03 Murder by Mishap by Suzanne Young Read Free Book Online

opening the door, she turned on the porch light and looked through the fisheye lens to see a young woman staring steadily back at her, obviously aware that she was being observed. She clutched a large manila envelope against her middle. Frowning with curiosity, Edna opened the door.
    “I am so sorry to bother you,” the young stranger began immediately, “but may I come in for a minute?” Stepping across the threshold without waiting for an answer, she said, “My name is Jaycee Watkins. I just moved in across the street.”
    Watkins? Although she couldn’t recall the name Mary had mentioned that afternoon, Edna was certain it hadn’t been Watkins. Perhaps a married name? She figured the woman to be in her early thirties. Medium-brown hair was plaited into a single braid which hung a few inches below the nape of her neck. A few stray tendrils curled at her temples. Dark circles beneath her large, brown eyes were the only stains in an otherwise confident appearance. She stood in the hall, looking pleasant but unsmiling.
    When Edna closed the door against the evening’s chill, her young visitor seemed to loosen her grip on the envelope. “I wonder if you would help me? ” She spoke the request both as a question and an appeal.
    Edna felt herself stiffen. Was Jaycee in some sort of trouble? She wasn’t acting particularly nervous, but she did seem tense. Without voicing her concerns, Edna simply introduced herself and said noncommittally, “What do you need?”
    Jaycee held up the envelope before pulling it back to her chest, seeming reluctant to part with it just yet. “Would you hang onto this for me?”
    Edna didn’t know what to say. It seemed like an innocent request, if somewhat unusual.
    Jaycee rushed on before the silence could grow. “They’re some papers that I don’t want to keep in my house … in case of fire or something, you know. I haven’t decided what bank I want to use in town, but as soon as I do, I’ll put them in a safe deposit box.”
    “Why me?”
    The question brought a tentative smile to the young woman’s lips and a slight flush of embarrassment to her cheeks. “I’ve been watching the neighborhood since I moved in a few weeks ago, and I’ve noticed that most everyone is gone during the day. There’s one woman who’s knocked on my door a few times. I know she probably just wants to be friendly, but she seems …” Jaycee hesitated, her flush deepening before she finished lamely, “a little odd.”
    Edna coughed to hide a laugh. “You must mean Mary. She is a bit eccentric, but very good-hearted. She’ll drive you to distraction asking personal questions, but she means well.”
    “You and your husband seem like nice people, and there’s usually lots of activity at this house.” She furrowed her brow. “I think if anything were to happen, like a fire or something, someone would be around to sound an alarm. I wouldn’t worry about my papers if you could keep them here for a few days.”
    “Well, I guess I could …” Edna began slowly, still hesitant, but she wasn’t allowed to finish.
    “Thank you so much.” Sounding as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders, Jaycee pushed the envelope into Edna’s hands. “I promise I’ll be back soon and we can talk. Get to know each other. You know.” Sidling to the door as she spoke, she opened it and slipped out into the night, repeating, “Thank you so much,” before she disappeared into the night.
    Closing the door, Edna stared unseeing for several heartbeats, trying to straighten out in her mind what had just occurred. Shaking her head, she finally examined the manila envelope. An inch or two of clear, heavy package tape had been smoothed over the clasp that held the flap down. The envelope was not overly bulky and felt to Edna as if it contained a thickness of standard-sized paper. Written in a neat cursive on the front were the words, “Property of J.W. If not collected in person, please phone