Free Widows' Watch by Nancy Herndon Page A

counter. “The bridge group,” she mused. “Well, I find it very touching that those women have been together for so many years. They all went to the same private school here in town. Some as boarders, some as day students.”
    â€œI didn’t know that.” Elena got out beer and tilted a chilled stein sideways so that she could pour without getting too much foam.
    â€œOf course, some moved away, but they all ended up back here.”
    â€œLydia Beeman would be one of the ones who moved away. Her husband was in the army.” Elena handed a stein to Harmony and filled one for herself. “She’s an interesting woman, don’t you think?”
    â€œLydia?” Harmony raised the lid to give her chile verde a stir, then took her first sip of beer. “I really didn’t care for her.”
    â€œWhy not?” asked Elena, surprised.
    â€œThe woman has an angry aura.”
    â€œOh, come on, Mom. Lots of citizens are angry. It’s a tough world. Especially if you’re her age.”
    â€œThat’s true,” Harmony agreed and changed the subject. “I can’t understand why you haven’t done anything about your living room, Elena.”
    â€œI did. I swept up the glass, put the books back on the shelves—”
    â€œâ€”and left your sofa and chairs in hopeless condition. Fortunately, your neighbor, Mr. Ituribe, has offered to work on the springs and help me with the upholstering. You’ll have a designer
    living room before I leave.” Harmony ladled the chile verde into large bowls as Elena scooped the salad into small ones.
    Then they sat down to dinner, Elena savoring the first mouthful of her mother’s delicious beef and green chile stew. As she ate, she thought about the case. Lance Potemkin loved his mother and hated his father. Boris abused Dimitra, had even threatened to kill her if Lance didn’t stay away. So if Dimitra hadn’t killed the old man, Lance was the most likely suspect. That scenario made more sense than a robber killing Boris to get his hands on a medal that wouldn’t be worth anything with a local fence.
    â€œHave you seen Dimitra today?” asked Elena as she helped herself to more chili verde.
    â€œJust briefly. She brought me cabbage rolls, but she couldn’t stay to chat because one of the neighbors had invited her to go to the movies. A Mr. Ashkenazi.”
    Elena shook her head. Omar was another suspect. And if T. Bob Tyler was the murderer instead of Lance or Omar, Omar Ashkenazi might be the next victim. Maybe she ought to run all three men through the computer for priors.

10
    Wednesday, September 29, 8:30 A.M.
    They caught Lance Potemkin arriving at the English Department the next morning. He stowed a backpack behind his desk and said, “Aren’t you the detectives who investigated the non-murder of Angus McGlenlevie last spring?”
    â€œRight. Where have you been?” asked Leo. “We’ve been trying to get hold of you for two days.”
    â€œI’ve—” Lance looked surprised, then uneasy. “I’ve had the flu.”
    â€œIt’s too early for the flu,” said Elena, thinking he really was cute. Blond curls, a clean-cut face, and nice build. He also looked guilty as hell.
    â€œIt’s striking early,” said Lance defensively.
    â€œSo where were you while you had the flu?” asked Elena. “We called your house.”
    â€œI—turned the phone off.”
    â€œDon’t you ever read the Los Santos papers or talk to your mother?” asked Leo.
    â€œI haven’t seen a paper.”
    â€œYou didn’t listen to the radio or watch TV? You have to do something while you’re sick,” Leo prodded.
    â€œI go to bed and sleep.” Alarm suddenly flashed in Lance’s eyes. “Is something wrong with my mother?”
    Was he worried that his mother had been arrested, when he himself was the murderer?