Waiting for Armando by Judith K. Ivie

Author:Judith K. Ivie [Ivie, Judith K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery
ISBN: 9780615271682
Publisher: Mainly Murder Press
Published: 2006-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

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On the way out of the police station, we were startled to see Vera Girouard getting out of the passenger seat of a late model Honda, which was pulled up to the curb outside the main entrance. Dressed simply and elegantly in a navy silk shirt and patio trousers that complemented her well-cut graying hair and subtle make-up, Vera bent briefly and spoke through the open window to the driver, then stepped back and waved goodbye. The car made a tight U-turn and headed out of the lot. I recognized Harold Karp.

We were directly in Vera’s path as she turned toward the door. After a moment’s hesitation she remembered where she had seen us before. She removed her sunglasses carefully so as not to disturb her hair and spoke to us by name.

“Ingrid,” she said, extending a slim hand. “And Kate, isn’t it?” I accepted her brief handclasp in my turn. “Being grilled once again by the good detective, I presume, as I am about to be. How are you holding up, Ingrid?”

“Other than being a little angry, I’m fine,” Ingrid replied levelly. “I’m sure you’ve heard that I’ve been sent home for an involuntary vacation until this situation is cleared up. I seem to be a suspect.”

“I didn’t know. Harold didn’t mention it this morning.”

“Was that Harold dropping you off?” I inquired, taking advantage of the opening. I felt Ingrid stiffen beside me.

Vera glanced in the direction in which the car had departed. “Yes, dear Harold,” she smiled, perfectly at ease. “Always such a good friend to Alain and me. He’s been a real help to me during this trying time. We were all at school together years ago in Boston, you know.”

“I didn’t know that,” Ingrid blurted in surprise. “I never saw Harold and Alain together unless it was at a firm business meeting. I had no idea they were friends.”

“No,” Vera said sadly. “I’m afraid that Harold was more my friend than Alain’s. You see, Harold always had something of a crush on me, I’m afraid,” she confided. “When we were at Boston University, it was Harold I kept company with first. You wouldn’t think it to look at him now,” she said matter-of-factly, “but Harold was quite dashing in those days and a lot of fun to be around, so bright and interested in the issues of our time. I’m afraid he took it rather badly when Alain came along, all charm and boyish good looks, and quite swept me off my feet. Still, to his credit, he kept a stiff upper lip at the wedding and has never appeared to hold my decision against me.”

Again I allowed my curiosity to triumph over tact. “Forgive me, Vera, but anyone who saw you and Grace together as Ingrid and I did the other day has to wonder why you did marry Alain—or any man.”

Far from being angry, Vera seemed to welcome the opportunity to tell her side of the story. An elderly couple approached the door from the parking lot, and she waited for them to enter the building before continuing.

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