Read Online Murder by Arrangement (Edna Davies mysteries Book 5) by Suzanne Young - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Suzanne Young
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sympathized
with her granddaughter’s annoyance, but nearly burst out laughing at the
child’s solution to her problem. “Have you asked Lettie to put her phone away
while you’re playing?”
Chin now lowered
to her chest, Amanda moved her head in what Edna took for a nod. “It doesn’t do
any good. She says her mom worries if she doesn’t hear from her.”
“Do you think it
might be Lettie who needs to stay connected to her mother?”
Amanda’s eyes
were on her feet as she tapped the sides of her shoes together. A few seconds
went by before she said, “I suppose.”
“Did you know
Lettie’s father died a couple of years ago?”
Still watching
her sneakers, Amanda nodded.
“Sometimes when
children lose a parent, they get frightened about losing the other parent. Do
you think that’s what might be going on, that Lettie’s afraid her mother might
go away?”
Amanda glanced
at Edna with curiosity. “Maybe.”
At that moment,
they heard a noise in the hall and the object of their discussion appeared in
the doorway. “It’s your turn,” Lettie said with a note of impatience.
Amanda sat up
straighter, pulling her legs in. “I’m going to see if Mary’s home.” As she
stood, she added, “I want to play with the kittens.”
“Me, too,”
Lettie said, her face lighting up with anticipation.
“You have to
leave your phone here, though,” Amanda said sternly.
“Mommy doesn’t
like it if I don’t answer right away. She worries.”
Edna wondered if
Amanda might be wrong about who mainly initiated the texts between mother and
daughter. Could it be that Rosie was afraid something might happen to Lettie
and had to check on her constantly? “Why don’t you text your mother and tell
her to call me if she needs to talk to you? She has my number.”
Before Lettie
had time to respond to the suggestion, Edna heard Starling hurrying down the
stairs. At the same time, the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it,”
Starling called out seconds before Edna heard the front door open.
At the sound of
muffled voices, Lettie disappeared into the hall with Amanda not far behind.
Curious as to
who had just arrived, Edna got up and followed the girls into the hall in time
to see Rosie hug her daughter. She was laughing, as if delighted to have played
a trick on Lettie. “Surprised to see me, sweetie?”
“Hello, Rosie,”
Edna said, approaching the group at the front door. “I thought you were working
this weekend.” She must have been texting while driving , Edna thought
with disapproval.
The woman shook
her head, still obviously pleased with herself. “It’s Saturday. I decided to
take the night off. I missed my little girl and thought I’d drive down ahead of
the snow to spend some time with her.” She tilted her head toward the outside.
“Looks like I just made it.” To Lettie, she said, “Why don’t you go get your
things? I want to reach Lily’s before the roads start to ice up.”
Edna wondered
about the reason Lettie was visiting Lily in the first place. Hadn’t Rosie
claimed she’d be too busy to take any time off for the next week? Shaking the
idea from her mind--after all, Rosie’s schedule was none of Edna’s
business--she introduced Starling to Lettie’s mother before asking, “Would you
like a cup of tea before you go?”
“I’d better not
take the time. Lettie won’t be long.”
The three women
chatted about the weather and road conditions for the few minutes it took the
girls to fetch Lettie’s backpack. By the time the youngster retrieved her
jacket, hat and gloves from the coat closet, Rosie was reaching for the
doorknob.
“Whew, that was
fast,” Starling said when the door had closed behind mother and daughter. She
put an arm around Amanda’s shoulders, turning her toward the living room. “I
hereby challenge you to a game of Parcheesi, Manda-Panda.”
The girl had
apparently forgotten all about visiting Mary and the kittens as she smiled up
at her aunt and walked
with her granddaughter’s annoyance, but nearly burst out laughing at the
child’s solution to her problem. “Have you asked Lettie to put her phone away
while you’re playing?”
Chin now lowered
to her chest, Amanda moved her head in what Edna took for a nod. “It doesn’t do
any good. She says her mom worries if she doesn’t hear from her.”
“Do you think it
might be Lettie who needs to stay connected to her mother?”
Amanda’s eyes
were on her feet as she tapped the sides of her shoes together. A few seconds
went by before she said, “I suppose.”
“Did you know
Lettie’s father died a couple of years ago?”
Still watching
her sneakers, Amanda nodded.
“Sometimes when
children lose a parent, they get frightened about losing the other parent. Do
you think that’s what might be going on, that Lettie’s afraid her mother might
go away?”
Amanda glanced
at Edna with curiosity. “Maybe.”
At that moment,
they heard a noise in the hall and the object of their discussion appeared in
the doorway. “It’s your turn,” Lettie said with a note of impatience.
Amanda sat up
straighter, pulling her legs in. “I’m going to see if Mary’s home.” As she
stood, she added, “I want to play with the kittens.”
“Me, too,”
Lettie said, her face lighting up with anticipation.
“You have to
leave your phone here, though,” Amanda said sternly.
“Mommy doesn’t
like it if I don’t answer right away. She worries.”
Edna wondered if
Amanda might be wrong about who mainly initiated the texts between mother and
daughter. Could it be that Rosie was afraid something might happen to Lettie
and had to check on her constantly? “Why don’t you text your mother and tell
her to call me if she needs to talk to you? She has my number.”
Before Lettie
had time to respond to the suggestion, Edna heard Starling hurrying down the
stairs. At the same time, the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it,”
Starling called out seconds before Edna heard the front door open.
At the sound of
muffled voices, Lettie disappeared into the hall with Amanda not far behind.
Curious as to
who had just arrived, Edna got up and followed the girls into the hall in time
to see Rosie hug her daughter. She was laughing, as if delighted to have played
a trick on Lettie. “Surprised to see me, sweetie?”
“Hello, Rosie,”
Edna said, approaching the group at the front door. “I thought you were working
this weekend.” She must have been texting while driving , Edna thought
with disapproval.
The woman shook
her head, still obviously pleased with herself. “It’s Saturday. I decided to
take the night off. I missed my little girl and thought I’d drive down ahead of
the snow to spend some time with her.” She tilted her head toward the outside.
“Looks like I just made it.” To Lettie, she said, “Why don’t you go get your
things? I want to reach Lily’s before the roads start to ice up.”
Edna wondered
about the reason Lettie was visiting Lily in the first place. Hadn’t Rosie
claimed she’d be too busy to take any time off for the next week? Shaking the
idea from her mind--after all, Rosie’s schedule was none of Edna’s
business--she introduced Starling to Lettie’s mother before asking, “Would you
like a cup of tea before you go?”
“I’d better not
take the time. Lettie won’t be long.”
The three women
chatted about the weather and road conditions for the few minutes it took the
girls to fetch Lettie’s backpack. By the time the youngster retrieved her
jacket, hat and gloves from the coat closet, Rosie was reaching for the
doorknob.
“Whew, that was
fast,” Starling said when the door had closed behind mother and daughter. She
put an arm around Amanda’s shoulders, turning her toward the living room. “I
hereby challenge you to a game of Parcheesi, Manda-Panda.”
The girl had
apparently forgotten all about visiting Mary and the kittens as she smiled up
at her aunt and walked
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