LC 02 - Questionable Remains Read Online Free PDF

do you know that?" and Lindsay showed her the
identifying characteristics of each. Marilee listened, wide-eyed,
soaking up the information.

    "Is this your brother's?" asked Lindsay, holding a small
square box containing a deciduous human molar on a piece
of cotton.
    Marilee nodded. "He traded it to me for this rusty thing I
found."
    Lindsay smiled and set the box down. Interesting, she
thought. Joshua's molar had a rare extra cusp.
    "What is this?" Lindsay picked up a deep red-brown
piece of weathered wood leaning against the wall next to
Marilee's shelves.
    "It's a piece of wood from a ship," Marilee said proudly.
"I found it on the beach. See the holes? Daddy said they had
wooden pegs instead of nails to hold the ship together. It's
real real old."
    "I'm impressed," said Lindsay. Marilee beamed.
    "I'm glad you're staying tonight," she said.
    Lindsay took hold of Marilee's hand and walked with her
to the dining room. Dinner was pot roast with potatoes and
carrots, green beans, squash, and cheesecake for dessert.
The setting was elegant white china and silver on an offwhite lace tablecloth. The buffet, hutch, and chairs were of
polished cherry. On the wall hung a Norman Rockwell print
of Thanksgiving dinner, which Lindsay imagined matched
this dining room on holidays. The Lamberts were going out
of their way to make Lindsay's stay enjoyable, but it was
always a little uncomfortable for her to be in the home of
strangers, even ones as nice as the Lamberts.
    They passed each dish of food around the table, and
Lindsay helped herself to some of everything. Grace filled
Marilee's plate, but Lindsay could see she wanted to do it
herself. "That's not the calf, is it?" she asked as her mother
cut up her meat. "Joshua said we were having it for supper."
    "Joshua, why do you tell her such things?" said Grace,
frowning at him. "No, it's not the calf. That's buried and
gone."
    "Calf?" asked Lindsay.

    "When we were on vacation," young Joshua volunteered
energetically, "one of Mr. Steven's calves got loose and got
its head hung up in a hole in our shed and died. Boy, what
a stink when we got back."
    Lindsay was sorry she had asked.
    "No talk about the calf at the dinner table," said Miles.
    Joshua laughed. Marilee clearly did not think the episode
funny at all.
    Marilee and Joshua chattered throughout the meal, and
Lindsay commented to their parents on how smart they
were.
    "Both our children are smart," said Miles with pride.
"Joshua is a straight-A student, and the teachers are already
planning an accelerated program for Marilee. They sure
didn't get their brains from me." He smiled at his wife. "I
hardly made above Cs. It must have come from Grace."
    "We got lucky with the kids," added Grace. "Maybe they
got it from my brother. He was the smart one in the family.
He was good at figuring things out."
    Everyone was quiet for a moment.
    "It's time for you kids to go to bed," said Miles.
    "It's early," Joshua protested.
    "Then you can play in your room," said his father.
"Marilee, it's your bedtime."
    Marilee shook her head and pointed to Lindsay. "I want
to show her my books."
    "Now, Marilee. Dr. Chamberlain is our guest," said
Grace.
    "I don't mind, really," Lindsay said.
    "Show her just a few. I'll make a fresh pot of coffee,"
Grace told Lindsay. Marilee went happily off to get ready
for bed.
    Marilee had quite a collection of books. Lindsay picked
up one about collecting seashells and rocks; the one beside
it was about Native Americans. Another one was about
what different people, like teachers, policemen, nurses, and doctors, do at their place of work. "These are good books,"
Lindsay told her.

    "Kelley gave me a lot of them. She always brings me a
book when she comes to visit."
    "Kelley?"
    "She's my cousin."
    "Would you like me to read you a story?" asked Lindsay.
    "I'll read," Marilee said, confidently.
    Marilee took the book about Native Americans and
crawled up on her bed. Lindsay