No answering smile, but the look she gave me wasn’t hostile. “The lid’s stuck. Does that sometimes for no reason I can tell.”
“Let’s see if I can unstick it.” I gave it a hefty yank and it came off in my hand. “There you go.”
“Thank you.”
“Glad to do it.”
I stood holding the lid until she had emptied the contents of a kitchen garbage pail into the larger container; then I put the lid back on for her.
“Push it down tight, even if it sticks,” she said. “Neighbor’s dog gets in here sometimes and forages.”
I pushed the lid down tight and gave it a little twist. It stayed put when I tugged on it.
“That’s fine,” she said. “I hate dogs.”
“I’m not too crazy about them myself… Lina, is it?”
“Yes.”
“Lina, I’d like to ask you a few questions.”
“Questions? About what?”
“The night of Mr. Purcell’s accident. Mrs. Purcell said it was all right,” I lied. “Check with her, if you like.”
She hesitated, looking dubious, and I thought she was going to call my little bluff. But she stood her ground; and pretty soon she said, “Ask your questions, then. But I don’t have much time. I’m a busy woman.”
“I’m sure you are. I won’t keep you long. That afternoon, before the party, Mr. Purcell had visits from his business associate, Mr. Ozimas, and from his daughter.”
Lina made a sniffing sound; I took it to mean she didn’t approve of either Ozimas or Melanie. “That’s right,” she said.
“Were they the only two? Or did he have other callers?”
“No. No one else came until the party started at seven.”
“Mr. Ozimas left around five-thirty?”
“Yes. Just as the girl arrived.”
“Did he come back that night? While the party was going on?”
“He did not.”
“Do you have any idea what he and Mr. Purcell talked about during his visit?”
“No,” she said, and glowered at me. “Eavesdropping is not part of my duties here.”
“I didn’t mean to imply that it was.”
“Well, I don’t know anything about Mr. Purcell’s business, or Mr. Ozimas’s business, or anybody’s business but my own. I have my duties and I see to them, that’s all. I know my place.”
I smiled to show her I understood and that I had intended no offense. The smile got rid of her glower, but it didn’t do much to melt the layer of frost in her eyes. She had about as much good humor as a hanging judge.
I said, “What time did Melanie leave?”
“I don’t remember exactly. I didn’t see her go.”
“Would you say it was around eight or so?”
“I told you, I didn’t see her go.”
“But she wasn’t here at nine-thirty, was she?”
“No. I had the buffet ready at half past eight. She was gone by then.”
“What was her mood that evening?”
“Her mood? Same as always.”
“And that is?”
“Sassy,” Lina said, and let me have another sniff. “No respect for her elders, that girl. Mrs. Purcell won’t have her in the house anymore.”
“They don’t get along, then?”
“Never have. That girl would try a saint’s patience.”
“Did she get along with her father?”
“Sometimes.”
“When he gave her money?”
“I don’t know anything about that.”
“Were she and Mr. Purcell getting along that night?”
“Seemed to be. He was in a mood to get along with everyone.”
The way she said that, I took it as a reference to the fact he’d been drinking. I said, “Do you remember what time you last saw him?”
“About nine-thirty.”
“Where was this?”
“In the kitchen. I was fixing another tray of canapes.”
“Were you alone?”
“I was.”
“Did he speak to you?”
“No. He went right on outside.”
“How did he seem? Was he steady on his feet?”
“Well, he’d had quite a bit.” Another sniff. “But the way he stalked out, he was navigating all right.”
“Why do you say ‘stalked out’?”
“Because that’s what he did.”
“You mean he was upset? Angry?”
“Seemed like.”
“Any idea why?”
“No.”
“Did you mention this to Mrs. Purcell?”
“Not right away. Not until later.”
“After he was found, you mean?”
“Yes.”
“What did she say?”
“Said she couldn’t imagine what he’d been upset about. Unless it was just that he’d had too much. Things upset him easy when he took too much.”
“After he went outside, did anyone else go out through the kitchen?”
“Not that I saw. But I took the canapes in right afterward.”
“How long were you gone from the kitchen?”
“Couple of minutes.”
“Then you came back.”
“I did.”
“Did you stay in the kitchen after that?”
“Yes. Well, except for half a minute when I went to buzz open the front gate.”
“Buzz open the-You mean someone else arrived between nine-thirty and ten?”
“Just the deliveryman.”
“What deliveryman?”
“From Cabrillo Market. They stay open until eleven most nights and they deliver. We were almost out of champagne, so I-”
“How long after Mr. Purcell went outside did this deliveryman arrive?”
“Well… ten minutes or so.”
“Did he bring the champagne around here, to this door?”
“He did.”
“But Mr. Purcell wasn’t anywhere around by then.”
“I didn’t see him if he was.”
“Did you tell anyone else about the deliveryman? The police when they were here?”
“Don’t think so, no. I’d forgotten all about him until just now. I don’t see what a deliveryman-”
“Do you know his name?”
