Lilian Jackson Braun - Cat 15 Who Went Into the Closet

"Well! Let me tell you!" she said in her normal voice. "I've been having a ball! Everybody's excited about the party, and Betty and Claude are falling all over me! They used to treat me like a clown; now I get respect! They're giving me a special permit for the cat, and they're putting me at the top of the list for a double-wide!"

"You're a good operative, Celia."

"Shall I go ahead and get a cat?"

"Wait a minute! Not so fast! In the interest of realism, the cat should be shipped from Chicago."

"Clayton could bring it when he flies down for Christmas. I'd like a Burmese, but they're expensive. Maybe he could find one at an animal shelter."

Qwilleran said, "Cost is not the issue here, but let's not get ahead of the game. Wait for orders."

"I'm sorry. I'm just so excited! I feel as if I've really inherited my sister's fortune, and I don't even have a ]sister! What do I do next?"

"Keep checking the post office, and call whenever you have something to report."

"Isn't this fun?" she was squealing as he said goodnight.

Qwilleran had already plotted his next move. The following day he walked downtown to the store that had gold lettering on the window: EXBRIDGE & COBB, FINE ANTIQUES.

Susan Exbridge greeted him effusively. "Darling! You survived the Big Snow! Did you enjoy being snow-bound?"

"It wasn't what John Greenleaf Whittier had led me to expect. The lucky bunch in his poem sat around a blazing fire, roasting apples and telling stories. I was alone with a kerosene stove and two cats, and all of us were bored stiff. How about you?"

"The people in my building in Indian Village played bridge for five days."

Wandering through the shop, Qwilleran lingered over a pair of brass candlesticks a foot high, with thick, twisted stems and chunky bases the size of a soup bowl. "I like candlesticks," he remarked.

"Most men do, and I refuse to guess why," she said.

"These are Dutch baroque, but I found them in

Stockholm."

"I'll take them," he said. "Do you know how or where Euphonia sold her belongings?"

"I know how... but not exactly where," said Susan. "I wanted her to work with some good dealers in New York and Philadelphia, but someone in Florida offered her a lump sum for everything, and she fell for it. People get lazy about liquidating and want to do it the easy way."

"How much did they offer? Do you know?"

"I have no idea, but we can assume that it was well under the going price."

He paid for his purchase and asked to borrow some magazines on antiques.

On the way home he stopped at the Bushland Studio. John Bushland had transferred his commercial photography studio from Lockmaster to Pickax, and Qwilleran asked if he had any interior photos of his previous house in Lockmaster.

"I've got a complete set. Want to see 'em?"

Qwilleran had visited the photographer's century-old house and remembered the foyer with its carved staircase, stained-glass windows, and converted gas-light fixtures. "I could use a copy of this shot," he said. "Also a close-up of the marble fireplace in the front parlor and the one with painted tiles in the dining room. Don't ask me why I want them, Bushy; it's too complicated. I need them, that's all."

"Sure," said the genial young man. "How quick?"

"A.S.A.P."

"Then take these prints. I'll make more for the file."

The magazines that Qwilleran carried home contained dealer ads for choice antiques at five-digit and six-digit prices that shocked his frugal psyche. Nevertheless, he made a list of items that would fit his scheme: Jacobean chair... carved and gilded divan from India... four-poster brass bed in Gothic style... spiral staircase from Irish country house... collection of botanical plates in porcelain, eighteenth century... Empire desk in

mahogany and ormolu...and more. He omitted any reference to price.

He photocopied the list at the public library. One copy would go to Susan Exbridge for appraisal; the other, to Celia Robinson with another briefing:

MISSION: Operation Greenback, Phase Three

ASSIGNMENT: Your late sister was a collector of

antiques and art objects, none of which you understand

or even like. There are twelve rooms of such furnishings

that you wish to sell with as littIe effort as possible. Ask

the park management if they know how to go about it.

Show them the enclosed list as a sampling of the items

involved. Mention also that you must sell your sister's

house. Show them the enclosed photos of the interior.

Report their responses as usual.

December in Pickax was a month of crowded stores, sparkling decorations, holiday parties, school pageants, and carol singing, with a picturesque snowfall every day. In the "Qwill Pen" column the veteran newsman strove to write about these perennial subjects with a fresh approach, although his mind was on Operation Greenback. He was relieved when his agent made her second report:

"Oh, it was a wonderful party, Mr. Qwilleran! Everybody had a terrific time," she began. "All the Sunsetters congratulated me on my inheritance."

"Did Mr. Crocus attend?"