Death Likes It Hot by Gore Vidal Read Free Book Online Page A

for more of the same but she shifted her line of attack. “When the newspaper people come, I want you to act as my spokesman. One is on his way over here right now. But don’t let on what your job really is. Just say you’re a guest and that I’m upset by what’s happened … as indeed I am … and that you’ve been authorized to speak for me.”
    “What’ll I say?”
    “Nothing.” She smiled. “What else can you say? That Mildred was my niece; that I was very fond of her; that she’d been ill (I think you’d better make some point of that) and her strength wasn’t equal to the undertow.”
    “They’ve taken it … her, the body I mean, to the morgue, haven’t they?” The doctor and Brexton had carried her in to the house and I hadn’t seen the corpse again.
    “I don’t know. The doctor took it away in an ambulance. I’ve already made arrangements for the undertakers to look after everything … they’re in touch with the doctor who is an old friend of mine.” She paused thoughtfully, fiddling with the pile of papers on her desk. I was surprised by the rapid change in her mood. I attributed this to her peculiar habits. Most alcoholics I knew were the same: gregarious, kindly, emotional people, quite irresponsible in every way and unpredictable. I had sat next to her at lunch and what had seemed to be a tumbler full of ice water was, I’d noticed on closer examination, a glass full of gin. At the end of lunch the glass was empty.
    Then she said: “I would appreciate it, Peter, if nothing were said about the … the misunderstanding last night.”
    “You mean the screams?”
    She nodded. “It could do me a great deal of harm socially if people were to get … well, the wrong idea about Brexton and Mildred. He was devoted to her and stayed at her side all through that terrible breakdown. I don’t want there to be any misunderstandings about that.”
    “Are there apt to be any? The poor woman went swimming and drowned; we all saw it happen and that’s that.”
    “I know. Even so, you know what gossips people are. I shouldn’t like one of the newspapermen, one of those awful columnists, to start suggesting things.”
    “I’ll see to it,” I said with more authority than was strictly accurate under the circumstances.
    “That’s why I want you to handle the press for me … and another thing,” she paused; then: “Keep the others away from the newspapermen.”
    I was startled by this request. “Why? I mean what difference does it make? We all saw the same thing. The police have our testimonies.”
    “The police will keep their own counsel. Just do as I ask and I’ll be very grateful to you.”
    I shrugged. “If I can, I will, but what’s to stop one of your guests from talking to the press?”
    “You, I hope.” She changed the subject. “I’ve had the nicest chat with Alma Edderdale who wishes to be remembered to you. She checked in at the Sea Spray this morning.”
    “That’s nice.”
    “I’d hoped to have her over tomorrow but since this … well, I don’t quite know how to act.”
    “As usual, I’d say. It’s a terrible tragedy but …”
    “But she was my niece and very close to me … it wasn’t as if she were, well, only a guest.” I realized that I was expendable. “Perhaps we can just have a few people over … friends of the family. I’m sure that’d be proper.”
    “I have an invitation,” I said boldly, “to go to the Yacht Club dance tonight and I wondered, if you weren’t going, whether I might …”
    “Why certainly, go by all means. But please, please don’t talk to anyone about what has happened. I can’t possibly go and I’m not sure the others would want to either since they were all more or less connected with Mildred. You of course have no reason not to.” And, feeling like a servant being given Thursday afternoon off, I was dismissed while Mrs. Veering took off for her bedroom and, no doubt, a jug of the stuff which