by Liliana Hart
“I can relate. I’ve worked with a few bumblers in my time. Think we can talk with you when you’ve got a few free minutes?” Agatha asked.
The elf raised her brows at the request, then looked over at Hank. “He taken?”
She nodded at Hank, sizing him up and undressing him with her eyes all at the same time. Agatha hid a smile behind her hand and hoped Hank would forgive her for throwing him under the bus.
“Nope,” she said. “He’s not taken at all.”
“Then I’m free now.” She slammed the register drawer closed and walked around the candy cane ropes. “I’m taking a break,” she called out over her shoulder to the other elves.
“Hi there,” Hank said, looking at Agatha expectantly as the elf waltzed right up to him and made herself at home on the bench next to him.
“I’m Betty,” she said.
“Hello, Betty. I’m Hank, and this is my partner…”
“Yeah, we spoke already,” she said, brushing Agatha off. “So you’re Hank, huh? Is it just Hank, or do you have a home phone number to go with your name?”
Agatha covered her snicker with her hand and was glad it was kind of loud in the mall. She wasn’t sure she was going to be able to hold it together. Hank looked like a deer caught in the headlights.
“I’ve got a number, but it’s for official calls only,” he said, smoothly. “Sorry Betty, my boss is a tough hombre. I was wondering if you might help us with the situation that happened last week?”
“Oh sure,” she said. “You mean the Santa that died. He was nice enough. We went out a couple of times. I thought we might have a thing, you know? But it didn’t work out. Time is short when you get to be my age.”
“I didn’t know you two were involved,” Hank said. “I’m very sorry.”
“It wasn’t so much a thing, as it was just sex. We were scheduled for the deed that night until he had his heart attack. Lord, let me tell you, I dodged a bullet on that one. We wasn’t exactly a little guy. I would’ve suffocated with him on top of me by the time paramedics came.”
Agatha was shaking with laughter and tears ran down her cheeks.
“Umm…” Hank said, his cheeks pink. “Can you walk us through what was happening up to his death?”
“Sure, honey. I don’t suppose you smoke?”
“No, sorry.”
“I quit last week, but I’m thinking of starting again. Truth is, I just like it. I don’t really care much about living longer. We’re all going to die anyway.” She cut her eyes up at Hank and fluttered her lashes. “It’s why we’ve got to live life to the fullest while we can.” She pressed her green-gloved hand against Hank’s chest and leaned toward him.
“You were saying about the Santa,” he prompted.
“He was perched up there on his throne, doing what Santas do,” she said, shrugging. “You know, lots of smiles without overpromising the kids anything. That’s store Santa rule number one. Never over promise the kids, or you anger the parents. He was good at that.
“Did people ever bring him treats or gifts?” Agatha asked. “Like cookies for Santa type of stuff?”
“Oh, sure, but that’s rule number two. You never eat anything from those little monsters. Kids are disgusting.”
“Did he always stick to the rules?” Hank asked.
“Mostly,” she said. “He was a good guy. He was retired and lived off his pension from the post office. He just did this gig because he enjoyed the people. There was this one hot dame that laid one on him.” Betty pinched her lips in disapproval. “It might’ve made me a little hot under the collar, if you know what I mean? After all, we were involved.”
“What do you mean she laid one on him?” Hank asked.
“You get all types here,” she said. “It was just one of the moms who wanted to sit on Santa’s lap too. I think she’d been drinking. She was all stupid giggles, and she whipped out her own mistletoe.” Betty whistled through her teeth. “Can you imagine that, carrying your own mistletoe?”
“Did he get in trouble for kissing her?”
“Not from the boss, but I told him it was dumb. He just laughed and told me it was harmless, then he stuck his tongue out at me. I told him that was dumb too.”
“Why?” Agatha asked.
“I guess he’d broken the rule about not eating the candy canes, because his tongue had turned blue. We’ve got all flavors over there. Help yourself.”
“Do you remember what day this happened?” Hank asked.
“Sure thing, sugar,” she said, winking at Hank. “You sure you don’t got a separate number.”
“Sorry, Betty.”
“It’s worth a shot,” she said, shrugging. “It was the same day he died, now that I think about it.”
“Did the woman and child happen to have a picture taken?” Hank pressed.
“No. She was way too cheap. Said we were ripping people off charging as much as we do for a stupid photo. However, as a habit, I always snap casual shots just in case they change their mind and come back. I’ll see what I got on her.”
It was all Agatha could do not to shake the woman and tell her to get busy looking.
“Would you mind making a copy of those pictures for us?” Hank asked sweetly. “I’d really appreciate it.”
“Give me a few minutes, sugar. If you like pictures, I could send you a few others, if you get my meaning.”
Hank looked horrified at the thought, but he quickly covered it with a smile. He could only grit his teeth and nod in response. They waited close to twenty minutes, but Betty came back and handed Hank a packet with the pictures she’d printed. She also passed along her phone number and assisted living address.
“Wow, this is too good to be true,” Agatha said. “Who knew basic detective work could get us this much information. I bet we’ll be able to identify a suspect in no time.”
Hank rolled his eyes and slapped her on the back. “Slow down, tiger. We don’t have a suspect because we don’t know if we’ve got a crime yet. Everything’s just speculation at this point. You heard what she said, he might’ve eaten candy.”
“You’re not backtracking on this are you?”
“No, but this is when a good detective digs their heels in to make sure they aren’t getting swept up in the emotion of momentum. You’re familiar with the saying, ‘if it feels too good to be true, it probably is?’ Good cops don’t ignore that feeling, and I know you don’t either. Let’s take this very logically and weed out every possibility. If it’s a crime, the facts will support themselves.”
Agatha sighed, her excitement deflating. “Killjoy.”
“Serial killers are ingenious. They can set breadcrumbs to lead you somewhere far from where they actually are. My first thoughts were why would she allow herself to be photographed, and whose child is she with?”
“Good questions. She wants us to think she’s a mother, and her look might be a disguise for the camera.” Agatha said.
“Exactly. So we’ll walk to the next crime scene. Not run. And be methodical.” Hank mentored.
“Rob’s Electronics is all the way across Fort Worth,” she said, smirking. “How about we drive?”
Chapter Eleven
The outdoor shopping mall on the south side of town was nothing compared to the mall, but there was always a need for Santa Claus. Granted, this Santa wore a bulletproof vest, but he was still Santa. The people walking along the crowded sidewalks looked tired and already over Christmas. It was a real downer.
“I’m going to put my Christmas tree up when I get home,” Agatha said out of the blue.
“Okay,” Hank said. “That was random. And a little aggressive.”
“I’ll help you put yours up too,” she said. “We’re going to get in the holiday spirit. We’re going to get each other a gift, have eggnog, and listen to Christmas music.”
“You’re scaring me a little, Aggie. I should warn you now I’m not a good shopper. I’m pretty sure I’ve never bought a gift for anyone in my life
.”
“You’re kidding me,” she said, appalled. “You’re fifty-two years old. How can that be?”
He shrugged as they made their way towards Rob’s Electronics. It was stuck in the corner between a candy store and a Dress Barn. Agatha could see why they’d needed to hire a Santa to bring in a little extra business.
“It’s just not something I think about,” he said.
“Well, you should think about it. Giving gifts to people is one of my favorite things to do. It lets them know you’re thinking about them, and that you picked something just for them. I’ll help you practice. I’m a whiz at shopping.”
“How about I let you help me decorate for Christmas, and we call it even?”
“Don’t forget the eggnog,” she said.
“Should I be worried you’re trying to get me drunk?”
She just grinned at him, enjoying the panicked look in his eyes. She was glad the tension from earlier had dissipated, and Hank seemed to be back to his old self. They’d gone through something in the car, and they were closer because of it.
Rob’s Electronics was small and shabby, and it smelled of onions from whatever the kid behind the counter was eating out of a carton.
“Hi there,” Agatha said. “Can we speak to the manager?”
The kid behind the counter couldn’t have been much more than eighteen. He had a mop of curly dark hair, a pockmarked face, and black-framed glasses. He was skin and bones, and he had baby fine hairs growing above his lip. From the look on his face, she wasn’t sure he’d ever actually seen a woman in person.
He looked her over from head to toe, lingering at her breasts, and then he did it once more for good measure. His swallowed a couple of times, but his eyes never came back to meet hers. He was about two seconds from losing his front teeth.
“Hey buddy,” Hank said, stepping in front of her. “Is anyone home up there?”
“Huh?” he asked, finally getting a good look at Hank.
“Let’s start over,” Hank said. “This is a woman. Maybe you’ve seen one before that’s not in a magazine or one of your dirty movies. She asked you a question. I’d suggest you answer it.”
He swallowed and his eyes got big. “So…sorry,” he stammered. “You kind of look like that actress. From CSI. I mean, you’re older, but you’re still hot.” He flushed beet red as soon as he said it.
Hank growled, and Agatha tugged on his arm. Boy was he solid. She’d always appreciated a good pair of arms and shoulders on a man. Hank had both.
“Uhh…” the kid said. “Let me get my uncle.”
“Yeah, do that,” Hank said.
Agatha looked around while he was gone. The store was filled with mechanical components and electronics that seemed like they were better suited for NASA. She turned when the door chimed behind her, and a young woman hurried in. They exchanged courtesies before Agatha focused her attention on the man who emerged from a back room.
“I’m Barney,” he said, coming up to her. “Can I help you?” Barney was literally as round as he was tall.
“Yes, we’d like to ask you a few questions about last week,” Hank said.
“Excuse me,” the young woman interrupted. “I’m on my lunch break, so I don’t have all day to wait on you people.”
Barney turned to face the woman. There was never an excuse for bad manners, and that woman had them in spades. She probably bulldozed her way through every situation to get what she wanted, and no one ever told her no as she came across as intimidating. Nevertheless, Agatha didn’t have a problem telling people no.
“Are you going to bring in another Santa before Christmas?” the woman asked.
“Well,” Barney said, looking uncomfortable. “Probably not. The last one died in our store, and to be honest, it kinda freaked out my nephew. Not to mention it hasn’t exactly been good for business. I’d paid him in advance. That’s three hundred dollars I’ll never get back.”
She hmmphed and said, “I guess you care more about your three hundred dollars than truth in advertising. All I see is your stupid commercials advertising a real life Santa in the store.”
“Unfortunately, those commercials were made and paid for before all this happened, but there are plenty of Santas around. Now everyone’s calling us the store that killed Santa. I’m having to do major damage control.”
The woman shrugged. “Maybe next time you won’t hire someone so old. I bet your bowl full of jelly could fit just fine in a Santa suit.”
“Wow, rude much?” Agatha said. “Sometimes these things happen. Your lunch break is ticking down.”
“You got a problem with me?” the woman asked, moving in close to Agatha and staring up to meet her eye to eye.
“Sister, you’re going to want to take a step back and get yourself under control. I eat people like you for breakfast. You’ve asked your question. So adios.”
The woman made a move as if she were going to strike, but Hank stepped in and flashed the badge Coil had given him. He also made sure she saw his sidearm.
“You’re going to want to turn around and walk out of this store before things get serious,” he said.
Agatha stared wide-eyed at Hank. He looked like he would’ve broken her in half and not flinched. It was awesome.
“You touch me, and I’ll kill you,” the woman said.
“I don’t think so,” he said. “You’re done here. Am I clear?”
She tossed her hair and made sure to bump Hank with her elbow when she turned and stormed out.
“Wow, that was weird,” Agatha said, rubbing the chill from her arms.
“No kidding,” Barney said, laughing. “I could swear that was the same woman who was in last week asking to have a picture with Santa. It’s hard to forget that attitude, though her hair was blonde and shorter. Surely there’s not two people on the planet like that.”
“Was she in the day he died?” Hank asked.
“Sure was. It was pure chaos that day, but I remember her.”
“You got video surveillance cameras?”
“With a tech store you think I would, but I don’t. I’m not a fan of the government using my own cameras to watch me,” Barney said.
“They do that?” Hank asked.
“I’m sure you already know that,” Barney said dryly.
“Did she have a kid with her?”
“Nope, just her.”
“Do any of these gadgets record on motion?” Hank asked, examining the inventory.
“No.”
“Too bad. Can I make a suggestion?” Hank asked.
“Sure.”
“If you focused on this business as much as you’re focused on growing marijuana in the back room, you’d maybe not make as much cash, but you’d be in this business a lot longer.”
Agatha was shocked at Hank’s allegations.
“You’re bunk, dude,” Barney said, sputtering all over himself.
Hank pointed to Barney’s pockets. “Then next time, hide the clippers and don’t leave buds and stems hanging out of your pockets. Merry Christmas, Barney,” Hank said as they walked out of the store.
Agatha immediately looked around the parking lot; her adrenaline spiking. “I don’t see anything in the way of exterior CCTV out here. I was hoping we’d catch her on another video. Maybe even her car.”
“She came inside for a reason,” he said, combing the area.
“She wanted us to see her,” she said. “She wanted the confrontation.”
“She wanted to see who she was dealing with. And yes, she knew there’d be no captured trace of her. She’s hunting us. She knows we’re investigating.”
“What are the chances of her showing up here when we’re here?” Agatha asked.
“Pretty much zero. I don’t believe in coincidences. This is a game to her, and we’re players.”
“What’s the point of the game? You think she wants to kill us?”
“I think she wants us to know she’s killing Santa Claus’s, and it’s our job
to find out why.”
“And who?” Agatha added.
“If we find out why, then we find out who.”
“How do we do that?”
“Follow the clues."
Agatha waited for him to unlock the BMW, and she got in, fastening her seatbelt. As Hank started the car, his cell phone buzzed.
“Hi, Anna,” he said, shrugging when Agatha raised her brows at him.
She was feeling rather protective of Hank, considering what they’d been through emotionally, and she wasn’t feeling very warm toward Anna. In fact, the thought of Anna in Hank’s life at all didn’t sit well with her.
“No way,” he said. “We’re on our way.” Anna talked for a bit more and Hank said, “Okay, we’ll see you tomorrow.”
She had a sinking feeling, and Hank confirmed it as soon as he hung up.
“We’ve got another body.”
Chapter Twelve
Thursday
Thursday morning came too fast for Agatha. It had only been a week since Thanksgiving, but it felt like a month had passed. She hadn’t slept a wink. Thoughts of the encounter with the killer kept playing through her mind. How could the woman be so bold? She’d clearly been playing with them. The question that bothered her most though was how did the woman find them? She’d known they were looking into the deaths of the three Santas. She’d known exactly where to find them.
Which begged the question, had that been the killer’s goal from the beginning? Did she know Hank? Or at least his reputation? Had she known that he’d draw the connection between the three deaths before law enforcement? It was starting to look that way.
She knew what it was like to be hunted. To have someone anticipate your every move, no matter what you did. It had been a long time since she’d had that fear of not knowing what to expect.
She got out of the shower and dried off, shivering all the while. The house was freezing. The temperature must have dropped drastically overnight. It wasn’t usually this cold the first week of December, but Mother Nature clearly had different plans for the upcoming winter.
