Part Forty-One

(Continued from Part Forty)



Peggy felt her heart beat slightly faster with each step. The trail up Cadillac Mountain in the Acadia National Forest had been kind in some spots: easy walking over flat expanses of granite, or pleasant strolling beneath shaded groves of birch trees. But those stretches would quickly give way to steep inclines studded with boulders and rocks of different sizes. Peggy had to choose her steps carefully to avoid twisting an ankle. When the trail was exposed they felt a brilliant sun beating down on them, even though it was only seven o'clock in the morning.

But they were also treated to spectacular views.



"We haven't lost the trail, have we?" said Raoul behind her.

Since Peggy happened to be in the lead it was her job to watch out for the blue blazes and cairns of rock that marked the trail.



"I wouldn't be too concerned," said Peggy. "If we get lost we can live on blueberries."

They had been stopping frequently to eat wild blueberries that grew along the trail. It provided a welcome excuse to rest. "As a matter of fact, there's a lovely patch of berries right here," said Peggy as she plopped down on a flat rock and picked at the low bushes. Raoul, Deidre and Taylor gladly followed her example.

"Mmm, these are so sweet," said Deidre. "I can't believe they're just growing wild along the trail."

  

"Didn't I promise to take you blueberry picking?" said Raoul to Peggy.

"This doesn't count. I want a couple of quarts so I can make a pie and some muffins," said Peggy.

"Not to mention blueberry brownies," said Raoul.

After several minutes Deidre stood up. "I'm ready. If I sit down any longer I'll never get up."

"First one to the top gets to take a shower," said Peggy.

They laughed, and Peggy was glad to hear some cheer in their voices. As they continued their ascent to the summit of Cadillac, Peggy realized that a challenging walk was just what the group needed after a stressful couple of days.

It had started with the house. Moments after arriving on Osprey Island, Raoul unlocked the front door to the vacation house that Dale, his brother, had arranged for them. Peggy, Deidre and Taylor followed him in.

The front rooms, facing Indian Cove, were filled with light and painted in soft colors. Comfortable-looking chairs and sofas had been arranged around broad picture windows. They explored the main floor and the upstairs bedrooms and the kitchen and dining room.

"I can't find any light switches," said Raoul.

"I think we're supposed use these gas lamps," said Peggy, pointing to a lamp that consisted of a glass bulb with a cloth mantle in it.

"And there's a gas stove in the kitchen," said Taylor.

Raoul prowled on the floor behind chairs and bookcases. "I can't find a single electrical outlet."

"The refrigerator works," said Deidre. "I hear it humming."

Raoul looked behind the refrigerator. "But it's not plugged into anything. All I see are copper tubes."

Taylor opened the refrigerator, which contained, among other things, several bottles of Geary's pale ale, a local Maine beer. Taylor peered at some printed information near the bottom of the unit. "It's gas powered," he said.

"Look, I found the instructions to the house," said Deidre holding up a three-ring binder. She opened it up and read the first page. "Everything is gas powered."

"I can't believe this. I'm calling Dale," said Raoul. He took out his cell phone and looked at it with disbelief. "No cell service! Guess I'll have to use his phone. Serves him right anyway."

"Good luck finding one," said Taylor.

Deidre pointed to a spot on the page she was reading. "Says here there's no phone in the house. But if you walk out to Laughing Lizard rock at low tide you can get a cell phone signal."

"How considerate of him."

"Come on, dear, let's go see what the tide is doing," said Peggy.

They walked out onto the grassy bluff in front of the house and then down a path to a rocky beach. Peggy noticed wet clumps of seaweed strewn over great granite boulders. She pointed to an odd rock formation.

"That looks like a lizard," said Peggy.

"And it's laughing at us," said Raoul. "Must be Dale's little joke."

The lizard was wet and dark. Peggy guessed that at high tide the rock would be completely submerged. Raoul walked over the beach and climbed to the top of the rock, grunting a bit as he did so.

"Whew," he said. "I'm not ten years old anymore."

He looked at his cell phone. "Got a signal!"

Peggy watched Raoul balance himself on the rock while he dialed his phone. She tried to imagine him stranded on a desert island. It made her laugh. She walked closer to the water's edge and slipped out of her shoes and dipped her toe into the clear, greenish water.

"Ooh," she gasped. It was frigid. So much for swimming.

"What do you mean you don't stay here..." Raoul was saying.

Peggy heard someone shouting; she looked up. Several children down the beach were trying to skip stones on the surface of the water. A dog jumped after the stones, hopelessly trying to fetch them.

"Come back, Bug," the child called to the swimming dog.

Raoul came down from the rock. "Are you ready for this? Dale has only stayed here one time in three years."

"Then why is he a part-owner of it?"

"He said he got a good deal on the house and he keeps it rented constantly, and I'm quoting here, 'to those little-house-on-the-prairie types.' It's strictly an investment."

"I see. We can't complain. He's letting us stay for free," said Peggy.

"It's not due to brotherly love, trust me. People pay a large non-refundable deposit when they book the place. So he really wasn't losing too much." Raoul looked down the beach at the children. "That's probably the Crannie family. Dale says if we have any questions about rustic country living just ask them. They've been coming here for a hundred years."

"Must be a lot of history on that spot," said Peggy.

Later they sat on the porch drinking the Geary's and discussing dinner. They heard a car pull up. It was the old Volvo station wagon that they had seen on the one-lane bridge. A regal-looking, white-haired woman in a sun dress and straw hat approached the porch. She was accompanied by a stooped man with a walking stick.

"I'm Bunny Crannie," said the woman. "This is my husband, Roland Hadley. We stay in the next house over. I understand one of you is a relative of Dale Stein's?"

"That would be me," said Raoul. He introduced the members of the group, then said, "Did you say your name was Bunny?"

She laughed a small delicate laugh that reminded Peggy of a fancy tea party. Peggy noticed that Bunny had an embroidered lace handkerchief protruding from the pocket of her sun dress. "Bunatine is the full name. It was my mother's name. My father was Horace Crannie, who held the Ernestine Tubby chair of economics at Williams College."

Bunny squinted her eyes and looked at them all very carefully as though she were trying to sort out who goes with who, then she smiled brightly. "We sometimes pick up things for Dale."

"Got some screen in the car," said Roland, clearing his throat loudly.

"Screen?" said Raoul.

"For the back door. The last family had a dog that poked his head through it. Dale said you were going to patch it up."

"Oh? He did?"

"Of course we'll patch it up," said Peggy.

"Noticed your friend got stuck," said Roland.

"What friend?" said Peggy.

"Fellow came in behind you back there at the bridge. I was pulling over to make room for him and he went off the road. Had plenty of room if you ask me."

"He certainly wasn't very courteous," said Bunny.

"I'm afraid I don't know who you mean?" said Peggy. "This is our entire party."

"Roland, didn't the man say he was with the group in the blue car?"

"Yes, Bunny. Sure did. Because we know everybody staying on the island and he couldn't tell us which house he was going to."

Peggy's mind raced. Then an idea popped into her head. "Was the man wearing a baseball cap?"

"As a matter of fact he was," said Roland.

Peggy and Deidre looked at each other. They were thinking the same thing. "Was it a Yankees hat?" asked Peggy.

"Being a Red Sox fan I naturally thought it was a matter of course that a Yankees fan would drive his car into a swamp. The hat fell off his head while we were getting the car out, and then he ran over it. Guess I would do the same thing if I had a Yankees hat."

Then Bunny looked at the sun that was getting lower in the sky. "We'd better get back, Roland. I wanted to get a blueberry cake in the oven before dinner."

Peggy said, "Could you tell us where to pick blueberries?"

"Sure," said Bunny. "I'll write down a couple of places for you."

They left. Then Peggy turned immediately to Taylor. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"What are you thinking, Mom?"

"It's too much of a coincidence that we would see a man with a Yankees hat in Camden, and then in Searsport, and now on a tiny one-lane bridge leading to Osprey Island."

Raoul slapped his forehead. "Of course. Why didn't I think of that?"

"Do you mean we're being followed?" said Taylor.

Peggy nodded solemnly. Deidre looked disgusted. "You'd think they have better things to do."

Raoul said, "On the other hand, what can they do here? It's not like the guy can hang out by the drugstore and wait for us to walk by. He's going to arouse suspicion. The Crannies have already noticed him. He must be very inept."

"Let's not worry about it," said Peggy. "I'm here for a vacation and I intend to have one. And if the Department of Homeland Security wants to join me, they can go right ahead."

****

"I can see the summit," said Peggy excitedly.

Fifteen minutes later they took their final steps onto the summit of Cadillac Mountain. Peggy whirled around: she could see a striking vista of ocean and forests and mountains in almost every direction. The day was stunningly clear. She noticed a family had arrived ahead of them. Peggy pointed out a young girl sleeping on a rock.



"Looks like we're not the only tired ones," Peggy said.

Raoul gave Peggy a hug. "This was a great idea. I'm so happy that you talked us into it."

"Thanks for being a good sport. Are you having fun?"

"I am," said Raoul. "I'm starting to get the hang of rustic living. If only we didn't have to put up with that Homeland Security guy paddling his canoe past our house."

Peggy narrowed her eyes. "I've been thinking of how we might have a little fun with him..."

TO BE CONCLUDED ON SUNDAY, AUG 7