Read Online Murder by Christmas (Edna Davies mysteries) by Suzanne Young - Free Book Online
Authors: Suzanne Young
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suggested, trying to smooth Mary’s ruffled feathers.
The two women left the Jeep, crossed a narrow strip of lawn and trudged up the railed steps to a wide, wooden porch. Edna, ahead of Mary, was about to ring the bell when the front door burst open and a woman staggered out backwards.
“You’ll be sorry. You’ll see,” she said. Her voice wasn’t loud, and the words came out like the hiss of a coiled snake. Spinning around, she bumped into Edna, causing her to stumble back into Mary.
The woman, dressed in a long, black wool coat and knit cap, clutched a black handbag in gloved fingers. She backed up a step in surprise, pausing for only a second before brushing wordlessly past the two women. Clearly upset, she raced toward the blue car, started the engine and reversed into the street. It was only then that she stopped to glare for several heartbeats before throwing the transmission into gear and speeding off, tires screeching. Edna and Mary, left on the porch, could only stare, stunned and gaping.
“Wow. What was that all about?” Mary’s question brought Edna out of her stupor.
“Nothing to worry over,” Laurel stood in the doorway and answered with a shrug as she looked after the quickly disappearing vehicle. Her smug expression turned to a smile of greeting as she turned to her new visitors. “How nice to see you again,” she said to Edna before nodding at Mary, as if nothing unusual had happened. “You’re just in time to help me put up some last-minute decorations. Jake will be here soon to take some Santa pictures and I want everything in place.” She whirled on her heel and hurried back into the house, obviously expecting them to follow. “I’ll put the kettle on. The tea can steep while we work.”
She disappeared down a narrow hall while Edna and Mary stopped to hang their coats on a free-standing rack in the corner behind the front door. The house seemed lopsided to Edna. All the rooms were on the left as she stood looking down the hall into the kitchen. The wall to her right had only one window. It overlooked the driveway and was nearly hidden by the coats on the rack. A straight-backed wooden chair rested against the wall, convenient for sitting to remove or don boots. Narrow stairs, running parallel to the hall, led to rooms above. To her immediate left was a closed door.
Interrupting Edna’s examination of the surroundings, Mary moved to open the door and entered a good-sized living room.
“Hey, Edna. Look at this,” she called just as Laurel reappeared from the back of the house.
“The tea’s brewing. We’ll have a cup when we’re through,” she said and motioned for Edna to precede her into the room where Mary was now gazing in wonder.
A six-foot tree, standing in front of a broad window, was covered with cat decorations of all descriptions. Edna spotted a red Christmas ball in the shape of a cat’s head. She laughed delightedly at a miniature porcelain cat sitting inside a teacup hanging by its handle. She was amazed and enchanted with the number and variety of feline themes displayed among the branches. The usual string of multi-colored lights was wound around the tree, as well as a homemade string of popcorn.
She might have studied the tree for several more minutes had it not been for something rubbing against her leg. She looked down to see a small white cat dusting the bottom of Edna’s black wool slacks with its fur. Chuckling, she bent to scratch its ears. “Do you smell Benjamin on me, pretty one,” she cooed.
“She can’t hear you. That one’s deaf,” Laurel said. She’d crossed to a card table set up at the back of the room and stacked with several boxes of Christmas ornaments. Wide strips of red ribbon with greeting cards attached hung off one side of the table. She picked up a box of silver and gold glass balls before coming back to stand beside Edna next to the tree. “Pure white cats with blue eyes are always deaf. Did you know that?”
“No, I
The two women left the Jeep, crossed a narrow strip of lawn and trudged up the railed steps to a wide, wooden porch. Edna, ahead of Mary, was about to ring the bell when the front door burst open and a woman staggered out backwards.
“You’ll be sorry. You’ll see,” she said. Her voice wasn’t loud, and the words came out like the hiss of a coiled snake. Spinning around, she bumped into Edna, causing her to stumble back into Mary.
The woman, dressed in a long, black wool coat and knit cap, clutched a black handbag in gloved fingers. She backed up a step in surprise, pausing for only a second before brushing wordlessly past the two women. Clearly upset, she raced toward the blue car, started the engine and reversed into the street. It was only then that she stopped to glare for several heartbeats before throwing the transmission into gear and speeding off, tires screeching. Edna and Mary, left on the porch, could only stare, stunned and gaping.
“Wow. What was that all about?” Mary’s question brought Edna out of her stupor.
“Nothing to worry over,” Laurel stood in the doorway and answered with a shrug as she looked after the quickly disappearing vehicle. Her smug expression turned to a smile of greeting as she turned to her new visitors. “How nice to see you again,” she said to Edna before nodding at Mary, as if nothing unusual had happened. “You’re just in time to help me put up some last-minute decorations. Jake will be here soon to take some Santa pictures and I want everything in place.” She whirled on her heel and hurried back into the house, obviously expecting them to follow. “I’ll put the kettle on. The tea can steep while we work.”
She disappeared down a narrow hall while Edna and Mary stopped to hang their coats on a free-standing rack in the corner behind the front door. The house seemed lopsided to Edna. All the rooms were on the left as she stood looking down the hall into the kitchen. The wall to her right had only one window. It overlooked the driveway and was nearly hidden by the coats on the rack. A straight-backed wooden chair rested against the wall, convenient for sitting to remove or don boots. Narrow stairs, running parallel to the hall, led to rooms above. To her immediate left was a closed door.
Interrupting Edna’s examination of the surroundings, Mary moved to open the door and entered a good-sized living room.
“Hey, Edna. Look at this,” she called just as Laurel reappeared from the back of the house.
“The tea’s brewing. We’ll have a cup when we’re through,” she said and motioned for Edna to precede her into the room where Mary was now gazing in wonder.
A six-foot tree, standing in front of a broad window, was covered with cat decorations of all descriptions. Edna spotted a red Christmas ball in the shape of a cat’s head. She laughed delightedly at a miniature porcelain cat sitting inside a teacup hanging by its handle. She was amazed and enchanted with the number and variety of feline themes displayed among the branches. The usual string of multi-colored lights was wound around the tree, as well as a homemade string of popcorn.
She might have studied the tree for several more minutes had it not been for something rubbing against her leg. She looked down to see a small white cat dusting the bottom of Edna’s black wool slacks with its fur. Chuckling, she bent to scratch its ears. “Do you smell Benjamin on me, pretty one,” she cooed.
“She can’t hear you. That one’s deaf,” Laurel said. She’d crossed to a card table set up at the back of the room and stacked with several boxes of Christmas ornaments. Wide strips of red ribbon with greeting cards attached hung off one side of the table. She picked up a box of silver and gold glass balls before coming back to stand beside Edna next to the tree. “Pure white cats with blue eyes are always deaf. Did you know that?”
“No, I
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