Free Terrible Tide by Charlotte MacLeod

Professor,” Stoodley took it upon himself to answer. “And Holly, you help him like you been doing. This is more important than running that old Hoover. We’ll have to bring in a professional cleaning crew anyway.”
    When Mrs. Parlett died, he meant. At least he had sense enough not to say so. The men went away, leaving their equipment strewn around, and the women turned toward the kitchen.
    “Annie, why didn’t you offer to fix them a sandwich or something?” Holly asked her.
    “And have Earl Stoodley throw it up to me forever after about feeding outsiders at the estate’s expense, even if it was himself that ate the grub? You don’t know Earl the way I do, dearie. I don’t know’s I’d go so far as to call him dishonest, but I sure wouldn’t trust him to sell me a horse, as Uncle Jonathan used to say. Not that I’m in the market for one, or ever will be. What do you want for dinner?”
    “What’s on the menu? By the way, how do we manage about groceries?”
    “Claudine phones once or twice a week and asks what I need. Then she gets it and either Earl or Bert brings up the bundles. That’s one reason I have to watch my step. Earl knows to a penny what we spend on food here, and don’t think he’s above prying around in the pantry to make sure I haven’t snuck in an extra can of beans.”
    “How do you account for what Bert Walker eats?”
    “Why should I have to? Bert’s hired help, same as you or me. Jonathan Parlett never begrudged a decent meal to anybody that worked for him and neither will I, long as I’m running this kitchen. I told Earl Stoodley so to his face, and I guess Claudine must have stuck up for me because I never heard any more about that. We might as well open a can of chicken soup. I can always get that down Mrs. Parlett with no trouble. Chicken’s her favorite, Claudine says. I get sick and tired of it, myself.”
    “Then why don’t you ask Claudine to buy something else for a change? How does Claudine know what Mrs. Parlett likes anyway, if they’ve been on the outs all this time?”
    “Now dearie, don’t you go blaming Claudine. It’s not easy for her.”
    “Then why doesn’t she make it easier? If Claudine’s so concerned about her great-aunt, I can’t for the life of me understand why she never comes to see her.”
    “Claudine would never do that!”
    Annie sounded so upset that Holly dropped the subject and sat down to her chicken soup. Didn’t they ever have salads or fresh fruit at Cliff House? She’d have to try a little diplomacy about the shopping list when Earl Stoodley came back for the afternoon’s photography session.

Chapter 9
    T O HER SURPRISE, CAWNE returned alone. “Why, Geoffrey,” Holly exclaimed, “what happened to our beloved trustee?”
    “Earl found he had pressing business elsewhere. I suspect he’s become disenchanted with the glamorous world of photography. I hope you’re not?”
    “Oh no, I’m still enchanted as anything. What shall we do next?”
    “Stoodley tells me there’s a wig stand on which a distant relative of Queen Anne once parked his peruke. That sounds intriguing, don’t you think? Could Mrs. Blodgett find it for us?”
    “I expect so. She’s upstairs right now, giving Mrs. Parlett her back rub. I’ll go and ask.”
    “No, Holly, please don’t leave me alone.”
    “Why not? Don’t tell me you’re afraid of the ghost?”
    “No, I’m afraid of Stoodley, to be honest. He’s terrified of losing his prize exhibits, and I don’t want anyone ever to say I was given the chance to pinch something. I’m sure he phoned here as soon as he got home, to give you dire warnings against letting me roam about on my own.”
    “Nothing of the sort,” said Holly. “He did give me a strong warning against letting people into the house and so did Claudine Parlett, but Earl says you’re to have all the help you want. You must be on his top security clearance list.”
    “Well, well!” Cawne found that idea vastly