Lilian Jackson Braun - Cat 15 Who Went Into the Closet

"If you can convince Koko," he said, "I'll gladly go along. In his formative years Koko lived with a gourmet cook and developed a taste for lobster bisque and oysters Rockefeller. If I feed the female catfood while the male is dining on take-outs from the Old Stone Mill, I'll be accused of sex discrimination."

The groom said, "We want a couple of Abyssinians as soon as we're settled."

"It's my considered opinion," said Pender Wilmot, "that the world would be a better place if everyone had a cat."

Timmie spoke up. "Oh Jay weighs twenty pounds."

The pastor said, "Whenever I sneeze, my Whisker-Belle makes a sound as if she's blessing me."

"When I was a little girl taking piano lessons," June Halliburton put in, "our cat howled every time I hit a wrong note."

"Oh Jay has fleas," said the sociable Wilmot scion.

Qwilleran caught the attorney's eye, and the two men drifted into the library. Wilmot said, "This is the first wedding I've ever attended where the sole topic of conversation was cats."

"You could do worse," Qwilleran remarked. "My wife says you called me."

"Yes, it's probably none of my business, but I've been researching a piece on Euphonia Gage, and a few facts about the Park of Pink Sunsets have aroused my suspicion."

"Their cavalier repurchase policy is enough to give one pause," Wilmot said.

"Right! That was the first clue. Then Junior told me about Euphonia's new will, cutting out her relatives. It was written for her by an in-house lawyer who charges surprisingly low fees." Wilmot nodded soberly.

"There's more," said Qwilleran. "They have an associate who helps residents unload their valuables - and rips them off. One ostensibly wealthy woman was offered a lock-box in the office safe for financial documents and unreported cash. Who knows if they have extra keys to those boxes? Shall I continue?"

"By all means."

"The woman I mentioned has sent me snapshots that include the operators of the park, a couple who are chummily called Betty and Claude. Now here's a curious fact: On the weekend Euphonia died, Betty and Claude were in Pickax, attending the preview of 'The Big Burning.' Hixie Rice and I thought they were gate-crashers from Lockmaster, but they were evidently casing the place; shortly after, a dealer Down Below approached Junior about stripping the mansion of architectural features."

"Junior told me about that," said the attorney. "The dealer indicated that Mrs. Gage was negotiating a deal before she died."

"I could go on with this," Qwilleran said, "but we're supposed to be celebrating my boss's wedding."

"Let's live with this over the weekend and then get together downtown - " He was interrupted by hubbub outdoors. "Sounds like a pack of wolves out there!"

It was a pack of huskies. Nancy Fincher and her dogteam had arrived to transport the newlyweds to the honeymoon cottage that Don Exbridge was lending them. Arch and Mildred were changing clothes, Carol

said. The guests bundled into their own wraps and went out on the porch to admire the dogs and the Christmas lights. It was dark, and every cottage on both sides of the road was outlined with strings of white lights.

"A magic village!" Polly said.

The bride and groom reappeared in togs suitable for an arctic expedition and were whisked away, huddled in the basket of the sled. With Nancy riding the runners, they sped down the avenue of snow through a confetti of tiny lights, while cottagers waved and cheered and threw poorly aimed snowballs.

Then the wedding guests departed for their own cottages or the mainland, and the two remaining couples had a light supper in front of the fireplace.

"Hixie arranged for the dog-sledding," Carol said. "Nancy will be here for the next two days, taking kids for rides."

"Adults, too," Larry added. "How about you, Qwill?"

"No, thanks."

The evening passed pleasantly. From speakers on the balcony came recorded carols played on antique music boxes and great cathedral organs. At Qwilleran's request, Larry read a passage from Dickens's Christmas Carol - the description of the Cratchits' Christmas dinner. 'There never was such a goose!" Then gifts were opened.

Polly was thrilled with the opals. She gave Qwilleran a twenty-seven-volume set of Shakespeare's plays and sonnets. They were leather-bound and old.

"Wait till my bibliocat sniffs these!" he said with detectable pride. He gave the Lanspeaks a pair of brass candlesticks, Dutch baroque.

The next morning began with wake-up music that Wagner had composed as a Christmas gift for his wife, and Carol prepared eggs Benedict for breakfast. It had snowed lightly, and Timmie Wilmot, with a broom over his shoulder, rang the doorbell.

"Sweep your porch?" he asked.

"All right, but be sure you do a good job," Larry admonished him. To the others he explained, "Timmie's parents want to develop his work ethic."