A Game for the Living by Patricia Highsmith Page B

the paper! How dreadful! Is it true?”
    â€œYes, it is true.”
    â€œYou’ve been with the police?”
    â€œAll night. I’ve been home only an hour.” The sight of Leo stepping forth from behind a hollowed log full of blossoming orchids sent a shock through Theodore, like the shock of seeing a close friend after a long time. For an instant, Theodore took pleasure in the colors of the picture: the orange of the orchids, Leo’s blending brown and tan and his clear, bright blue eyes. Theodore stooped and caressed the cat’s brown cheek and ear. “Leo—and how have you been?” The cat, miffed at Theodore’s desertion of him for a month, pretended interest in something in another direction. Then as Olga Velasquez began to speak, Leo looked at Theodore and opened his mouth in a monotone wail, holding the note like an operatic soprano at the climax of an aria, augmenting it even to drown out Olga, who, however, paid no attention.
    â€œDoesn’t he look fine? He has caught at least six lizards and one snake ! Imagine! A snake this long in our patio!”
    â€œHe is angry because I went away and left him,” Theodore said, feeling suddenly weak enough to drop on the floor.
    Olga Velasquez’s face took on an expression of distress. “You must be exhausted, Don Teodoro! Sit down. Would you like some coffee? I was just about to have some. Imagine, I had to get up at eight o’clock this morning to go to a traffic court about a ticket I got for speeding on the autopista to Cuernavaca. Imagine that one could speed on a speedway! That’s why I didn’t see the papers until just now when I got back. I couldn’t believe it was true! You do take sugar, don’t you?”
    â€œYes, Olga.” He accepted the cup of coffee. It was in a little cup of transparent blue glass with a spiral design. The cool, beautiful blue made him think of diving head-first into some refreshing sea. He half listened to Señora Velasquez’s voice, that went on and on about Lelia. Was it true, was it true? Was it true that he had just walked in and found her?
    â€œAnd do you think it could have been Ramón?” she asked in a breathless whisper.
    Constancia, who had not left the living-room after bringing the extra cup and saucer, stood a few feet away, listening agape.
    â€œI don’t know. I suppose it is better not to say anything until we know. He is being questioned by the police.”
    â€œDo you have any idea who else could have done it?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œI never thought Ramón was quite right in the head.”
    â€œHe is moody, he has a temper—but I don’t consider him insane,” Theodore said, looking at her.
    Olga tossed her head a little as if to say, well, he might not consider him insane. “Such a beautiful girl! Such a sweet girl, Lelia! I liked her very much, you know, Teo.”
    But she had seen Lelia very few times, Theodore thought. She knew that Lelia was his mistress, but she probably did not think that he was really in love with her. Olga would have behaved with the same concern if Lelia Ballesteros had been merely a friend. Theodore and Olga were good neighbors, but they kept a certain distance. Señor Velasquez, though ostensibly a lawyer, dabbled unethically in several businesses, Theodore knew, but he never asked questions of Olga or of anyone else about him, and had no curiosity to find out anything about his business practices.
    â€œHow is your husband?” Theodore asked, as he always did.
    â€œOh, as fine as ever. But tell me, you mean they have no suspects except Ramón?” She leaned towards him on the sofa, pressing her soft, well-groomed hands together.
    â€œDear Olga, I am a suspect.”
    â€œ You? ”
    â€œBecause I was there, too. I’m not supposed to leave my house.”
    â€œOh, they don’t really suspect you, or you’d be in jail!” she said