Finding Christmas

by Kathi Daley

  “Wait,” I said as I paused and closed my eyes.

  “What is it?” Houston asked.

  “Put Kojak on the leash,” I said in a voice so quiet I was surprised Houston heard it.

  “Do you sense something?” Houston asked, as he clipped the leash onto Kojak, then scratched his ears to calm him. Kojak let out two loud barks before Houston was able to command him to be quiet. Kojak was still growling from deep in his chest, but he was obeying Houston’s command and didn’t bark again. “Is someone in trouble?” Houston asked.

  I nodded. I didn’t want to speak or open my eyes. I knew from experience that doing either could cause me to lose the connection I’d established if it wasn’t a strong one.

  “Someone’s in trouble,” I said after a minute.

  “Someone close by?”

  I nodded. After a moment, I opened my eyes. I put my hand to my throat. I could feel the burning. I gasped as I found myself unable to breath.

  “Harm, are you okay?” Houston said in a panic. “What can I do?”

  I held up my hand. As quickly as it began, it was over. I took several breaths of the cold, crisp air and looked around. The forest was dense and I couldn’t see much more than snow and trees. I closed my eyes again and tried to bring back the image. The connection had been brief and I hadn’t seen much, but I had the sense of a rock cropping nearby. I looked as far into the distance as I could and pointed. “There. We need to look there.”

  “Look?” Houston asked. “Look for what?”

  “The man or woman who just killed the person I was momentarily connected with.”

  Houston pulled out his gun and handed me Kojak’s leash. “Killed?” he said. “Does that mean it’s too late to save the victim?”

  “I think so. I felt someone struggling to breathe and then they were gone.”

  “Maybe you should wait here,” Houston suggested.

  “No. We’ll go together.”

  I could see Houston wanted to argue, but he must have realized I’d probably be safer with him and his gun because he nodded and motioned for me to follow him. I walked quietly toward the rock cropping I’d sensed. It didn’t take long to find the man who’d had his throat slit, lying in a pool of blood soaking into the snow.

  “It’s Reggie Slater,” Houston said.

  I nodded.

  “And the killer?” Houston asked.

  “Gone.” I looked toward the nearby clearing and pointed to tracks in the snow. Tracks made by a sleigh that had been pulled by two reindeer.

  Chapter 9

  By the time I made it home it was dark. It had been hours since the dogs had been out, so I grabbed my rifle and the five dogs who preferred the comfort of the house, then went to the barn to pick up Kodi and Juno. I was cold and wet and exhausted, so my plan was to take the dogs for a short walk, then go back to the cabin for a hot shower and something even hotter to eat. Probably soup; I was pretty sure that was all I had on hand. I wasn’t much of a cook, and more often than not I ate at Neverland anyway, so most of the time my lack of culinary skill didn’t matter.

  The dogs and I were halfway back to the cabin when Denali let out a happy yip and took off running. What the—? Maybe my secret Santa had been slipping steaks to my guard dog. Denali took his job as my guardian seriously and was never all that happy to see anyone. Anyone except…

  “No,” I said out loud to myself. The only person who would send Denali into fits of joy was a long-haired mystery man from a tropical climate who’d visited for just a short time but had made a huge impact on my life and the life of my most ferocious dog. Calling the other dogs to my side, I picked up the pace. When I arrived at the cabin, I found yet another package wrapped in green paper. I didn’t see Denali anywhere, so I let out a loud whistle and waited. After a few minutes, he came trotting over and sat down next to me.

  “Shredder is my secret Santa, isn’t he?”

  Denali looked at me with an innocent expression, but the happy gleam in his eyes told me I was right.

  “Shredder, are you out there?” I called into the darkness.

  I waited, but he didn’t answer, so I assumed he’d moved on. I couldn’t imagine what he was doing here. Picking up the package, I went inside.

  I’d first met Shredder the previous December, when a photo had brought him to Rescue in search of an international killer. I still wasn’t certain who he worked for, but from the little bits I’d picked up along the way, I was guessing some black ops division of the FBI, CIA, or similar agency. He seemed to have connections all over the world but didn’t actually live anywhere or answer to anyone, at least not to anyone he could or would identify. The first time I’d met him, I’d tried to get more information out of him, but he was skilled at sharing only what he wanted to share. Initially, I hadn’t trusted him—he’d simply let himself into my cabin while I’d been out with the dogs—but then he helped me deliver Honey’s puppies, and I’d decided anyone who would pull pups from a dog he’d just met couldn’t be all bad. When I arrived at the cabin, I found Honey sitting on Shredder’s lap, and she’d gone into labor soon after that. My mystery man had helped me ensure the health of both mom and pups. Delivering puppies with a man I’d just met wasn’t the most surprising thing that happened that day. That was when Denali, who doesn’t trust anyone, acted like a puppy being reunited with his long-lost owner. Not only hadn’t he torn Shredder a new one for sneaking into the cabin, he had been thrilled to see him.

  Deciding to change into dry clothes before I did anything else, I headed into my bedroom, mulling over the situation. The only person who could be delivering the packages without being mauled by Denali, other than Jake, was Shredder, but it made no sense that he would be here in Rescue. Unless he was on another mission. But if that was the case, I’d think he’d make himself known rather than sneaking around the way my secret Santa was.

  Once I’d changed, I went into the kitchen to hunt up that soup. I’d just opened the cabinet when my phone rang.

  “Hey, Houston. Any news on Reggie’s murder?”

  “Reggie’s murder, no, but I may have a degree of proof, or at least an arguable motive, for who killed Piney and why. I was just about to grab some dinner. Do you want to join me? We can talk about the new information while we eat.”

  I looked at the animals, who must already feel deserted because I’d been gone all day. “If you wouldn’t mind picking something up and bringing it here, I’d be up for that. I still need to feed the animals and clean the cat boxes and the barn.”

  “I can do that. What would you like?”

  “Normally, I just get takeout from Neverland, but it’s closed. There is a new pizza place in town if you like pizza.”

  “I know the place. What toppings do you like?”

  “I’m not picky; you choose.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you in about thirty minutes.”

  I fed the cats and dogs who lived in the house, then walked Kodi and Juno back to the barn and fed them, as well as Homer and the rabbits. By the time I’d cleaned Homer’s stall and spent a few minutes with each animal, close to thirty minutes had passed. In the cabin, I cleaned the cat boxes and washed up. I was just drying my hands when Houston pulled up with Kojak.

  “Meat Lover’s Dream,” I said after opening the pizza box. “It looks delicious. I’m starving.”

  I took two plates out of the cupboard and set them on the table. “I have beer, milk, or cola. Or I can make a pot of coffee.”

  “I usually have beer with pizza, but tonight I’ll just have a cola. I still have quite a bit of work to do.”

  I pulled two cans of cola out of the refrigerator and took them to the table. “So what evidence did you come up with?” I asked as I slid a large slice onto my plate.

  Houston took a bite of his pizza, chewed, and swallowed before he answered. “Reggie’s phone was on him. It was unlocked, and it appeared as if he, or someone else, had been looking at the document that was pulled up when he was attacked.”


  “What document?”

  “A text with several attachments.” Houston took a sip of his soda. “The text was sent to Reggie on the day the group went up to the mountain to ski. It read, ‘Here’s the proof you requested.’ Attached were several emails sent between Piney and someone named Armand Cole. I’ve since discovered he’s one of the attorneys representing the group behind the lawsuit.”

  I frowned. “Wait: Piney works for the law firm defending Drake and the others, yet he was communicating with one of the attorneys on the opposing team?”

  “That’s the way it looks.”

  “Dare I ask about the content of the emails?”

  “Basically,” Houston said, “they contain copies of photos, invoices, and internal communications between Drake, Reggie, and Lucas that prove all three were aware subpar materials were being used for the project to cut costs. The documents are incriminating enough that the three of them could be looking at jailtime.”

  “Why?” I questioned. “Why would Piney turn these documents over to opposing counsel?”

  “For money,” Houston answered before taking another bite of his pizza. “From what I’ve already dug up, Piney was an unspectacular business attorney who didn’t have a lot of prospects for the future. His student loans were strangling him, and he was struggling to make a mark for himself in his chosen field and to keep up with his more successful friends. When Landon was here the other night, he mentioned that Reggie paid for him to come on this trip as well as others the group took.”

  “It sounds like Reggie was a good friend. Why would he want to stab him in the back?”

  “I don’t know. But Reggie received the text and the proof that Piney had agreed to sell very damaging information to the opposing attorney the day Piney died.”

  “So Reggie did kill him. I guess he must have felt betrayed when he found out what Piney was up to. I guess I don’t blame him for wanting to protect his company and his freedom.”

  Houston set his slice down on his plate and wiped his hands with a napkin. “We both thought he did it; this just gives him a motive. Reggie must have pulled Piney aside and confronted him after the others began to spread out. I assume they argued, and Reggie’s temper may have gotten the better of him. He stabbed Piney with his ski pole and sent him over the edge of the cliff. Of course, that’s going to be hard to prove now that he’s dead too.”

  “If Reggie killed Piney, who killed Reggie?” I wondered.

  “That I don’t know. Yet. But I intend to find out.”

  I had no idea where to even begin to look for Reggie’s killer. It could have been one of the other four men, but I couldn’t think of a reason any of them would. And then there were the sleigh tracks. How did a sleigh fit into things?

  “It looks like you got another present,” Houston said, nodding to the package on the counter when there was a lull in the conversation.

  “It was on the porch when I got back from walking the dogs.” I got up and crossed the room. I grabbed my scissors, then brought the package back to the table. “Christmas ornaments. I already received lights for a tree.” I looked at Houston. “I don’t suppose you’d be interested in going with me to find one? I hate to waste the lights and ornaments by not displaying them.”

  Houston lifted a shoulder. “I’ll help you. Just let me know when you want to go.” He sat back and looked at the colorful bulbs. “You still have no idea who’s leaving these gifts for you?”

  “No idea at all,” I said because it was easier than trying to explain Shredder.

  After Houston left, I took the dogs out for one last bathroom break before getting ready for bed. Denali once again took off when we were only halfway home, and I knew my secret Santa was back. Twice in one evening wasn’t his usual pattern, so I thought something other than bringing gifts was behind this visit.

  “I thought I would find you here,” I said to the brown-eyed man who sat on my sofa with Denali in his lap.

  “You did?”

  I glanced at Denali. “There isn’t another person alive, with the exception of Jake, who can walk into the cabin unannounced without getting a piece taken out of their hide. What are you doing here?”

  He grinned. “I’m happy to see you too.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. I walked across the room and slipped onto Shredder’s lap, shoving Denali slightly aside to do so. I put my arms around my mystery man’s neck and gave him a hug. “You look good. The same.” I put my hand on his cheek and looked into his eyes. “Less tan then when I saw you a year ago.”

  “Riptide and I no longer live in the tropics. We’re currently in a place not much warmer than this. The tan has faded.” Shredder nodded toward Honey, who’d wandered over and curled up on the rug in front of the fireplace with her five kittens. “Didn’t I help deliver puppies when I was here last?”

  I chuckled. “You did. And they grew up to be healthy and happy dogs, thanks to your help. They all found wonderful forever homes, but I kept Honey with me. I found these kittens in a box on my doorstep a few nights ago. I don’t suppose you were the one who left them?”

  Shredder shook his head. “Sorry, love. If I’d found kittens, I would have ensured they’d be okay and wouldn’t have left them in a box on a doorstep. It looks like Honey is doing a good job being a surrogate mother.”

  “She is. And these aren’t the first strays she’s nurtured. She’s a natural mother. She even fostered a baby bear cub for a little while this fall.” I looked around for the Border collie Shredder took everywhere. “Where’s Riptide?”

  “With a friend. The situation I’m here to investigate required me to stay at the inn, which doesn’t allow pets.”

  I slipped off Shredder’s lap and sat down next to him on the sofa. “The inn? You must be the blond skier Mary referred to.”

  Shredder nodded.

  “Piney and Reggie,” I realized. “You must be here because of whatever’s going on with Piney and Reggie.” I frowned. “Why have you been lurking around? Why not just tell me you were here? And what’s up with all the Christmas decorations?”

  “I’ve been ‘lurking around’ because I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone I was around, but I wanted to keep an eye on you. The gifts were an impulse, which is odd because I never give in to impulse. I noticed you didn’t have lights on the cabin and I knew about the fire, so I put two and two together and realized your decorations must have been destroyed. I was here anyway, so I decided to have some fun with it.”

  “Fun?”

  Shredder shrugged. “It was fun for me. Wasn’t it fun for you?”

  I tilted my head. “I guess it was fun, but I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around all this. How did you know about the fire?”

  “I just said I’ve been keeping an eye on you.”

  I raised a brow. “Why? Have you been spying on me?”

  Shredder laughed. “No, not spying. Until a few days ago, I hadn’t been back to Alaska since I left last year. And no, I didn’t leave listening devices around your house. But I have been keeping my eyes and ears open. You’re an exceptional human with a knack for getting yourself into the middle of whatever’s going on around you, so I make it a point of knowing how you’re doing. Which, by the way, is why I almost showed up here in October, when you had all that trouble with the man who killed your friend. I’m sorry about that.”

  I frowned again. “It was a really bad situation. A lot of good people died. Why didn’t you come?”

  “I wanted to. I tried to. But I was held up with the Saudis in a not entirely pleasant situation. By the time I extricated myself from that little nightmare, you’d already saved the day on your own and there was no reason for me to ride up on my white horse.”

  I couldn’t help but smile at the image of Shredder riding up on a horse. “You still could have come,” I pointed out. “You could have shown up and given me a hug and said, ‘Hey, Harm, I was worried about you. I’m glad to see you didn’t get blown to smithereens.’
”

  Shredder shook his head. “Sorry, love. I’m afraid life is a bit more complicated than that.”

  “I know.” I didn’t really. I couldn’t imagine what sort of life he lived that would prevent him from popping in on a friend. I supposed I never would. “Let’s move on from October. What’s going on with Reggie and Piney that would cause someone like you to come to a place like Rescue?”

  “Neither Reggie Slater nor Piney Portman are why I’m here exactly. Although I suppose Reggie played a role.”

  “Played a role how?”

  “Reggie was not only an investment banker but a money launderer who somehow got tied up with the man I’m here to find.”

  “Money launderer?”

  Shredder nodded. “Many of Reggie’s investors were wealthy men and women who acquired a large amount of money in an illegal manner and were interested in having it cleaned. These people invested in projects Reggie found for them and were repaid in the form of interest and dividends with money that wouldn’t be linked back to the illegal activity associated with the original cash. Reggie was becoming well established and had connections all over the world. According to my sources, he came to Rescue to meet with a man named Deidrick Eckhart, who’s a known associate of Valdive Gershwin.”

  “Deidrick Eckhart…Why do I know that name?”

  “You may have met him at the inn.”

  “Deidrick Eckhart must be the German businessman who was reading in the library on the day Piney died,” I said. “Reggie was going to launder money for him?”

  “He was. The twist is that Eckhart wasn’t Eckhart.”

  I frowned. “Come again?”

  “Let me back up a bit. The organization I work for received intel that Gershwin, who is a money broker of sorts, arranged a deal between Slater and Eckhart.”

  “Wait.” I held up a hand. “What do you mean by money broker?”

  “Someone who puts people in possession of illegally acquired money, in this case Eckhart, with people who are willing and able to launder it, in this case Reggie. Gershwin takes a cut of the deal.”