The Einsteins of Vista Point by Ben Guterson

Author:Ben Guterson [Guterson, Ben]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 2022-04-12T00:00:00+00:00

— Fourteen —

REVELATIONS AND DOUBTS

Work continued on the house without any letup. The interior was coming along nicely, with all the rooms painted and much of the furniture in place, along with plenty of “antiques” Morton and Deborah had located at thrift stores; two of the five guest bedrooms appeared nearly ready for guests, though the dining room and kitchen still needed plenty of work. The outside of the house was beginning to look presentable after decorative shutters were put on all the windows and the gutters were replaced. The workers had even tidied up the big front lawn and the hedges leading to the mansion.

“We won’t be able to keep people away at this rate,” their father announced over dinner on Monday.

“You, overly optimistic innkeeper,” Miriam said. “How to count your chickens before they crack.”

Ruth burst out laughing. “Before they hatch. Hatch, hatch! Not crack. Gosh, Mir.”

“No, wait a minute,” Miriam said, looking around uncertainly. “Isn’t it like you have to wait until the eggs crack open?” She turned to Ethan. “Maybe?”

“It’s hatch, Miriam,” Ethan said. “Definitely hatch.” He turned away with a mischievous look on his face. “Maybe someone should crack open a book more often.”

“When I’m a professional basketball player someday—” Miriam began.

“As we were saying,” their mother interrupted, “the house is coming along very nicely, and your father and I appreciate how everyone has pitched in.” She gave a pointed, if loving—and slightly humorous—look at Ethan and Miriam in turn. “With their unique talents.”

“Mrs. Einstein often found it necessary to punish her two oldest children for their disobedience,” Ruth said, and at that point, everyone around the table broke into a good laugh.

The kids had decided not to discuss the Tower with their parents just yet. As upbeat as their mother and father had remained generally, it was clear the visit from Horatio Cuvallo had been deeply unsettling and had initiated some genuine legal investigation on their part. There was nothing definite the kids could point to, but there was something a bit off with their parents whenever the topic of the opening date for the bed-and-breakfast arose. Previously, everything had seemed fixed for a Labor Day start—which, now that the second week of July had arrived, felt closer than ever. Now, though, on those occasions when the subject arose, their parents were vague and evasive. They didn’t want to mention Horatio’s name, either, nor bring him up in any way. After the dinner with the Bigelows, when Ruth reflected on Horatio’s unhappy history at breakfast the next morning, their father dismissed the subject with a brusque, “Most people are about as miserable—or happy—as they make up their mind to be. At least, that’s what Abraham Lincoln had to say on the subject.”

Following the conversation at the Bigelows’, Zack had become even more fascinated by the medallion and the inscription, and he found himself often in his room studying his piece of paper with the words on it or talking to Ethan or the girls about what they might mean.

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