We'll Always Have Parrots by Donna Andrews

Author:Donna Andrews [Andrews, Donna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: mystery, humour
ISBN: 9780312939601
Amazon: B006KDTLX8
Goodreads: 615407
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Published: 2003-11-12T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

I glanced around, searching for an excuse to leave, and noticed that the show’s costumer had come into the green room.

“I’ll catch you later,” I said. “I’m trying to get all the guests’ autographs for my nephew, and I just spotted someone I’m missing.”

Not to mention someone whose motives for murder I wanted to explore.

Karen, the costumer, happily signed Eric’s program, and I didn’t have any trouble dragging the conversation around to the topic of the day.

“Wasn’t it exciting, being questioned by the police!” she exclaimed. “Of course, I’m lucky I had an alibi, aren’t I? I mean, under the circumstances.”

“What circumstances?” I asked. “Was she firing you, too?”

“Well, not that I know of,” she said. “But it was only a matter of time, of course. I’m the show’s thirteenth costume designer, you know. I bet that’s some kind of a record. Anyway, it was such a relief to say that I’d gone straight from my four o’clock panel to dinner. A little early for me, normally; but I understand your mother wanted to get your nephew away from the convention for a while. Poor dear; he did have an awful experience, didn’t he?”

“You had dinner with my mother?” I asked.

“Oh, yes; didn’t she tell you?”

“I haven’t talked to her much today,” I said. “But that’s good news. After her quarrel with the QB, I’m relieved to hear that Mother has an alibi.”

“You don’t really suspect your own mother?” Karen exclaimed.

“Of course not,” I said. “But the police might feel differently. After all, they don’t know her the way I do.”

She nodded approvingly.

“I know perfectly well that Mother wouldn’t kill anyone,” I said. “At least not by bludgeoning. Too strenuous, messy, and generally inelegant. It’d be different if the QB had been poisoned in some clever way.”

Karen’s mouth fell open, and she stared at me for a few seconds. And then she burst into laughter.

“Oh, my! You had me going for a minute!” she said, through her giggles. “Your mother should have told me what a tease you can be.”

If she thought I was kidding, I wouldn’t argue.

“I hope you went someplace nice,” I said.

“Well, actually we went to one of those noisy places where they have a whole room full of video games for the kids,” she said. “But your nephew had fun, and your mother and I had such a nice talk. She told me all about your decorating plans for the new house. It sounds so…unusual!”

“Yes, any decorating scheme Mother comes up with usually is,” I said. I wondered if she was still enthralled with a jungle theme, and whether or not her rendition of it would include live animals. “Don’t noise it about—you know how Michael is about keeping his private life private.”

Although, considering how rapidly costumers appeared to come and go on the show, I supposed she’d be lucky to know Michael’s face.

“Right,” she said, looking momentarily quite solemn. And then her face broke into a smile again. “I was so sorry your father couldn’t join us.

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