Braun, Lilian Jackson - The Cat... Who 23 - The Cat Who Smelled A Rat by Braun Lilian Jackson

Author:Braun, Lilian Jackson [Braun, Lilian Jackson]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Qwilleran; Jim (Fictitious Character), Moose County (Imaginary Place), Journalists, Mystery & Detective, Political, Yum Yum (Fictitious Character: Braun), Fiction, Millionaires, Country Life, Cat Owners, Cats, Mystery Fiction, Siamese Cat, Yum Yum (Fictitious Character : Braun), Koko (Fictitious Character), General, Wildfires
ISBN: 9780515132267
Google: njBO8HTfl4oC
Amazon: 0515132268
Publisher: Jove
Published: 2000-01-02T08:00:00+00:00

ten

Qwilleran slept poorly as the list of volunteers reeled through his mind. Civic leaders like Ernie Kemple and Larry Lanspeak were on standby, night or day. Among the regulars were Dwight Somers, the McBee brothers, Gordie Shaw, Bob the barber, Albert the dry cleaner, Lenny Inchpot, many staffers at the Something, city council members, and more. There were women who drove patrols, but they were excluded from night-time shifts. Even Grandma Toodle, the manager of the supermarket, was a ride-along with her grandson.

Rising early and feeding the Siamese mechanically, he listened for a radio bulletin. The first news from WPKX was: "A citizen on fire-watch patrol was killed early this morning by a gunman attempting to burn the Big B shafthouse. The victim's name has not been released." The station had the good taste to follow the announcement with Loch Lomond and not the Pickax puppy song, which had become their virtual signature.

Qwilleran could imagine the telephone lines sizzling as relatives and friends phoned each other frantically to ask who was on patrol last night. As he brooded over cup after cup of coffee, the Siamese sensed the troubled atmosphere and sat quietly nearby instead of seeking out patches of sunlight for their own enjoyment. Suddenly Koko ran to the radio, and a few moments later the WPKX announcer broke into the music with this news:

"Ralph Abbey of Chipmunk, a volunteer fire-watcher, was killed early this morning at the Big B minesite while reporting to the sheriff's hotline on his cellular phone. He was reporting trespassing and vandalism when the operator heard a shot. The rescue squad was alerted, and firefighters were already on the way. Flames creeping toward the shafthouse were extinguished, but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene."

Qwilleran's phone began to ring, and he listened to comments for the next half hour:

Wetherby Goode said, "Hey, Qwill, do you realize that might have happened to you and me? The irony of it is that Abbey had racked up more volunteer hours than anyone else—patrolling every day, sometimes twice in twenty-four hours."

Polly said, "I knew him when he was a high school student bringing his homework assignments to the library. He was more of an athletic type than a scholarly one, but he was conscientious."

Then Fran Brodie called in a highly emotional state. "Qwill! That fellow who was killed! He was Ruff, my installer! The one who hung your batik! Such a nice young man! Such a good worker! We encouraged him to take classes at MCCC. So young! Only twenty-two! And what will happen now? He was supporting his mother and three younger sisters. His father died of diabetes... And to think that it happened because he was doing a community service! The county should set up a trust to take care of the family. Do you think the K Fund would help?"

"Definitely! Talk to G. Alien Barter." After that, Qwilleran went downtown to observe and listen. Crowds had turned out of their homes; friends were commiserating with friends, and strangers were talking to strangers.

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