Murder by Arrangement Read online

  Edna waited to see if Mary would add any more information. When she didn’t, Edna said, “Young Miss Callahan dropped by to see Gregory, of course. Besides some sort of soup she’d bought at a deli, she had contracts for him to look over and checks to sign.”

  “Anyone else show up?” Mary asked. She was stroking Ink Spot who had jumped into her lap. Benjamin was in his bed by the hearth, and Hank had stretched out on the area rug next to the sofa.

  Edna recounted, “Rosie, Lily, Farren, Bobbi … oh, yes, and Duke Callahan himself. He was mentioned in the reports because he didn’t come forward until police talked to a neighbor who said she’d seen him going into the condo the evening Gregory was thought to have died. Callahan claimed he went to the door, but when Gregory didn’t answer his knock, he left without entering the place. Said he neither saw nor spoke to Gregory that night.”

  “That’s right,” Mary said, sitting up to put her wine glass on the coffee table. She then melted back into the corner of the couch as she recalled. “I remember now … I heard he was summoned to the police station after a patrol officer discovered he’d been there. Mr. Callahan wasn’t very popular, particularly when he showed up with a lawyer, but I think he’s good friends with the chief so no rumors came out in the papers.”

  Mention of the police and the investigation prompted Edna to ask, “Do you know John Forrester?”

  “Don’t know him personally, but I’ve heard some talk.” Mary’s grimace told Edna some of what she wanted to know.

  “What have you heard?”

  “That he grovels before anyone he thinks has power and bullies everyone else. He’s arrogant and a sexist. When he was still on the force, he acted oh-so-nice when other detectives or officers were within earshot, but he could be mean as a coiled snake, mostly to the women. Treated them like something to scrape off his shoe. They all hated him.”

  “How did he get away with it? He must have been reprimanded for his behavior.”

  Mary leaned forward to select a cracker and a slice of cheese before settling back and answering Edna. “I guess nobody ever had enough proof to bring an official complaint. He probably made sure of that.” She paused and studied the food in her hand for a few seconds. “Come to think of it, there was some gossip last year that retirement wasn’t his idea. Some believe he was asked to leave.”

  The thought suddenly struck Edna that Forrester might have left the force in order to pursue the old investigation. “Do you know anything about his being taken off the case the day after Haverstrum’s body was found?”

  Mary frowned. “Nope. That raised some eyebrows at the time, but nothing ever leaked about what went on between the chief and his newest detective. Forrester was out of town for a couple of weeks. ‘Training,’ so it was said.”

  “What else do you know about him? Is he married? Did he grow up around here?”

  Mary shook her head. “Don’t know much before he got to town. Moved here from a small town in western Massachusetts, near the New York border, I think. He heard about a job on the force here, applied and got it. I think a former chief of his recommended him for the position. Somethin’ like that.”

  “How long ago was that?”

  Mary squinted up at the ceiling for a few seconds before answering. “Must be about four years now.”

  “Not that long ago,” Edna muttered, more to herself than to Mary. “Why did he leave his last job to come here? If he wanted to advance in law enforcement, you’d think he’d apply to a big city department, wouldn’t you?”

  Mary frowned and hesitated a few seconds before admitting, “Don’t know.”

  Edna thought again of Forrester’s unexpected visit to her doorstep. “Do you think he’s dangerous? Do you know if he’s ever been violent?”

  “Coupla times, he was suspected of roughing up guys who tried to resist arrest--or who he claimed resisted, but nobody ever pressed charges.”

  It wasn’t exactly the answer Edna wanted to hear. Dropping Forrester for the time being, she was about to ask Mary what else she remembered about Gregory Haverstrum when Hank stood up suddenly and poked his muzzle into Mary’s side. It must have tickled because the redhead laughed as she gently pushed the Labrador away.

  “Sorry, Edna. This old fella is saying it’s time for his supper. Probably time for a walk, too.”

  Edna was disappointed that Mary couldn’t stay longer and discuss the scandal. Alone and at loose ends, she decided to phone Albert. When she was switched immediately to his voice mail, she tried Matthew’s number with the same result. Determined, she pressed the speed dial for her son-in-law Roger, and when he didn’t respond, she began to wonder. Since it was unusual that she couldn’t raise at least one of the men, she called Irene and was relieved to hear a voice that wasn’t filled with panic.

  “Sorry, Edna. I was supposed to let you know they are spending the night at sea. Everyone agreed they wanted a peaceful evening with no ringing phones, so all the devices are off. First one who turns his back on has to buy the next case of beer.”

  Edna chuckled along with her daughter-in-law over the inevitable bets and then asked about the children.

  Irene didn’t answer immediately and enthusiastically, as she usually did. Instead, the silence on the other end of the line dragged on for so long that Edna began to wonder if she’d been disconnected. She was about to speak when she heard her daughter-in-law’s low voice, as if she didn’t want anyone else to hear. “Can you come for supper tomorrow night? The kids would love to see you, and Lettie will be here, too.”

  “Lettie?” Edna was puzzled, more by Irene’s lowered tone than the words.

  “Yes. She’s been staying with us.”

  Edna was surprised and, although she didn’t express her doubts to Irene, wondered why Rosie would remove her daughter from the grandmother’s care, only to put Lettie in the hands of a relative stranger. Most peculiar and erratic behavior, Edna thought.

  Chapter 18

  When Irene told Edna that Lettie was going to hang out with Amanda for the entire day, Edna decided to drive to Warwick earlier than suppertime. She wanted to arrive well before Rosie got off work and came to the house. Edna’s excuse would be that she wanted to give the girls a special day by taking them shopping and out for lunch. Afterwards, they could have an afternoon of hair styling and manicures. Irene was excited about the idea, and Edna suspected some adult company for a stay-at-home mom was part of the appeal.

  Tuesday morning, on her way to Warwick, Edna wondered again why Rosie had removed her daughter from Lily’s care, only to leave the child with a neighbor. Irene would be responsible for the girl this entire week, at least while Rosie was at work. Irene said she didn’t mind, she had to be home with Amanda anyway, but Edna thought it presumptuous of Rosie to impose on Irene’s generous nature. Edna hoped the two mothers had come to some sort of day-care agreement, but then doubted Irene would take any recompense for what she’d consider “just being neighborly.” Still, thought Edna, and stopped there.

  Knowing it was futile to speculate, her thoughts turned to the deaths of two men. As far as she knew, Gregory and Clem hadn’t even known each other, but she couldn’t help a nagging suspicion that their deaths were somehow connected. Gregory Haverstrum had suspicious burns around his mouth, symptomatic of the type of poison produced by the Christmas Rose. Clem Peppafitch had the same plant clutched in his hand, but no telltale blisters. Because of that one blossom, Edna sensed a link to both fatalities, but how? More importantly, why?

  She thought back to Lettie’s comment about her grandmother’s making “medicine” from the plant. Was Lily responsible for her son-in-law’s death or, if Edna was correct and the two deaths were connected, Clem’s fatality? What would Lily have gained by killing either man?

  Edna was giving herself a headache. Was she letting her imagination get the better of her? She needed to find out for certain how Clem died and didn’t want to believe it was by Peppa’s Mercedes.

  Her mind seg
ued back to images of Lily’s daughter and granddaughter. Did Rosie suspect her mother of murder? Is that why she’d rather leave Lettie with neighbors than with her grandmother? Were those fears the cause of the tension between the two women?

  Because of Edna’s strong feelings that Clem’s death was related to Gregory’s, she wanted to talk with both Lettie and Rosie. Considering the latest theory that Haverstrum had somehow taken ranunculin, Edna felt encouraged that Rosie might help throw some new light on her husband’s death. If so, Edna might then be able to figure out a motivation behind the botany professor’s death. She’d planned the day’s outing because she wanted to speak with Lettie first. She needed to be more circumspect with a nine-year old than someone in her thirties. Edna hadn’t yet decided how she would broach the topic with either Lettie or Rosie when she pulled up before her son’s home.

  Edna was delighted by the reception she received from the two girls when she walked into the house. Not only her granddaughter, but Lettie, too, ran up to greet her with a hug and a huge smile.

  “Whose car?” Amanda asked, turning to her mother while still bouncing with excitement.

  “We’ll take mine. Why don’t you girls go get your coats and meet us in the garage,” Irene said.

  Once the girls were out of earshot, Edna said, “What’s up with you watching Lettie?”

  Irene gave her a strained smile. “I have no idea. Rosie phoned yesterday morning in a near panic. She had planned to take Lettie to work with her, but the child refused to get dressed. When Rosie called, she was already late for work and thought she might lose her job. She asked if I’d take Lettie for the day. Since Rosie had to leave right away, I took Amanda over to their house. Rosie left while we waited for Lettie to get ready. She was totally cooperative once her mother was gone. Then we came back here. Last night, when Rosie came to pick up her daughter, we had a little talk. Long and short of it is that Lettie is happier playing with Amanda until they go back to school.”

  “That’s pretty strange behavior and a defiance I didn’t think Lettie had in her.”

  “Me either,” Irene agreed.

  Figuring the girls might be coming to check on the old slowpokes, Edna quickly told Irene of her wish to get Lettie alone for as long as possible. “I’d like to ask her some sensitive questions, and I think she’s more apt to talk to me if nobody else is in the room.”

  “We should be able to manage that,” Irene said over her shoulder as she reached into the closet for her own coat and handbag. She then hooked her arm through Edna’s and led her through the kitchen and out to the garage.

  At the Warwick Mall, after hitting nearly every store from Macy’s to Penny’s to Target, Irene and Edna sagged gratefully into a booth, happy to finally get off their feet. The girls sat opposite and put their heads together over a menu, arguing good-naturedly over whether to get pizza or a burger, and then what toppings were best. Edna and Irene thought the half sandwich and cup of soup looked most appealing. As yet, Edna hadn’t had a chance to speak with Lettie alone.

  The opportunity came after they returned home and settled around the kitchen table.

  “Will you braid my hair?” As Amanda pulled her purchases from a bag with the Target logo, she looked up at her mother with pleading eyes.

  Glancing swiftly at Edna and giving a nearly imperceptible nod toward Lettie, Irene said, “Sure, kiddo, but first let’s go up to the bathroom and I’ll give you a professional shampoo.”

  “Cool,” Amanda said, jumping up to follow her mother out of the room.

  Sitting at the head of the rectangular table with Lettie on the side to her left, Edna began to help arrange nail polish and manicure implements. The girls had bought some new colors during their morning’s shopping. At the advice of the woman behind the perfume counter, auburn-headed Amanda had chosen a metallic red and blonde Lettie a glittery pink.

  “I think your mother will like the color you picked,” Edna said as she picked up an emery board. She held a palm out and Lettie obligingly placed her own hand in Edna’s.

  Keeping her eyes on their hands, Lettie shrugged.

  As Edna began to file the girl’s ragged fingernails into shape, she knew she didn’t have much time to get a nine-year-old talking. She hoped a gentle but aggressive approach would work. “Why didn’t you want to go to work with her? Planning weddings must be lots of fun.”

  Again, the girl merely shrugged and kept her eyes lowered.

  “Do you know what sort of things she does?” Edna was getting desperate. Would the girl ever speak?

  This time, only one arm went up and Lettie’s head tipped sideways so shoulder and ear nearly touched. “I dunno. She doesn’t let me help. It’s boring just watching.”

  Edna raised her eyes in surprise and looked at the girl. “I think you’d be a good helper.”

  “Me, too.”

  “What do you do, if she won’t let you help?” Edna returned her gaze to the girl’s fingers as she finished with the right and accepted the left one.

  Lettie shook her head slightly, but this time, she looked up at Edna. “I read.”

  Edna was at a loss and worked silently for nearly a minute. She didn’t want to get off on a discussion of preferred stories. She was about to see if she could get Lettie to talk about her grandmother when the girl surprised her by saying, “Mama’s different.”

  Careful, Edna thought before asking nonchalantly. “What do you mean?”

  “She used to be happy before Daddy died. At least, some of the time.”

  Edna was anxious to say the right thing so the girl would keep talking.

  “Do you miss your daddy?”

  Lettie nodded and dropped her gaze to the nails Edna was gently filing. The fingers of the girl’s right hand were smoothing the dish towel with which Irene had covered the wood surface.

  “You were pretty young when he died. Do you remember him?”

  Lettie nodded. “I have his picture on my dresser.”

  “That’s nice. I bet that helps to keep him in your dreams at night.”

  Lettie looked up in surprise, as if Edna were clairvoyant. “It does.” She seemed to study Edna for several seconds while Edna herself pretended to assess the girl’s hands with approval. Her heart beat rapidly, hoping Lettie would keep talking.

  “What did your daddy look like?”

  “He could have been a movie star.”

  Edna almost smiled, but the awe in the child’s voice kept her from doing so. She didn’t want Lettie to think she was being laughed at.

  “He got sick.”

  Lettie sounded so forlorn, Edna had to clear a lump in her throat before speaking again. “Yes, I know he did. Do you know what made him sick?”

  Lettie shook her head, while her eyes examined the bottles of polish. “Lily’s medicine didn’t make him better.”

  At that moment, Amanda burst into the kitchen with Irene close behind. “Have you painted yet? Did you wait for me?” Her hair was soft and shiny from the recent wash and blow drying.

  Edna wanted to beat her head on the table in frustration. She needed more time alone with the girl. Thinking back to the morning Starling had driven them to Point Judith and Lettie’s mention of “Lily’s medicine,” Edna wondered if Lettie had just referred to the same concoction she’d spoken of when the girls had been looking at Edna’s sketch of the Christmas Rose.

  Any more chance of getting Lettie alone disappeared with the arrival of Irene’s three older children. The noise level in the kitchen increased as grandchildren greeted Edna. Allison sat across the table from Lettie to examine the polish while David and Joseph raided the refrigerator.

  “What’s for supper?” David asked as he put a carton of milk on the countertop and reached into a cupboard for a glass.

  “Spaghetti,” Irene said, “so don’t spoil your appetites.”

  “As if,” Allison murmured and rolled her eyes. In a lower tone, she said, “Can I make the sauce?”

  “You bet,”
Irene agreed with a grin as she finished off Amanda’s braid with a rubber band. Dropping into organizer mode, she said, “The girls need to finish painting their nails. As soon as the polish is dry, I want Amanda and Lettie to set the table. Since Allison is helping cook, you boys are in charge of cleanup tonight.” She had to raise her voice on those last words as she spoke to the backs of David and Joseph who, with a box of cookies and the carton of milk, were heading for the family room in the basement.

  In a lower tone, talking to those who remained in the room, she said, “I’ll make garlic bread and I bet we can talk Gramma into whipping up a peach cobbler.”

  “Yeah,” Amanda nearly shouted. “Will you, Gramma?”

  Edna smiled. “How can I refuse?”

  The meal proceeded with much chatter and laughter, followed by two simultaneous groans when Irene reminded the boys that they were on kitchen patrol.

  Rosie had not appeared by the time Edna was ready to head home at eight o’clock that night. Once alone in the quiet of her car, her thoughts returned to Lettie’s words, “Lily’s medicine didn’t make him better.”

  Had the child, then seven years old, given her father what she thought was medicine her grandmother had prepared? Had the youngster seen Lily administer it to Gregory? What exactly had Lettie meant by that seemingly simple statement?

  Chapter 19

  Edna found two new messages on her office machine when she arrived home shortly before nine that evening. Family and friends who knew her well had learned to rely on her land line. She reserved her cell mainly for emergencies or for connecting with someone at an airport or train station. Otherwise, the instrument was apt to be left in the car or in her purse or, worse yet, needing to be recharged. Besides, she informed the uninitiated, she preferred to listen to calls in the uninterrupted quiet of her office.

  Having grown up in a generation before computers were as necessary to daily life as televisions, Edna prohibited electronic devices at the dinner table or when the family was gathered to enjoy each other’s company. Absolutely no mobile calls were accepted when she was driving, shopping or visiting. She relied on voice mail to help her manage her day without endless or inconvenient disruptions.