Cat On The Scent

58

News of Archie's death spread like a prairie fire.

Susan Tucker burst through the kitchen door to tell Harry, who'd already heard it via telephone from Mrs. Hogendobber, who'd heard it from Mim, who'd heard it from Rick Shaw.

“I can't believe Archie would kidnap Sarah.” Harry lay at one end of the sofa while Susan stretched out on the other end. The cats joined them, stretched across the back. Tucker curled up on the wing chair nearby.

“Well, he did,” Susan matter-of-factly stated.

“Bull,” Pewter said.

“Sex does short-circuit people's brains,” Tucker agreed with Susan. “But why would Archie shoot Blair?”

“Her car was parked at Blair's when we found him,” Mrs. Murphy said.

“Well, why would she go to Blair's?” Pewter stretched her hind leg straight out for grooming.

“Pewter, do that later. I hate that licking sound when I'm having a conversation,” Harry ordered.

“Priss,” Pewter complained, but nonetheless tucked her hind leg under her.

“All the girls go to Blair's,” Tucker said.

“Archie was at Blair's, too. He didn't kidnap Sarah,” Murphy said.

“Blair must know that. When his mind is clear and he feels better.” Pewter tried to think who else might know.

“Archie was moving out,” Mrs. Murphy continued. “She went there for him. Archie didn't kidnap her.”

“He's not here to defend himself,” Tucker sagely noted.

Murphy lay down. “A wasted life, Archie's.”

“H. is out on bail.” Susan put her hands behind her head. “Big surprise.”

“Was Sarah harmed?”

“No. She says Archie kidnapped her. He wanted to live with her. He wanted her to run away. He didn't mean to harm her.”

“What do you think?” Harry asked.

“I don't know what to think. I'm glad it's over.”

“Is it? We still don't know who killed Tommy Van Allen.”

“Sarah confessed to Rick Shaw that Archie confessed to her that he killed Tommy over a drug deal gone sour.”

“I don't believe it,” Harry said.

“He did not,” Murphy protested.

“Hush. You've had enough to eat.”

“Sarah shot H. Vane. I don't know who killed Tommy Van Allen but she shot H.” Murphy stuck to her guns.

“She gets a notion . . .” Harry commented on Murphy's conversation.

“And they're usually on the money,” Tucker said.

“Thank you.” Murphy rested her head on her paws. “We'd better get over to Tally's place tomorrow. First light.”

“Why so early?” Pewter moaned.

“Before people start crawling over it. The ghouls will show up whether Tally wants them or not.”

“Weird. Humans fear death but they can't stay away from it,” Pewter remarked.