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he was almost
late for his appointment with Mrs. Langley, the local real estate agent. She
was waiting for him in the parking lot of the restaurant on Long Lake where
he’d taken Lili the night before.
    “Good morning ! ” Mrs. Langley smiled at him. “Do
you want to come with me, or take both cars ? ”
    “I’ll follow you. I need to be in
Mankato by two o’clock.”
    Waving at Ken to follow her
little Volkswagen, Mrs. Langley led the way to the main highway. After a mile
or so, she turned down a service road along the lake shore. Beautiful homes and
some smaller cottages lined the road, some almost hidden by evergreens, oaks
and maple trees. Sumac bushes lined the ditch. He tried to imagine what autumn
would look like here, with the brilliant reds of the sumac, the crimson and golds of the sugar maples, and then later the darker rust
of the oaks as they prepared for winter. With such a variety of trees, he was
certain the fall colors would last for weeks.
    She stopped on a rise in front of
a brown house. Through the trees Ken could see the sunlight sparkling on the
lake. Disappointed, he pulled up beside her. Half-hidden by trees, the house
looked ordinary. He followed her along the sidewalk to a door. There she dug in
her purse for a key.
    “You’ll love this house, Mr.
Mills,” she gushed, flashing him a wide smile. “It has a spiral staircase, two
bathrooms, and a second bedroom for the home office you said you needed. A dock
and boat storage give you access directly from the lake. It’s available now,
too. Mrs. Hanson has already removed everything except the appliances which go
with the house.”
    Ken was surprised to see that,
once inside the door, steps led up instead of down. Mrs. Langley led him
directly into a large, dimly lit living area. She walked across the thick beige
carpet, stepped down into a circular area, and pulled a cord.
    He caught his breath as the
draperies slid away, revealing a whole wall of windows overlooking the lake.
    The view drew him to stand beside
her. Sunlight spilled into the room, but the view of the lake fascinated him
most. He looked down to see flower beds surrounded by gray rock near the house.
Sidewalks led to the dock and lake shore a few yards beyond. A table and chairs
on a redwood deck to his right suggested outdoor parties.
    “Spectacular, eh ? ” Mrs. Langley said. She watched
his face, a satisfied smile on hers.
    Ken nodded, turning back to
follow her as she showed off the built-in bookcases and plentiful oak
cupboards, all beautifully finished in a natural shade. She pointed out that
the kitchen area opened into the living area to allow hostess and guests to
converse. The large bedroom and tiled bath area in the rear had made the house
seem ordinary from the road.
    Returning through the kitchen,
she led him down a spiral staircase to the lower floor. A laundry, second bath
and shop area were to the back, beneath the upstairs bedrooms. The main room
was carpeted in burgundy, with a pool table and bar at one end. Sliding glass
doors opened onto the patio and deck.
    Ken went to stand there, staring
out at the well-kept flowerbeds outside. “Why is all this for sale ? ”
    “Mrs. Hanson is a widow who has a
home in Arizona, too, and can no longer afford both,” Mrs. Langley said. “In fact,
she and her sister just left for there yesterday .” “
    This story sounded familiar.
Hadn’t Lili told him almost the same thing yesterday? He frowned at Mrs.
Langley. “Mrs. Hanson’s name wouldn’t be Agnes, and her sister’s Sarah Adams ? ”
    Mrs. Langley turned her dark
brown eyes to Ken in surprise. “You know them? I thought you said you were a
stranger in town.”
    “I’ve had business dealings with
Robert Adams, and I met Lili yesterday.”
    “Well, what a coincidence! Yes,
her name is Agnes. Sarah is her sister, and Lili her niece. In fact, Lili is
looking after this house until it’s sold. She’s a lovely child.”
    “Hardly a child,” Ken