Rita Braun - The Purrfect Murder

The Purrfect Murder

Rita Mae Brown

BANTAM BOOKS NEWYORK TORONTO LONDON SYDNEY AUCKLAND

Cast of Characters

Mary Minor Harry HaristeenFormerly the postmistress of Crozet, shenow is trying to make a go of it with farming. She turned forty in August,doesnt seem to mind.

Pharamond Fair Haristeen, D.VM.Harrys husband is an equine vet,and he tries to keep his wife out of trouble, with limited success.

Susan TuckerHarrys best friend since cradle days often marvels athow Harrys mind works when it works. The two of them know each other so wellthat they could finish each others sentences.

Mrs. Miranda HogendobberMiranda observes a great deal but keeps mostof it to herself. Shes in her late sixties, devoutly Christian, and mothersHarry, who lost her own mother in her twenties.

Marilyn Big Mim SanburneThe Queen of Crozet sees all and knows all,or would like to, at any rate. She despotically improves everyones lot but isgood-hearted underneath it all.

Marilyn Little Mim Sanburne, Jr.Shes finally emerging from hermothers shadow, which displeases her mother while it pleases everyone else.Most especially pleased is her new husband, Blair Bainbridge.

Jim SanburneThe mayor of Crozet, his daughter is the vice mayor; hesaccustomed to being in the middle of wife and daughter. Jim is a regular guy,which puts him in sharp contrast to Big Mim, who was born with a silver spoonin her mouth.

Aunt Tally UrquhartThis wild woman, in her nineties, must be adevotee of the god Pan, for shes in her glory when pandemonium reigns. ShesBig Mims aunt and delights in shocking her prim niece.

Deputy Cynthia CooperShes smart, in her late thirties, and Harrysneighbor. She, like Fair, tries to keep Harry out of trouble when she can. Shelikes law enforcement.

Sheriff Rick ShawHes the dedicated public servant, insightful but bythe book. He wearies of the politics of his position, but he never wearies ofbringing criminals to justice. He likes Harry, but she gets in the way.

Olivia BoomBoom CraycroftShe was widowed in her early thirties and,being quite beautiful, always trailed troops of men behind her. One of them wasFair Haristeen, who had an affair with her when he was divorced from Harry,whom hes since remarried. BoomBoom can be forceful when necessary.

Alicia PalmerA great movie star, now in her late fifties, shesthrilled to be back on the farm in Crozet. Shes also thrilled that shes foundBoomBoom, for they truly connect.

Tazio ChapparsThis young architect finds herself in terrible troubleand she cant remember what happened.

Paul de SilvaHes Big Mims stable manager and in love with Tazio.When shes carted off to jail hes beyond miserable.

Dr. William WyldeRespected, responsible, and good-natured, thisOB/GYN delivered half of Crozet.

Benita WyldeWills wife is an avid golfer and learns some painfullessons about life. She rises to the occasion.

Margaret WestlakeShe manages Dr. Wyldes office.

Sophie DenhamShe is the senior nurse in Dr. Wyldes office.

Kylie KraftShe is the junior nurse in Dr. Wyldes office and is knownfor going through men like potato chips.

Dr. Harvey TillachThis physician loathes Will Wylde.

Mike McElvoyEvery county has at least one building inspector.Albemarle County has two, but Mike is the one who sets everyones teeth onedge.

Carlo PaulsonShes a good-looking middle-aged lady and is building anew house. Tazio Chappars is the architect, and Mike McElvoy is the inspector.This makes for a sulfurous triangle.

Folly SteinhauserShe also built a huge house within the last twoyears and has learned to detest Mike McElvoy. Shes quite rich and notunwilling to challenge Big Mim. Her husband, Ron, is possessive but slowlyfailing, as hes a lot older than Folly. He misses a lot these days.

The Really Important Characters

Mrs. MurphyShes a pretty tiger cat with brains, speed, and areasonably tolerant temperament. She knows she cant really keep Harry, herhuman, out of trouble, but she can sometimes get her out once shes in a mess.

Tee TuckerThis corgi, also devoted to Harry, has great courage andmanages to live with two cats. That says a lot.

PewterThe gray cannonball, as she does not like to be known, affectsdisdain for humans, but she loves Harry and Fair. However, if theres a way toavoid a long way or trouble, shes the first to choose the easy path.

SimonLiving in the barn with all the horses pleases this opossum, whoalso likes Harry, as much as he can like humans. She gives him treats.

FlatfaceSharing the loft with Simon, the great horned owl looks downon earthbound creatures, figuratively and literally. However, in a pinch,Flatface can be counted on.

MatildaShes a big blacksnake and the third roommate in the barnloft. Her sense of humor borders on the black, too.

OwenTee Tuckers brother belongs to Susan Tucker, who bred thelitter. He doesnt know how his sister can tolerate the cats. When in felinecompany, he behaves, but he thinks the cats are snobs.

BrinkleyThis smart yellow Lab loves and adores Tazio.

Since Mrs. Murphy, Tucker, and Pewter live on a farm, variouscreatures cross their paths, from bears to foxes to one nasty blue jay. Theylove all the horses, which cant be said for some of the other creatures, butthen, the horses are domesticated. Pewter declares she is not domesticated,merely resting in a house with regular meals.

1

Morning light, which looked like thin spun gold, reminded HarryHaristeen why she loved September so much. The light softened, the nights grewcrisp, while the days remained warm. This Thursday, September 18, there wasonly a vague tinge of yellow at the tops of the willow trees, which wouldbecome a cascade of color by mid-October.

The old 1978 Ford F-150 rumbled along the macadam road. The bigengines sound thrilled Harry. If it had a motor in it, she liked it.

Her two cats, Mrs. Murphy, a tiger, and Pewter, a gray cat, along withher corgi, Tee Tucker, also enjoyed the rumble, which often put them to sleep.Today, all sitting on the bench seat, they were wide awake. A trip to townmeant treats and visiting other animals, plus one never knew what would happen.

Harry had just turned forty on August 7, and she declared it didntfaze her. Maybe. Maybe not. Fair, her adored husband, threw a big surprisebirthday party and she reveled in being the center of attention, even though itwas for entering her Middle Ages. She wore the gorgeous horseshoe ring herhusband had bought her at the Shelbyville Horse Show. She wasnt much fordisplay or girly things, but every time she looked down at the glitter, shegrinned.

All right, kids, you behave. You hear me? I dont want you jumping onTazios blueprints. No knocking erasers on the floor. No chewing the rubberends of pencils. Tucker. Harrys voice kept the command tone. Dont you daresteal Brinkleys bones. I mean it.

The three animals cast their eyes at her, those eyes brimming withlove and the promise of obedience.

Tazio Chappars, a young architect in Crozet, won large commissions forpublic buildings, but she also accepted a healthy string of commissions forbeautiful, expensive homes, most paid for by non-Virginians. The houses weretoo flashy for a blue-blooded Virginian. However, Tazio, like all of us in thisworld, needed to make a living, so if the client wanted a marble-clad bathroomas big as most peoples garages, so be it.

As Harry parked, she noticed a brand-new Range Rover in the small lot.It had been painted a burnt orange. She walked over to admire it.

Good wheels, she muttered to herself.

Good indeed, but the closest dealer was ninety miles away in Richmond,which somewhat dimmed the appeal. If that didnt do it, the price did.