Lilian Jackson Braun - Cat 11 Who Lived High

"Before we say another word," he began, "would you explain the dark line that makes the Casablanca look like a refrigerator? It's just above the ninth floor." "There was a projecting ledge there," she said, "and the city ordered it removed. Portions of it were falling down on the sidewalk and injuring passersby. Our architect maintains it can be safely restored, and it should be restored, being an integral part of the design. Meanwhile, the building management is reluctant to spend money on cosmetic improvements because - " "Because the building may be torn down next week," Qwilleran interrupted. "Everyone chants that excuse like a Greek chorus, and they may be right. This morning I saw the sign announcing the Gateway Alcazar. The developers seem to be supremely confident." "Aren't you appalled?" Mary said with a shudder. "The audacity of those people is unthinkable! They've even contrived a publicity story in the Morning Rampage comparing their arched monstrosity to the Arc de Triomphe!" "Well, the Pennimans own the Rampage, don't they?" "Nevertheless, Roberto wrote a letter to the editor calling it the' Arc de Catastrophe.' If your Klingenschoen Fund comes to our rescue, we shall be eternally grateful." "What do you know about Penniman, Greystone and F-I-e-u-d-d? I don't know how to pronounce it." "Flood." "What's their track record?" "Fleudd has recently joined them, but the Penniman and Greystone firm has been in real-estate development for years. They're the ones who wanted to tear down the Press Club." "The media clobbered that idea in a hurry," Qwilleran recalled. "Has the Daily Fluxion come to the support of SOCK?" "Not with any conviction. They merely fuel the controversy. The mayor and the city council have made statements in favor of the Gateway Alcazar, but the university and the art community support SOCK." "How about your father? What does he think about saving the Casablanca?" Mary raised her eyebrows expressively. "As you know, he and I are always at odds on every issue, and his bank has already agreed to lease space for a branch office in the Gateway building. Ironic, isn't it?" "Tell me about the Countess," he said. "So far no one has mentioned her name." "She is Adelaide St. John Plumb. Her father was Harrison Wills Plumb, who built the Casablanca in 1901. She was born on the twelfth floor of the Casablanca seventy-five years ago, with a midwife, a nurse, and two doctors in attendance, according to the story she tells and tells and tells. She's inclined to be repetitive." "Did she ever marry?" "No. She was engaged at an early age but broke it off. She adored her father, and they were very close." "I see... How does she react to all this brouhaha over her birthplace?" "That's a curious situation," Mary admitted. "I believe she enjoys being the center of attention. The promoters make her large offers and ply her with gifts, while SOCK appeals to her better instincts and makes pointed references to her father - her 'dear father.' She procrastinates, and we stall for time, hoping to find an angel. Do you play bridge?" Jolted by this non sequitur, Qwilleran said, "Uh... no, I don't." "How about backgammon?" "Frankly, I've never liked games that require any mental effort. What is the reason for this interrogation, may I ask?" "Let me explain," said Mary. "The Countess has one interest in life: table games - cards, Parcheesi, checkers, mah-jongg, anything except chess. Roberto and I stay in her good graces by playing once a week." "Does much money exchange hands?" "There's no gambling. She plays for the pleasure of competition, and she's really very good. She should be! She's been playing daily all her life, beginning as a young child. Did Amber tell you that the Countess is a recluse?" "No, she didn't." Qwilleran's vision of Lady Hester Stanhope flashed across his mind.