Santa Sleuth (4 page)

“Did you ever find out why Levi didn’t show up at the Santa booth on Saturday?” Jeremy asked.

“No. No one could get hold of him for the entire day, but he did come up to the hospital to see me on Sunday. Physically he looked fine, but based on the stress lines around his eyes and his overall appearance, I can tell he’s seriously worried about something. I tried to get it out of him, but all he would say was that he was working through some stuff and needed his space.”

Jeremy tied a red bow to the top of the tree. “I’m sure he’ll work through whatever it is he needs to deal with.”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “I do feel bad for him, and I feel really bad for Ellie. She seems to be dealing okay, but she has to be on serious overload. I thought I’d try to spend some time with her this weekend. Maybe do the girlfriend thing.”

“That sounds nice, and if you need anything at all just let me know.”

“I will.” I picked up the stack of mail that must have been dropped off just prior to my arrival. I was willing to bet there were several other equally large stacks on my desk. “I’ll be in my office until the kids get here.”

“I’ll let you know when the bus arrives,” Jeremy assured me.

I smiled when I noticed that Jeremy had set up a small tree and strung lights around the window in my office. He was the perfect manager for the Zoo. He was thorough and thoughtful and really seemed to care about each and every one of our animals as much as I did. My new role as a wife and surrogate mom didn’t allow me as much time at the Zoo as I used to spend, but with Jeremy at the helm I knew I need never worry that things weren’t being taken care of as they should be.

By the time the kindergarten class arrived I’d sorted through the mail and cleared the messages on my desk. Charlie was thrilled with all the attention he was receiving from the group of five-year-olds and decided to go on the tour with them and Jeremy. I pulled a tall stool up to the front counter and began jotting down a gift list. I had a lot more people to buy for this year and I’d barely begun my shopping.

Zak was tough. He didn’t really need anything, but he somehow always managed to get me the perfect gift, so I was determined to find the perfect one for him as well. I’d already considered and rejected all the typical gifts such as clothes and electronics. If Zak needed something or even wanted something he bought it for himself. What in the world does one get for the man who already has everything?

Zak’s ward, Pi, wanted new computer equipment, which Zak had promised to track down and purchase. In my opinion Pi already had more stuff than NASA, but he was a computer genius on track to partner up with Zak, and I knew that like my husband, technology couldn’t begin to keep up with his skill level and knowledge base.

Alex wanted new clothes, for which I had been shopping for the past month. She was such a practical girl, who only requested items she actually needed, such as new winter boots and a new coat because she’d outgrown the warm clothes she’d worn last year. I’d purchased these items in addition to some fun new outfits I was certain Alex would love, but I really wanted to find something personal and special for the little girl who had won my heart.

Our third boarder, Scooter, wanted new skis and video games. Unlike Alex, who never asked for
anything
, Scooter had a tendency to ask for
everything.
I supposed in a way this made him the easiest to shop for.

I also needed to find gifts for my sister, Harper, as well as my parents. Harper was still a toddler, so there were any number of items that would be perfect for the adorable child, but my parents were a bit tougher. I really wanted to buy my dad a new fishing boat, and I supposed I could actually afford it now, but I didn’t want it to seem like I was being too extravagant after a lifetime of modest gifts purchased on a limited budget.

Zak had bought my grandpa a new fishing pole and I had found a fantastic patchwork quilt for his girlfriend, Hazel, at the local craft fair. I always get something for Levi and Ellie as well, but so far I had zero ideas this year. Maybe a romantic getaway for them, because Ellie was now unemployed and Levi had a week off every February for winter break. The way things were going, though, I wasn’t sure they’d even be a couple in February. Maybe individual gifts would be a better idea.

“Is your name Zoe?” The same little girl I’d met when I was playing Santa asked after walking into my office. She must be with the school group.

“I am.” I felt bad that in all the death and confusion I’d completely forgotten about poor Cupcake.

“I need you to find Cupcake. Santa said you could help.”

“And I will help if I can. Can you tell me what happened?” I figured it was best not to let on that I was the Santa she had spoken to.

Tabitha explained about the storm and Cupcake getting away. “Can you find her?”

“I can’t promise anything, but I’ll try my very best.”

Tabitha and I talked for a few more minutes. I located her house on the town map and we discussed whether or not Cupcake had a tendency to roam. She assured me that she always stayed in the yard, but the storm must have scared her. By the time we finished talking the tour was over and the chaperone from the school was instructing everyone to file onto the bus. Tabitha had given me her phone number and I’d promised to call her as soon as I had any news.

“Poor kid,” Jeremy said after the bus pulled away.

“Yeah. It’s not going to be easy to find the dog if she’s been gone for over a week already, but I intend to try. I doubt she made it out of the area, but I suppose there’s the possibility that someone from off the mountain saw her on the road and picked her up. Send her photo to all the shelters within a hundred miles and put an ad in the paper. I’m going to print up a stack of flyers and then head out to put them up in all the usual places. If Cupcake is out there we’re going to find her.”

“I want to find the dog as much as you do, but don’t overdo it,” Jeremy cautioned me.

“I won’t,” I promised, even though I suspected I would. Not only did I have a dog to find in order to make a little girl’s Christmas wish come true but I had a murder to solve and a family holiday to prepare for.

“By the way, I wanted to invite you and Morgan to Christmas dinner.” Morgan was Jeremy’s daughter. “Zak is planning to make a big dinner and has been working on the menu for weeks.”

“We’d love to come,” Jeremy answered. “Although I suspect Phyllis might ask me as well.”

Phyllis King was a surrogate grandma of sorts to Morgan and a good friend of Jeremy’s. She was also the principal of the private academy Zak and I run.

“Zak invited Phyllis and the girls to our house,” I informed Jeremy. “My parents and Harper will be back from Switzerland and are coming, as are my grandpa and Hazel. Ellie’s mom is visiting an old friend this year and Levi doesn’t really have any family in town, so they’re coming, too.”

“Sounds like a big group.”

“At last count we have fifteen, but there’s always room for more,” I answered.

“It’s a good thing you and Zak have a big house.”

It really was. When Zak first bought the mansion down the beach from the boathouse where I’d been living, I thought he was crazy to buy such a huge house for one person, but it turned out he was filling it up nicely.

“Can I bring anything?” Jeremy added.

“No, just yourselves. Zak is insisting on taking care of everything.”

Kelly called me just after noon to let me know she was home. I volunteered to pick up lunch for both of us and bring it over to her place. I had a few hours until I had to pick Scooter up from school and I figured there was no time like the present to really dig into the investigation of Jason’s murder. If I didn’t do it and Kelly didn’t do it, I was determined to figure out who did.

“Burgers!” Kelly said when I arrived at her door. “I’m starving. All the hospital wanted to feed me was soft food.”

I looked at Kelly’s face, which was covered in ugly bruises. Her lower lip was still swollen, which I assumed was why she’d been offered only soft food. I remembered seeing Jason hitting her repeatedly, but it wasn’t until I visited her in the hospital that I realized just how badly she had been hurt.

“I got them from the Burger Barn. There are fries as well.”

“I like the hat.”

“Jeremy gave it to me to cover up my bandage.”

Kelly grimaced. I knew she felt bad about the way things had gone down. “Let’s talk while we eat,” she suggested. “You said you had some questions for me and I know you need to pick up Scooter from school, but I want to eat this delicious-smelling sandwich before it gets cold. I’m afraid the only beverage I have to offer is water.”

“Water is perfect.”

Kelly poured us each a glass of tap water and then joined me at the table. She cut her burger into small bites, making it easier to eat.

“So what do you want to know?” she asked.

I cut my own burger in half, took a small bite, chewed, and swallowed before I answered. “I know you said you don’t remember what happened the night of the fire. I don’t really either, although I’ve been having these flashbacks. I think someone else came in while I was arguing with Jason. I can’t remember what the person looked like, but I’m almost certain someone was there. It occurred to me that maybe we should come up with a suspect list.”

“A suspect list?”

“Yeah, a list of who might have wanted Jason dead.”

Kelly chewed slowly while she appeared to be considering my question. “Jason wasn’t a popular guy. He had a temper and he tended to make a lot of enemies. Still, even though he didn’t have many friends, I can’t think of anyone who would be angry enough at him to want to kill him.”

I took a sip of my water before continuing. “That afternoon at the restaurant I noticed Jason was drunk. Do you know where he’d come from?”

“No, not for sure. He didn’t say and I didn’t ask. He used to like to drink at that bar out on the highway; the one near where they’re building the new strip mall. I can’t remember the name, but there’s a big horseshoe on the sign.”

“Lucky’s?”

“That sounds right. I think he started going there when he worked a temp job out at the construction site. I’m not sure why he continued to hang out there—there are a lot of places closer to town—but it did seem to be his bar of choice.”

Lucky’s tended to attract a seedy crowd. I imagined Jason might have been kicked out of a few of the bars closer to town due to his propensity to become mean and belligerent when he drank.

“Do you know of anyone he hung out with?” I asked.

“No. He didn’t like to talk about the things he did when we were apart. He considered his business to be his business.”

I supposed it would be easy enough to head over to the bar to speak to the staff. Maybe Jason had met someone at the bar on the day of the murder. A friend or a colleague.

“Other than hanging out at the bar, what other types of things did Jason like to do?”

Kelly shrugged. “Nothing that I know of. When I first met him he was different. He was working construction for Tyson Gallagher and he seemed to have a close network of friends. He was up front about the fact that he’d had some problems in the past, but he seemed sincere when he told me he was trying to turn his life around, get a fresh start. Things were really good at first. He was kind and funny and we had a wonderful time together.”

“So what changed?”

“He started going out with the guys. At first he’d just have a few beers, but then he began to drink more heavily and when he did, he got mean. Initially he was just verbally abusive, but then he started doing little things, like grabbing my arm or pushing me. I broke up with him a few times, but then he’d clean up his act and ask for another chance, and like a fool, I’d give it to him.”

I finished my burger and wadded up the wrapper. I looked around for the trash can but didn’t see one, so I just put the wrapper in the empty bag.

“When I first met you Jason had just recently lost his job.”

“Yeah. He got fired. I’m not sure what happened. I thought Tyson was happy with his work, but I suppose he might have been causing trouble at work as well as at home. He was really mad about losing his job. At the time I was afraid he was going to do something to retaliate, but as far as I know he never did.”

“Did Jason have any friends in the area who he might have socialized with in recent months?”

“There was a guy he used to mention. His name was Bill, or maybe it was Billy. I don’t know his last name. I think they hung out sometimes.”

I added
find out who Bill is
to the mental list of things to follow up on that I’d begun to make.

“I know you told me in the past that Jason had other temp jobs. Do you remember who with?”

“He worked cleanup on that big house they built down by the lake last summer, and I know he did a job hanging sheetrock for those apartments north of town.”

I made a note of both. “Anything else?” I asked.

Kelly sat back, deep in thought. Then a strange look came over her face before she responded. “There is something.” Kelly took a deep breath. “I think Jason might have been cheating on me. I could never prove it and he denied it when I asked him, but I got the feeling he had a thing going on with the tall redhead who works at that store in town that sells seasonal items.”

“Tina Littleton?” I asked.

“I don’t know. I never asked her name, but I noticed him noticing her more than once when we crossed paths, and when I went into the store to buy a Halloween costume, she got all flustered when I started a conversation with her while she checked me out.”

Tina Littleton was the only tall redhead who worked at the store, so I figured it must be her.

“Do you think they might have been seeing each other while you were broken up this last time?”

“Maybe. I know he was seeing someone. He told me as much. He wanted to be sure I knew he could do just fine without me.”

I frowned. “If he was seeing someone else why do you think he wanted to get back together with you?”

“I’ve been thinking about that a lot over the past few days and I’ve come to realize that my relationship with Jason was based on some sort of obsession on both our parts. We didn’t really even like each other, but for some reason we both felt compelled to be together. My sister wants me to get counseling. After what’s happened I think I might. I don’t ever want to become involved in a relationship like I had with Jason again.”