Publisher's Synopsis
My room at Variable Winds was cheery and comfortable. Bright-hued curtains, paintedfurniture and bowls full of exquisitely tinted California poppies gave the place a colourfuleffect that pleased my aesthetic tastes. A perfectly appointed bathroom added to mycontent and I concluded I would stay with the Moores as long as I could keep my welcomein good working order.Keeley Moore was one of the best if not the best known detectives of the day, and while aquiet vacation would do him good, I was certain he was already itching to get back to hisproblems and mysteries, with which the city always supplied him.I threw off my coat and put on a dressing gown, for the lake breezes were chill, and sat at awindow for a final smoke.I felt at peace with the world. Some houses give you that feeling, just as some others makeyou unreasonably nervous and irritable.The moon had risen, a three-quarter or nearly full moon, and its shimmering light acrossthe lake made me turn off my room lights and gaze out at the scene before me.My room looked out on the lake, and the house itself was not more than a dozen yards fromthe water. The ground sloped gently down to a tiny bit of beach, a little crescent that hadbeen selected for the site of the house. On the right of this placid little piece of shore wasthe boathouse, a large one, with canoes, rowboats and motor boats. Under the same roofwas the bath house, and in front of that, out in the lake, were springboards, diving laddersand all the contrivances on which the bathers like to disport themselves.To the left was a bit of wild, rocky shore, for the edge of the lake was greatly diversified androcks abounded, both in and out of the water.A line of light came across the lake, but was now and then blotted out as the swiftly driftingclouds obscured the moon.I liked it better in the darkness, for the sight was impressive.