Alex Harris 00 - Armed

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    “Mrs. Haddock, did the police see this?”
    “They came into the kitchen and took a look around at everything. Why? Did you find something?”
    “I’m not sure. Do you mind if I take this? I want to show it to the police.”
    “Certainly. Anything you think might help, feel free to take.”
    I tucked the pad into my purse. We walked out onto the front porch. Mrs. Haddock locked the door.
    “I wonder what will happen to this house. I have so many lovely memories tied up in this place.” Mrs. Haddock looked up at me, her eyes filled with loneliness. She turned and I followed her back to her house. I thanked her for her hospitality and gave her one of my business cards.
    “If any more mail arrives, please call me and I’d be happy to pick it up and take it to Mr. Poupée.” As I walked back to my car inspiration struck and turned back, a grin spreading across my face. “Mrs. Haddock,” I called out, “do you like bingo?”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

    A few minutes later, immensely pleased with myself, I pulled away from the curb. Meme and Mrs. Haddock would make quite a pair—two short, elderly women, one very thin and the other very round—but as my grandmother always says, “There’s always room for a new friend.”
    With my good deed done for the day, and a pretty fair chance at getting the Levy contract, I felt lucky and decided to pay one more visit before heading out to the factory. Fifteen minutes later I pulled my car into the driveway of the Poupée residence.
    “Alex. What a pleasure to see you, dear.” Dolly Poupée ushered me into the house and took my coat.
    With a name like Dolly, I always expected the woman to be short and round like Meme, but Dolly Poupée was the exact opposite—tall and thin, almost fragile looking. Mr. Poupée might be the head of a company, but Dolly ruled at home.
    “I wanted to tell you how sorry I am about Mrs. Scott,” I began, as I followed Dolly into the kitchen. “Mr. Poupée told me you’re making funeral arrangements. Is there anything I can help with?”
    Dolly eyed me from where she stood by the kitchen sink filling a kettle with water, her long gray hair wrapped into a bun at the nape of her neck. I began to squirm. “Alex, I’ve known you since you were this high.” Dolly put her hand even with the kitchen counter. “And you’re here to snoop.” She smiled and placed the kettle on the stove. “William told me you’re helping out and that the police suspect him.”
    I blushed. “I’m sorry. But I meant it when I offered to help with the funeral arrangements.”
    “It’s okay.” Dolly hiked herself up onto a stool and patted my hand. “I’m sorry you had to be the one to find her. What an awful ordeal for you.” Dolly brushed at an invisible speck of dirt on the counter. “William doesn’t talk much when he gets home. I wish the man would just retire,” she said longingly. “So what’s going on? Do the police really consider him a suspect?”
    William Poupée lived in Indian Cove all of his sixty-eight years and showed no signs of slowing his hectic pace. Retirement was a four-letter word, he had said often enough, and had no plans to succumb to a lifestyle where one did nothing all day and didn’t even start that until noon.
    He had started working at the factory right after college and when the owner decided to sell the business and move to the south of France, William Poupée had bought it. He always thought a man with a name that meant doll in French couldn’t do any better than owning a mannequin factory.
    I let out a deep sigh. “I don’t exactly have access to the police grapevine, but I think they’re looking at him, yes.” At Dolly’s worried look I quickly added, “But they’re looking at everyone. I hate to have to ask you this,” I said softly.
    “But you want to know if anything ever happened between them.”
    I took a gulp and nodded.
    Dolly walked to the stove and turned off the kettle. “When he first hired her, he sometimes talked about her and how well she did. They shared some interests like art and gardening. I hadn’t worked in years and I felt a bit out of it.” Dolly took two mugs from a cupboard and added a teabag in one and instant coffee to the other.
    “Elvira loved Irwin and after I met her, I felt better. She meshed well with William but it was work. When Irwin died, William went over and at first, I’m ashamed to admit it, I hated it. But then I invited her to dinner and out to some