This Old Souse Read Online Free PDF

Renie’s strangled cry of disbelief. “What was the name on the envelope?”
    â€œI don’t remember offhand,” Morty replied, “but it was the right address.”
    â€œMaybe someone lives with them,” Judith ventured.
    Morty shrugged. “Could be.” He glanced at his watch. “I’d better be on my way. Don’t want to get behind.” He scrutinized his watch more closely. “Gee, I’m already an hour or so off schedule. Guess I shouldn’t have had that second cup of coffee.”
    Morty sauntered up the path, with Zip Code trailing behind him. Judith joined Renie at the corner.
    â€œDid you hear that?” Judith asked. “There’s a third party living in the house.”
    â€œI heard it,” Renie replied grimly. “I heard all of it. I can’t believe that after all these years, I had to run into Morty the Mailman.”
    â€œI wonder who else is living there,” Judith mused, ignoring Renie’s complaint. “A sister of Mrs. Bland? A child who’s returned after a divorce? A friend?”
    The cousins had turned the corner and reached the unpaved alley. “Any of the above,” Renie said. “Are you coming with me?”
    Judith studied the dirt track. “There are too many potholes and rough spots. I don’t want to risk a fall. Go on without me. I’ll wait here.”
    Renie paused several times during her mission. Upon reaching the garage, she went out of sight, apparently exploring from every angle. It seemed to Judith that the alley wasn’t intended for communal purposes, but belonged to the Blands. There were tall trees and big shrubs on both sides. Through a thicket of blackberry vines, Judith could make out a wire fence that probably marked the property line.
    All she could see of the garage was part of a red-tiled roof. She shifted her gaze to the house itself. From the side angle, the only windows she could see were two casements upstairs and the one with the grille in the arched wing. Heavy curtains drooped behind the small panes on the second floor; fusty drapes sagged behind the tinted glass at ground level. Judith swore she could almost smell the dust and mold inside the house.
    And then, to her amazement, she saw movement behind the upstairs curtains. Ever so slowly, they parted. An inch, no more, not enough to allow her to see a person. But someone was there. Judith looked away, turned in every direction, and whistled shrilly.
    â€œRenie!” she called loudly. “Come, Renie! Come, nice doggie!” Judith moved beyond the alley, toward the adjacent property with its one-story frame house.
    A minute later, Renie came running down to the sidewalk. “What’s up?” she asked, a bit breathless.
    Before Judith could reply, Zip Code came bounding down the street, barking his head off. He leaped on Renie, almost knocking her down and licking her face. “Hey!” she yelled. “Cut it out! You’ve got letter breath!”
    Judith firmly grasped Zip Code’s collar and pulled the animal away from her cousin. “Zippy! Nice doggie! Go find Morty.”
    Panting, Zip Code eyed Judith for a brief moment before trotting away.
    â€œYou should have called for a cat,” Renie said, taking a tissue out of her purse and wiping her face. “What’s up?”
    â€œSomeone’s peeking through the upstairs window,” Judith replied, explaining how she’d seen the curtains move, but couldn’t make out a face or a figure. “We’d better get out of here.” She gazed up at the house on the other side of the wire fence. “Should we call on these neighbors?”
    Renie pointed to the empty attached garage. “Their car’s gone. It doesn’t look as if they’re home. We might have better luck with the guy on Moonfleet that Garth talked to.”
    â€œBut he didn’t know anything,” Judith pointed