Bones to Pick by Carolyn Haines Page B

held up a hand a la Diana Ross. "Stop in the name of sanity. I'm not putting on some kind of ridiculous uniform."
    "Of course you are."
    "No way, Jose. I'm not a Carrington girl, and I'm not pretending to be."
    Tinkie put her hands on her hips. "Sarah Booth, sometimes you're just plain mulish. Virgie Carrington has spent her entire life training young women to fit into a certain mold. We need her help. We want her to talk to us. The simplest way to do that is to reflect the type of woman she creates."
    Tinkie was right, but I felt my Irish dander rise. "I shouldn't have to conform to her dress code for an interview."
    "You don't have to," she pointed out. "But it will certainly grease the skids if you do. We meet her as equals that way."
    "I don't have a blue suit."
    She reached into the back seat of the Caddy and pulled out a hanger covered by a Charlene's bag. "Charlene opened the store early for me." She thrust the bag at me. "I picked this out for you because I knew you'd try that excuse."
    "I don't have any shoes," I countered.
    "You get dressed. I'll find some suitable shoes." She marched past me into the house. I was defeated. I had the choice of surrendering with honor or whining. Only because I figured Jitty was eavesdropping did I choose the former. Carrying the dress bag, I marched behind Tinkie to my doom.
    An hour later, we were sitting in the formal den at The Gardens B&B. I was wearing a Donna Karan designer suit and holding a cup of tea--Earl Grey--which looked like thin milk. I had no intention of drinking it, especially since Gertrude Stromm had made it. Hemlock was the word that came to my mind. Tinkie had no such apprehensions. She sipped her tea and chatted with Virgie Carrington about the desperate need in society for more Sunday brunches.
    "What would you view as the perfect menu for a brunch?" Virgie suddenly asked me.
    Her blue grey eyes were shrewd and a perfect match for the silk dress she wore. Her pearls had the sheen of age, as if they were family heirlooms. I knew her question was a test. "I don't think the menu matters as long as the Bloody Marys and mimosas flow freely," I answered, ignoring the daggers Tinkie shot at me.
    To my surprise, Virgie laughed. The iron maiden had a sense of humor. "I remember your mother, Sarah Booth. She was unconventional, but always with kindness. I see you're a page from the same book."
    It was a compliment I couldn't ignore. "Thank you, Miss Carrington. I didn't realize you knew my mother."
    "Everyone knew her. And everyone adored her."
    "Not everyone," I said.
    "Everyone I knew," Virgie insisted. "I don't find it peculiar that you've become a private investigator, Sarah Booth, but Tinkie is another matter." She turned to my partner. "I can't believe Oscar has agreed to this."
    Tinkie's smile never slipped. "Well, Virgie, Oscar didn't really have a choice. I bought my freedom a long time ago."
    The blade was presented with such deftness; at first, I didn't recognize the sharpness. Virgie surprised me again by laughing. "In a way, I'm glad your parents chose not to send you to my school, Tinkie. You would have been a real problem."
    I saw that the conversation was going south fast. "Miss Carrington, as we mentioned, we've been hired to help prove Allison's innocence. We're hoping you can help us."
    "How?"
    "Quentin's book has upset a number of people, many of them your former students."
    "The book is vile. Quentin has ignored every commandment that I teach, but the one most offensive is the violation of family. She must have broken
Franklin
's and
Caledonia
's hearts."
    "Not to mention
Umbria
's," Tinkie said smoothly. She'd regained her equilibrium.
    "Poor
Umbria
." Virgie poured more tea for Tinkie and herself. I guarded my cool cup. "She's had a rough life, thanks to Quentin."
    "Tell us about Quentin," I urged.
    Virgie leaned back in her chair. Her posture was perfect. "Quentin was perhaps the smartest girl I'd ever had at the school. She could learn