Rita Brown: Whiskers in the Dark

Whiskers in the Dark is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2019 by American Artists, Inc.

Illustrations copyright © 2019 by Michael Gellatly

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Bantam Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

BANTAM BOOKS and the HOUSE colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Names: Brown, Rita Mae, author. | Brown, Sneaky Pie, author. |

Gellatly, Michael, illustrator.

Title: Whiskers in the dark: a Mrs. Murphy mystery / Rita Mae Brown & Sneaky

Pie Brown; illustrated by Michael Gellatly.

Description: First Edition. | New York: Bantam Books, [2019] | Includes

bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018061011 (print) | LCCN 2019000441 (ebook) | ISBN

9780425287194 (Ebook) | ISBN 9780425287187 (hardcover: alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: Women cat owners—Fiction. | Cats—Fiction. | Women

detectives—Virginia—Fiction. | Murphy, Mrs. (Fictitious

character)—Fiction. | Haristeen, Harry (Fictitious character)—Fiction. |

GSAFD: Mystery fiction.

Classification: LCC PS3552.R698 (ebook) | LCC PS3552.R698 W49 2019 (print) |

DDC 813/.54—dc23

LC record available at lccn.loc.gov/​2018061011

Ebook ISBN 9780425287194

randomhousebooks.com

Book design by Diane Hobbing, adapted for ebook

Cover design: Victoria Allen

Cover illustrations and hand lettering: Sara Mulvanny

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Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

The Cast of Characters

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Dedication

The National Beagle Club

Acknowledgments

Other Titles

About the Authors

THE CAST OF CHARACTERS

THE PRESENT

Mary Minor Haristeen, “Harry”—She’s loyal, logical, loves her husband, her animals, her friends. She farms on her old family farm. Her weakness is her curiosity. Her husband is Pharamond Haristeen, DVM, “Fair,” an equine vet specializing in reproduction. More sensitive than Harry, he provides ballast.

Susan Tucker—She’s known Harry all her life; they are now forty-two. She tries to keep Harry out of trouble, rarely succeeding. Ned Tucker, her husband, is a first-time representative to the Virginia House of Delegates. Susan’s grandfather was a former governor of the state, who owned Big Rawly Estate.

The Very Reverend Herbert Jones—As the pastor of St. Luke’s Church, he knows his flock and is a central part of the community. Widowed, he has three Lutheran cats: Lucy Fur, Cazenovia, and Elocution.

Arlene Billeaud—Master of Blastoff Beagles, she was wounded in the Middle East while in the Army. She has a prosthetic leg and moves around easily. This year she is in charge of the Hounds F4R Heroes fundraiser for veterans held at the Institute at Aldie, Virginia.

Jason Holzknect—Retired from the foreign service where he built a fine career in communications, he is Master of Chesapeake Beagles. He’s made bundles of money through his car dealership.

Clare Lazo Holzknect—Joint Master with her husband, she was a Navy captain, having met Jason overseas.

THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURYCLOVERFIELDS

Catherine Schuyler—Highly intelligent, she assists her father in his business. Her passion is breeding and training horses. Impossibly beautiful, she is married to Major John Schuyler, a hero of the Revolutionary War. It is a good marriage.

Rachel West—A warmer personality than her older sister, by two years, the twenty-year-old Rachel is married to a former POW, a British captain, captured by Catherine’s husband at the Battle of Saratoga. Both are involved in building St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, which Charles designed, thereby finding his passion apart from his wonderful wife.

Ewing Garth—The owner of Cloverfields, the father of the above sisters, he is a sound businessman. He pays attention to the economy, nascent, as well as Europe’s. He is a warm, kind man who greatly misses his deceased wife.

Maureen Selisse Holloway—Rich beyond imagination, she owns Big Rawly, still in the Holloway family today. Susan Tucker’s maiden name is Holloway. Maureen’s younger second husband, Jeffrey Holloway, not well born, works with his hands and is divinely handsome, which overcomes the above. Maureen has a sharp business sense, is farsighted, and can be brutal and ruthless when she needs to be.

Yancy Grant—Infuriated more than anyone by the above hasty marriage, he hates Jeffrey. Being challenged to a duel by Jeffrey wounded both men, yet a respect resulted from this.

THE SLAVES: CLOVERFIELDS

Bettina—A cook of magical abilities, she is also head slave woman on the estate. When Ewing’s wife was dying, Bettina nursed her and stayed with her. When Isabelle died, Bettina promised her mistress she would take care of Catherine and Rachel. She kept her promise.

Jeddie Rice—With good hands and a light seat, he has a sure touch with horses and soaks up everything Catherine teaches him. At nineteen he’s a man but evidences no interest in anything but the horses. He is ambitious without being obnoxious, for a horseman can rise in the world, slave or free.

Ralston—Seethes with competitive anger at Jeddie. He’s not a bad hand with the horses, but he lacks Jeddie’s marvelous gifts. At sixteen he thinks he knows everything. He has discovered women and is making a mess of it.

Tulli—He might be eleven but he looks about nine. Such a sweet little fellow, he works at the stables and tries very hard.

Barker O—Runs the stables, drives the horses, is splendid on the seat of the carriages. He enjoys a big reputation among horsemen, much deserved.

Roger—Being butler, his is a powerful position. He must know most of the people who call on Ewing, as well as how to treat them according to their station. He’s a good, reticent man.

Weymouth—Roger’s son, in his twenties. He does a good job but he lacks his father’s drive.

Bumbee—She’s in charge of the weaving, buying yarns and fabrics. She’s an artist, truly, and the ladies who work with her do as they are told.