Frosty the Dead Man (A Snow Globe Shop Mystery)

by Christine Husom

  “Okay.” I wondered if Sandy had tracked down the mayor and had led him to believe I’d given her more information than I had. “Did he seem upset?”

  “Not exactly upset, but he wasn’t his usual easygoing self, either.”

  “Mmm.”

  “And there was a young woman who came in a minute later to see if we’d gotten our snow globe delivery yet.”

  “I bet it’s the same one who was in here earlier. Was she small, on the petite side, with eyes almost too big for her face?”

  Emmy nodded. “That sounds like the one; a little slip of a thing.”

  I got out of my coat and draped it on my arm. “Did you show them to her?”

  “I did, and she looked at each one very carefully and asked if that was all we’d gotten. I told her there was one more but the mayor had spoken for it and I’d put it away for him. She asked if she could see it, in case he decided not to buy it so I showed it to her. I hope that’s okay.”

  “I don’t see the harm in that.”

  “When she saw it, she said that was her favorite one of all. I told her I could give her a call if the mayor decided not to take it. But she said she’d stop back later instead.”

  “We can always order another one for her. We should be able to get it in time for Christmas. Which one was it?”

  “The one with the man by the cabin and the bears.”

  “They both wanted that one? It shows you how much I know—I thought we’d be lucky to sell it.”

  Emmy gave a little shrug. “To each his own. Camryn, do you mind if I take my lunch break now?”

  “Not at all, and enjoy.” She usually brought a packed lunch from home and Pinky said it was just dandy for her to eat it at one of the coffee shop tables.

  As I was finding a temporary home for the last snow globe from the order, my attention was drawn to a man looking in the shop window. He was a giant of a man, and seemed especially so with the big fur collar on his long wool overcoat and a furry hat with both forehead and ear flaps. The sheriff in the movie Fargo wore one like it. A trapper hat.

  He nodded when he saw me, then made his way into the shop and pulled off the sunglasses that had fogged up as soon as he was in the warm room. “I see you have snow globes,” he said with a slight accent I couldn’t pinpoint. European, but just barely, like he had been born in Germany or Latvia or Poland but had spent most of his life in the United States.

  “Yes, we do. Do you have anything special in mind?”

  “Perhaps a winter scene with bears.”

  “Bears?”

  “Yes.”

  Was there a new fad I hadn’t heard about that had made bears suddenly popular? “I’d be happy to order one for you. Coincidentally, we got one in a shipment this morning, but it’s been spoken for.”

  “By spoken for, you mean it is still here?”

  I nodded. “A gentleman asked us to set it aside and will be in later to pick it up.”

  “Perhaps I could see it, and if I like it, you could order another one for me.”

  “Sure, let me get it.” I went to the storeroom shelf where we kept special orders and I shook my head as I picked up the snow globe and had a second look at it.

  When I carried it out the man’s eyebrows raised ever so slightly, like he’d seen it before. He nodded. “Yes, that would be just the thing for my brother. Perhaps you’ll consider selling it to me for more than the asking price.” To each his own is right.

  I shook my head. “Sorry, that wouldn’t be fair. But I’ll put you on the list if the others don’t want it after all.”

  “The list?”

  “There are two ahead of you. The gentleman I mentioned and a young woman.”

  He frowned. “Ah, well, that’s it then. Perhaps I will stop in again another day. There is no need to put me on a list. If I decide to place an order, I will let you know.”

  “Sure, that’s just fine.”

  Mayor Frost came rushing into the shop like he was being chased. And with all the controversy swirling around him, maybe he was. I was still holding his promised snow globe as the man and I ended our conversation. “Camryn, you must have seen me coming,” he said when he saw it.

  “Hi, Mayor.”

  He withdrew his wallet from a back pocket, pulled out a credit card, and handed it to me. “Why don’t I pay for that now, and then I have something important to talk to you about.”

  The other customer slipped into Brew Ha-Ha. “Thanks for stopping by, sir,” I called out to him. He raised his hand in a wave without turning around.

  “Who was that?” Frost asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  “I don’t recall seeing him around town before,” he said.

  “No, me, either. But there are people from all over who come to Brooks Landing to shop.”

  “That’s true, and what a good thing that is for our business community and overall development. It’s nice that buyers from the outside are helping to build our local economy.”

  I rang up the mayor’s sale, put the snow globe in its box, and when he said he didn’t need it wrapped I put it in a bag, and handed it to him. “So what do you want to talk to me about?’

  He looked around like he was checking to see if we were still alone. He moved close to me and lowered his voice. If he was there to question me about Sandy Gibbons asking me for a statement, I was not guilty. And if he doubted that, there was always Pinky to call in as my witness. “I want you to submit your name to be considered for appointment to the city council.”

  “What?” My ears must have been plugged because what I heard couldn’t have been what he said.

  His bright blue eyes shone. “Throw your name in the hat for the council seat that’ll be opening up. You have as much political experience as anyone in town.”

  “I worked for a senator researching legislative issues and policies.”

  “Perfect! That’s what we need, someone who does her homework.” He clapped his hands together.

  “Aren’t you jumping the gun here, Mayor Frost? Doesn’t Harley Creighton have to officially resign, like write a letter or go before the council? Make some kind of public announcement?”

  The mayor waved his hand back and forth. “He does, but that’s just a formality. Creighton may have even called Sandy Gibbons to tell her.” So Creighton was his own snitch?

  Pinky came into my shop and caught what must have been a doozy of a look on my face. And I knew my color was a deeper tone than usual, given how hot I felt. “Cami, are you all right?” She looked from me to Frost. “What’s going on?”

  “I just gave her something to consider. To strongly consider. Stop by the office when you get a break, and we’ll hash it over some more.”

  I shrugged. “I’ll see if that works out. It depends on our customers.”

  “I understand. Well, if not today, tomorrow then.” He lifted his shopping bag in a good-bye salute and left.

  Pinky swooped in with her long legs and arms as only she could do. “What was that all about?”

  “You will never guess, so I won’t make you. Mayor Frost wants me to file, or apply for, the city council seat that Harley Creighton is supposedly vacating.”

  She pulled her chin in and drew her eyebrows together. “Is he crazy? You’ve got a job, and you haven’t even been back in Brooks Landing for a whole year yet.”

  “I know. But as far as having another job, I think the others on the council do, too, except the mayor, of course.”

  “You’re not seriously considering it, are you?” She crossed her arms over her waist.

  “Not seriously. I’ve only had like five minutes to try to process the mayor’s question, much less think about what would be involved in the job. He said my background would be an asset.”

  “Well sure it would, to the folks in town here. You
work hard and you take everything you do to heart.”

  “Isn’t that what elected officials are supposed to do, serve the people?”

  Pinky raised her eyebrows. “I think some of them forget that part.”

  The shop door opened and the young “slip of a woman” came in. Three visits in as many hours. “Hi, again,” I said.

  “You remember me.”

  I smiled in affirmation. “How can I help you?”

  “Well, there was another woman here who told me she had put a snow globe aside for someone. But if he did not want it, I could buy it.”

  The very popular snow globe where three bears were about to attack a man. “Sorry, but the man actually did buy it. I’d be happy to see if I can get another one like it for you.”

  She gave her head a quick shake back and forth. “No. Thank you.” And then she took off.

  Pinky inclined her head toward me. “That was different. She’s different.”

  “I know. She reminds me of some of the homeless kids I used to see in the cities I’ve lived in. Not dressed quite warmly enough, with backpacks strapped on their backs.”

  “Maybe we should go after her.”

  “And then what? She must have money if she was planning to buy a snow globe. And a rather pricey one at that.”

  “Not that I’m suspicious or anything, but maybe you should take a close look at your shelves, make sure nothing is missing. That girl could be saying she’s interested in a snow globe you have put away on a shelf in the back room, and then take the opportunity to steal something else when you’re gone.”

  “You do have a suspicious mind, Pinky. And you’re right; I know it’s happened before. We’ve had items stolen when there have been a lot of customers in the store. And we don’t notice until after everyone’s gone that something’s missing. Fortunately, it’s a pretty rare occurrence.”

  “Yeah, I know your parents were bummed a couple of times when a one-of-a-kind trinket or one of their rare snow globes disappeared. And that reminds me, I’ve been meaning to ask you this. I know they’re doing ordering for the shop from home, helping you out that way, but have they said whether they’re coming back to work here, at some point?”

  “They haven’t made a commitment one way or the other and I haven’t pushed them for an answer, either. Eight months, even four months ago, I would have said, ‘Sure, as soon as Mom is strong enough.’ But they’ve gotten used to being free to do other things, like going to my nieces’ and nephews’ games and concerts. And babysitting the grandchildren when they’re needed. If we hadn’t hired Emmy, I think they would have been here to help out when they could. But since she’s here, they don’t have to.”

  Pinky gave me a mild shove. “If you get on the city council, they may have to come back big time.”

  • • • • • • • •

  Business over the next hours was fairly steady with a few busy spurts thrown in the mix. At 4:15, things had died down enough so I felt comfortable asking Emmy if she’d be okay on her own in Curio Finds for a while. I wanted to talk to Mayor Frost about what he had in mind. If—and it was a big if—I did get appointed to finish out Creighton’s term, I figured a year would be doable. Maybe.

  “Call me if you get swamped. I’ll keep my cell phone in my pants pocket so I’ll feel it buzz,” I told Emmy.

  “No need to worry, Camryn. But I will call you if I need to,” she said.

  “Thank you.” I grabbed my coat and headed into Brew Ha-Ha. “Pinky, I’ll be back in a bit. Are you about ready to head for home?”

  She looked up from her counter where she was washing cups. “Maybe in a half hour or so. You’re going to see Frosty, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, and I won’t be long.” At least that’s what I thought. But things turned out much differently.

  3

  The cold air bit my cheekbones and nose as I made my way down the sidewalk to the city administration building where the mayor and council members, along with the city administration staff, had their offices. The council chamber where the meetings were held sat perpendicular to the offices on the east side. The mayor’s and councilors’ offices were on the north.

  It was a sturdy, one-story brick structure that had been constructed about twenty years before. The police station was housed in the same building and the two departments shared a common front entry then split into separate units. The city offices were on the left, the police on the right. I went through the city hall entry and saw two workers shutting off lights behind the service counter.

  It was warm inside, especially in contrast to the outside temperature. I slipped off my coat, slung it across my arm, and made my way back to where the inner offices were located. I’d visited the city administrator a time or two, so I knew my way around. It was just after 4:30, the official closing time. The city clerk, Lila, normally worked at a front desk, and along with her other duties also served as the receptionist. But she wasn’t there. As I was considering whether or not to call out and announce my presence, Lila strolled in from a back area, donning a hooded, lined, fleece coat. She visibly jumped when she saw me.

  “Oh, Camryn, I wasn’t expecting anyone this time of day. I was just leaving.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. The mayor asked me to stop by.”

  Lila got close to me before she spoke. Her brown eyes widened and her voice lowered, like she was about to share a secret. “Mayor Frost should have a revolving door installed back there. People have been coming and going from his office all afternoon. I kind of lost track, but I don’t think anyone’s in there with him now. Should I go check for you?”

  “That’s okay, I’ll do that. Thanks, Lila, and enjoy your night.”

  “You, too. I’m locking up, but you’ll be able to get out after your meeting. The doors have push bars and don’t lock from the inside. And even if they did, Mayor Frost has keys, of course. The hallway and entry lights stay on all night, too.” The sun was about to set and it would be dark in minutes.

  “Sounds good, and thanks again.”

  “Sure thing,” she said as she grabbed her purse and walked toward the door I’d just come through.

  The near silence in the deserted office space was disquieting. It’ll be comforting to talk to a live person, I thought as I walked down the corridor that led to the individual offices. I stopped at the one with the nameplate Mayor Lewis Frost on it. He’d always talked about his open door policy, but it was closed shut at the moment.

  I knocked and waited. No answer. I knocked again, a little louder, but still no answer. He might have left when Lila was away from her post, before I’d gotten there. “Mayor Frost?” I called out and gave the door a final knock. I was about to leave when I noticed the light from his office was shining out from under the bottom of the door. Maybe he had earphones in and was listening to music or the news and couldn’t hear me. I’d seen him wearing a pair when he was taking walks.

  After I’d convinced myself Frosty was working at his desk, connected to earphones and oblivious to the outside world, I turned the knob and pushed the door open. He’d asked me to stop by to talk, after all. But he wasn’t at his desk, or anywhere else in sight. His chair was pushed aside, like he’d gotten up and left in a hurry. He’d even left the lights on. I was about to turn tail and leave when I saw what looked like the base of the snow globe the mayor had purchased mere hours before. It was lying on the floor near the desk, but the globe wasn’t next to it. What had happened?

  The snow globe had to have hit something hard enough to break it, and the office floor was covered with a soft carpet. I glanced up at the shelves behind the desk. It could have fallen from there and struck the bottom ledge. I hoped Mayor Frost wouldn’t think I was snooping, but I crept over to see where the rest of it was. And when I found out the answer, there was no turning back. There were broken pieces of glass and wet snow flakes ly
ing next to Mayor Frost, who was sprawled out on the floor behind his desk.

  I screamed, then an uncontrolled reflex made my hand fly to my mouth to stifle more squeals that were desperately trying to escape. But none of the noise I was making roused the mayor. He was lying on his back with one arm across his belly and the other stretched out at his side on the floor. His fingers were pointing at the snow globe glass and snowy-water mess on the floor, the same place his eyes appeared to be staring.

  I studied his chest and it was still, not rising and falling like it should have been. I looked for the pulse on his neck and couldn’t see it from where I was standing so I squatted down and held my breath as I reached across his shoulders. I placed my two fingers on his neck in search of it. But no matter how I positioned and repositioned my fingers, I didn’t find a pulse.

  I was alone with a dead man. It wasn’t the first time I’d been in that predicament, but that did not make it one iota easier. My denial, my initial disbelief, shifted into belief. I’m alone with a very dead Frosty. I stumbled to my feet and almost toppled back on top of the mayor. I grabbed the edge of the desk for support and that’s when I felt something wet. I looked at my hand. There was a red substance on my palm, and it had a peculiar, familiar odor. Salty, earthy. Blood. Blood. Blood! I braved another look at Frosty, and that’s when I noticed a small brownish spot on the carpet by his face. His injury must have been on the side of his head that was turned toward the floor.

  I moved as fast as my running-challenged body would carry me with my blood-stained palm straight out in front of me, as far from my face and the rest of my body as possible. The only thing I could think was I needed to find a police officer. And the obvious and best place was at the police station. An office so close, and yet so far away. I called out, “Help, help, help . . .” as I ran through the empty, and now terrifying building, then pushed out through the door and pulled open the door to the police station. Margaret, a woman who’d grown to dislike me more with each passing month, was sitting with her usual stern face behind her desk. She’d been glued to her chair every time I’d been there before. But not this time. When she saw me coming toward her with my bloody hand extended, first she jumped up, and then she collapsed across her desk.