny said, “Do I have to take one in each hand, Jessie? Suppose I carry one on my head.”
“Oh, Benny, just don’t drop them,” Jessie answered.
Benny said, “You see, ladies, there is a toothpick and a little sign telling you what kind of sandwiches we have today. This one says Ham, and this says Tuna, and of course mine says Peanut Butter and Jelly.”
Benny’s nonsense was good for the two visitors. They had to laugh, and when they saw the sandwiches, they forgot to feel stiff and shy.
Miss Lane and Miss Smith sat at the table where they could see the blue water and the Aldens. They could not see the crowd of people behind them. They could hear, but the noise seemed far away.
Miss Smith said quietly, “This pink lemonade reminds me of picnics when I was a little girl.”
Miss Lane had taken her fourth sandwich. She said, “I had forgotten how lovely a picnic can be. Sandwiches and sweet pickles and hardboiled eggs seem to go with a picnic.”
Benny said, “I forgot how swell they are myself. And
you
haven’t been on the beach for years.”
There was a long silence. Nobody said a thing. At last Miss Lane looked up and said, “Benny, that isn’t quite right. Mary and I were on this beach last night.”
Everyone was too surprised to speak.
Finally Jessie said, “Last night? Why?”
“We come almost every night,” replied Miss Lane. “Don’t we, Mary?”
Mary nodded yes.
“Why?” asked Benny again.