Free The Purrfect Murder by Rita Mae Brown

friends as children, had grown closer over the years. Both were remarried months apart, so discussing their upcoming weddings had brought out the happy side of each woman.
    â€œPrecious, there’s a tray in the fridge. Would you bring it in? And the lemonade and tea, too?”
    â€œOf course.”
    Tally’s maid—really a majordomo—had Sundays off.
    When Little Mim returned, Aunt Tally gracefully excused herself under the pretext of catching up on her correspondence. Well, she did go to the den and sit at her desk, but not before she swept past the bar and poured a shot of gin in her iced tea. Sounds awful, but tasted divine to Aunt Tally. On Sundays she allowed herself some extra liquid cheer.
    â€œI’m glad you came. Mother’s being a beast, as only she can be, but this time it’s the worst. The worst!” Little Mim launched right in.
    â€œShe does have a habit of living all our lives for us. Must get exhausting.” Harry lifted her iced tea in tribute. “In her defense, she’s often right. Look how she bore down on me for years to remarry Fair.”
    â€œShe was right about that,” Little Mim ruefully conceded. “But not about this.”
    â€œAre you worried that it will look as though you’re breaking from the party?”
    â€œYes and no. We all know that right now the party looks like the Party of Hatefulness and Repression.” She flopped back in the chair, but didn’t spill a drop of her drink. “Going to take us a long, long time to overcome the legacy of Karl Rove and Company.”
    â€œThe problem was, he was effective in getting people elected. The radical Christian right is about five million people out of almost three hundred million, but they are organized and well funded. Rove gave them a political focus. The ends justify the means.”
    â€œDo you believe that?” Little Mim raised her eyebrow, looking very much like her good-looking, perfectly coiffed mother.
    â€œNo, but millions of Republicans do. They aren’t right wing, but they’d rather have a Republican in office no matter what they have to do to get him or her there.”
    â€œIt’s going to cost us power, for a long time. Two election terms, at least. I need to walk a fine line. I didn’t come in on right-wing coattails, but I soft-pedaled. Well, you know that. You remonstrated with me.”
    â€œWe did have a good fight about that, didn’t we?”
    â€œNed Tucker’s always good for a fuss, too, but since he’s a Democrat that’s to be expected. He’s doing a good job down there in Richmond, and Aunt Tally counsels me not to buck him and not to run against him, so we have to divide up who will run for what and when. I fully intend to become the first woman governor of this state.”
    â€œYou will.” Harry relaxed a little.
    â€œGive me your pitch, Harry.” Little Mim smiled slightly.
    â€œOh, you know.” Harry shrugged. “This terrible shooting of Will Wylde is a Pandora’s box. It’s let out fear, recrimination, wild rumor. We need to pray retribution doesn’t follow, especially since there’s no perp in sight.”
    â€œThat scares me. Although, you know, Harvey Tillach was there around the time of the shooting.”
    â€œWell, Sheriff Shaw hasn’t arrested him. We have to assume the killer is loose.”
    â€œOr killers. This could be the work of a group,” Little Mim said.
    â€œBecause there’s so much rumor and fear, you should speak to the press. You don’t have to come out in favor of abortion. You only need to decry violence.”
    â€œAny statement I make, I’m going to be grilled. I’ll be forced into a discussion about abortion.” Little Mim reached for a thin lemon wedge to drop in her tea glass, which she refilled. “More?”
    â€œNo, I’m fine.” Harry felt a heavy kitty run right across her