The House of Seven Mabels

wait.“
    When Shelley dropped in for coffee around eight o’clock, Katie said, “Mom’s on the computer. You’ll have to crowbar her hand off the mouse.“
    “What’s she doing?“
    “Making a house for Priscilla,“ Katie said with a laugh. “Go on upstairs. You’ll probably have to beat her on the head to get her attention.“
    Katie was nearly right. Shelley had to call Jane’s name three times before she noticed. “Shelley, this is so cool. Look at this.“
    Jane explained that when she saw Shelley, Bitsy, and Joe looking over the house plans, she’d realized they were done on a computer. She went on, showing Shelley every detail of the bleak, windswept house she was constructing.
    Shelley had often nagged Jane, though gently, to finish the book and was truly delighted that this had inspired her to get back to it.
    “I haven’t seen you this excited about your book before. I think it’s wonderful. But isn’t it set in the 1800s? I think this kitchen you have on the ground floor would have been in the basement, or even a separate building if it was in the South. All the cooking was done with real wood fires and they didn’t want them smoking up the whole house. That’s the whole reason those domelike silver things were made to put over plates. So you carry the food quite a long way without it getting cold before it got to the dining room.“
    “Another head slapper,“ Jane said. “You’re right.“
    “Doesn’t this make you more interested in the house plans?“
    Jane instantly felt a twinge of guilt. “Shelley, I’m sorry. I’ve been so obsessed with what I was doing that I didn’t even ask how your meeting with Thomasina went.“
    “Pretty well. She explained to me at great length how someone gave Jacqueline a bit of a shock.“
    “And you understood?“
    “Not in the least, but I pretended I did. I’m not sure she believed me. No, I know she didn’t believe me, but it led to an interesting discussion. Thomasina said the liability insurance for electricians is right up there with malpractice policies for physicians. Hefty payments. And even more hefty penalties if a suit is brought against the electrician. She’s so grateful that Jacqueline wasn’t hurt seriously that she offered to pay the hospital bill. But she was really furious about Sandra allowing the house to be free to trespassers.“
    “She thought it was someone coming in off the street?“
    “No. Thomasina suspects Joe Budley.“
    “Why?“
    “She says word has gotten around in the trades that he has some troubles of his own with other projects and is involved in a couple of lawsuits over shoddy work, because he cuts corners to get projects done as fast as possible.“
    Jane saved her house plan and shut down the computer. As they went down the stairs to the kitchen, she asked, “You mean he could have been responsible for all the bad things so Sandra would be fired and Bitsy would have to take him on?“
    “Remember, Bitsy had consulted him before she ran into Sandra. He lost a big job to a woman who wasn’t even competent. Thomasina’s pretty convinced he’s behind the shrimp episode.“
    “Are you convinced?“ Jane asked.
    “Nope. I’d say it’s Bitsy’s ex-husband, if I had to guess. Or someone who had a personal grudge against Sandra.“
    Jane said, “That might be anyone who was forced to work with or for her.“
    Shelley nodded. “Exactly.“

Seventeen

    Jane was wide-awake at six in the morning, eager to get back to Priscilla’s house plans. Todd’s bedroom light was on as well. “How’s it going?“ she said, stepping into his room.
    “I have a lot to do before I can even start the real work,“ he said. “See, I figure I’ve got to have at least ten thousand numbers to see a pattern.“
    “That many?“
    “At least. First I’m making a regular grid. Fifty wide. With five digits in each cell. Making the grid is easy. Cut and paste, but filling in the numbers is going to take a long time.“
    Jane looked at the grid. The number for one was really four zeros and the one at the end. It was red.
    “Reds are prime numbers?“
    “Right. I just keep putting numbers in and when I get bored with entering them, I go back, multiply by twos, and make them black.“
    “There’s a nine thing I learned when I had a summer job at a bank,“ Jane said. “Any number like...“ She punched in multiplication in the little adding machine beside him. Nine times eighty-three. It came up seven