BETTER WATCH OUT

by Christina Freeburn

  From inside the motorhome, Ebenezer made noises of displeasure. Either he was missing my company or irritated that I was out while he was trapped inside. Or he wanted to eat my snack. I popped some kernels into my mouth. I felt safe sitting outside as the back of the RV faced the road leading to and from the police station. Someone would have to drive into the lot or walk around the RV to get to me, either way I’d see them. I stretched out my legs and hid my hands under the blanket for a few minutes before I snuck one out to grab another handful of popcorn.

  After I’d eaten half the bowl of popcorn and drank my cup of coffee, a figure left the police station. They stood underneath a security light and stared in my direction. Jack.

  I waved. “Hello, neighbor. Care to sit for a spell?”

  Jack jogged over. “I don’t know how Officer Martin would feel about you sitting out here at night.”

  “No one will be able to sneak up on me. Besides, who’s going to take the chance of doing something to me while I’m in the parking lot of the police station.”

  “A person who’s already killed two people.”

  I gaped at him. “What?”

  “Let’s go inside where it’s warmer and safer.” Jack gathered up my snack while I hitched up the ends of the blanket.

  Opening the door, I held out the blanket, hoping Ebenezer thought it was an impenetrable barrier. “What do you mean two?”

  “From what I gathered, Eric didn’t die because of the car accident.”

  “How do you know this?” I was right. I hadn’t killed him—even by accident. Did Eric have a massive heart attack or something—or was he murdered before being pushed in front of my car?

  “I overheard some officers discussing it.”

  “Overheard or eavesdropped?”

  Jack poured us some coffee. Sitting down, he handed me a cup. “Both.”

  “Why did you come to the station tonight?”

  “It was past time for me to give the police all the information I had about the embezzled money. At first, I agreed with the mayor that it was best to keep it quiet; the police had been informed there might be an issue with the town budget and that a forensic accountant was taking a look at it. The mayor was worried that the town’s image could be damaged if word got out right before the Christmas parade about the missing money.”

  “Visitors might decide not to come and that would hurt all the businesses in town.”

  Jack nodded. “Yep. There was something shady in a town where a quarter of a million dollars—”

  “How much?” I screeched. Ebenezer scurried down the hall and clawed at the bedroom door. I had scared the poor critter half to death. I sprang up and picked up Ebenezer, cuddling him.

  “Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”

  “That’s not what Mayor Vine told me. He said it was one hundred and fifty thousand.” The figure Jack said was more than the amount of the bank slips I found. Either Jenna had more accounts, or she didn’t have the money.

  “If Jenna took it the police would know soon,” Jack said.

  My stomach tightened. Or Jenna had nothing to do with the stolen money and it was given to someone else for safekeeping. Eric might have been able to hack into the town’s account and steal the money and give it to Rachel.

  “I’m thinking Jenna was blackmailing the embezzler,” I said. “Maybe Eric found out who it was and tried the same thing.”

  The house had been packed up. But the books were left unpacked. My guess was Jenna knew about the affair—the reason Rachel’s name was on the naughty list—and Jenna wasn’t taking the books with her and Eric. Unless, Jenna hadn’t planned on Eric relocating with her.

  “Once the police are able to get all the bank records for Jenna and Eric, they’ll be able to know more about it. One of the things Uncle Cornelius told me when I took this job was not to trust anyone on the council. Jenna had been plotting since the day she was born. Even as a child, she never did anything without a motive. The world was all about her. No one wanted to cross that woman. She was dangerous.”

  “The whole town wasn’t afraid of Jenna Wilcox. Someone killed her.”

  “Uncle said the only person who would stand up to her since Christmas was affected was you.”

  “One other person would,” I said. I had thought it was strange that Sarah Heath would apply for the secretary job at the mayor’s office, considering the Christmas season was the busiest for her church. One thing would have Sarah agreeing—protecting her husband, the vice mayor of Season’s Greetings. He wouldn’t come out unscathed. The pastor had access to the accounts and with his wife working in the mayor’s office, he’d know exactly how close the mayor was coming to figuring out the truth. “Sarah Heath. I’m certain she’d do anything for her husband.”

  “Including kill a woman?”

  Sarah’s scarf had been in the dumpster with the naughty list that had Eric’s name on it. And a large van—a possible church van—had driven by right before Eric fell into the road. What if they had braced him against a tree, knowing eventually he’d fall into the road and get run over?

  “Sarah confronted me about what I told the police. She said I was accusing her husband. All I did was answer their questions with the truth. Do the police believe that Samuel was involved in the embezzling?” I asked.

  “The police are looking at every angle. I know you and Samuel didn’t have anything to do with it. Adding his name into the mix was just a way to try and get some funds back into the account.”

  “The mayor knew I’d cave.”

  He stared at the ground, hands clasped in his lap.

  “Jack?”

  He looked up at me, a sadness in his eyes. “Everyone agreed that you’d pay the money to save Cassie and Helen additional heartache.”

  “Everyone?” My voice was shaky. Was I now only a source of money to my friends?

  “Mayor Vine. Jenna. Norman. Pastor Heath. Rachel.”

  My friend hadn’t decided not to tell me the whole truth, instead she had agreed to the plot and involved me by telling me about Jenna’s naughty list float theme.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “It’s hard finding out your friend and the people you trust are plotting behind your back. I can’t believe they were all willing to lie about Samuel. He wasn’t the best guy out there but doesn’t mean a crime he didn’t commit should be blamed on him just because he’s dead. The man can’t defend himself.”

  “I don’t think they thought it all the way through. To them, they were doing the easiest thing to save the town.”

  Something occurred to me and I jumped up, fisting my hands at my sides. “You went along with them.”

  “Wait a minute.” Jack held up his hands. “I originally thought that Samuel was involved and was agreeable to their plan of keeping matters quiet if the money was returned. It was their town. It seemed like a nice thing to do for an ailing, elderly woman who just lost her son and a young woman who just lost her dad. I hadn’t realized they were creating a scenario in order to save themselves.”

  “You think one of the city council stole the money?”

  “Yes. The problem is who. My prime suspect was Rachel Abbot.”

  My eyes widened. “Rachel?”

  “It was why I agreed to take my nephews and niece to the bookstore. I wanted to look around and knew I’d be able to create a distraction or two to get a peek at her records.”

  “That doesn’t sound legal.”

  “With Jenna having been murdered, I was willing to venture into questionable tactics to get to the truth.”

  Couldn’t say I blamed him. “Why Rachel?”

  “She was always nervous and not really forthcoming with information. I could tell she was hiding something. And the way books were altered told me it was someone who was familiar with accounting procedures. She owned he
r own business.”

  “The fact that she was sleeping with Jenna’s husband was what she was worried about everyone finding out. Do you still think Rachel stole the money?”

  “I’m starting to doubt it. That was one of the reasons I stopped by to speak to the police tonight. I wanted to know what they found in her financial records. Nothing. If Rachel was hiding money, she’s really good at it.”

  “That leaves the mayor, Pastor Heath, and Norman.”

  “The mayor’s accounts have been gone over multiple times. He was the one who asked my uncle for advice on the matter. It would be stupid to bring in a professional that would unearth everything.”

  “I wonder who does Harmony Baptist’s books.”

  “What are you thinking?”

  “I’m sure the pastor keeps tabs on the financials of the church and with it being a small congregation, they probably don’t have a lot of employees. Strange how Sarah took a job at the mayor’s office during a busy time for the church. I’ve been meaning to go back to church. Tomorrow morning is a good day to start.”

  Jack smiled at me. “It’s a date.”

  Twenty-Four

  Before the early church goers and breakfast diners were out and about, I pulled out of the police parking lot and headed for home. My overnight RV trip had been uneventful, except for Jack’s visit. He was stopping by my house in forty minutes and I wanted to shower and dress before he arrived. There was no way I wanted to get ready with him in the house. I could send him over to his uncle’s house, but I wasn’t sure I wanted Cornelius in our business. The odds were even for him either lending a helping hand or calling the police on us.

  Ebenezer stood on the passenger seat, enjoying the view out the window. Or at least I believed he was able to see outside. I’d have to see if I could rig up something for traveling that kept Ebenezer safe and allowed him to look out the window. One of the reasons I adopted Ebenezer, besides his utter cuteness, was to have a traveling companion. I wanted him to enjoy the experience but couldn’t risk people’s safety over a belief that he’d stay put and not run under the pedals, and I didn’t want to squish my pet.

  “See anything interesting out there?”

  Ebenezer plopped down onto the seat. I took that as a no.

  There weren’t that many drivers out and about. Good thing because the RV was lumbering along this morning, I wasn’t sure if it was from using the generator last night or I was being a little more cautious since my traveling buddy was free to move about the cabin. I was thankful I didn’t have to drive past the spot where Eric died. My attention was already split between driving and my little buddy, no sense adding a third. I flipped on the turn signal and was back on the main road leading home.

  “Oh Holy Night…” I sung. There was something about hearing or singing Christmas carols that made it impossible for me to think unhappy thoughts.

  The rest of the drive, I alternated my view from the road to Ebenezer. Fortunately, he was content to sleep the morning away. I pulled into my driveway with twenty-five minutes to spare. Plenty of time to shower, dress, and apply some makeup. My makeup routine was minimal: foundation, blush, and lipstick. I usually forgo eye shadow and mascara as half the time shadow irritated my eyes and I always managed to get mascara on my glasses.

  Right on time, there was a knock on my door. Just in case Sarah decided to pay me another visit, I rose on my toes and peered out the peephole. It was Jack with a box from Yule Log and a drink carrier filled with six to-go foam cups. He was dressed in a button-down light gray Oxford shirt with the sleeves rolled up and top two buttons undone, red t-shirt underneath, jeans, and combat boots. Eclectic wardrobe choices that were very fitting for the man standing on my doorstep.

  I opened the door. “Good morning.”

  His gaze traveled up and down my body, doing his best to hide his surprise at my attire. “You’re festive this morning.”

  I had put on my Sunday Christmas best: a black, full skirt that fell to my knees with tiny images of reindeer in different states of flight, a white sweater with small beaded wreaths on the neckline that rested along my collarbone, and deer earrings and a matching brooch. The only part of my outfit that did not have a Christmas image were my calf-high dress boots. “It’s how I do this time of year. How many people are joining us this morning?”

  “Just me and you. I wasn’t sure your morning beverage preference, so I brought a few.”

  “Coffee with a Christmas flavor.” I stepped aside so he could enter.

  “For some reason, I’m not surprised about that. There’s one marked sugar cookie. You might want to tone down your outfit. You’ll be easily spotted.” Jack headed for the dining room table. “Hard to do a clandestine mission when you’re trying to resemble a Christmas decoration.”

  “Trust me, I’ll blend in.” I shut the door, sneaking a glance over at Ebenezer who had decided to enter his habitat himself. He was eyeing Jack warily. The critter seemed to have loved Jack last night, now he was standoffish. Usually, my sidekick liked or loathed people, I’d never seen him neutral.

  “This is going to be an interesting morning.” Jack placed our breakfast on the table. “Before we head out, we have to devise a battleplan.”

  “Battleplan. That sounds a little ominous.”

  He grimaced. “Sorry, occupational hazard.”

  “And just what was your occupation before forensic accountant?”

  “Basically, a hodge-podge of military duties related to keeping people and the nation safe. It’s all I’m at liberty to say.”

  “The old if-you-told-me-you’d-have-to-kill-me line?” I brought plates to the table.

  “Nothing that drastic. Discretion is important. It’s part of my life. Part of who I am.”

  “Runs in the family.” Cornelius was the most private person I knew. Heck, I hadn’t even known the man had family members.

  He grinned. “That is true.”

  I plopped into the chair and placed a cinnamon roll on a plate. “So, Mr. Discretion, how would you go about our fact-finding mission this morning?”

  “First thing is establishing the goal.”

  “Find out who killed Eric, left the sign at my door, and what role Sarah plays.”

  “That is three. You’re missing one.” He held up four fingers. “Who killed Jenna. Who killed Eric. Sign. Pastor’s wife.”

  “It’s the same mission, and I know who killed Jenna. Fortunately, multi-tasking is a skill I have. It’s a requirement when you’re a single parent of more than one child. You have to keep your attention on more than one thing at a time.”

  “You know who killed Jenna?” Jack’s green eyes zeroed in on me.

  I tried not to fidget under the scrutiny. I talked myself into quite a conundrum. I hadn’t realized he hadn’t picked that up at the police station. I thought by now everyone knew that Eric killed Jenna and Rachel had known. “Sorry, I can’t say anything else.” Matter-of-fact, I shouldn’t have said what I had.

  “All right, but it’s easier to work with someone if you trust them.”

  “I trust you,” I said, and was a little surprised to realize that I actually did trust him. I didn’t think he was involved in what was going on in Season’s Greetings. There was something about him that gave off the vibe he was a man who didn’t play games. He was a holder of some secrets but was honest about it. “I just can’t tell you how. You’ll have to trust me.”

  He picked up one of the to-go coffee mugs and held it up. “Can do.”

  It had been a few years since I attended church and I felt a little out of my element standing in the small foyer leading to the sanctuary. Of course, my skittish feeling might be more from the fact I was here on a covert mission. I wasn’t sure if the odd looks I received was because I brought a guest—Jack—or the fact that I had never attended a Harmony Baptist Church service. It had actually be
en quite a while since I had been in a sanctuary. I’d been in plenty of fellowship halls for crafting events but not for fellowshipping.

  I had attended services when my children were young but as my craft business blossomed, my attendance became sporadic. Vending events were either full weekend events or on Saturdays, and that left me Sunday to catch up on housework and preparing for the week ahead. Hints of sadness pricked at my heart. I missed feeling like a member of a community.

  Being a part of a group was what I’d miss most about full-time crafting, at least working at the pro shop and tax preparation kept me out and about in public and connecting with people. My business was a solitary endeavor. I had a partner, but we lived in different parts of the country and our communication style was written. Here was a chance for me to take a step into the general community and I was petrified. I knew everyone, and they knew me. Yet, what did I really know about them? I knew their names, jobs, how many children, hobbies, but other than that I had no clue about their dreams, fears, or what lurked in their hearts they didn’t want known.

  “You okay?” Jack asked.

  I nodded and pushed open the double doors separating the foyer from the chapel. The sanctuary was serene. Simple, faux evergreen wreaths were hung on the ends of the pews. A Christmas tree was on the stage to the left of the podium where I presumed Pastor Benjamin Heath would be speaking from this morning. There were minimal decorations on the tree, small green and red round shaped ornaments and a star at the top.

  Members of the congregation were smiling and chatting quietly with each other. Some stared at us boldly while others tried to feign a disinterest in our having wandered into their church. The clothing choices were a mix of formal, casual, and Christmas inspired, with the women being more ode to Christmas than the other two options.

  “You’re right,” Jack whispered into my ear. “You blend in.”

  I grabbed his arm and sat on the last pew, dragging him down beside me.

  He leaned into me. “You don’t want to sit closer? Get a better read on the pastor.”