Murder by Yew (An Edna Davies Mystery #1)(26)

I must find out what happened after Tom and Danny left here yesterday, she thought. But how? When the answer came, she laughed aloud at its simplicity. Danny. Of course. I’ll find out from Danny where he and his grandfather went.

Having raised four children and now having six grandchildren, she was used to young ones confiding in her. She was a good listener and paid attention to what they said. She knew she would be able to understand Danny, even if he couldn’t speak clearly.

Glancing at the clock, she saw it was almost five. She would take a casserole over to Nancy and pay her respects. There would probably be family and friends around, but that might make it easier for her to get Danny alone for a few minutes.

In the freezer, she found a macaroni and cheese casserole. The recipe was a favorite of her family’s, so chances were good that Danny and Nancy would like it, too. She changed quickly into a shirtwaist dress with a deep purple and lilac print. Grabbing a large straw hat and her woven tote bag, she picked up the casserole and her car keys and set off for Tom’s house.

When she arrived at the two-story, white clapboard, she found the driveway filled with cars, two across and four deep. Several other vehicles had been left along the macadam road, half in the grass, so Edna followed suit, parking half a block away, and walked back to the house.

As she neared the steps leading to a wide, wooden porch that stretched across the front of the house, Edna saw Danny come shuffling around the corner, his head down, chin resting on his small chest. Her heart leaped. This was working out better than she’d hoped. She put her bag and the casserole on one of the broad steps and sat down. “Hi, Danny,” she said, trying to sound more cheerful than she felt.

He looked at her shyly, at first, stopping about five feet away. Then, without warning, he threw himself into her lap, grabbing her around the waist and hanging on tightly. He hadn’t made a sound.

Edna sat quietly, rubbing his back and listening to the hum of voices from inside the house. It was soothing at first, but after several minutes, she began to feel the hardness of the step beneath her.

“Danny,” she said quietly, taking hold of his small shoulders. She didn’t see his hearing aid and remembered Tom saying he had begun to hide it in his pocket. She took him more firmly by his shoulders, feeling the tiny bones beneath his shirt. Her heart ached for him. With her fingers beneath his chin, she raised his head until he was looking at her face. Then, she cupped her ear with one hand and pointed to his with the other. “Where’s your hearing aid?”

He stood up, slowly pulled the small device out of his pocket and adjusted it in his ear, all the while looking at her.

“Danny.” Edna folded her hands in her lap and leaned toward him. “Where did you go yesterday?”

He looked at her blankly.

“Where did you go with Gampa?” She used the name she’d heard him call Tom. “McDonald’s? Did you get something to eat?”

His eyes grew wide. He ran past her up three steps before turning around and coming back to grab at her arm. He waved his other hand toward the house. “Davy,” he said.

Excited by the boy’s response—she was almost certain he wanted to show her something or someone inside—Edna stood up and took his hand. He tugged at her, seeming impatient for her to follow him. “Davy.” He shouted the name this time. Then again, “Davy!” He began to cry as he tried to pull her up the stairs.

Edna slipped her free arm through the handles of her tote bag and was stooping to pick up the casserole dish when the front door opened, and Nancy appeared on the porch. Danny was facing the door, halfway up the wide, wooden steps, pulling Edna’s hand.

“What are you doing?” Nancy shouted as she bounded down the top four steps and grabbed Danny’s shoulders. She slapped at Edna’s hand. “Let him go!”

A man and woman, both about Tom’s age, came out of the house just then. “What’s the matter, Nan?” the woman asked.

“This is Davy. He was calling her Davy. She’s the one who made Daddy sick. Now she’s trying to take my baby!” Nancy yelled, not taking her eyes off Edna. “Get out of here!” She hugged Danny to her as she shouted at Edna. “Leave him alone!”

“You don’t understand …” Edna stammered, shocked at Nancy’s behavior.

The man, medium height with a stocky build and receding hairline, came down the steps. As he passed Nancy, she shouted, “Call the police.”

“I don’t think that will be necessary,” he said, patting her shoulder as he continued down the stairs. He took Edna’s arm and turned her toward the street. “I think it would be best if you leave.”

“But …”

“You can see you’re upsetting her. It will be worse if the police have to come. Please leave.” His tone turned harsh and his eyes narrowed.

Edna jerked her arm from his grasp. Clutching her tote bag, she raced toward her car. She was mortified.

Ten

For the second night in a row, Edna slept badly. Tossing and turning, she couldn’t shake the feelings of frustration and humiliation. Danny had wanted to show her something, she knew it; but when she pictured the scene as objectively as she could, she could see why his mother might have believed that Edna was trying to pull Danny down the stairs. How could she convince anyone that she wasn’t Davy if she couldn’t get near Tom’s grandson?