Murder by Yew (An Edna Davies Mystery #1)(7)

Tom had a nice, almost flirty smile that deepened the creases in his weathered cheeks. “At any rate, I’ll drive by when I can, just to make sure you’re all right.”

Edna felt a blush come to her cheeks. Not knowing what to say, she leaned forward to pick up the pitcher and offered him more tea.

His smile broadened, and his eyes twinkled. Sometimes she wondered if he enjoyed making her squirm. “Thanks, but I should find my grandson and get to work.”

The sun felt warm on her back, and she was enjoying the visit, so ignoring his intentions, she said, “Seems like Nancy’s down early this week. Doesn’t she usually arrive on Saturday?”

Tom’s large hands dropped to his knees as if they’d suddenly become very heavy, and he stared silently at the ground for a few minutes, the bill of his red cap hiding his expression. Then, as if deciding to take Edna into his confidence, he looked up. “Between you, me and the table here, she’s left her husband.” Worry and concern darkened his eyes. “She was too young to get married in the first place. I told Jen that, but she said we’d make things worse if Nancy thought we were against the marriage.” He sighed. “Now she has Danny. What’s this gonna do to him?”

“It will be very difficult being a single parent with a hearing-impaired child.” Edna spoke her thoughts aloud.

Tom lifted his cap and ran a hand through his hair, a gesture she was beginning to recognize as a sign that he was either ill at ease or thinking. “Truth be told, Edna, I don’t think she spends enough time with Danny. Nancy was only eighteen when he was born, barely out of high school. Seems like she’s always on the phone to her friends instead of playing with him. His father’s no better. Walt is almost never home, if I’m to believe my daughter. When he is, Danny’s already in bed.”

Edna shook her head in sympathy. “Has Nancy enrolled him in kindergarten this year? Perhaps he’ll get some attention at school.”

He nodded. “Started two weeks ago. Now that they’ll be moving down here, he’ll be changing schools.” Tom slapped his knees hard with the palms of his big work-roughened hands, startling her with his fury. “The kids in his old school treated him like some kinda freak. You know, he’s been taking his hearing aid out and stuffing it in his pocket because they make fun of him.”

As if sorry for his outburst or for burdening Edna with his troubles, Tom gave her a weak, lopsided grin and pushed himself out of the chair. “How about I clean up those clippings out front before I go?”

“Oh no, I’m sure you have other things to do today,” Edna mildly protested, but Tom stopped her with an upraised hand.

“Won’t take but a minute. I’ll get a rake if you’ll get some bags and meet me out front.”

She didn’t argue. Cleanup would go faster with two, and frankly, she was tired of the task she had begun. She picked up the tea tray and went through the back door that Tom held for her before he headed off to the tool shed behind the garage.

When she re-emerged with two pairs of heavy-duty gardening gloves and a box of lawn and leaf bags, Tom was standing by one of the yew trees talking with a short blonde woman. A late-model red Mercedes convertible with its top down was parked behind Tom’s battered old pickup.

“Here she is.” Tom’s voice rose as Edna’s puzzled glance caught his amused one. “Someone here to see you,” he added unnecessarily as Edna approached the two and the woman turned around.

Edna recognized her immediately. She was Dee Tolkheim, whom Edna had met the week before at a local garden club meeting. A young-looking woman with shoulder-length hair that curled delicately around her face, Dee wore a low-cut, blue-gray wool suit with a short skirt this morning, high heels better suited for the city than the country, and about five pounds of gold and silver jewelry. The color of her outfit matched her eyes almost perfectly.

“Why, good morning, Mrs. Tolkheim,” Edna said while thinking, what on earth is she doing here?

“Hello, Mrs. Davies,” her guest said, not moving from Tom’s side. “I was just asking this handsome man if you might be home.” Even in her dressy shoes, the top of Dee’s head barely reached Tom’s shoulder. “I hope you don’t mind my dropping by unannounced, but you did say we should get together sometime. I was on my way home from shopping and realized you were quite close by, so I decided to see if you were in.” She tilted her head back to smile up at Tom. Dimples in each cheek gave her a kewpie-doll look. “I do lots of things on the spur of the moment.” Widening her blue eyes at Edna again, she repeated, “I do hope you don’t mind.”

Edna noticed Tom’s returned smile and felt a pull in her chest. Jealousy? Ridiculous! She was a married woman, a happily married woman. Never mind that she was also ten years older than he. These conflicting feelings and thoughts flitted through Edna’s head and heart as she said, “Tom, have you been introduced to Mrs. Dee Tolkheim? Mrs. Tolkheim, this is Tom Greene, our handyman.”

“So pleased to meet you.” She spoke softly and with a slight drawl as she extended a bejeweled hand toward Tom and glanced sideways at Edna. “Won’t you call me Dee?”

Edna wasn’t certain to whom Dee had spoken. Clearly, Tom was flustered as he took the delicate white hand in his own rough one.

Mentally comparing herself to the petite blonde, Edna felt like an old workhorse next to a thoroughbred colt, a weed next to a rose. Sure, Dee could probably stand to lose fifteen pounds, too, but on her the extra weight looked voluptuous, not dowdy.