Yuletide Blend

by Kennedy Layne

  “Jack texted a bit ago and said that he’d try to drive out to help with the search tonight.”

  “I made all the search parties call it a day. It’s too dark outside, especially with this cloud coverage. The moon isn’t even visible to give natural light, and the last thing I need is for one of the residents to get lost in the woods.” Liam reached out and touched my arm. “Hey, could I speak with you for a moment?”

  Can I sit this one out, please? Watching the Mistress of the Dark fawn all over my BFF is about all I can take tonight.

  “Sure,” I said, taking Liam’s hand and following his lead. He didn’t stop until we’d passed the long line of parents and children waiting for Santa Claus to make an appearance. The man himself wasn’t in attendance yet. After talking with my mother, my belief that Kris Kringle could possibly be a warlock of some sort sounded downright ludicrous. “What’s wrong?”

  Liam took the time to look around us, his need to do so giving me that sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach. I fully expected him to tell me that Randy had been found, but not in the way we’d wanted to recover him.

  “Does Barry know?” I whispered, tears immediately filling my eyes as I thought of those poor eight reindeer in the pen who were waiting for their friend to come back. I struggled to maintain my composure. “Oh, Liam. This is just awful.”

  “No, no, no,” Liam exclaimed, rubbing his hands up and down my arms in reassurance. “Oh, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to scare you. We didn’t find Randy. This is about the mayor’s assistant, Sheila.”

  The relief that rushed through my veins was vast, and it was like a weight had lifted off my chest. I used my glove to wipe away the few tears that had fallen, grateful that Liam was blocking everyone’s view.

  “Remember, I had Sheila checking into the individuals she hired for Paramour Bay’s Winter Wonderland Festival. She found something that I need to follow up on,” Liam said, lifting his gaze from mine to survey our surroundings. What or who was he looking for? “It turns out that no one was actually hired to take the position of Santa Claus.”

  Liam’s interest in the holiday setting had me looking around, taking note of my mother talking up the mayor and Heidi somehow getting roped into roasting marshmallows. There was laughter and conversation floating in the air, but there was still a blanket of concern hanging over the festivities. Barry was standing inside the pen of the petting zoo looking forlorn as he rubbed the head of a caribou. I certainly wasn’t expecting Liam to say something about St. Nicholas.

  “What do you mean that she didn’t hire someone as Santa Claus?” I asked, finally catching sight of the man in question. It was hard to miss the jolly ho-ho-ho as he made his way down the waiting line as he gave high-fives to the exuberant children. “I mean, clearly someone was hired.”

  “Sheila said the request somehow got lost when she gave the file to the employment agency. They never even conducted interviews,” Liam revealed with a frown. “I need to talk to this guy. I’ll be right back.”

  Before I could say another word, Liam began to weave his way through the numerous children who were waiting in line to sit on Santa’s lap. As if invisible forces were against him from intercepting St. Nicholas from taking a seat in his big chair, one of the tiny elves carrying a ton of wrapped presents appeared out of nowhere. I could only gasp in horror as the two of them ran into one another, causing all the gifts to go flying into the air as Liam did his best to steady the woman before she landed in a heap on the ground.

  Did I miss an episode of “Andy Griffith”? The good ol’ sheriff never really reminded me of Barney Fife, but I can always adjust my vertical hold.

  Leo was visible as he came sauntering out from behind one of the blow-up penguins that had been positioned off to the side. He plopped down next to my winter boots, most likely enjoying the show of Liam scrambling to pick up the various sized boxes. In all the commotion, Santa Claus had actually made it to his chair and was waving that white glove of his with a twinkle in his blue eyes.

  “No one hired a Santa Claus to be here,” I murmured, figuring everyone was too busy rushing to help Liam and the elf to overhear me. “Liam was attempting to go and talk to him when…well, that happened.”

  I gestured toward the commotion, but me being in the middle would have only made it worse. My accident-prone tendencies had a way of doing that at the most inopportune times.

  Again, the chances of ol’ Kris Kringle over there sitting on his throne being the real deal is as low as the former sheriff’s wife being a reindeer serial killer. In the meantime, you’ll be happy to know that I found Elsie’s reading glasses. Once I show you where and you collect them, I’ll have done my good deed for next year. See that? I’m ahead of the game. Maybe. For some reason, I think I was supposed to mention something else to you. Whatever it is, it escapes me.

  Before I could ask where Leo had spotted those elusive reading glasses, I saw my mother coming toward me with Beetle in tow. From the determination written across her features, it was evident that she’d found out something worth sharing.

  “Mom, what is it?” I asked, checking on Liam. He’d been able to gather the presents with the help of the elf and some of the parents standing in line. “Were you right about the mayor?”

  “The mayor?” my mother asked, giving me an exasperated look like she hadn’t had the brilliant idea that the mayor could have staged all this hullabaloo. “I don’t know, Raven. I didn’t get a chance to find out anything with all the excitement going on with you. What on earth happened to Liam and that elf?”

  “I’m honestly not sure,” I replied, seeing Liam sidestep a little boy who was running up the red carpet that led to Santa Claus’ lap. He was still waving, though I wasn’t so sure it was to the children as much as it was to Liam. “Liam wanted to have a chat with St. Nicholas about the fact that no one was hired to dress for the part. It’s a long story, but the paperwork got lost in the shuffle. Now we have no idea who this guy is or where he came from.”

  “What does that have to do with the elf?” Beetle asked, though he really only knew part of the story. My mother just smiled and patted his hand in reassurance. “If that Santa Claus had something to do with the missing reindeer, then Liam should bring him in for questioning. Yes, siree, he should.”

  My mother was shaking her head to my nonverbal question about the possibility of Kris Kringle being more than a regular jolly man dressed in a red suit. She still refused to believe that the possibility of magic might exist in this situation, which was quite ironic considering that we were witches.

  I’m sure this is not going to help our situation, but I’d like to point out that maybe the percentage of Karen being a reindeer serial killer just shot up to two percent.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Oh, your sheriff is really going to do it, isn’t he?” my mother murmured as we all watched Liam follow close behind the small boy who had already made his way to Santa Claus. “I do give him credit for following through on his oath to protect and defend.”

  Liam knelt as he put his hand on the little boy’s shoulder, gesturing back toward the line and to where his mother was waiting with a concerned frown on her face. My mother was right about Liam’s need to protect this town, even if it meant disappointing the boisterous children waiting their turn to tell Santa Claus what they wanted underneath the tree come Christmas morning.

  Don’t worry about the residents labeling the good ol’ sheriff as that green monster without a heart. Once they realize that the former sheriff’s wife is a reindeer serial killer, the focus will be on her.

  “I’ll be right back,” I muttered to my mother and Beetle, gesturing for Heidi to join me as I made my way around the throngs of people now wondering why Liam wanted a private moment with Santa Claus. It didn’t take long for Heidi to shove the burnt marshmallow into her mouth and fall into step beside me, though she was still licking her fingers. “Liam found out that no one was hired to fill Santa Claus’ spot, if you
know what I mean.”

  Seeing as we were walking past the end of the line where parents were attempting to figure out what was going on and the children were becoming antsy, I was very careful with my words. Heidi understood exactly what I meant, though.

  “Don’t we want to find out if you know who is the genuine article?” Heidi asked, her blue gaze practically glued to the big chair that was now the center of attention. “Let me just say that it would be really nice to know why I didn’t get that Easy-Bake oven I wanted when I was eight years old.”

  Um, does Heidi know that she can’t cook? I was there the day she decided to make that oaf of a detective dinner. I had no idea that it was possible to burn boiling water. Should the jolly one turn out to be Father Christmas himself, I’m sure his gift that year was making sure the Connolly residence didn’t burn to the ground.

  “I want to ask Barry Mina a question that goes along with that line of thought.” It didn’t take us long to reach the petting zoo, but I came to an abrupt halt when I saw the mayor and Barry Mina off to the side having a heated argument. “You don’t think Mom was right about the mayor’s involvement, do you?”

  “Excuse me.” A high-pitched voice came from our left. Heidi and I both turned to find the elf that Liam had run into with a present in her hand. “Are you Raven Lattice Marigold?”

  Those pointy ears should be illegal. And aren’t elves supposed to have bells on their stockings so that the jolly man can hear them coming from a mile away?

  Heidi nudged me in the arm when I didn’t answer right away. In my defense, I was trying to figure out how a strange elf could know my full name.

  The way I figure it, there are two ways that went down. Either this mini-Spock overheard your mother talking to Beetle about how exasperating her only daughter was or the odds of the former sheriff’s wife being a reindeer serial killer just shot up another percent. What are we at now? Three? When we get to five percent, I’m writing that letter to Santa Claus about the catnip farm I want in Alaska.

  “Yes, I’m Raven,” I replied, looking down at the wrapped present the elf held up for me to take.

  “This is for you,” the elf replied with a smile and a tilt of her head.

  Leo had been plopped down on his haunches in between me and Heidi, but he jumped back when one of those pointed ears aimed in his direction. I didn’t blame him. Those things appeared quite sharp.

  “For me?” I reiterated, sounding like a simpleton. This elf had specifically sought me out, so of course the present was for me. Only I had no idea who she was or why she was giving me a gift. “Who is this from?”

  Really? An elf who works for Kris Kringle gives you a wrapped present with a glittery bow, and that’s the question you ask?

  “Santa Claus, of course,” the elf replied with a high-pitched giggle. “He wanted me to tell you that the sheriff should use his annual budget for other things, but that you’d appreciate the gift more for your future endeavors. I better get back before all the little boys and girls get too anxious. Merry Christmas!”

  The present that the elf had basically plopped into my arms was quite heavy. I wasn’t about to open it in the middle of town square, but there really wasn’t anywhere I could go without getting curious stares and losing my opportunity to insert myself into the conversation that Barry Mina was having with the mayor.

  Too late. Hey, since we’re over this way, we should—

  “Mayor,” Heidi called out, causing me to hoist the present for a firmer grip as I turned to find that the mayor’s wife was practically dragging him away from the petting zoo by the arm. Heidi’s quick thinking stopped the couple in their tracks right in front of us. “I just had to say that your offer for whoever might have taken the reindeer last night to return him with no questions asked was genius. You never cease to amaze me about how deeply you care for our community.”

  “Oh, thank you, Miss Connolly,” the mayor said with a beaming smile. I noticed that his wife seemed to relax a bit now that they’d walked away from Barry Mina, whose squinted gaze was practically shooting daggers at the mayor’s back. “Thank you very much. We can only hope that if the reindeer didn’t wander off on his own, that whoever took him will take this opportunity that we are affording him or her. I’m all for protecting our wildlife, but that poor thing wouldn’t last long out there in the wilderness all by himself.”

  Why that no-good—

  I hadn’t realized that Leo had been working himself up into a tizzy over the mayor’s ease at which he was taking credit for an idea that wasn’t his, all to look good in the eyes of the residents. The way Leo had leaned down on his two front paws with his wiggling butt high in the air told me that he was mere seconds away from sinking his claws into the mayor’s pant leg.

  I’m not sure how I didn’t drop the large present in my arms, but I managed to exchange the present for Leo in one swift motion. How my back muscles didn’t seize was beyond me, but I was able to set my familiar on top of the glittery bow without missing a beat.

  “Oh, look at that handsome tomcat,” the mayor’s wife cooed, leaning down and running her leathered glove over Leo’s head. She began using the tips of the leather to scratch behind his ears, which had him purring louder than the kids shouting in excitement about something behind me. The mayor’s wife glanced up from her affectionate duty. “It looks as if Liam is done talking with Santa Claus. Look at all the children. I just love this time of year.”

  And I love this woman, Raven. Yeah, right there. A little more to the left. Ahhhh…perfect.

  I stood up straight so that I could stretch my back and see for myself that Liam had allowed St. Nicholas to continue his job duties. Sure enough, Liam was shaking Santa Claus’ hand, white glove and all. Did this mean that Sheila had been wrong about the agency hired to employ the staff for this year’s festival?

  “Mr. Mina still seems pretty upset,” Heidi continued, not one to be drawn off her target. She was like a dog with his bone…or Leo with his premium organic catnip edibles. “Is there anything we can do?”

  “No, no,” the mayor responded with as much vigor. “Mr. Mina is obviously concerned about the wellbeing of his missing reindeer. He was just expressing his displeasure at the sheriff’s decision to suspend the search after dark. I did my best to reassure him that we would start back up at daybreak.”

  My attention was torn between Liam walking toward us and the mayor basically throwing him under the bus. The majority of the searchers were the older residents, doing their part to help someone who brought a petting zoo to town in order to entertain the children. Liam had made the right decision to suspend the search, all the while making certain that other law enforcement officers patrolling the highway were on high alert. The mayor was attempting to take all the credit while deflecting all the blame. It wasn’t fair.

  Don’t go getting your dander up, Raven. This is the best head scratch I’ve had in days. Give me a few seconds of peace, would ya?

  “Mayor,” Liam greeted, resting his hand on my lower back as if to let me know that he could handle himself. I’m sure he could, but that didn’t mean a spell to have the mayor flub up the next time he went on national television hadn’t crossed my mind. “I checked into that matter that Sheila brought up, and you’ll be pleased to know that all the paperwork is in order. There was a mix-up at the agency, and Mr. Nickels got a frantic call from someone there asking if he’d fill in at the last minute. He was well aware of the situation, and he was able to give me more information than Sheila. I’ll follow up with her tomorrow morning about getting things squared away.”

  “Excellent news,” the mayor replied with a beaming smile, though his relief had more to do with the fact that a criminal wasn’t posing as Santa Claus. “All we need to do now is find the missing reindeer, return him to his rightful owner, and then spread the good word via another interview.”

  Leo’s sigh of regret could be heard when the mayor’s wife dropped her fingers from the back of his neck so th
at she could return to her husband’s side. She wrapped her arm through his and then patted his hand as if to chastise him.

  “I know that it’s important to you to let the public know the missing reindeer is safe and sound, but we must remember that this is the season of giving,” the mayor’s wife reminded him gently. “Whoever finds this precious Randy should be rewarded.”

  Did you hear that, Raven? The mayor’s wife said the R word, and I’m not talking about Randy. She said reward, as in R-E-W-A-R-D. You know what the equates to, right? You guessed it. The golden key. Not only does this lovely woman know how to scratch behind the ears, she’s selfless when it comes to recognition. I might have to hit the campaign trail. She clearly deserves to be mayor over that attention-seeking boor.

  “Of course, of course,” the mayor agreed with a vigorous nod. “Unless, of course, someone anonymously returns the large animal. It would fall on my shoulders to alert the media, of course. These types of situations are followed closely by those outlets to spread the feel-good happy endings, you know.”

  The fact that the mayor would say such a thing had me believing that maybe my mother was onto something. First things first—who had given me a wrapped present? Now that Liam had rested my concern over St. Nicholas, it was highly doubtful that this gift had been from the jolly man himself.

  “Oh, there’s Gillian Murphy,” the mayor’s wife exclaimed, lifting a gloved hand in order to wave to someone behind me. “Liam, Raven. If you’ll excuse us, we must go say hello to an old friend.”

  A slightly bitter cold breeze broke through the strategically placed heaters as if in warning, though the palm of my hand hadn’t varied in temperature since…well, the beginning of this case, actually.

  Defective or the former sheriff’s wife is actually—

  “Did you have that elf give me a present?” I asked Liam, cutting off Leo. Karen Finley wasn’t some reindeer serial killer, which meant that Santa Claus was simply a man wanting to do his part this holiday season. “She sought me out and said that she had a gift for me from Santa Claus.”