A Merry Little Murder

by Patti Benning

“Why?” Lacey said, puzzled.

  “I just want to share the good news with him,” he said.

  Lacey was more confused than ever. “What do you mean?”

  “I'll explain everything when I get home,” he said.

  Puzzled, but glad that Chris, at least, seem to be in a decent mood, she said her goodbyes and hung up. Her mother was looking at her with a raised eyebrow. “What's going on with him?”

  “I’ve honestly got no idea,” Lacey admitted. “He said it was a work thing that he had to deal with, but he seemed pretty happy about it. Apparently, he wants to go find Dad and share the good news with him, but he never actually told me what news that was.”

  Her mother shook her head. “I wonder what those two are up to.”

  The diner was packed when they got there. Mrs. Fritz saw them as they walked in and ushered them behind the counter quickly.

  “Everyone's been coming in and asking for you,” she said, sounding somewhat put out. “Hardly anyone is ordering anything. They just want to gossip. I told them you wouldn’t stand for that.”

  “Goodness gracious,” her mother said. “I'm not going to talk to any of them about what happened. I came here to talk to you and let you know that we’re doing all right. It looks like you could use some help here, though.”

  They got to work. Lacey didn't feel like talking to the curious customers, so she helped out in the kitchen while her mother dealt with their guests. Mrs. Fritz helped out here and there, ferrying orders to the guests and reminding Lacey where everything was when she lost track of it.

  “Can you put a rush order on a well done Swiss and mushroom burger and a side of fries?” Mrs. Fritz called out.

  “Coming right up,” Lacey said.

  She grabbed one of the burger patties out of the fridge and tossed it onto the grill. While the meat sizzled, she toasted the buns and began sautéing the mushrooms and onions. The Swiss and mushroom burger was one of her favorites, and she could have made it in her sleep.

  She flipped the patty and then covered it in order to keep it as a juicy as possible. She laid the slices of Swiss cheese on the bun, one on each half, and then gave the pan of sautéed mushrooms and onions one last stir before shutting off the burner. By then, the timer was going off, signaling that the patty had finished cooking. She transferred the meat to the bottom burger bun, then spooned the sautéed mushrooms and onions over the top of it. She placed the top bun on last, pushing a toothpick through the center of it to keep everything in place. The cheese was already melting as she scooped up the fries and placed them on the plate. Satisfied that she had done everything correctly, she put the burger on the counter for Mrs. Fritz to take out, then glanced at the waiting orders. Three more had lined up while she was working on the burger.

  One club sandwich, two garlic chicken wraps, and one bowl of house chili later, and Lacey was glad to take a break when her mother tapped on her shoulder.

  “I’ll take over for a bit,” she said. “You’re starting to look overwhelmed.”

  “I’ll go clear some tables,” Lacey said. “I have no idea how you manage this every day. My brain feels frazzled.”

  “Multitasking, sweetie,” her mother said, blowing her a playful kiss. “I've always been better at it than you.”

  Lacey made a face, falling easily into the lighthearted banter with her mother that had marked the years she had worked there in high school.

  She was relieved to see that some of the chaos had died down when she went out into the dining area. Her mother must have kicked out the gawkers, letting only the paying customers stay. Lacey paused at a couple of tables, checking to make sure that the food was good and seeing if any of the customers needed anything. She recognized one of the men sitting at the booth in the corner, and waved at him as she approached. It was her father’s business partner, Freddie Weston.

  “Hi, Lacey,” Freddie said, looking up at her. “It's good to see you. Are you looking forward to the Christmas party? I’m glad you’ll be there. I'm so sorry to hear about the terrible business with Charlie.”

  “Thanks,” Lacey said. “My whole family is pretty shaken up by it. And yes, I am looking forward to the Christmas party. It gets better every year.”

  “Did the police have any idea what happened to him?”

  “No,” Lacey said. “At least, not that we’ve heard.”

  “It’s a shame your father didn’t get a chance to make up with him before this happened.”

  “What do you mean?” Lacey asked.

  “Well, last I heard they still weren’t speaking after that falling out they had a few weeks ago.”

  Lacey blinked. She had no idea that her father and Charlie had a falling out. Her father hadn't mentioned it, though come to think of it, she wouldn’t have expected him to. He wasn’t exactly the type to enjoy gossip, not even about his own life.

  “They have known each other for long enough I’m sure they would have figured things out in the end. I hope my father realizes that too, and doesn’t beat himself up too much.”

  Freddie shrugged. “People change. I’m sure your dad will be all right. He’s a strong guy. Now, let's talk about that fiancé of yours. When I met him a couple of weeks ago, I have to say, I was impressed –”

  “What?” Lacey asked, feeling even more shocked than before. “We haven’t been up here since last Christmas.”

  Freddie opened his mouth and shut it, as though trying to puzzle out what to say in response to this. “Well, he stopped in with your father a couple weeks ago just to talk shop. He did say that you were busy with your own job down in the city. If he mentioned the trip to you, it probably just slipped your mind.”

  Lacey stared at the older man, then forced a smile onto her face.

  “You're right, I must have completely forgotten,” she said. Thankfully, she saw another customer she recognized walking into the diner. It was Aiden, Michelle’s boyfriend. She wanted to take this chance to see how Michelle was doing.

  “I’ve got to go get this young man seated, Freddie,” she said. “What can I get you to drink?”

  She took his drink order and made a beeline for Aiden.

  “Hey,” she said. “Is it just you today?”

  “Yeah,” he said. “I'm giving Michelle and her sisters some time to themselves. Thought I'd come here and grab a bite to eat, then take some food back for them.”

  “That's nice of you,” Lacey said. “Grab a seat and take a look at the menu. I've got to go get drinks for another table, but I'll be right over to take your order.”

  She brought Freddie’s drink out to him, then got waylaid by another table that was signaling for their check.

  “Sorry about that,” she said when she got back to Aiden. “It's been crazy here today. The entire town seems to have heard about what happened to Charlie, and they all want to come in to talk to my mom and get the story firsthand.”

  “I hate all this gossip,” Aiden said, looking around and making a face. “It's the last thing Michelle needs.”

  “I agree,” Lacey said. “I'm sure all she wants right now is to be with her family. I feel so bad for her and her sisters. They already lost their mom when they were younger. This has got to be devastating to them.”

  “I think she feels guilty, because they had a fight just before he went missing,” Aiden said. “I just hope she can forgive herself.”

  “Really? What was their argument about?”

  “Me,” he admitted. “Charlie never liked me, but Michelle was always my adamant defender. I blame myself for the fact that things weren’t great between them right before he died.”

  “Don’t,” Lacey said. “She knows that her father loved her, and I'm sure one argument didn't change things between them that much. Parents are always going to take a little bit of time to warm up to the people that their children date. It took my dad years to admit that he actually likes Chris. Charlie was probably even more protective of Michelle than usual, because he raised his daughters as
a single parent for half of their lives.”

  “I just hope that I can be the guy that she deserves,” he said.

  Lacey patted his hand, then took his order. She brought his food out on a plate, and brought the food for Michelle and her sisters out in to-go boxes. As she left the table, she said, “Could you give her my condolences? I wanted to call her and say something myself, but I know she probably doesn't want any more distractions right now. Just let her know that if she ever needs to talk, she can reach out to me. I'll be here until a couple of days after Christmas, but even then, she can give me a call. I can't say that I know what she's going through, but I know that it must be unimaginably difficult for her, and I want to help in any way that I can.”

  “I'll tell her,” he promised. “Thanks. You’re a good friend.”

  Lacey gave him a tight smile. She knew that she could have been a much better friend to Michelle. She had fallen out of touch with the younger woman, and hadn’t bothered to keep their relationship going. And now that Lacey had been the one to discover her father’s body, she doubted that Michelle would want much to do with her. There were some memories that were better left to fade away.

  Chapter Eleven

  One molten chocolate lava cake,” Lacey said, setting the dessert down in front of the last customer of the evening. “Can I get you anything else?”

  “I think this will be all, dear,” the woman said. “Thank you.”

  Feeling relieved, Lacey walked over to the neon open sign and shut it off. It was time to start cleaning up. As soon as the last customer left, she and her mother would be able to go home.

  Even after her mother had kicked out all of the non-paying gossip mongers, the diner had been busy. She had been kept on her toes, which meant that she hadn’t had much time to dwell on what had happened. Chris and her father had both stopped in, and her mother had extracted a promise from them to whip something up for dinner. Lacey was looking forward to going home and eating with her family.

  So far, her supposed vacation had been anything but relaxing. She wanted time to talk to her family and try to bring back some of the holiday spirit that was missing. Even though they had all been sleeping in the same house, she felt as though she had barely exchanged two words with either her father or Chris since they had arrived. Not that she was complaining about all of the one-on-one time that she was able to spend with her mother. It was nice to have some girl time once in a while.

  “I can finish the dishes, Mom,” she said as she went back into the kitchen. “I don't mind. You've done enough work. I thought this year you were going to take a few days off before Christmas?”

  “I was, but you know how I am. I always worry that something will go wrong if I don’t stop in every day, then once I’m here, it’s impossible to force myself not to start helping. One thing leads to another, and before I know it, I’ve spent the entire day here.”

  “Let's spend tomorrow together as a family,” Lacey said. “You know I love the diner almost as much as you do, but I want the four of us to do something together.”

  “Tomorrow is the Christmas party,” her mother said. “We’ll be going to that together, and we can think of something fun to do earlier in the day. Plus, we’re decorating the tree tonight, remember?”

  “I’m looking forward to it,” Lacey said with a smile.

  She finished scrubbing the dishes while her mother said goodbye to the last customer and locked the diner’s front doors. The two of them spent the next half hour completing the closing routine together. Tomorrow was the last day that the diner would be open until after Christmas. She knew that her mother would probably end up stopping in for a little bit to make sure that everything was going smoothly. There wouldn’t be one dish out of place by the time the doors were shut and locked tomorrow afternoon.

  It was well past dark by the time they left for home. Lacey and her mother were both silent as they drove through town. Main street was lined with Christmas lights, and the little town was breathtaking in its beauty. Lacey was sorry that she hadn't been able to make it up early enough in the month to see the Christmas parade. The Yule Falls Christmas parade was the most beautiful that she had ever seen. She used to love going to it when she was a kid, and only partially because of the hot cider and warm donuts. The floats themselves had been quite the treat.

  Lacey’s mother pulled the car into the garage and the two women went inside. They found her father and Chris in the kitchen. Chris was at the stove, stirring a pan full of frying vegetables.

  “Hey, you,” she said, rising up on her tip toes to kiss his cheek. “What's for dinner?”

  “Teriyaki stir fry,” Chris said. “It was your dad’s idea. He's been on an Asian food kick recently, apparently.”

  “That's why you tried to get me to start serving egg drop soup at the diner,” Lacey's mother said, laughing. “Just how often have you been going to the buffet in town?”

  Mumbling a noncommittal answer, Lacey’s father checked on the pot of rice. “You know, you should branch out a little bit there. Sometimes people are in the mood for something other than a burger or a plate of fried fish.”

  “We tried serving Indian food a few years ago,” her mother reminded him. “I think a grand total of three people ordered it. Besides, there's the Asian buffet in town for anyone who wants something a little bit more Eastern. No one comes to a diner looking for teriyaki noodles or wonton soup, Steven.”

  Lacey chuckled. It was often said that the kitchen was the heart of a house, but she always thought that the kitchen was the heart, soul, and spine of her mother's home. With the warm scent of food wafting around her, her entire family within arm’s reach, and Christmas tunes playing softly on the radio, she felt as though her worries were fading into the background.

  “This is just about done,” Chris said. “I hope the two of you are hungry.”

  “I've never been hungrier,” Lacey said. “I'll get the plates if you do the silverware, Mom.”

  Lacey and her mother set the table while Chris and her father finished up cooking. Within minutes, they were all sitting around the dining room table, a heaping bowl of steaming rice and a serving dish full of stir fry in the center, along with a plate of eggrolls that looked suspiciously like Lacey’s favorite brand from the grocery store.

  “This looks great,” Lacey said, reaching for the serving spoon. She couldn’t wait to try it.

  By unspoken understanding, the four of them avoided the topic of Charlie's death during the meal. With no new answers, there was nothing they could do besides talk themselves in circles anyway. By the time dinner was over, they were all stuffed to the gills. “I'm going to go light a fire in the living room,” Lacey's father said. “We’ve still got that tree to decorate.”

  “I'll start making hot chocolate,” her mother said. “And I’ll pop some sugar cookies in the oven. What do you say we meet in the living room in half an hour?”

  “Sounds good,” Lacey said. “Do you want Chris and me to do the dishes?”

  “I'll handle them,” her mother said. “The two of you have hardly gotten any time alone while you’ve been here.”

  “She has a point,” Chris said. “Let's take a walk, Lacey.”

  Lacey raised her eyebrows and glanced doubtfully toward the window. It had started snowing again, large flakes that were drifting slowly down from the sky. It was beautiful, but she knew it would be cold.

  “All right, but let's go along the road,” she said. “I don’t feel up to going in the forest again.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Lacey took her time getting bundled up. She shoved her feet into her thigh-high winter boots, zipped up her warm down coat, tugged her hat over her ears, and pulled on a pair of warm wool mittens.

  “Are you all set?” Chris asked as he finished zipping up his own coat. Lacey tied her scarf around her neck and tucked it into her coat before nodding.

  “Let's go.”

  They stepped out onto the porch and Chris gr
abbed her hand. They set off together slowly, walking down the porch steps and down the driveway toward the main road. It wouldn't be busy this time of night, and Lacey knew they would have plenty of chance to talk together in peace. She decided that she was going to get the truth out of him once and for all. This was no time for secrets between them.

  “Chris?”

  “What?” he asked, turning his head slightly to look at her as they strode down the driveway.

  “What's wrong?”

  “Nothing's wrong,” he said. “Well, I keep thinking about that poor man who died, but other than that, nothing's wrong.”

  “I don't mean right now,” she said. “I mean over the past few weeks. I know things have been… different between us. I just wanted to let you know that I love you, and whatever it is, I'm sure we can figure it out.

  Chris sighed, squeezed her hand one more time, then let go of it, shoving both of his hands into his pockets.

  “I was going to wait to tell you until after the holiday,” he said.

  Lacey felt her stomach roil unpleasantly. “Well, what is it, then? I know you came up here a couple of weeks ago without telling me. You've been acting so strangely. I feel like there’s something big that you’re keeping from me. Some big secret that you’ve been hiding from me.”

  “I have been,” Chris admitted. Lacey felt as though her heart had stopped beating. She froze mid-step and looked up at him.

  “What is it?” she whispered. Suddenly all of her convictions about the quality of his character were forgotten. “Are you… are you seeing someone else?”

  Chris laughed. Lacey bristled, both embarrassed and worried. “Well, are you?” she snapped.

  “Lacey, I promise, I would never do something like that to you. It's true that I've been lying to you, though.” He looked down at his feet and scuffed his heel through the snow. “I… I lost my job.”

  Shocked, Lacey fell silent. The quiet was so deep that she could hear the snowflakes falling all around them. “You lost your job? As in you got fired?”