Read The Cat Who Walks Through Walls for Free Online

dirtside, and all habitats ballistically coupled to Terra or Luna. Not the Asteroid Belt. Or even on Mars.”
    “Richard? Suppose that the purpose is to—No, that’s silly.”
    “What’s silly, dear? Try it on me anyhow.”
    “Uh, suppose this—whatever it is—conspiracy, I suppose—isn’t aimed at Ron Tolliver or any other Tolliver, but is aimed at you and your six friends, the ‘Walker Evans’ people. Could the purpose be to get you to take strong measures to get in touch with all the others? And thereby get you to lead them, whoever they are, to all seven of you? Could it be a vendetta? Could whatever happened cause a vendetta against all seven of you?”
    I had a cold feeling at the pit of my stomach. “Yes, that could be. Although not, I think, in this case. As it would not explain why Schultz was killed.”
    “I said it was silly.”
    “Wait a moment. Was Schultz killed?”
    “Why, we both saw it, Richard.”
    “Did we? I thought I saw it. But I admitted that it could have been faked. What I saw appeared to be death by explosive dart. But—Two simple props, Gwen. One makes a small dark spot appear on Schultz’s shirt. The other is a small rubber bladder he holds in his cheek; it contains fake blood. At the right instant he bites the bladder; ‘blood’ comes out of his mouth. The rest is acting…including the strange behavior of Morris and other staff members. That ‘dead’ body has to be removed quickly…through that ‘Employees Only’ door…where he is given a clean shirt, then hustled out the service door.”
    “You think that is the way it happened?”
    “Uh—No, damn it; I don’t! Gwen, I’ve seen many deaths. This one happened as close to me as you are this minute. I don’t think it was acting; I think I saw a man die.” I fumed to myself. Could I be mistaken on such a basic point?
    Of course I could be! I’m no supergenius gifted with psi powers; I could be wrong as an eyewitness quite as easily as Gwen could be.
    I sighed. “Gwen, I just don’t know. It looked to me like death by explosive dart…but if the intention was to fake it and if it was well prepared, then of course it would look like that. A planned fakery does account for the swift cover-up. Otherwise the behavior of the staff of Rainbow’s End is almost unbelievable.” I brooded. “Best girl, I’m not sure of anything. Is somebody trying to drive me out of my skull?”
    She treated my question as rhetorical, which it was—I hope. “Then what do we do?”
    “Uh…we try to check on Schultz. And not worry about the next step until we have done that.”
    “How?”
    “Bribery, my love. Lies and money. Lavish lies and a parsimonious use of money. Unless you are wealthy. I never thought to ask before I married you.”
    “ Me? ” Gwen’s eyes went wide. “But, Richard, I married you for your money.”
    “You did? Lady, you’ve been swindled. Do you want to see a lawyer?”
    “I suppose so. Is that what they call ‘statutory rape’?”
    “No, ‘statutory rape’ is carnal knowledge of a statue…although why anyone should care I have never understood. I don’t think it’s against regulations here.” I turned back to the terminal. “Do you want that lawyer? Or shall we look for Schultz?”
    “Uh… Richard, we’re having a very odd honeymoon. Let’s go back to bed.”
    “Bed can wait. But you can have another waffle while I try to look up Schultz.” I keyed the terminal again for directory, scrolled for “Schultz.”
    I found nineteen listings for “Schultz” but no “Enrico Schultz.” Small wonder. I did find “Hendrik Schultz,” so I keyed for amplification:
    “The Reverend Doctor Hendrik Hudson Schultz, B.S., M.A., D.D., D.H.L., K.G.B., Past Grand Master Royal Astrological Society. Scientific Horoscopy at moderate prices. Weddings solemnized. Family counseling. Eclectic and holistic therapy. Investments advice. Bets accepted at all hours at track odds. Petticoat Lane at ring