03 Murder by Mishap (6 page)

When Edna closed the door against the evening’s chill, her young visitor seemed to loosen her grip on the envelope. “I wonder if you would help
me?
” She spoke the request both as a question and an appeal.

Edna felt herself stiffen. Was Jaycee in some sort of trouble? She wasn’t acting particularly nervous, but she did seem tense. Without voicing her concerns, Edna simply introduced herself and said noncommittally, “What do you need?”

Jaycee held up the envelope before pulling it back to her chest, seeming reluctant to part with it just yet. “Would you hang onto this for me?”

Edna didn’t know what to say. It seemed like an innocent request, if somewhat unusual.

Jaycee rushed on before the silence could grow. “They’re some papers that I don’t want to keep in my house … in case of fire or something, you know. I haven’t decided what bank I want to use in town, but as soon as I do, I’ll put them in a safe deposit box.”

“Why me?”

The question brought a tentative smile to the young woman’s lips and a slight flush of embarrassment to her cheeks. “I’ve been watching the neighborhood since I moved in a few weeks ago, and I’ve noticed that most everyone is gone during the day. There’s one woman who’s knocked on my door a few times. I know she probably just wants to be friendly, but she seems …” Jaycee hesitated, her flush deepening before she finished lamely, “a little odd.”

Edna coughed to hide a laugh. “You must mean Mary. She is a bit eccentric, but very good-hearted. She’ll drive you to distraction asking personal questions, but she means well.”

“You and your husband seem like nice people, and there’s usually lots of activity at this house.” She furrowed her brow. “I think if anything were to happen, like a fire or something, someone would be around to sound an alarm. I wouldn’t worry about my papers if you could keep them here for a few days.”

“Well, I guess I could …” Edna began slowly, still hesitant, but she wasn’t allowed to finish.

“Thank you so much.” Sounding as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders, Jaycee pushed the envelope into Edna’s hands. “I promise I’ll be back soon and we can talk. Get to know each other. You know.” Sidling to the door as she spoke, she opened it and slipped out into the night, repeating, “Thank you so much,” before she disappeared into the night.

Closing the door, Edna stared unseeing for several heartbeats, trying to straighten out in her mind what had just occurred. Shaking her head, she finally examined the manila envelope. An inch or two of clear, heavy package tape had been smoothed over the clasp that held the flap down. The envelope was not overly bulky and felt to Edna as if it contained a thickness of standard-sized paper. Written in a neat cursive on the front were the words, “Property of J.W. If not collected in person, please phone …”

Reading the number, she recognized the area code for Chicago. She knew the code because Chicago was where her sister lived. Edna shrugged, realizing she’d have to wait for another visit from Jaycee to find answers to the questions going around in her head. Stepping into her office, she slipped the envelope into a desk drawer before returning to the living room.

No sooner had she figured out where she was in the little sweater pattern and begun to knit again when she heard the front door open.
Did I forget to lock it?
Her heart began to thump in double-time before her daughter’s voice rang out. “Hello. It’s me.”

“I’m in the living room, dear.” Edna called back, as her heart rate returned to normal.

The youngest of her four children strode into view and threw
herself
onto the sofa, facing Edna with a look of utter dejection.

 Deciding to ignore what she knew from experience was her child’s self-pitying attitude, Edna said, “You’re looking particularly lovely this evening. What are you doing here—and all dressed up on a Monday night?”

Starling lived in the Back Bay area of Boston where she was co-owner of a photography studio. She was tall and willowy, having her father’s physique. Instead of his pale blondeness, however, she had her mother’s auburn coloring. Typically, she wore slacks and a pullover, but this evening, she had on a black, sleeveless, fitted sheath dress with a V-shaped neckline. Her straight, shoulder-length hair had been pulled back and pinned at the crown. A slender, onyx pendant that matched her earrings hung from a thin silver chain around her neck.

“I
thought
I was going to have dinner with Charlie, but he’s working …
again
.

Why did you ever fix me up with a cop?”

Edna lowered her knitting and looked over the top of her glasses. “As I remember it, dear child of mine, you asked me if he were married, and he asked me if I’d mind him calling you. I said ‘no’ to you both.”

Starling paused and frowned for a few seconds before bursting into laughter.
“Got me there, Mommy Dearest.
Your defense is indisputable.” She laughed again as Edna, smiling, resumed her knitting.

“But it’s so frustrating,” Starling wailed. “He said he’d have the next few evenings free, so I decided to bring my cameras and shoot around South County for a couple of days. We were supposed to meet at that new restaurant in Narragansett. I was even on time, but just as I was pulling into the parking lot, he called and said he couldn’t make it.” She turned and fell dramatically sideways to press her face into a sofa pillow, muffling a melodramatic scream of disappointment. Coming up for air, she groaned, “He was assigned to a new case late this afternoon and told to get on it
yesterday
.”

During her daughter’s tirade, Edna had turned off the CD player, and now she gave up trying to count stitches. Removing her eyeglasses and setting them on the side table next to the player, she said in what she hoped was a sympathetic tone. “Surely, you’ll be able to see him tonight. He has to eat sometime.”

“You’d think so, wouldn’t you?” Starling pouted and clutched the pillow to her chest with both arms.

“Don’t sulk, dear, it’s unbecoming, and your face will freeze like that.” Edna teased with a quote from her own grandmother who used to drive everyone to distraction with her commonplace advice.

As she’d hoped, her child chuckled and regained her more-typical sunny disposition. Edna knew this daughter’s peevishness was mainly for immediate dramatic effect and not deep-seated petulance as would be the case with Diane, child number two.

Of Edna’s four children, Starling was the only one who hadn’t yet married. She’d had a number of suitable boyfriends over the years, but at age thirty-two, she hadn’t yet found someone she couldn’t live without. Edna thought maybe her current interest, Charlie Rogers, might be different. For one thing, he wasn’t forever at her beck and call.

“Maybe if I commit a crime ...” 

Edna’s ruminations were shattered by Starling’s words. She feigned a look of shock. “But he’s a
homicide
detective.”

The comic look of horror that followed her words brought forth Starling’s trilling laughter again before she sobered.

“Don’t remind me. He wouldn’t be half so busy if he weren’t always volunteering to work with other police departments. His own work should be enough.”

“Oh?” Edna’s curiosity was piqued. “Is he on loan again?”

“Beats me.
He never talks about what he’s doing. Now I know how it must have felt being married to Dad—you
know,
patient confidentiality and all.”

“Charlie is claiming ‘patient confidentiality’?” Edna purposely misunderstood.

Starling squinted at her, probably trying to figure out if Edna were kidding, then gave her a weak smile.
“Of course not.
Whenever I ask him about his work, he doesn’t
say
anything—just looks at me with those baby blues, or baby hazels, and raises his eyebrows. It’s aggravating.”

Realizing her daughter was in no mood for further teasing, Edna tried changing the subject.  “Did you know we have a new neighbor?”

At that moment, the doorbell rang. Noticing from the mantelpiece clock that it was nearly nine, she almost smiled at Jaycee’s observation of the “daily activity” at this house and then wondered who would be showing up at this hour without phoning first.

“I’ll get it.” Starling jumped up with excessive, nervous energy and headed for the front hall, returning moments later smiling up at and holding onto the arm of police Detective Rogers.

“Hello, Charlie,” Edna said with surprise. “I thought you were working. Have you come to steal my girl away?”

“She
is
quite a girl, isn’t she,” Charlie said, admiring the view as Starling moved in front of him to settle again on the couch. Sitting beside her, he turned to Edna. “Can’t stay long, but I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop by to see what you ladies were up to.”

Edna suspected Charlie hadn’t just happened to be in the neighborhood—and how did he know Starling hadn’t driven back to Boston? He was the one who was up to something. She studied him as he made idle chit-chat for several minutes. That wasn’t like him either. When Charlie was on duty, he was totally dedicated to his cases and didn’t spend time socializing or spouting pleasantries. Five minutes after he’d arrived, the detective stood.

“Better get back to work or the chief will have my badge.”

When the two young people had gone--Starling walking Charlie to the door--Edna picked up her knitting again. Before starting to count stitches, she muttered softly to the empty room, “Now I wonder what that was all about?”

Chapter Six

Early the next morning, Edna found herself alone for breakfast, except for Benjamin who sauntered out of the mudroom where he slept in a fleece-lined bed most nights. Finishing a bowl of cereal with banana slices, she poured a second cup of coffee and folded the newspaper to the puzzle section. She picked up a pencil to begin the crossword and wondered why Albert hadn’t phoned back last night. It wasn’t like him.

As the thought came to her, the phone rang, so of course she thought it must be Albert. Now that her husband was retired from his medical practice, the caller wouldn't be someone from the hospital or a patient seeking medical advice before Albert left for the clinic. These days, only family called before eight in the morning. Instead of going across the hall to her small office to check the caller’s id, she reached for the kitchen receiver hanging on the wall near the end of the table.

“Good morning, dear.”

Three long seconds of silence followed before a male voice said hesitantly, “Good morning.”

Edna stifled a laugh.
“That you, Charlie?
Sorry. I was expecting Albert to phone. If you’re calling for Starling, she drove home last night after you left.”

“I know. Actually, I want to talk to you and figured I’d catch you before you started your day. Mind if I stop by the house?”

“I always have time for my favorite peace officer.” She wondered if he sensed her broad smile.

“Thanks. I’ll be right over.”

“I’ll make fresh coffee.”

Edna had met Charlie Rogers the previous fall when a friend’s house had been robbed of valuable antiques. Charlie was the detective assigned to the case. Shortly thereafter, Edna had been a suspect in the death of her handyman, another incident that put her in almost daily contact with Charlie. Through the challenge of proving her innocence, she and the detective had developed a mutual liking and respect. She was pleased when he began to date her daughter.

Almost as soon as the receiver was back in the cradle, the phone rang again, ending her ruminations. She was certain this time it was Albert. “Good morning, dear.”

“Hello, sweetie,” came a female voice.

Edna refused to laugh. She bit the inside of her cheek to stop a fit of giggles before answering. “How are you this morning, Peg?”

“Much better after such a warm greeting, Ed.
And you?”

“Feeling fine, thanks.
To what do I owe the honor of this early call?”

“Just something I was wondering about and decided to check with you before I started work in the garden.”

“Oh?”

“I thought we had agreed to plant mint next to the tool shed.”

“That’s right.
Mint by the shed.”

“Then where
is
it, and what am I supposed to do with the lemon balm he brought back? I don’t remember discussing it as part of the gardens.”

The question brought
Goran
Pittlani
to Edna's mind. “I was going to call you this morning about that very thing, Peg. I still want to visit the RISD exhibition at the Art Club, so I thought I’d drive up to Providence again today. I’ll bring you some mint, and we need to talk about your gardener.”

“My gardener?”
Peg was obviously mystified.

“Yes, your gardener. I can’t talk now. I’m expecting Charlie at any minute, and I'm also hoping for a call from Albert. I’ll see you later and explain.”

“You’ve certainly aroused my curiosity, Ed. I’m glad you’re coming back into town, because I have something else to discuss with you. Remember my telling you about Mother’s maid whom she accused of stealing her brooch?”