"Sorry," said Quill. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
"Of course you are," Miriam Doncaster said testily. "What is it, Quill? We were just about to hear the truth about what goes on in that dratted men's group."
"I won't keep you. I have something to ask you guys. It's important, but short."
She walked to the head of the room. The women of Hemlock Falls looked back at her: Esther West, in a black chiffon cocktail dress with rhinestone earrings; Betty Hall in purple lam‚, a red bow in her hair; Marge in a size twenty-two Diane Freis after-dinner suit that cost more than Quill's automobile when it was new. Even Adela Henry looked vulnerable in the sudden flare of the overhead lights.
Quill felt a wave of affection so strong she blinked back tears.
"You okay, honey?" Nadine Wertmuller (Hemlock Hall of Beauty) snapped her gum in concern.
"Yep," Quill said a little huskily, "I'm just tired, that's all."
"PMS," said somebody. "Gets me like that, too."
"I want to ask your help." Quill tugged at a tendril j of hair. "Some of you were at the s‚ance this afternoon. By now, most of you have heard what went on. And I believe that Tutti's been given a warning."
There was a swell of excited comment, like wheat, rippling in the wind.
"Tutti was right - or rather, her - um - spirit guide was. The man who killed Nora Cahill and Frank Dorset is connected with rabbits."
"Those bums at S. O. A. P.," yelled Nadine. "Torturing animals in the woods!"
"Oh, no!" Quill flung her hands out. "The killings don't have anything to do with S. O. A. P. Sheriff McHale is very close to obtaining evidence that will convict this man."
"You find something in Syracuse?" asked Marge.
Quill made what she hoped was a noncommittal "hmm." Tutti regarded her with the set, unblinking gaze of her dog. "I found something that I think will be useful in bringing this person in. But until the case is wrapped up, I believe that Tutti is in real danger."
"Surely not!" Tutti protested.
Meg, dressed in jeans and a clean T-shirt (which meant that the kitchen was closed), appeared at the open door. She caught Quill's eye, wriggled her eyebrows, then folded her arms and leaned against the door frame. Quill straightened her shoulders and continued firmly, "I'm afraid so, Mrs. McIntosh. I know," Quill said, scanning the room, "that no one at this meeting is implicated in these murders. I saw the murderer myself."
Meg went, "Phuuut!"
Quill ignored her.
"Jeez," said Betty Hall. "You think you should announce it like that?"
"If we were weren't close to bringing him in, and if I didn't trust everyone in this room, I'd agree with you. As it is, I wonder if we could assign a guard for Tutti, just until Sheriff McHale gets back from this snow emergency. Would some of you volunteer to keep an eye on her at all times?"
"Of course we will," said Esther West. "My goodness, do you think she'll be attacked? Right here at the Inn?"
"It's possible."
Meg cleared her throat, rolled her eyes, and yawned.
"How long do we keep this watch?" asked Miriam.
"Midnight," said Quill, with a sangfroid unimpeded by Meg's giggle. "There's something else. Marge and Betty, how did the search go today?"
"Quill?" Adela Henry rose to her full thin, elegant height. "If there is to be a disclosure of the activities of the investigatory subcommittee, perhaps I should chair this meeting."
"Well, sure," said Quill.
"What subcommittee?" Miriam demanded.
"H. O. W. shall solve," Adela said grandly, "the murders of Nora Cahill and that disgusting Frank Dorset," Her eyes flickered. "And then we shall seek to replace the lamentable town government with a mayor of quality. A town justice of integrity, a sheriff of - "
"Be quiet, Adela," said Miriam. "What's going on here, Marge?"
"Quill, Meg, Betty, and me have been looking for that down coat of Quill's. It's what the guy wore when he stabbed Nora and Frank Dorset."
"And I've been looking for the videotape from that there hidden camera that shows him doin' it," said Betty. "I checked each one of the fireplaces in the Inn today, Quill, and I didn't find a thing."
"So that's why you dragged Esther and me allover the bottom of the Gorge today, Marge Schmidt," said Miriam. "I'd like to have died from the cold, too. Why didn't you tell me?"
"I'm tellin' you now, or Quill is. What's next, Quill?"
"First, who wants to guard Tutti?"
"My goodness," said Tutti, her cheeks pink. "And to think the spirit guides led us to this, Tatiana!"
"We want the big ones, like me," said Marge with satisfaction. "That means you, Shirley Peterson, and you, Trish Pasquale. We'll stick to you like debentures in a bear market, Tutti."
"And the rest of you have to turn this Inn inside out," said Quill, "discreetly. And you should work in pairs, for protection."
"What are we looking for?" asked Betty.
"A videotape that's mini-sized, you know, about half the size of the ones you rent from the video store. It's the tape of Nora's murder. And a hat."
"A hat? What kind of hat?" said Esther.
"My rabbit hat."
"You mean that horrible old thing with the earflaps you wore all winter last year?" asked Esther.
"The murderer disguised himself in it," said Quill.
"Disguise?" somebody muttered. "Heck, you show up in that thing at a school picnic and half the little kids would fall over from fright."
"I always thought the hat was one of the reasons the sheriff dumped her," said somebody else.
Quill maintained her aplomb. "Just two caveats ladies. Don't be so obvious that the other guests suspect anything. And if you do find the hat or the videotape, don't pick either one up. One of you guard it, the other one should come and find me. Or the sheriff."
"Well, I'm ready," said Miriam. "Esther, you come with me. We'll start right away."
"What about the guest rooms?" asked Doreen. "You want I should get out the master key?"
"There's only one room I need to search," said Quill. "And I should be the one to take the risk."
Meg started to whistle the theme from The Bridge Over the River Kwai.
"Tutti," said Marge. "How'd you feel about a game of bridge?"
"Fifty cents a point? We'd love it. Wouldn't we, Tatiana?" The dog gave her a skeptical glance, hopped off her lap, and followed Doreen and the other H. O. W. members out the door. Tutti pulled a deck of cards from her capacious handbag and shuffled them expertly. Quill strode toward the hall. She felt great.
"Colonel!" Meg snapped to attention and saluted.
"Cut it out, Meg."