The Butterfly Lanai 8

Lorna seemed to know her way around it. She retrieved an MRE from one cabinet and tore it open, dumping chicken tetrazini on a plate and into the microwave. On top of the fridge was a tub of thick 'n rich protein powder. She soon had a shake collecting beads of water at its base, staining a ring into the woodgrain kitchen table. Lorna sat down to eat. Mr. J didn't mind. A half-finished meal would lend credence to a suicide scenario for the investigators.

"Let's take him down to the state fair and charge twenty dollars a question," said Lorna. "We'll set it up on an elevated stage with a velvet curtain hanging to the ground, like a Vegas magician. You'll be the emcee and I'll be your assistant. People will expect it to be a trick, but the tiger itself will answer. They can ask questions about each other, about others not in attendance! Twenty bucks is a steal for that. The fair committee will move us into the indoor theater. They'll have to, to accomodate everyone."

"That is the third stupidest thing I've ever heard." Precise but true, the second stupidest thing Mr. J ever heard was that aliens built the pyramids of cheerleaders at school spirit rallies. The first was that the Tartans of Upper Denali married their daughters to flamingos. The most solemn part of the ceremony came when the bird pecked the bride's veil off her face, and with deliberation the bride then bent her left leg behind her. So he was told. He continued:

"There's never been a market for uncomfortable penetrating philosophy and science. Uncomfortable penetrating has a huge market though. Biggest market you ever saw. With one of the steepest inclines of growth."

Lorna had ceased listening. Alert and animated as she had been during her delivery, she hadn't spied the body of Hollybrick sprawled behind the tiger, which now moved.

"I'm not sure I need to do anything about that creature," said Mr. J. "I'm sure I'm ready to go. I'm not sure I need to leave anything that can identify me."