The Key in the Attic Read Online Free PDF Page A

“Double indemnity?”
    “I don’t think that’s the same thing. There are two other ‘twice’ clues in here besides this one. Indebted, beholden, obliged, they all mean kind of the same thing, but they’re somewhat different.”
    “Didn’t you and Mary Beth work any of this out at her place?”
    “Not really. We looked at it, but as excited as she was about this, Mary Beth seemed like she was really tired. I told her she should sleep on it and that I’d let you have a look too. Between the three of us, I’m sure we can figure it out.” Annie tapped her pencil on the page. “How about this one. ‘Katherine at home.’”
    “Do you suppose Katherine was a friend of Mary Beth’s great-great grandmother?”
    “Could have been. She’s in here twice. ‘At home’ and ‘to her friends.’”
    Alice frowned, thinking. “Maybe she had a nickname. I mean, that’s what you’d use at home or with friends, right?”
    “That seems logical. A Katherine would be called what? Kate? Katie?”
    “Kit, maybe. Or Kay.”
    “Slow down.” Annie started jotting down names next to the clue. “Kate, Katie, Kit, Kay. Maybe Kitty? Any others?”
    “I’ll keep thinking, but at least we have a start.” Alice went over to the coffeemaker and filled both cups. “Where’s your sugar?”
    “Oh—I left it by the stove.”
    Alice added sugar and cream to both cups and brought them back to the table. “Did you and Mary Beth talk about anything?”
    “You mean did we talk about her business problems? Not really. She pretty much cut me off when I tried to get the conversation turned that way.”
    “That means there is something going on with her. I wish she’d just tell us.”
    Annie took a sip of her coffee. “It’s really not our business, you know, but I do want to help. I just wish I knew what else to do.”
    “You know, Annie, maybe we should put the puzzle up and do some brainstorming on how to help Mary Beth. Whatever these letters are that we’re supposed to find, if they’re even still around somewhere, they’re not very likely to be a practical help to her.”
    “I suppose you’re right.” With a wistful sigh, Annie folded up her copy of the clue and put it in her purse. Then she pulled out a second notepad. “OK, let’s brainstorm.”
    Alice and Annie spent the rest of the evening dreaming up and then discarding ideas until Alice finally gave up and went home to bed.
    ****
    The next morning, Annie sat on the porch drinking coffee, watching the world wake up, and watching the sea. There was something mesmerizing about the waves that rushed to the shore, hurrying one after another only to immediately retreat. Annie listened to the hypnotic sound of the water as it crashed over and over against the rocks and sand, until the sound seemed to be a part of her, like the beating of her heart. Her gaze took in the gulls that circled endlessly above the water, which was gilded with the light of the dawn. The electronic ring of the telephone broke the spell.
    “Hi Grammy!” called a chipper little voice as soon as she said hello. Her grandson—her little chip off the block—had always been an early riser, much to his mother’s dismay.
    “Hi there! How’s my John?”
    “We went swimming and rode a pony.”
    Annie smiled, picturing John’s little face, big eyes shining, wiggling all over with excitement. “And when was this?”
    “Yesterday. It was Mikey Morgan’s birthday. He had a bounce house too. And I won some gummy worms for pinning the tail on the donkey.”
    “Oh, how fun. And did you have cake?”
    “Uh-huh. It looked like a fire truck, but Jenny stuck her hand in it. Right where the ladder was.”
    Annie held back a giggle. “Oh, that’s too bad. And who’s Jenny?”
    “Mikey’s baby sister. He has two, but she’s the little one. His other one is Kendra. Jenny just turned one year old.”
    “And did your sister go to the party too?”
    “For a little while, but then she went