Whisker of Evil (32 page)

Dear Reader,

I've had my rabies shots, my annual FVR-CP shots, which cover just about everything a kitty can get. I endure worming once a month. Large ugh. My teeth are good.

I mention this because much of this book is about health.

Pewter also gets all her shots and is a big weenie about it. The dogs, on the other hand, are pretty good.

I hope you've taken care of your shots and teeth and whatever a human needs to do. Expensive though it is, it's still not as expensive as being sick.

As I've gone along with this series I've found that I truly love the characters. Funny, isn't it? I mean I even like the corgi and, well, dogs are okay but a cat can't be but so close to them. They're just so slavish! If I have to admit it, I like the dogs here at home, a motley crew of rescue mixes as well as Mother's foxhounds, her pride and joy.

Now, I adore the horses but cats and horses have a special friendship.

Whoever you are reading this, I hope you have an animal in your life that you can tell
everything
to and know it won't go any further. We make the best friends—just be sure we get our shots, okay?

Always and ever,

Sneaky Pie

Books by Rita Mae Brown
with Sneaky Pie Brown

WISH YOU WERE HERE

REST IN PIECES

MURDER AT MONTICELLO

PAY DIRT

MURDER, SHE MEOWED

MURDER ON THE PROWL

CAT ON THE SCENT

SNEAKY PIE'S COOKBOOK FOR MYSTERY LOVERS

PAWING THROUGH THE PAST

CLAWS AND EFFECT

CATCH AS CAT CAN

THE TAIL OF THE TIP-OFF

WHISKER OF EVIL

Books by Rita Mae Brown

THE HAND THAT CRADLES THE ROCK

SONGS TO A HANDSOME WOMAN

THE PLAIN BROWN RAPPER

RUBYFRUIT JUNGLE

IN HER DAY

SIX OF ONE

SOUTHERN DISCOMFORT

SUDDEN DEATH

HIGH HEARTS

STARTING FROM SCRATCH: A DIFFERENT KIND OF WRITERS' MANUAL

BINGO

VENUS ENVY

DOLLEY: A NOVEL OF DOLLEY MADISON IN LOVE AND WAR

RIDING SHOTGUN

RITA WILL: A MEMOIR OF A LITERARY RABBLE-ROUSER

LOOSE LIPS

OUTFOXED

HOTSPUR

FULL CRY

WHISKER OF EVIL

A Bantam Book / April 2004

Published by

Bantam Dell

A Division of Random House, Inc.

New York, New York

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2004 by American Artists, Inc.

Illustrations copyright © 2004 Michael Gellatly

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher, except where permitted by law.

Bantam Books is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc., and the colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc.

Visit our website at
www.bantamdell.com
.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Brown, Rita Mae.

Whisker of evil / Rita Mae Brown & Sneaky Pie Brown.

p. cm.

1. Haristeen, Harry (Fictitious character)—Fiction. 2. Murphy, Mrs. (Fictitious character)—Fiction. 3. Women postal service employees—Fiction. 4. Women cat owners—Fiction. 5. Virginia—Fiction. 6. Cats—Fiction. I. Title.

PS3552.R698W48 2004

813'.54—dc21

2003056262

eISBN: 978-0-553-89879-8

v3.0