Poppy Harmon Investigates by Lee Hollis

Author:Lee Hollis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2018-05-15T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

Over by the bar Poppy spied Iris serving a wheelchair-bound woman in her mideighties, with long, white hair and a flower-print dress. Her wheelchair was being pushed by a bespectacled man in a loud red Hawaiian shirt like the one Tom Selleck wore in his Magnum, P.I. series and in white shorts that showed off skinny, hairy legs and knobby knees. He was rather short, or at least he appeared to be, since he had bad posture and was slouched over as he gripped the handles of the wheelchair. He sported longish, shaggy blond hair, and his face was red from too much desert sun.

They had just arrived.

Poppy casually strolled over to join them.

“Thank you for coming. I’m one of the hosts, Poppy Harmon,” Poppy said, extending a hand.

The woman took Poppy’s hand and shook it. “Esther Hamilton, and this is my son Sammy.”

The man nodded but refused to shake Poppy’s hand.

“Don’t mind him. Sammy’s a germaphobe,” Esther said, eyeing her son disapprovingly. “We live just a few blocks over from you.”

Iris handed Esther a drink. “Here is your cosmopolitan. What about you, Sonny?”

“Sammy,” he whispered.

“He doesn’t drink,” Esther said, almost disappointed. “He’s always been such a straitlaced boy.”

Boy?

He was at least in his midforties.

Definitely a mama’s boy, in Poppy’s opinion.

“I’ll have a diet cola, please,” Sammy muttered.

Iris eyed him warily and then flicked open a soda can and poured some soda in a plastic cup.

“You have a lovely home,” Esther said, looking around.

“Oh, we don’t own it. We’re just renting it for the season. Betty is an old friend, and she was so kind to let us move in while she’s away. She encouraged us to throw a party and get to know the neighbors.”

“How lovely,” Esther said. “Quite a turnout.”

“Yes, and everyone seems so nice,” Poppy said.

“Yeah, well, don’t get used to it. This place is packed with vipers,” Esther said.

“Mother, don’t start,” Sammy begged.

“It’s true. They’re nice to your face, but then, the minute you leave the room, they’re trash-talking you. And don’t get me started on that one,” Esther said, pointing across the room.

“Who?” Iris asked.

“Over there. The big star!” She was pointing at Shirley Fox. “What a piece of work. She blows in here like she’s the queen of England, and has everyone buzzing, and then she has the gall to flaunt her husband, who, let’s face it, is young enough to be her grandson! So disgusting!”

“Mother, please . . .”

“I just speak the truth, Sammy. And I don’t want you anywhere near her. The last thing I need is you getting mixed up with that cradle robber!”

Poppy and Iris had to suppress smiles.

The odds of Shirley setting her sights on the nerdy germaphobe Sammy when she had the attention of the far more striking and muscled Dash were a bit far-fetched, to say the least.

“Sammy has a weak spot for actresses. He’s watching TV all the time, too much, if you ask me. I’m always saying, ‘For the love of God, kid, read

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