Read Online Flossed (Alex Harris Mystery Series) by Elaine Macko - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elaine Macko
Tags: An Alex Harris Mystery
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motive for murder on your part.”
Paul pursed his lips and crossed his arms. “Maybe not on my part, but on Jane’s. She’s never liked Martine, has been downright hostile toward her, in fact. Jane and Malcolm aren’t happy together at all. Jane’s never forgiven me for going back to Martine. I shouldn’t be saying this, implicating Jane, but there was such hostility in her every time she saw Martine. The truth of the matter is, I did love my wife, not Jane, but Jane could never accept my decision to return to Martine.”
I nodded. “Well, that explains something. I saw the two of them talking on Saturday and it didn’t look like a pleasant exchange.”
“I’m sure it was not. Jane made it her life’s mission to antagonize Martine at every chance. Fortunately, we did not run into her often, but the ex-pat community is a very small world and it was inevitable. Martine knew, of course, about Jane and me, but had forgiven me.”
Very big of her, I thought, considering Martine’s own indiscretions. I remembered something else I had heard on the tape about how Tom Mulberry had been counseling Martine. I wondered if Paul knew.
“Paul, had you and Martine ever considered marriage counseling? It may have helped resolve your differences about children.”
“I didn’t. I never put much stock in that kind of thing and I don’t think Martine would have either. Her sister and her husband had problems. They went to a marriage encounter group and it didn’t work. They ended up divorcing. Martine thought people should solve their own problems. Other than her family, I don’t think she discussed any of this with any one else.” There was silence in the room for a few minutes and then Paul added, “I did love my wife, very much. Whatever problems we had could have been worked out, sooner or later. And now I’ll never have the chance.” Paul’s eyes were moist.
He left shortly thereafter telling us he had better get back before his in-laws reported him missing and told the police he was trying to avoid prosecution for a crime they were sure he had committed.
Chapter 13
“So what do you think?” Sam asked the minute we heard the elevator start its decent.
“I believe him. Of course we don’t know if he knew about Martine’s affairs.”
“If he did, then he just might have had a reason to kill her,” Sam said.
“I’ll tell you one thing,” I said as I walked into the kitchen, “this ex-pat community is a regular little Scandal . You know, the TV show with Kerry Washington,” I said to my sister’s blank look.
Just then the whir of the elevator sounded again and I looked at Sam wondering if Paul had returned. Maybe he regretted talking to us and decided to come back and kill us off. Sam must have had the same thought because she became frantic, and swirled around the room until her eyes rested on a mop leaning against the wall by the small washing machine. She picked it up and came to stand next to me. We stood there not saying anything, just listening to the elevator as it made its very slow climb up to our floor. It stopped and a few seconds later someone fiddled with the front door. Sam and I inched slowly across the kitchen, through the doorway and peeked around the corner into the foyer. The front door swung opened and Michael walked in. Sam dropped the mop and threw her arms around her husband.
“Well, this is certainly a nice way to be greeted. What’s gotten into you?”
Sam kissed him on the cheek. “Nothing. I guess with John and Alex on their honeymoon I’m feeling a bit more romantic.”
Michael kissed Sam back and then held her at arm’s length. “I’ve got some exciting news.”
Now, if my husband came home and told me he had exciting news and his eyes were all bright with anticipation like Michael’s I would tend to think we might be coming into some extra money, or maybe he was going to whisk me away to some exotic location. But this was Michael and I had
Paul pursed his lips and crossed his arms. “Maybe not on my part, but on Jane’s. She’s never liked Martine, has been downright hostile toward her, in fact. Jane and Malcolm aren’t happy together at all. Jane’s never forgiven me for going back to Martine. I shouldn’t be saying this, implicating Jane, but there was such hostility in her every time she saw Martine. The truth of the matter is, I did love my wife, not Jane, but Jane could never accept my decision to return to Martine.”
I nodded. “Well, that explains something. I saw the two of them talking on Saturday and it didn’t look like a pleasant exchange.”
“I’m sure it was not. Jane made it her life’s mission to antagonize Martine at every chance. Fortunately, we did not run into her often, but the ex-pat community is a very small world and it was inevitable. Martine knew, of course, about Jane and me, but had forgiven me.”
Very big of her, I thought, considering Martine’s own indiscretions. I remembered something else I had heard on the tape about how Tom Mulberry had been counseling Martine. I wondered if Paul knew.
“Paul, had you and Martine ever considered marriage counseling? It may have helped resolve your differences about children.”
“I didn’t. I never put much stock in that kind of thing and I don’t think Martine would have either. Her sister and her husband had problems. They went to a marriage encounter group and it didn’t work. They ended up divorcing. Martine thought people should solve their own problems. Other than her family, I don’t think she discussed any of this with any one else.” There was silence in the room for a few minutes and then Paul added, “I did love my wife, very much. Whatever problems we had could have been worked out, sooner or later. And now I’ll never have the chance.” Paul’s eyes were moist.
He left shortly thereafter telling us he had better get back before his in-laws reported him missing and told the police he was trying to avoid prosecution for a crime they were sure he had committed.
Chapter 13
“So what do you think?” Sam asked the minute we heard the elevator start its decent.
“I believe him. Of course we don’t know if he knew about Martine’s affairs.”
“If he did, then he just might have had a reason to kill her,” Sam said.
“I’ll tell you one thing,” I said as I walked into the kitchen, “this ex-pat community is a regular little Scandal . You know, the TV show with Kerry Washington,” I said to my sister’s blank look.
Just then the whir of the elevator sounded again and I looked at Sam wondering if Paul had returned. Maybe he regretted talking to us and decided to come back and kill us off. Sam must have had the same thought because she became frantic, and swirled around the room until her eyes rested on a mop leaning against the wall by the small washing machine. She picked it up and came to stand next to me. We stood there not saying anything, just listening to the elevator as it made its very slow climb up to our floor. It stopped and a few seconds later someone fiddled with the front door. Sam and I inched slowly across the kitchen, through the doorway and peeked around the corner into the foyer. The front door swung opened and Michael walked in. Sam dropped the mop and threw her arms around her husband.
“Well, this is certainly a nice way to be greeted. What’s gotten into you?”
Sam kissed him on the cheek. “Nothing. I guess with John and Alex on their honeymoon I’m feeling a bit more romantic.”
Michael kissed Sam back and then held her at arm’s length. “I’ve got some exciting news.”
Now, if my husband came home and told me he had exciting news and his eyes were all bright with anticipation like Michael’s I would tend to think we might be coming into some extra money, or maybe he was going to whisk me away to some exotic location. But this was Michael and I had
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