[from “Cherchez la Femme,” a Kate Shugak short story]

Most women hated Dulcey Kineen as much as their men loved her, of course. Margaret Meganack had erupted into Bobby Clark’s house when Marvin, that morning’s guest on Park Air, had strayed from the advertised topic, which was the current red salmon run or lack thereof, to wax eloquent on what Dulcey hadn’t been wearing at the Roadhouse the night before. Dinah had banished both Meganacks from the property and interdicted Marvin as an on air guest ever again, and given the subsequent repair and replacement bills you could see her point.

And then there was the time Dulcey ran for Miss Niniltna and won, allegedly on the strength of the blueberry pie she baked for

the talent competition. That was fine until Auntie Vi accused Dulcey’s cousin Norma Ollestad of baking the pie for her, which no way Norma would have done, given that little episode a while back involving Dulcey, Norma, and Norma’s boyfriend Chuck. Turned out Dulcey really had baked the pie but she was stripped of her crown anyway.

Never a good idea to show up on the auntie radar, and Dulcey had made what Auntie Vi, with uncharacteristic restraint, had described as a nuisance of herself with more than one of the boarders at Auntie Vi’s B&B. Auntie Vi could give a hoot what Dulcey did with whom, but she resented the need to wear earplugs to bed every night in her own home.

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Chatter Eye of Isis Kate Shugak Eye of Isis Theft of an Idol