The Bilbao Looking Glass by Charlotte MacLeod

Author:Charlotte MacLeod [MacLeod, Charlotte]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery
ISBN: 9780002313735
Publisher: Avon Books
Published: 1983-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Sarah left her cousin sitting on the log and walked back out to the drive, wishing she could meet Max coming back and hear him tell her not to be silly. Why did Lionel have to be so handy with a hatchet? Why did he have to choose tonight to engage for the first time in his life in cousinly confidences about his marital problems, his financial woes, and his slipping self-control? Why had he reminded her Vare was a niece of Alice B.” and why did he have to be so damned psychologically oriented? If Lionel was able to admit he’d come that close to killing Vare, Sarah wouldn’t put it past him to decide he should displace his hostilities in a sane and healthy manner by butchering Vare’s aunt instead.

And what about Alice B.“s money? If there was no will, then Vare ought to come into something, along with Biff Beaxitt. If there was, Vare was more likely than Biff to be mentioned because of Alice B.“s feud with Pussy over the garnet jewelry.

Lionel himself didn’t stand much chance of getting anything, but he’d benefit indirectly if Vare were to inherit. Then he’d have a legitimate excuse not to pay her any more allowance. Sarah put little stock in his assertion that he’d put a stop to that. She knew Vare too well, and so did he.

As to having known what to steal, both Vare and Lionel ought to qualify, and not just because of their

art courses. They’d been in and out of MifFy’s house often enough to know every stick in it, not because Miffy wanted them there but because Appie’s son and Alice’s niece had to be tolerated regardless. They’d have felt duty-bound to pay attention to the works of art it contained. With Lionel, appreciation and appraisal would go hand in hand as a matter of course.

Vare was no slouch when it came to current market values, either, She read the consumer reports. She did her grocery shopping with a miniature calculator in her hand, and woe to the supermarket cashier who came up with a different total than Vare’s.

Lionel was, after all, Sarah’s own cousin and Aunt Appie’s only son. Sarah couldn’t help not v/anting him to have got himself involved with something he’d surely get caught for. Lionel was a great planner, but his logic always had a flaw in it somewhere. Anyway, of the two, Vare did seem the likelier suspect.

In the first place, she’d stuck Lionel with their sons. If he’d tried to sneak out on them the night of the murder, one or the other of the boys would surely have found out and ratted on him, they being the little dears they were. Besides, Vare had Tigger to help her. That would go along with Sarah’s theory about two people being involved. If Tigger’s looks and manner were any clue to her proclivities, a spot of bloody mayhem ought to be right up Tigger’s alley.

To be sure, there was always the possibility Lionel and Vare had done it together.

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