Cat in a
Quicksilver
Caper
By Carole Nelson Douglas from Tom Doherty Associates
MYSTERY
MIDNIGHT LOUIE MYSTERIES
Catnap
Pussyfoot
Cat on a Blue Monday
Cat in a Crimson Haze
Cat in a Diamond Dazzle
Cat with an Emerald Eye
Cat in a Flamingo Fedora
Cat in a Golden Garland
Cat on a Hyacinth Hunt
Cat in an Indigo Mood
Cat in a Jeweled Jumpsuit
Cat in a Kiwi Con
Cat in a Leopard Spot
Cat in a Midnight Choir
Cat in a Neon Nightmare
Cat in an Orange Twist
Cat in a Hot Pink Pursuit
Cat in a Quicksilver Caper
Midnight Louie’s Pet Detectives
(anthology)
IRENE ADLER ADVENTURES
Good Night, Mr. Holmes
The Adventuress* (Good Morning, Irene)
A Soul of Steel* (Irene at Large)
Another Scandal in Bohemia* (Irene’s Last Waltz)
Chapel Noir
Castle Rouge
Femme Fatale
Spider Dance
Marilyn: Shades of Blonde (anthology)
HISTORICAL
ROMANCE
Amberleigh†
Lady Rogue†
Fair Wind, Fiery Star
SCIENCE
FICTION
Probe†
Counterprobe†
FANTASY
TALISWOMAN
Cup of Clay
Seed upon the Wind
SWORD AND CIRCLET
Six of Swords
Exiles of the Rynth
Keepers of Edanvant
Heir of Rengarth
Seven of Swords
* These are the reissued editions.
† Also mystery
Cat in a
Quicksilver
Caper
A MIDNIGHT LOUIE MYSTERY
Carole Nelson Douglas
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This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this novel are either fictitious or are used fictitiously.
CAT IN A QUICKSILVER CAPER: A MIDNIGHT LOUIE MYSTERY
Copyright © 2006 by Carole Nelson Douglas
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form.
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
A Forge Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010
Forge® is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Douglas, Carole Nelson.
Cat in a quicksilver caper / Carole Nelson Douglas.—1st ed.
p. cm.— (A Midnight Louie mystery)
“A Tom Doherty Associates book.”
ISBN-13: 978-0-765-31400-0
ISBN-10: 0-765-31400-2 (acid-free paper)
1. Midnight Louie (Fictitious character)—Fiction. 2. Barr, Temple (Fictitious character)—Fiction. 3. Public relations consultants—Fiction. 4. Las Vegas (Nev.)—Fiction. 5. Women cat owners—Fiction. 6. Cats—Fiction. 7. Art thefts—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3554.O8237C2769 2006
813’.54—dc22
2005032801
First Edition: July 2006
Printed in the United States of America
0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For Janice Carlson-Buffie aka Ashland Price,
my longtime great and foresighted friend
through all the thick and thin of writing
and publishing
Contents
Previously in Midnight Louie’s Lives and Times . . .
Prologue:
Eve of Destruction
Chapter 1:
Swept Off Her Feet
Chapter 2:
Louie Agonistes
Chapter 3:
The Deal of the Art
Chapter 4:
Eat Till You Drop
Chapter 5:
The Softer Side of Vegas
Chapter 6:
Designing Man
Chapter 7:
The Russians Are Coming
Chapter 8:
Friendly Fire
Chapter 9:
Brothers Under the Fur Skin
Chapter 10:
Kit and Caboodle
Chapter 11:
Spider Men
Chapter 12:
Who Do You Trust?
Chapter 13:
Depend upon It
Chapter 14:
Louie’s Choice
Chapter 15:
Old Acquaintances Not Forgot
Chapter 16:
Siamese If You Don’t Please
Chapter 17:
A Heist Hoisted
Chapter 18:
Dudley Do-Right
Chapter 19:
Rushin’ into Trouble
Chapter 20:
Maximum Insurance
Chapter 21:
Playing Chechen
Chapter 22:
Better Bred Than Red
Chapter 23:
United We Stand
Chapter 24:
Police Work
Chapter 25:
Dead Man Falling
Chapter 26:
A Moving Experience
Chapter 27:
Bedtime Stories
Chapter 28:
Afternoon Delight
Chapter 29:
Little Black Dress
Chapter 30:
Cat in the Hat
Chapter 31:
Accursed
Chapter 32:
A Bottle of Red, a Bottle of White Russian
Chapter 33:
The Wrath of Carmen
Chapter 34:
Home Invasion
Chapter 35:
High Anxiety
Chapter 36:
Cat’s Cradle
Chapter 37:
Brass Tactics
Chapter 38:
My Baby Tonight
Chapter 39:
Triple Threat
Chapter 40:
Deadhead Curtain Raiser
Chapter 41:
Who, What, Why?
Chapter 42:
When, Where, Why For?
Chapter 43:
Home, Sweet Homicide
Chapter 44:
The Murderer in the Gray Flannel Suite
Chapter 45:
Mad Matt
Chapter 46:
Mum
Chapter 47:
Riding Shotgun
Chapter 48:
Free to Good Home
Chapter 49:
Telling Temple
Chapter 50:
Miracle Worker
Chapter 51:
Maxamillion
Chapter 52:
Leaving Las Vegas
Chapter 53:
Foreplay
Chapter 54:
Crystal Shoe Persuasion
Chapter 55:
Maxed Out
Chapter 56:
After Max
Tailpiece:
Midnight Louie Mourns the Status Quo Vadis
Carole Nelson Douglas Professes Innocence, or Maybe Just Ignorance
Cat in a
Quicksilver
Caper
Midnight Louie’s
Lives and Times . . .
I cannot say why I am always hip-deep in dames.
Not that I object to said state.
It is just that I am a noir kind of guy, inside and out. My singing voice is more scat than lyrics, and my personal theme song would have to be “There Is Nothing Like a Dame.”
I admit it. I am a shameless admirer of the female of the species. Any species. Of course, not all females are dames. Some are little dolls, like my petite roommate, Miss Temple Barr.
The difference between dames and little dolls? Dames can take care of themselves, period. Little dolls can take care of themselves also, but they are not averse to letting the male of the species think that they have an occasional role in the Master Plan too.