'Did what?'
'Nora spread her fingers like this.' Quills tripped her glove from her hand and held it up. Her first two fingers formed a V. 'Vittorio! Myles. It's Vittorio! It must be. That would explain what Elaine said. And all that crazy stuff about Tutti and the s‚ance.'
'The s‚ance wasn't all that crazy,' Doreen grumbled. 'I think there's a lot to it.'
'Tutti msut have seen that videotape. Nobody knew about that hat. NO one except me, Dorset, and the murderer. And Elain told me - that Vittorio's scum, Myles, just scum - but Elaine told me that Tutti would find a way to keep him in line so he wouldn't beat her up anymore.'
'Those long-sleeved blouses,' John said softly, 'I should have known. Damn him.'
'Tutti's got the tape, Myles. She must have. And all that stuff that the senator said? About how it didn't matter where the money came from in that family, it was who had the control? It's Tutti. And the weapon she has over her son is the tape!'
'Jeez,' said Doreen.
'Brilliant, Quill.' John clapped his hands together softly.
She could see Myles's smile in the dark.
'You've got it, dear heart. John, we need some time. I'd like you to stay with the body. I'm going down the hill toget the deputy and to call forensics. Quill, I want you and Doreen to go back to the Inn. I don't want you to do anything, you understand? Just keep an eye on that whole party, Tutti in particular. I'm going to bring in some people to search the Inn; if Tutti's using the tape as a hold over Vittorio, it's got to be there someplace. If anyone tries to leave, don't stop them, but call me, all right?'
'Another storm system's moving in,' John said. 'Why don't you tell them you've heard Syracuse is blanketed and it's moving this way?'
'We'll be fine,' said Quill.
'We're going back, then?' asked Doreen.
'Yes. And bring Tatiana.' She reached over to ruffle the little dog's ears. 'We'll find something nice for her supper. After all, she found the bod - OW! Dammit, Doreen, can't you keep her from nipping?'
Doreen carried the dog back to the Inn, which was just fine with Quill, since she was wearing half-boots that left her calves exposed. Back in the kitchen, Doreen set her on the floor, and she promptly fell asleep.
'Put her the storeroom,' Meg said callously. 'With some food and water. Better yet, give her back to Tutti. Maybe she'll bit Vittorio.'
'Are they still eating?' Quill peered through the swinging doors. Everyone at the table seemed to be having a fine time. Two of the Cornell students that worked as waiters in their spare time stood at polite attention beside the mahogany sideboard. Tutti was holding court. Vittorio was leaning back in his chair, genially smiling at Marlon Guppa. Elaine, sitting painfully erect, was chatting with Merry Phelan. Even Claire was smiling, flirting in a gawky way with Joseph Greenwald.
'He looks like a murderer, doesn't he?' Meg said into her ear. 'Vittorio, I mean.'
'Claire doesn't seem tot be too upset that the senator's not here,' Quill observed. 'Didn't anyone say anything about it at all?'
'Oh, there was quite a bit of discussion,' said Meg. 'Claire finally went up to the Adams suite with her bridesmaid and found that all of the senator's clothes and personal effects were gone. They also found that envelope you did, from the travel agency. So they came back down and Claire cried that she'd been jilted and Joseph Greenwald poured her more champagne. After a second bottle of that Avalon Patriot's Red, Vittorio got up and proposed a toast. `To the absent bridegroom,' he said. `May he never return.' That got a big laugh, for some reason. Then Elaine started fluttering on about plumbing money, and about how the senator really wasn't their kind of people and good riddance to bad rubbish, and Vittorio told her to shut up. We should have known he'd done it the minute we saw him.'
'But he hadn't done it then. Anyhow, I don't think anyone really looks like a murderer,' Quill said in an uncritical way, 'but Vittorio's going to get off scot-free if we don't' find that tape.'
'When will Myles get here with the search warrant?'
'Not for a couple of hours yet.' Quill frowned. 'I know the thing's here.'
'Gol-durn it,' Doreen exploded behind them. 'You git!'
Tatiana whose brief nap seemed to have brought an unfortunate degree of vigor to her sixteen pounds, had jumped up on the counter and was worrying the rabbit hat. Quill turned around, regarded the dog, and pulled thoughtfully at her hair. 'Hey, guys. I've got an idea. Meg? Can you ask one of the guys to bring another case of champagne?'
'For who? For them? Haven't they guzzled enough?'
'No,' said Quill, 'not nearly enough. Tell them this one's on the house. Doreen? Dan you keep that darn dog quiet?'
'Prob'ly.'
'Good. I'm going to my office. Meg? When you give them that champagne, offer to videotape it. Get the camcorder from Marlon and bring it back with you. If he's drunk enough, he won't even notice that you have it. And then I want the three of us to go upstairs.'
It took an interminable time for the McIntosh party to get through the extra twelve bottles of champagne. The Reverend Shuttleworth, who arrived for the wedding rehearsal, only to be told that the groom had failed to show, returned home in mild confusion. (Since mild confusion was a more or less permanent state of mind with Dookie, none of his family noticed.) Quill, Doreen, and Meg waited patiently on the second-floor landing for the party to wind down.
'They're comin',' Doreen said. 'Hear that?'
