Free Silver Scream: A Bed-And-Breakfast Mystery by Mary Daheim

local Native American tribal chief. Her name’s Heather Twobucks, which is symbolic, since that’s about all the money Tom has managed to save over the years. But at least she’s got a job—she’s the attorney for the tribe.”
    “That sounds very good,” Judith put in.
    “She’s also one of seven kids and does most of her work pro bono,” Renie said. “As for Anne, the man of her dreams is in medical school. You know what that means. Anne will have to get a real job instead of making jewelry out of volcanic lava and selling it at street fairs.”
    “Mmm—yes, she probably will,” Judith agreed. “What’s the future doctor’s name?”
    “Odo Mann,” Renie replied. “She’ll become Anne Mann. Personally, I wouldn’t like that.”
    “Mmm,” Judith repeated. “And Tony?”
    Renie let out another big sigh. “Tony’s beloved just returned from Tangiers, where she was Doing Good. She works for a Catholic charity and makes just about enough to pay Tony’s monthly milk bill. She—her name is Cathleen Forte—wants Tony to join her in the leper colony over there.”
    “Oh, dear.”
    “That’s what I said,” Renie responded. “Except not quite those words and much louder. Bill’s in a daze.”
    “Yes, I can see that he might be,” Judith allowed. “Have any of them set the date?”
    “Not yet,” Renie said, “though Anne and Odo are talking about next spring.”
    “That gives you some time,” Judith remarked.
    “Time for what?” Renie demanded. “Time to kidnap our own children and seal them in the basement?”
    “I mean,” Judith said, “to…um…get used to the idea.”
    “You’re no help,” Renie snapped. “I’m hanging up now. Then maybe I’ll hang myself.” The phone went dead in Judith’s ear.
     
    It was noon before Winifred began bringing the costumes downstairs. Judith was astonished by the detail. They had come, Winifred informed her, from one of the big L.A. rental warehouses that stocked thousands of garments, many of them worn in movies from fifty and sixty years ago and lovingly restored.
    “Bruno and I considered using the costumes from The Gasman, ” she explained, “but only Angela, Ben, Dirk, and Ellie appear in the film. We could have drawn from Wardrobe’s collection for bit players and extras, but we decided it would make a statement if we used older costumes. More in keeping with the picture’s theme, you see.”
    Judith thought she recognized Ellie’s outfit. It looked very much like one of Elizabeth Taylor’s gorgeous gowns in Cleopatra . Angela’s was familiar, too, though seen only briefly on the screen—Scarlett O’Hara’s honeymoon ensemble from Gone With the Wind .
    Pointing to the flowing robes and burnoose for Bruno, Judith made a guess: “Lawrence of Arabia?”
    “Khartoum,” Winifred replied.
    “Is this yours?” Judith gestured at a nun’s white habit.
    “Yes.” Winifred’s expression was rueful. “It’s a generic nun’s costume, depicting the growth of the monastic movement. We’re representing the eras the movie focuses on. I preferred wearing something closer to my own heritage, maybe Muslim dress, from the period of Muhammad. But Bruno insisted that he be Muhammad.” She waved a slim hand at the Khartoum robes. “So I end up being a nun, and I’m not even Catholic.”
    “I am,” Judith said, “and I think it’s a lovely habit. Very graceful. You’ll look terrific.”
    Winifred gave an indifferent shrug. “Whatever. Dirk Farrar symbolizes the early Renaissance while showing off his manly physique in that silver-and-gold-slashed doublet and tights. Tyrone Power wore it, Ithink. The less lavish doublet and the fur-trimmed sur-coat came from an MGM historical epic. Or maybe it was Fox. Dade Costello’s wearing that for the era of the printing press. The nineteenth-century frock coat and top hat belong to Ben Carmody. The industrial revolution, of course. And Chips Madigan gets to dress as the computer whiz