Catch As Cat Can

                "Yes, you scare me half to death." He sipped the coffee."Just because I'm a pest doesn't mean I'm not scared."

                "Well-let me think about it while I dance with Thomas Steinnetz."

                "I'll sit right here. I won't move." He smiled genuinely for the first time that afternoon.

                "Some men really don't get it," Mrs. Murphy thought to herself."It's nothing to show a woman you like her. It's another thing to push her. Men need to be little mysterious. They ought to study cats."

                The party rolled on and a few more men asked Lottie to dance. Aunt Tally danced every dance.

                When Lottie returned to Roger he was fast asleep, his head resting on his chest.

                "Roger. Roger." She shook him."Roger, you lazy sod, wake up," tie said lightheartedly."Roger." Lottie stepped back."Oh, my God."

                Little Mim came over and without thinking said, "What'd you put in his coffee? He's out cold."

                "He's either passed out or-dead." Lottie's face registered horror.

                "Oh, Lottie, don't be a drama queen. He's been drinking since the parade." Little Mim grabbed his arm to pull him up."He's warm. Really." With a touch of disgust and determination she gave him a yank and he pitched forward, falling flat on his face. Little Mim looked at Roger and back at Lottie."Roger!" Mrs. Murphy jumped off the mantel, ran under the table, and woke up Pewter and Tucker. Tucker hurried over to Roger, sniffed, then backed away.

                Cynthia Cooper was brought in from the dance floor. She walked into the room thinking he was out cold. She felt for a pulse in his neck. Nothing. She tried again. By now other guests were gathering around. She pressed her forefinger and middle finger on his neck again. Nothing."He's dead."

                10

                Why does everything happen to me?" Tally grumbled as she watched her guests struggle with the situation.

                Then again, what does a hostess do when someone dies at her party? Dispose of the corpse after the festivities? Haul him out and dump him on the lawn so no one has to look at him? Comfort the family members? But years of cotillion plus years of running Crozet before stepping aside for her niece had given Tally a sure touch.

                She listened as the ambulance wailed about a mile away. In the quiet of the country sounds carried.

                "Lathes and gentlemen, if you would all repair to the garden, please." She nodded to Ned Tucker, who shepherded them out the opened French doors. Then she walked over to Sean, leaning against the chair in which Roger had been sitting before Little Mim yanked him off of it. Sean's mouth hung slack."Sean, come over here and sit with me." The nonagenarian led the tall, lean man into die formal living room. Big Mim helped her as they gently sat him on the peach-

colored satin Hepplewhite sofa.

                "Aunt Tally, I'll get the door."

                "Thank you, dear."

                But Cynthia Cooper reached it first, opening it for Diana Robb and her Crozet Rescue Squad assistants, Dick and Susan Montjoy. Big Mim joined them as they walked over to the body.

                Diana said under her breath to Cynthia and Big Mim, "I knew the coke would kill him sooner or later."

                "I had no idea," Big Mim whispered, surprised since she thought she knew everything about everybody.

                Cooper shrugged."People use the better part of their intelligence hiding their habits. I see it every day."

                "Yes, I guess you do," a troubled Mim replied."Sean's in a state of shock. I wonder if he knew."

                As Diana and Dick carefully lifted Roger into the body bag and then onto the gurney, Big Mim quietly walked into die forma room.

                "Sean." Aunt Tally patted his hand."Sean, honey, they're taking Roger away."

                Big Mim leaned over."I know this is difficult. Is there a funeral home you-"

                He jerked his head up."Hill and Woods."

                "Yes. I'll go tell them." She paused a moment longer."For the sake of your health, Sean, you might want to request an autopsy."

                He dropped his head into his hands."No. I don't want anyone cutting my brother."

                Tally and Big Mim exchanged glances and then Big Mim returned to Diana Robb and the Montjoys."Hill and Woods. Tell their Sean's in no condition to make decisions at this moment."

                "Okay." Diana rolled out the gurney as Susan opened the door.

                When the door shut, Big Mim folded her hands together, he] seven-carat emerald ring shining like green fire."I wish he'd order an autopsy. When young people the like that you want to know. I could run in the family."

                "Yes, but when young people do drugs, especially cocaine, it wreaks havoc on the body," Cooper said.

                "The only thing I ever saw Roger do was drink beer and bourbon, a bit too much of it." The older, perfectly groomed woman stared out the front window, watching as Diana shut the ambulance door.

                "That's just it. You don't see people do these things. Albemarle county is a wealthy, wealthy county, Mrs. Sanburne. You can buy my thing here and there's a group that does drugs. They know one mother and they protect one another," the deputy whispered.