Cat In An Alien X-Ray

“Ah.” Revienne’s new look at Temple included an eyebrow-raising appraisal of her vintage ruby-and-diamond engagement ring. “C’est vrai indeed. And please call me Revienne. Van and I were so close during our most formative years. It’s a pleasure to see her again and meet her friends here in Las Vegas.”

Like Max? Temple itched to ask. Maybe she could get the scoop on this blond bombshell from Van von Rhine in a private moment.

“What brings you to Las Vegas, Revienne?” Matt asked right out loud. “Van said you were in the same field as me. Surely you weren’t in a convent at one time?”

Yay, Matt!

“A convent school,” Revienne replied with an artful smile of her own. “Later I took degrees in Vienna and Berlin. A favorite instructor of mine has a visiting professorship at the local Nevada University branch. And, I have engagements in Los Angeles later for my—I think you say ‘pet’?—project.”

“You do volunteer work?” Temple asked, surprised. This woman looked too stylish, too too-too, and too hot for charity causes.

“For eating disorders among teenage girls, yes.”

“That’s a global problem, for sure,” Temple said. “When you and Van were at school together in Switzerland, was it a problem?”

“Yes, no doubt. But it was a secret one.”

“It does seem sometimes,” Matt said, “that teenagers’ modern mania for ‘posting’ all the details of their lives online is a raw adolescent ego trip, yet it’s exposed virulent problems like bullying and eating disorders.”

“Public confessions, you could say,” Revienne noted.

A waiter with a tray of champagne flutes paused beside them. Temple and Matt surrendered their empty glasses, and Revienne accepted one. Temple noticed the champagne matched her hair color perfectly.

“I should ‘mingle,’ as you say. I would love to stay and continue our collegial discussion, Mr. Devine, but Van wanted me to meet all her friends. Je reviens.”

With a salute of her champagne flute, Temple noted sourly, Revienne and her scarf wafted elsewhere.

“One wonders,” Matt said, watching her amble away as delicately as a fawn through the gathered people.

“That she had an eating disorder early on?”

His gaze narrowed just short of a frown. “Not that. It was someone close to her, all right, but not Revienne.”

“What did you wonder, then?”

“What her real purpose in being here is. We sure didn’t hear it.”

“It seems plain enough. Her old teacher is here. She’s visiting him on the way to her charity gigs in L.A.”

Matt shook his head. “She’s really interested in us.”

“You maybe. C’est vrais. A man-eater!”

That made Matt laugh. “I’ve never seen your jealous gene acting up. Well, a little about my cousin Krys in Chicago.”

“You are dealing with a hot-tempered redhead, fellow. Don’t forget that.”

“Speaking of hot-tempered redheads…” Matt nodded to Kit, who was talking to … Max at the bar.

“He’s not the enemy,” Temple said. “We do have to consult with him on various and sundry remaining mysteries and deaths, not to mention our Kitty the Cutter problem, but— Look! Kit is moving off alone. I’m going to plumb her brain on what’s going on with Max attending this Crystal Phoenix party.”

“Always the intrepid reporter. Meanwhile, I’ll ask Aldo for tips on being married to someone from your family.”

“Thanks for keeping him busy while I corner Kit,” Temple said as her heels rapped a rapid drumbeat over the marble floors. “Kit!” She grabbed her aunt’s arm just before she was about to join a group of Fontana brothers. She also snagged a passing waiter and scored champagne flutes for two. “Can you give me any idea of why my ex has been invited to a Crystal Phoenix party?”

“Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.” Kit sipped before answering further, and Temple could have shaken her.

“What bad news?”

“For one, Max is Revienne’s guest.”

“He better watch out. She is one slinky slippery sister.”

“Granted.”

“Who told you that?”

“Aldo. He’s putty in my hands.”

“Please, I don’t want to hear about any honeymoon disappointments.”

“Dream on,” Kit said, sipping once more.

“What did you learn from Max?”

“That he really doesn’t remember a lot.”

“He forgot you?”

“Yes, but he detected a resemblance and led me into talking about you and then me and my Manhattan career as an actress and then a romance writer and then as your madcap maiden aunt and your Christmas visit to my Manhattan digs.”

“No! That was our big reunion after he came back from disappearing for my own safety and leaving me deserted in Las Vegas. I don’t want him remembering anything … intimate about us. Just by talking to him, you turned his wandering memory in my direction.”

“Relax. I did fill him in on his impulsive trip to my Manhattan place. The man knows you two were an item, whether he remembers specifics or not. He did remember Midnight Louie being there, but not you. He says.”

“What a relief! Once again Midnight Louie comes in handy even when he isn’t around, like here.”

Kit sipped more champagne, fast.

“Going somewhere?” Temple asked.

“Preparing to duck and cover.”