Lilian Jackson Braun - Cat 18 Who Said Cheese

"Ah! This is a matter of study and experience. After cutting your logs in four-foot lengths, you buy commercial spawn; drill holes in these bed-logs, as they're called; then inoculate them with the spawn and seal the holes, after which they incubate for three months."

"Do you ignore them during the incubation?"

"Not at all! You must maintain the humidity by occasional deep-soaking or frequent watering with a gentle spray. An electric gauge measures the interior moisture of the logs." She explained the process glibly and concisely, like a lesson memorized from a textbook. "After inoculation you can expect fruiting in six to nine months."

"And what do you do with your crop?"

"Sell them to restaurants and the better markets in Lockmaster. Local grocers consider them too expensive, although shiitake are considered more delicious and nutritious than ordinary mushrooms. After we've visited the growing arbor, I'll saut‚ some for you - with parsley, garlic, and freshly ground black pepper."

From the kitchen they stepped through sliding glass doors to a patio, then down a ramp and along an asphalt-paved path to a wooded area on the bank of a stream. In the partial shade the bed-logs were stacked in a crisscross pattern; others stood on end around a central pole. Some were sprouting little buttons. "Just beginning to fruit," she said. "And over there is a flush ready to crop." She pointed to logs ringed with ruffles of large mushrooms, the caps as big as saucers and furrowed in a pattern of brown and white.

Qwilleran thought, By comparison, ordinary mushrooms look naked. "Are mushrooms still considered aphrodisiacs?" he asked, remembering a reference in the encyclopedia.

"There have been all sorts of superstitions in the past, and always will be," she replied. "There was a time when women weren't allowed in mushroom-growing establishments; it was thought the presence of a female would ruin the crop."

"When was that? In the Dark Ages?"

"Surprisingly, the superstition continued into the beginning of the twentieth century. And did you know that scientists used to battle over the question of whether the mushroom was a plant or an animal?"

On the way back to the kitchen, he said, "This shiitake project sounds like a lot of work, considering all your other activities."

"Oh, I have a little help," she said nonchalantly. While she saut‚ed shiitake, Qwilleran perused her large collection of food-related books: Larousse, Escoffier, and Brillat-Savarin, as well as ethnic cookbooks of all kinds and the recipe collections of famous chefs. He wondered how original her own cookbook would be, and how much plagiarism occurred among food writers. Before he had a chance to examine the books, she called him to the table, and he tasted the best mushrooms he'd ever eaten.

Later, he reported the entire incident to Polly as they took their walk. "After five minutes with the encyclopedia and an hour with Elaine Fetter, I am now a mycological expert. I know that a mushroom cap is called the pileus; the gills underneath are lamellae; and the stem is the stipe. Also, there are three strains of shiitake, one of which is called Koko."

"You overwhelm me with your erudition," Polly said. "What did you think of Elaine?"

"Well, I'm impressed by her vitality and expertise and collection of cookbooks, but..." He patted his moustache. "I have a sneaky feeling she wasn't telling the whole story. During my career I've interviewed about forty thousand individuals, and I get certain vibrations when they're holding something back - or lying."

"Did she mention her son?"

"No, the conversation was all about mushrooms and her personal activities. She didn't even mention the auction, and she's the one who snagged the mayor. What about her son?"

"Donald lives with her. He was driving the car when it crashed and killed her husband, and he's quite incapacitated. He's confined to a wheelchair, but growing shiitake is his therapy, and it gives him a reason for living."

"Hmmm... that puts a different slant on the story," Qwilleran said. "And actually it's a better story - one that could be rather inspirational. Also, it explains the ramps and asphalt pathways and the spaciousness of the house... Now what to do?"

"Perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned it."

"I'm glad you did - very glad! The question is: Why did she withhold that aspect of the mushroom enterprise? Does Donald avoid publicity because of his physical condition? Or does his mother keep him under wraps? Does she want the publicity for herself?"

"An astute observation," Polly said. "She's a very proud woman, and she has a powerful ego. It makes it hard for her to get along with other volunteers. She's always taking credit for what the others do... What will you do about it?"

"Put the column on hold until I can get to the bottom of the problem."

"I hope you'll handle it tactfully."