The Judge Is Reversed by Lockridge Frances & Lockridge Richard

Author:Lockridge, Frances & Lockridge, Richard [Lockridge, Frances & Lockridge, Richard]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery
ISBN: 9780891909101
Goodreads: 2879011
Publisher: Amereon House
Published: 1960-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

10

THEBS WAS AN unexpected reticence about The Breeders’ Nook, which Pam thought of as a cat store. Miss Madeline Somers had seemed a hearty, youngish woman—a woman of the no-nonsense type, usually (at least by Pamela North) associated with dog people. But the shop, well up on Madison Avenue, on the ground floor of an elderly five-story building, had an air of reserve. For one thing, the name of the shop, lettered in the lower right hand corner of the plate glass window, was in small italics and without capitals. (Beneath the name, in even smaller lettering, cats and cat supplies.) For another thing, the only cat in the window was a ceramic cat; a reproduction of an Egyptian statue cat, austere and haughty, as becomes a god. One could assume, and Pam did assume, having paid off her cab, that Miss Somers’s prices would also be austere and haughty.

But—there was a sign in the window which was somewhat less reticent. It appeared to have been lettered by an amateur. It read:

“Special Sale. All Cats Drastically Reduced.”

Encouraged, although faintly surprised, Pam North went down two steps at a little after ten on Monday morning and opened the door of the breeders’ nook. A bell tinkled softly. Pam went into a carpeted room which, although small, contained several upholstered chairs. In the center of the room there was a pedestal with a wide top covered in white carpeting. The pedestal was empty; so was the room. Pam felt that she had walked unannounced into someone’s living room and had an inclination to walk out again.

At the rear of the room was a wide, curtained, opening into the room beyond. There was no indication of cats or, indeed, of any life. But then, from behind the curtains, a Siamese cat spoke. Although reasonably familiar with feline Siamese, Pam was not certain what the cat had spoken of. Not, she thought, of breakfast. Pam started to speak herself; to say, probably, “Is anybody else home?” But she did not, because as the words formed in her mind, a man spoke from behind the curtains—obviously, from some distance behind the curtains. The man had a very high-pitched voice.

“- to make a final commitment,” the man said. “Nevertheless—”

It was evident that he had begun the sentence elsewhere, presumably in a room beyond that which the curtains hid.

“I do believe,” a woman said, in a much more robust voice, “that we have a customer.”

Her remark put a period to whatever the man had planned to say further, qualifying his (apparent) declination to commit himself.

The curtains parted. Madeline Somers, wearing a beige-colored silk suit, came through them and said, “Why! Mrs. North” in a tone of marked cordiality. “You did decide to come.”

“Yes,” Pam said, and felt herself inadequately responsive. Perhaps, she thought, she should add something more. “Goody! Goody!” somehow seemed indicated.

“I’ve had you in mind,” Madeline Somers said, coming fully into the room. “Very much in mind.”

“That’s nice,” Pam said, rejecting, with a little effort. “The hell you have.

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