The Purrfect Murder

Margaret said to her husband, “One murder too many for Kylie.” He replied, “High-strung.”
    Sophie rejoined, “Young,” as Kylie’s eyelids fluttered. Once they sat her up she asked for a cigarette, which made Margaret laugh.
    Kylie, smoking from a pack of borrowed Marlboros, lit one with the stub of another.
    Thanks to Cooper’s securing of names, the brief questioning at each table proceeded with efficiency. Within an hour, the initial questioning was completed, and the gathering was dismissed.
    Crestfallen, Folly slumped in her seat, watching people stream out to their cars.
    “Cheer up, Folly, you raised a great deal of money,” Big Mim said as she stopped by on her way out. “And no one will ever, ever forget the event.”
    Smiling weakly, Folly replied, “I guess not.”
    At Table 11, Cooper took Susan in tow as Ned hurried to the Audi wagon.
    “I can’t believe Tazio killed her,” Harry stated flatly.
    Cooper, tired by now, replied sharply, “Harry, she was standing over the body with a dripping knife in her hand. People we like, we admire, can do terrible things.”
    “Not Taz.” Harry was going to say more, but Fair squeezed her arm and said to Cooper, “You know how Harry is. If it were you, she’d be on your side. Seems you rarely get a break, Coop. Here it was to be a night of dancing and you wind up working.”
    Cooper, appreciating Fair’s sensitivity, touched his shoulder. “Thanks.” As Lorenzo touched her elbow she apologized, “I am so sorry. I’ve hardly asked you one thing about yourself. Please forgive me.”
    He smiled gently. “No apology needed, and if you will allow me, I’ll give you plenty of time to ask me questions.”
    Suddenly, Cooper didn’t think her evening had been spoiled at all.

19
    M ost of the country people attended the first service at St. Luke’s or whatever church they attended. The town and suburban people usually went to the eleven o’clock service.
    Big Mim, Jim, Aunt Tally, Harry, Fair, Little Mim, Blair, Alicia, and BoomBoom gathered in Big Mim’s living room at eleven.
    The door opened without a knock. “Sorry,” Susan apologized. “Folly Steinhauser waylaid me about Ned representing Tazio.” Her mouth was running as she came into the light-filled room. “She can talk when she wants to, that woman.”
    “Where is Ned?” Big Mim inquired.
    “On his way back down to Bedford County.”
    Paul slipped in by the back door. He attended the Catholic church.
    Jim threw his arms around the wiry young man. “Paul, we’ll get her out of there. Hold on, buddy, hold on.”
    “You know she didn’t kill that woman.” The worry made him appear ten years older.
    A moment of silence followed this cry from the heart, then Harry concurred. “That’s why we’re here, Paul.”
    Aunt Tally, hands on cane as she sat in a satin-striped wing chair, said, “Even if she did, we’ll do all we can to reduce the sentence.” Noting the horror on Paul’s face, she quickly added, “But I don’t think she did.”
    “Never. Never would Tazio kill anything. She won’t even kill a spider.”
    “Where’s Brinkley?” Harry thought of the yellow lab.
    “With me.” Paul took a seat, being guided there by Jim.
    Gretchen, the majordomo, brought in a large tray of tidbits. On the Sheraton sideboard, coffee percolated in an enormous silver pot, a handsome teapot beside it. People served themselves.
    Once everyone was seated, Big Mim conducted the meeting per usual. She found herself missing Miranda, who had an uncanny sense of people’s inner workings. But Miranda at this very moment would be lifting her golden voice in the Church of the Holy Light’s choir, since the choir performed at both services. Well, she could be counted on when need be.
    “I wish I’d noticed who else was there. There were short lines.” Little Mim was mad at herself for not being alert when she had used the bathroom at the ball.
    “How could you know? That’s the thing about a dreadful event, one has no idea what may be significant.” Big Mim was soothing, part of it due to her former intransigence over what she deemed her daughter’s political foolishness.
    Big Mim could be flexible, could change her mind. Rare it was, but it did happen.
    “Cooper collected the names of everyone who had left the tables. I wonder if she looked at them,” Fair said.
    “Bet she did.” Harry leaned back, balancing her teacup and saucer as she did so.
    “Carla has been—or had