Never Tease a Siamese: A Leigh Koslow Mystery by Edie Claire Read Free Book Online Page B

out, and it bugged the other breeders, so she kept it up."
    "So," Leigh mused. "Number One Son isn’t a direct knock on this Dean guy."
    Nikki’s eyes narrowed immediately. "No—it's from the Charlie Chan movies. But there is a kind of justice to it, if you ask me."
    Anxious to strike before the mood soured further, Leigh pressed on. "There are some things I think you should know," she began lightly. "You said earlier that you couldn't think of a reason why anyone would want to steal one of Mrs. Murchison's cats, but I think I can. I think they wanted whatever it is that Number One Son swallowed."
    Nikki showed no response. Leigh went on to explain about the cat carrier and litter bag Jared had found, and when she had finished, Nikki stood still for a moment and looked at her.
    "Maybe," she said flatly. "But I still don't know what it could be."
    "A broach?" Leigh suggested. "A key to a jewelry box or a safe?" She wasn’t sure what she expected from Nikki, but a little enthusiasm would have been nice. Had their positions been reversed, Leigh would at this point have been scouring every inch of the mansion on her hands and knees, scouting for tiny keyholes. Perhaps having a pathological lack of curiosity was a prerequisite for Team Murchison.
    "Look," Nikki said impatiently, cutting her off. "Ms. Lilah does have some valuable pieces of jewelry, but they pretty much stay in her bank vault. The stuff she keeps in her bedroom is only costume jewelry. So forget it."
    A muffled crash made them both turn their heads toward the walk-in pantry, which Adith was exiting rapidly. "Cans came unstacked," she offered sweetly.
    Leigh feared an explosion from Nikki, but none occurred. The personal assistant did look exasperated, but her focus was not on Adith so much as the glasses on the countertop. "I don't know anything about this entertaining crap," she said suddenly. "I just pay the bills, make appointments, and tell charities to go to hell. Do either of you chicks know what to put out at a will reading?"
    Since there was probably no one on the planet less qualified to answer that question, Leigh had to laugh. "If it were me, I'd break out pop and pass the cheese curls."
    "White wine," Adith suggested eagerly. "With caviar."
    Nikki looked from one to the other, then retrieved a couple of two liters from the pantry and slammed them on the counter next to the tumblers. " Self-serve . Now, come with me into the parlor," she ordered, "The others should be here any minute."
    She walked ahead of them out of the kitchen, and Leigh caught Adith's eye and motioned for her to follow. She couldn’t give up now; her time was limited. "Nikki," she called out as she walked, "could Number One Son have swallowed something that belonged to somebody else? A visitor in the house, perhaps?"
    The younger woman reached the parlor, then turned. "Look, Koslow junior. In case you haven’t noticed, Ms. Lilah wasn’t the Avon Lady. Hardly anybody ever comes in this house except staff, and there aren’t many of them. Nobody’s going to want anything that cat ate, believe me." She stooped over to fluff a pillow, which in her case meant beating it squarely with a fist. Her eyes turned suddenly hostile. "Nobody'd better smoke."
    Leigh clenched her teeth, not the least bit swayed by her hostess's pragmatism. She was sure that Ricky Rhodis had been after the cat. "Are you sure that no one else has been here?"
    The personal assistant’s eyes widened, and she stopped in mid fluff, her face darkening. "Why, that—" The list of foul adjectives that followed was interrupted by the sound of a ringing doorbell, and Leigh, who had been standing by in rapt anticipation of an upcoming noun, let out an anguished groan as Nikki jumped to answer it.
    "Mr. Sheridan," Nikki said roughly, struggling to make her tone sound polite again. "I'm glad you're here first. Is there anything I'm supposed to do for this, other than point to chairs?"
    William Sheridan, an impeccably