Murder by Christmas Read online

  Finished hanging the garland, Kevin walked over to join them. “My dad used to wake me on Christmas Eve by stomping on the roof of our house.” When Edna and Gran stopped what they were doing to look at him expectantly, he went on, “After Mom put presents under the tree and filled stockings, she was ready to go to bed, but he’d get out the ladder and climb up on the roof. Most likely, he’d had a toddy or two by that time. Years later, Mom told me how she’d have to go out in the cold to help him off the roof and down the ladder. Said she always expected him to fall off and break his neck.” Kevin finished with a laugh.

  Thinking it wasn’t the most pleasant tradition she’d ever heard, Edna nonetheless gave a cheerful chuckle and changed the conversation around to Tom Greene’s grandson. “Do you know if Danny still believes in Santa Claus?” She approached the tree carrying several wooden ornaments in her hands.

  “If he does, this will be the last year,” Kevin said, following after Edna to hang a tiny elf figure on a low branch. “There’ll be at least one of his classmates in the first grade who’ll tell him the real scoop.”

  “I suppose you’re right,” she said, hooking a carved reindeer over a middle branch. “It’s such fun when the children still believe, though.”

  “That’s what Cousin Norm thinks too. He’s going to dress up as Santa one more year, whether Danny believes or not.” As he spoke, Kevin wandered over to the coffee table to eat a few crackers and drink some cider.

  Proud of her grandmother’s holiday drink, Edna said, “Would you like to try some mulled wine?”

  He shook his head. “Cider’s fine. Alcohol doesn’t agree with me, or I don’t agree with it. Tried for years, but never figured out which.” He smiled and popped a cracker into his mouth.

  Before Edna had time to think of what he meant, Kevin went on with his story.

  “It’s part of a family tradition. Norm gets into costume and goes over to the house to tuck Danny into bed. Because Norm had no children of his own, Uncle Tom thought up the idea for Danny’s first Christmas.”

  “Norm?” Edna couldn’t believe the meanest man she’d ever known would be capable of such an act. “Norm Wilkins?” she repeated as a question, just to make certain she understood that she and Kevin were talking about the same person.

  “Yep. That’s right.” Kevin laughed. “Hard to believe, I know, but he loves playing Santa Claus. He’s a different person when he’s dressed in that red suit. He’s actually really good with kids and animals. Did you know he poses as Santa for pet photos at a local animal clinic?”

  Edna remembered with a start the fat Santa who had arrived at Laurel Taylor’s shelter with Jake Perry. No wonder those beady eyes and sour expression looked familiar, she thought. Catching sight of the clock, she was distracted and amazed to see nearly two hours had slipped by.

  Gran must have seen the look. “What do you suppose has happened to Charlie and Mary?” she asked. While Kevin and Edna had been talking, Gran had returned to her chair to thread another garland which she now held up to Kevin.

  “He mentioned the department was short staffed. Maybe he got called in on a case,” Edna said, beginning to drape tinsel over the decorated branches and trying not to look as worried as she felt. “I don’t know what could be keeping Mary, though, or why she hasn’t called.”

  As if her last words were some sort of signal, the phone rang. Startled by the coincidence, Edna took a second or two to realize it really was her phone ringing, but then she raced to her office.

  “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 wit
h 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.”<
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  “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.”