Murder by Arrangement (Edna Davies mysteries Book 5) by Suzanne Young Read Free Book Online

of mozzarella and another of sliced
pepperoni.
    “What would you
like on yours, Gramma?” she said, her forehead furrowed with the seriousness of
the question.
    “Would you find
a fresh green pepper for me, please? I need to get milk and eggs, then I think
we’re done.”
    On a Friday
afternoon, even though they were ahead of most of the payday crowd, it took
nearly twenty minutes to get through the checkout line and on the road again.
When they reached the house, Edna had barely turned off the engine when Amanda
jumped from the car.
    “Can I go say hi
to Mary?” she called.
    “If you help
take in the groceries, I think Mary will be in the kitchen before we have a
chance to put everything away,” Edna said.
    Sure enough,
Amanda had just put the carton of eggs into the refrigerator when Hank came
wiggling into the room, head lowered and tail wagging his entire back end. Spot
bounded in on his heels and jumped onto the chair next to Benjamin. As Amanda
knelt to hug Hank’s neck, Mary popped her head in the door. “Whatcha doin’?”
she asked in her usual greeting.
    “Hi, Mary.” Edna
grinned and winked at Amanda who looked up at her grandmother with wide brown
eyes as if to say, “You were right.”
    Leaping to her
feet, the youngster hurried to Mary who bent to receive the girl’s embrace.
Edna could see the flush of pleasure on the redhead’s face.
    “Come in, Mary.
We’re having flatbread pizza for supper. I hope you can join us.”
    When Mary didn’t
answer immediately, Amanda encouraged her. “Oh, yes, Mary. You gotta stay. You
can choose your own toppings,” she added, making it sound like a bribe.
    Mary grinned.
“Hard to refuse an invitation like that.”
    “First, let’s
have cocktails by a fire in the living room,” Edna suggested, taking a bottle
of cranberry juice from the fridge for Amanda’s libation and reaching for a
bottle of red wine for Mary and herself.
    Amanda
volunteered to put out one of the newly purchased snack mixes, while Mary
offered to light the prepared fire in the living room hearth. They were nicely
settled when Edna heard the front door open.
    “Anyone home,”
called a familiar voice.
    “Auntie
Starling,” cried Amanda, jumping to her feet to follow Hank into the hall.
    “What are you
doing here, kiddo?” Starling’s voice preceded her into the room as she appeared
with an arm around her niece’s shoulders and a hand scratching the black Lab’s
head.
    “I’m staying
with Gramma ‘til Monday,” Amanda announced proudly.
    Edna and Mary
rose to greet the youngest of the Davies children before Edna went to fetch
another glass from the kitchen.
    “To what do I
owe this pleasure?” she asked her daughter, returning to hand her the wine.
“It’s wonderful to see you, but I didn’t expect you this weekend.”
    “Charlie’s
taking me to dinner tomorrow night for an early Valentine’s treat since he’s on
duty all next week. When I heard about the storm moving in, I thought I’d drive
down early and spend the weekend.”
    Starling was a
mix of her parents, long-legged and slim like Albert with Edna’s auburn hair
and brown eyes. She lived in Boston’s Back Bay and was half-owner of an art
gallery where she displayed framed photos of New England people and places,
mostly historic, and where her partner sold his oil paintings of sights around
Boston and Cambridge.
    She plopped down
on the sofa next to Mary as Amanda resumed her place on the rug with her back
against the arm of the couch and Hank stretched out beside her. Starling waited
for Benjamin to jump into her lap before taking a sip of her wine. Stroking the
ginger cat, she looked fondly down at the top of her niece’s head and spoke to
Edna. “With Dad gone, I thought you’d be alone. Nice to see Manda-Panda here.”
    At Starling’s
pet name for her, the girl tilted back her head and grinned up at her aunt.
    “Tell me about
the storm. I haven’t tuned in the news today,” Edna said.