Silent Knife (A Celebration Bay Mystery) (4 page)

There was a festive mood in the air even though it was way too cold for Liv’s taste. Whiskey got an extra treat from Dolly, who had begun making specialty dog biscuits, which Sharise sold from the Woofery.

Liv hurried down the sidewalk, thinking of her nice double-shot latte growing cold in the frigid morning. Several times she had to slow down for Whiskey to show off his bow tie. She stopped to peer in the window of Trim a Tree. It was dark inside, and she couldn’t tell if the North Pole niche had been taken down. She made a mental note to check as soon as the store opened. If Santa was still there, she’d have to call Bill Gunnison to have Grace or the Santa, or both, evicted.

Fortunately, the sheriff, who suffered from sciatica, was standing tall these days, and Liv crossed metaphorical fingers that he would stay that way through the holidays. Even with the new security force she’d hired, she depended on Bill for crowd control and safety issues.

She climbed the town hall steps, and balancing pastries, coffee, and Whiskey’s leash, she opened the door and entered the building in a swirl of windblown snow. She was attempting to turn the knob of the office door when it opened.

Ted was dressed in a green button-down shirt and a Santa tie beneath a fire-engine-red vest. He leaned over and patted his knees.

Well trained by her dog and her assistant, Liv dropped Whiskey’s leash.

Whiskey darted over to rest his paws on Ted’s knees while Ted yodeled, “Who’s my favorite daw-aw-awg?”

“Aroo-roo-roo.”

“Daw-aw-awg.”

“Aroo.”

Ignoring this morning ritual, Liv placed the pastries and tea on Ted’s desk and took her latte and laptop into her office. She sat at her desk as the noise from the outer office changed to a duet of “Aroo-roo-roo, roo-roo-roo . . .”

Ted was teaching Whiskey to sing “Jingle Bells.”

*

The day passed in a blur, with last-minute details to attend to, disasters to be averted, and ruffled feelings to be soothed. By four o’clock, traffic had been diverted and the streets around the square were cordoned off for pedestrians. At six o’clock, Santa’s wagon and two reindeer had arrived from Dexter’s Nursery and Landscaping and were parked in back of the post office where Santa would begin his parade.

At six forty-five, Liv and Ted were standing with the crowd on the green waiting for the festivities to begin.

“You’re sure the TAT Santa is gone,” Liv said.

“Yes, I checked three times today. No Santa, no North Pole sign, no tacky throne. Stop worrying.”

“Security is in place.”

“Yes.”

“And the—”

“Done.”

“You don’t know what I was going to say.”

“Doesn’t matter, it’s done.”

Liv laughed. “Sorry, but there are so many . . . amateurs involved.”

“Relax, here comes the choir. I still think you should have brought Whiskey.”

“And have you two burst into song at the tree lighting? I think he’ll be happy with the Zimmermans. They’re watching from the warmth and comfort of the bakery. I’m sure he’s already stuffed with treats.”

The singers filed down the park sidewalk toward the risers set up near the tree. They were dressed in red and green and striped elf hats.

Liv also spotted several members of the security team in the crowd. Feeling easier, she took a breath and turned back to the stage. Next to her, Ted was frowning.

“What?” she asked, immediately alarmed and automatically switching into action mode.

He was searching the choir as it climbed the bleachers. “I don’t see Penny Newland.”

“Maybe she couldn’t get a babysitter.”

“She lives with her parents. I hope she’s not sick. The
Messiah
sing-along is next week and she’s one of the soloists.”

“Do you think Grace is making her work late?”

“That would be just like her. I have half a mind to—”

“Look, she’s here.”

Penny Newland pushed her way through the crowd and joined the end of the line where the choir director was waiting for her with a spare elf hat.

“Sorry,” Penny huffed. She crammed the hat on the top of her head and hurried past the basses and tenors and altos to squeeze into her place on the risers with the other sopranos.

“Whew,” Liv said. “One problem solved.”

But it wasn’t to be the last.

Several carols later, just as the choir ended “Here We Come A-Wassailing,” Liv’s walkie-talkie buzzed. She moved back in the crowd so she could hear better. “Liv here.”

“It’s Dex.” Dexter Kent’s voice came over in a burst of breath drowning out the beginning of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” “I’m behind the post office with the wagon and the reindeer, but Hank isn’t here. And the wagon is due to start in”—another huff of breath—“three minutes.”

Liv mouthed a word that was not appropriate for the festive surroundings. “I thought he checked in.”

“He did. A half hour ago, then he went down to Pyne Bough Gifts where he was going to change into his Santa suit. He uses their stockroom as a base every year. He’s not there and he hasn’t come back here.”

“I’m on my way.” Liv slipped back to where Ted was standing. “Santa’s AWOL.”

“No way.”

“I’m going over there.”

“I’ll tell the choir to keep singing until we give them the word and I’ll follow you.” Ted took off toward the stage and the unlit tree.

Liv headed down the path toward the street. She nodded to the sheriff, Bill Gunnison, who was talking to A.K. Pierce, the head of the security agency, while they kept Main Street clear of pedestrians for the parade—if Santa returned in time. She was crossing the street in front of the bookstore when her walkie-talkie crackled.

“Dex here. Hank’s back. He’s suited up. We’re ready to go.”

“Thanks. I’ll tell Ted to cue the choir.”

She radioed Ted the message and hurried back to his side.

“Nothing but fun and games,” Ted told her as the choir broke into “Here Comes Santa Claus.”

The crowd turned as one toward the street. One spotlight shone past the bakery, coffee exchange, and stores to catch Hank Ousterhout standing in the back of a wagon driven by Dexter Kent and pulled by two reindeer.

The crowd broke into applause as Santa waved and threw candy. Dexter stopped the wagon at the curb, and two of his employees ran to hold the reindeer in place while the mayor helped Hank down to the street.

“Ho, ho, ho!” Hank boomed as he was escorted to the stage where a group of children, wreathed in smiles, awaited him.

“He’s perfect,” Liv said.

“Uh-huh,” said Ted.

Mayor Worley stepped up to the microphone. “Santa has arrived, and he and children from the Celebration Bay Community Center will now light the tree. Let the festivities begin!”

Santa leaned over the light box, and the children piled their hands on top of his. Hank pulled the switch, and the tree burst into a hundred-foot cone of light. All around the square businesses lit their windows. The choir began to sing “O Tannenbaum.”

“Oohs” and “ahs” rose in a cloud of amazement. And it
was
amazing, just a perfect, glorious moment with the towering tree surrounded by a solid ring of light.

Liv looked again. Almost a solid ring. One store was dark, standing out like a missing tooth in a perfect smile.

“I’m going to kill her,” Liv said and struck off toward Trim a Tree.

By the time Liv reached the front door to the Trim a Tree shop, the choir was singing “Silent Night” as the crowd began to disperse to one of the free cider stations or into one of the many shops, restaurants, and cafés.

Liv peered in the TAT window. The store was dark and looked deserted. Only a dim light from the back helped differentiate the cones of artificial trees that clogged the space. Liv knocked on the front door.

“Anybody in there?” asked Ted, coming up behind her.

“Doesn’t look like it.”

“Wait, did something move?” Liv cupped her hands and peered into the window. She knocked again. “Grace, are you in there? I know you’re in there. Come to the door.”

“Let’s try the back.”

Fred Hunnicutt, as round and pleasant as his wife Dolly, was manning the crosswalk, his orange Day-Glo vest shining under the streetlamps. “Is there a problem?” he called out as Ted and Liv hurried past.

“Only that the Trim a Tree store stayed dark when everyone else turned on the lights,” Ted said.

Fred shook his head. “I saw. That woman is going to make life here very uncomfortable for herself if she doesn’t get a better attitude, and soon. People won’t put up with someone who doesn’t enter into the festivities.”

“Starting with me.” Liv headed down the pedestrian throughway, followed by Ted. A larger delivery alley ran behind the row of stores, where Dumpsters were shared by the businesses and emptied weekly.

Liv slid on a patch of ice as she rounded the corner. Ted grabbed her by each elbow.

“Steady now. You don’t want to break something before you can give Grace Thornsby a piece of your mind.”

Liv slowed down, grabbing at the edges of her temper. It wouldn’t do to let her anger get the best of her. You never won a screaming match. So even though she felt like letting the manager of TAT have it with both barrels, she took a breath, mustered her killer-but-calm Manhattan power-face, and proceeded at a more dignified pace, past a Dumpster and a pile of broken-down boxes, and stopped at the back entrance of Trim a Tree.

She knocked, received no answer. Four doors down, Dolly came out of the bakery carrying a black garbage bag. “Liv, Ted, is that you? What’s going on?”

“Nothing to worry about,” Ted assured her. “The TAT lights stayed dark. We’ve come to rectify the situation.”

Liv knocked harder, called out, “Ms. Thornsby, are you in there?”

Dolly dumped her trash and came hurrying down to meet them. “Do you think she did it on purpose, or is something wrong?”

An icicle shot up Liv’s spine. “Ms. Thornsby. Grace!” This time she didn’t knock but shook the door handle. It turned in her hand and the door opened.

She exchanged looks with Ted.

He frowned and stepped past her, pushed the door wide, and stepped into the darkness. “Anyone here?” Silence.

“What’s he doing?” Dolly asked, her arms crossed over her holiday apron to ward off the cold.

Liv shrugged. Something inside the store clattered to the ground. Seconds later an orange blur shot out the door. Liv jumped back. “The cat,” she said. “Good grief. Do you see him?”

Dolly stepped back into the alley and looked into the shadows cast by the parking lot fence. “There he is, over by that Dumpster, down there near the Pyne Bough.”

The door of the bakery opened and Ida Zimmerman’s head poked out. “Dolly, what’s taking you so long? Do you need help?”

Dolly waved. “Over here. I—”

The cat darted out of the shadows and tore torn down the alley. As he passed the bakery, a sharp bark resounded from inside. Before Liv could yell to Miss Ida to stop him, Whiskey shot out of the bakery in hot pursuit.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get him.” Miss Ida took off after the animals. Edna looked out. “Ida, what the heck are you doing?”

“Don’t slip on the ice!” Dolly yelled after her. “Edna, can you watch the bakery until I get back?”

Edna nodded and went back inside and shut the door. Dolly took off after Miss Ida, Whiskey, and the cat.

“Careful,” Liv yelled after her and reached for her walkie-talkie. “Fred, can you have everyone on the lookout for Whiskey and Grace Thornsby’s cat? They’re headed toward the south of the square. Miss Ida and Dolly have gone after them.”

She stepped inside the store. “Ted?”

She passed a small storeroom, which was the source of the small patch of light, then groped through the dark into the main part of the store. “Ted.”

“Just a minute I’m looking for the light switch. Ah.”

The lights jumped on.

Liv blinked against the sudden brightness. Then blinked again. One of the artificial trees had toppled over and lay on its side. Broken ornaments littered the floor.

Standing over it was Penny Newland, unmoving, her mouth agape.

Liv didn’t envy her. Paying for those broken ornaments would cost her more than her salary, which still didn’t explain why the Christmas lights weren’t on. Obviously Penny couldn’t have done it, because she’d been singing at the tree lighting. Though she must have left the singing early when she saw the lights fail to come on. She’d managed to get back to the store before Ted and Liv. But where was Grace Thornsby?

Penny’s mouth closed, then opened. “Shoes,” she said.

“Shoes?”

“Shoes.”

Ted left the light switch and went to stand by Penny’s side. “Honey? What are you talking about?”

Penny jabbed her finger toward the tree.

Ted’s eyes bulged. “Oh damn. Grace?”

“What?” Liv squeezed past the fallen tree and looked down. There on the ground, sticking out from beneath the tree, were two black boots. She could see glimpses of their owner through the branches. At least now they knew why no one had turned on the lights at the Trim a Tree shop.

Ted grabbed hold of the tree, lifted it off the body, and thrust it to the side.

It wasn’t Grace.

It was a man, dressed in khaki pants and a long-sleeve beige shirt. Blood covered his collar and spread across his chest. His neck was covered in blood, almost hiding the slash across his throat. His eyes were partly opened, but they were long past seeing anything. And he looked familiar.

“It’s Phil,” Penny said quietly, sounding confused.

The TAT Santa. Liv hadn’t recognized him at first without his costume.

“Ah crap,” said an exasperated voice from behind them. Liv didn’t have to turn around to know who it belonged to. The editor of the
Celebration Bay Clarion
sounded totally exasperated.

“What are you doing here?” Liv asked. It was the last thing she needed to know, but it was the first thing that came to her mind.

“I heard Santa lost his suit. I thought it would make a good human interest story.” Chaz Bristow stepped past her, revealing Fred Hunnicutt behind him.

“I just came to tell you they found Whiskey,” Fred said. “They’re still looking for—Whoa! What happened? Shouldn’t somebody do CPR?”

“Too late for that,” Chaz answered over his shoulder from where he squatted down to look at the body.

“Are you sure?” Liv asked.

“I’m sure. You might want to get Bill Gunnison in here.”

Ted got out his walkie-talkie.

Dolly came through the door. “Fred, are you in here? Did you tell them we found—”

Fred put an arm out, stopping her from coming any closer.

“It was an accident, right?” Liv asked.

Chaz stood up and gave her a look, half-resigned, half-incredulous. “No,” he said.

Fred tried to stand in front of Dolly. “Dolly, you shouldn’t be seeing this. Why don’t you go on back to the bakery?”

“I’m not leaving you here alone. And what about Penny? Penny, honey? Are you all right?”

The girl looked up at Dolly, then sank to the ground. Chaz just managed to catch her before she hit the floor.

“Poor thing, she’s fainted,” Dolly said, eluding Fred’s grasp. “Here, Chaz , take her over to that chair behind the counter.”

Chaz rolled his eyes but hoisted the girl into his arms and followed Dolly just as Bill Gunnison, accompanied by A.K. Pierce, the head of Bayside Security, hurried into the room.

“What’s going on here? Where did all you people come from?”

Before anyone could answer, Bill saw the body. He waited while the head of security knelt down, checked for a pulse, then stood up shaking his head.

“Okay,” Bill said. “Everybody, just step back and stay calm. Dare I ask if anyone touched him?”

They all shook their heads.

“Well, that’s progress.” Bill stepped closer to the dead Santa. “Guess I better get the medical examiner in here. And a crime scene wagon.”

“Crime scene?” exclaimed Dolly.

“I don’t suppose there were any witnesses.”

Everyone shook their heads again, then looked at Penny, who was slumped against Dolly’s shoulder.

She shook her head spasmodically.

Liv could only stare at the body.

“Close your mouth,” Chaz said. “You remind me of a fish, and then I start thinking about how long it is until the season reopens instead of wondering how you get yourself embroiled in murder all the time.”

“I do not.”

“And don’t get all pissy, and don’t step on my foot like you did the last time you were minding someone else’s business. I have boots on and you might hurt yourself.”

“I said I was sorry.”

He grinned, a grossly inappropriate expression considering the gruesome spectacle in front of them. “You did. But I didn’t believe you.” His eyes were teasing. And really blue. He winked and she found herself smiling in spite of the tragedy.

“Can any of you identify the, uh, him?” the sheriff asked.

“He’s the TAT Santa,” Liv said. “And Grace Thornsby said he would be gone by this morning.”

“And he is,” Chaz said in her ear.

“Stop it.” Liv stepped away. How could the man be so callous?

“Where is she?”

“That’s why we’re here,” Ted said. Compared to Chaz, he sounded like the voice of reason. “The store remained dark during the tree lighting, and Liv and I came over to see what the problem was. Grace wasn’t here. I turned on the lights. And there he was.” He stopped, frowned, glanced over at Penny. “Penny was here.”

“Penny, do you know what happened?”

Penny shook her head.

“You didn’t see or hear anything strange?”

“I wasn’t here,” she said in a barely audible voice.

“She was singing in the choir,” Dolly volunteered, and patted the girl’s hand.

“And no one has seen Grace Thornsby?”

“No,” Ted told him. “At least—we didn’t look.”

They all moved at once.

“Just stay put,” Bill said.

“She isn’t here.” Penny’s voice was thin and frightened.

“Do you know where she is?”

“No. But she called just before she was supposed to come in so I could go sing. She said something had come up and she wouldn’t be able to make it.” Penny shuddered. Hiccupped.

Dolly gave her a squeeze.

“But you did sing?”

Again that jerky nod. Liv was afraid the girl might be going into shock. After all, it looked like she had discovered the body, or at least the shoes. Liv felt an insane giggle about to erupt. She coughed it away.

Bill frowned at her.

“Phil was waiting for Grace so she could give him his paycheck. Liv and Ted said he couldn’t work here. I told him I was supposed to sing, everybody was counting on me, and he said to go on and he’d mind the store until I got back.” She shot an anguished look at Liv. “Then . . .”

Now that she was talking, she couldn’t seem to stop.

“I told him just what to do when it was time to turn on the lights. I wrote down the cue and everything. He said he would do it and not to worry. When the tree was lit and the store didn’t light up, I ran back here. I didn’t even wait for “Silent Night.”

“So you were the first to discover the body?” Bill asked.

“Sort of. I guess I did.”

The sheriff’s eyes narrowed. “Penny, how did you get here before Ted and Liv?”

Penny looked around as if she wasn’t sure where she was. “I came in the front. The door was unlocked because the store was supposed to be open as soon as the lights went on and Phil was here. I ran in to see why the lights weren’t on and I tripped on the tree. It was on the ground. And then I could see that Phil was under it. Grace is going to fire me for sure.” She burst into tears.

Dolly put her arms around the girl and glared at the sheriff. “Bill Gunnison, don’t be so mean, the girl’s had a fright. It’s not her fault that the tree fell on the poor man.”

“Now, Dolly,” Fred began.

Several security people and police officers came into the store.

Chaz snorted. “How many residents of Celebration Bay does it take to contaminate a crime scene? Oops.”

“What?”