“I’ll help.”
I smiled, grateful for our friendship. “Let’s go.”
* * *
The Christmas bazaar was everything I thought it would be. The scent of cinnamon, evergreen, and peppermint filled the air. Carolers—led by Dr. Evans, the choir director from my church—sang in the background, wandering from booth to booth. Everything was decorated in green and red. Even the weather was cooperating. It was overcast and chilly, but there was no snow.
Our bake sale table was hopping. I wasn’t sure if it was the free samples we were giving out, the cause, or the scrumptious recipes, but the crowds hadn’t stopped coming. Even our fruitcake was selling, but, in its defense, this was no ordinary fruitcake. It was actually good.
Only two hours into the sale, half of our goodies were gone and we’d raised more than one thousand dollars. At least I could rest assured that the same amount of money that was stolen from Greg and Babette would be given back to them. I had plenty of help, including a couple of teens who were able to get in their community service hours and three coworkers were able to volunteer with their families.
I’d invited Greg and Babette to stop by, but so far I hadn’t seen them. I had seen people from the office, church, and a couple of acquaintances from the community. The bazaar was a tradition that brought out a lot of locals. I’d bypassed my normal frilly dress in favor of jeans and a thick, red turtleneck sweater, as well as a red scarf and knit hat.
I stepped back from the table a moment to survey the area when I heard a deep voice behind me call my name. I turned and saw Chase standing there, wearing my favorite black sweater and khakis. I quickly reached up and kissed his cheek.
“Hey, Handsome,” I murmured. “Fancy seeing you here.”
His eyes seemed to glow. “It’s always good to see you.”
“Come on. Let me get you something to eat. I made my toffee poke cake. I know how you love that one, so I pulled a piece aside just in case you showed up.”
“You always look out for me, don’t you?”
“I try.” I grabbed a piece of cake from behind the table and handed it to him with flourish. “Just for you.”
“Looks fantastic.” His gaze scanned the crowds as he unwrapped the cake. “Your treats seem to be selling like hotcakes.”
“I can’t complain. We’ve already raised more than a thousand dollars. The Fa La La La Fudge and Christmas Tree Bark have sold out already.”
“Excellent news. You never cease to amaze me, Holly. You pulled this together quickly and successfully.”
“Only by God’s grace.” I crossed my arms to fight the breeze. “Any updates on the search for the thief?”
He shook his head and took a bite of the cake. “Nope, not a single one. I did ask a few people if they recognized the man from the security footage while I was in the neighborhood around one of the convenience stores today. No one recognized the picture.”
“That’s a shame. I went ahead and set up an ‘I Need Moola’ account online for them. I’m hoping that will bring in more money. The Sullivans aren’t interested in any media attention at this point.”
“Some people are private like that.”
“I know. It would make it easier, though, if I could go public. I had a plan all worked out.”
“Mary and Joseph had a plan also, and it didn’t go the way they envisioned.”
“I can’t argue with that. Yet everything worked out anyway, right? A Savior was born, and hope for all became a reality.”
“Absolutely.”
“Ms. Holly,” Tana, one of my youth center girls, called.
“Yes?” I looked over and saw that she looked pale. No customers were nearby giving her a hard time, and everything appeared to be running smoothly.
“We have a problem.”
“What’s that?” Food poisoning? Please, no food poisoning. And we’d properly marked everything with nuts for those who had allergies.
She held up the cashbox. “All our money is missing.”
Chapter 6
“What do you mean?” I rushed toward her and looked inside the metal box myself. All the bills were gone and only a handful of change remained.
Tana shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. “I have no idea. One minute it was here. I turned to help another customer, and when I came back the cashbox was empty.”
“Was anyone watching it?” Ralph was supposed to be here any minute now to take the bulk of the money from us and put it in the safe at his office.
“Tyreese was restocking on the opposite side, and the two ladies from your office took off on their break.” She shook her head. “I’m so sorry, Ms. Holly. I have no idea how this happened. I should have never taken my eyes off it.”
“Don’t beat yourself up,” I assured her, even though frustration mounted inside me—not at Tana, but at the person who’d taken the money.
“Tyreese, did you see anything?” Chase stepped closer.
Chase was beginning to build a relationship with the teens, who in general saw cops as the enemy, by coming out to play basketball at the youth center a couple of nights per week. I hoped he’d be able to make connections with them because peace was desperately needed between the two groups.
Tyreese raised his hands in innocence. “I didn’t do anything—except snitch a piece of chocolate peppermint cake. I’ll pay for it. I promise.”
“I wasn’t accusing you, Tyreese. I just wanted to know if you saw anything.” Chase dropped his plate in a nearby trashcan.
“Unfortunately, no. Sorry.” He shook his head. “Nothing. I was selling some Jingle Bell Crunch when I heard Tana talking to you guys. It’s the first I caught wind of it.”
I sighed and glanced around, looking for a sign of anyone suspicious. All I saw were crowds sashaying from booth to booth, looking jolly with the holidays.
Who would have stolen the money? Someone was obviously targeting Greg and Babette. I’d known that from the start, but now this person was taking it to the extreme. I couldn’t believe he’d be this brazen.
“I’ll cover the north side of the bazaar,” Chase said.
“I’ll head the opposite way,” I said before turning to Tana and Tyreese. “You guys watch the booth, okay?”
“You still trust me?” Tana’s eyes were still watery as she asked the question.
“You didn’t steal the money, did you?”
Tana shook her head.
“Then you did nothing wrong. We’ll talk more when I get back. Time is of the essence right now, and I want to search for whoever did this.”
I headed down the street, looking for a man in a Reds hat. I didn’t have expectations of finding him. But I would kick myself if I didn’t look.
I surveyed the area as I rushed down the street, which had been blocked from car traffic. Most people took their time and lingered at booths, leisurely shopping. I kept my eyes open for someone hurrying to get away.
I reached the end of the line of booths and paused. Nothing. No one.
Where had the thief gone? How could someone sink this low?
Irritated, I turned and made my way back to the bake sale. I paused when I saw someone walking toward me.
It couldn’t be.
It was.
Larry Jenkins.
He strolled my way, a woman on one arm and several bags dangling from the other. His eyes widened when he saw me charging toward him.
“You took that money,” I muttered.
“Excuse me?” His eyes narrowed and his stance instantly became defense: shoulders rigid, jaw set, muscles stiff. Recognition flashed across his features. “You again. Cindy Lou Who.”
“You took the money I was raising for Greg and Babette Sullivan.” I said each word with punch and more guts than I thought I had. “I want it back.”
“You’re crazy, lady. I thought you were on the Christmas Benevolence Fund. You sound more like a cop right now.”
I wouldn’t be distracted here. “That money is missing, and you’re here.
You’re the logical suspect.”
“Lady, you leave my man alone. He didn’t take your money.” The woman on his arm raised her chin in a dare-to-defy-me look.
The woman’s hair was long and unnaturally black, her skin over-bronzed and orange, and her clothes went beyond tight to too small.
She wasn’t going to intimidate me. “Then you won’t mind showing me what’s in those bags.”
“It’s none of your business what we bought today,” Larry shot back. “Now if you’ll excuse me, we’ll be on our way.”
At that moment, Chase appeared beside me. “Everything okay?”
“This is the man who hit Greg and Babette’s car,” I said thrusting my finger toward Larry. Pointing was so impolite, but I’d sacrifice my manners for justice.
“Do I need to call the cops on you, lady?” Larry said.
Chase flashed his badge. “I am the cops. Now what’s going on?”
“She’s harassing me,” Larry said. “First, she pretended she wanted to give me money, and now she’s accusing me of stealing.”
Chase threw me a questioning look before turning back to Larry. I had no doubt he would be asking me about that a little later. Perhaps I should have fessed up about my visit to the construction site when I talked to Chase last night, but it was too late for that now.
“It is quite the coincidence that you’re here right when the money was stolen. You also match the description of the person suspected of the store thefts,” Chase said.
Larry’s lips curled up in a sneer. “That means nothing. My girl and me come here every year for Christmas. Her mama sells crocheted toilet paper roll covers, and she gets two free tickets to get in. You can ask her yourself. Booth 43.”
“Look, if you’re innocent, then why don’t you just let us take a look and make sure that money isn’t inside your bag?” Chase’s voice was even and calm.
Larry exchanged a look with his “girl.” She nodded with a haughty shrug of her shoulders and rolled her eyes.
“Whatever,” she muttered.
Larry pulled the bags forward and opened the paper handles on the first one. His eyes widened before we even saw what was inside.
“I have no idea how that got there.” He swung his head back and forth, his eyes widening.
I peered inside. Wads of cash were spread across the bottom. If I had to guess, there was probably around a thousand dollars.
“I’m going to have to take you down to the station,” Chase said, grabbing Larry’s arm.
“I swear, I didn’t take that money. I don’t know where it came from. Someone’s framing me.”
Chase pulled out his handcuffs and cast a weary glance my way. “That’s what they all say.”
* * *
I could hardly wait until the bazaar ended, which was ridiculous. I was more than happy to be here. I wanted to help Greg and Babette. But I was also anxious to talk to Chase again and find out what he’d discovered about Larry Jenkins. Not even peppermint hot chocolate or peanut butter blossom cookies worked to put me in the spirit at the moment.
Ten minutes before closing, I spotted some familiar faces heading our way. Greg, Babette, and Bryan approached.
“Hey guys! It’s great to see you here.” I gave Greg and Babette each a gentle hug.
“Bryan convinced us that it would be good for us to get out of the house,” Babette said, her face drawn with discomfort. She wore an old Christmas sweater, and Greg still sported his neck brace. “Plus, the doctor wants me to put in at least five thousand steps every day. That might sound easy for some people, but not me. Every step feels like torture.”
“Maybe you found good parking spaces, at least?” There I went, trying to look on the bright side. Maybe Cindy Lou Who had always been a secret hero of mine.
“Bryan was a dear and he dropped us off. Have I mentioned he’s been good to us?” Babette leaned closer. “You’re not single, are you? I’d love for him to find a nice girl.”
My eyes widened. I’d always been the go-to girl for people who had strange relatives in need of a date. “Sorry, I’m taken.”
“I wish he could find a someone. One day.” Babette glanced around. “I see that we barely got here in time, though.”
“Everything closes up in a few minutes, but you still have time to look around. You can come back here before you leave and have some of our leftover goodies.”
Her eyes skimmed the table. “It doesn’t look like you have that much left.”
“We don’t. We’ve had good sales today.” Good sales, good opportunities for theft also. I kept that part quiet.
“In case I haven’t told you yet, we truly appreciate everything you’re doing for us. It means a lot that you would reach out and help like this.”
“It’s my pleasure. I like to combat the bad in the world, one random act of kindness at a time.”
“God bless you for it,” Babette said. “I think I will wander around for a few minutes. I can’t afford to buy anything, but it will be nice to see what’s out there. Maybe it will put me in the Christmas mood. All I’ve felt all season is like saying, ‘Bah, humbug!’”
“I hear they’re giving out hot chocolate about five booths down. It might warm you up some.”
As Greg and Babette wandered away, Bryan lingered behind a moment. He wore a long-sleeve polo shirt with the emblem for E.L.F. Deliveries embroidered on the lapel. I pushed the thought of Babette trying to play matchmaker to the back of my mind and instead pointed to his shirt.
“Cute name for a company.”
“Thanks.” He looked down at his lapel. “It works well this time of year. It’s a small business right now—just six of us. But we stay busy.”
Bryan’s eyes met mine. “We really do appreciate all of this.” He lowered his voice as he cast another glance toward the Sullivans’ departing figures. “I don’t think they’ve been completely forthcoming with you.”
My shoulders tensed as I anticipated what he might say. “What do you mean?”
“Their situation is more dire than they let on,” he continued. “Greg can’t work. I’m guessing Babette will end up being on disability, but it can take months for a check to come through from the government. I’ve been trying to buy groceries and help them out as much as I can.”
“That’s really kind of you.”
He frowned. “Well, honestly, I feel terrible about this, like I let them down. I was supposed to go collect the money from the various locations on the very day it was stolen.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“I was sent to Indianapolis for a training workshop for my job. I got back too late to do anything. Anyway, I’m just telling you this because I know they would never say anything themselves. They’re such a giving family. I hate to see them like this. Besides, it’s the kids you worry about, you know?”
I nodded. “I do.”
Maybe Bryan needed a Christmas miracle too.
Did I have any friends I could fix him up with? None that I could think of. But maybe, somehow, I could think of a special Christmas blessing for him as well.
Just then, loud voices carried from down the street. My eyes widened when I saw Dr. Evans—the persnickety choir director from my church—and Greg facing off.
“What in the world . . .?” I stepped toward them.
“You stopped returning my calls,” Dr. Evans said as I approached.
“I did the job just as you asked,” Greg said, his face reddening with each word.
“It wasn’t what we agreed to. My dining room ceiling looks nothing like the picture we looked at. Nothing.”
“I explained to you that I would do my best to match it.”
“Every time I look at my ceiling, I mourn for my money that went down the drain.” Dr. Evans narrowed his eyes.
I knew him from the worship arts team at church, though I didn’t know him well. He was only a few years older than me, but he had a snobbish quality about him that I’d never cared for. He was musically talen
ted—way talented—and apparently he was holding out for his dream job of teaching music at the University of Cincinnati. Until he got a position there, he worked part-time at church and part-time at another job. I couldn’t remember what it was at the moment, but I did recall that his toffee-nosed attitude fit the requirements well.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
Dr. Evans turned toward me, his eyes widening with recognition. “Holly. You know these people?”
“Of course, I know them. They’re a lovely couple. What’s the problem here?”
Dr. Evans scowled and raised his chin, obviously not happy with my assessment. “Well, I’d never encourage anyone to hire him.”
With that, Dr. Evans turned on his heel and stomped away.
“That’s not a problem,” Greg muttered. “No one can hire me right now.”
“I take it he was an unhappy customer?”
“Hard to please.”
I followed his retreating form down the street. “He’s hard to please as a choir member also. I’m sorry about that.”
Greg shook his head. “It comes with the territory as a contractor. Don’t worry about it.”
Maybe I wouldn’t bring up the donations that had been stolen today. Greg and Babette already had enough on their minds without me bringing up a sore subject like that. I needed to wait and find out if there was any definite news on Larry before I announced that also. No need of getting their hopes up that the culprit had been apprehended.
Too many of Greg and Babette’s hopes had already been dashed, and I didn’t want to add to the number.
Chapter 7
As my workers finished packing up, I stepped away to call Chase. With Ralph’s help, I’d already secured the money in his office, reassured Tana of her innocence again, and given my undying thanks to the rest of the volunteers.
“Well? Did you put him away for life?” I asked when Chase answered.
“For life? For stealing petty cash?”
I frowned, pulling my scarf close as tiny flakes began to drop from the sky. It looked like the bazaar had ended right on time. “Okay, maybe I overstated it a bit. But what’s going on?”
Random Acts of Scrooge: a Christmas novella (Holly Anna Paladin Book 4) Page 4
