Murder by Proxy [Edna Davies 02]

by Suzanne Young

  Grant sat carefully on the side of the bed and took Karissa's hand. “Has this been going on all afternoon?” His glance hardened when he turned to look at his mother as if she were to blame for his wife's pain.

  Karissa tugged at his hand, causing him to look back at her. “Your mother has been with me ever since you left. She has a right to some time away from here.” When Grant started to protest, she stopped him by dropping his hand and putting her fingers gently against his lips. “No, listen to me. Edna's been here when it matters. She's been getting our meals and entertaining Jillian after school. This isn't a prison, Grant.” She put her hand back into his and her look softened only slightly. “What's gotten into you? I've never seen you like this. It's unfair to think that your mother must sit at my bedside all day on the off chance that I might need her.”

  Edna watched the color begin to creep up her son's neck and into his cheeks as he lowered his head and played with his wife's fingertips. Jillian had moved to his side, and he slipped an arm around her waist, hoisting her onto his knee. “I think I owe all my women an apology,” he said and turned to look at Edna. “I guess I haven't been easy to live with lately. I'm sorry.”

  Jillian put her arms around her father's neck and gave him a hug. “I still love you, Daddy.”

  The laughter in the room helped ease the tension, and Grant seemed to relax as he hugged his daughter back.

  “I've had a lot on my mind recently, and apparently, I've been taking it out on all of you.” He was still looking at Edna.

  Karissa caught Edna's glance, but her words were directed at Grant. “Are you worried about Anita?”

  Surprise widened his eyes as he turned to face his wife. He hesitated several seconds while he studied her. “Well, that's part of it.” He looked again at his mother, then back to his wife before asking, “What do you know about Anita?”

  Edna moved a small straight-backed chair nearer the bed and sat, saying as she did so, “I told her what I know about Anita's disappearance and what Ernie Freedman has been trying to do to find her.”

  He frowned, looking again from his mother to his wife. “Did she upset you?” he asked Karissa. “Is that what started the baby kicking so hard?”

  “No, Grant,” she said. “First of all, I told you, I'm fine. Secondly, I asked Edna to tell me what you wouldn't. I've been going crazy trying to guess what's been on your mind. I knew something was up with Anita, since she hasn't been around and hasn't called, but you won't talk to me.”

  “What's wrong with Anita?” Jillian's small voice cut into the conversation going on around her.

  With a guilty start, the adults all looked at one another, then all eyes returned to the little girl's worried face. Since she was looking at her father, he was the one who spoke. “It's nothing, Sweetheart. Anita went off to be by herself for a while after her mother and father died in the car accident. We haven't heard from her, and we're kind of worried. That's all.” He kissed the top of her head. “It'll be okay. I'm sure we'll hear from her soon.” He stood her on her feet and rose from the bed. “Now, how about if we go get pizza for supper?”

  “Yeah!” Jillian shouted and raced out of the room ahead of her father.

  When Grant and Jillian returned from their errand, bringing home not just one but two varieties of pizza, the family all gathered around Karissa's bed and had a bedroom picnic, as Jillian called it. Edna felt better when she noticed that Karissa seemed to be resting more comfortably. She had been relieved when Grant agreed that Karissa should stay in bed rather than attempt the walk to the dining room.

  Conversation remained light, and no more mention was made of Anita or of any other topic that might make Jillian think of Anita. Mainly to distract her granddaughter, Edna entertained them all with tales of her cat Benjamin and his new friend and neighbor Hank, a black Labrador retriever. After dinner, she played card games with Jillian, giving Grant a chance to spend some time alone with Karissa. Glad to call it an early night, she went to bed shortly after Jillian. Despite the nap she had taken, she fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

  She was awakened by Grant turning on the overhead light in her room. Dizzy from sitting up abruptly, she fought to understand what he was saying to her.

  “I'm taking Karissa to the hospital.”

  “What's wrong?”

  “I'm not sure, but I think the baby might be coming. Jillian's still asleep, and I don't want to wake her. I'll call you when I know something.” With that, he left the room and she could hear him helping Karissa out of the bedroom.

  The sound of them moving down the hallway wiped the last vestiges of fuzziness from her head. Jumping out of bed and pulling on her robe, she raced to the living room, grabbed pillows and the afghan off the sofa and hurried out to the driveway. Grant helped Karissa into the back seat of the SUV and Edna made her comfortable with the pillows, wrapping the blanket around her as Grant got behind the wheel and started the engine.

  In the house, after watching until the 4-Runner disappeared down the street, Edna was wide awake. The kitchen clock told her it was two twenty-seven, but she knew she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. Worried and agitated, she brewed a cup of tea and sat at the dining room table, hoping it wouldn't be too long before she heard from Grant. She prayed that Karissa and the baby would both be fine. From what they had all said, Karissa was barely out of her eighth month, but maybe they had figured wrong. Then again, eight-month terms weren't unheard of.

  Trying to stop herself from imagining the worst, Edna forced her mind to the window hanging she had seen at Yonny's, convinced that he knew more about Anita than he let on. She wouldn't disturb Ernie. His wife must not be doing well if he hadn't called to check in. With those thoughts reeling around in her head, she decided that regardless of whatever else was going on, she must return to Eldorado Springs as soon as possible. She had only this one last chance to find out what Yonny really knew about Anita's disappearance.

  Eighteen

  Edna managed to doze fitfully on the couch for a couple of hours and finally rose at quarter past seven to start a pot of strong coffee before heading for the shower. Feeling anxious about Karissa and restless to get back to the tiny mountain town, she had already decided that if she hadn't heard from her son by eight o'clock this morning, she would roust Jillian out of bed. After breakfast they'd both go to the hospital. Certainly someone would know something by then.

  “It's a boy.” Grant sounded both tired and elated when he phoned ten minutes before she had determined to waken Jillian.

  “Everyone's okay?” She wouldn't let herself relax until she heard the words.

  “Yes.” He gave a short laugh. It was a wonderful sound. “Yes,” he repeated, “Karissa and the baby are doing great. You should see him, Ma.”

  She laughed delightedly. “I plan to very soon.” She chuckled again at her son's excitement, then asked, “How much does he weigh?”

  “Seven pounds, three ounces. The doctor says he's perfectly formed and healthy.”

  “Oh, Grant, that's terrific news. How is Karissa feeling?”

  “She's tired but looking forward to being mobile again. Says she can't wait to get out of the house to go shopping.”

  The thought of getting out of the house reminded Edna of her plans for the morning. “I was about to wake Jillian,” she began, but before she could finish speaking the thought, her granddaughter wandered into the room, wiping sleep from her eyes with the knuckles of one small fist. “Who're you talking to, Gramma?”

  She motioned her granddaughter over as she said to Grant, “Here's your daughter now. I'll let you tell her.” She handed the phone to Jillian and watched the child's face light up with a wide grin as she heard the news. After listening briefly, Jillian waved the receiver in the air, tilted her head back and shouted, “I got a brother! Yippee!”

  Laughing and rescuing the phone, Edna spoke to her son. “We'll be over as soon as we've had some breakfast.” Before he could protest an
d just in case he had other plans, Edna put the receiver back into the cradle and instructed her granddaughter to get dressed. Mentally arranging her schedule, she decided that after seeing Karissa and the baby, she would leave Jillian with her father and head for Eldorado Springs. This was working out nicely, she thought, smiling to herself as she popped two ready-made waffles into the toaster.

  At Lutheran Medical Center, she stopped at the reception desk to ask directions to Karissa Davies' room. She also wanted to find out if a Mrs. Freedman was a patient in the hospital but thought the receptionist might feel she was violating patient confidentiality to answer a question phrased in such a manner. Edna had learned a thing or two from Albert about how to approach hospital staff. Taking hold of Jillian's hand, she started toward the elevators before turning around to ask. “Oh, yes, and can you tell me which room Mrs. Freedman is in? The number has slipped my mind, and like a dummy, I didn't write it down.” She looked sheepishly at the plump, elderly woman behind the desk.

  If Ernie's wife was being treated here, Edna would try to find Ernie and tell him her plan.

  “We have a Maxine Freedman in room three-oh-four. Is that who you mean?” The helpful woman stared inquiringly at Edna.

  “That sounds right. Three-oh-four,” Edna repeated. “Thank you.” She had no idea if Ernie's wife's name was Maxine or not, but she'd find out. She smiled and began to whistle under her breath as she again headed for the elevators with Jillian in tow. She was really getting the hang of this detective business.

  The next half hour passed quickly as she visited with Karissa and Grant. Jillian cooed over her little brother and thought he was the cutest baby she'd ever seen. “When can we bring him home?” she asked, looking at her father with barely suppressed excitement.

  “We're waiting for the doctor,” he said, studying his watch. He did look awfully tired, Edna thought. “She'll probably release Karissa this morning, and we can all go home.”

  That's my cue, Edna told herself. “I think I'll take a little walk around the hospital while you're waiting. I'd like to see how this facility compares to the South County and if I can take any ideas back to Mary,” she said, mentioning both the hospital nearest to their new home in Rhode Island and her neighbor who worked as a volunteer there. It was as good an excuse as any to leave the room without Grant questioning her, but he only nodded absently when she picked up her tote bag. Before hurrying from the room, she added, “If I'm not back by the time you're ready to leave, just go along without me. I'll catch up with you later.” She counted on the fact that he was too tired to process information quickly enough to question her intentions.

  Out of sight of her family, she stopped near the elevators and tried Ernie's cell number. If he had turned on his phone's ringer again, she would double-check with him before walking in on a stranger, but there was no answer from his mobile.

  Arriving at room 304, she rapped lightly and poked her head around the partially opened door. “Hello,” she called. “Mrs. Freedman?”

  A woman with short, iron gray hair was lying in bed, facing the window. As Edna ventured further into the room, the patient slowly turned her head and gazed blankly at her visitor. An oxygen tube was affixed to her nose and fluid dripped into her arm from a bottle hanging from a metal stand beside the bed. The woman's eyes were dark-rimmed and listless.

  “Yes.” The sound came from between dry lips in a quiet hiss. Then, squinting and displaying a little more energy, she said, “Do I know you?”

  “We haven't met,” Edna said, approaching the bed. “Are you Ernie's wife? Ernie, the detective?”

  The woman on the bed gave a weak smile. “That would be me.” She inhaled shakily before speaking again. “Why? Who are you?” She slid her hands down the bed on either side of her waist, as if she would push herself up.

  Edna hurriedly put out a hand, palm toward Maxine. “Please don't disturb yourself. I'm sorry to intrude, but I'm a friend of your husband. I'm working on a case with him.”

  The slight stiffness went out of the woman's arms as she visibly relaxed. “Are you Edna?”

  She found the question pleased her because it meant Ernie had told his wife about her and probably about the case, as well. “Yes, I'm Edna.”

  “Oh,” Maxine sighed, the weak smile returning. “Glad to meetcha.”

  “I'm very sorry to bother you, but I've been trying to reach Ernie. I have news for him that I think he might want to hear, but he isn't answering his cell phone. Do you know how I can reach him?”

  Looking toward the ceiling, Maxine moved her head slowly from side to side on the pillow. After a brief pause during which she seemed to be mustering her strength, she said, “I don't think he's gotten used to that new phone of his yet.” She paused again before explaining further. “He went home to get some sleep. Been here with me all night. I don't want to bother him unless it's very important. He told me he'd be back about one this afternoon.”

  Edna followed Maxine's gaze to the clock on the wall opposite the bed. It wasn't quite ten o'clock. Trying not to show her disappointment, she smiled at the woman. “I'll call him later this afternoon. I'm so sorry to have bothered you.”

  In the same weak voice, Maxine said, “No bother. Want me to give him a message?”

  Edna thought for a minute, before deciding. “If you could, please tell him that I think he was right, and I've gone back to Eldorado Springs.”

  “You've gone back to Eldorado Springs,” Maxine muttered before turning her head away and closing her eyes.

  Right, Edna thought, realizing Ernie probably wouldn't get the message. That was okay. She would call him this afternoon, when hopefully, she'd have something to report. With that thought, she quietly left the room. She hesitated for a moment, trying to decide if she should go back and speak to Grant again. The sooner I talk to Yonny, the sooner I can get back to the house and see that everyone's taken care of, she told herself and left the hospital.

  On the way to the little dead-end canyon, she wondered how she was going to get into Yonny's house. She had to look around the place, had to see if she could spot anything else that might belong to Anita. When she reached Eldorado Springs, she drove slowly past the tiny, blue house, noticing no signs of activity. She stopped briefly to study the glass art which gleamed in the late-morning sun. She was right. Except for differences in color, the hanging looked very much like the one in Grant's bedroom window. She continued down the narrow dirt road, glancing back once in her rear-view mirror. Where was the Bronco Lia had told Karissa that Yonny had driven to the hospital?

  At that moment she wished she was more knowledgeable about makes and models of automobiles and made a mental note to study up on them when she had the opportunity. If she was going to be any sort of detective, that was something she would probably need to know. Right now, she thought a vehicle of that sort had been parked near the house the previous morning. Maybe Yonny had driven off in it, or maybe it belonged to a neighbor. It was hard for her to decide with so many cars lined up along the roadside and so many houses clustered together.

  Studying the vehicles along her route, she drove over the bridge at the end of the street and turned right. She hadn't spotted an obvious place to pull off and park on her first drive around the neighborhood. She would be less picky this next time. As she maneuvered the Celica down the narrow track for the second time, she thought that Yonny didn't seem like the violent type. Besides, she told herself, if he had done away with Anita, would he still be hanging around? Wouldn’t he have fled? Interrupting her mental meanderings, she spotted a narrow space between a car and a tree. She was three houses away from Yonny's, so she pulled in and turned off the motor.

  Sitting in the car and staring toward the house, she imagined herself knocking on the door to confront the man. He was young and strong and very fit. It wouldn't take much for him to overpower her and make her disappear, too, if that is what he had done with Anita.

  Edna took a deep breath and reached to open the car
door just as the door to the house opened and Yonny stepped out. Her heart raced. Should she confront him or wait for him to leave and try to get into his house? He was wearing a small backpack and had a coil of rope draped over one shoulder. Greta trotted out, and Yonny pulled the door closed. He looked up the hill in her direction and Edna, still uncertain as to what she should do, was about to sink slowly down in her seat when he turned abruptly. Whistling to the dog, he set off in the opposite direction.

  She watched as the pair disappeared from sight. If she could get into the house and look around before he got back, maybe she would find something that would point to Anita's whereabouts. Maybe she could find out if Yonny was connected to the Quinn Foundation. The veterinary link was too coincidental, and she knew from her television shows that coincidences were suspicious. If, on the other hand, she found nothing to indicate Yonny was involved in any sort of subterfuge … well, that would mean she was back to where she'd started, and she didn't want to contemplate that at the moment.

  Now that she knew for certain Yonny was out of the house, she felt a surge of courage. She would just go see if he'd left the door unlocked. She would walk up to the front of the house as if she were arriving for a visit. Then, she'd knock and see if anyone answered before trying the latch. That's the way they did it on television.

  Certain that the house would be empty, she got out of the car and walked purposefully up to the front door. If any of the neighbors happened to be watching her, she wanted to look as if she might be expected. She glanced in the window beside the front door but could see nothing except what looked like one end of a living room.

  Pausing only briefly, she raised a fist and knocked firmly. She waited a minute, looking right, then left over her shoulder, nonchalantly trying to see if anyone was outside, coming along the road or standing in a nearby yard. She peered quickly into the window once more but could see nothing in the semi-dark interior. After several seconds, she took a deep breath, thinking it’s now or never and put a hand on the doorknob. She felt it turn. Startled, she stifled a yelp as the door swung wide.