The Class Menagerie

'No, Trey's on the very brink of being arrested. And the party has become an inquest or inquisition or something. It's not a party anymore. It's a place where all the suspects and witnesses and possible witnesses have been told to show up if they value their freedom.'

'Trey,' Jane said. 'Crispy said she was going to

meet Trey. Or I was supposed to meet him. I don't know what she meant.'

'I couldn't hear her,' Shelley said. 'What were her exact words?'

Jane took a gulp of coffee. Too big a gulp. It scalded her mouth slightly. But the pain seemed to clear her mind. 'She said 'Meet* and I asked who she'd met. And she said 'Meet Trey.' And I said something like, 'Did you meet with Trey?' and she said, 'no.' And that's all she said. Shelley, was she alive when they took her away?'

'I don't know. I think she must have been or they wouldn't have been in such a rush to get her to the hospital.'

'Could we call the hospital and ask? Do you know where she was taken?'

'I tried already while you were in the bathroom chucking up everything you've ever eaten in your life. They wouldn't give me a hint. They just said it was a police matter and to make my inquiries through them.'

'Then let's do that.'

'Jane, you know Mel will call you as soon as he can. And nobody else in the department would tell you anything. Tell me again. Exactly what did Crispy say?'

Jane repeated what she'd already told her and added, 'I don't get it. When I asked her if she'd met with Trey, she tried to shake her head and she definitely said 'no.' So why was she talking about Trey at all? What could he possibly have to do with this?'

'I can't imagine.'

'Maybe she wanted me to meet him. Maybe she'd told him something she wanted me to know, but didn't have the strength to tell me herself.'

'I don't think so. At least, when I eavesdropped on Mel questioning him, he vehemently denied having had any conversation with her at all.'

'But that's not true,' Jane said. 'I was talking to her when he came up and hustled us to the food. He spoke to both of us. In fact, he was just dragging us into the mob when she told me to meet her behind the visitor center.'

'Hmmm. So he either lied, or he just snagged the two of you without paying any attention to who you were. I think that's more likely.'

'Why?'

Shelley considered. 'Because he's too dumb and nice to lie well. And because he was genuinely horrified at being questioned and was spilling his guts to every question. And because he's a minister.' She said the last with a self-mocking smile. 'I know that ministers can lie. But they're marginally less likely to, I'd think.'

'Didn't anybody see him with us? How did they know to question him at all?'

'I don't know. Maybe just because he was in charge of the picnic. Or maybe someone did see him dragging you two to the festivities. I didn't get in on the beginning of the questioning and one of Mel's minions noticed me snooping and ran me off before I could learn anything more.'

The phone rang and Jane nearly upset her chair as she leaped to answer it. 'Oh, Katie. Yes. No, there's nothing wrong. I just tripped. Okay, but come get your things right now while I'm home so I can lock up after you.'

'She's spending the night with Jenny,' Jane said to Shelley. She glanced at the kitchen clock. 'Quarter after three. What time do I have to be back at Edgar's?'

'Never.'

'Why? Has he hired more help?'

'No, but I'll help. We can manage.'

'Shelley, I'm not an invalid. I'm really fine.'

'Then why do you look so dopey?'

'Do I?' She thought for a minute. 'I have this weird feeling that I know something I don't know. I've had it since we talked last night.'

'When did it start?' Shelley asked. It was a measure of their long friendship that Shelley understood the feeling Jane was floundering around in.

'I think it was when we were talking about what each of them had to lose and were doing a sort of minianalysis of each one. There's something you said about one of them and a few minutes later, I thought, 'That's not true and I know it.' But I can't bring it back—'

'Which one?' Shelley asked.

'That's the problem. I don't remember. But it's one of those things like Pooky-being stupid.'

'She's not?'

'It was an example. I don't know if it was Pooky or somebody else. And there's something about that yearbook that Mimi brought along that keeps nudging at the back of my mind. Maybe if I'd look at it again—'

'Leave it alone,' Shelley advised. 'If you don't consciously try to capture it, it might pop into your head. Things usually do.'

'I wish we knew about Crispy. Uh-oh. Here comes Katie. If Hazel comes to the door, tell her I'm in the shower. I couldn't stand to talk to her right now.'

Fortunately Jenny's mother stayed in the car and Katie ran through the house and upstairs without saying anything but hello in passing. A moment later, she

was on her way out carrying enough clothing to live at Jenny's for a month. 'Jenny's going to cut my hair for me, Mom,' she said as she flew by.

'It'll grow out,' Shelley told Jane when the door slammed. 'And if not, wigs have really come down in price lately.'

'Isn't that my car coming down the street?'

'With Mel's car following.'

They were in the driveway by the time Jane's station wagon wallowed over the curbing and came to rest. The officer got out and handed Jane the keys, but her attention was on Mel.

'Tell us,' she said.

'She's alive. But she's on life-support.'

'But she is alive!' Jane said.

'Jane, don't get your hopes up. It looks like she's sustained massive brain trauma.' Her chances of surviving, much less ever waking up, are very remote.'

'May I see her?'

'Of course.not,' he snapped. Then, 'I'm sorry. But you can't. I have to go.' The other officer had crammed his considerable bulk into the passenger seat of Mel's red MG and looked enormously uncomfortable.

'I know,'-Jane said. 'Go.'

She almost added that she'd see him at Edgar's later, but decided it would be better not to mention that in advance.

23

Shelley met Jane at the kitchen door of the bed and breakfast as Jane came in. Hector had already met her in the driveway and shot into the house between her feet. 'Decided against the silk dress, I see,' Shelley said sarcastically.

'It seemed a bit festive for the occasion.' Jane was wearing a denim skirt and a camel-colored sweater Mike had outgrown.

'You look like a bag lady.'

'No, I look like Avalon.' She shoved her purse'-

into the cabinet next to the back door. Hector tried to

squirm in and investigate the cabinet, but she pulled

him out, protesting loudly. 'So, how bad is it?' she

asked Shelley.

'About as bad as you'd expect. Mel's in the dining room, interviewing people. Everybody else is milling around