Murder by Arrangement (Edna Davies mysteries Book 5) (5 page)

Chapter 5

“Lettie seems
nice,” Edna said to Amanda as she headed across town. The comment was partly to
make conversation with her granddaughter, but she also was curious to learn
what Amanda knew of the Beck family.

The girl nodded.
“Yes.”

It might be
like a dental extraction to get any information
, Edna thought with some
amusement over the reticence of children. Aloud, she said, “How did you two
become friends?”

Amanda turned to
face her, brow crinkled. “What do you mean?”

“When people
become friends, there’s usually something that attracts them to each other, or
something that happens to throw them together. Like …” Edna thought for a
minute. “Were you assigned to do a school project together?”

“Oh,” Amanda
said as understanding brightened her face. “No project. She lives near me.”

“So you walk home
together?” Edna knew that Irene drove her youngest child to school in the
morning, mainly because Amanda tended to dawdle over her morning routine. Irene
wanted to insure Amanda didn’t dillydally once she was out of the house.

At Edna’s
question, Amanda merely nodded again, but then seemed to have forgotten the
conversation as she stared out at the passing scenery. After a moment’s
silence, she turned to Edna with serious brown eyes. “It really isn’t far,
Gramma.”

Taking only a
second or two to realize what Amanda was talking about, Edna bit back a laugh
at her granddaughter’s reassurance that she wasn’t walking miles every day. The
elementary school was four blocks from Matthew and Irene’s house. “It’s nice of
you to make friends with Lettie. I bet it wasn’t easy for her to change schools
in the middle of the year.”

Amanda shrugged
as if to say “no big deal” and returned her attention to the view. After a
minute or two of companionable silence, she glanced back at Edna. “Can Lettie
come over to play tomorrow?”

“If it’s okay
with her grandmother, she can.”

The girl’s eyes
sparkled. “We can go to Mary’s and play with the kittens.”

Edna laughed.
“If she isn’t too busy.”

“Oh, Mary’s
never too busy. She likes us to come over.”

Edna chuckled
again. It was true. Mary did enjoy having children visit. She loved to watch
them play with the cats and Hank. Her animals seemed to like the attention,
too. Benjamin received his share of petting from the grandchildren, but the
newness of Mary’s three additional cats drew the youngsters next door.

As Edna neared
town and approached the grocery store, she had an idea she knew would please
her granddaughter. “How about flatbread pizza for supper tonight?”

“Yeah,” Amanda
cheered, quickly adding, “Can I pick the toppings?”

For the next
half hour, Edna strolled up and down the aisles, deciding what she might buy to
augment her pantry supplies for a nine-year-old guest. While the girl took off
for the produce area, Edna found tiny marshmallows for cocoa, cereal with more
sugar than either she or Albert liked, and an assortment of snacks. She had
reached the pet section when Amanda rounded the corner, holding out a large
tomato. After waiting for Edna’s approval, she scurried away in search of
cheese. Edna was trying to decide which dry food to get for Benjamin when her
granddaughter returned with a packet of mozzarella and another of sliced
pepperoni.

“What would you
like on yours, Gramma?” she said, her forehead furrowed with the seriousness of
the question.

“Would you find
a fresh green pepper for me, please? I need to get milk and eggs, then I think
we’re done.”

On a Friday
afternoon, even though they were ahead of most of the payday crowd, it took
nearly twenty minutes to get through the checkout line and on the road again.
When they reached the house, Edna had barely turned off the engine when Amanda
jumped from the car.

“Can I go say hi
to Mary?” she called.

“If you help
take in the groceries, I think Mary will be in the kitchen before we have a
chance to put everything away,” Edna said.

Sure enough,
Amanda had just put the carton of eggs into the refrigerator when Hank came
wiggling into the room, head lowered and tail wagging his entire back end. Spot
bounded in on his heels and jumped onto the chair next to Benjamin. As Amanda
knelt to hug Hank’s neck, Mary popped her head in the door. “Whatcha doin’?”
she asked in her usual greeting.

“Hi, Mary.” Edna
grinned and winked at Amanda who looked up at her grandmother with wide brown
eyes as if to say, “You were right.”

Leaping to her
feet, the youngster hurried to Mary who bent to receive the girl’s embrace.
Edna could see the flush of pleasure on the redhead’s face.

“Come in, Mary.
We’re having flatbread pizza for supper. I hope you can join us.”

When Mary didn’t
answer immediately, Amanda encouraged her. “Oh, yes, Mary. You gotta stay. You
can choose your own toppings,” she added, making it sound like a bribe.

Mary grinned.
“Hard to refuse an invitation like that.”

“First, let’s
have cocktails by a fire in the living room,” Edna suggested, taking a bottle
of cranberry juice from the fridge for Amanda’s libation and reaching for a
bottle of red wine for Mary and herself.

Amanda
volunteered to put out one of the newly purchased snack mixes, while Mary
offered to light the prepared fire in the living room hearth. They were nicely
settled when Edna heard the front door open.

“Anyone home,”
called a familiar voice.

“Auntie
Starling,” cried Amanda, jumping to her feet to follow Hank into the hall.

“What are you
doing here, kiddo?” Starling’s voice preceded her into the room as she appeared
with an arm around her niece’s shoulders and a hand scratching the black Lab’s
head.

“I’m staying
with Gramma ‘til Monday,” Amanda announced proudly.

Edna and Mary
rose to greet the youngest of the Davies children before Edna went to fetch
another glass from the kitchen.

“To what do I
owe this pleasure?” she asked her daughter, returning to hand her the wine.
“It’s wonderful to see you, but I didn’t expect you this weekend.”

“Charlie’s
taking me to dinner tomorrow night for an early Valentine’s treat since he’s on
duty all next week. When I heard about the storm moving in, I thought I’d drive
down early and spend the weekend.”

Starling was a
mix of her parents, long-legged and slim like Albert with Edna’s auburn hair
and brown eyes. She lived in Boston’s Back Bay and was half-owner of an art
gallery where she displayed framed photos of New England people and places,
mostly historic, and where her partner sold his oil paintings of sights around
Boston and Cambridge.

She plopped down
on the sofa next to Mary as Amanda resumed her place on the rug with her back
against the arm of the couch and Hank stretched out beside her. Starling waited
for Benjamin to jump into her lap before taking a sip of her wine. Stroking the
ginger cat, she looked fondly down at the top of her niece’s head and spoke to
Edna. “With Dad gone, I thought you’d be alone. Nice to see Manda-Panda here.”

At Starling’s
pet name for her, the girl tilted back her head and grinned up at her aunt.

“Tell me about
the storm. I haven’t tuned in the news today,” Edna said. “What’s the latest
forecast?”

“’Bout four
inches, they’re sayin’,” Mary answered before Starling could reply. “Rain
first, turning to sleet, then snow, so the roads will be nice and slippery.”

“Brrr,” Starling
grumbled. “I’m ready for spring.” She gently ruffled Amanda’s hair. “What’s the
news from Poppy and Matt?” she asked, using the name that Dean, the youngest
grandchild, had dubbed Albert during the family’s Christmas visit. “How’s the
fishing trip going?”

“Let’s call
‘em,” Amanda said, tilting her head again to study her aunt’s face.

“After supper,”
Edna said. Correctly reading the restlessness in her neighbor, she went on,
“Right now, I think Mary has something to tell you.”

The redhead’s
face lit up with her chance to tell about the ghost, while Amanda’s eyes grew
wide and Starling refrained from laughing at the idea. Edna guessed her
daughter didn’t want to spoil Mary’s story by announcing that there was no such
thing as ghosts. Also, the rebel theory probably delighted Starling who was an
avid student of New England history.

Who am I to
naysay
, Edna thought as Mary was describing the unusual sounds she heard.

“Can you come
over tonight and help me investigate?” Mary concluded.

Before her
daughter or granddaughter got carried away with the idea, Edna spoke up. “Maybe
another time, Mary. I don’t want Amanda to be up all night if she’s expecting
her friend to visit tomorrow.” Before too many groans of protest could emanate
from the others, Edna stood. “Ready to make pizzas?”

The evening
passed quickly. After supper, Mary took Hank and Spot home to see what mischief
her house cats had “gotten themselves into,” as she put it. Edna took Amanda
and Starling into her office where they used the speaker phone to reach Albert,
Matthew, Roger and Ken in Florida. After much joking and laughing and tall
tales, the call ended, and Edna thought a mug of hot cider with a cinnamon
stick stirrer would help quiet Amanda and allow her to sleep.

When the
youngster had finally been tucked into bed, Edna and Starling sat for a while
longer before the dying embers of the fire.

Starling was
stretched out on the sofa with Benjamin curled in her lap. “Amanda’s having a
friend over tomorrow?” she asked, breaking the easy silence.

Edna nodded as
she continued to gaze at the fire, her mind occupied with the earlier events of
the day.

“I didn’t know
she had friends in this area.” Starling seemed intent on grabbing Edna’s
attention.

Edna mentally
shook herself back into the room and turned to her daughter. “She hasn’t. This
is a new friend who happens to be visiting her own grandmother this week.”

“So who is she,
this new friend of Manda-Panda’s?”

Realizing it
would be good to voice her recent thoughts, Edna gave Starling the long version
of Amanda’s unplanned visit, beginning with Irene’s call the previous morning.
In explaining Irene’s concerns about Rosie Beck, Edna reminded Starling about
the scandal that had been front-page news.

“So, are you
talking about Rosie
Haverstrum
?” Starling suddenly showed more interest.
“Wow. That was quite a story. Knocked this town on its ear, at the time.” She
pushed herself up straighter, causing Benjamin to jump down and head for his
bed next to the warm hearth. “You know her mother?”

Edna nodded.
“Lily Beck. She’s a long-time member of the garden club. By the way, Rosie took
her maiden name back. She goes by Rosie Beck now.” Edna looked thoughtful for a
few seconds. “I don’t know what surname Lettie goes by. I wonder if Irene would
know. I don’t want to assume and cause the child any embarrassment if she
hasn’t kept her father’s name.”

“Speaking of the
dead, have you ever mentioned your sleuthing escapades to Dad?” Starling’s eyes
twinkled. Edna guessed that, as they say of a good lawyer, Starling wasn’t
asking a question to which she didn’t already know the answer.

Edna scowled,
taking what she knew to be bait but rising to it anyway. “You’re perfectly
aware that I haven’t, nor do I intend to. What’s past is past, and there’s no
need to stir up old troubles unnecessarily. Besides, it would be much too
complicated to explain everything to him at this late date. He’d only worry.”

Chapter 6

Saturday morning
dawned cold and windy, but sunny. There was no sign of the predicted storm
until Edna stepped outside to fetch the newspaper from the front stoop.
Decidedly, there was a smell of snow in the frigid air. Starling and Amanda
clattered downstairs as Edna poured her first cup of coffee. The consensus was
for a waffle breakfast with bacon, after which Edna settled at the kitchen
table with a final cup of coffee and the daily crossword while Amanda and
Starling went next door to visit Mary and her menagerie.

But Edna
couldn’t keep her mind on the puzzle this morning. She’d slept restlessly. At
one point, she dreamed she was wandering from room to room in a maze. She was
trying to find her way out into the open air, but each door she passed through
only led to an increasingly dark and stuffy interior. Suddenly, she found
herself in the center of a crowd. Wherever she looked, people were glaring at
her, pointing and shouting words she couldn’t make out. One woman picked
something up from the ground and threw it at her. Others followed suit until
everyone seemed to be hurling objects at her. She found herself backing against
a wall. Stones banged against the surface, barely missing her. Her feet stuck
to the floor, so she could only bob and weave, dodging the flying debris. She
finally awoke with a start, struggling against the sheets she’d gotten wrapped
around herself. The hammering was caused by something, probably a tree branch,
hitting the side of the house as a fierce wind picked up outside. That had been
at four in the morning, and, heart racing, she’d been unable to get back to
sleep. Now, in the bright morning light, she restlessly set aside the newspaper
and took her coffee into the office.

At her desk, she
turned on the computer, but instead of opening her e-mail messages, the way she
usually began her morning, she resumed her search for articles having to do
with “Haverstrum.” Probably because she’d refreshed her memory of Rosie’s tale
by retelling it to Starling the night before, Edna hadn’t been able to get the
drama out of her dreams or off her mind. Too many questions tumbled over each
other in her head.

Why had the
police narrowed in on Rosie? Because she was the murdered man’s wife and,
therefore, the most obvious? Edna knew from her television programs, the
victim’s spouse usually had the most to gain and was, therefore, the prime
suspect. In the Haverstrum case, the police apparently hadn’t found strong
enough proof of Rosie’s guilt or they would have arrested her instead of only
bringing her in for questioning.

Edna thought
back to her own situation and wondered if the townsfolk would still be shunning
her, had Tom Greene’s killer not been found. What would her life be like with
an unsolved murder hanging over her? She could only imagine what Rosie Beck and
her daughter were suffering. Before Edna questioned Charlie or Mary about what
they knew of the case, she wanted to read everything she could about the
personalities involved.

What about other
suspects? Had there been sufficient evidence to suspect someone else? Farren
McCree, for instance. Edna entered Rosie’s former best friend’s name into the
Google search box and began a new hunt.

The
thirty-nine-year-old McCree worked at the nursery that had hired Rosie. They
had been working side-by-side for over a year and had developed a social
friendship when Farren began her affair with Gregory. Less trusting than
Gregory’s wife, when the affair began to cool, Farren had followed Haverstrum
and caught him wining and dining the young woman he had recently employed as
his office assistant. To get even, Farren mentioned her suspicions to Rosie
about young Bobbi Callahan, a sophomore at the nearby university.

Before Edna got
side-tracked with the young girlfriend, she clicked on one of the items that
had come up for Farren McCree. In part, the article was a rundown of her
actions on the days leading up to the discovery of Haverstrum’s body. It
revealed no more than what Rosie had told Edna. Farren had reportedly visited
Gregory Haverstrum’s apartment on the afternoon he died, but hadn’t stayed
long.

Edna was
disappointed. Nothing much of significance was divulged, so she closed the
article, making a mental note to ask both Mary and Charlie what they knew of
the woman. Edna was scanning other McCree items for any detail she might have
missed, when she heard voices coming from the kitchen. She switched the screen
to her message in-box just before Amanda came rushing into the room, followed
seconds later by Starling.

Edna didn’t feel
guilty about investigating the scandal or the people involved, but she didn’t
know if Amanda knew about the case or about Lettie’s family’s history. If the
subject ever arose, Edna would rather talk face-to-face with her granddaughter
than have the child see lists of news headlines with her friend’s name on a
computer screen.

“Can we call
Lettie now?” Amanda said, picking up Benjamin from the chair beside the desk.
She draped the ginger cat over her shoulder and stroked his back as she sat
down. He, apparently, didn’t like this new arrangement because he eased himself
onto the chair back and pushed off from Amanda’s shoulder onto the window ledge
where he sat in a small spot of sun and began to wash a front paw.

Edna was
surprised to see by her desk clock that it was nearly ten. “I think it’s late
enough. Let me find my garden club list of phone numbers.” As she hunted
through papers in a basket beside the computer monitor, she asked, “What are
you planning to do today?”

Amanda shrugged.
“I dunno. Play with the kittens, I guess.”

Starling,
leaning against the door jamb, hands thrust into the pockets of her blue woolen
slacks, said, “How about a drive to Point Judith Lighthouse? The waves will be
amazing in this wind. We could go to Iggy’s for lunch. What do you say? They
have the best clamcakes,” she added as if to persuade her niece.

Amanda’s eyes
lit up. “Yeah. Cool, Auntie Starling.”

Without looking
up from what she was doing, Edna said, “Pick another lunch place. The Iggy’s at
Point Judith closes for the winter.” Ignoring the resulting duet of groans,
Edna found the phone list and glanced over at Amanda. “If we ask Lettie, we
should invite her grandmother, too.”

“I guess,”
Amanda said with a definite lack of enthusiasm.

Starling
chuckled at her niece’s lackluster reply and said, “Sure. Why not?”

Lily answered on
the third ring. After preliminary greetings, Edna mentioned their plans for the
morning, asking if she and Lettie would like to join them.

“I have some
things to do today, but I’m sure Violet would enjoy the outing. All she’s done
since breakfast is sit around and play with her phone.”

Edna had the
impression that Lettie was within earshot of her grandmother’s remark. “I’m
sorry you’re not able to join us, but we’ll be by in half an hour to get
Violet.” Edna was careful to use the name Lily seemed to insist on calling her
granddaughter. Hanging up, she studied Amanda’s scoop-necked jersey and light
cardigan, “The wind will be stronger and colder near the water. You might want
to wear your hoodie.”

“Okay.” Amanda
jumped up, heading into the hall and up the stairs.

Starling slipped
into the chair vacated by her niece. Benjamin stepped gingerly from the window
sill to her shoulder and slid into her lap. She scratched along his jawline,
but seemed preoccupied.

“What’s on your
mind, dear?” Edna prompted.

Starling’s focus
came back to the room and her brow creased. “Mary’s pretty serious about that
ghost of hers.”

“Yes, I know.”

“I don’t think
she’s had much sleep lately. She asked me if we could all stay with her
tonight. Made it sound like a game, but I think she’d really like someone in
the house with her. Knowing her, she’s dying to investigate. I’m surprised she
doesn’t want to do it alone. I thought she was braver than that.” Starling
looked at Edna questioningly as she absently stroked Benjamin’s back.

“She might be
intimidated by the unknown in her old familiar surroundings,” Edna said,
returning the phone list to the basket. “I thought you might enjoy her theory
of the Colonial rebel in her old nursery. Did you tell her you’d join her
tonight?”

Starling
laughed. “I was fascinated with her tale.” She then grew serious and shook her
head. “I would help her out, but I’m having dinner with Charlie tonight.”

“Did she hear
the stomping again last night?”

Starling nodded.
“Maybe I can go over tomorrow night.” A sudden twinkle came into her eyes. “I
wonder if Charlie would like to help.”

Edna laughed.
“He just might.” She sobered then. “Tomorrow is Amanda’s last night here. I’ll
be driving her home Monday morning.” She paused and studied Starling
thoughtfully. “Unless you’re heading back to Boston on Monday and could drop
her off on your way?” She turned the thought into a question and then added,
“I’ll spend the night with Mary, but not while Amanda’s here. I may be selfish,
not wanting to share her, but it’s not often that I have her to myself, and
it’s an added bonus that you’re also here this weekend. As much as I sympathize
with Mary, her ghost can wait.”

Starling smiled.
“I understand.” She paused for a minute as if reflecting before she continued.
“Sure. I can drive Manda-Panda home, but I’ll have to leave early. I’m opening
the studio on Monday. Gary is meeting with a new client in Marblehead, so I’m
watching the shop,” she said, mentioning her partner who occasionally worked on
commission to paint a landscape for someone who wanted to memorialize a house,
garden or favorite ocean view.

“I’ll phone Mary
when we get back after lunch. I’m sure she’ll be fine during the day, and I’ll
make arrangements to stay with her some night next week.” Edna rose from her
chair as she heard Amanda bouncing down the stairs. “I feel certain what Mary’s
hearing is the old house settling. She may think she knows all the sounds, but
as wood dries and weather takes its toll, things shift and new noises crop up.”
She smiled at her daughter and changed the subject. “Right now, will you drive
or shall I?”

When they got to
Lily’s house, Lettie was already waiting on the veranda. As she ran down the
steps, Lily appeared in the doorway, a shawl around her shoulders. She waved to
them. In the passenger’s seat, Edna waved back. After opening the car door for
her friend, Amanda scooted over and, once the girls were safely buckled up,
Starling put the car in gear and they were on their way.

The wind was
stronger than Edna expected when they arrived at Point Judith. Roiling waves
crashed onto the gravel, sending salt spray over the rocks that edged the
parking lot. “Maybe this was a mistake. Shall we go someplace where there’s
more shelter?”

She could have
saved her breath because the girls were already tumbling out of the back seat
and moving toward the wider stretch of beach beyond the lighthouse. Several
more cars were in the lot, but their inhabitants were content to stay inside
and watch the waves. Nobody seemed to be as adventurous as Amanda and Lettie.

“I’ll go with
them,” Starling said, opening her door. “I’m guessing they won’t stay out in
this wind for long.”

Edna looked out
to sea, enjoying the storm-tossed water and waves from the comfort of the car.
As time when by and the others didn’t return, she grew restless. Turning in her
seat, she could see nobody and decided they must have walked farther down the
rocky shore. Resigned to wait and not worry, at least for the moment, she
pulled a sketch pad and pen from her tote bag and began to draw. Her memory and
artist’s eye enabled her to make a fairly good representation of the Christmas
Rose that had recently bloomed in Lily’s garden and of which the woman was
inordinately proud.

So focused was
she on what she was doing, Edna was startled when the car doors opened and the
girls toppled in.

“Brrr,” Starling
said, starting the engine and turning up the heat. “That wind is cold.”

On her way
across the seat to make room for Lettie, Amanda glanced over Edna’s shoulder.
“What are you drawing, Gramma?”

Her question
made Lettie lean over the seat to see, too. “It looks like Lily’s plant,” the
youngster remarked.

“It’s a
strawberry blossom,” Amanda said.

“It does
resemble a strawberry blossom, doesn’t it?” Edna agreed, holding up the sketch
so the girls could see it before she closed the cover on the pad. “You can’t
tell from my drawing, but it’s larger than a strawberry plant and the leaves
are different. Lettie guessed it. I’ve drawn the Christmas Rose that grows in
her grandmother’s garden. It’s a present for Lily.”

“Why is it
called Christmas Rose?” Amanda asked, folding her arms across Starling’s seat
back and resting her cold-reddened cheek on her forearm.

“According to
Mrs. Rabichek’s journal, the legend claims that
it sprouted in the snow from the tears of a young girl who had no gift to give
the
 
Christ child in
Bethlehem,” Edna said.

While she tucked
the pad back into her tote, Lettie and Amanda sat back and fastened their seat
belts. As they were buckling up, Lettie said, “Lily dries those in the oven.”

“Why?” Amanda
asked.

“She crumbles
‘em up and keeps ‘em in jars. Kinda like spices.”

“What do they
taste like?”

“Dunno.”

“Why not?”

“She says it’s
medicine.” Lettie sounded as if she were tired of the subject.

“Like for headaches
or something?” Amanda said.

“Not sure,”
Lettie said, ending the conversation with a bored tone.

Edna frowned but
didn’t turn around. She wouldn’t make a big deal of it with the girls, but she
knew the plant was highly poisonous. She made a mental note to ask Lily about
her “medicine,” the next chance she got. She wondered if the woman realized how
dangerous it was to trust anything made from her garden plants. The strength of
a single dose can vary so much with the growing season.