Read Online The Doctor Makes a Dollhouse Call by Robin Hathaway - Free Book Online Page B

longer visible, Emily pulled some weeds and dead grass over them for good measure. They lingered before starting back to the house, both feeling that something was missing. But what? A prayer? That hardly seemed suitable. Slowly, their heads bent against the wind, they made their way back to the house.
    As they approached the back steps, Emily was in the lead. There was a hole in the bottom step where the wood had rotted away. Under normal circumstances, Edgar would have repaired it by now. But he had repaired nothing recently. And they had forgotten to tell Adam about it. Suddenly Emily’s leg gave way under her and she let out a sharp cry. She had caught her foot
in the hole and fallen. Judith dropped the spade and ran for help.
    Â 
    By teatime Emily was in the Emergency Room of the Seacrest Hospital awaiting surgery. X rays had revealed a broken hip. Most of the Pancoast family was gathered in the lobby, their heavier sorrows overshadowed for the moment by this new emergency. Judith was allowed to stay with Emily until she was taken to the operating room, but she stepped into the lobby briefly to telephone Fenimore about the accident.
    When the phone rang, Mrs. Doyle answered it. When she told Fenimore it was Judith Pancoast, his stomach contracted. Upon learning the reason for her call, he was almost relieved that it was nothing worse.
    â€œWho is the cardiologist in charge?” he asked sharply.
    â€œDr. Lukens.”
    â€œAsk him to call me right away. I want to fill him in on Emily’s cardiologic history.”
    â€œYes, Doctor.”
    Later, when Emily was safely in the recovery room, Judith called the doctor again to tell him the operation was a success.
    â€œWell, that is good news!” He nodded vigorously in answer to Mrs. Doyle’s gesticulated question. “Tell Emily I’ll come down next week to cheer her up.”
    â€œOh, would you, Doctor? We do need cheering up. We just buried the dolls and all their clothes.”
    â€œYou what?”
    â€œWell, Mildred felt the dolls were somehow to blame for our recent troubles, so we thought the best thing to do was bury
them in the garden. That’s how Emily had her accident.”
    â€œMy word.” Fenimore paused, overcome by the enormity of his friends’ sacrifice. “Well, leave it to me. I’ll think of something. Have there been any other odd occurrences—connected with the dollhouse, I mean?”
    â€œNo, nothing like that.”
    â€œHave the police been bothering you?”
    â€œNot recently. But I suppose they’ll be back.” Judith sighed.
    â€œYou can count on it. Well, give my best to Emily when she wakes up.”
    Fenimore replaced the receiver and glanced over at Mrs. Doyle. Once she had heard the good news about Emily, she had gone back to work feverishly at her desk. Tonight was the third meeting of RUB—the karate class she had been conducting in his cellar. She was outlining the lesson for that night. When he asked Mrs. Doyle how her students were progressing, she had laughed menacingly. “I pity the first mugger who tackles one of my graduates,” she said grimly. “He’ll rue the day!”
    â€œAnd who is your best pupil?” asked Fenimore curiously.
    â€œOh, Amelia Dunwoody, without a doubt. She nearly knocked Mabel Parsons out with her karate chop.”
    Fenimore shook his head. He felt almost sorry for those poor unsuspecting muggers lying innocently in wait for this band of little old ladies. Obviously, they would be no match for a member of the Red Umbrella Brigade.
    The doctor went back to pondering how he might cheer up the Pancoast sisters.
    In a flash, it came to him.

CHAPTER 14
    M rs. Doyle shepherded her band of students into the rented van and they all settled back to enjoy the scenery. It was the second Saturday in December and by some miracle all the members of the karate class had been able to adjust their Christmas shopping