The Class Menagerie

interesting to see how his mind worked, examining the “evidence“ from different viewpoints. Interesting, but not fruitful, as far as she could tell.
    “The purse switch was purely on-site,“ he went on. “And again, could have been any two people, as it didn’t reveal anything pertinent to either of them. The ransacking of Avalon’s room, too, could have been anybody. It accomplished nothing, except to make work for you, and probably frighten the victim a bit.“
    “Uh-huh.“
    “But the theft of the antique stands apart. That couldn’t have been just anybody.“
    “But it could. Everyone must have had something valuable along. Jewelry or credit cards or something.“
    Mel nodded. “True, I suppose. Had she mentioned this pen set or whatever it was? Before it was taken, I mean.“
    “Not to me. But maybe to somebody else.“
    “And I suppose it’s already been mauled around by practically everybody?“
    “Fingerprints, you mean? Yes, we passed it around admiring it after it was found. Sorry.“ He waved this away. “Did these women know who else was coming to stay here?“
    “I don’t think so, unless some of them were in touch with each other. Shelley didn’t even know until last week who was coming and she didn’t send out a list or anything.“
    “Do they seem to know each other? Presently?“
    “I don’t think so. Beth said something about having a friend in common with Kathy who kept her up on Kathy’s life a bit. Avalon and Pooky might correspond. They seem to be slightly better acquainted, or maybe they just hit it off better since they got here. Of course, most of them knew about Beth’s prestige. No, on the whole, I don’t think they’re in touch with each other. That first day, as they were arriving, they were all catching up like mad—where did you end up going to college? Are you married? Have you got children? Those kinds of questions. Now, Lila was a different matter—“
    “How’s that?“
    “She must have researched some of them before she came. At least she did Kathy.“
    “Remind me who Kathy is. The farm wife in the overalls?“
    “Sort of. Wait till you see her today. She’s abandoned her act.“
    “Act?“
    Jane explained about Kathy’s pretense of being poor and idealistic and Jane’s own subsequent discovery of the truth of the matter.
    “And she said Lila knew and was trying to blackmail her?“
    ‘Trying, but not getting anywhere. Kathy’s whole problem is that she’s come to care more for her money than her image. She’d have faced ‘unveiling’ rather
    than give Lila a penny.“
    “Maybe...“ Mel mused. “What about the others? Did she try it with anyone else?“
    “I think she had something on Pooky, but that’s just pure guess. I asked Pooky outright and she denied it, but got very upset. Oh, I’d forgotten—there was something said the first night about Pooky having been held back a grade. Apparently that’s very embarrassing to her.“
    “And the rest of them didn’t know this?“
    “I don’t know. But it doesn’t seem exactly black-’ mail material. Lila also dropped some not very subtle’ hints the first evening about Avalon and drugs. I think she was leading up to claiming Avalon had tried drugs in high school. Not exactly a revelation to ruin a life, I’d think. And she made some crack about Beth’s life being placed under scrutiny if she was appointed to the Supreme Court. It sounded like a shot in the dark and didn’t seem to bother Beth at all. Oh, and she tried to suggest that Mimi’s husband was somehow politically questionable.“
    “How’d Mimi react?“
    “Bored to death.“
    “What about Crispy? Did she go after her?“
    “Not that I know of. Oh, yes. Lila made some rather cruel little digs about how enamored of Dead Ted Crispy had once been.“
    “Dead Ted?“ Mel asked.
    “Ted lived in this house when they were in high school. He committed suicide in the carriage house. It seems like they all had crushes on him back then. Mel, you haven’t said how Lila was killed.“
    “Knocked out with a paint can, then smothered,“ he said calmly. “Fingerprints?“
    He shook his head. “The wire handle on the can had been wiped clean. A hell of a weapon, actually. You could hold the thing by the handle and get a good swing going in a dark place before the victim even saw it coming. And rags don’t take fingerprints at all well.“
    “Come on, Mel. Tell me more of what you know.“
    “Very little yet. We