Cookie exchange executio.., p.12
Cookie Exchange Execution, page 12
“Look at that, Lyla Nell,” Noah says, bouncing her in his arms as he points over to Santa posing with a little girl on his lap while a line of children, about six deep, wait for their turn. “You get to take your picture with Santa today.”
She shouts something at him that sounds like a threat.
Lyla Nell looks adorable with her hair in pigtails, a red and white bow dotting each one. I’ve put her in a red jumper with tiny gold stars, and she looks ready to face the holiday season with all the cuteness she can afford.
A thought hits me. “Ooh, we should have Everett bring Pancake and Waffles by. If Lyla Nell isn’t thrilled about sitting on Santa’s lap on her own, I bet she’d warm up to the idea if she had her two furry best friends with her.” I quickly pull out my phone and shoot Everett a text.
“Good idea,” Noah says. “Have him pick up Toby, too.”
Toby is Noah’s golden retriever, a sweet much-beloved member of the family.
“You bet I will,” I say as I add that little furry tidbit.
Everett texts right back. Will do. I’ll be down in about fifteen minutes.
“Fifteen minutes,” I say mostly to myself as I give a look around at the crowd gathered, every one of them bundled in their winter coats, scarves, and knit gloves. The snow has been groomed, and most of the trees sit under the enormous tents to the right and left. Flocked trees in pink, blue, and lavender sit straight ahead, and Lyla Nell jumps in Noah’s arms as she does her best to reach out and touch them.
“I think we know which one she wants, Lot.” Noah blows a kiss into her neck and Lyla Nell gurgles with laughter.
A sign sits just below the Jolly Holly Tree Lot’s official banner, and it reads Welcome to the Ashford Children’s Hospital Fundraiser! A proceed of all purchases this afternoon go straight to purchasing gifts for children spending Christmas away from home.
“Look at that, Noah,” I point it out. “I guess today’s that big charity event that Tannen was telling us about. The one organized by Dr. North?”
Noah rocks back on his heels as he casts a glance my way. “Lottie Lemon.” He sighs. “You don’t really expect me to believe this was all a coincidence, do you?”
“Why not?” I balk. “I need a tree and this is a tree lot. It’s not my fault it happens to fall on the same day the children’s hospital is scooping up a little cash for themselves to buy a few gifts for kids in need.”
A trio of teenage elves titters among themselves before one of them gasps as she looks this way.
“Lyla Nell!” Evie calls out, dressed in a green wool coat and a headband on that features long sparkly ears. Bright pink circles are painted over the apples of her cheeks, and she has freckles drawn across the bridge of her nose. Evie looks just as stunning as an elf as she does herself. “If it isn’t the elf queen herself.”
“Gigi! Gigi!” Lyla Nell squeals over and over again until she lands in her big sister’s arms.
“Prefect timing,” Evie says as she rocks Lyla Nell in her arms. “They just set up the petting zoo around back. You mind if I take her over?”
“Not at all,” I say, handing her Lyla Nell’s favorite chenille blanket before they take off. No sooner do they leave when a spray of tiny silver stars appears as that ball of celestial trouble herself materializes in her full disembodied glory. “In fact, Noah, why don’t you head over, too, and I’ll meet you there.” I shove the platter of cookies into his hands.
“No way.” He offers me a stern look while trying to give those cookies right back to me. “You’re not speaking to Cole North without me,” he whispers.
“You’re right, I’m not,” I tell him as I lean in. “Jordan Montclair is here,” I whisper. “I just need a second with her. I’ll be right back, I promise.”
I take off after her before he can answer and thread my way into a forest of fresh cut pines as their earthy scent envelops me. A couple of families with small children dart ahead of me, and then I see her toward the back dressed in her jeans and that mint green sweater, the crimson bloom across both her chest and her back.
“Here goes nothing,” I mutter as I make my way over, and manage to catch her by the elbow.
For whatever reason, the ghosts that visit can feel every bit as real when they want to. In the beginning, I couldn’t even hear the poor things, but as my powers grew, it allowed both them and me to experience more of everything. Before I knew it, I could not only hear them, but understand each and every one of them no matter if they were human or animal. Soon, they were able to move things in the material world—a source of some serious trouble. Then lastly, they’ve garnered the ability to eat, which would explain the fact Jordan is currently noshing on a Santa-shaped sugar cookie iced in red and white to look like the portly gift-giver himself.
“It’s from the tree lot.” She holds the cookie my way. “Want a bite? They’re not nearly as good as yours, so you don’t have to worry about the competition.”
“They are mine,” I tell her. “I make deliveries here three times a week.” I pull her deeper into the sea of evergreens. “Jordan.” I sigh as I take her in before pulling her into a brief embrace. “Ivy Fairbanks, Noah’s partner down at the homicide division, found that letter you wrote me.”
It’s true. On Thanksgiving Day, Ivy showed up late that night and handed me an envelope with my name on it. Jordan’s aunt had found it and turned it over in the event it could lead to whoever gunned Jordan down in cold blood.
The long and short of it was, she let me know that if the letter found its way into my hands, that something terrible had happened to her—and boy, was she right about that. And then she went on to apologize for trying to extort money out of Everett by way of doctored nudes that had my face photoshopped onto them. And she finished by letting me know the people who were responsible for her death were dangerous, and that under no circumstances should I try to solve her case.
Fat chance of that happening.
She nods my way, tears glistening in her glowing eyes. “You’re not going to listen to a thing I said in that letter, are you?”
“I accept your apology,” I tell her. “You were my college roommate. You kept trying to get me to join all of your political pursuits, volunteer for your favorite candidates—and I kept trying to get you to bake a cake. We were as close as sisters once.” Before she went to bed with my fiancé—but I leave what I’ve dubbed the New York Disaster out of this for now. Curt and I are friends again, so I don’t see why I can’t be friends with Jordan, too. “I really wish you would have come to me with the truth to begin with.”
“And endanger you and Lyla Nell?” she balks at the thought before taking another bite of her cookie. “No, thank you. Besides, I’ve been spying on you long enough to know you’ve got two other murders clogging up the drain—Everett’s juror, Ronald Herman, and now Dr. North.” She averts her eyes as she says that last part. I know Jordan well enough to realize she has some gossip on the woman. “So where are you with Ronald’s murder?”
“Well, we know for a fact that he probably knew something dirty was going down at the automotive shop where he worked.”
“Ah, I see. And that’s why they sent him packing—to paradise, that is. So what do you think he saw?”
“We think someone might be washing money through the shop. The owner was on the brink of bankruptcy last summer, then all of a sudden he’s able to pay off his lien, and his mortgage, and now he’s a proud sponsor of the charity called the Good Giving Foundation.”
“Good Giving Foundation.” She glances to the ground. “That sounds familiar.”
“You probably heard of it because it belongs to Cormack, that woman obsessed with Noah—or at least it does now that her father, Manchester Featherby, gifted it to her.”
Her eyes flash wide.
“Jordan, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She shudders. “I just remembered why I was here. Chris wanted me to relay a message.”
“Chris?”
She nods. “Chris Kringle is the name of Dr. Destructo, if you can believe it. His name was the reason he got into the mall Santa gig to begin with. He’s actually a really nice guy once you get to know him. A train hit him one day while trying to rescue a kitten. If that doesn’t have nice guy written all over it, then I don’t know what does.”
“Wow. How did the kitten fare?”
“She made it out okay. I guess she had a few spare lives to go. Anyway, he wanted me to talk to you. He plans on coming down and apologizing, himself, for how he behaved last night, but thought I might be able to defuse the situation first. He feels bad. He wants to make peace. He understands now that he has to help you out or he’s never going back to paradise until this murder is solved and he’s anxious to get it over with.”
“That makes two of us. So where is he? He had better not be groping the elves. My daughter happens to be one of them.”
“Duly noted.” A robust man steps from around the evergreen to our right. He’s decked out in full Santa regalia and looks every bit the jolly old elf he’s trying to emulate. His hat sits crooked on his white long curls, and he offers up a crooked smile to go along with it. His face is ruddy, his nose as red as a bulb, and his eyes are the brightest shade of blue. “My sincerest apologies for the chaos I may have caused last night.”
“May have?” I muse. “Did you happen to take a look around before you left?”
He sighs and his ample belly bounces. “I did and it was utter destruction. I can’t apologize enough. My mother raised me better than that. But, in truth, I’ve been a little ornery since I was booted out of paradise and forced to do a little slumming down here again. I thought if I gave you a good scare or made you wish I would leave, that I’d end up flying high once again.”
“Slumming, huh?” I ask. “Paradise must really be paradise.”
“Yes, it is.” He gives a wistful shake of the head. “But lucky for me, I found Jordan here to keep me company.” He pokes her with his elbow and cajoles her into giggling with him.
“All right,” I say. “We all know how she’s keeping you company. Let’s get to the nitty-gritty of who killed Karen North, so I can send you back where you belong.”
He lets out a hard groan. “How I can’t wait to get back to paradise. Lottie, you have no idea how wonderful it is. But, of course, you need to wait your time. Right now, your assignment is right here in Honey Hollow. Be content with that. Not many people are content in life, and they certainly don’t realize they have an assignment. They think their life is dull and boring—that they’re not doing anything significant for mankind, but it’s not true. It’s not true for any one of them.”
“That’s amazing just to think about,” I say.
Jordan nods. “We truly are the work of a master designer. He knows us each by name, and each one of us has a special purpose. But that purpose is never murder.” Her eyes harden. “And that brings us to your purpose. You’re more or less a homicide detective yourself, Lottie. You’re supernaturally chosen to bring justice to those whose time was cut short.”
“I’m glad you brought that up,” I tell her. “Because I happen to want to catch your killer, too.”
She waves me off. “Aren’t you here to question a suspect?”
I take a breath as I look at Chris. “How did you know Karen North?”
“That’s the thing, I didn’t. She was just a kid when she sat on my lap. I gave her a teddy bear, and that was the end of it. I wasn’t anything special to her.”
“I guess she never forgot it,” I say. “Or you. You know even a kind smile can be impactful on a person. That’s exactly why I make sure my employees always say a kind word and give a bright smile to each and every one of our customers.” Suze may not seem to listen, but honestly, I’m starting to think she’s incapable. “Karen’s husband, Cole, is somewhere here on the grounds. And my boyfriend Noah—” I wince.
“Husband,” Jordan corrects. “She’s got two.”
“Ooh,” Chris muses and his ruby red lips knot up like a bow.
“Nevertheless,” I continue. “Noah is Cole’s coworker, so he’s giving us an in. Let’s go.” I lead the way back to the petting zoo where there’s a sign that reads Welcome to the North Pole! Santa’s Petting Zoo is open!
Evie is still holding Lyla Nell tight as the baby watches her feed a reindeer a carrot.
Noah spots me and heads my way. “How did it go?” he asks.
“It’s still going,” I tell him. “They’re both here with me. Jordan and Chris Kringle.” I shrug. “That’s his name,” I whisper as I take up Noah’s hand so he can hear the spirits that abound.
Noah’s brows arch as he looks to my right and left. “Buddy, you’re lucky I can’t see you, or I’d deck you right now.”
Chris belts out a jolly old laugh. “If it makes you feel better, I’d deck myself for the way I’ve been behaving. Now let’s get moving. We’ve got a murder to solve. I’m not missing out on Christmas in paradise.”
“I like the way you think,” Noah says. “Having this case buttoned up before Christmas would be a gift in and of itself. Cole is over by the entry. I’ll lead the way.”
Noah does just that, and sure enough, Cole North stands near the front of the tent with Tannen Drummond by his side. He’s dressed in his deputy duds, tan with a canvas jacket. And Tannen has donned a cream-colored cable knit dress under a cranberry coat she’s thrown over it. At least she’s covered from head to toe this time. Her long dark hair with its pale blonde streaks is coiled down her back, and her pretty polished face is poised at Cole as she whispers something to him and he nods in return.
“Cole North,” Noah says with a friendly smile and the man turns and smiles right back at him.
“Detective.” He pulls Noah in for a quick pat over the back. “What brings you here today?”
“Shopping for a Christmas tree for my family.” He nods my way. “Our baby girl is here with her older sister, checking out the petting zoo. How are you doing, Cole?”
The man gives a pensive nod. His hair is shorn close to his scalp, and his face is covered with a day’s worth of stubble that makes his pale eyes glow. He’s handsome and that might explain why Tannen can’t seem to take her eyes off of him.
Jordan elbows me. “Looks as if that chick is digging what she sees. Believe me, I’m digging it, too. I wouldn’t have cared that he was married. I would have hopped on that train if he let me.” She makes a face. “Just because it’s true, doesn’t mean I’m proud.”
Cole nods as he considers Noah’s question. “I’m doing as best as I can.” He blows out a breath. “Karen put together a fundraiser for the hospital she worked at, so I thought I’d stop by. It’s her last event, and I wanted to be a part of it. I’m sure it sounds silly, I know.”
“Not silly at all,” Noah says as he pulls me close. “Cole, I’m not sure if you remember meeting my wife, Lottie, that night.”
“Oh yes.” He offers a pained smile. “Noah talks about you so much I feel as if I’ve known you forever.” He holds a hand to the woman by his side. “And this is Tannen Drummond. She’s the glue that’s holding this event together today. In fact, there wouldn’t be an event with her.”
“We’ve met,” I say, giving the woman a friendly wave. “And Cole, I’m so very sorry for your loss.”
He gives a solemn nod, accepting my condolences.
The Ghost of Santa Past to my right shrugs my way. “The guy looks genuinely sorry that she’s gone. I’m no expert, but I’d probably wipe him off my suspect list.”
I frown at the thought. If I’ve learned anything in all my years of investigating, it’s that no one gets crossed off the suspect list due to a grieving countenance.
“Detective?” Tannen leans in toward Noah. “How is the investigation going? Cole and I were just discussing how angry we are at whoever thought to take Karen’s life so cruelly, and at the holidays no less. This was her favorite time of year.”
“Nothing new to share so far.” Noah scratches the back of his neck. “I did hear back from forensics, and they confirmed that she had a crushed trachea. I’m sorry, Cole.”
“Geez.” The man closes his eyes for a moment. “I can’t believe someone would be brazen enough to kill her so violently, right there at the sheriff’s department—right under my nose. It’s the definition of foolish.”
Noah takes a breath. “That just goes to show whoever did this must have been blind with rage.”
“Rage?” Santa Chris looks my way. “That’s your lead, Lottie. Start poking around, see if the ex had anything to be rageful about. I’m sorry to say it, but more often than not, the husband did it. I’ve met enough souls in paradise that have been taken before their time to know this is a fact.”
“He’s right,” Jordan whispers. “And too bad for you—you’ve got two husbands you had better not tick off.”
I make a face at her. Although, she does have a point—two points.
“Cole”—I inch forward—“did Karen have anyone angry with her?”
His forehead wrinkles as he shakes his head. “I don’t really know. I mean, she wasn’t getting any threats, no letters, no emails that I’m aware of. She was a pediatrician, for Pete’s sake.”
“How about you, Tannen?” I ask. “You worked closely with her. Has anything else come to mind since we last spoke?”
“Nothing.” She swallows hard as she looks to Noah. “I don’t know if Lottie mentioned it, but someone saw a woman by the name of Virginia Angelo and Dr. North arguing that night. They were saying something about a dark secret.”
“Yeah, she did mention it.” Noah glances my way. “I don’t know anything about a dark secret, but I’ll be honest with you, Cole, someone said they saw you dragging Karen by the arm toward the kitchen.”
