Six Cats A Slayin'

“Maybe now that Milton has had enough,” Stewart said, “Tammy will change her ways. If Milton doesn’t back down, that is.”

“For their sakes, let’s hope he doesn’t,” I said. Then I thought of a question for Stewart. “Remember what you said to me about a bumpy night? That sounded familiar.”

He laughed. “Yes, it’s a direct quote from All About Eve.”

“That’s it,” I said. “Bette Davis.”

“My favorite,” Helen Louise said. “That’s exactly who Gerry reminded me of during that scene with Tammy. Gerry’s a tough broad, too.”

Stewart stepped away from his position at the living room door. “I don’t know about you two, but that kind of drama makes me long for more champagne.” He went off in search of more bubbly.

I leaned close to Helen Louise and whispered, “How long do we have to stay to be polite? I’m already feeling too warm with all these people around us.”

Helen Louise responded in a firm tone. “Longer than we’ve been here so far. The champagne probably warmed you up. You finished the first glass already. You usually make one glass last for half an hour, at least.”

Before I could respond, Helen Louise nodded in the direction of the front door and said, “Look who’s here now. I wasn’t sure she would actually grace us with her presence.”

I turned to see who it was. Deirdre Thompson. Doyenne of the neighborhood, second only to my friends the Ducote sisters in what passed for the aristocracy in Athena. Her forebears had settled in Athena at roughly the same time as the Ducote clan and had contributed greatly to the civic life of the town for nearly two hundred years.

Unlike the Ducote sisters, Deirdre had married, and more than once. When the latest husband died, she resumed the surname of her first husband, Cedric Thompson, but she kept everything else from the subsequent marriages.

She arrived alone. She acknowledged Jincy’s greeting but moved on quickly. Chip and Betty Camden approached her and led her toward us. Deirdre nodded and vouchsafed a brief smile as the trio moved past us into the living room.

“Deirdre looks to be in a good mood tonight,” Helen Louise said. “I didn’t realize she was so friendly with Chip and Betty, though. Ever since she parted ways with Chip’s law firm, anyway.”

“Must have been an amicable split, from the look of things,” I said. Deirdre continued to smile pleasantly as we watched her move along the table, the Camdens almost on her heels. “Maybe Chip is trying to woo her back.”

“Good evening.” Gerry Albritton’s cool voice came from behind. Helen Louise and I turned to greet our hostess.

“So glad you could come,” Gerry said in response to our comments on the party. She held a large snifter in one hand, not a champagne glass like everyone else. I found that odd. She had a sip of what looked like brandy. “I hope you’re enjoying yourselves, despite the ridiculous drama that deranged woman caused.” She smiled. “Why on earth she would imagine I have any interest whatsoever in her poor husband, I don’t have the least idea. I do shop in his drugstore, and we may have passed the time of day a few times, but that’s all.”

“Most everyone in town knows Tammy,” Helen Louise said. “She has cried wolf over Milton so many times I doubt anyone here took her seriously. There’s no need for you to even think about it.” She waved a hand in a dismissive gesture.

I nodded. “Helen Louise is right. Most people steer clear of Tammy if they can. Everyone knows what she’s like.”

“If she sets foot on my property again, I’ll sue her for trespassing.” Gerry grimaced. “If you can sue someone for that. I doubt she’ll have the guts to show up here again anytime soon.”

“I’m sure you’ve seen the last of her,” Helen Louise said in a soothing tone. “Don’t give her another thought.”

Gerry smiled. “If I feel like I need protection, I can always yell for help from Charlie, since he’s only across the street from me.” She laid a hand on my arm and let it rest there for a few seconds before pulling it away.

Helen Louise did not find that amusing, and frankly, neither did I. Surely the woman wasn’t flirting with me right under my partner’s nose. I looked sharply at Gerry but couldn’t detect any hint of irony or humor in her manner.

“You’d do better to call the police department,” I said in as polite a tone as I could muster. “I’m not much good at heroics, like chasing burglars or stopping would-be attackers.”

Gerry’s attention appeared to be drawn somewhere else at that moment. She murmured “Excuse me” and walked away from Helen Louise and me.

“What is with her? Rudeness on top of that blatant flirting,” Helen Louise said, an irritated glint in her eye. “I’m not going to put up with any more of that behavior.”

“Don’t get too annoyed. She was probably joking with us,” I said, although I didn’t think my protest sounded even partially convincing.

Helen Louise slipped her arm through mine and pulled me closer. “Maybe, but if she was, it was in extremely poor taste.”