Read Online The Passover Murder by Lee Harris - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lee Harris
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wouldn’t listen to us. What’s this?”
It was a woman’s coat, a soft chocolate brown. Marilyn took it off the hanger. “It’s Mom’s,” she said sadly. “Hanging there all these years. I guess Pop didn’t want to give it away. Isn’t it beautiful? She got it a few months before she died.”
I touched the fabric. It was as soft as cashmere. “It is beautiful. But you’re sure it was your mother’s?”
“Absolutely.” She dug in the pockets and pulled out a pair of leather gloves and a couple of tissues. “It’s Mom’s. This is too big to be Iris’s anyway. Iris probably wore a size eight.”
There were several empty hangers and little else on the front rack. I assumed that Abraham had taken his warm clothes with him when he moved into his daughter’s apartment.
“What’s in the back?” I asked.
“Let’s take a look.” Marilyn pushed aside the winter clothes so that we could walk to the back of the large closet. Then we went through the summer things. “There isn’t much anymore,” she said. “I remember when this closet was so packed you couldn’t get your hand between two hangers, but with everyone gone except Pop, there isn’t much here. That was Mom’s suitcase over there.” She bent and pulled it forward. “They used to enjoy traveling when they were younger. Pop’s is probably with him. Anything else you want to see?”
I backed out of the closet. “I really just wanted to see if Iris’s coat could have gone unnoticed. It doesn’t seem to be there.”
“We would have found it, I’m sure. My goodness, look at all these boots. You’d think we lived in Siberia. These must have been my mother’s. I’ll have to give them away.” She lifted a pair of shoe boots and set them aside. “For heaven’s sake, look at this.” She pulled something out into the better light of the foyer.
“What is it?”
“Mom’s old black pocketbook.” She opened it. “There’s still money in the wallet. Pop probably couldn’t bear to go through it, so he just left it there.” She rummaged around. “Here’s the silver pen I got her from Tiffany’s for her birthday. I always wondered if she used it.” She held it in her hand for a moment, then replaced it in the bag. “Her cents-off coupons for the grocery. The little leather book she marked down her appointments in. Here’s the dentist in January. I wish Pop had gotten rid of this.”
“I’m sorry to do this to you, Marilyn.”
“It’s not your fault.” She closed the bag and put it down on the floor of the closet. “Well, let’s see what else is lurking here among the boots.” She moved things. “Not much. Let’s have a look at the other side.”
I couldn’t see what she was doing because her body was in the way. I stood back, wondering if this had been such a good idea. There was nothing here that could help me. The layout of the apartment convinced me Iris had been totally unseen the moment she left the dining room.
“Here’s another bag,” Marilyn said, standing up. She brushed her dress off. “It’s awfully dusty in there. I’ll have to make sure the closet gets vacuumed next time we have someone in. I don’t remember this one. Maybe it’s my sister’s.” She opened it and looked inside. “Isn’t that a beauty?” she said. “Leather lined You don’t see that much anymore.” She pulled something out, a leather case that held credit cards. “That’s funny.”
“What is it?”
“Mom’s credit cards were in the other bag.” She pulled one card out of its slot and her face changed. “Oh, Chris.”
“What is it, Marilyn?”
“It’s Iris’s American Express card. This isn’t Mom’s bag, it’s Iris’s. It’s the bag she carried the night of the seder.” She turned to look at me, the dusty bag in her hand. “This has been sitting on the floor of the closet for sixteen years.”
8
We sat in the living room, more or less recovering from the shock. The handbag was indeed Iris
It was a woman’s coat, a soft chocolate brown. Marilyn took it off the hanger. “It’s Mom’s,” she said sadly. “Hanging there all these years. I guess Pop didn’t want to give it away. Isn’t it beautiful? She got it a few months before she died.”
I touched the fabric. It was as soft as cashmere. “It is beautiful. But you’re sure it was your mother’s?”
“Absolutely.” She dug in the pockets and pulled out a pair of leather gloves and a couple of tissues. “It’s Mom’s. This is too big to be Iris’s anyway. Iris probably wore a size eight.”
There were several empty hangers and little else on the front rack. I assumed that Abraham had taken his warm clothes with him when he moved into his daughter’s apartment.
“What’s in the back?” I asked.
“Let’s take a look.” Marilyn pushed aside the winter clothes so that we could walk to the back of the large closet. Then we went through the summer things. “There isn’t much anymore,” she said. “I remember when this closet was so packed you couldn’t get your hand between two hangers, but with everyone gone except Pop, there isn’t much here. That was Mom’s suitcase over there.” She bent and pulled it forward. “They used to enjoy traveling when they were younger. Pop’s is probably with him. Anything else you want to see?”
I backed out of the closet. “I really just wanted to see if Iris’s coat could have gone unnoticed. It doesn’t seem to be there.”
“We would have found it, I’m sure. My goodness, look at all these boots. You’d think we lived in Siberia. These must have been my mother’s. I’ll have to give them away.” She lifted a pair of shoe boots and set them aside. “For heaven’s sake, look at this.” She pulled something out into the better light of the foyer.
“What is it?”
“Mom’s old black pocketbook.” She opened it. “There’s still money in the wallet. Pop probably couldn’t bear to go through it, so he just left it there.” She rummaged around. “Here’s the silver pen I got her from Tiffany’s for her birthday. I always wondered if she used it.” She held it in her hand for a moment, then replaced it in the bag. “Her cents-off coupons for the grocery. The little leather book she marked down her appointments in. Here’s the dentist in January. I wish Pop had gotten rid of this.”
“I’m sorry to do this to you, Marilyn.”
“It’s not your fault.” She closed the bag and put it down on the floor of the closet. “Well, let’s see what else is lurking here among the boots.” She moved things. “Not much. Let’s have a look at the other side.”
I couldn’t see what she was doing because her body was in the way. I stood back, wondering if this had been such a good idea. There was nothing here that could help me. The layout of the apartment convinced me Iris had been totally unseen the moment she left the dining room.
“Here’s another bag,” Marilyn said, standing up. She brushed her dress off. “It’s awfully dusty in there. I’ll have to make sure the closet gets vacuumed next time we have someone in. I don’t remember this one. Maybe it’s my sister’s.” She opened it and looked inside. “Isn’t that a beauty?” she said. “Leather lined You don’t see that much anymore.” She pulled something out, a leather case that held credit cards. “That’s funny.”
“What is it?”
“Mom’s credit cards were in the other bag.” She pulled one card out of its slot and her face changed. “Oh, Chris.”
“What is it, Marilyn?”
“It’s Iris’s American Express card. This isn’t Mom’s bag, it’s Iris’s. It’s the bag she carried the night of the seder.” She turned to look at me, the dusty bag in her hand. “This has been sitting on the floor of the closet for sixteen years.”
8
We sat in the living room, more or less recovering from the shock. The handbag was indeed Iris
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