Murder by Christmas (Edna Davies mysteries) (20 page)

“This it?” Charlie held up a colorful cloth bag that had been resting on the hood of his unmarked vehicle.

She sighed with relief, grateful to Mary for being so thoughtful. Quickly, she pulled open the side pocket where she kept her mobile, hoping to see she’d received a message from one of her children. When she found the pocket empty, she frantically rummaged through the items inside. Finally looking up in despair to see no sign of Mary, she wailed to Charlie, “My phone must have dropped out in her car.”

Chapter 24

At the hospital, Edna and Charlie found Jake Perry sitting at his wife’s bedside. In the private room, Roselyn was resting back against three pillows. A lump the size of a small egg at her hairline was mottled red and black. Husband and wife were holding hands, looking unhappy and uncertain even before they noticed the two visitors enter the room.

Jake’s face flushed when he saw Edna. Half rising, he said, “Are you okay?”

She went to the foot of the bed and gripped the rail. She had mixed feelings about this couple whom she’d genuinely liked, but who’d tied her up so dispassionately. Not knowing what to say, she merely nodded as Jake sank back in his chair.

Charlie walked over to stand beside the bed, across from Jake. “How’re you feeling,” he said looking down at Roselyn.

She murmured something Edna couldn’t make out. It was obvious that the woman wasn’t “fine” though.

 “Tell me about Laurel Taylor.” Charlie could have been speaking to either one of the Perrys as he pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat. Another chair stood in a corner of the room where Edna could sit, if she chose. She respected the fact that the detective was working and left her to take care of herself.

“Not much to tell, really,” Jake said, taking his wife’s left hand in both of his. He played with her gold wedding band instead of looking at the detective.

“I think there is,” Charlie said. He shrugged out of his topcoat and let it fall back over the chair. “Why don’t we start with your visit to the cat shelter on the day she died? You were both at the house, at one time or another. That right?”

Roselyn had turned to face her husband and the window beyond. She was watching Jake’s face now with an expression of love and trust, apparently leaving the story-telling up to him.

He nodded once at Edna before looking across the bed at Charlie. “She saw me arrive with Norm Wilkins that morning. We were there to take photographs for Laurel to use to promote her shelter. I enjoy taking pictures of animals. It’s a hobby of mine, so I don’t mind doing it for other folks.”

Listening to his inconsequential ramblings, Edna sensed the vet’s reluctance to get to the point. Charlie must have, too, because he prompted, “So you set up to take some pictures. I understand Norm posed as Santa for you.”

“That’s right. We spent about an hour, maybe a little more. Roselyn arrived as we were packing up to leave. She usually checked on the cats a couple times a week, trimmed their claws, brushed their teeth. Whatever was needed.”

“What was Laurel doing while you were taking pictures?” Charlie asked.

“She was right in the middle of everything. Insisted on posing in several of the photos. Sat on Norm’s lap for some.”

“She was acting like a silly teenager, for heaven’s sake--as if she was a cute, young cheerleader.” Roselyn’s soft but angry voice surprised them all. She twisted around to scowl at Charlie. “I went there to check on the cats and watch some of the picture-taking. I had just come in the front door when I heard Jake tell Norm they were finished, so I went straight through to put my bag in the kitchen. By the time I got back, Norm was headed out to the van with the tripod and props. I went into the front room to see Laurel tiptoeing up behind my husband, holding some mistletoe up in the air. His camera case was on the card table and he was bent over, packing his gear away while she was sneaking up behind him.” At this, Roselyn gave a self-satisfied nod, but still looked angry. “I stopped her before she could kiss him.”

If Charlie were surprised at Roselyn’s willingness to speak, he didn’t show it. “How did you do that?” he asked.. “How did you stop her?”

“I grabbed her shoulder and pulled her away from him.”

“Was that all? You just pulled her away?”

Roselyn shook her head. “That was all I intended to do--just get her off my husband--but she laughed. She started waving the mistletoe over her head, sashaying around, making fun of me. When I tried to grab it, she moved her arm back.” Roselyn looked down at her hands and paused briefly. She stopped frowning and gazed matter-of-factly at Charlie. “So I slapped her. Hard. Across the face.”

“Honey,” Jake spoke, interrupting her. “You don’t have to say anymore. You had nothing to do with …”

She turned and held her fingers to his lips. “I want to tell him. It’ll be okay.” She waited for her husband to say something, but he only nodded and kissed her fingers before she drew her hand away.

Edna was spellbound both by the tale Roselyn told and by the loving interaction between husband and wife.

Rolling her head back toward Charlie, Roselyn continued her story, smiling faintly, but with no joy. “I didn’t like hitting her, but it worked. She brought her arm down, and I grabbed the mistletoe. That’s when Jake stepped between us. As far as I was concerned, that was the end of it. Laurel sat on a chair, holding a hand to her cheek and pretending to cry. We left her there.” Roselyn picked at the hem of the sheet that covered her to her chest. “I told Jake to go on to the van, and I’d be out in a minute. I had to get my tote from the kitchen. When I saw the teapot on the table, I didn’t think twice. It was a good place to get rid of the mistletoe. I sure didn’t want it. After that, I took my bag and left. I was still pretty mad when I got to the front door, so I reached up and pulled the rest of the mistletoe off the light. I was going to drop it on the lawn, but I figured she’d just hang it back up again, so I tossed it into the car.”

“Do you know mistletoe is poisonous?” Edna asked. She knew she shouldn’t interrupt Charlie’s interview, but she was curious. The words had come out before she could stop them.

Roselyn’s eyes grew wide. “No.” The word came out in a startled gasp as she shook her head. The action must have caused some pain because she winced, sagged back onto the pillows and closed her eyes. Her long speech was over.

The image of the crushed mistletoe entwined with a red ribbon popped into Edna’s head as Charlie’s gaze left Roselyn and turned to Jake. “Your Volvo was seen in the driveway later that day. Which of you went back?”

“Me,” Jake said. “I went back about four o’clock.”

Edna noticed Roselyn’s hand tighten over her husband’s as if for support and reassurance.

He continued to speak to Charlie as if he hadn’t felt his wife’s grip, although his eyes flicked to hers for an instant. “After my last patient, I was going to download the pictures I’d taken. When I opened my case, I noticed one of the cameras was missing. I suspect Laurel took it, knowing I’d come for it. When I got to CATS, she was a little unsteady on her feet, as if she’d had a drink or two, although I didn’t smell liquor on her breath.” He brushed a hand over his mouth and chin and studiously avoided looking at his wife.

“I don’t know. She might have had some of the tea from the pot. Her words were slurred, too, but only slightly, not really enough for me to think she was about to pass out or anything. She asked me, since I was there, if I would change a light bulb for her. The one at the top of the stairs had burned out.” At this, he paused and looked at Charlie with a sheepish expression. “Old trick, right?”

Charlie bobbed his head and gave a half-smile of sympathy, but said nothing.

Jake went on. “She said the new bulbs were in the upstairs hall closet, but that was an excuse for her to follow me without my being suspicious of her intentions. When I turned my back and reached up to unscrew the burned-out bulb, I felt her arms go around my chest and her head press against my back. She took me completely by surprise. I grabbed hold of her wrists, loosened her grip and twisted around to face her. I told her to lay off, that I wasn’t interested.”

He rubbed the back of his wife’s hand in a nervous gesture. Relating what had happened, rousing memories that he’d probably wanted to bury forever, he stopped talking and bowed his head.

Charlie finally broke the growing silence. “Go on.”

Jake shrugged and met Charlie’s eyes. “She reached for me again. Actually, it was more like she was falling toward me, but I was ready for her by then. I held onto her upper arms and gave her a good shake to let her know I meant business. When I let go, she stumbled backwards and tripped over her own feet. I didn’t push her. Honest.” His eyes seemed to plead for Charlie to understand. “She was so close to the top of the staircase, she just backed off into air and fell. As soon as I realized what was happening, I tried to grab her, but I missed. When I got to the bottom of the steps, I could tell her neck had been broken. There was nothing I could do to save her.”

“Why didn’t you call an ambulance or the police?” Charlie asked.

Edna was impressed with the detective’s cool demeanor. Her heart was racing with the images Jake’s story had invoked, and she realized she’d brought a hand up to her mouth. She knew Charlie to be sensitive enough to be moved by Jake’s confession, but he didn’t show it.

At the moment, Jake was shaking his head. “I don’t know why. If I could turn the clock back, do everything differently, I would. What can I say? I panicked and did a stupid thing.”

Edna heard a slight noise over her shoulder and spun to see a man and woman standing in the doorway. They both wore police uniforms. The man had on a navy blue parka. The woman’s overcoat was draped over one arm.

Charlie nodded at them, before turning back to Jake. “Officer Hanley will drive you to the station and take your statement. Officer Franklin,” he nodded at the woman, “will stay here with your wife. We’ll need her to make a statement, too, but it can wait until the doctor releases her.”

As the officers moved into the room, following his orders, Charlie stood and held a hand out to Edna. “Come. I’ll take you home now.”

Chapter 25

“What will happen to the Perrys?” Edna asked Charlie when they were in his car and on their way to her house.

He glanced her way before returning his attention to the road. The sun was bright, the day was warming up, and the snow on the roads was turning to a slippery, wet mush. He answered her with a question of his own. “Will you or Mary be filing a complaint?”

“I won’t. I doubt if Mary will. I think they have enough to contend with, and Jake did tell you where to find us.” She leaned her head back. Charlie’s sedan was not the most comfortable car, but at the moment, the seat felt soft and almost luxurious under her aching body.

“Then the charges will be specific to Laurel Taylor’s death--leaving the scene and failure to report, among others. The lawyers take over from here. I’ve done my job, now I’m out of it.” Changing the subject, he said, “How are you feeling?”

She gave him a weary smile. “I’m pretty certain I can imagine what a beating with a rubber hose would feel like.”

He chuckled. “You’re almost home. If you want to lie down for a while, I’ll make you a cup of tea. Course, it won’t taste as good as yours.”

She managed a weak laugh, feeling the sound vibrate in every sore muscle. “The first thing I’m going to do is take a nice hot bath. After that, I may take you up on the offer.” She rolled her head in his direction. “But you must have work to do. Shouldn’t you go to the station?”

His eyes met hers for an instant. “I have a few cleanup chores, but they can wait. I don’t want to leave you until someone else is in the house.”

His words caused a lump to form in her throat when she remembered that nobody would be home to greet her at the door. She was certain it was exhaustion from her morning’s ordeal that was making her feel sorry for herself. And, of course, Benjamin would rush to meet her. The thought relieved some of the tightness in her throat. When she could speak, she said, “I won’t see Albert until Mary’s party this afternoon, and goodness knows when Starling and Grant will arrive, even if they did manage to get on a plane today.” Her weariness was undermining her usual optimism, but at the moment, she wasn’t strong enough to fight it.

They both fell silent until Charlie turned into the Davieses’ property and parked behind the Kia which stood behind Edna’s Buick. Both vehicles were blanketed with several inches of snow, as was the driveway. He helped Edna around the brick path to the mudroom door. “You go get your hot bath, and if you hand me that shovel, I’ll do the walks while I still have my boots on.”

Edna spent the next half hour luxuriating in a bubble bath so hot, the bathroom filled with steam. She left the comfort of the water only when it began to cool and she’d nearly fallen asleep. Dressing in a royal-blue velour pants suit, she went down to the kitchen where Charlie was sitting with a cup of coffee and the newspaper on the table in front of him. He was absently stroking Benjamin who was curled in his lap and looking quite content. Man and feline looked up as she entered the room. Charlie pushed himself to his feet, causing a disappointed cat to jump to the floor before leaping back onto the seat’s warm cushion.

“I thought you might like some hot soup after your bath,” he said, pulling out a chair for her. “Sit and I’ll get a bowl for you.” Going to a pot on the stove, he said over his shoulder, “I hope you don’t mind, but I rummaged around in your fridge and pretty much made myself at home.”

As he ladled soup into two bowls, Edna said to his back, “If Starling is ever mean to you, you just let me know.”

They both laughed as he placed the soup on the table and went back for a cozy-covered teapot. “Made some tea, too,” he said, obviously pleased to be serving her. As he sat across the table in a chair next to the one Benjamin had confiscated, he filled her in on what she’d missed when she’d been upstairs. “Carol flew in from Chicago this morning. She saw us drive in and came over to get the Kia. I’ve shoveled the walks and cleaned off your car, but I still have Santa Claus to get off the roof.” He stopped talking then and concentrated too deeply on stirring his soup.

Her heart skipped a beat as she felt something was wrong. “What is it, Charlie?” she asked, putting down her spoon and staring at him until he met her gaze.

“Starling phoned.” He paused, not smiling and barely looking at her.

Edna waited, holding her breath.

“The good news is, they’ve gotten a flight out from Denver.”

The pressure in her chest eased slightly before she asked, “Is there bad news?”

“It isn’t until tomorrow. They land in Providence late tomorrow afternoon.”

Not trusting herself to say much, Edna pushed her bowl away. Excusing herself, she told Charlie to leave the dishes. She’d clean up later. Right now, she wanted to go upstairs and take a nap.

He watched her with sad eyes. “Will you be okay?” When she merely nodded, he said, “If you’re going to lie down, I’ll go check on Mary. See if there’s anything I can do for her.” Ignoring Edna’s earlier comment to leave the dishes, he cleared the table and began to load the dishwasher. Twisting to look over his shoulder, he pointed at the wall clock with his chin. “The open house starts in two hours. I’ll be back at four to drive you over. Snow’s too deep for you to walk.”

“Two hours?” She glanced up and gasped. “Is it two o’clock already?” Before he could answer, the phone rang. She picked up the kitchen receiver, saying “Hello” instead of her typical, cheerful “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Mother,” Matthew Davies greeted in return.

“Merry Christmas, dear.” Edna heard the tiredness in her voice, but her eldest child didn’t seem to notice.

“I wanted to let you know so you wouldn’t worry--Irene and I will be late getting to Mary’s this afternoon. Allison and Amanda were invited to a skating party and won’t be home until four. We’ll be there, but we’ll be late.”

Edna wasn’t happy about the apparent change in her family’s plans. She’d been counting on everyone meeting at Mary’s on time, but she didn’t want to spoil the holiday by arguing. Nothing to be done. “Okay, dear, I’ll let her know,” was all Edna said before hanging up.

In her bedroom, she set the alarm so she would sleep for no more than an hour. The news that her two youngest children wouldn’t be home until late on Christmas Day, plus the news that her other son would be late to the party, kept her from getting much sleep, however. When she finally arose, moving with lead feet and a heavy heart, she showered and dressed. She had expected to begin this year’s Christmas celebration with the party next door and her entire family gathered for the first time in three years. Mary had also become part of the family and would join them for Christmas dinner--a dinner that now would be delayed and probably only half enjoyed by the weary travelers.

At 3:52 by the clock on the stove, Edna was standing at the kitchen window, watching for Charlie when the phone rang. She picked up the kitchen receiver instead of going to the office to read the caller-id display.

“Hi, Mother. It’s me. Diane.”

“Hello, dear. Are you at Mary’s?”

“Not yet. I called to say we’re running a little late. Roger and Buddy are helping Father into his boots now. We won’t be there for another forty-five minutes, at least, but it’s an open house, right? No real rush to get there on the dot.”

“You’re right, dear. No real rush. See you when you get here.” Nothing was going the way Edna had hoped. Before she could sink deeper into doldrums, she spotted Charlie’s car rounding the driveway. It was precisely four o’clock.

They went in the back door of Mary’s house, leaving their coats on the wall pegs. Edna exchanged her faux-fur lined snow boots for silver evening shoes. Mary was waiting impatiently in the door to the kitchen, holding up a cell phone. As soon as Edna recognized her own mobile, Mary laid it on the counter beside the door.

“Don’t forget to take it home with you,” she said, taking Edna’s arm as she drew close.

Arm-in-arm, they passed the archway to the dining room where Edna saw Codfish with his head bent toward Gran. Vinnie was helping Bethany fill a plate from the array of food on Mary’s long table. Other guests were milling around, but before Edna could stop to greet them, Mary pulled her forward.

“Come on. You can say hello later. First, everyone who arrives needs to have a picture taken by the tree, before they spill something on their party clothes.”

As Edna entered the foyer, she saw a number of people posed on the winding staircase. They were all dressed in red with white trim, and everyone was smiling at her. Mary’s ten-foot Christmas tree in the curve of the stairwell was beautifully decorated and twinkling merrily with tiny lights. A man dressed in a green suit coat sat in a wheelchair near the tree, one leg extended.

He looks like Albert
, she thought.
And that pretty young woman standing next to him could be Starling’s double.

When realization struck, Edna gasped and began to study the faces of the people lining the staircase. They were her children and grandchildren. There was Matthew with his wife Irene and their four children, all grinning broadly. Diane lifted a hand to her shoulder and waggled her fingers. She was standing beside Roger on the stair above Buddy. Grant … was it Grant holding baby Dean? He was one tread higher than Diane, and his wife Karissa was on the stair above him, one hand on his shoulder and the other around their daughter Jillian. Everyone sported Santa hats, even the baby.

“Surprise,” they shouted in unison as Edna, dressed in a long, shimmering silver gown, walked slowly into the room, examining each face. She pressed her fingernails hard into her palms. She wouldn’t cry. That would fog her vision and ruin an otherwise lovely family photograph.

Carol James, their award-winning photojournalist neighbor, appeared beside Edna, camera in hand. On her other side, Mary said, “The chair beside Albert is for you. Before you start kissing everyone and ruining your lipstick, Carol’s going to take some pictures.”

And that’s what she did. Edna sat beside Albert and kissed his cheek as Carol shot the first photo. When Edna had seen at least half a dozen flashes, she finally waved her arms, stood up and said, “Enough. I want hugs from my family.” Turning to face them, she laughed and hugged and kissed and asked, “When did you get here?” to Starling and Grant, and “I thought you were going to be late” to Matthew and Diane.

Matthew said, “It was Mary’s idea. She told us we had to get here early. Even Grant arrived with his entourage at three o’clock this afternoon. Good thing Mary has plenty of rooms. We’re all staying here tonight.”

When Edna had greeted everyone except her granddaughters, nine-year-old Jillian came forward cradling an all-white half-grown kitten in her arms. Beside her, Matthew’s youngest child Amanda, who was the same age as Jillian, held Charcoal, while her sister Allison, three years older, had Auntie Bea resting against her shoulder.

“Where in the world …” Edna began kissing each of her granddaughters on the top of her head so as not to crush the cats.

“I adopted ‘em,” Mary said, coming to stand beside Edna and looking pleased with herself. “I couldn’t stand to think of them in that kennel, all alone for Christmas. I phoned Juliana and asked her. The other cat and the two dogs were well enough to go to their homes. That left only these three. Vinnie and Bethany stopped at the clinic on their way here. Hank and Spot have playmates now, but until they all get to know each other better, my two are shut in my rooms.”

Edna laughed. “I can see that Hank will have his hands full … or his paws, I should say.” She glowered in good humor at Mary. “I think I have a bone to pick with you, my friend.”

Mary’s wide smile spelled “guilty” all over her face. “I only took the phone out of your bag because I didn’t want you calling anyone. Not everyone in your family can keep a secret as well as I can, and I didn’t want someone to spoil things.”

Just then, Starling walked up to hug her mother. “Sorry if we worried you, Mom. We were under strict instructions not to talk to you. Were you surprised?”

“Was I ever.” Edna looked around, but Mary had gone off to the dining room, as had everyone else except Albert. “Wait until I get my hands on her,” Edna said. “And you …” She shook a finger playfully at Charlie as he came into the room and pretended to hide behind Starling. “I didn’t know you could fib so well.”

He laughed and bent forward to kiss her cheek. “Job training,” he said.

“Well, you two had better go get some food before those teenage boys eat it all,” she said, referring to Matthew’s two sons, seventeen-year-old Joey and fifteen-year-old David who had vanished into the kitchen with Diane’s Buddy, while the girls played with the cats.

When they were finally alone in the room, Edna sank into the chair beside Albert. “Merry Christmas, dear.”

He put an arm around her shoulders, pulled her close and kissed her temple. “Merry Christmas, sweetheart.” Drawing back slightly, he looked into her eyes. “While I was being pampered by Diane, did you get through everything on your list?”

“Nearly everything,” she said, being purposely vague. She was trying not to think of the past five days or how close they’d come to a disastrous Christmas.

“Even the cards?” he asked, eyes widening in mock surprise and admiration.