Murder Fir Christmas

by Joyce Lavene

  “I’m not saying you should waste your life. I’m stuck here right now. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  His end of the phone went dead. She knew the conversation was over. Matthew had opened the driver’s side door as she’d finished speaking, so both he and John Trump had heard the last of her heated words to her brother.

  “We found some tracks going from the back of the ice house,” Matthew said without mentioning her phone call. “John wants me to help him follow them in case it’s the person who took Harvey.”

  “If you have somewhere you need to be,” John said, “take my jeep. We can trade cars later. I’ll come back with him.”

  Bonnie stepped out of the truck. “I’ll go with you. I found Harvey, and I owe it to him. I’m sure the Wildlife Agency would want me out there.”

  “Okay.” John smiled at her. “Let’s go.”

  She was grateful to them for not asking any questions about her conversation. Eric’s job would keep—he was leaving two weeks early anyway. Bonnie was sorry she wasn’t wearing boots, but she did have her service revolver and her ID. Her brother was just going to have to understand that this was part of her job.

  “You can see where someone got through this rotted wall,” Matthew said as they circled around the ice house. “You couldn’t see it as well inside because of the lighting. I’m guessing they got Harvey out this way.”

  Bonnie crouched close to the crumbling concrete. “There’s something here—maybe some skin and clothing.” She pointed to the find.

  “There was some snow on the ground already when this happened,” John said. “But at least another foot has been added.”

  “But under that top layer of ice, the snow is still soft,” Matthew added. “If we’re careful, we should be able to follow where they went. Once we reach the trees over there, they act like a snow break, keeping the snow from falling under them. That’s where we’ll see the best tracks.”

  He was right. It appeared whoever had taken Harvey’s body half carried, half dragged it away from the ice house. There were more incidents of pieces of clothing that snagged on trees and even a single shoe that had been left behind.

  As they got into the thick, pine forest, the snow was thin, even spotty in places. It was simple to follow the trail as Harvey’s dragging feet showed them the way.

  John got ahead and pointed out the boots that led the way before the drag marks. “Looks like a big fella. Look how deep these prints go into the ground, even though it’s frozen on top.”

  Matthew nodded. “About a size twelve, I’d say. No deep marks like hiking boots. These are more like city boots or biker boots.”

  They both compared the boots they wore to the marks.

  “Not cowboy boots either.” John grinned at Matthew’s boots. “Not pointy enough.”

  “Not work boots with steel toes either,” he said to John. “The toe would go down further. Do you want us to compare yours too, Bonnie?”

  They all looked at her ruined tennis shoes. She wished she could hide them under the pants leg. “That’s okay. I’ll have to get some boots. I don’t think those marks look like something I could make.”

  “Let’s keep going,” Matthew suggested. “We’ve still got another mile or so to get down the mountain. That’s the only place someone could get in a car or truck and transport the body.”

  John nodded in agreement, and they continued down the slope.

  Bonnie was starving by two p.m. but didn’t mention it. John brought out a candy bar, and they split it three ways. Normally she was better prepared for being outside for an extended length of time. With no water to drink, they ate some of the clean snow as they walked by it.

  The air in the pine forest was crisp and clear, heavy with the scent of the big trees they passed. No animals crossed their path—probably still wherever they could find to stay warm. They had better sense than to be out in the cold or caught in their burrows without food. They could wait out the snow.

  Feet hurting in her wet shoes, Bonnie was glad when they finally reached the main road that ran out of Sweet Pepper. Doc Schultz’s car had been towed, and the warm sun had left only patches of snow and ice on the road. Of course the vehicle that had transported whoever had stolen Harvey’s body was long gone, but John and Matthew found deep tire prints in the semi-frozen mud along the side of the road.

  “I think we should be able to make a cast from this,” John said, using his cell phone to take pictures of the marks. “I’ll get someone out here right away.”

  “And we need a ride,” Matthew said.

  “What about Doc Schultz?” Bonnie asked.

  “He probably intimidated someone into taking him home by now,” Matthew answered. “But we can check to make sure. Thanks for reminding me.”

  John was on the phone alerting Chief Rogers to their findings and requesting transport back to the ice house. “I’ll stay here until we can get castings of these. Brown Elk and Agent Tuttle need a ride as soon as possible.”

  He’d just finished saying the words when a bright red Jeep Cherokee with the Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade emblem slowed to a stop beside them.

  “Never mind, Chief. I can get them back up there. I still need that casting set though.”

  Stella Griffin rolled down her window and smiled at them. The strong breeze from the mountain swung her red ponytail around. “What’s going on? Good to see you again, Bonnie.”

  “You too, Chief Griffin,” Bonnie replied. “We could really use a ride up the mountain to the ice house.”

  “Brown Elk?” Stella responded. “Are you up for that?”

  He glanced inside the Cherokee and shuddered as he shook his head, his long, brown hair flying. “I’d rather walk up there, Chief. Thanks anyway. I’ll just give Bonnie my keys, and she can come back to get me.”

  “Is something wrong?” Bonnie wondered, looking at them. They sounded as though they’d had this conversation before.

  John started laughing. “It’s the ghost of the old fire chief. Brown Elk says he can see him and it creeps him out. Isn’t that right?”

  “I can see him,” Matthew agreed. “He doesn’t creep me out, whatever that means. It’s just not good to hang around with spirits. No offense, Chief Griffin.”

  “None taken,” she replied. “Give her your keys, and we’ll bring the pickup back to you.”

  Bonnie got the keys and went around to the passenger side. She started to open the door when John called out, “Not there. You’d have to sit on top of him.”

  Stella and John both laughed at that. Matthew didn’t find it amusing. Bonnie wasn’t sure how to take it. She got in the front seat next to Stella and pulled on her seatbelt.

  “I guess he moved to the back seat,” she said wondering if this was an ongoing joke between them. Matthew was scowling.

  “I’m glad you find it amusing,” he said to John and Stella. “You don’t know the power of the spirits for good and evil. It may not seem like it, but it’s better to be safe and away from them than under the ground with them.”

  “Okay. Sorry,” John said. “We’ll see you in a few minutes.”

  Stella’s Cherokee took the mountain and the occasional patches of ice that remained in the shadows as though they weren’t there.

  Bonnie felt like she had to ask so she understood what was going on with these people she’d be seeing on a regular basis.

  “I don’t talk about it much. People in Sweet Pepper would have regular conversations with me every day about Eric Gamlyn if I did.” She kept her eyes on the road. “When I first got here, they told me the old cabin was haunted. I laughed until I found out it really is haunted by the first fire chief.”

  “I remember. That’s the cabin up on Firehouse Road. We used to go up there and try to do magic spells and other stupid things,” Bonnie said. “That’s the ghost? My mother said she used to date him in high school. That’s the only reason we thought he was real. How strange is that?”

  “Very strange,
” Stella smiled. “But not as strange as knowing he’s in the back seat right now. Do a parlor trick for us, Eric. Hold up my jacket. I don’t think Bonnie can see you.”

  Obligingly, her heavy jacket went straight up in the air and from side to side before falling back to the seat.

  “Wow.” Bonnie’s eyes grew wide. She was impressed but not afraid. “That’s really something. Does he do anything you tell him?”

  “He says he’s not a zombie.” Stella laughed. “He definitely doesn’t do anything I ask. But he’s a great cook, which comes in handy before the Sweet Pepper Festival, and he’s not a bad companion.”

  “And he travels around with you?” Bonnie couldn’t stop herself from glancing into the back seat but couldn’t see anyone. “I thought ghosts lived in haunted houses.”

  “He was confined to the cabin for a while, but now he can leave as long as someone has his old badge with them.” She looked in the rearview mirror. “She’s not going to tell anyone, Eric. You’re just paranoid.”

  Stella didn’t say anything else, but she appeared to be listening. Bonnie couldn’t hear Eric Gamlyn either.

  “That’s right,” Stella finally said as if she was in the middle of a conversation. “Eric introduced me to your mother at the Pepper Queen’s coronation party a while back. I take it the two were close, but Eric went away, and she married someone else.”

  “Yes. Her first husband, Wendel Harcourt. He was my brother’s father. She remarried after he died and had me.”

  “He wants to know how Rose is doing.”

  “She’s got Alzheimer’s, but it’s in the early stages right now. She’s doing okay. Does he ever visit her?” Bonnie thought it might be a good idea to know if the ghost came and went at the house. It could save her from thinking she was crazy if things started moving by themselves.

  “Not unless I’m there. I mostly carry his badge with me.”

  “Well, tell him I’m very pleased to meet him. He’s the first ghost I’ve ever met.”

  “He’s laughing,” Stella said. “He says you can talk to him yourself. He can see and hear you just fine. And you remind him a lot of your mother.”

  A chill went down Bonnie’s spine, and she shivered. Coming home was turning out to be a whole different thing from when she left.

  Chapter Seven

  Stella dropped her at the ice house, waving as she left once she had the truck started. Bonnie followed her back down the mountain.

  She didn’t feel overwhelmed by realizing there was a ghost in the back seat of the Cherokee. On the other hand, she’d been raised in these mountains with plenty of scary tales of ghosts and other supernatural creatures. She wondered if the old mill to the north of Sweet Pepper was still haunted or if the ghost on Second Street who lost her head was still looking for it.

  Another officer in a Sweet Pepper squad car had joined John and Matthew on the side of the road. Stella had parked her distinctive red vehicle along the edge too and was watching them mix and pour the solution into the tire marks to make casts of them.

  Bonnie parked on the road too—it was beginning to look like a stopover for a parade. When she got out, Matthew was ready to go. He grabbed the keys from her and headed back immediately to the truck.

  She ran after him. “Hey, wait a minute. I need a ride back to town hall.”

  “Come on then.” His steps didn’t falter. “I don’t like standing around with ghosts either. You can bet when you see Chief Griffin that she has Eric Gamlyn with her.”

  Bonnie got in the truck and slammed the door closed. “You really don’t like ghosts, do you?”

  “Like I said—they’re bad news. I don’t care how friendly he is. I wouldn’t want to be around Casper. It’s just that simple. The dead are supposed to stay dead.”

  “Okay. Sorry.”

  “So now what?” He took a deep breath and seemed to be more normal when he spoke. “It’s going to take a while to locate Harvey unless someone drops him off for us to find. Maybe you should have Chief Rogers get someone in to make a new set of keys for the Hummer.”

  “We might have to do that,” she agreed. “But I have a lot to do before that. I’ll probably just drive my truck for a while until things have a chance to settle down. Thanks for your help.”

  “Glad to be there.” He smiled as they reached town hall again. “I think I’m going to run over to the cafe for some real breakfast. Come join me if you get a chance.”

  “I will. Thank you.”

  They parted at the curb with Bonnie going inside to talk with Chief Rogers. She watched Matthew as he headed down the sidewalk. He was a big man, with a powerful chest and wide shoulders. People moved out of his way as he walked. But he seemed to know most of them and stopped to talk with a few.

  Chief Rogers was waiting for her. “Anything yet on Harvey’s body? I hate to tell his wife and kids that we lost him.”

  “Not yet. They were just letting the casting set when I came back.” She swallowed hard and glanced at him. “I’ll tell them, Chief. I was with him. He was kind of my partner. I’ll take care of it.”

  He nodded. “All right. I’m glad to have you here, Agent Tuttle.”

  “Thanks, Chief.” She shook his hand. “I still might need some help with the Hummer if we can’t find Harvey or the keys have gone missing.”

  “Not a problem. If I know Harvey, he left a spare set in his office. You just have to be able to get down the mountain to Christmas Tree Valley. Good luck with that before tomorrow.”

  “I guess I’ll get there as soon as I can. I’d appreciate it if you let me know if you hear anything about Harvey.”

  He nodded and went into his office.

  Sandie was glad to give up custody of the young wolf. “I didn’t have any trouble with him. What are you gonna do with him?”

  “I hope to get him well again and release him into the wild,” Bonnie told her. “Thanks for keeping an eye on him.”

  “No problem. Tell your mother I said hello. I hope to see you again soon when it doesn’t have anything to do with murder.”

  Bonnie carefully lifted the wolf that was still nestled in her jacket. Lucky for her it wasn’t an expensive jacket because she probably wouldn’t be able to get it clean when it was over.

  “Easy boy,” she said as she opened the door to her truck. Most of the ice and snow had melted off of it. She had to move some of her things—she’d brought everything she owned with her—to make the place for the wolf on the front seat. He growled a little then went back to sleep with his tail curled around him.

  She wanted to take a look at the road that led down to the valley. Maybe enough people had gone down that way that she could get down there too. She got in and tried to start the truck, but when the engine wouldn’t turn over, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

  “That doesn’t sound too good,” Matthew said. “Pop the hood, and I’ll take a look at it. It might just not be used to the weather.”

  Bonnie rolled down the window. “Thanks. I thought you were going to be at the cafe?”

  “I forgot to give you my secret concoction for your wolf. How’s he doing?”

  “About the same.” She took the bottle that looked like it had Grey Poupon mustard in it. “This goes on him, not in him, right?”

  “Right. I don’t want to continue sedating him. It will make it harder for him to heal. He’ll get a little friskier, but that’s the way he should be. Make sure you wear gloves when you handle him.”

  She stifled a frown at his comment. Just who was the Wildlife Agent here? “I appreciate it. Let me try the truck again while you’re here.”

  He nodded after opening the hood. She turned the key and nothing happened. He did something under the hood that she couldn’t see and told her to try it again. The engine just wasn’t starting.

  After a long day yesterday and the early hike through the snow this morning, Bonnie was ready to scream. Her phone rang—her brother again. She ignored it, since nothing had chan
ged.

  “Leave the truck here for now,” Matthew advised through her open window. “I’ll put some chains on my truck, and we’ll get down the mountain. I know you’ve got stuff to do. No point in sitting around up here.”

  It appeared to be the only answer she could find. She knew Eric was antsy to get on the plane and start his new life. She needed to get the wolf settled before the sedative Matthew had given him wore off. Without the keys for the Hummer, this was her best chance to get to the valley.

  “I know I seem to be saying this a lot, but thanks.” She smiled at him as she got out of the truck. “I’d like to take a few things with me, if you don’t mind. I can get someone to take care of the truck tomorrow and get everything home after that.”

  “I’m happy to help.” He grinned. “And this way if I ever get on the wrong side of the Wildlife Agency, you’ll owe me.”

  “You’re right,” she agreed. “Let me get my stuff.”

  While Matthew put the chains on his tires, Bonnie grabbed three essential bags that held toiletries and some clothes she’d need. She asked Sandie if it was okay if she left her truck where it was for now. Sandie told her it would be fine.

  After putting her bags into Matthew’s truck, Bonnie carefully grabbed the wolf and got him comfortable in the back seat.

  “We’re right back here again, huh, boy?” She stroked his head. “Trust me, we’ll get past this. You’re gonna be okay.”

  Once everything was set, Bonnie called her brother and told him she was leaving Sweet Pepper. He had nothing to say but a bunch of snarky remarks that she ignored.

  “You’re smiling,” Matthew observed as he got behind the wheel. “That must be a good sign. If you can still smile after everything you’ve been through since yesterday, things are looking up.”

  She fastened her seatbelt and hoped the steep road to the valley was in decent shape. “It wasn’t how I’d envisioned coming home for good, but I’m sure it will all work out.”