Yuletide Blend

by Kennedy Layne

  “I saw Newt driving Karen’s car when I was walking across the intersection,” I said, keeping my eye on Otis. He only nodded his head, even frowning at the inconvenience of whatever had prompted him to take his wife’s car to the local mechanic. “I hope it’s nothing too expensive. Newt fixed my heater the other day. He sure does know his way around vehicles.”

  “Might be the carburetor,” Otis replied gruffly, his displeasure obvious. “Karen is using my car today to run her errands. Said something about Christmas shopping today, though she already bought my gift. I saw a new fishing pole in the garage behind the water heater, not that she knows that.”

  “Our secret,” I promised with a smile, slowly coming up with a plan that could actually work if someone felt guilty over attempting to help, only to find out that he or she made a mistake. That individual would want to make it right without anyone the wiser, right? “I might have an idea.”

  I hope it’s a good one, because there is no spell we can use that doesn’t involve those piles of rancid brownies I tried to get your mother to sort through. I’m still reserving that as our last resort, though I call dibs on being the one to oversee the project. I excel more in a supervisory capacity.

  “What’s that?” Liam asked, always willing to hear ideas from others. “If you’re thinking of offering a reward, I’d have to run that past Mina. Also, it might cause our tip lines to become even busier than they already are…in which case, Eileen might hand in her resignation.”

  Otis barked out a laugh, most likely because Eileen would never leave Liam in a lurch that way. She loved this town, and she would never give up the reins of answering the phone lines.

  “What if we put up signs all over town that basically says he or she can return Randy without any questions asked?” I suggested, waiting for Liam and Otis’ reactions. “Think about it. Otis, you and Karen both assumed that the reindeer would be better off in the wild without hearing the facts first. What if someone else thought the same thing, but now regrets his or her decision after hearing Randy’s story?”

  Want me to sink my claws into the former sheriff’s legs? That might get him to confess, if he has any shared complicity with his wife.

  Otis was an upstanding man, having once served the town’s greater good. I highly doubt that he would have helped his wife abduct a reindeer to prove some point.

  Too bad. My claws could use a bit of sharpening.

  “That’s not a bad idea,” Otis said, lowering his arms and leaning forward. “When you think about it, not all of the residents were in town square last night when Mr. Mina was giving an account of how the reindeer ended up at his sanctuary.”

  “The media is supposed to do a segment on Paramour Bay’s winter wonderland tonight. I can have the mayor publicly explain why the herd of reindeer need to remain on Barry Mina’s farm, relaying the story over the airwaves,” Liam proposed, nodding his approval. “It would also be the perfect time to give the culprit the opportunity to bring Randy back without any questions asked.”

  Hold the sleigh. Who gets to be the hero then? Who would receive the key to the city?

  “You realize that we’re basing this on the theory that the reindeer really was abducted, right?” Otis countered, though it wasn’t anything we hadn’t already covered. “If that poor fellow wandered off on his own, then there’s no telling where he got off to last night.”

  “That’s why we’ll keep the search groups out for the day before we reevaluate the situation tomorrow morning,” Liam said, leaning forward on his chair and turning the base of his office phone to face him. He lifted the receiver and pressed one of the buttons on the side. “I’ll run our ideas through the mayor and see if we can’t get him on board.”

  I’m not getting that key, am I?

  “Doubt that’ll be a problem,” Otis said wryly with a twitch of his white mustache. “That man will take publicity any way he can get it. Come on, Raven. I’ll walk you out. I’m going to join Bob Abbott’s group to see if that caribou thingamabob actually works.”

  This was my opportunity to talk to Otis about Karen’s whereabouts, so I quickly kissed Liam on the cheek and left him wondering why I was in such a hurry to leave. I’d text him later. I did my best to lessen the swooshing sound my ski pants made when I walked, wincing when not even me waddling across the floor as if I was riding a horse diminished the noise.

  “Hey, Otis,” I called out, trying very hard not to regret my magical tea blend that did wonders for his arthritis. He sure had gotten faster in the last year. “Wait up.”

  “I thought you were right behind me,” Otis said with a frown, not knowing that I’d basically tried to tiptoe out of Liam’s office. Eileen was on the phone, telling someone that just because a raccoon had gotten into a garbage can didn’t mean that the reindeer would soon be visiting his or her home. “Do you drink that herbal tea you make me? You should, you know. Works miracles.”

  Leo’s hacking laugh echoed in my ears, though I didn’t let on in any way that Otis’ question had given my familiar fodder for days to come. I realize that turning thirty-one years old two months ago wasn’t a milestone, but it was one year closer to my first grey hair.

  “Do you know where Karen is right now?” I asked, watching Otis’ expression very closely as he held the small swinging door open for me. “I wanted to ask her something about the New Year’s Eve celebration at the wax museum.”

  Why in the world would you even mention that lame party? I’m not going this year. I’m putting my paw down on that one. I’m staying home that night, curling up in front of the fireplace with my pipe, and revising my battle plans for this upcoming spring offensive when Skippy and his ninja squirrels wake up from their hibernation to find their every hope destroyed. I need to be on my game next year. No more nice guy.

  I’d heard through the grapevine—basically Wilma and Elsie—that Karen was on the party committee. It served as an excuse as to why I would want to speak with her. Otis seemed to buy it, too, though I did have to push down the guilt that surfaced at my little white lie about my intent.

  “Karen is at home, as far as I know,” Otis replied, stopping abruptly at the door. I figured maybe a thought had brought him up short, maybe recalling his wife saying something that would explain her odd behavior. But he just wanted to fortify himself against the cold weather outside by adjusting his hat and putting on his thick, insulated gloves. “I had Bob pick me up this morning, though. I didn’t want Karen to be at the house without transportation. Do you have her number?”

  If there’s no golden key to the city, I’m going to head back to the tea shop to hang with my BFF. I didn’t get my morning nap in, and trying to keep away from those grubby hands of that street urchin who ate food off the ground has zapped my energy level to below zero. If she consumed a filthy vegetable from the gutter, there’s no telling what that little monster is capable of consuming.

  “I don’t have Karen’s number,” I said, a spike of adrenaline putting an extra beat in my heart. “I appreciate this, Otis.”

  Otis waited for me to pull my cell phone out of my coat before rattling off the seven numbers. I quickly entered the information and created a new contact, having every intention of calling Karen the second Otis was out of earshot.

  “Thanks again!” I called out after Otis had opened the door, braving the cold temperature as he headed toward town square. “Leo? Come back here right this minute!”

  Leo was a no-show, but I didn’t want to call Karen while standing in the middle of the sidewalk. I needed to check on Beetle, anyway. It didn’t take me long to cross the street at the intersection, taking the opportunity to look for Santa Claus while I was at it. His big chair sat empty.

  “…helped Mrs. Salisbury clean up her garbage. She left the lid off again, and those darn raccoons made a mess of things.”

  “She’s always leaving the…”

  Two of the men I’d seen with Bob Abbott earlier continued their conversation as they began th
eir walk across the intersection. I’d already made it to the sidewalk, but thought over what they said. Mrs. Salisbury must have been the one on the phone with Eileen. She was a sweet old lady, though she didn’t drink tea nor coffee. Rumor had it she liked the taste of Irish whiskey, but I was pretty sure there was no truth behind that chinwag. The only reason I’d met her a time or two was when Liam and I ran into her at the diner.

  What if the animal that had gotten into Mrs. Salisbury’s garbage wasn’t a raccoon? We all made assumptions and disregarded things that were commonplace, but what if we were missing the clues that were being left behind?

  The bell rang above the tea shop’s door as I entered, and I was pleased to see four customers perusing the sale items. I only recognized two of them from town, which meant the other two were most likely out-of-towners doing some Christmas shopping and enjoying the outdoor festivities in between buying gifts.

  Go away. My tummy is full, and I’m settling into catch up on my nap deficiency.

  Sure enough, Leo was laying belly up in his bed that was strategically positioned in the display window. Believe it or not, he actually drew a lot of foot traffic in the door. Who didn’t love cats?

  Mr. Brittle over on Bay Cove Lane, that’s who. And for the record, he’s not so brittle. His calf is actually quite meaty.

  “How’s everything going, Beetle?” I asked, though I’m pretty sure I hadn’t needed the bell above the door to announce my arrival. There was no missing that irritating swooshing sound coming from my snow pants. “I’m heading out to rejoin the search, but thought I’d stop by to see if you need anything.”

  “Things are going splendid, Raven!” Beetle exclaimed from behind the counter. His bow tie just so happened to be red and his sweater green. He was the epitome of the holiday spirit. “Just splendid!”

  “That’s great, Beetle. I appreciate you minding the shop today. I know you were only scheduled for a half day.”

  Beetle patted me gently on the shoulder as a customer came up to the counter, ready to buy one of the delicate teacups I’d marked down for the holiday sale. I let him do his thing, thankful that he’d finally learned how to input a sale item into the cash register. It had taken a long time to get that system down, but it had been worth every minute.

  Don’t forget that my BFF deserves a huge Christmas bonus. One that gives him the ability to keep bringing me those premium organic catnip edibles in the shape of Christmas trees. Why are you walking toward me? Raven? What do think you’re—hey! Put me down!

  “You’re coming with me, and this is the only way to ensure that you won’t wiggle your way out of it,” I muttered after I’d hoisted Leo up into my arms. It wasn’t easy with this winter coat, but I’d managed it all the same. “Plus, I know you’d never disappear in front of these lovely customers.”

  I could sense that Leo was ready to feign the domestic housecat’s pain of being picked up and taken out into the cold, so I did the only thing I could—I dangled the carrot. Well, not the carrot that Maddie had forked over, but the taunting carrot that might actually keep Leo from climbing back into his cat bed.

  “That raccoon that helped Skippy ruin all your plans this past summer is over at Mrs. Salisbury’s house,” I said quickly, somehow managing to get the door open without dropping Leo’s hefty butt. “Now is your chance to get information that can help you in your upcoming battle with the neighborhood squirrels.”

  I only got about ten steps when I had to set Leo down on the welcome mat of the local pet shop. It was up in the air if the cold or my exertion was to blame for me being out of breath. Leo had been quiet, which meant he was contemplating my offer.

  It’s tempting. Underhanded, but tempting. How sure can you be that it’s the same raccoon?

  “It’s the same area where one of the ninja squirrels took you on a detour so that you’d come face to face with the oversized bandit, right?” I hoped I was right. Heidi was off with my mother, Liam was coordinating a ton of efforts in the search of the missing reindeer, and I needed Beetle to mind the shop. Hence, I wanted Leo to keep me company. “I guess I could go find Ted, if he didn’t go with Mom and Heidi up to Windsor.”

  Don’t go climbing down the proverbial chimney just yet, Raven. I’m going over my options. And for Jack Frost’s sake, would you wave to that old biddy Wilma through the window before she has a heart attack?

  I hadn’t realized that Wilma was inside the pet shop, which wasn’t all that odd. Elsie was always needing paper to line the bottom of her finch’s cage, and she’d gone into a funk after losing her reading glasses. It was sweet of Wilma to run errands for her best friend, just as it would be really nice if Leo were to accompany me over to Mrs. Salisbury’s residence.

  Were you actually trying to guilt me with that thought?

  “Look, your options are to either come with me to see about a raccoon or try to avoid another hug from Maddie…who just so happens to be walking this way with her brother,” I shared with a bright smile, knowing full well which choice Leo would make.

  “Leo!” Maddie called out, running toward us from the other side of the street. Her brother and some of his friends must have taken her to the diner for lunch. It was just my luck that she happened to catch sight of Leo and want another chance to hold him. “Leo!”

  Raccoon it is! Let’s go, Raven…move it, move it, move it! No time to waste!

  Chapter Ten

  It’s not nice to trick your own familiar, Raven. It’s in the rulebook somewhere.

  “What rulebook?” I asked distractedly, standing in front of Mrs. Salisbury’s house. I’d already taken a look around, but her driveway had been shoveled and salted to perfection with pet friendly deicer. The blue color was a dead giveaway. There was no way of knowing what type of animal had gotten into her garbage. “Witchcraft for Dummies?”

  They haven’t written one for witchcraft. I should know. I checked.

  “Maybe it was just a run of the mill raccoon that got into her garbage,” I muttered, looking back down to the snow that blanketed Mrs. Salisbury’s front yard. Whatever critter had decided to go dumpster diving, it hadn’t ventured into the main part of the yard. Up near the bay window that most likely looked into her living room was a bird feeder, though. It was easy to tell that the snow had been disturbed in that area, but it was tough to decipher what prints belonged to what animal because the snow had all but been stomped into a thin layer of frozen muck. “You should go around back and see if you can find some raccoon tracks back there.”

  Oh, now you think a raccoon is responsible. You lured me here under false pretenses. For all we know, a bear could be waiting back there for something better then leftover lasagna. I’d probably be a very tasty morsel, Raven.

  Leo was right, and this side trip had been a waste of time. It had been a couple of months since our last mystery, and I was losing my touch. I mean, I actually pondered for a brief moment last night that those nine reindeer might actually be the reindeer, and that the man in the red suit had actually been…

  Maybe you ingested some of my premium organic catnip before closing up the shop last night. For all we know, my BFF might have left some near the coffee station. It could explain my shortage on yesterday’s rations.

  “We need to treat this like an abduction,” I declared, recalling that Liam had said Barry Mina didn’t have any enemies. But didn’t everyone? I mean, I considered myself a nice person, but there were still people who probably wouldn’t hesitate to deal me wrong. Aunt Rowena immediately sprang to mind. “Barry Mina has to have some type of enemy, like an ex-girlfriend or maybe even someone he declined to do business with. You know, I’ve heard of corporations wanting to buy the smaller mom and pop farming operations. Maybe Barry turned down an offer and the company hired one of those fixers.”

  You’ve been watching reruns of “Law & Order”, haven’t you?

  “Maybe,” I conceded, shifting my weight back and forth to keep my blood pumping. The houses lining the street kept
most of the coastal winds at bay, but the gusts still seemed to find their way to my location. “Let’s do a quick Internet search on Barry Mina and see what we find.”

  Before I could turn and head back to the car in order to use my phone, the sound of a deadbolt being turned had both Leo and I staring intently at Mrs. Salisbury’s front door. Sure enough, there she stood with a firm grip on her cardigan sweater to keep the cold from reaching her neck. It was a good thing that Leo had acted quickly, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

  “Are you from Animal Control?”

  “No, ma’am,” I called out, taking a step forward on the pristine driveway. I’d heard we were getting a few inches of snow in the upcoming days, so it wouldn’t be that way for long. “I’m Raven Marigold. We’ve actually met a few times at the diner. I own the tea shop—Tea, Leaves, & Eves.”

  Mrs. Salisbury tipped her head back and studied me intently through her bifocals.

  It wouldn’t surprise me if she owned a broom. You know, for the sole purpose of beating furry critters on the head. You don’t suppose that this old biddy and old man Brittle have some sort of contest going on between the two of them, do you?

  “I’m not senile, missy. I remember you, just as I recall that your grandmother was a bit eccentric. I liked that about her,” Mrs. Salisbury stated, as if her opinion of Nan meant that I couldn’t be such a bad person. Well, I’d take what I could get at this point. “If you’re not with Animal Control, why are you standing on my sidewalk and staring at my house?”

  “I was at the station when you called in to speak with Eileen about something getting into your garbage. I just wanted to make sure that it wasn’t the reindeer that’s gone missing from the petting zoo in town square.”

  “I said it was a raccoon, didn’t I?” Mrs. Salisbury exclaimed in offense. “I called in to make sure that the smell wouldn’t attract that antlered brute. The last thing I need is to have that wild animal trampling through my yard and scaring my birds.”