The Purrfect Murder by Rita Mae Brown Read Free Book Online Page A

and your first wife had no children?”
    “No.” His voice shifted, became more clipped.
    “Ever see her?”
    “No. She moved to Savannah.”
    “Remarried?”
    “One of the richest men in Georgia. That woman can smell a bank account a mile off.”
    “Remind me: you own shotguns but no rifle?”
    “I own a few rifles. Jody and I are going to Idaho this winter, going to pack in the mountains and hunt elk. A first for both of us, so, yes, I own rifles.”
    “Can you repair your own equipment?”
    This surprised Harvey. “I could. I used to have my own repair workshop, but as my practice increased I just didn’t have the time.”
    “What’d you do with all your tools?”
    “Sold them to Mike McElvoy. He’s good, too.”
    “I didn’t know Mike was an enthusiast, if that’s the right term.”
    “He’s not. He likes the money and the quiet, I suppose. At least, that’s what I liked, but I’m glad I sold my equipment. I wanted to spend more time with Babs and Jody.”
    Babs was his second wife.
    “Could you get a silencer if you wanted one?”
    A pause followed this question. “I believe I could.”
    “Illegal.”
    “So’s dope, and you can buy that on the streets, at the barber’s, in restaurants. Supply and demand.”
    “Don’t I know it.” Rick slouched back for a moment in the chair. “Will Wylde was killed by a rifle with a silencer.”
    “Makes sense. Don’t expect me to utter the formulaic phrases concerning his death. I’m not that big a hypocrite.”
    “Yes.” Rick had gotten a blast from Harvey during their first questioning session, the evening of the murder. “Remind me again of the circumstances of your rupture.”
    “I already told you.” Irritation flashed across Harvey’s face.
    “Tell me again,” Rick coolly commanded.
    “Like I said”—Harvey’s tone registered his continued irritation—“we started out at Martha Jefferson together. A whole group of us just beginning our careers were there, and we had a pretty lively social group. Of course, we worked like dogs, too, but when we weren’t working we partied hard. Will and I were close then; so were our wives. It helped that we weren’t in competition. He was OB/GYN and I was in oncology. Back then most of us hadn’t started our families, so we had more time to stay up late.”
    “Anyone other than you interested in guns?”
    “Not that I know of. Golf was the big sport. You don’t need to be entirely sober to play golf, but you’d better damned well be sober if you have a firearm in your hands.”
    “Where do you think it all went wrong?”
    “Will was attracted to Linda,” he named his first wife, “and she returned the compliment. If you’ve ever seen photographs of Linda, you know she is a knockout. Always will be. Her vanity will ensure that. I was accustomed to men wanting her. I just wasn’t accustomed to her wanting them back.” He paused a moment and then gallantly referred to his current wife. “Mind you, Babs is no slouch.” He folded his hands together. “You want to know the secret of happiness? Marry the right woman.”
    “I did.” Rick smiled.
    The two men relaxed for a moment.
    “Lucky us.” Harvey smiled back.
    “How did you find out about them?”
    “She told me.”
    Rick hadn’t expected that. “She did?”
    Harvey threw up his hands. “Oh, I’d caught her in some lame excuses about staying out late. She fessed up. I’ll give her points for honesty.”
    “Did you confront Will?”
    “Damned straight I did. He lied through his teeth. Affected shock, then hurt, then anger. Quite the performance.”
    “How long did your marriage last after that?”
    “About two minutes.”
    “Given the size of the medical community in this county, the various fund-raisers for disease cures, you must have run into Will and Benita a lot.”
    “I did. I was polite. I am a Virginian, after all.”
    “A special breed,” Rick sardonically added, since he, too, was one.
    “No point in making