The Purrfect Murder

another animal, we ask questions. Did they know Carla? Do they know Jurgen? Have they seen or heard any trouble? You know what to do. The wild animals see things we don’t, too, because of their hunting patterns. If we can, we need to talk to them.”

    “No rats.”
    Tucker, tongue hanging out slightly, asked,
“And why not?”
    “I didn’t think those two at Poplar Forest gave us our proper respect.”
Pewter huffed some more.
    “They’re rats, not mice, Pewts.”
Mrs. Murphy felt a beetle crawl over her tail, which she flicked, and the beetle flew off.
    “Still, cats have precedence over rats. It’s like a duke over a count, you know.”
    Mrs. Murphy and Tucker looked at each other and rolled their eyes.
    “For Brinkley,”
the tiger said.
    “For Brinkley,”
Tucker chimed in.
    Finally,
“For Brinkley,”
Pewter sighed.

23
    M rs. Murphy, Pewter, and Tucker failed the next morning because Harry, knowing she would be out most of the day, had slipped the sliding door down on the animal door. The two cats and dog remained in the house. Pewter grumbled, then slept. Tucker howled. Mrs. Murphy tore a hotpad to pieces, throwing it all over the kitchen.
    Blithely unaware of her hotpad’s fate, Harry first stopped by Planned Parenthood to see if Folly Steinhauser was in.
    Kylie Kraft, in crisp white, walked into the lobby after Harry had spoken to the receptionist, Anita Cowper. “Harry, how are you?”
    “Good. Yourself?”
    Kylie’s pretty features darkened. “As well as can be expected. Nothing will ever be the same, and none of us knows what will become of Dr. Wylde’s practice.”
    “Are you looking for another job?”
    Kylie replied, “Not yet.” Then she brightened. “But I am looking for another boyfriend.”
    “What happened to the one you were with at Poplar Forest?”
    She wrinkled her nose, her red curls bright around her face. She spelled it out: “B-o-r-i-n-g.”
    “You won’t have too much trouble finding another one.”
    “All I want is a young, handsome, funny, sweet man with tons and tons of money. Working isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
    Harry laughed. “Depends on whether you love your work.”
    A stout middle-aged lady came out from the back hallway and handed Kylie some flyers. “That ought to hold the office.” She turned to Harry. “May I help you?”
    “Thank you, no. I asked Anita if Folly was in, and she told me this was her day to be home.”
    The woman walked back down the hall.
    “Harry, if you hear of a good job in another doctor’s office, would you let me know? But I don’t want to work OB/GYN anymore.”
    “I’ll let you know.”
    A half hour later, Harry had tracked down Penny Lattimore at Keswick Country Club. She’d started her round of golf early and finished early.
    Before Penny could go to the sports-club lunchroom for morning tea with the girls, Harry smiled and asked for a minute of her time.
    “Harry, what are you doing out here?”
    “Thought I might find Greg Schmidt.” She named a prominent equine vet.
    “He doesn’t play golf, does he?”
    “You know, I don’t know, but I thought he might stop by for late breakfast or early lunch. How have you been?”
    “Fine. Well, it’s been terribly upsetting, what with Carla’s murder. She really had put her heart and soul into building that house. She often asked me to go over things with her, since I had so recently built mine, plus I had to deal with that slimeball Mike.”
    “He’s not the most popular guy around.”
    “He’d be pompous if he were smart enough. Instead, he’s just ridiculous.”
    “Penny, I don’t want to upset you, but I must ask if you’ve ever received letters from Jonathan Bechtal asking for money.”
    The shock on Penny’s face—which she then quickly composed—told Harry what she needed to know.
    “No.”
    “Ah. Should you ever receive any, will you please go to Cynthia Cooper or Rick immediately?”
    “Why?” A note of harshness crept into Penny’s voice.
    “There’s good cause to believe that Carla had been receiving threats from him—extortion—before she was killed.” Harry fibbed, for that was only conjecture.
    Penny’s face blanched, but she held firm. “Tazio killed Carla.”
    “No, she didn’t, but it will take time to prove her innocence. The important thing now is that no one else be killed.”
    “Thank you, Harry. But tell me, why are you coming to me and not Deputy Cooper?”
    “She is on the case, but, as you know,