Read The House of Seven Mabels for Free Online Page A

Shelley exclaimed.
    “Oh, of course you have,“ Jane said with a laugh.
    “Maybe once or twice,“ Shelley admitted. “But this is serious. Someone’s ripping off a stupid woman. One, I admit, who never should have taken on something she knew so little about, but still, neither of us would ever feel good about ourselves again if we didn’t at least try to warn Bitsy.“
    Jane sighed. “You’re right. Damn.“

Seven

    Jane and Shelley showed up early the next morning, ready to pull poor Bitsy aside and point out the errors in the drawing. This time the street in front was even more crowded. As they got out of Shelley’s van, a siren screamed and an ambulance pulled into the front yard.
    “What’s happened?“ Jane asked, realizing it was a stupid question to ask Shelley, who was as surprised and alarmed as she was.
    Bitsy and Sandra were standing on the sidewalk, wringing their hands. Sandra looked confused and was clutching her ever-present purse to her chest. Bitsy was clearly angry.
    “What’s going on?“ Shelley asked as Jane caught a glimpse of two well-dressed middle-aged women she’d never seen bending over and vomiting in what the plans had shown as a bank of azaleas that would be in front of the porch.
    “Since it’s a chilly morning, our furnace guy tried out the system and within moments there was the most awful smell,“ Bitsy said.
    “I have to go tend to your friends Dorothea and Wendy,“ Sandra said, indicating the women who were where the azaleas would someday make their appearance. They were now being tended by the ambulance attendants. A breeze sprang up and suddenly Jane and Shelley could smell it as well. Something terribly rotten and utterly disgusting made them hold their hands over their noses and mouths.
    When the wind changed direction, Jane said to Bitsy, “Your furnace guy? I thought all the workers were women.“
    “Not quite all. But Wesley Woodley’s an exception. He works for a company run by a woman. Ms. Betty Stanley. You may have heard of her. She’s in a lot of civic organizations.“
    “Did I hear my name being used in vain?“ a very tall young man asked.
    “Wesley!“ Bitsy yelped. “What is that smell?“
    Wesley shrugged. “I couldn’t go in the house to tell. Mrs. Stanley’s bringing some breathing apparatus so I can find out. Did anyone have the wits to turn off the furnace?“
    “I didn’t,“ Bitsy admitted.
    “That’s the first thing I need to do. Second, you need to rent some powerful fans to clear the odor out.“
    “Where do you rent fans?“ Bitsy asked.
    “Ask your contractor,“ he replied. Jane thought there was a hint of a sneer in his remark, but couldn’t be sure. Unless he had had a run-in with
    Bitsy before, it was a logical question for an ordinary person to ask. Jane herself would have had to ask.
    The ambulance people had moved the women who were ill away from the house and put them on blankets on the ground with damp cloths over their faces, and were taking their blood pressures.
    Jane approached Sandra and asked, “How are they? And who are they?“
    “Friends of Bitsy’s she wanted to show the house to,“ Sandra said with irritation, fidgeting with the strap of her purse. “I wish she’d picked any other day. The nurse in the van says since they didn’t ingest anything and it only smelled like something rotten, not chemical, they’ll probably be okay. But someone has to drive them to the hospital to confirm whether it was dangerous fumes.“
    Jane knew what Sandra really meant. That she and Shelley had nothing better to do. “Weren’t other people in the house? And they might have felt like gagging, but no one else is sick, are they?“
    “I don’t imagine you’re free to...?“
    “No. Shelley and I were on our way to an appointment.“ After a moment’s thought, she added, “To see an attorney about Bitsy’s contract. I suppose since they’re Bitsy’s friends, hauling them to the hospital is her job,“ Jane