The Worst Noel

by Amy M. Reade

  Bill shot Lilly his typical We’ll talk about this in private look, then he took one of his mother’s arms and Lilly took the other. Together the three of them managed to get up to Beverly’s bedroom on the second floor of the house. Bill went downstairs to wait while Lilly helped her mother into a nightgown and made sure she had everything she needed for the night. Then she joined her brother in the living room.

  “He’s done it again,” she seethed. “How dare he contact her? She’s practically helpless!”

  “Shh,” Bill cautioned. “You don’t want Mom to overhear you. Let’s think about this for a minute. This could be the information we needed. If Beau really did invite Mom for a swim, I’m going to assume it’s at an indoor pool. There aren’t too many apartment complexes around here with an indoor pool. If we can get that information we should know where Beau is staying.”

  “So he did us a favor.” Lilly still couldn’t believe he had the nerve to contact her mother again.

  “Possibly. Let’s go with that for now and get furious with him once we find out where he lives.”

  “Do you think Mom should have some kind of alarm system?” Lilly asked.

  “If she had all her mental faculties, I would say yes. But with the problems she’s been having, I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”

  “You’re probably right,” Lilly mused. “I just can’t stand the thought of Beau in this house. And she likes him! That’s the kicker.”

  “Maybe we can just talk to her and remind her that he’s not a nice guy and we don’t want her talking to him.”

  “That won’t work. I’ve already tried it.”

  Bill shrugged. “Worth another try.”

  After making sure Beverly was asleep Lilly and Bill checked the deadbolt and chain on the back door then left the house, locking the front door behind them and double-checking it, too.

  When Lilly got home the kids were clamoring to know about their grandmother. Lilly tried to make light of it, telling them that she had, indeed, been in a bathing suit when Bill found her, but the truth was that she was worried. She should have known better than to try to trick the kids into thinking everything was all right.

  “Mom, I’m worried about Gran,” Laurel fretted.

  “Me, too,” Tighe chimed in. “She’s getting more and more confused all the time.”

  “I know it,” Lilly said, placing her purse on the counter. “Uncle Bill and I are going to have to talk to Gran one of these days and decide what the future is going to hold for her.”

  “You mean like putting her in a nursing home?” Laurel asked. The worry and disdain were evident in her voice.

  “I hope not,” Lilly answered. “But that is an option. I don’t think she’s ready for a nursing home yet. But maybe assisted living.”

  “Could she live here?” Laurel asked. “Tighe and I could help take care of her.”

  Lilly reached out and squeezed Laurel’s hand. “You’re sweet to suggest that. But I’m not sure that’s the answer, either. You and Tighe will be moving on to college before we know it and I work full time. No one would be around to help Gran if she needed it.”

  “We need to think of something,” Tighe said. “I can hold off for a year on college, even.”

  “Oh, no you can’t, young man.” Lilly was firm. “You’re going to college three months after you graduate from high school. Gran would tell you the very same thing.”

  “I can help,” Laurel offered. “I’ll be here for a whole year after Tighe leaves. And Nick can help, too.”

  Nick again. “I’m not sure Nick wants to take care of an old lady during his senior year of high school.”

  “He’s so nice. You’ll see. He wouldn’t mind at all.” Nick was the last person Lilly wanted to discuss.

  “Uncle Bill and Gran and I will talk about it and see what can be done,” Lilly said, putting an end to the conversation. “Now you two scoot and get your homework done.” The kids tramped upstairs and Lilly poured herself a healthy measure of wine. She sat down next to the fireplace and sipped the wine, thinking that she should look for an assistant to help at the store so she could spend more time at home, looking after her mother and enjoying the time with her kids and maybe even taking Barney for a walk now and then. She had owned the store for several years—maybe it was time to admit that going it alone was getting harder than she had imagined.

  Chapter 23

  The next evening it was almost closing time when the bell above the door jingled. Lilly turned to greet the newcomer.

  It was a tall man with black eyes and olive skin and hair the color of obsidian. He wore a plaid flannel shirt and jeans. He extended his hand in greeting.

  “Are you the owner?” he asked.

  “Yes. I’m Lilly Carlsen.”

  “I’m Hassan Ashraf. I’m vacationing in Juniper Junction and I saw your lovely shop last night after you were closed.”

  “Thank you.” Lilly was trying to figure out his accent. It was ever so slight, but it was there. He looked Middle Eastern. Perhaps that’s the accent she was hearing?

  “I am a jewelry collector of sorts,” Hassan explained.

  “Oh?” Lilly asked, waiting for him to elaborate.

  “Yes. Jewels fascinate me.” Not much of an elaboration, Lilly thought.

  “Can I help you find anything in particular?” she asked.

  “No, thank you. I’d just like to look around, if you don’t mind.”

  “Not at all. Please enjoy,” Lilly said, waving her hand around the shop. He wandered toward the front display case, seemingly absorbed by everything he saw. Occasionally he would turn to ask her a question about one of her gems and the depth of his knowledge was evident from his queries.

  “Do you know where this particular lapis lazuli was mined?” he asked.

  “That came from Afghanistan,” she answered. “I don’t know the exact location, but I’m sure my supplier does.” Mr. Ashraf said something to himself, but Lilly didn’t catch it.

  “And this?” he asked, pointing to a particularly large piece of citrus-hued tourmaline. “Where did this come from?”

  Lilly wondered about his interest in the provenance of the gems and stones. She was getting a little annoyed by his questioning.

  “The tourmaline is from Sri Lanka, I believe,” she replied.

  “Sri Lanka is a beautiful place,” he said, nodding. “Some of the best tourmaline comes from Sri Lanka.”

  “Have you been?” she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

  “Oh, yes. Many times.”

  “And where are you visiting from?” she asked.

  “Minnesota.”

  “We don’t get too many people from Minnesota around here,” she said. “Most people who live in cold climates don’t want to go to another cold climate for vacation.”

  Mr. Ashraf smiled. “I am here at the insistence of my family. It was their choice.”

  “Do they ski?”

  He nodded. “A little. Me? I like to cross-country ski and the trails are beautiful around here.”

  Their conversation lagged at that point and Lilly didn’t know what else to say. She turned back to her tasks as Mr. Ashraf continued to browse. She wondered if he wanted to buy something.

  Finally he turned his attention away from the display cases. “Thank you for allowing me to look around,” he said. “You have some beautiful stones here.”

  “Thank you,” Lilly replied. He left the store and she locked the door behind him. Was he here to case the store? What brought him in here?

  The shoppers along Main Street were thinning out as people began to return to their hotels or go into the restaurants for dinner. She made sure the vault was locked and headed home, happy to be leaving at a decent hour.

  When she got home it was as if all the planets had aligned to give her the evening off. Tighe had pulled a frozen casserole out of the freezer and baked it. Laurel had taken a plate of it over to her grandmother for dinner. Lilly called he
r mom when she got home and was pleased to listen as her mother recounted, with perfect lucidity, what she had done that day. Lilly and the two kids worked on a crossword puzzle after dinner and then the kids did homework while Lilly read a book in pajamas with a cup of tea at her side. She sighed contentedly as she crawled into bed a little early—this is the life, she thought. The kids didn’t fight, Mom had a good day, I got home from work on time, and there was already something in the freezer for dinner. If I had an assistant I could experience this more often.

  Chapter 24

  The next day began with a pre-dawn phone call from her mother.

  “Lilly, I can’t find my glasses.”

  “Mom, you don’t wear glasses.”

  “Yes I do. And they’re missing.”

  “I’ll come over before I leave for work and help you look for them,” Lilly offered.

  “I’m afraid I won’t be able to wait that long. I have an appointment.”

  “Where could you possibly have an appointment before I leave for work?”

  “The hairdresser.”

  “Mom, the hairdresser doesn’t even open until ten o’clock, and your next appointment isn’t until next weekend.”

  “I wish I could find those glasses.” From the rustling noises in the background, Lilly surmised that her mother was rummaging through something to look for her imaginary glasses. She tried a different tack.

  “Mom, your hair looked lovely when I saw you the other night. I don’t think you need an appointment yet.”

  “How would you know? You haven’t been here in weeks.” Her mother’s voice sounded angry.

  “Mom, I was there thirty-six hours ago. Remember? You were asleep in the basement. You were wearing a bathing suit.”

  “Pshaw. I was doing no such thing. I’m not complaining, mind you. I’m just stating a fact. I know how busy you are at the shop.”

  Ah, there’s nothing quite like a passive-aggressive phone call to start the day, Lilly thought. It’s too early for this.

  “Have you called Bill? Maybe he knows where your glasses are,” Lilly suggested. She knew an impossible request to find nonexistent glasses was not how Bill wanted to start the day, but she figured it was only fair. She tried to ignore the guilt that crept into her conscience.

  “I already tried him and there was no answer. He’s probably working, poor thing. He works so hard.”

  And I don’t? Lilly suppressed an exasperated sigh and sat up in bed.

  “I’ll be over to help you find your glasses as soon as I get ready for work,” Lilly said, placing a slight emphasis on ready for work. She hung up, took a quick shower, and left a note for the kids to let Barney out before school and to lock the door after he came back inside.

  She drove over to her mother’s house in the lightly falling snow. When she arrived, she found her mom in the kitchen drinking a cup of tea.

  “I’m glad you could come over to chat, Lilly.”

  “What about your glasses?” Lilly asked.

  Her mother gave her a funny look. “You know I don’t wear glasses, dear.” She chuckled and shook her head. “No, I’ve never had to wear glasses. Your father had terrible eyesight, but mine has always been pretty close to perfect.”

  Suppressing a sigh for the second time that morning, Lilly accepted a cup of tea from her mother. They sat in silence at the kitchen table, Lilly watching the steam curl upward from the cup and her mother looking out the window at the snow, which had started to fall more thickly.

  “What’s going on today, Mom?” Lilly asked, breaking the silence.

  “Oh, I think I’ll call Joyce and invite her over for lunch. Then I have an embroidery project I’m working on and I might go outside for a walk in the snow. It’s so beautiful this time of year.”

  Lilly gripped her teacup a little harder when her mother mentioned going outside for a walk. “Why don’t you wait until Joyce gets here and you can go for a walk together?” she asked. “It’s always nice to take a walk after lunch.”

  Her mom nodded. “I think that’s a good idea. I’ll stay indoors until Joyce gets here.”

  Lilly closed her eyes in silent gratefulness for her mother’s quick agreement with the plan.

  Lilly rinsed out the teacups while her mother got dressed for the day. She wanted to be sure her mother was busily engaged in some activity before she left for the shop. When Beverly came downstairs dressed in comfortable slacks and a large cardigan with lots of pockets, Lilly smiled. This was her mother’s favorite sewing outfit. Beverly smiled.

  “Don’t worry about me, Lilly. I have plenty to keep me busy. I’ll call Joyce and get to work on my project as soon as you leave for the shop.”

  Lilly hugged her mother. These lucid moments were worth celebrating. She thought again of how nice it would be to enjoy more time like this with her mother, something she could do if she had an assistant at the shop.

  When she got to work she set out the displays and had time to look over some recent designs she had created, tweaking a few until they were just the way she wanted them.

  When she opened the shop, there were two customers standing on the sidewalk in the falling snow waiting for her to unlock the front door. She recognized one of them.

  “Good morning, Mr. Ashraf. You’re back.”

  “Yes, Ms. Carlsen. I was hoping to have a word with you.”

  “Certainly. Let me take care of this woman first,” Lilly replied, nodding toward the woman who had preceded them into the store,” and then I’ll be happy to talk to you.”

  The woman had heard of Lilly’s collection of jewelry designs and had come into the shop to look at pendants. She wanted something unique for her sister for Christmas. While Lilly showed the woman a large selection of her personal designs, she noticed Mr. Ashraf out of the corner of her eye. He seemed intrigued by the designs but obviously didn’t want to be nosy. Lilly spent quite a long while with the woman and was pleased when she chose a medium-sized pendant made of granite that had been mined in Colorado. Lilly had shaped the stone into a heart and its veining and colors were magnificent. The woman seemed thrilled with her purchase.

  After the woman left Lilly turned to Mr. Ashraf, who had been waiting patiently, just browsing around the store.

  “How can I help you this morning, Mr. Ashraf?”

  He looked down at his feet and around the store before answering. He avoided eye contact when he cleared his throat and spoke.

  “I noticed last night and this morning that you do not wear a wedding ring. I thought perhaps you would like to have dinner with me some evening while I am still in Juniper Junction. That is, if you are in fact not married. It’s just that I don’t often find female jewelry shop owners who are so charming and attractive.”

  Lilly felt herself blushing to the very tips of her ears from his compliment, but her stomach immediately began churning. She wasn’t used to being asked out. What should I say? Her mind raced until, unbidden, an image of Noley appeared. The imaginary Noley shook her finger at Lilly and said If you don’t say yes, I will never listen to you complain about men again. Lilly smiled. “Thank you, Mr. Ashraf. That’s very nice of you. I would like that.”

  He beamed. “Thank you. What evening would you be free?”

  Every night of my life, if we’re being honest. “Tomorrow evening works for me if that’s all right with you.” She didn’t want to seem desperate.

  “Tomorrow evening will be perfect,” Mr. Ashraf said. “And please call me Hassan. Shall I pick you up here when the shop closes?”

  “That would be fine, yes,” Lilly said, still blushing. She was already worrying about what to wear to work the next day.

  “My family and I have visited several good restaurants in town since getting here. Is there one in particular you like?” he asked.

  Lilly named a restaurant at the far end of Main Street, a quiet place with large picture windows overlooking a small river.

  “That sounds very nice,” Hassan said. “You close th
e shop at six?”

  Lilly nodded.

  “I’ll see you then.” He gave her a slight wave and left the shop, turning around once and smiling at her from the sidewalk. She pulled out her cell phone.

  “Noley, guess what,” she said when her friend answered.

  Chapter 25

  “Beau’s in jail?”

  “I wish. No, some guy just came in here and asked me to go to dinner with him tomorrow night.”

  Noley squealed. “And you said yes, right?”

  Lilly laughed. “I said yes.”

  “So tell me all about him.”

  “His name is Hassan Ashraf. He looks Middle Eastern and speaks with a slight accent, but I can’t figure out what accent it is. He’s visiting Juniper Junction with his family. He’s from Minnesota.”

  “Skier?”

  “No, but he said he likes to cross-country ski.”

  “That could be a romantic thing to do.”

  “Noley, we’re only having dinner. Let’s not worry about future romantic outings. He’s not from around here, after all.”

  “What’s he do?”

  “Like, for a living?”

  “Yeah.”

  Lilly shrugged as if Noley could see her. “I don’t know. He didn’t say. He seems to be very interested in jewelry, though. Maybe he’s a jeweler. Or an appraiser. I’ll ask him tomorrow.”

  There was silence for a moment. “Noley?” Lilly asked. “You still there?”

  “I just had a thought. Now don’t get worried, it’s just a thought. But you don’t think his sudden appearance has anything to do with the murders of Eden and Herb, do you?”

  Lilly had to admit she hadn’t thought of that. She chided herself for being so careless about accepting an invitation from a stranger. Hadn’t she spent the last seventeen years warning her kids about such things?

  “What if you’re right?” she asked Noley. “Ooh, the thought of it sends chills up my spine. Do you think I should cancel?”