The group of men and women filed quietly into the Hospitality Room at the Cedar Heights Retirement Estates and seated themselves at the request of Sergeant Mike Kennecott.

Cora Bagnold, the director, had given the sergeant a list of the residents after the ambulance had taken Elaine Nye away.

"Poor Elaine," Judy said. "To fall down the stairs and break her neck like that…"

"I waited for Elaine to come down for a game of Scrabble at five," Mr. Krueger, a handsome silver-haired man, said. "But she never showed."

"She complained about the fused bulb at the top of the stairs," Marge said looking up from her crocheting.

"Our custodial staff was busy with a flooded shower unit all day. A pipe burst in one of the bathrooms so the mains needed to be shut off," Cora explained. "We’re short-handed with several employees on vacation."

"I can’t believe she’s gone," Elaine’s neighbor, Nancy, said.

"I’ll need to talk to each of you individually," Sergeant Kennecott said to the worried-looking residents. "You first, Ms. Bagnold."

After the others left, Cora asked, " Do you have to write up an accident report?"

"Afraid so. Could you describe the setup here?" Kennecott said.

"The residents have their own apartments – five on the second floor and five on the third. The main floor has the lobby, Hospitality Room, and the dining room."

"Who found Ms. Nye?"

"I did. I was just coming out of the lobby when I found her lying at the bottom of the stairs. I called an ambulance and the police department." Cora looked pale.

"How do the residents all get along?"

"Very well. They all have hobbies. Elaine, Mr. Krueger, and Nancy are avid Scrabble afficionados. Marge loves her crocheting, Judy her golf. The others have favorite activities too," Cora explained.

"Where was everyone else at the time?" Kennecott asked.

"Right here. They like to play bridge or Scrabble before dinner at six."

Sergeant Kennecott glanced at his list and asked Cora to send in Nancy, Marge, and Judy one at a time.

"Was Elaine a good Scrabble player?" Kennecott asked Nancy.

"No," Nancy said. "I never knew why Mr. Krueger always looked for her. He and I used to play until Elaine came. She’s been here about two months. Never had to work a day in her life. Me, I’ve worked in Trade Mart all my life, scrimped and saved to retire respectably."

Kennecott blew out a breath. Nancy was obviously the outspoken type, and she had the effect of a hurricane on him.

"Were you in the Hospitality Room with the others around five?"

"Well, my niece took me out shopping and we walked until I was beat. So I soaked in the tub after I got home. My feet were killing me."

"Do you like it here?"

"Yes. I’ve made plenty of new friends," Nancy said.

Marge worked her needle as she talked. "Elaine was the queen around here. Or so she thought. She could ruffle feathers."

"Whose feathers in particular?"

"The women’s. She expected to be waited on. I did the shopping for her." Marge had been downstairs except when she went to her room for her crochet bag.

Judy said she was playing bridge with three others until she was the dummy and got up to get a can of pop from the vending machine on the second floor. "Elaine craved attention," she said.

When he was done questioning everybody, Kennecott said to Cora. "I’ll have to write up a murder report."

"What do you mean Sergeant?" Cora asked.

"Nancy said she had been ‘soaking in the tub’ when the water mains had been turned off, but she knew Elaine’s routine," Kennecott said.

"Nancy?" Cora said puzzled.

"Elaine had made many enemies but Nancy, who’d had a hard life resented Elaine’s striking up a friendship with Mr. Krueger when Nancy and he used to play Scrabble together," Kennecott explained. "Being her neighbor on the second floor, Nancy knew when Elaine usually went downstairs and gave her a push aided by the lack of lighting."