Agreed, but, come on, you can't leave it *there*! I want to know what happened next. <pout>

Alas, I don't know.

Oh, there's the obvious. The dead woman was seen falling to her doom in the reflection of a wine glass. I'm sure that means left to right mix ups and the confusion of curvature plays some part in the solution.

Unless the murder victim really _was_ in the wineglass . . . . No, I'd never forgive myself for doing in Tinkerbell, even in fiction. I always clap during the play (which suggests another way Blake could have pulled through [if everyone who really believes in hopeless rebel causes would clap . . . .]).

However, this is how the story ends.

"I have found that most people, rebel leaders not accepted, are far too trusting for this wicked world," I informed them, pausing only as long as absolutely necessary for dramatic purposes and continuing before Cally could offer her opinion on the matter. "How did we know the dead body was that of Romana Trelundar?"

"But Fred positively identified her!" Vila protested.

"My point exactly. We had only her word; and people, as I am sorry to have to inform you, my dear Vila, lie."

"But why would she lie?" Jenna asked.

"Why? To gain a fortune, to be rid of a rival, and (most important) to get revenge on for the way their father had abandoned her years before."

There was a collective gasp. "You don't mean - it's impossible - she _can't_ -"

"Oh, yes, she can. Fred is really Romula Fredlundar, Romana Trelundar's long lost, Delta grade half sister!"

Then, as usual, they all turned and said, "Blake, that was brilliant."

"Elementary, my dear people," Blake said, also as usual.

Fortunately, by this point in our association, I had long since given up the hopeful delusion that any human beings (with the sole exception of myself) could maintain a strong enough link to reality in Blake's vicinity to ever give credit (or blame) where it was due.

As for the rest of the case, there are only two matters, both minor and peripheral but (just barely) worthy of note. The first is that, immediately upon our return to Liberator, I made such small adjustments as I felt were necessary to my quarters so as to maintain my own peace of mind. Although Blake gave me a look of mild hurt and confusion after Cally let him out of sickbay, he never attempted to circumvent my locks and their automatic firing mechanisms again; and I slept the sleep of the just.

The second matter is even more peripheral and concerns a conversation I had with Vila. We were deeply engaged in an invigorating discussion of chaos theory and probability and how these forces might combine to set seemingly random events in motion. Specifically, I was outlining the chaotic fate which would, in all probability, befall all supplies of adranlin and soma on the ship in relation to a seemingly unconnected event such as Blake finding a way to circumvent my security arrangements. A thought seemed to suddenly occur to Vila and, this being such a rare event, he was immediately impelled to share it with me.

"Avon, how did you guess Romana and Romula were sisters? Romana was an Alpha. Romula's a Delta. What was the connection? And how did you know that was why Romual killed her?"

"When you have eliminated the impossible, Vila, whatever is left, no matter how improbable must be the truth. Besides, it wasn't as improbable as it seems."

Vila looked nervous. Good. "Oh?" he asked with that feigned innocence that, given his conviction record, one might think he would have learned is wholly unconvincing to both judges and juries.

"Oh, no. One might even say it was . . . familiar." Vila now looked very nervous. Better. "Another aspect of probability, Vila. If anything . . . suspicious were to ever happen to me and if any long lost relatives were to suddenly appear and try to claim all that money the Federation insists I didn't actually manage to steal from them -"

"I still think you could have picked it up _after_ rescuing us from Cygnus Alpha. That was six more months we had to spend on that prison barge. And couldn't you come up with a better story than 'discovering' a treasure room? It sounds a bit lame even to me. Besides, now Blake thinks it's his."

"That was just one quarter's interest, only what I could convert into jewels, gold, and a wardrobe room on short notice. If you saw what was here before, you'd realize it was money well spent. But that is not the point. The point is that, if anything happened to me and any theoretical parties tried to claim the rest of it, those parties might suddenly find Orac had put them at the top of every kill list of every organization inside and outside the Federation."

"Oh,"

At the risk of repeating myself, I will say that I slept soundly after this case.

****

Of course, if I ever made this into a full fledged story, I would have to include references from more than Sherlock Holmes and Miss Marple.

Examples:

[Nero Wolf] Orac: You're problem is quite simple, Vila. You suffer from the mistaken assumption that you are funny. It confuses people. With your history, it seems highly probable you will one day make what you think is a joke and get shot.

Avon: Now, Orac, just because Vila's shot doesn't mean it isn't funny.

[Amelia Peabody] Avon [who has wound up in sickbay after being a little more obnoxiously Avonish than usual]: Cally, I don't need another injection.

Cally [who is controlling her temper rather well considering how obnoxiously Avonish Avon's been, but there are limits]: But _I_ need to stick something _sharp_ into you.

Or perhaps -

Jenna [shrugging off how she arrived in the nick of time]: I have found that there is very little a smuggler can't deal with provided she is armed with fortitude and a semi-automatic. Fortunately, I have both.

[Perry Mason] Guest Character: It seems to me that you're getting out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Avon: That at least will be a change of scenery.

Ellynne ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/.