Watch for the Dead (Relatively Dead Book 4) (13 page)

Ned and Ellie had heard the car approaching, but hung back to let Abby greet them. They had made the rounds of the houses within half a mile, but most people were, as Abby had predicted, renters, and no one had brought a litter of young kittens along with them. It seemed absurd to push the search any farther, with posters on electric poles or an ad in the local paper. Anyone who could misplace a tiny kitten didn’t deserve to have it anyway. The only odd thing was that the kitten was so friendly, so it was clearly accustomed to being around people. In any event, Ellie was over the moon about having clear title to the little creature. They could worry about Leslie’s reaction later. After this odd weekend was over.

“We made really good time,” Rebecca burbled. “Not much traffic anywhere—I guess whoever was coming down here for the weekend or week was already here.”

“Yes, I’m told the highway backs up for miles starting on Thursday afternoon. Please, come in.”

Ned held the door for them. Ellie hung back in a corner of the kitchen, unsure of her welcome. Not surprisingly, Rebecca made a beeline for Ned. “So you must be Abby’s new—heck, I don’t know what you kids call each other these days. You must be Ned. She’s told us about you, but not enough—she never said you were so good-looking! Isn’t he, Marvin?”

Marvin glanced at Abby and shrugged, smiling, as if to say “What can I do?” “Hello, Ned. Good to meet you. This looks like a nice place—Abby said it belongs to a friend of yours?”

“Yes, it does, sir. It’s been in his family for quite a while, but he doesn’t spend a lot of time down here. Most people on the Cape tend to rent out their places during the summer, which is how they afford to live here the rest of the year.”

Rebecca had finally spotted Ellie, who was watching the greetings with a carefully neutral expression. “And who’s this?”

“I didn’t get a chance to tell you, Mom. This is Ellie. Her parents are friends of Ned’s, and her dad had to have emergency surgery, so we said we’d look after her for a few days while he recuperates. I didn’t have time to explain on the phone. Ellie, come say hello to my mom and dad.”

Ellie stepped forward and extended her hand to Rebecca. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Kimball.” Abby almost held her breath, wondering if there would be any connection between them. Maybe her mother had been hiding her abilities all of her life, and they would suddenly burst forth now, with Ellie. Their hands touched, and Ellie cast a quick glance toward Abby: nothing. Well, it wasn’t a surprise.

“Please, call me Rebecca. If that’s okay with Abby? I know kids are pretty informal these days—not like when Marvin and I were young. But Mrs. Kimball sounds so stuffy.”

“Okay,” Ellie said. “Nice to meet you too, uh, Marvin.”

Marvin Kimball bent down and shook hands formally with Ellie. “The same goes for me. So, you been having a good time here on the Cape?”

“Yes, sir. It’s pretty, and there’s a nice bookstore not too far away. And I got a kitten.”

“Well, isn’t that nice? Can you introduce me to your kitten?” Marvin asked, then looked at Abby and winked.

“Sure. She’s taking a nap, upstairs. Come with me.” Ellie took his hand and led him out of the kitchen.

“The kitten was kind of unplanned,” Abby explained. “Ellie doesn’t have any pets at home, but the kitten showed up during a bad storm and we couldn’t just leave her outside. She’s a real sweetie, and still very young.”

“I understand. Well, since Marvin gets to meet the cat, why don’t you give me the grand tour of the place. When you said ‘a house on the Cape’ I didn’t know if I should picture a shack on the beach or a Victorian mansion.”

“This is kind of somewhere in between,” Abby said. “I think it was built around 1900, and it’s on the harbor, not the ocean. Let me show you. You coming, Ned?”

“Sure. Although I can’t add much information about the house. I hadn’t been here for years, and all I remember is some sort of wild weekends, when we were all a lot younger.”

They walked through the house, which didn’t take long. They ended up on the porch. “My, this is lovely,” Rebecca said, and she sounded like she meant it. “Which way does the sun set?”

“Right out there,” Abby pointed. “I have to admit we spend time out here watching it. When it’s not raining, of course.”

“I can see why. Nice friends you have, Ned.”

Marvin and Ellie came clattering down the stairs and found them on the porch. Ellie was carrying the kitten, who looked completely relaxed, unfazed about being hauled around like a sack of flour and meeting strangers. “This is the kitten,” Ellie said. “We couldn’t find anybody who owned her, so now she’s mine.”

“She is adorable,” Rebecca said. “What’s her name?”

“We haven’t decided yet.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll find a good one—one that fits her.”

“So,” Abby began, “what would you like to do today? Cape Cod’s not all that big—you can reach Provincetown on the far end in an hour or so, assuming you don’t stop along the way. Do you want to see beaches? Stores?”

“We came to see you, dear,” Rebecca said, smiling, “And Ned, of course. But I have heard there are some glassblowing places around here. I love handblown glass, and I’ve never seen it made. Do you think we could find one of those?”

“Of course we can! And we should probably pick up some more food. Why don’t we eat lunch out, and we can grill at dinner? Are you staying overnight?”

“If we’re welcome,” Rebecca told her.

“Of course you are!” Abby breathed an inward sigh of relief: she really wanted some quiet time to poke around her mother’s buried memories, if there were any, and that would be possible only if they sat down and relaxed together, rather than rushing from place to place.

“Why don’t I go check the Internet for those glass places?” Ned offered.

“Good idea. Then we can plan.”

Ned disappeared toward the dining room, where Abby’s computer was, and Ellie and Kitten followed him. Rebecca waited until he was gone, then said, in a low voice, “Why on earth have you been hiding this lovely man?”

“Well, I wasn’t exactly hiding him. But after Brad, I guess I wasn’t sure how things would go.”

“You moved in with him, what, three months ago?” Rebecca countered, although her tone was kind.

“About that. You were counting?”

“Only because I love you, and worry about you. I know you followed Brad up to Massachusetts with certain assumptions, but then everything seemed to fall apart so quickly. I wasn’t sure how you were coping. And I also wasn’t sure that this Ned of yours wasn’t just someone you grabbed on the rebound.”

“No, Mom, he isn’t.”

“And I can see that. So I’ll stop worrying about you, at least for now. And I won’t ask you about jobs, or what you think you’re doing with the rest of your life. We can just enjoy this time together.”

“Thank you. I’d really like that.” Abby glanced at her father, who, typically, was silent. Not detached—he just seemed to like to watch his womenfolk when they were happy.

Ned returned quickly. “There are a few choices. One is Sandwich Glass, which is the oldest and biggest, but also the most commercial. There are a couple of smaller places, with one or two craftspersons, that you might find more interesting. Which would you prefer?”

“Oh, the second kind, definitely,” Rebecca said, beaming at him. “I love to see how things are done, and to talk to the people.”

“How about lunch in Falmouth, then?” Ned suggested. “Daniel told me about a place on the harbor, on the far side of town, that has great seafood plus a nice view. Unless you’re allergic to shellfish? Or scenic harbors?”

Rebecca laughed. “No to both. It sounds great. Abby, why don’t you show us where to park our bags and let me freshen up, and then we can go? I’d hate to waste this lovely weather.”

Upstairs, Abby guided her mother to one of the back bedrooms. “The front room is a bit bigger, but Ellie claimed that one when we arrived, and I’d hate to displace her.”

“Not a problem, dear. How long have you known Ellie?”

“A couple of months, I guess. How did you guess we knew each other?”

“Just that she seems comfortable with you. With both you and Ned, actually. She seems very self-possessed for a young girl. What is she, eight?”

“Just. She starts third grade next week. And you’re right—she’s very mature for her age.”

“So were you, darling, at that age. Well, point me to the bathroom and I’ll be good to go.”

“Right down the hall there.”

Abby joined the men downstairs. They were still on the porch, and Ned appeared to be explaining the history of this little enclave of houses. “Daniel told me that these were built mainly as summer homes by people from the Boston area—it was a popular area in the later nineteenth century. Of course, it wasn’t as easy to get here back then—there were bridges, but they were pretty simple, until they built the existing ones in the 1930s. But of course, the Cape was settled long before 1900—the
Mayflower
pilgrims landed at what is now Provincetown, before they decided to settle in what became Plymouth. There’s a monument in Provincetown.”

“Ned, how much time have you spent here?” Abby asked.

“The occasional visit—I’ve known Daniel for a long time. But you know I like the history.” He smiled at her.

“Of course.” Abby smiled back.

Marvin smiled at the two of them.

Rebecca came quickly down the stairs. “All set!” she said. “And I swear I’m hungry again.”

“You must have gotten an early start, Mom,” Abby said.

“Right after you called. Isn’t that right, Marvin?”

“It is. Of course, we were already up. So, where are we off to?”

“Falmouth, a couple of miles away, and lunch,” Ned told him. “Let’s take my car—it’s the most comfortable, since there are five of us.”

“Ellie?” Abby called out. “You ready to go?”

“Coming,” she called, and appeared a few moments later. “Kitten’s on my bed. We’re going to close everything, so she can’t get out, right?”

“Of course we will.”

“Can I bring my camera?” Ellie asked.

“Sure. There should be lots to take pictures of.” Abby turned to her parents. “Ellie just got a camera this past week, so we’re learning how to use it. She takes good pictures.”

“Maybe she can take a picture of all of us?” Rebecca asked, her eyes twinkling.

“Yes, Mom, I’m sure she can do that.”

• • •

They found the Falmouth restaurant that Ned’s friend Daniel had recommended. It was crowded but not unpleasantly so, and the seafood was as fresh as it could get, since they could see the fishing boats only feet from where they sat. After lunch they meandered along less-traveled roads, avoiding clots of tourists, and found two of the glass-making places Ned had identified. The first was near Sandwich, so they took a slight detour into the charming town. Abby felt a tingle as they passed a wonderful old cemetery overlooking a millpond, and made a mental bookmark to look it up later. She glanced at Ellie, who met her gaze; did she feel it too? After that they made their way to a second shop, farther east on the Cape, where a solo glassblower made pieces distinctly different from those at the first place they’d seen.

At both, Rebecca was in her element, oohing and aahing over various pieces and agonizing over which ones and how many to purchase. Abby had to admit they were beautiful, and finally succumbed to a swirled bowl that looked like a view of a solar system. They waited while everything was carefully wrapped in multiple layers of Bubble Wrap, and then Ned said, “Since you’re here, you really should see the seashore,” and everyone agreed. So they headed back toward Chatham and found the beach that Abby and Ellie had explored earlier. It was past four o’clock and the sun was low; most tourists had gone home.

Abby and her mother fell behind as they strolled along the tide line, picking up odds and ends. Rebecca watched the other three ahead of them. “She’s his daughter, isn’t she?”

Abby shut her eyes, but there was no use denying it. “How can you tell?”

“Just look at them together.”

“I know. Look, it’s a complicated story, but now’s not the time . . .”

Rebecca stopped her. “Just one question: does Ellie know?”

“No, not yet.”

“Then I won’t say anything. But I’d bet Ellie figures it out sooner rather than later.”

“I’m afraid you’re right.”
For more reasons than you can imagine
.

Chapter 14

On the way back from the beach, they found the market Ned had mentioned and stocked up on all sorts of goodies, then drove slowly back to West Falmouth, replete with sun and food. They parked behind the house and gathered their bundles. At the door, Ellie was bouncing with impatience as Ned unlocked it, and she dashed in before him to go find Kitten. The adults followed more slowly.

“Wine? Something else?” Abby offered her parents. “Then we can sit and admire the sun on the water.”

“Why don’t I start dinner,” Ned volunteered, “and you and your parents can talk?”

“Why don’t I give you a hand?” Marvin said quickly. Abby stifled a smile, because how many hands did it take to grill meat and make a salad? But her father was not one for small talk, much less “girl” talk, and Abby welcomed the chance to talk to her mother alone. Luckily Ellie had followed the kitten upstairs and hadn’t returned.

“Wine sounds lovely, especially since we don’t have to drive anywhere,” Rebecca said. “It was such a lovely afternoon!”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Abby said, accepting two filled wineglasses from Ned, their sides already beaded with condensation. “Follow me.”

Abby led her mother to the bay side of the house, opening the door and holding the screen door to let Rebecca pass. Was it coincidence that Rebecca turned and sat in the wicker chair that Olivia had occupied? Probably. Abby took the adjoining chair, and they clinked glasses.

“I’m so glad you could come visit,” Abby said.

“I like your Ned,” Rebecca said after a leisurely pause.

Abby sipped her wine—cool and smooth. “So do I.”

“Any plans?”

As in marriage?
“I was wondering how long it would be before you’d ask. No, not yet, but I’d say it’s a strong possibility. But we’re not in a hurry.” There was so much that Abby wished she could say, but how could she explain a psychic connection to someone who had never experienced one? “Mom, I know you don’t know a lot of details about your family, going back, but did anyone ever mention Cape Cod?”