I'm glad my comment elicited Richard Moore's wonderful
reminiscence about Bill Gault and the first Milwaukee
Bouchercon, which was in 1981 BTW. I was sitting next to Bill
when he was inducted into the press club's ranks and I can
tell you he was visibly moved. He was also visibly moved, in
the other direction, the time I asked him to autograph an old
paperback of his. Granted, it was a bit shabby, but since it
was an old classic I chose that one to have signed. Bad idea.
He eventually signed it, but I thought he was going to fling
it across the room instead.
Bill told me a story about Fred Brown that I wished he had
published somewhere. Bill and Fred were good friends, but
Bill hated Fred's new wife. One day the Gaults were sitting
home and saw Brown's car drive up. Not wanting to see Mrs.
Brown, they hid while Fred rang the bell. They were still
hiding when the Browns came to their sliding glass patio door
at the back of the house, only now the Gaults were in plain
view. Embarrassment enused, but it was glossed over with an
"I thought I heard someone out there" comment. Brown wasn't
fooled, but he knew the Gaults didn't like his wife and
didn't push the point.
Bob Napier
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