Murder by Arrangement

by Suzanne Young

  “How did he end up at your house?” Tuck asked, seeming too curious or excited to eat.

  “Yes,” said Edna, “and why was he holding a Christmas Rose? Was he trying to point the finger at Rosie Beck?”

  “Nobody knows,” Peppa said. “I’m guessing he discovered how Gregory Haverstrum died and was taking a piece of the plant to show the police.”

  Tuck looked more confused than usual. “Why didn’t he do that months ago?”

  When Peppa merely shrugged, Edna spoke up. “I bet he recently found out the details of Gregory’s death from John Forrester. The old detective has been talking to everyone associated with the case. Granted Clem wasn’t around two years ago, but John’s been hanging around Lily’s place and would certainly have talked to Clem. As a botanist, Clem would have figured out that it must have been ranunculin that caused the blistering and ulcers around Gregory’s mouth and in his throat. I think Peppa’s right about Clem pulling the plant to show to the police.”

  The friends talked more, but their speculations soon petered out. Saddened by all that had happened in the last week, they cut short their visit and went to their respective homes.

  For the rest of the day, Edna fidgeted as the clock moved slowly toward four-thirty when she would meet up with Charlie. Impatient for information, she wished he would phone before then with news of Lettie or Rosie, but wasn’t surprised when he didn’t. Edna was certain her hunch about the child was correct, that she had answers to questions nobody had thought to ask the youngster.

  The hour finally came to leave. Edna was to drive to the police station and pick up Charlie before they headed for the airport to meet Albert, Matthew, Roger and Ken. To transport the men and their luggage, two cars were needed, so Starling had agreed to meet them at the baggage carousels.

  When Edna reached the lot at the police station, she switched to the passenger’s seat. Five minutes later, Charlie got behind the wheel and started the car. Edna didn’t even wait for him to pull forward.

  “Well,” she said, “did you talk to Lettie?”

  He put the car in gear and moved slowly out of the lot. “Peggy did. I told her you suggested asking Lettie what she did Saturday night.” He glanced over at Edna. “You’re pretty wily, you know that?”

  Edna nearly bounced in the seat with nervous anticipation. “What did she say?”

  Charlie watched for traffic as he accelerated onto the road. “Lettie said she and her mother were watching a movie. She said they were snuggled up on the couch in Lily’s den ‘cause it was a scary film. Her mother let her stay up late.”

  “Until what time?” Edna asked.

  “Around eleven, according to the girl.”

  “So they must have been together when Clem was walking toward Peppa’s house,” Edna calculated.

  “How did you know Lettie could alibi her mother?” Charlie gave Edna another quick glance.

  “I didn’t, but I remembered Lily saying she left halfway through the show. Innocent as children are, I doubt Lettie would consciously think to give her mother an alibi, if one were necessary.”

  Charlie nodded without taking his eyes off the road. “After talking to the girl, Peggy had Lily brought to the station for questioning. She resisted answering at first, but after Peggy told her about Lettie’s confirmation of Rosie’s alibi, Lily finally admitted to driving Clem away from her property. Said that on her way to bed, she’d gone to the sun porch to make sure the shades were drawn and spotted Clem stumbling around the back garden. Snow was falling pretty steadily by then, so she put on a coat and went to see what he was doing.”

  “And learned he had heard about Gregory Haverstrum’s symptoms and connected them with the Christmas Rose,” Edna finished for Charlie.

  “Exactly.” He glanced out the side view mirror before changing lanes and passing a slower vehicle. “Clem must have loaded his tea with the poisoned honey shortly before deciding to gather the evidence he’d need to prove his theory.”

  Edna shifted in her seat, turning slightly to study Charlie. “Rosie told me her mother never drove in bad weather. That’s why I didn’t suspect her sooner, but I still don’t understand why Clem got into the car with her. He must have been leery of his employer. After all, it was her plant, her garden and her son-in-law.”

  “Remember, the ‘mad honey’ made him disoriented and weak. Lily probably had no problem getting him into Rosie’s car, particularly if she told him she was taking him to the hospital.”

  “That’s another thing. Why use Rosie’s car? Was Lily trying to implicate her daughter?”

  Charlie shook his head, keeping his eyes on the road. “She couldn’t have used the Impala, even if she’d wanted to. Rosie was parked behind it in the driveway.”

  “Knowing her mother wouldn’t have driven in the snow,” Edna completed the thought. She winced at the irony before asking, “Why did Lily leave Clem so close to his old house?”

  “She didn’t realize it was his old neighborhood. By that time, I’m guessing she wasn’t thinking clearly. She admitted that all she could think about was getting him away from her place. Didn’t care where and probably wasn’t even aware of what street she was on. When she figured she’d driven around enough, she stopped, pushed him out of the car and drove off.”

  “Did she mean for him to die?”

  “Claims not. She said she was ‘terribly annoyed’ at him for what she considered his disloyalty. She only wanted him away from her property. Like I said, she probably wasn’t thinking rationally, but the forecast was for below-zero temperatures that night. I think she figured it was late enough at night and with the heavy snowfall, it was almost certain he wouldn’t survive. Because of the condition he was in, she probably thought, if he did survive, he wouldn’t remember what had happened.”

  “If you hadn’t found out Rosie was with Lettie Saturday night, would Lily have let her daughter be blamed for Clem’s death?”

  “Her idea was that nobody could prove anything against Rosie, so she was waiting before implicating herself.” Charlie looked over at Edna and raised his eyebrows, clearing doubting Lily’s statement.

  Edna shook her head at the mother’s duplicity before speculating, “So Gregory Haverstrum was Lily’s doing, too, I imagine. It certainly would explain Lettie’s comment about her grandmother’s medicine not making her father better. She must have seen Lily put something into her father’s food or drink.”

  Charlie shrugged without glancing at Edna. “Probably, but we haven’t pressed the girl about what she witnessed two years ago. For the time being, we’ve released Rosie.” He slid his eyes toward Edna as if wondering how she would take the news, but before she could say anything about Rosie’s manhandling of her, Charlie rushed on. “Her lawyer is taking responsibility for her staying in town, so Peggy thought it would be best if Rosie and Lettie could be together in Lily’s house for the time being.”

  Realizing what Charlie’s admission meant, Edna said, “I don’t plan on pressing charges, but why did Rosie react as she did, threatening me with that pick?” Edna shuddered at the memory.

  “Our department’s psychologist spoke to her before Peggy agreed to release Rosie to her lawyer. She feels that John’s reopening of the case stirred Rosie’s subconscious. Her own repressed memories, plus questions Lettie’d begun to ask, pushed Rosie to the brink. She didn’t want to believe her mother was capable of so heinous an act, and it put her psyche at odds with her growing conviction.”

  Edna was silent, thinking about all that had transpired in the last week until Charlie’s voice brought her back to the present.

  “Is there anything else about our case that you haven’t figured out?” he said, flashing her a grin to let her know he was being facetious.

  “Yes,” she retorted, returning the smile. “How did you happen to walk into the garage when you did? That sort of timing only happens on TV shows.”

  He laughed. “Talk about a fluke. Lettie sent a text to Amanda. She was furious th
at her mother had locked her in her room, but she was also worried about her mother’s strange behavior, so she sent a text to her best friend. Probably in the state Lettie was in, she forgot Amanda doesn’t have a cell of her own and that the message would go to Starling’s mobile. When she saw the message, Starling phoned me. Practically ordered me to get over to Lily’s immediately.” He gave Edna a lopsided grin. “Fortunately, my meeting was over.”

  Edna hid a smile, familiar with her daughter’s bossy side, but not willing to acknowledge it to Charlie. Returning to the seriousness of the situation, Edna said, “Rosie’s behavior certainly was strange.” She shivered, remembering again the jab of the ice pick into her neck. “She took me completely by surprise, but that’s another reason I thought she probably hadn’t poisoned anyone.”

  Charlie frowned, sending another brief glance in Edna’s direction. “Oh?”

  “Poison is usually the weapon of a weak person. A coward, if you will,” Edna explained. “Rosie went for me with a pick. If she had killed her husband, I imagine she would have used a knife or she would have hit him over the head with something. She was aggressive, not sly.” Edna fell silent for a minute before voicing her next thought. “What do you suppose Lily’s motive was in killing her son-in-law?”

  Charlie shook his head. “I have no idea, but Peggy has a theory from what she learned during Rosie’s interview. When she told her mother about the pending divorce and how unreasonable Gregory had become, Lily decided to step in. Gregory threatened not only to get custody of Lettie, but also to make certain Rosie got practically no money from him. Lily was sure he could make good his threats, since Gregory had money to hire the best lawyers and Rosie had none. Even in his will, Haverstrum tied up all his assets in a trust for his daughter which she can’t touch until she’s twenty-five. Lily was in no position to help financially unless she sold the family home, so she did the only thing she could think of to protect her child. Lily had raised Rosie on a shoestring after her own husband died. She didn’t want Rosie to go through the same struggle.”

  Edna sighed, feeling deeply saddened for the hopelessness Lily must have felt to have gone to such extremes. “What happens now?” she asked, thinking of the nine-year-old child who seemed caught in the middle.

  Approaching the airport exit, Charlie put on his signal. “It’s up to the lawyers,” he said, turning off the highway.

  When they reached the terminal, Charlie let Edna off at the arrivals door before driving off to park the car. She found Starling in the crowd waiting in the baggage claim area. Passengers were already coming off the escalators from the upper floor.

  “I was wondering if you’d make it,” Starling said, kissing her mother’s cheek. “I thought I might have to squeeze four big men and their luggage into my little Toyota.”

  Charlie joined them as Edna finally spotted a familiar and beloved head of white, wavy hair. Instead of coming off the stairs, however, Albert and Matthew stepped out of an elevator. Roger and Ken were close behind. Her heart lurched when she saw her husband was still walking with the aid of his cane and his free hand was behind his back as if for balance. Smiling to hide her concern, she waved. Matthew saw her first and lifted a hand in acknowledgement.

  As the men drew near, Albert suddenly swung out the arm that had been hidden and, with a slight bow, presented Edna with a prettily wrapped bouquet. He looked a little sheepish when he said, “I’m sorry, sweetheart, but the florist was completely sold out of roses.”

  “Thank goodness.” The words slipped past her lips before she could stop them.

  Behind her father, Starling had a sudden fit of coughing. As Charlie turned to pat her back, he caught Edna’s eye and winked. She tried to ignore them both as she beamed up at her husband.

  “Mums are perfect, dear.”

  # # #

  Davies Family Recipes

  With her busy schedule and four children to raise, Edna preferred quick, simple recipes that required few pans or dishes to wash. Here are some of her favorites that have become hits with her grandchildren, as well.

  Chicken Pot Pie - Easy and Quick (serves 3 - 4)

  1 can (10.5 oz.) cream of potato soup

  10 oz. frozen mixed vegetables, partially thawed

  1 can (12.5 oz.) chicken breast, drained*

  1 egg, beaten

  1/2 cup milk

  1 cup baking mix

  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

  In a 9 inch pie pan, combine soup, vegetables and chicken.

  Beat egg in a small bowl. Add milk. Stir in baking mix until moist. Do not over stir. Mix should be lumpy, not smooth.

  Pour baking mixture over chicken and vegetables.

  Bake 25 minutes or until crust is nicely golden brown.

  *Water may be reserved and given to cat in small doses, since it is too rich to be consumed at once.

  Sweet and Sour Chicken - Slow Cooker (serves 2)

  2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thawed or frozen)

  1 small can (8 oz.) pineapple chunks with juice

  1/2 cup Wishbone Russian salad dressing

  1 green sweet bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips

  Combine ingredients in slow cooker.

  Pepper strips may be added during last hour of cooking, so as not to overcook.

  If chicken is thawed, you may wish to cut breasts into 2 inch pieces.

  Cook on low 6 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours -- until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Frozen breasts will require the longer cooking times.

  Serve over hot, cooked rice.

  Breakfast Muffins - Cranberry (makes 12 standard muffins)

  2 cups flour

  1/2 cup dried cranberries

  1 tablespoon baking powder

  2 tablespoons sugar

  1/2 teaspoon salt

  1 egg, beaten

  1 cup milk

  1/4 cup butter, melted

  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

  Butter a 12-count muffin tin or use muffin papers.

  In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients.

  Stir in egg, milk and butter, but do not over stir. Batter should be lumpy, not smooth.

  Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.

  Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until center of a muffin will spring back to a poke.

  Serve warm with lots more butter.

  Popovers - Blender (makes 12)

  2 large eggs

  1 cup sifted flour

  1/4 teaspoon salt

  1 cup milk

  2 tablespoons melted butter

  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

  Place muffin pan in oven to get very hot.

  (Do NOT use paper muffin cups for this recipe, as Starling once did.)

  Place all ingredients in blender and whirl until smooth.

  Carefully grease hot muffin cups lightly w/ canola spray.

  Fill muffin cups 1/2 full.

  Bake for 15 minutes at 450. Lower heat and bake for another 20 minutes at 375.

  Serve hot with more butter.

  Acknowledgements

  I wish to thank Allen B. Gammons, Senior, for his fishing advice and for helping me to get rid of Albert this time--in the nicest possible way, of course.

  To Mell McDonnell goes the credit for suggesting I add some of Edna’s recipes to the back of this book. Thanks, Mell. Edna’s pleased to share her family’s favorites.

  As always, I am indebted to Jan Reynolds, Jim Coleman, Gail Lindsey, Olivia Coleman and Lori Gee for their time, expertise and feedback as first readers.

  I especially wish to acknowledge my critique partner Bonnie McCune (BonnieMcCune.com) who has stayed with me since 2000, generously sharing her support, guidance and insights. You’re the best, Bonnie!

  Last but certainly not least, heartfelt appreciation to my family, friends and readers who have been so supportive and encouraging. You make my efforts fun and rewarding.

  About the Author

  Suzanne Young was born and raised in Rhode Island. She has wo
rked as a photographer, a writer, an editor, and a computer programmer and business analyst since earning her degree in English from the University of Rhode Island in Kingston.

  A resident of Colorado for over 40 years, she retired from software development in 2010 to write fiction full time.

  She is a member of Denver Woman’s Press Club, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and Sisters in Crime as well as a graduate of the Arvada (CO) Citizens Police Academy.

  To learn more about this author, she invites you to visit her website at http://suzanneyoungbooks.com/ where you can also contact her via e-mail.