The Body in the Kelp Read Online Free

worse.
I’m not sure everyone here even understands what they are, but they sound bad—like Yuppies, and years ago Hippiea.”
    â€œWhich reminds me,” said Tom, “I saw a flower child on the clam flats yesterday morning, quite early. Youngish with all the accoutrements—long hair, bandanna, granny sunglasses, tie-dyed mini dress around three inches long. And she had a baby or something in a pouch strapped to her back. Was I dreaming or is she a neighbor?”
    â€œI saw her too, Tom, later. She was coming over the rocks, spied me, and fled instantly—before I had a chance to say anything.”
    â€œThat’s Bird, not her real name,” Pix replied. “Although come to think of it there must be quite a few adults with similar names bequeathed to them by their letting-it-all-hang-out parents—I actually knew someone who named her daughter Emma Goldman Moonflower. Anyway, Bird lives with her significant other in that tiny shack you can see from your beach, directly across the water from the lobster pound. I don’t think it even has indoor plumbing. They’re into macrobiotics and she was probably gathering seaweed. The guy she lives with, Andy, is a rock musician and seems to spend most of his time in Camden playing with a group down there. I don’t really know them, although they’ve been here all winter and I can’t imagine how they survived in that house, especially with a baby.” Pix paused for breath. There was nothing like fresh Maine air and a gin and tonic to loosen her tongue.
    â€œSomeone you don’t know? Well, I, for one, am shocked,” teased Tom. “You’re slipping, Pix.”
    Pix clamped her mouth shut and returned to the paper.
    â€œCome on, make up and read me ‘Police Brief,’ you know it’s my favorite. What kind of a week has crime had on the island?” Tom cajoled. With only one officer of the law and accordingly one police car, he hoped it hadn’t been too unruly.
    Pix acquiesced readily. “Well, the kids are stealing hubcaps again. Oh, and this is really funny—I’ll read it: ‘A pickup truck was found upside down in Lover’s Lane last Tuesday evening. A search found a quantity of empty beer cans inside, but no driver.
The truck, a 1967 Ford, was registered to Velma Hamilton, who reported it stolen the next day. The truck was totaled and the matter is under investigation.’”
    Tom and Faith laughed. “You mean there really is a Lover’s Lane on the island?” asked Tom.
    â€œYes, you follow Route 17 to Sanpere Village and it’s the road before the lily pond. But what could they have been doing to turn the truck upside down?”
    Tom and Faith laughed harder. Faith caught her breath and said, “Oh Pix, only you. Don’t you think the truck just drove off the road? It couldn’t have been stopped and flipped over no matter how frisky the couple were.”
    â€œYou never know; one time I heard—” Pix started, when she was unfortunately interrupted by the appearance of a much-disheveled Samantha lugging a squirming Benjamin. She came up the stairs to the deck and deposited him on Faith’s lap before he could take flight again.
    â€œI hope it’s all right, Mrs. Fairchild, but Arlene and I want to go swimming now while the tide is right.” She motioned behind her. “Arlene, this is Mrs. Fairchild and Reverend Fairchild.” Arlene giggled and said something in that Maine accent that Faith had not yet managed to decode.
    â€œOf course, Samantha. We were coming to get him anyway, and after all this work you need a break. But don’t tell me you actually swim in this stuff without turning into a solid block of ice.”
    Arlene giggled some more, and Samantha laughed. “This is the best time. The tide’s come in over the rocks after the sun has been warming them all day, and the water isn’t cold at all.