Murder by Arrangement (Edna Davies mysteries Book 5) by Suzanne Young Page B

after the day’s events, she’d been too
tired both mentally and physically. She’d merely trudged up the stairs and
fallen into a deep sleep.
    She must call
Peppa, too. Edna wondered how her friend was feeling about her ex-husband. In
the year and a half Edna had known the woman, Peppa had vaguely referred to her
marriage only twice, and each time had been clouded with anger or disgust. The
memory of Peppa’s scornful remarks about Clem prompted Edna to get out of bed,
shower and dress. She knew from past experience that the only way to rid her
mind of unpleasant musings was to get busy. As a result, shortly after six, she
was in the kitchen making breakfast.
    By seven, she
had finished a plate of scrambled eggs and oatmeal muffins, completed the daily
crossword puzzle and swallowed the last of her second cup of coffee. Still too
early to phone either Albert or Peppa, she went to her office and sat at the computer.
After checking for messages, she decided to do more research into the
Haverstrum and Beck families.
    Wanting more
background information, she decided to research Gregory Havstrum’s mistresses.
She searched first for Farren McCree. The image that appeared was of a
strikingly pretty woman. Her red-gold hair was shoulder length and waved
attractively around her face.  Above high cheek bones, her deep blue eyes were
slightly almond shaped. This was the woman with whom Gregory betrayed his wife,
then threw over for a teenager. Edna wondered what Bobbi Callahan must be like.
She couldn’t help feeling that Haverstrum had either been very shallow or
extremely insecure not only to carry on an affair while he was married to a
woman as lovely as Rosie, but then to toss aside another attractive, mature
woman for someone barely out of high school. Realizing she was getting
side-tracked, Edna forced her thoughts back to Farren McCree.
    The woman had
been several years older than her married lover. She also claimed to be Rosie’s
best friend, but had carried on an affair with that friend’s husband, or so the
news reporters alleged. Both wife and mistress were employed at the same place
at the time of Gregory’s death. Edna wondered if Farren still worked at the
local greenhouse.
    Taking a small
notebook and pen from her top desk drawer, Edna wrote down the shop’s name and
address. She’d visit the place today, she thought, going to the business web
site to find that they would be open from ten until four. At the nursery, she
would use the excuse that she needed to decide on which annuals to plant in the
back patio pots this spring. She wouldn’t need to buy, she’d only be looking
for future consideration. She would ask for Farren, claiming that a friend had
recommend the shop and the woman. If Farren had left the company’s employ,
certainly someone would know where she had gone, and Edna would simply have
more work to do to track Farren down.
    Edna wondered
what she could say to the woman or if Farren would talk to her at all about
something that had taken place two years ago. The thought brought John
Forrester’s face to mind, and Edna shuddered as she speculated on whether or
not he was currently hounding Farren and Bobbi as well as Rosie and Lily.
    Edna next
searched for Bobbi Callahan. According to the news reports, Haverstrum had
hired the young woman as a general office assistant. Edna entered Bobbi’s name
into the computer’s search box and found a LinkedIn page. Again Gregory had
chosen a woman who would turn heads. With platinum blonde hair, Bobbi resembled
Rosie more than Farren, but her eyes were brown instead of the deep blue of
Gregory’s other women. According to the brief background summary that the young
woman had posted, Edna read that now, at age twenty-one, Bobbi would receive a
bachelor’s degree in May and, in the fall, would begin her first full-time
teaching job at a nearby elementary school.
    Edna also knew
from online reports that Bobbi had applied for the job with Haverstrum