by Kathi Daley
Jingles and I decided to check in with Finn before heading home for the evening. I’d called and spoken to Cody, who told me that Sammy was feeling much better and the slight fever he’d had that morning seemed to have broken. He was looking forward to eating Chinese takeout and watching a movie by the fire this evening, and I promised to be home as soon as I was able. I knew Finn liked to get home to Siobhan and Connor by dinnertime as well, so I would make our conversation a quick one.
“So, did the bullet found inside the reindeer match the casing found in Tom’s pocket?” I asked the minute I entered Finn’s office.
“It did not, but the bullet inside the reindeer and the casing in Tom’s pocket were from a similar rifle, just not the same one. I’m not sure the casing is important, but it might be, so I’m going to keep my eye out for other incidents involving hunting rifles.”
I sat down across from Finn while Jingles chose to jump up on his desk and settle down on top of a stack of file folders. “And the phone number?”
“Unfortunately, that didn’t match any number that would be used with our local area code, and there was no area code on the piece of paper, so at this point, the number is fairly useless. I’m still working on it, but figuring out whose number Tom wrote down won’t be as easy as just dialing it. I still have no idea what the key goes to, and the quarters, while old, don’t seem to be anything special.”
“Old? How old?”
“All four quarters were minted between 1932 and 1935. The first year was the first one in which the Washington quarter was minted. They all look to be uncirculated, so I have to assume Tom got them from a collector. While it is sort of interesting that he had coins dating back more than eighty years that had never been used, they aren’t hugely valuable, so I doubt they could provide a motive for murder.”
“So, are we looking at things any differently now that we know Conway was responsible for Rudolph’s fall from the sky?”
Finn slowly shook his head. “Not really. We never were certain that all the events were related. I do think the tree in the park, the nativity scene, and Chappy’s boat are connected because of the mistletoe. And I suspect we’ll find that the person responsible for these deeds is also responsible for the burning of the Santa House, but I won’t go so far as to say that is a given. If you stop to think about it, the crimes are all different. Even if Tom hadn’t been at the Santa House and hadn’t died in the fire, the fire there seems a lot more violent to me than cutting down a tree in the park.”
“Even if the tree that was cut down is the same one the community has used as its Christmas tree since before I was born?”
“Even then.”
“I do see what you’re saying, although the fire on Chappy’s boat and the fire at the Santa House were both fires.”
“True,” Finn agreed. “But the one at the Santa House was designed to destroy the entire structure quickly and completely. The one on Chappy’s boat seemed designed to be seen and dealt with before total destruction would occur. Think about it: an accelerant was used at the Santa House to make sure it burned hot and fast, but the fire on Chappy’s boat, while cruel, was actually very small, and it was set during a time of day when it would be noticed and dealt with before any major damage occurred. It was also set when it was known that Chappy would be out. I almost wonder if that second fire wasn’t simply a diversion from the true intention behind the first one.”
“Okay, say that’s true. Why Chappy’s boat? I understand that the second fire resulted in the loss of Christmas decorations, which sent us down the path of looking for a Grinch who was trying to destroy the popular holiday, but why Chappy’s boat? Why not set fire to the decorations at the community center or the gazebo in the park with its North Pole display?”
Finn exhaled. “I don’t know. Maybe the fire at Chappy’s boat was personal.”
“Which would mean whoever did this was known to Chappy.”
“Perhaps.”
“This whole thing is making me nervous. When I spoke to Tansy, she made it sound like there might be more than one thing going on. She warned me not to be diverted.”
“I guess she was right. There is more than one thing happening. We already know that the reindeer incident isn’t related to anything else. Maybe there are just a bunch of random acts of vandalism going on, and maybe none of them are connected. I imagine time will tell.”
I stood up. “I need to get home. It’s takeout-and-movie night.”
“Siobhan told me Sammy had a fever. How is the little guy doing?”
“Cody said he’s better,” I answered. “Taking care of a baby is hard. I don’t know how people do it.”
“When it is your own baby, you develop a routine. I was scared to death when I first found out I was going to be a father. Happy, but scared. What if I was terrible at it? What if the fact that Siobhan and I both had demanding jobs created an adverse environment for the child? But I think things are working out just fine. When you and Cody are ready to start your own family, you’ll figure it out as well. In the meantime, enjoy Sammy. What you are doing for him is really important. Babies need to feel loved and secure, and I know you and Cody are the best temporary parents the little guy could ever ask for.”
Finn was right about Cody being an awesome temporary father, but I wasn’t so sure that I was equally awesome as a temporary mother.
The Chinese restaurant Cody and I favored was in Harthaven, so after I left Finn’s office, Jingles and I went in that direction. The sun set early at this time of the year, so it was already dark. I was hoping the snow everyone kept talking about would arrive, but so far, all we’ve had to show for the heavy, dark clouds were a few sprinkles of rain throughout the day.
I slowed as I entered the main downtown section of town. The merchants had done a wonderful job with the decorations this year. Every lamppost had a wreath, every window a seasonal display, and every building and patio tree a string or two of white lights.
The restaurant didn’t have its own parking area, but there was a spot on the street not far from it, so I pulled into it before anyone else could grab it out from under me. Normally, the little town wasn’t all that busy after dark during the off-season, but with Christmas just around the corner, a lot of folks were out shopping and running errands.
“Okay, you’ll need to wait here,” I said to Jingles. “I’ll just be a few minutes.”
“Meow.”
“I’ll see if I can order a plain chicken breast for you and Max to share. Now be good, and don’t claw the upholstery.”
Jingles lay down, seemingly content to wait, so I exited the car, locked it, and walked quickly down the half of block separating me from my destination. I placed the order, texted Cody to give him an update on my ETA, and waited. As I did, three other customers came in, one of them was Tara’s ex-boyfriend, Dr. Parker Hamden, apparently with a date.
“Parker. How are you?” I gave the man, who at one point I thought Tara might end up married to, a hug.
“I’m good. How are you?”
“Good. Cody and I are having takeout.”
Parker turned to the woman on his arm. “This is Lorana Fowler. Lorana, this is Cait Hart.”
“I’m happy to meet you,” I said to the other woman.
“You own the bookstore,” Lorana said.
“I do. Along with my friend, Tara. Have you been in?”
“I have, and it’s wonderful. I especially love the little village. There has been so much attention given to detail that it feels like a real place.”
“That’s all Tara. She has added to the village every year. Our customers really seem to enjoy coming in to see what’s new.” I glanced at Parker. He had a scowl on his face. I guess I didn’t blame him. Tara had broken up with him despite the fact that things between them had seemed to be going well. I guess I could see why he wasn’t thrilled that I was jabbering on about her and her magical Christmas Village. “How’s Amy?” I asked Parker, referring to his niece.
“It was good seeing you as well. And Lorana, it was good meeting you.”
I smiled as the couple walked away, but deep down, I had to acknowledge that had been awkward. I still wasn’t entirely sure why Tara had broken up with Parker. She’d said that they just hadn’t shared that special spark, and maybe that was true, but they’d gotten along well and he seemed to treat her right. Tara hadn’t gone into any detail when I asked about her decision to end the relationship, but I suspected the real reason was that, despite all the starts and stop and ups and downs, the spark she referred to was something she had only ever shared with Danny.
“Your order is up,” the cashier announced.
I thanked him, slipped him a tip, and headed back to my car. When I arrived, I found Jingles outside sitting on a bench with a young mother and her son. How on earth had the cat gotten out of the car? I was sure I’d locked it.
“How did you get out of the car?” I asked Jingles.
“Meow.”
“Is this your cat?” the woman asked.
“Sort of. I left him in the car while I went in to pick up takeout. I don’t know how he got out. Is he bothering you?”
“Just the opposite.” The woman smiled. “This is my son, Wiley. He’s autistic and doesn’t usually like animals, but this cat walked right up to him, and he bent down to greet him like a long-lost friend. I was sort of hoping he was a stray who needed a home. Wiley could use a friend to bond with.”
I glanced at the boy, who was staring into the eyes of the cat. Jingles was purring and staring back. It almost looked as if they were communicating telepathically.
“Jingles is staying with me for the time being. We are working on a project together, but there is a good chance he will be eligible for adoption when the project is over. If you want to give me your number, I can call you when he becomes eligible, and we can discuss the situation further.”
“I’d like that very much.” The woman pulled a piece of paper from her purse. She jotted down a number. “I know it looks like a long-distance number, but it is a cell. I got the phone when I lived on the East Coast and never changed the number.”
I glanced at it. “Okay, great. Just so you know, I own Coffee Cat Books along with my business partner, Tara. I’m there most of the time when the store is open if you need to reach me.”
“Okay. Perfect.” She bent down and scratched Jingles under the chin. “I’m so happy you found us, and I can’t wait to welcome you into the family.”
“Meow.”
From the loud purr accompanying the exchange, I was willing to bet that Jingles was excited about becoming a member of the family too.
Chapter 8
Monday, December 16
It had been a long weekend. I’d left on the first ferry of the morning the day before and had driven into Seattle to pick up the cats I planned to rescue from the high kill shelter. Once I returned to the island, I spent a couple of hours getting them settled into the cat sanctuary. Two of them were pregnant moms, so I had to make sure they had a safe and nurturing place to deliver their babies.
By the time that was done, it was late afternoon, but I still pitched in to help Cody begin moving our stuff into Mr. Parsons’s place. I had to admit that when Monday morning rolled around, I was actually happy to have something else to focus my attention on. Coffee Cat Books was closed on Mondays, but with the rush of holiday shoppers, Tara and I had decided to come in to restock the shelves and do the cleaning that had been neglected during the previous week when the store had been bursting at the seams with customers.
“I ran into Parker on Friday night when I stopped off to pick up Chinese food,” I said as casually as I could manage.
“Oh? How is he?”
“He seemed fine. He was out for dinner with a woman named Lorana.”
Tara used the box cutter to slit the top of the next box. “That’s nice. I’ve met her a time or two. She seems like a nice woman.” She looked into the box and began sifting the objects inside around. “Have you seen the ski lift I ordered for the Christmas Village? It should be here by now.”
“I saw a box with an ice-skating rink, but no ski lift. I’ll let you know if I find it.” I set the box I’d been unpacking aside and opened the next one. “Seeing Parker made me wonder why it didn’t work out between the two of you. It seemed like you got along okay.”
“We got along wonderfully. I told you that before. There just wasn’t any spark. I knew Parker was looking to find a woman to settle down with, and I was never going to be that woman, so despite the fact that I enjoyed spending time with him, I decided to let him go.” Tara reached into a box and pulled out a tall mechanical ski lift. “I found it. Now keep an eye out for the skiers I ordered to accent the lift.”
“So, by spark you mean chemistry?” I wasn’t sure why I wasn’t just letting this go.
Tara shrugged. “I guess. Sort of. What it came down to was that while I liked Parker and had a lot of fun with him, and I enjoyed spending time with Amy, I wasn’t in love with him. At first, I kept thinking the love would come once the friendship deepened, but it never happened.” She glanced at the box I’d pulled off the pile. “I think those are the new mugs. You can put as many as will fit on the shelf and then leave the box behind the counter. I think we’ll need to restock often as soon as our customers see how cute they are.”
I opened the box and pulled one out. “They are cute. I may have to take one home, wherever home might be at this moment in time.”
“Are you still in transition?”
I nodded. “Cody made a lot of progress over the weekend. We could begin staying over at Mr. Parsons’s now if we wanted to. In fact, most of my stuff is already over there. I’m just not sure I’m ready to cut the strings completely. In fact, when I think of officially turning my little cabin over to Cassie, all I want to do is to lock myself inside and tell everyone to go away.”
“It is a pretty great cabin. But the new place is pretty great as well.”
“It is an awesome place, and there is plenty of room to grow, but it doesn’t feel like home. When I’m over there, I appreciate the awesome view and the upgraded interior, but I feel like a visitor in someone else’s home. I know this move makes sense for a lot of reasons. Mentally, I’ve made the decision to go, but I’m having a hard time letting go emotionally.”
Tara paused what she was doing. “I think that is understandable. I’d say keep the cabin for a while even after you make the move next door, but I know Cassie is waiting to move in. I guess the only advice I have is for you to bite the bullet, make the move, and then work on making the place feel like home.”
I picked up the half-empty box of mugs and carried it behind the counter. “I know you’re right. And I will do what I’ve already promised Cody and Cassie I would do. It’s just turned out to be harder than I thought it would.”
“Can you look in that box over by the door to see if the bookmarks we ordered are inside it?”
I did as Tara asked. “This box has both bookmarks and postcards,” I informed her.
“Okay, great. I think the box with the cute little Christmas stockings is still in the back. I want to hang a few from the shelves, and then I thought we’d put the rest in a basket near the cash register. I’m hoping our customers will want to add one to their order when they check out.”
“I’ll get the box,” I offered.
I headed toward the storage room at the back of the shop. Tara usually kept it perfectly organized, but it had been busy, and boxes had been left in the middle of the room waiting to be unpacked. It took me a few minutes to find the stockings Tara was looking for, but eventually, I did and carried it to the front.
“Cassie,” I greeted my younger sister when I got there. “What are you doing here on your day off?”
Cassie
plucked a piece of candy from the jar on the counter and popped it into her mouth. “I was in town having breakfast with some friends, and someone came in and told everyone about the toy store. I wondered if you’d heard.”
“Toy store?” I asked. “What about the toy store?”
“The toy store in Harthaven was vandalized last night,” Cassie informed me. “It seems someone pulled everything off the shelves, damaging some things in the process.”
“The Grinch strikes again,” Tara said.
“I think so,” Cassie agreed. “I heard that the cash register was stuffed full of mistletoe.”
“So, that makes the nativity scene, the Christmas tree in the park, the fire on Chappy’s boat, and the toy store that have been vandalized by the person I’m beginning to think of as the mistletoe vandal,” I said.
“What about the reindeer over Main Street?” Tara asked.
“I found out that the reindeer were shot down by Conway Granger on a bender,” I informed the others. “From what I’ve heard, he actually thought they were real reindeer flying overhead when he saw them, so he pulled out his rifle and shot them.”
“That’s crazy,” Cassie said. “What if he’d shot a real animal or a person?”
“Yeah, he must have been hammered. I’m not sure what Finn did with him, but I’m sure there will be consequences, not only for inflicting damage on town property but for discharging a firearm within the town limits and for driving drunk, which he had been.”
“So, did Finn ever figure out if this mistletoe vandal is also responsible for burning down the Santa House?” Cassie asked.
“He wasn’t sure the last time I spoke to him,” I answered. “There wasn’t any mistletoe to be found at the scene of the Santa House, but of course, the building was a total loss, so even if there had been some left, it would have been burned to a crisp in the fire.”
“I just don’t understand why the mistletoe vandal wants to ruin everyone’s Christmas,” Cassie said. “Even if the poor guy at the toy store has insurance to cover the damage, he is going to lose the revenue normally generated during the busiest couple of weeks of the year.”
