Murder in the Latin Quarter Read Online Free PDF

counters.
    When Maggie stepped back into the living room with a mug of tea, she saw that Delphine had put the phone down next to her on the couch. Maggie handed her the mug and then crossed the living room to turn on one of the Chinese porcelain jar lamps. Through the tall northeast-facing windows she could just see a glint of the Seine in the distance.
    She sat back down with Mila on her lap. The baby kicked her feet and clapped her hands. Maggie thought she caught a hint of a smile as the old woman watched the child.
    Delphine’s color seemed to be a little better after her conversation with Laurent. Her face was more relaxed too. Maggie was sorry to miss the phone conversation but she guessed her French likely wouldn’t have been good enough to understand it anyway.
    â€œI can’t imagine how horrible this must be for you,” Maggie said. “Did you know the dead woman?”
    Delphine made a pained face as if the tea had suddenly gone bad.
    â€œShe was my home health nurse,” she said quietly. “Isla.”
    â€œIt’s really terrible. I’m so sorry for your loss.”
    Delphine narrowed her eyes at Maggie as if examining her for the first time.
    â€œI am surprised my nephew married,” she said.
    Well, that’s an odd thing to say , Maggie thought. She wasn’t sure how to respond.
    The unhappy woman from the kitchen came into the room, a dishtowel in her hands and spoke abruptly to Delphine. Again, she spoke as an employee might. Not as a friend.
    Maggie was able to make out that she was telling Delphine the police were about to leave.
    Delphine nodded and placed her mug on the coffee table. She looked at Maggie and the expression on her face was clear—Laurent’s wife or not—she expected Maggie to be on her way too.
    Maggie thought about pretending not to understand but she had a feeling the old girl could be very straightforward when necessary.
    She stood up and gathered her purse and Mila’s little cardigan. She didn’t want to start their relationship out on the wrong foot.
    Bad enough they had to work around the whole dead body thing.
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    L aurent gestured to Jemmy to pick up his toys in the living room. Instead the child threw a ball at their little poodle. The dog yelped—mostly in surprise, Laurent was sure. The ball was a soft one.
    â€œWhat was that?” Maggie said on the phone line.
    â€œYour son putting his toys away,” Laurent said.
    â€œSounded like Petit-Four.”
    â€œIn any case,” Laurent said as he watched Jemmy from the kitchen, the boy’s half-eaten dinner still on the counter, “you are on your way back to Grace’s?”
    â€œI am.”
    â€œYou should take a taxi.”
    â€œIt’s not even six blocks. I like the walk. So what did your aunt say when you talked to her?”
    Laurent sighed. He should have called Delphine rather than send Maggie. It would have been better for everyone if he had.
    â€œShe was glad to hear that meeting ma femme does not always result in a dead body on her doorstep although I told her it often does.”
    â€œVery funny. Was she astounded to hear from you?”
    â€œSince you had her call me ? No.”
    â€œJeez, Laurent, did you two talk? At all?”
    â€œI asked after her health and she assured me she was fine. Jemmy, stop that.”
    â€œWhat’s he doing?”
    â€œIt doesn’t matter. Promise me you are not thinking of investigating this woman’s death.”
    â€œOf course not. The cops said it was a burglary gone wrong.”
    â€œHow is the baby?”
    â€œStill alive. Surprised?”
    â€œYour mother called.”
    Jemmy ran back to Laurent, giggling for no apparent reason that Laurent could see and he pulled him into his lap.
    â€œDon’t tell me she’s trying to talk you into making me come home for the summer,” Maggie said. “She’s relentless.”
    â€œIt is a good