Murder in the Latin Quarter Read Online Free PDF Page A

straight to bed any way. Thank you for a lovely lunch as usual.”
    â€œBut, Delphine…” Victor said, his eyes on the policeman.
    â€œI will be fine,” Delphine said. “I will call you later.” She turned and followed the policeman into the courtyard. Several more police stood talking in the courtyard. One peeled away and looked at her with a questioningly look.
    â€œShe lives here,” the policeman said. “Where the body was discovered.”
    Delphine took in a harsh breath. Instantly she regretted sending Victor away. The other policeman nodded and turned to Delphine and Amelie.
    â€œWe will ask you a few questions, Madame,” he said sternly.
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    A n hour after making it as clear as she could that she had been gone all afternoon and could have no information to give them about why the poor woman, whoever she was, had come to be murdered outside her apartment, Delphine and Amelie were escorted upstairs to her apartment.
    All Delphine could think of was the luxury of peeling off her shoes and sinking onto her couch. She would ask Amelie to make her a cup of tea before the woman even put her handbag down.
    They rode up in the elevator with the young policeman not speaking a word. The hallway upstairs was full of people and Delphine could see her apartment door was open.
    The nerve! How dare they just come inside?
    If her legs hadn’t been so shaky at this point, she would have pushed past the young policeman and strode into her apartment to demand an explanation for this invasion.
    As it was, when she got to her front door, she saw there were more police inside, standing, their guns strapped to their belts, and amazingly, there was a young woman sitting on her couch talking into a cellphone.
    A young woman with a baby!
    â€œYeah, okay, Laurent,” the woman was saying in English. “I’ll call you as soon as I talk to her. No, I don’t know when exactly. Yes, I—oh, hold on, Laurent. I think she’s here. I’ll call you back.”
    Delphine walked into her apartment to where the woman sat on the couch. Her intention had been to demand the woman leave her apartment immediately—or at least remove herself from her furniture. But when she saw the baby’s face, her legs betrayed her and she staggered to the couch and sat down heavily next to her.
    â€œOh, this must be so upsetting for you,” the woman said. “I’m so sorry. Can I get you something, Madame Normand?”
    Delphine looked at her and drew herself up as if she was in complete control of herself and wasn’t about to collapse into an exhausted heap on the rug.
    â€œAnd you are?” she said, her voice trembling.

6
    â€œ I ’m your nephew’s wife,” Maggie said. “Laurent Dernier? We have a farm in the south?”
    The old woman’s eyes never left Mila’s face. Maggie decided to take that as a good sign. A sour-faced middle aged woman had come in with Delphine and by the way she jerked her jacket off and deposited her purse on a chair Maggie got the impression she was more servant than friend.
    Aunt Delphine looked done in. Her face was white and the veins vivid and pronounced under her eyes .
    â€œThey said I could make tea or coffee,” Maggie said. “Would you like something?”
    Delphine’s eyes went from the baby to Maggie.
    â€œYou are?”
    â€œLaurent’s wife,” Maggie repeated. “Laurent Dernier, your nephew.” Maggie pulled out her phone and called Laurent.
    â€œYes , chèrie ?” he answered.
    â€œTalk to your aunt,” Maggie said. “She’s had a shock.” She handed the phone to Delphine who took it.
    â€œ Oui ?” she said.
    Maggie got up with Mila on her hip and pushed her way into the kitchen to put the kettle on. The middle aged woman who’d come in with Delphine was in the kitchen, her back rigid, energetically wiping down the already spotless