As much as the three of us didn't want to admit it, the rest of the drive to the Kawarthas was an uncomfortable one at best.

  IN A BID TO MAKE SURE Phil wouldn't be triggered by my cottage's proximity to the racetrack and slot machine facility on the southern outskirts of Peterborough, I decided to take a back route on my way to the cottage. The course took us through the small town of Millbrook where there was a reasonably-sized grocery store, and other shops. While there was the smaller hamlet of Bewdley closer to my vacation dwelling, the corner store didn't have as vast a selection of grocery items needed for the festive meal I was planning to cook for the four of us. I made mention of this to my traveling companions, so if either of them wanted to pick up anything of note, they knew what the shopping options were. After getting a few bags of groceries, and squeezing them into my trunk with the rest of our luggage, we continued along the side roads to my modest cottage on Rice Lake.

  As we pulled down the snow-covered dirt road to my cottage, we noticed some bright lights in the distance. However, these weren't the normal colors of holiday lights one might come to expect, but those from a patrol car. We drove further down the road, and saw the patrol car was parked in front of the home of my neighbor, Maggie MacPhearson. We pulled into my driveway, and went next door to investigate. I asked Phil to take Benny for a walk while Jessica and I paid Maggie a visit. Phil appreciated the offer, as it gave him a chance to stretch his legs.

  We entered the residence, and found Maggie sobbing in her living room, her Christmas tree laid bare, and one of the two officers was questioning her.

  "Maggie," I interrupted, "what happened?"

  "Excuse me, sir," one of the Constables queried. "But, who are you?"

  I identified myself. "Detective Gary Celdom, Toronto P.D. I own the cottage next door to Miss MacPhearson's. This is my partner, Detective Jessica Amerson."

  The Constable identified himself. "My apologies, Detectives. I'm Constable Jenner of the Ontario Provincial Police—Bewdley Detachment, and this is my partner, Constable Kassian."

  "We didn't mean to intrude, Constable," Jessica explained. "We just came up from Toronto, and saw the lights of your patrol car. Is everything alright?"

  Maggie broke through her sobs. "Not really," she said. "My home was broken into, and all of my Christmas presents were stolen."

  CHAPTER 3

  CONSTABLES JENNER AND Kassian interviewed the three of us to get our sides of the story; although, there wasn't much information they could get from Jessica and myself. After the interview, the Constables gave us their cards, and left the scene. When things had settled down for a bit, I helped fix some coffee for us. I returned with the steaming mugs, and took a seat with the ladies in Maggie's living room. My seasonal neighbor was still shaken up from the events.

  "So, whoever did this cleaned you out?" Jessica asked.

  "Yes, Detective Amerson," Maggie replied.

  "Please, call me 'Jessica'," my partner insisted.

  "Sorry, Jessica," Maggie apologized. "I was running some errands in town, and came home to find everything underneath my tree was stolen."

  I began to worry. "They didn't take Biscuit, too, did they?" I queried.

  Maggie shook her head. "No, thank goodness," she said. "The errand was actually a vet visit for her. She has a clean bill of health, but right now, I'm a nervous wreck."

  I nodded. "Understandably so," I noted.

  Jessica leaned towards me, and whispered, "Who is Biscuit?"

  I whispered back, "Maggie's 2-year old Pomeranian."

  After I explained Maggie's animal companion to Jessica, Biscuit came toddling in from Maggie's bedroom, yipping all the way. I presumed Maggie kept her penned up in there while she was being interviewed by the Constables, so as not to disrupt the interview. Upon seeing Biscuit, my partner fell in love with the adorable pup.

  "Oh," Jessica cooed, "she is a cutie."

  Maggie nodded. "Yes," she added. "She's been my pride and joy ever since I got her."

  "I can see why you would be upset if the thief, or thieves, took her," my partner mused. "Did you get her from the Humane Society?"

  "If I may interject here," I said. "Maggie volunteers for a dog rescue shelter out in Manitoba."

  "It's true," my neighbor affirmed. "All of the dogs I have owned were one-time residents at the shelter."

  "That's quite a noble cause you support," Jessica observed.

  "It is," Maggie replied. "I also help out by creating various promotional materials for them. So, they're appreciative of my work."

  The three of us continued to chat for a while, then there was a knock upon Maggie's door. I was asked to get up to answer it because Maggie was still antsy about the earlier events, and Biscuit was yipping at whomever was standing outside. When I opened the door, my writing friend stood before me.

  "Hi, Phil," I greeted.

  "Hey, Gary," he reported. "I finished walking Benny, and he's resting back at your cottage. Is everything alright in here?"

  "Who is it, Gary?" Maggie asked.

  "It's my friend who came up with us for the holiday," I informed.

  "Well, don't just let him stand out in the cold," my neighbor requested. "Tell him to come on in for a spell."

  I ushered Phil into Maggie's abode, and he appreciated the invite. "It's a nippy evening out there," he said, "But, such as the case when you're walking a pet by a lake in Cottage County."

  "You own a dog, too?" Maggie asked.

  Jessica clarified, "No, he was walking Gary's husky for him while we were over here."

  I recognized the two had not been introduced. "Oh, how rude of me," I apologized. "Maggie MacPhearson, this is Phil Bennett."

  "Tis a pleasure to meet you, Maggie," Phil said, extending his hand.

  Maggie smiled, and shook my friend's hand. "Likewise, I'm sure," she replied.

  Biscuit stopped yipping when Phil introduced himself. The writer offered his hand to the Pomeranian, and after sniffing it, Biscuit began to lick it.

  "I guess she accepts you," I observed.

  "Really?" Phil doubted. "I thought she might be intimidated by my size."

  Maggie smiled. "Nope," she said. "She likes you."

  "She is quite adorable, I do admit," the writer smiled back before breaking into a cooing voice while petting Biscuit. "Who's a pretty girl?"

  Jessica noticed there was a faint sparkle in Maggie's eye when she met Phil. My partner looked at me with a raised eyebrow. Me, being a typical male, didn't pick up on it; then again, neither did Phil.

  "I hate to end our visit," I said. "But, I better head back to my cottage and feed Benny. He must be starving by now."

  "Are you sure you're going to be alright here, Maggie?" my partner asked.

  Maggie nodded. "I'll be fine, thanks," she replied.

  Jessica reached into her purse, and handed Maggie one of her business cards. "If you need anything," she said, "feel free to give me, or Gary, a call."

  "Or, you can just pop over anytime, if we're in," I clarified.

  Maggie began to relax. "Thanks, you guys," she appreciated. "Knowing you're nearby will make me rest easier."

  "Nice meeting you, Maggie," Phil commented.

  The three of us left the abode, and Maggie beamed a smile. She said to herself, "I think you'll be seeing me again later this week, Phil Bennett."

  WHEN WE RETURNED TO my cottage, Benny was there to greet us. I made my way to the kitchen to fetch my husky his dinner. Phil moved his luggage into his room, and Jessica took a seat on my living room couch. Once Benny was fed, I started preparing dinner for myself and my boarders for the next few days.

  Jessica called out to me, "Maggie seems like a nice woman."

  "She is," I replied. "She's been living next door to me for a few years now. She doesn't poke her head out much; just goes to work, then stays in her place for most of the time."

  "The poor thing," my partner commented. "She seems like she needs some companionship."

  "What do you mean?" I asked. "Maggie has Biscuit to keep her company."

  Jessica got up and walked towards the kitchen. "You know what I mean, Gary," she said. "I think she might benefit more with some human interaction."

  "Now, Jessica," I cautioned. "I'm happy with the woman I'm with now. You're not going to pawn me off on my neighbor."

  Jessica rolled her eyes, as she stood in the doorway. "I don't mean you, you bonehead. I'm talking about Phil."

  A familiar ghostly apparition appeared, and sat at the kitchen table. "You noticed it, too, Jessica?" Karen asked.

  My partner nodded. "I certainly did," she affirmed.

  I was confused. "What the hell are you two talking about?" I asked.

  "Oh, come on, Gary," Karen said, "You didn't notice how Maggie was looking at Phil when he was petting Biscuit? She saw something in him that she liked."

  I turned to my girlfriend. "Was that why you shot me that look over at her place?" I quizzed.

  "Well, duh!" Jessica quipped. “It was that look of... well, I don't think I would call it 'love at first sight', but it was definitely a 'like'."

  I tried to wrap my head around what the women were saying. "Hold on, now," I stammered. "Are you saying that Maggie is smitten with Phil?"

  "I don't think it has developed that far yet," Karen corrected. "But, I do think she is harboring an interest in him."

  Phil returned from his room to investigate what was going on. "You two having a chat with Gary's former fiancée?"

  While Phil knew of Karen's existence, he still could not see or hear her. She had only revealed herself to myself and Jessica, with the latter occurring during the hostage situation where I was reunited with Phil three years before. It was during that case, Karen advised my partner to commence a personal relationship with me, and we had been involved ever since.

  "We kind of were," I confirmed.

  "Was it about the situation at Maggie's?" he asked.

  I nodded. "It was," I replied.

  We filled Phil in on what had happened, and how it appeared Maggie and Biscuit would be spending Christmas without any gifts to give to their loved ones. The notion brought a bit of sadness to the writer. Like myself, he believed no one should spend the holidays without anything to give. It was something he regretfully experienced himself.

  He told Jessica and me a story of when he was in the grips of his illness. Phil had gambled away all of the money he had set aside for presents for his family. It was an act which made him realize he needed help, so he sought counseling for his addiction. He has had his ups and downs since then; the most notable was his relapse when Jessica and I picked him up after he was ejected from the off-track horse betting facility in the Beaches. The relapse occurred six months after the Christmas present gambling binge. Phil had been clean since, but like any addict the illness never goes away completely. That was why we brought him up here, in hopes we could curtail any urges he might have had by being alone at home.

  "I wish there was something we could do to help her out," I said.

  "I know this would be wrong for me to suggest this because I know you two are on vacation," Phil remarked.

  "Oh, no," Jessica interrupted. "No, no, no. I'm not going to spend my time off working on a case."

  "I'm not saying you'd have to do it directly," the writer explained. "I know the Bewdley Detachment of the O.P.P. have dibs on the case, and they might be sensitive about their toes being stepped on. However, if you could assist in the investigation..."

  "Absolutely not!" Jessica objected. "I didn't come all the way here to work during the holidays. If I wanted to do that, I would've stayed at home, and I'm sure Gary agrees with me, right?"

  I thought about it for a second. "Well...," I started.

  "Oh, God," Jessica cringed. "You're seriously considering this, aren't you?"

  "Not entirely," I stumbled. "Yes, Maggie is my friend and neighbor, and she does need help in retrieving her stolen gifts if they can even be recovered at all. However, we both agreed to come up here in a bid to get away from the beat. If we spent the few days we have away from the Division to work on a case the local authorities might not allow us to assist in, it would seem moot."

  Phil shook his head in disbelief. "You know," he stated, "Peter Grossman's character would've leapt at Maggie's case; much to the chagrin of Cal Kenneth Robbins' character."

  I shot a look at my friend. "Look, Phil," I accused. "I know you're a fan of Northern Winds, but that's a television series; this is a real life case here. As much as Maggie is my neighbor and friend, I'm not willing to stick my neck out for her like a fictional federal police officer."

  Phil turned away in a huff, and proceeded to walk out of the kitchen. He stopped at the doorway, turned to me, and said, "You know, Gary, I thought you were an honorable detective; willing to help out the common civilian. But now, all I see is just another union employee who is only in it for himself. I'll be in my room." Phil marched down the hallway, with Benny following him, and slammed his bedroom door shut.

  So far, my plans for a quiet week away with those I cared about had gotten off to a rocky start.

  CHAPTER 4

  JESSICA AND I SAT IN the living room of my cottage, and we were both furious. Phil had accused both of us of 'being a couple of union employees who were only looking out for ourselves.' After everything we had done to make him feel welcome up here, he went and pointed a judgmental finger at my partner and me just because we weren't willing to help track down the person—or persons—responsible for breaking into Maggie's place, stealing her Christmas gifts in the process. While Karen was quick to point out Phil had only accused me of being a unionized toady, Jessica took umbrage to the writer's accusations; implying she had the same beliefs.

  "I'm as upset as you are, Jessica," I said. "For him to insinuate we're not willing to do our duty because we're on holiday is uncalled for."

  The specter got up from her seat. "To be honest," Karen noted, "you're not willing to do your duty."

  Jessica and I blinked. "Excuse me?" I asked.

  "Think about it, you two," my former fiancée explained. "An officer's credence is 'to serve and protect'. Maggie needs help in finding out who stole her Christmas away from her. Now, I have no doubt the Bewdley Detachment O.P.P. can do their job; however, if they can get some additional assistance by a couple of out-of-town detectives who happen to be in the area, that might expedite the capture of the thief, or thieves, and the recovery of the missing wares."

  Jessica and I looked at each other, and we both nodded in agreement. Karen was right in her accusation; we weren't doing our civil duty. After some further contemplation, we decided to visit the O.P.P. detachment in Bewdley in the morning to offer our assistance on the case. There was no guarantee it would be accepted, but it was the least we could do. However, there was one person we needed to inform of our decision, and Jessica and I hoped we could iron things out with him from earlier.

  I KNOCKED ON PHIL'S door. "Phil," I requested, "could we talk for a moment?"

  "It's your cottage," he spat. "Do whatever the hell you want."

  I opened the door, and both Jessica and I entered.

  After a pregnant pause, the writer continued to fume. "Well, you two wanted to say something?"

  "Look, Phil," Jessica started. "We know you were upset about our initial decision not to help out on the investigation over at Maggie's place, but Gary and I talked it over, and we've decided to offer our assistance."

  Phil still doubted us. "This isn't some lip service the two of you are giving me, is it?" he asked.

  "Nope," I confirmed. "Karen talked to us about it, and she pointed out we were being selfish in our original assessment. We weren't living up to our duty, so after some discussion, we decided to lend a hand in the investigation, if the guys in Bewdley allow us to. We'll be going out there in the morning to hopefully discuss the case."

  Phil hung his head and sighed. "I guess I should apologize for what I said," he commented.

  "It wouldn't hurt," I suggested. I felt a ghostly smack upside the back of my head after speaking those words. "Sorry," I continued, "that came out wrong."

  "No, no," Phil corrected. "I deserve that. I don't blame you two for being upset with me. I said what I did out of spite, and for that, I apologize. It's just that with Maggie being your neighbor, I thought you would've leapt at the chance to help her out; just like you've helped me in the past."

  "Phil, buddy," I stated, "I've had to clean up my act quite a bit over the recent months at work. You don't know how much I've crossed the line by not following proper protocol."

  Jessica nodded. "It's true," she added. "It's a surprise our supervisors have allowed Gary to stay on for as long as he has. I'm sure Lt. Davies has a hand in keeping him on, but Gary is still a work in progress."

  Phil chuckled. "Kind of like me, to a degree," he mused. "Me with my gambling, and Gary with him following procedure."

  "I guess you could argue that," I replied. "But, be it as it may, we realized the error in our thinking, and I just hope we can spend the rest of the holiday without any further animosity between the three of us."

  The writer nodded. "I'd like that," he said. "Now, what about dinner? I'm famished."

  I laughed, and Jessica rolled her eyes with a chuckle. The three of us made our way back to the kitchen, and I prepared a reasonable meal for the three of us. We didn't let on about Maggie's possible infatuation with Phil; figuring he would find out by himself in due time. However, if it takes him as long as it did about me finding about Jessica's interest in her partner, Phil might not clue in until we were ready to return to Toronto.

  CHAPTER 5

  THE NEXT DAY, JESSICA and I made our way to the O.P.P. detachment in Bewdley. Once there, we met with the commanding officer, Sgt. Betchel. As I had first thought, he didn't seem too enthused with the idea of two out-of-town detectives assisting with the case. However, after we explained to him we would do our best not to step on the toes of Constables Jenner and Kassian during the investigation, Sgt. Betchel accepted our offer, albeit reluctantly.

 

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