Alex Harris 00 - Poisoned

off.
    Chantal and I waited in the study while officers and evidence people combed the property. Finally, Detective Maroni came in and told us we could go. Chantal locked up the house giving her number to Detective Maroni. I went back to the office.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

    Mrs. Levitz was very animated. She also possessed above average skills in shorthand and typing and her bright attitude would certainly open the door for her—and keep it open, if I was any judge. It was Thursday morning, Halloween, and I had been interviewing the woman since early in the morning. Mrs. Levitz also possessed another, less attractive commodity—a recently retired husband who spent a good deal of his time on the golf course—when she was lucky. When she wasn’t, he spent a good deal of his time driving her crazy.
    She came to Always Prepared with the intention, no, the hope , of finding some part-time temp work to keep her busy and give her a break from her husband’s boredom. She told me laughingly, but only just, that his newest irritating quirk was to follow her around the house when she dusted shouting “with the grain, dear, with the grain.” He was entirely too young to retire, she mentioned more than once, but had taken early retirement when the company he had worked for decided, after thirty-two years, that they needed younger blood running through their corridors.
    “So your husband was in sales?” I asked with the glimmer of an idea blossoming.
    “Oh, yes. He could sell bananas to the Chiquita Company, and bruised ones at that,” she boasted.
    “Well, it just so happens I may be able to put your husband to work, too, Mrs. Levitz.” The woman smiled broadly as I outlined the new sales force we needed to assemble.
    Promising to be in touch in the very near future, I ushered Mrs. Levitz out the door just as my next appointment arrived.
    In the outer office, Millie, who had won a prize along with Rueben last Saturday night for best costume, was dressed in a subdued clown suit that consisted of a pair of baggy pants, an oversized plaid shirt, and a small dose of clown makeup. I didn’t care how subdued it was. I hated clowns. They freaked me out, actually, and I tried my damnedest not to look at Millie who kept busy testing a young man’s typing skills and administering a translation test to a woman fluent in German, Italian, and Swedish. Neither applicant seemed the least bit put out by her attire and passed their tests with flying colors. So far Always Prepared had not been called upon to supply anyone with these language skills, but you had to be prepared as our name indicated.
    The second applicant I interviewed that morning did not possess as many skills as Mrs. Levitz, but I assured her we would be able to find a suitable position in no time. I thanked her for coming in and said good-bye just as the phone rang.
    “Mom? Is that you? The connection’s not that good.”
    “Yes, Alex. It’s me. How’s your hair?”
    “Hair? My hair’s fine.”
    “No, I said how are you, dear ?”
    “Oh! I’m fine, Mom. How’s London?”
    “Wonderful and the weather’s herb.”
    “Herb? Who’s Herb, Mom, your travel guide?”
    “Not Herb, superb ! The weather. Though rain is expected in a few days. I don’t care. I’m just thrilled to be here,” my mother shouted across transatlantic lines that were probably tangled somewhere around Greenland.
    “What time is it there? Shouldn’t you be in bed?”
    “Can’t sleep. Time change, you know.”
    No, I didn’t know. I hadn’t been to Europe yet. “You’ll get acclimated in a few days,” I said, hoping it was true. I didn’t want their trip ruined.
    “I just wanted to let you know we arrived safely. I’ll try to call in a few days.”
    The line went dead before I had a chance to tell my mother about Mr. Kaminski, which was probably a good thing. She would just get upset and there certainly wasn’t anything she could do about it.
    I needed a cup of tea but the sight of Chantal coming up the walk put all thoughts of taking a break aside.
    “Hope I’m not interrupting. Did John tell you how Mr. Kaminski was doing this morning? I tried calling the hospital, but not being a family member, they wouldn’t give out any information.”
    “Chantal, John did call though I haven’t seen him, and Mr. Kaminski is doing fine. They moved him to a private room and he should be allowed to go home maybe tomorrow.”
    “I’m so glad.” Chantal heaved a sigh of relief.