Lilian Jackson Braun - Cat 12 Who Knew A Cardinal

"I hope you're right," said Compton. He lighted a cigar, and that was Qwilleran's cue to excuse himself, grabbing the check and saying he had another appointment. Actually, since giving up pipesmoking, he found tobacco fumes offensive. Yet, in the days when he puffed on a quarter-bend bulldog, he went about perfuming restaurants and offices and cocktail parties with Groat and Boddle Number Five, imported from Scotland, thinking he was.doing surrounding noses a favor.

Qwilleran did indeed have another appointment - with Susan Exbridge - who was chairing the library committee in charge of the barn tour. As he headed for her antique shop, he was struck by a chilling thought. Suppose Dennis did not go to St. Louis! Suppose he drove to some out-of-county collision shop to have the damage repaired on his van! Suppose the mayor's wife really did see him coming out of the Shipwreck Tavern! He dismissed the thought with a mental shudder.

The Exbridge & Cobb antique shop on Main Street was a class act. The clean windows, the gold lettering on the glass, the polished mahogany and brass on display - all sparkled in the afternoon sun, thanks to the ministrations of Mr. O'Dell and Mrs. Fulgrove.

When Qwilleran walked in, Susan turned, expecting a customer, but the proprietorial smile turned to dismay when she saw him. "Oh, Qwill!" she agonized. "Have you heard the news? They're hunting for Dennis, and he's gone!"

"Don't be alarmed," he said with diminished confidence. "He's on his way Down Below to see his family. I saw you two leaving the party together. What happened after that, if you don't mind my asking?"

"He walked me to my car, which was at the far end of the lane, and then returned to his van. He didn't say a word about going to St. Louis."

"Will you take offense if I ask you something personal?"

"We-e-ell..." she hesitated.

"What were you and Dennis giggling about when you left the barn?"

"Giggling?"

"You were enjoying some private joke. I'm not prying into your affairs, but it might give a clue to his next move."

"Oh," she said, recollecting the episode. "It was nothing. It was about one of the Old Lady's lines to Anne Boleyn. She says, And you, a very fresh fish, have your mouth filled before you open it. On the last night, I said it with a certain significant emphasis. Someone in the audience guffawed, and Fran glared at me murderously. I'd give anything to know who laughed."

"Hmff," Qwilleran said. "I didn't come here to quiz you, Susan. I came to ask about the Barn Tour. Is everything under control?"

"There's one problem, Qwill. Dennis was going to give me some facts about the remodeling, to help the guides answer questions. What shall we do?"

"I'll type something out for you. Who are the guides?"

"Members of the library board and a few volunteers."

"How many visitors do you expect?"

"We've printed five hundred tickets, and they're selling well. The ad runs tomorrow, and we're taking a few radio spots."

"I'm leaving town Friday for the weekend. Why don't you come over Thursday morning before you open your shop? You can pick up the key to the barn and see that everything's in order. And don't worry about Dennis, Susan. I'm confident that it'll straighten out alright."

Qwilleran believed what he was saying, more or less, until he later met Hixie Rice coming out of the bank. "I've been trying to reach you, Qwill!" she cried. "I was in Mooseville this morning, calling on customers, and I saw Dennis's van! I was driving east on the lakeshore road. He was just ahead of me, and he turned into your property. "Don't you have a letter K on a post at the entrance to your log cabin?"

Qwilleran nodded solemnly. "When he made the left turn, I saw him clearly, hunched over the steering wheel. He looked ghastly! Does he have a key to your cabin?"

"No, he returned it. I let him use the cabin last month when he was rehearsing. He wanted to learn his lines while walking on the secluded beach."

"What should we do?"

"I'll drive out there to see what's happening."

"Be careful, Qwill," she warned. "If he's cracked up - and if he has a gun - and if he's killed once - "

"Dennis doesn't own a gun, Hixie. In fact, he's anti-gun. But something's happened to him. I'll get my car and drive out to Mooseville."

"I'll drive you. My car's right here. I hope you don't mind riding in a piece of junk; it's a loaner."

The route to Mooseville, thirty miles away, was fairly straight, and they far exceeded the speed limit. There was little traffic at this time of year - after the tourist season and before the hunting season. The highway passed through a desolate landscape ravaged by early lumbering and mining operations. Although the sun was shining, the scene was bleak, and so was the conversation.

Qwilleran said, "If he's in trouble, why didn't he confide in me? I thought we were good friends."

"Me too. I was thinking of quitting the Something and going into partnership with him. I could line up contracts and get publicity."