Cobalt (26 page)
Authors: Nathan Aldyne
“Well! How'd he take it?” asked Valentine.
“Pretty badly. I had always been the one who transgressed, and he was always the one who forgave. Now he wanted
me
to forgive, but I wouldn't do it. He's back in Plymouth now, packing up. And today I start looking for my future ex-husband.”
Valentine grinned, stretching the adhesive on his nose. The telephone rang, and he went into the next room to answer it.
“Do you think I'll get in the paper?” Clarisse asked her uncle.
“I wouldn't count on it,” Noah said doubtfully. “The photographers were there last night, and there's probably going to be a photograph of the White Princeâas Eva Perónâclutching the bars and glaring. But the reporters didn't ask many questions. I guess they'll just take away copies of the confession or something.”
“Am I mentioned in the confession?” asked Clarisse.
“No,” said Noah, gently. “I don't remember his mentioning you.”
“Oh, God,” sighed Clarisse. “At least I'll get to testify at the trial.”
“He confessed,” said Axel. “There won't be any trial. Just a sentencing.”
Clarisse beat her fists on the table. “God! I have lived this entire month in complete and total obscurity. I tell you, from here on out this summer had better get itself into shape! I want perfection! I want love and a tan! I want to receive a vast amount of money for doing nothing at all!”
Valentine came back in.
“Was that a reporter asking to set up an interview?” asked Clarisse hopefully.
“No,” said Valentine. “It was Angel. She was angry.”
“What about?” asked Noah surprised.
“About the damage the Prince did last night. The repairs have to come out of the door receipts. So I said we'd make it up to herâ¦somehow.”
Clarisse detected the evasion in his voice. “
How?
” she asked darkly. “How are we going to make it up to her?”
“Well,” said Valentine. “You and I have just been entered in the July Fourth Marathon Kickline to End World Hunger.”
“I should have guessed,” breathed Clarisse. “Oh, God,” she sighed, “as I remarked to Jeff King on the day he died, I
hate
Provincetown.”
All the characters and events portrayed in this work are fictitious.
COBALT
A Felony & Mayhem “Traditional” mystery
PUBLISHING HISTORY
First print edition (St. Martin's): 1982
Felony & Mayhem print and digital editions: 2013
Copyright © 1981 by Nathan Aldyne
All rights reserved
E-book ISBN: 978-1-937384-87-6
For Sharon
You are reading a book in the Felony & Mayhem “Traditional” category. We think of these books as classy cozies, with little gunplay or gore but often a fair amount of humor and, usually, an intrepid amateur sleuth. If you enjoy this book, you may well like other “Traditional” titles from Felony & Mayhem Press, including (available as print books):
S.F.X. Dean
John Norman Harris
The Weird World of Wes Beattie
Marissa Piesman
Daniel Stashower
Peter Watson
For more about these books, and other Felony & Mayhem titles, or to place an order, please visit our website
