Murder by Christmas (Edna Davies mysteries) (9 page)

“Sorry I’m missing the party, Edna.” Charlie said as soon as she picked up. Breathless from hurrying, she didn’t respond immediately, so he said, “Is Mary still there? I need to speak to her.”

“No. She’s missing the party, too. What’s going on, Charlie?”

There was a brief pause on the line before she heard him sigh. “Laurel Taylor’s dead. One of the volunteers found her and phoned it in.”

“How? When?” Edna realized she was babbling, shocked by the news.

“I’m sorry to break it to you like this. I would have driven over to tell you, but I’m at the scene and I need to talk to Mary.”

For the moment, Edna ignored his request since she obviously couldn’t conjure Mary out of thin air. Instead, she said, “What happened?”

“Looks like she fell down the stairs. She might have tried to grab the railing, but only caught the evergreen rope. It’s been ripped away from the banister. Glass Christmas balls are shattered all over the floor in the hallway. I thought at first it might have been an accident, but now I’m not so sure. I found mistletoe in her teapot. It’s a small sprig, but there are berries on it. I know the berries are the most poisonous part, but I don’t know if the amount in the tea was enough to kill her. I’m thinking maybe it made her sick and she decided to go upstairs to lie down. Maybe she tripped or fainted at the top of the staircase and fell backwards. The medical examiner’s going to have to confirm cause of death.”

Edna remembered what Mary had said about Laurel’s brewing habits. Microwaving the teapot with mistletoe berries in it would certainly have poisoned the water. Thinking of Laurel, Edna recalled an image of the woman rolling her eyes and grinning as she held a twig of mistletoe over her head. She wouldn’t have poisoned her own tea, would she?

Charlie’s voice broke into her thoughts. “You say Mary’s not there. Do you know where she is?”

“No. She never showed up. Kevin Lockhorn and Gran are the only ones here.”

“You haven’t heard from her?”

“Not a word.”

“That’s strange,” Charlie didn’t speak again for several seconds. Edna waited. Finally, he said, “One of Laurel’s neighbors saw Mary backing out of the driveway at CATS this afternoon. He thinks it was around four or four-thirty. Said Mary took off, burnin’ rubber. That’s not like her either. I’ve tried phoning her, but she doesn’t pick up. Her machine isn’t on at her home number, but I left a message on her cell to call me back, in case I didn’t reach her at your place.”

“Like I said, she never showed up and I haven’t heard from her.” Edna’s mind was racing, trying to think why Mary might have gone back to Laurel’s or where she could be now when she should have been at Edna’s party. “Was anyone else at Laurel’s house this afternoon besides Mary? The volunteers must come and go. You don’t think Mary had anything to do with Laurel’s death, do you?”

“Can’t say until I talk to her,” he said. “And, yes, there were other people in and out of the house today. I’m trying to get a handle on who was here and when.”

“I was at the shelter this morning with Mary. Maybe I can answer some of your questions.”

“I understand Doctor Jake and someone in a Santa Claus costume were here in the morning, taking pictures. Roselyn Perry stopped by, too, probably around lunchtime or shortly after. I think maybe a young college student named Bethany was here in the afternoon, shortly before or just after Mary, but the neighbors can’t seem to agree on the time.”

“Mary and I left CATS when Jake arrived with Santa, but Roselyn wasn’t with them.” Edna thought back to the morning. “An older woman was leaving when Mary and I arrived at the house. She was pretty angry. We heard her say something about Laurel going to be sorry. She was driving a bright blue car, license ending in three two. I couldn’t tell you the make. It was small, a compact, if that’s any help.”

“Thanks. I’ll get someone to follow up on that. I want to talk with anyone who was in the house.” There was a pause on the line, and Edna imagined Charlie was writing notes to himself. Eventually, he said, “I guess I’ve got enough information for now. I’ll see if I can reach Doctor Jake. He may be able to give me more names, or a timeline on when he was there. So far, it sounds like Mary might have been the last to arrive and leave, but I’m not yet sure about the college student. That’s why I particularly want to talk to her, to both of them,” he amended.

“Did you know that Norm Wilkins is the Santa who works with Jake?”

Charlie guffawed. “You’re kidding.” He laughed again. “He’s got the belly for it, but I’m not sure about the disposition. Can’t imagine his eyes twinkling, although he’s got the red nose.”

Edna couldn’t help smiling at the same disbelief she’d felt over the news, but sobered quickly. “Shall I go over and see if Mary’s home? Maybe she’s had an accident. If she hasn’t been home, I should check on Hank and Spot.” Her mind raced over the possibility of Mary lying hurt, or worse, in her house.

“No. Thanks, Edna. I’ll send a patrol car over. Meanwhile, if you hear from her, have her call me, would you?”

“Yes, and you do the same.  Let me know as soon as you hear anything.”

Before Charlie could hang up, Edna asked, “What about the cats? What will happen to Laurel’s cats?”

“I’ve got an animal control officer coming over to round them up. Do you know how many are in the house? I’ve seen four, but I don’t know if others might be hiding.”

“Four is correct. Let me know if I can do anything. I suppose we’ll have to find homes for them. Snowflake is the white one. She’s deaf. She needs to be kept with the black cat. His name is Charcoal.”

“Okay. I’ll pass the word.”

Edna had been standing with her back to the office door. As she hung up and turned around, she was startled to see Kevin leaning against the doorjamb.

“Everything okay?” he asked before she could catch her breath. “You were gone so long, I thought I’d come check on you.”

Edna wondered how long he’d been standing there. How much had he overheard? Aloud, she said, “I’m afraid everything is not okay. A woman I met recently has been found dead.”

“Who?” he asked, still blocking the doorway.

Thinking he might know her through his work at Honeydew Home Repairs, Edna said, “Laurel Taylor. She runs a cat shelter about a mile northwest of town.”

Kevin took a step backwards as if one of his knees had just given out. He also looked a little pale, Edna thought, as she took a step toward him. “Are you okay?” she asked, but before he could answer, Gran appeared in the hall.

She seemed not to notice Kevin’s distress as she slipped past him to enter the room. “Has something happened? Anything wrong?” The older woman studied Edna’s face.

By that time, Kevin seemed to have regained himself, and Edna felt suddenly weary. “I’ve just received some shocking news, and I’m feeling a bit shaky.”

“What can I do to help?” Gran asked.

“Maybe you’d like to be alone,” Kevin suggested.

Edna nodded. “I’m sorry to break up the party, but I think that would be best. Please don’t bother with anything. I’ll clean up later, but first, I want to sit for a minute.”

Gran would have protested, but Kevin took charge. Pulling out the desk chair, he steadied it for Edna to sit. When Gran offered to bring her some mulled wine or hot cider, he interrupted and insisted on escorting her home.

Grateful to the man, Edna sat numbly and listened to the sounds of her guests as they retrieved their coats and left. A few minutes after hearing the front door close, she reached for the phone and dialed Mary’s home number. Letting it ring a dozen times, she finally hung up when neither Mary nor her answering machine picked up.

After replacing the receiver in its cradle, she went to the mudroom and opened the side door to look over at Mary’s house. She wanted to see if any lights were on, but when she opened the door, all she saw was white. Through heavily falling snow, she could barely make out the stone wall that marked the boundary between their two properties. As she stood, almost mesmerized by the whiteness, her thoughts drifted from Mary to Laurel. In her mind’s eye, Edna saw a woozy Laurel falling backwards down the stairs, and suddenly doubt assailed her. Did Laurel fall or had she been pushed?

Chapter 10

Edna slept badly that night. First, she wondered what could have happened to Mary. Thinking about her neighbor having been seen speeding away from CATS, Edna’s thoughts turned to Laurel Taylor, and then it was like an old phonograph needle stuck in a groove. Around and around her mind turned on the woman she’d met so recently. Did the woman fall or had she been pushed down the stairs? What about the mistletoe? Had someone poisoned Laurel or had she done that to herself? Would she have been foolish enough to put mistletoe into her own teapot? If so, was it pure ignorance or had she planned to serve a toxic brew to someone else? Edna realized she had developed a suspicious nature since she’d run up against more than one murderer, but she couldn’t keep her mind from exploring the possibilities.

At six the next morning, knowing she wouldn’t get any more sleep, she got out of bed and went to the window. The storm hadn’t been as bad as predicted nor, apparently, had it continued to fall as heavily as last night. She estimated the accumulation to be about six inches, but looking up at the sky, she was certain there would be more before the day was over. She would have to find someone to shovel her driveway. Charlie might oblige, but she didn’t feel she could bother him now that he was back at work. Someone to plow her out.
Another item to add to my list, she thought.

On her way downstairs, each tread seemed to represent something she had yet to complete.
Make up the guest beds, clean the bathrooms and lay out fresh towels, check food supplies, finish writing and addressing Christmas cards.
Her steps faltered and her shoulders sagged.

In the kitchen, she had appetite only for a single muffin and a cup of coffee for breakfast, usually her best meal of the day. Swallowing the last drops in her cup, she decided not to wait for a decent hour to phone Mary. Edna had not heard from Charlie, and she needed to know that all was well next door.

Still, there was no answer. She hung up when the machine kicked in, deciding to try Mary’s cell phone. She didn’t know why she hadn’t tried that number the previous evening, but she dialed it now. Hearing Mary’s curt “Leave a message” voice recording, Edna requested an immediate call-back before hanging up in bewilderment. Where was Mary and why wasn’t she answering her phones?

Housebound until she could get plowed out, Edna decided to work in her office and get a few Christmas cards out of the way. That would cheer her somewhat and distract her from all the questions spinning around in her head. She should get some of the housecleaning done, but she wanted to be close to the phone in case someone called. As it happened, she hadn’t even had a chance to sit down when the phone rang. The caller wasn’t whom Edna expected, at least not before eight o’clock.

“Mornin’, Edna,” Gran greeted. “Heard anything from Mary?”

“Hello, Gran. No, not a word yet.” Doubtful that Mary was foremost on the old woman’s mind, Edna said, “You’re up early.”

“Yes, well, that’s why I’m phoning. I need a great favor from you.”

Edna looked at the stack of cards she hadn’t even begun to address. “Okay,” she said with some hesitation and a sinking feeling in her stomach.

If Gran detected the reluctance Edna felt, she ignored it. “Codfish called this morning. Woke me up to say that Laurel Taylor is dead. Do you know her? She runs a cat shelter.”

Hadn’t Gran heard the news last night? Realization flicked through Edna’s mind that Gran had still been in the living room when she’d told Kevin the gist of Charlie’s call. Kevin must not have mentioned the fatality to Gran when he escorted her across the street.

Aloud, Edna said, “I met her this past week, as a matter of fact. Terrible tragedy. That was why Charlie phoned last night, why he wasn’t able to come to the party.” Remembering that Gran had been away from Rhode Island for years and that Laurel was fairly new to town, Edna asked, “How do you know Laurel?”

“I don’t … or
didn’t
, I should say. Never met the woman, but I spoke to her on the phone. My friend Codfish’s nephew put me in touch with her when I mentioned I wanted to get a kitten for Carol. As a Christmas present, you know. I was supposed to pick up the kitty from her today at the shelter.”

“The police have probably relocated the cats by this time. Have you called the station?”

“No. That’s why I’m calling you. Codfish said Roselyn from Perry’s Animal Clinic is going over to collect the cats this morning. He said she’d be at Laurel’s house early, before she has to open the clinic. That’s why he called me so early, so I can meet her at CATS.”

“The police didn’t take them away last night?” Edna was certain that Charlie had said he’d contacted the animal control unit.

“Apparently, all the shelters are full. There was no place to take them last night, so someone contacted the Perrys. That’s what Codfish told me. The cats will stay at the clinic, but only for a few days. If homes aren’t found for them, they’ll have to be put down.”

“I’m still not certain what you want me to do. Do you want me to adopt one of Laurel’s cats?”

“Oh, no,” Gran chuckled. “That won’t be necessary … at least, I don’t think it will be. I’d like you to drive me to CATS so I can pick up the kitten. I haven’t even seen the little calico yet. I arranged everything with Laurel by phone so Carol wouldn’t suspect anything before Christmas. I thought I’d have to spoil the surprise by having her drive me to the shelter, so her unplanned trip to Chicago was a blessing of sorts. I was going to drive over this morning to pick up the little calico. Carol says her Kia handles beautifully in this weather, but I’m not used to driving in the snow anymore. That’s why I was wondering if you’d be so kind …”

Finally realizing what Gran was asking of her, Edna decided that going to CATS might give her an opportunity to learn something more about Laurel’s death and maybe provide a clue as to what might have happened to Mary. “Of course,” Edna said, her mind quickly reshuffling her day’s schedule. “I’ll drive you to the shelter, but first I need to arrange for someone to plow my driveway. There’s too much snow for my car to push through. I wouldn’t want to get stuck halfway around the circle.”

“Oh, but we have to go soon.” Gran sounded urgent. “The cats are probably being taken away right now, and I must be at the restaurant later this morning to start making the soups. Somebody already cleaned off my driveway this morning--I suspect Codfish had something to do with that.” Edna caught the distinct pleasure in Gran’s voice before the older woman went on more somberly, “The road has been plowed, too.” When Edna didn’t answer at once, Gran said, “You could drive the Kia.” After another brief pause, she said, “Would now be a good time to go?”

The discussion about CATS had started Edna wondering why Mary had gone back to the shelter the previous afternoon. Gran’s question snapped her back to the present problem. “I suppose I can go now. If we’re to use Carol’s car, I’ll walk over to your place. Give me ten minutes.”

“Oh, thank you, Edna. You’re such a good neighbor.” Gran hurried on as if she were afraid Edna might change her mind. “I’ll go warm up the car.”

The town road crews were out, clearing and sanding as quickly as they could, so driving wasn’t as treacherous as Edna had feared. She drove slowly and was able to pull into Laurel’s driveway, parking behind a white van. “Perry Animal Clinic” was printed on the back in large black letters, along with a phone number and a web site address. In front of the van was a patrol car.

“What a funny-looking little house,” Gran exclaimed, staring at the gingerbread-adorned building that almost looked like only half a house. “It’s unusual to see the front door so far over to one side.”

“It is a little strange,” Edna agreed. “Inside, all the rooms are off to the left.”

Gran laughed. “That’s one thing I like about older neighborhoods, so many of the houses were uniquely built. No problem mistaking your neighbor’s house for your own like some of the modern communities.”

“Shall we go in?” Edna was beginning to get cold. She enjoyed the octogenarian, but Gran tended to get side-tracked. Edna sometimes wondered if Gran needed to talk while she had an audience before going back to her single life in Florida.

Knowing someone from both the police department and Jake’s clinic were already in the house, Edna didn’t bother to knock or ring the bell. Instead, she opened the door and stuck her head in. “Hallooo,” she called. “May we come in?”

Without waiting for an answer, she stepped over the threshold with Gran close on her heels. Remembering what Charlie had said about the Christmas balls shattered and scattered over the hallway, Edna saw that someone had swept them aside, probably so they wouldn’t be ground into the wood floor under trampling boots. The evergreen garland, too, was lying beside the staircase with the broken glass. Edna shivered as she imagined Laurel trying to stop her fall by grabbing onto the flimsy boa. She glanced up at the light fixture where Mary had hung mistletoe and was surprised to see that a dangling bit of red ribbon was all that remained. Only the broad, red ribbons with their festive greeting cards still decorated the wall, undisturbed by whatever had happened. Two canvas animal carriers sat at the foot of the stairs. Edna could see Charcoal and Snowflake huddled together in one.

“Hi.” A woman in police uniform walked down the hall from the kitchen, announcing her presence. “This house is restricted for the time being. Can I help you with something?”

At that same moment, Roselyn appeared at the top of the staircase holding a kitten in the crook of her arm. As she descended, an older, long-haired cat scampered down beside her. Edna thought she recognized the markings of a Maine Coon, one of the prettiest and smartest of the domestic felines. She must be the one Laurel had named “Auntie Bea.”

So as not to snub the authority in charge of the house, Edna introduced herself and Gran before tipping her head toward Roselyn. “We’ve come to pick up the kitten. Mrs. Cravendorf has adopted her. We heard the shelters are full, so we thought we’d come over and take her off your hands.”

While Edna was explaining their presence to the police officer, Gran had rushed forward to meet the veterinarian’s wife at the bottom of the stairs. “Is that our Callie,” she cooed, holding out her hands to take the kitten. The orange and black splashes of color on its mostly white body distinctly marked the tiny feline as both a calico and a female.

Roselyn shied and turned from Gran at the same time as she spoke to the patrol woman. “This is the lot. Laurel had only four in the house.” She spoke quietly, keeping her head down and her attention focused on the cats now in her care.

Roselyn was tall with an athlete’s build. She was a plain-looking woman who wore little or no makeup, and looked younger than her thirty-something years with her shiny brown hair pulled into a careless ponytail. Wisps of stray, straight strands had been tucked behind one ear. Edna’s artistic assessment of the woman’s features was interrupted by Gran speaking to the woman.

“I’m Joanna Cravendorf. I’d already arranged everything with Mrs. Taylor to get the kitten this morning.”

Roselyn spoke softly, as if to the bundle in her arm, “The cats will have to go to the clinic first. They can be adopted out from there.” Still she didn’t look at the other women, but bent and gently placed her small charge into the empty carrier. As soon as she did so, Auntie Bea scooted in and sat crosswise between the door and the kitten, as if to protect the little one.

“Can we follow you to the clinic? You see, Callie is a Christmas present for my granddaughter and I’d like her to get used to the house before Carol--that’s my granddaughter--before she gets home from Chicago. I must go to work this morning and I don’t want to impose on my friend …” Gran would have prattled on, but the police woman spoke up, stopping the flood of information Gran was offering.

“The Perrys must check the cats, make certain they’re healthy and have all their shots. They have to follow procedures and fill out the paperwork. I’m sorry but you’ll have to arrange to pick up your kitten at another time.”

While the officer explained the process to Gran, Roselyn secured the latches on the carrier doors. In the past year of taking Benjamin to Perry’s Animal Clinic, Edna had met the woman only once, learning from Mary that the veterinarian’s wife was painfully shy. Her main responsibility was taking care of the animals they were boarding for longer than a few hours. The kennels that housed the animals at the back of the main office and surgery were Roselyn’s domain.

She was still tending to the carriers when the policewoman stepped up to Gran. Extending an arm like a barrier, she gently herded the elderly woman back toward Edna and the front door. “As I said before, this is a restricted area. We’re here this morning only to get the cats. I must ask you to leave now. We’ll be heading out shortly ourselves.” The uniformed woman smiled as if to soften any implied reprimand.

While she had the chance, Edna spoke quickly. “Roselyn, have you seen Mary or heard from her?”

The veterinarian’s wife stood, lifting both carriers, but didn’t turn around. Edna wondered if Roselyn had even heard the question, but before she could repeat it, the policewoman hustled Edna and Gran out onto the porch. “You need to move your car. We’ll be right behind you.” She was still smiling when she shut the door behind them.

Edna took hold of Gran’s arm as they trudged slowly through the snow back to the Kia. Once inside with seat belts fastened, Gran said, “I’m sorry, Edna. This has been a disappointing and wasted trip.” She sounded dejected. “I don’t know when I’ll be able to pick up our kitten before Carol gets home. She’s due to fly in tomorrow afternoon.”