Murder by Yew by Suzanne Young Page A

“Oh, how I wish Albert were here,” she said to the room. “He’d know what to do. He always knows what to do.”
    Benjamin rose and arched his back, yawning widely as he stretched. Then he deftly jumped into her lap, turned around twice, and plopped down.
    Edna’s self-pity grew. “Remember how angry he was when I got that dent in my new car?” She smiled through tears that were beginning to blur her sight. “Well, Benjamin, this is much worse than a fender-bender. Much worse.” She felt feverish, seeing in her mind’s eye the realtor’s sign in the yard across the street. “We looked so hard for the best place to live. I can’t tell him, Benjamin. I just can’t.”
    She sat for what seemed a long time. First, she imagined a conversation with Albert in which she would explain why they had to move away from southern Rhode Island. Halfway through her mental talk, she balked. How could she possibly explain to him what she didn’t understand herself?
    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.