``Uh-huh . . .'' I said, unsure how to proceed.
``Hello,'' Millicent said, moving in and nudging me out of the way. ``I'm Millicent Satchel, and I believe I'm psy- chic, but I don't know how to develop my intuition. We heard that you run a school for the gifted, and we'd like to find out some more information. Oh, and by the way, we're all rich, so money is no object.''
I nearly blew it by laughing inappropriately, but caught myself just in time. Kitty hesitated in the doorway for a moment, weighing Millicent's statement, but then slowly let the door open and motioned for us to come in.
The inside of Kitty's hotel room was comfortable and atypical. There were two queen beds, one unmade and very rumpled, and a television blared on top of a dresser. Televi- sion addict that I am, I couldn't help but check out the program, and noted with disappointment that the broadcast was covering an NBA game. In the background the sound of a bathtub filling with water could be heard. It appeared that Kitty was telling the truth about preparing to take a bath.
Millicent took the lead again, asking Kitty about the school and the programs they offered, as my eyes wandered the room and my intuition buzzed for me to look closely because something felt out of place. Distracted, I homed in on the message and kept seeing the apple tree and its fruit dropping to the ground. I didn't understand the metaphor, so in frustration I shook my head again and tried to focus on Kitty and her answers to Millicent's questions.
It was then that I noticed Kitty scratch at her arm, and when she did so she lifted the sleeve of her robe to reveal 334 Victoria Laurie a rash creeping up her arm, masked slightly by a light white cream.
``Ohmigod!'' I said, and pointed at her, the shock of each and every clue suddenly falling into place making me forget to be discreet.
``What?'' Kitty asked, turning to her left and right to see if I was pointing to something behind her.
``You!'' I said, still pointing, ``You've got poison ivy!''
Cat and Millicent stood frozen in place, mute to my out- burst, confusion clouding their expressions.
``So?'' Kitty asked, already backing up a little and pulling down the sleeves of her robe.
``You've got the same rash as Gerald!'' I said, getting excited. ``It was the two of you, wasn't it? You two killed Celeste!''
Millicent and Cat gasped, as they turned wide eyes on Kitty, waiting for her to say something. She, however, did not make a sound, but in the bathroom all four of us heard the sound of the bathtub faucet squeaking as it was turned off, and only a second later the bathroom door creaked open to reveal Gerald Ballentine, clad only in jeans, hold- ing a .45 and sporting a menacing grin.
``How'd you figure it out?'' he asked as he stepped into the room.
``The apple never falls far from the tree,'' I said, looking nervously at the gun.
``What's that supposed to mean?'' he asked.
``Your mother was a gambler, and so are you.'' I pointed at the blaring TV, which was tuned to ESPN. ``You bet on basketball, don't you, Gerald? That's why you were upset earlier today. You bet on a game and lost. You weren't upset about your mother at all, because you killed her.''
``Not bad,'' Gerald said, walking into the center of our group, aiming the gun in my general direction.
Nervously, I eyed the gun and decided to keep talking and stall for time. ``And because your granduncle set up the trust so that the money couldn't go directly to a member of the family, you and Kitty, here, were working on getting the money from the trust by granting it to Zoe, because you
� knew she'd give it to the Institute of Metaphysical Studies.''
``Yes, that was our plan--Miss Cooper, is it? At least, it was until you showed up with your good intentions and BLIND SIGHTED 335 informed me about Zoe's flawed research. All afternoon
� I've been worrying how I could still get around to granting her the money after you'd exposed her, and now I don't have to worry about it anymore.''
``Why not?'' Millicent asked meekly.
``Because I'm going to kill you,'' Gerald said evilly. ``And with you out of the way, I can grant the money to Zoe, � and Kitty and I can retire to Mexico, right Kitty?''
``That's right, baby,'' Kitty purred, and the way the two of them looked at each other made the lobster salad I'd eaten earlier do a flip-flop in my tummy.
``Now, all of you, move over to the bed,'' he said, waving the gun at us.
``You'll never get away with it,'' I said as I felt my way along the bed, trying to make room for Cat and Millicent but never taking my eyes off the gun. ``I mean, you might have gotten away with Celeste's murder, but three more added to the list, Gerald, is a little much to--''
``Shut up!'' Gerald yelled my way while pulling back the safety on the gun. He didn't have to tell me twice; I went instantly quiet. ``That's better,'' he said; then he looked at Kitty and said, ``Take the lamp cords and tie them up. We can put socks in their mouths until it's safe to move them.''
Kitty jumped to do Gerald's bidding, and walked over to the nightstand, where she unplugged the lamp, then tugged the cord free and proceeded to head to the other lamp around the bed. Millicent, thinking fast, shoved her foot out, tripping Kitty, who went down like a big sack of calico potatoes.
This was all the distraction Cat and I needed as we each instantly sprang forward, Cat leaping on Kitty,
