The Ghost of Christmas Secrets

by Anna J. McIntyre

  “I need to speak to you about your uncles,” Eva told Chris after Loyd and Simon left the office.

  “Eva, I know you don’t like them. But it is Christmas, and they are family, and—”

  “Simon rifled through your file drawer and took pictures of some of the documents.”

  Chris stared at Eva. “He didn’t.”

  She nodded. “He did.”

  “What documents?”

  “Open the drawer, and I’ll show you which ones.”

  Chris frowned at Eva, but he went to the file drawer and opened it. She stood by his side, looking into the drawer as he shuffled through the files, trying to find the documents that had interested Simon.

  Eva pointed to the corner of one piece of paper sticking out of a file. “Wait, let me see that one.”

  Chris removed the document and showed it to Eva. She nodded. “That was one of them.”

  “Why would he be interested in that?” Chris muttered.

  “I have no idea why he took a picture of it. I just know that’s one of them. I counted. He took pictures of five different pages from that drawer.”

  “Okay, let’s see if we can find the other four.”

  Lily dunked her chocolate chip cookie in her glass of milk before taking a bite. She sat with Danielle at Marlow House’s kitchen table, discussing their plans for Christmas.

  “How’s your mom handling it, you not spending Christmas with them this year?” Danielle asked.

  Lily shrugged and dunked the last bite of her cookie. “I reminded her we spent last Christmas with them. And I told her I want to spend Christmas in our own house. I wanted my own tree.”

  “Does this mean you aren’t having Christmas dinner here?” Danielle asked.

  “Are you kidding? I’m not about to miss the feast you put out.”

  Danielle grabbed herself a cookie. “I’m surprised Ian’s parents aren’t coming for Christmas. After all, both their kids live here.”

  “Please, they were here for Thanksgiving; isn’t that enough?”

  Danielle chuckled.

  Lily picked up a napkin and wiped her hands. She crumpled it up and tossed it on the table. “You know what Kelly asked me?”

  “What?”

  “She wanted to know if it was true, were you really dating Walt Marlow.”

  Danielle smiled. “So it’s out there now.” She took a bite of her cookie.

  Lily nodded and leaned back in her chair. “Yep. I reminded her how helpful you’ve been since his accident. And, well, he’s been in Frederickport for over nine months; it’s not like he’s a stranger. I told her, considering everything, I wasn’t surprised that he eventually asked you out.”

  “What did she say to that?”

  “She wanted to know if he still had amnesia.”

  Danielle let out a sigh.

  “You do seem happy, Danielle, and so does Walt. But—it is so freaking weird. I still can’t get used to actually seeing him. I mean, other than in a dream hop.”

  “It doesn’t seem that strange to me anymore. It did at first. But not anymore.”

  “So what now? I always suspected you had feelings for Walt, but now that you have a real chance with him, are you going to take it? Or is this going to be like you and Chris?”

  Before Danielle could respond to Lily’s question, Chris’s uncles walked into the kitchen from the hallway.

  “Afternoon, Danielle,” Simon greeted her.

  Danielle stood up from the table and faced the men. “Did you have a nice lunch with Chris?”

  “We did. And I remembered you telling us about those homemade cookies, wondering if we could have some,” Simon asked.

  “Certainly.”

  Simon and Loyd looked over to the table and noticed the redhead looking their way.

  “Oh, Simon, Loyd, I’d like you to meet my friend Lily. Lily and her husband live across the street.”

  “Nice to meet you, Lily. I assume you know our nephew?” Loyd asked.

  “Certainly. Chris is a good friend of mine. I used to live at Marlow House when he stayed here.”

  “Really?” Loyd asked.

  Danielle brought out more cookies and offered the men something to drink. After they took a seat at the table with Lily, the landline began to ring.

  “If you will all excuse me, I’m going to take that in the parlor,” Danielle said before rushing out of the room.

  “She could have answered the call in here,” Simon said.

  Lily shrugged and grabbed another cookie. “The only calls she gets on the landline are for B and B business, that’s probably why she’s taking it in the parlor.”

  “So you used to live here?” Loyd asked.

  “Yes. Dani’s my best friend. I helped her open the B and B and planned to go back to California, where I lived. But I had some medical issues, and Dani took care of me. I met my husband here, and, well, the rest is history, as they say.”

  “Seems like Danielle is a trusted friend for many,” Loyd said.

  Lily nodded. “Yes, she is.”

  “Although not everyone feels that way,” Simon noted.

  Lily frowned at Simon. “Excuse me?”

  Simon shrugged. “I was just thinking of that girl who works with Chris. She seems to have an issue with your friend.”

  “Heather?”

  “I think it’s just a little jealousy,” Loyd suggested.

  “Why do you think she has a problem with Dani?” Lily asked.

  “I’m sure you’re aware our nephew dated your friend for a brief time,” Loyd reminded her.

  “Sure. So?”

  “Let’s just put it this way, Heather is anxious to take your friend’s place in our nephew’s life, if you know what I mean,” Simon said.

  Twenty-Seven

  Wrapped snugly in Ian’s Pendleton jacket, Lily stood behind her house on Friday morning and watched as Sadie raced down the beach for the tennis ball. The golden retriever had barely snatched the ball from the sand when she changed direction and headed back to Ian, who was prepared to grab the ball and throw it again. This went on for another fifteen minutes, and while Ian claimed Sadie needed a rest, Lily suspected it was her husband who needed a time-out.

  “You want to walk over to Dani’s with me?” Lily asked when Ian and Sadie made their way back to her. Sadie’s tongue hung out the side of her mouth as she panted.

  Ian tossed the tennis ball up into the air and caught it. “Sure.”

  Instead of going back into their house, they walked around to the front of the property and to the sidewalk, Sadie trailing beside them. They stood on the sidewalk a moment, about to cross the street, when a man parked in front of Marlow House pulled his car out into the road and turned around in front of them. Instead of crossing the street, they waited for the man to drive on.

  “That must be one of the people staying with Dani.”

  “Obviously not an uncle,” Ian said.

  “No. Dani said it’s a couple here on their honeymoon.”

  After he drove away, they crossed over to Marlow House.

  “I can’t believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve,” Ian told Walt. The two sat in Marlow House’s library, enjoying a cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll while Sadie napped at Walt’s feet.

  “What are you getting Lily for Christmas?” Walt asked.

  “I don’t know yet.”

  Walt laughed. “You know, it is Christmas Eve tomorrow.”

  “Didn’t I just say that?”

  They both laughed.

  “Do you mind if I join you?” Loyd asked from the open doorway.

  “Certainly not, come in. Have you met Ian?” Walt asked. He and Ian looked Loyd’s way and watched as the elderly man made his way into the room, cane in hand. Sadie lifted her head and started to stand up, but Ian told her to stay. Reluctantly the dog obeyed, resting her chin back on her front paws.

  “Yes, Danielle introduced us earlier. He and his wife are hosting the Christmas Eve open house they’ve gr
aciously invited my brother and me to.” Loyd sat down in one of the empty chairs.

  The men chatted for another twenty minutes, discussing nothing more personal than the weather and what Danielle might be serving for Christmas dinner, when Ian excused himself to go home, leaving Walt alone in the library with Loyd.

  “I thought you would be visiting with Chris today?” Walt asked after Ian and Sadie left.

  “Simon went over to see him, but I’m waiting for a delivery.”

  “Delivery? Something for Christmas?” Walt asked.

  Loyd shook his head. “No, just something pertaining to one of our business interests. It seems that even when you get to be my age, it’s still impossible to get away for a holiday and not be interrupted by some meddlesome paperwork. But it is the end of the year, and you know taxes and all that.”

  “Both Danielle and I plan to be here most of the morning, so if you need to go somewhere, I’m sure one of us can accept your delivery.”

  “Thank you for your offer, but I need to go through the papers as soon as they arrive, and get them back to my accountant.”

  Walt nodded. “I understand.”

  Loyd eyed Walt curiously and then said, “You and my nephew seem to get along fairly well, considering everything.”

  Walt met Loyd’s inquisitive gaze. “I suspect you mean the fact I’m now dating Danielle?”

  Loyd nodded. “It must be a little awkward, living under the same roof as the woman you’re dating.”

  “Awkward?”

  Loyd shrugged. “It’s been a lifetime since I was in your shoes—a young bachelor courting a woman—but I can’t imagine living under the same roof as my late wife when I first started seeing her. Mighty awkward.”

  Walt chose not to respond. He just smiled and sipped his coffee.

  “I suppose it’s more awkward for my nephew, working with a woman who obviously has her sights set on him.”

  “I assume you’re referring to Heather Donovan?” Walt asked.

  “Hiring someone you feel sorry for is never a good idea. And now…well…I just hope my nephew knows what he’s doing. I worry about him. And it’s also a shame, the woman’s attitude toward Danielle. Danielle seems like such a nice woman.”

  “You do know Heather is a neighbor, and Danielle considers her a friend,” Walt asked.

  Loyd shrugged. “All I know is what I’ve heard her say behind Danielle’s back since I’ve been here. That woman is obviously jealous of Miss Boatman.”

  Ian had headed back home with Sadie, but Lily remained at Marlow House. She sat in the kitchen with Danielle, picking through the Christmas tin of candy Adam had brought over. She picked up a piece of peanut brittle and sniffed it. “Adam actually made this?”

  Danielle, who had just finished cleaning up after breakfast, wiped her hands on a dishtowel and tossed it on the counter. She walked to the table.

  “It was his tribute to Marie, I think.” Danielle sat down.

  Lily nibbled the peanut brittle and smiled. “Hey, this is pretty good. It tastes like Marie’s.”

  Danielle nodded. “I thought so.”

  After Lily tried the peanut brittle, she picked up a piece of divinity. “So how come he gave you candy and didn’t bring us any?”

  Danielle shrugged. “I’m special.”

  Lily took a bite of the divinity and then wrinkled her nose. “No, that doesn’t taste like Marie’s.” Instead of finishing the piece, Lily set it on a napkin and then closed the tin.

  “He gave it a good try.”

  Lily set the closed tin on the table.

  “Adam really misses Marie. I felt sorry for him when he brought the candy over. I thought he was going to cry.”

  “I imagine he does. Even when Adam wasn’t my favorite person, I gave him credit for taking care of his grandmother,” Lily said. “He’s not close to the rest of his family. Which, after meeting them, is totally understandable.”

  “He took his grandmother’s recipes and tried to recreate a memory. But divinity isn’t easy to make—I know, I’ve tried. Even though Adam had his grandmother’s recipe, the candy didn’t turn out right.”

  “Why don’t you make it for him? As a Christmas gift. I bet he would love that,” Lily suggested.

  “Didn’t you just hear me say I’ve tried making divinity before, and mine didn’t turn out much better than Adam’s—and he has Marie’s recipe.”

  Lily laughed. “True. But you have Marie.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Get Marie to help you make the candy. Maybe she can’t do anything physically, but she can walk you through it, share whatever tricks she had. I bet you could do it with her help.”

  Danielle smiled at the thought. “Wow, I didn’t even consider that.”

  “See, one Christmas gift taken care of.” Lily smiled.

  “Considering tomorrow is Christmas Eve, not sure I can squeeze in divinity making, but it is a good idea.”

  “Have you finished your shopping?” Lily asked.

  “Pretty much.”

  “Hello, ladies,” Walt said as he walked into the kitchen and to the table.

  “Hey, Walt,” Lily greeted him.

  Walt stopped behind Danielle’s chair, placing his hands along the edge of its backrest. He smiled at Lily. “Hello, Lily.” He looked down at Danielle, who tilted her head back in the chair and looked up at him and smiled. He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss.

  Lily’s eyes widened. “I still don’t know if I can get used to that.”

  Danielle laughed and tilted her head back upright and looked at Lily. “Why?”

  Lily responded with a shrug.

  Walt took a seat and told Danielle, “I was just talking to Loyd, and he’s got this idea in his head Heather has some resentment toward you.”

  “He said the same thing to me!” Lily said. “I was telling Dani about it earlier.”

  “He’s up to something.” Danielle glanced to the doorway leading to the hallway.

  “Why is he here anyway? I saw Simon leaving right when I got here,” Lily asked. “I figured he would go with him.”

  “According to Loyd, he’s waiting for some sort of postal delivery,” Walt said.

  “Good luck this time of year,” Lily muttered.

  “He mentioned it to me too,” Danielle said. “His accountant is overnighting something to him; that’s why he’s hanging around the house, waiting for it.”

  “What are your other guests like?” Lily asked.

  Danielle shrugged. “They seem nice enough, but I haven’t really talked to them much. She doesn’t come down for breakfast, and when they are up, they usually take off, I assume sightseeing. They left right before you and Ian came over.”

  “I saw him drive off, but she wasn’t with him,” Lily said.

  Danielle frowned at Lily. “I’m sure I saw them both leaving.”

  “I didn’t think there was anyone in the car with him, but I could be wrong.”

  “Maybe she decided not to go,” Danielle suggested.

  Loyd made his way into the living room so he could have a view of the street. Motion from the front window caught his attention. He stood up, but then sat back down again when he saw it was just Noah Bishop returning to the house. A moment later he heard the front door open and close, and then the sound of Noah walking down the hallway.

  He started to pick up a magazine off the coffee table when he noticed the postman coming up the walk. Scrambling to his feet, Loyd made his way to the entry hall before the mailman rang the bell. A moment later he hastily opened the front door and quickly snatched the envelope from the mailman. After signing for the delivery, he slammed the door shut without further fanfare. Several minutes later he was alone in his room, opening the envelope.

  He removed a handkerchief from his pocket and used it to slip the sheet of paper from the envelope, careful not to get his fingerprints on it. He set it on his bed and examined it. A smile curled on his lips. He grabbed his phone from t
he dresser and dialed his brother.

  When Simon answered his phone, Loyd said, “It’s here—and it’s perfect. He did an excellent job. Of course, now we need to take care of him like we did Peyton.”

  “Careful what you say on the phone,” Simon warned.

  “Fine, but then come get me so we can go somewhere and talk. Somewhere where we won’t be overheard,” Loyd said.

  “Where do you suggest?” Simon asked.

  “Down to that beach parking lot. We can stay in the car.”

  When Loyd ended the call, he tossed the phone on the bed and headed to the bathroom.

  Several minutes later Zara slipped into Loyd’s room unnoticed. She could hear him in the bathroom—the water was running.

  “Okay, just what did that mailman bring you?” Zara asked as she approached the bed and spied the recently opened eleven-by-fourteen-inch cardboard envelope sitting on the bed, along with a document.

  Standing over it, she began to read. “Good forgery,” she muttered. “So nice of Chris to put you back in his will. Of course, that means he has to die for you to inherit.” Narrowing her eyes, she looked from the forged document to the closed bedroom door and back to the bed. A moment later she heard the door to the bathroom open. As quietly as she had slipped into his room, she slipped out.

  Twenty-Eight

  Lily stood up from the kitchen table and groaned. “I think I’m on sugar overload. First Adam’s candy and then your cookies.” She rubbed her stomach and cringed.

  “Want me to make you a sandwich? I find if I eat a little protein, it helps balance my blood sugar after too many sweets,” Danielle offered.

  Lily shook her head and moaned. “No. I think I’d rather go home and puke.”

  “I guess this means you don’t want to go to the police station with us. We’re taking them some cookies.”

  Lily put out her hand as if to make Danielle stop talking. “Please don’t say that word again!”

  “You mean cookie?” Danielle grinned.