Six Cats A Slayin'

They disappeared into the crowd, and I turned to watch for Helen Louise. At least two more minutes passed before she returned. She had not brought her coat, and I interpreted that correctly to mean that she wasn’t ready to leave the party. I suppressed a sigh and followed her back to join the festivities. I gave a fleeting thought to taking refuge in the den, but Helen Louise wouldn’t let me get away with that.

Helen Louise accepted another glass of champagne, but I refused. I asked the waiter instead if there was bottled water available, and he assured me there was. He promised to return soon with one for me. While I waited, I stood next to Helen Louise and listened with half an ear to her conversation with a woman I vaguely recognized as a resident of my street. I gathered that she and Helen Louise had worked on a church committee together last year, and they were discussing the results of their efforts.

The waiter returned promptly with my water, and while I sipped at it, grateful that it was cold, I surveyed the room. I spotted Deirdre Thompson once again talking to Betty and Chip Camden. Deirdre evinced no signs now of her acrimonious argument with Gerry earlier. I wondered idly what it was that Gerry had demanded of her.

Melba and her escort, Jared, stood a few feet away from me. Upon seeing me, Melba waved me over. I glanced at Helen Louise, but she was too involved in her conversation with her church friend for me to interrupt. I joined Melba and Jared.

“Looks like a successful party to me,” Melba said. “Lot of people here, so that must make Gerry happy. How nice for her.” She smiled at Jared, who smiled benignly back.

It took me a moment, but I got it. Melba wasn’t about to let Jared know how she really felt about our hostess. I had to suppress a chuckle. Jared probably had no idea that the women loathed each other, and I didn’t plan to be the man who enlightened him.

“Yes, it is nice, isn’t it?” I said. “Jared, what do you think?”

“Nice,” he said. “Definitely.”

A loud crash sounded somewhere behind me. Women screamed. I turned around, seeking the source of the noise, but I couldn’t see anything at first. There were too many people in the way. So I moved forward, and someone stepped aside.

Then I caught a glimpse of Gerry Albritton on the floor, surrounded by serving dishes and food scattered about.

Our hostess lay prone on the floor. She wasn’t moving.

FIFTEEN

Had she suffered a heart attack or a stroke? Or had she simply fainted? Like everyone else, I stood where I was, not moving, stunned by what I was seeing, focused on Gerry lying on the floor.

I glanced up and saw Helen Louise standing a couple of feet to the left of where Gerry had fallen. There were two women close to her, Deirdre Thompson and Betty Camden. Melba and Jared Carter stood not far away from me, but they were facing the other direction.

Suddenly Helen Louise was on her knees beside Gerry, and I pushed through the people in front of me to help her. Helen Louise was trained in CPR.

“Someone call an ambulance,” I said harshly. I knelt and helped Helen Louise turn Gerry on her back. Helen Louise quickly positioned Gerry’s head and began blowing air into her mouth. In my days as a library manager I had learned CPR, too, though it had been quite a few years since I had had to make use of my skills. I helped with the chest compressions.

Helen Louise and I worked on Gerry until an ambulance crew arrived to take over. I helped Helen Louise to her feet, and we moved out of the way.

“It’s no use,” Helen Louise said softly. “She’s gone.”

Her dress now splotched from the food scattered on the floor when Gerry fell, Helen Louise looked tired and shaken. I glanced down and saw that my knees and lower trouser legs were stained as well.

I slipped my arm around Helen Louise’s waist, and we watched as the EMTs worked on Gerry a few minutes more. Then one of them called a halt, and they stood back.

Police arrived on the scene and began clearing the room. They moved us into the dining room, and I could tell that many people had left. Only the curious had remained, it seemed. Deirdre Thompson was not one of them, I noticed. I didn’t see Betty Camden, either, although Chip was still there.

Melba and Jared came over to us. “Your beautiful dress,” Melba said in tones of sorrow.

Helen Louise looked down. I don’t think she had noticed until now. “Couldn’t be helped,” she said.

“You were terrific,” I said. “You did everything you could.”

She smiled faintly. “So did you. Thanks for helping.”

“What do you think happened?” Melba asked. “Looked like maybe she had a heart attack. I didn’t actually see her fall, though.”

“I don’t know,” Helen Louise said wearily. “She had walked by me moments before, and then I guess she stumbled and fell. I was talking to someone and didn’t pay much attention until I heard the crash. I looked down, and there she was on the floor.”

“You two were nearby,” I said to Melba and Jared. “Did you see anything?”

Jared shook his head. “No, I don’t think so.”