Christmas Shop Murder

by Linnea West

  "Hopefully next time you'll think twice before you try to start a snowball fight with me," Clark said with a laugh. "I let you off easy this time."

  "I'll remember that next time," I said. "I just really needed a break from the work and you were an easy target."

  Clark laughed and stood up, offering me his hands to help me stand up. Still holding hands, we walked back to the front yard. Before I had nailed him with a snowball, Clark had finished up getting the last bird in the ground. The scene was coming along nicely which was good considering the judging was tomorrow.

  "Let's take a picture and then go in to show my mom how it is going," I said. "After all, it is her design and she should get final say in what we do."

  Clark nodded and looked back and forth before walking into the middle of the street to get a picture of the entire house and yard. He knew the drill. My flip phone had a camera, but it was a terrible one. So he knew that I would need to use his smart phone camera for the picture.

  Once back inside, we shed our outside clothes and made ourselves two giant mugs of hot chocolate with marshmallows before heading upstairs to see what my mother thought of the display.

  We found her in her regular spot in the living room. She was on the couch with an ottoman in front of her, her cast propped up on top of it. She had a TV tray next to her that held the television remote, a water bottle, a bottle of pain relievers in case her leg started to ache, and a puzzle book with a few pencils. Her crutches were leaning against the arm of the couch, ready for the next time she needed them. We usually weren't too far away from her, but we did want to make sure she was okay in case we were busy.

  I sat down next to her on the couch and Clark sat on the chair. He handed me his phone and I pulled up the photo he had taken of the front of the house to show my mother. She zoomed in and studied it carefully, slowly moving over the entire scene to take in all of the parts. After a while, she handed the phone back to Clark.

  "That's coming along nicely," she said. "I do think it could use some more razzle dazzle if we are going to win the contest though."

  I tried not to look too disappointed. I had been hoping she would say it was done because I still had a lot of things to do and I was hoping to cross this one off of my list. I still had to finish buying presents for the entire family, not only from me but from my parents also. That was one thing I could not entrust to my father because he couldn't follow a shopping list if his life depended on it. Last time we sent him to the grocery store with a very specific shopping list, he had come back with none of the items on the actual list, but he did buy a sheet cake decorated with a pirate ship and the biggest jar of pickles I had ever seen.

  My father had been tasked with wrapping the gifts we did have so far because he was really good at wrapping. He would wrap the rest of them, as soon as I had bought them all. He would also be tasked with planning and doing a lot of the actual cooking for Christmas, but obviously I would have to go shopping for all of the supplies first.

  "What else can we do Mom?" I asked. I was tired of coming up with the ideas. I figured if she had an idea of what we could do, I could implement it. But I was too tired to do the thinking right now. I was just glad the investigation was over so that I didn't have to think about that, even if I had a vague feeling that Rich hadn't done it.

  "Let me think for a moment," my mother said. "I have an idea, but I need to think for a second before I try to tell you what to do."

  Clark and I sat sipping our hot chocolates as my mother closed her eyes, losing herself deep in thought. Clark winked at me over his mug and I felt myself start to blush. Thirty years old and I still lost my cool when it came to my love life and my parents. I could see why Tank wanted to keep his maybe girlfriend a secret.

  "Okay, I've got it," my mother said, her eyes popping open. She pushed her self up to situate herself better. "So far we have some birds decorating for Christmas, right? Well I think we need to add a North Pole scene."

  I sat for a moment, hoping she was kidding. I'm not sure how the North Pole was connected to backyard birds other than they both had to do with Christmas.

  "I'm thinking you whip up a few more plywood decorations of Santa and Mrs. Claus with a few elves," she said, apparently unaware that I didn't just 'whip them up' because they took actual time to get done. "I think the shed looks nice, but let's turn it into Santa's workshop so that the birds are actually decorating Santa's backyard."

  As she explained in way too much detail exactly what needed to be done to the display, I had to admit it was a good idea and if I could get it done in time, it just might win us the contest. The trouble would be just getting everything done before Santa came down the chimney.

  Chapter Eighteen

  I had only gotten three hours of sleep the past night, but I had carried out my mother's vision. The plywood backyard birds were now officially decorating the backyard of Santa's workshop. My mother had put her stamp of approval on it and now we just had to wait for dusk so the judges could go around and see all of the holiday decorations.

  Clark had even come over early before he headed to work to help me get them set up in the yard. I wasn't sure what he saw in me, but I was so grateful for him. Not only was he handsome, but he came over to help me with crazy things like decorating the yard. That was a man worth keeping around.

  Now I was sitting in the living room trying not to fall asleep while I took a few minutes to regroup. With everything that had been going on, there hadn't been much time to sit and relax. I had a piece of paper where I was making a to do list for myself. It was only the beginning of December, but I still wasn't sure I'd be able to get everything done before Christmas.

  There was a soft knock on the door and I went to open it. We weren't expecting any new guests today and I don't think anyone had ordered anything to be delivered, so I wasn't sure what to expect. When I opened the front door I was surprised to see Jill standing there.

  "Hi Tessa," she said with a smile. "I know you weren't expecting me, but is there any way I could come inside and talk to you?"

  "Umm sure," I said. I was pretty confused because Jill and I weren't friends and honestly, we were hardly acquaintances. I had no idea what she could be here for.

  I let her in and after she took off her boots and winter jacket, I had her follow me to the living room. We sat down on opposite ends of the couch facing the large front window where all of the bird feeders hung. For a few moments we sat in silence watching the various birds eating at the feeder.

  "I'm sorry," I said. "You must think I have no manners. Would you like something to drink? We always have coffee, otherwise there is water or..."

  "Oh no," she said, cutting me off before I could list the endless beverages we had. "It is me that doesn't have the manners because I came to ask you something that could come across as quite rude, so I hope you won't think badly of me."

  I wasn't sure how to respond, so I just smiled at her. I hadn't heard the question yet, so I couldn't really tell her whether I thought she was rude or not. I mean, my big mouth and my passive aggressive Minnesotan nature would do battle over what to say to her if it was actually a rude question.

  "I'm going to be really honest with you," Jill said. "The murder and investigation really threw me for a loop. What if the intruder had come up to my apartment? Anyway, I called in sick to my table waiting shifts for a few days because I just wasn't sure I could handle it and not I'm not sure I'll be able to pay my rent, not that I know who to pay anymore anyways."

  I tried to not let my confusion show on my face. Was she asking me for money? I didn't even really know her.

  "What I'm here for is that I know you've admired my jewelry in the past, so I was hoping that maybe you were still in the market for Christmas presents and that I could sell you a few pieces. We could both benefit from it."

  Well that made a little more sense, I thought to myself. I had definitely spent time admiring her necklaces and I did need presents for my sisters.


  "Okay, show me what you have," I said. "Why don't I run upstairs and grab my wallet while you take a few pieces out."

  "Sure, sure," Jill said. "Take your time."

  I took the stairs two at a time and ran to my room. I typically don't carry cash, but I did have a checkbook I could grab. I had found it in case I needed it to pay for the pizza the other night, so I knew exactly where it was. I grabbed it and headed back downstairs.

  As I shut the door that separated our family area from the public area of the bed and breakfast, I was surprised to see Jill standing at the top of the stairs, just outside of the bedroom that was still blocked off with police tape. I couldn't tell if she had been reaching for the doorknob or if she had just been moving in a way that made it look weird.

  "Oh, I was just coming to find you," she stuttered as she stumbled backwards a bit. "I just remembered that the pieces I grabbed to show you were actually ones I had promised to someone else. I'm sorry, I've been in a tizzy lately and now I've come all this way for nothing."

  "Well not for nothing," I said. "I would still like to buy some jewelry from you for my sisters. Maybe we could meet another time?"

  "Oh yeah," she said. "Let me give you my card and you can message me with some ideas for colors or styles so I can be a bit more prepared next time."

  I took her card and shoved it into my checkbook. She stood there awkwardly looking towards the door of the closed off bedroom.

  "Was that where Claire stayed?" she asked, pointing towards it.

  "Yeah, it was," I said. "I actually need to talk to the police about it because we can't just have one whole bedroom shut off. If their investigation is over, they need to come free up this bedroom."

  "Did they say the investigation is over?" Jill asked wide-eyed.

  "Well, I don't think it's really over," I said. "But they have Rich in custody and from what I hear, an arrest is imminent. So I'd say the investigation is pretty much over."

  Jill nodded exaggeratedly, like she was a bobblehead doll. I had heard that the murder happening just downstairs from her apartment had really affected her and now I was seeing evidence of that. I could understand being freaked out, knowing that someone had been killed and that it could have very possibly been you.

  "Why don't you head back home and I'll let you know when I put a little more thought into the necklaces," I said. I put my hand on her shoulder and turned her around as I started to escort her down the stairs, but she stopped short at the top of the staircase.

  "I did have one more thing," she said. "Before she died, I ran into Claire and she said she wanted to buy a necklace from me. I thought it was really weird, but I did give one to her to look at. She promised to pay me later and so I let her keep it because I didn't want to make her angry so that she would kick me out. Plus, I figured maybe I could get her to carry some in the dog grooming salon which seems really stupid now, but made sense at the time."

  Jill was waving her hands frantically in front of herself as she talked and I could see that she was really upset. I put my hand on her arm to try and help her calm down a bit by grounding her. But her eyes were darting around as she talked.

  "But if you find it," she was saying, "could you give it back to me please? It may seem insignificant, but I do have to pay for the supplies for each of my necklaces and every little bit counts for me right now."

  "Sure I can," I said. "But I think maybe you should stay a little longer before you go home. Would you like a drink or maybe a piece of pie? We also have a little bit more Thanksgiving leftovers if you are really hungry."

  Jill shook her head decisively back and forth. She walked down the stairs quickly and I hurried to catch up.

  "No, I really should be going," she said. "But thank you for your offer. It is really sweet of you Tessa."

  She grabbed her jacket off of the hook and jammed her feet into her snowboots before hurrying out the door without even putting her jacket on. I watched through the front window to make sure she was alright and she seemed to be as she backed out and drove back towards downtown. I wondered briefly if I should call the emergency line or maybe the non-emergency police number, but what was I going to tell them?

  "Uh hi, a woman I barely know was acting weird. But maybe not because I don't really know so maybe she just always acts like that."

  I decided I would go to visit her tomorrow and maybe bring some donuts. I had been so busy lately that I hadn't even had time to go to the Donut Hut for some donuts. I knew that was a good thing, but it didn't make me like donuts any less.

  I glanced at my phone and saw that I only had a few more hours before the judging would begin. I decided I would work on some of the interior decorating until then, since that had been put on the back burner while we set up for the contest.

  Down in the basement, there were dozens of cardboard boxes and big plastic tubs stuffed full to the brim with Christmas decorations of all sorts: ornaments, garlands, knick knacks and more. I really had my work cut out for me. I rolled up my sleeves and got to work.

  Chapter Nineteen

  By the time my family was all together and gathering by the front window to wait for the judges, I had accomplished a few majors details for the holiday decorating inside: the main staircase was now lined with a large, fake greenery garland that wrapped up the handrail. I could only assume by the size and how nicely my mother had packed it up that it had probably cost a fortune. There were also a handful of red, velvet bows beneath it that I had to space evenly on each side all of the way up. Let me tell you, symmetry is not my strong suit. It took me an hour just to get the bows right.

  I had also put up a Christmas tree in the living room between the big bird-watching window and the fireplace. It was decorated with red and gold glass ornaments and a thin gold tinsel garland that wraps from the bottom to the star on top.

  It turned out beautifully, but I also never wanted to decorate a "pretty tree" ever again. I much preferred the tree we put up and decorated in the family area. That one was an old fake tree that we had owned for over a decade. The needles were falling off and every year, it leaned a bit more to the left. We decorated it with all of the ornaments we had ever made or been given and they remained on the tree until we moved out.

  My box of ornaments was one of the only things I brought back home with me after Peter died. Mostly because to me, home was where I kept my childhood ballerina ornaments and the puffy painted ornaments and movie tie-in ornaments we got from a fast food restaurant.

  That tree wouldn't be put up until tomorrow, hopefully. And we always got help with that one. Even my siblings who had moved out of the house came home and helped decorate it. I had already told myself that when that happened, I was going to sit on my behind and simply direct.

  Right now, we were all gathered at the window. My mother was front and center in her wheelchair, excitedly looking out for the official judge car to come around. She was almost like a little kid waiting for Santa she was so excited. My father was standing proudly next to her, his hand never leaving her shoulder. Occasionally she would turn and smile up at him and he would beam back at her. My parents are the reason I believe in true love and they are what I look to when I think about possibly falling in love again. I need that kind of love in my life, but not quite yet.

  My siblings were milling around, mostly speaking to the few confused guests we had. Most of the guests we had were senior citizens who were visiting their grandkids, but didn't want to sleep over at their children's house but also wanted something a step above the local motel (which we also owned.) But once we mentioned the annual decorating contest, they understood the madhouse feeling around the bed and breakfast. It had been going on for a long time, just maybe not as big as it was now.

  Clark was also there. I had invited him to come for the judging seeing as he had done a large share of the grunt work. He had brought over a large tray of meats, cheeses, and crackers which was a smart move because if there was one way to win over the Schmidt clan, it was brin
ging munchies to a family event.

  Even Tank was there. Sue had told him he could have an hour off to see the judging before going back to the shop. He stood there in his green apron with a big goofy smile on his face, joking around with Teddy. I was glad to see him back to his old self, even if he did spend most of his time working at one place or another.

  Suddenly, a pickup truck pulled up. It was lined with Christmas lights and in the back were a bunch of folding chairs with the judges sitting on them. If the judges hadn't been police, I'm sure this kind of rig would have been pulled over immediately. But the driver drove slow enough so that everyone remained in their seats with their official clipboards. It was dark, but as they got closer I could see Max sitting towards the back and I gave him a little wave from the window.

  One of the most important rules to remember for the contest was that we were to remain in the house until the truck flashed its lights. Then we would know to come out and we could talk to the judges. Obviously it being a small town, the judges knew who lived in each house. But doing it this way meant it was somewhat fair because you couldn't describe or talk up your design.+698-

  We waited nervously as we watched the judges get out and walk up and down the sidewalk in front of the B&B. The only sound was Tank continually snacking on the platter of food Clark had brought over because this was his dinner break and that meant he had to inhale enough food to get him through to his snack break.

  Finally, the lights on the truck flashed and we all piled outside letting my mother, who was being carefully carried by Tank, Clark, and my father in her wheelchair, lead the way. Once they got to the sidewalk, the men put the chair down on the ground and my mother sat regally surrounded by her family.

  "Hello Mrs. Schmidt," Max said as he stepped forward. "I understand this display was your idea. Could you tell us a little bit about it?"