by Gore Vidal
“Isn’t he wonderful?” sighed Jane. I preened myself.
“Now isn’t that remarkable,” said Mr. Washburn with a gentle smile.
“Remarkable?”
“Why, yes. You see I told Wilbur about those shears … or rather I mentioned it to Eglanova in Wilbur’s presence. I felt at that time it would make no difference since the case seemed solved … Miles was dead and the police were satisfied. I must say it was fortunate, all in all, that you were able to locate Wilbur’s Party card. Otherwise he would have said that he’d learned about those shears from me.”
“That may be,” I said evasively, feeling a little sick to my stomach. “Anyway, it’s all over and he’s confessed.”
“And you did a bang-up job,” said Mr. Washburn, riding high on the wind he had knocked from my sails. “Not only did you save this little lady from an unpleasant experience but you have cleared the whole company of these crimes. I am more grateful than I can say.”
To this tribute, I made chivalrous answer.
“We are also fortunate that the arrest didn’t take place earlier because now, I am happy to say, the new ballet is in good enough shape for the Chicago opening. A real bit of luck under the circumstances. It’ll be a sensation … the Murderer’s Ballet … I can see the papers now.”
Reflecting sadly that the Ivan Washburns of this world always win, Jane and I went home to celebrate. A row of Miss Flynn’s asterisks could alone describe our bliss.
ALSO BY GORE VIDAL AS EDGAR BOX
DEATH BEFORE BEDTIME
In Death Before Bedtime, dashing P.R. man Peter Sargeant is invited to the home of a venerable senator to help strategize his imminent run for president. On the night before he’s to announce, though, the senator is murdered in his bed. No longer needed as a political publicist, Sargeant finds himself helping the police find the killer. He deftly navigates an eccentric cast of characters, all of whom are suspects: the rebellious daughter; the sycophantic aide; the grieving widow; and the power-hungry governor with his eye on the senator’s job. Somehow, between charming the senator’s daughter and glad-handing Washington’s elite, Sargeant still manages to methodically put the pieces into place and sees that politics truly is a cutthroat business.
Crime Fiction/978-0-307-74143-1
DEATH LIKES IT HOT
In Death Likes It Hot, Peter Sargeant travels out to a posh beach community to help a wealthy socialite plan an end-of-summer party. His enjoyment of the sun, the surf, and the company of a lovely young fashion reporter is interrupted by the death of the socialite’s niece: she mysteriously drowns while swimming on a crowded beach. No one suspects murder until the police find a lethal dose of sleeping pills in her system. As Sargeant watches the police’s investigation unfold, he keeps an eye on the grieving socialite; the victim’s famous painter husband; a suspiciously cheery brother and sister; and a garrulous tabloid columnist. Now, instead of planning guest lists, wine choices, and menus, Sargeant is faced with a killer unlike any he’s ever faced: highly sophisticated, devilishly clever, and just as smooth as he is.
Crime Fiction/978-0-307-74144-8
VINTAGE CRIME/BLACK LIZARD
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