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A hostile inspector discovers that debonair derives from the French INSPECTOR PASCAL MYSTERIES 1000 #28 Prickly by T.K. Naliaka ©2017  INSPECTOR PASCAL MYSTERIES 1000
#28 Prickly by T.K. Naliaka ©2017 The pair, a lean, brown-haired man in a neat tan suit accompanied by a big, broad-shouldered uniformed policeman strode to the group of police assembled in the long, open-air arched stone passageway of the large manor complex. They approached a heavy-set older man in a black suit, “Inspector Abode?” “Yes?” He held out his hand. “I am Inspector Pascal. Inspector Fortuna sent me.” Abode bristled. “I didn’t request assistance.” As the awkward pause lengthened and Abode made no effort to offer his own hand in greeting, Pascal casually withdrew his. “No problem, please inform Inspector Fortuna to reassign me.” Unwilling to antagonize the higher authorities, Abode chose ostracizing the subordinate authority instead. He wrinkled his nose. “What is that… that odor?” Pascal frowned. Abode grinned at his men, “Smells like a Frenchman.” Apart from Sgt. Braque who was furious, most of the expressions on the assembled police officers were embarrassed to unreadable; but the three officers with Abode smirked. Pascal dryly retorted. “With a nose like that, were you promoted out of the K-9 kennels?” Abode’s face turned beet red. Pascal considered Abode coolly. “Convince Inspector Fortuna to change his orders and I will comply.” He pulled out a cigarette, stuck it in his mouth, lit it, took a deep draw, then blew out a grey haze of smoke that hung between them. Abode snapped. “Stay outside!” As Abode turned his back on Pascal, Pascal glanced at Braque who nodded, then followed the others filing into the building. Hiding his irritation, Pascal paced slowly along the grey flagstones of the corridor. After a few minutes, Braque’s message was on his phone: COMPANY PARTY. FEMALE VICTIM OFFERED TOAST. DRANK. COLLAPSED CHOKING & BLEEDING FROM MOUTH. SECURITY IMMEDIATELY LOCKED DOWN. CALLED AMBULANCE & POLICE. VICTIM DEAD BEFORE ARRIVAL AT HOSPITAL. ALL ATTENDING STILL IN PLACE. 63 PERSONS BEING IDENTIFIED & INTERVIEWED NOW. Pascal rubbed his ear then typed back: POISON? After about five minutes, Braque’s reply came: UNCONFIRMED. BLEEDING WAS IMMEDIATE. STILL WAITING FOR HOSPITAL REPORT. Pascal leaned against one of the stacked granite columns. A side door at the end of the main function hall opened slightly and a pretty young blonde in a white shirt with a long black apron wrapped over slim black pants holding a glass of wine, surreptitiously slipped out and closed the door carefully behind her. Pascal straightened, “Excuse me!” She started with fright, saw him and looked about to bolt so he held up his badge as he quickly trotted to her. “Did you have permission to leave?” Her eyes were wide and strained and her hand began to tremble so Pascal shook out one of his handkerchiefs to cover the stem and took the glass from her. “Is this yours?” She dodged, “Je ne comprends pas.” "Française?” She froze, then she finally admitted, “Oui.” “C’est géniale!” Pascal pocketed his badge and steered her near to where he had been waiting to sit down, “D’où?” She slumped slightly, then accepting the inevitable, she replied, “Marseilles.” Pascal set the glass down on the ledge, “Cigarette?” She nodded, “Merci.” He lit it for her then lit another for himself. He let her smoke morosely for a couple of minutes before he asked. “Is this your glass?” She shook her head, “Non… it’s Bernard’s.” “Who’s Bernard?” “He’s the owner here.” “You know what’s going in there. No one is to go in or out and nothing is to be removed.” Tears filled her eyes. “Why did you agree?” She began to cry. “I don’t have work papers.” “Ah… Bernard threatens you, and you do?” She nodded and covered her face. Pascal pulled out another handkerchief, unfolded it and gave it to her. “Comment t’appelles-tu?” She sniffed, “Giselle.” “Bon, Giselle. Je suis Inspecteur Pascal. Your problem is very small compared to a murder, n’est ce pas?” She wiped her eyes dejectedly, “C’est vrai.” “Help me and I will help you… fair?” “D’accord.” Pascal lifted the glass to peer at it. “What did Bernard tell you to do with this?” She replied. “He said to dump it into the compost at the garden then wash it in the kitchen.” “That’s interesting; why was it necessary to go all the way to the garden to empty it and not just to the sink?” Pascal held the glass of white wine to the sunlight. “Do you see anything?” Giselle leaned closer to peer at it. She shook her head, “Rien.” Pascal sniffed it, then swirled the translucent pale yellow wine to watch it drain down the sides of the glass, “Ah, bon!” Giselle straightened, “What?” “What do you think of those legs?” Instead of flowing down smoothly, the draining wine was diverted in multiple directions. Giselle exclaimed, “C’est bizarre! What’s causing that?” Pascal replied, “Glass splinters. Had it been red wine, it could have been noticed, but with this white, they are nearly invisible.” Giselle gasped, “That poor woman! She swallowed a mouthful! That’s why Bernard said to pour it on the compost! If I had poured it down the sink, they would have been piled in the drain catch!” Pascal whispered approvingly in her ear, “Beautiful and intelligent!” Giselle smiled. He pulled out a card from his pocket. “Here’s my number. Call me tomorrow. It’s going to be hard. You are a witness and you have to stay and not disappear because it is very important that Bernard goes to prison, oui?” She nodded soberly, “Je comprends. He’s very mean.” “Très bien! But I’ll help you, so don’t worry about anything.” The entry doors opened. Nine policemen and Inspector Abode looked out in time to see Inspector Pascal sitting on the low wall with a cigarette and a glass of wine, exchanging kisses on the cheeks with a pretty blonde woman. She gave Pascal a little parting wave, “Allez, tchao!” Pascal looked at them, with their jaws dropped, especially Abode’s. Pascal stood up and inhaled indulgently. “What’s that… scent?” He took another drag off his cigarette, exhaling indolently, “Chanel No. 5?” by T.K. Naliaka ©2017 |