The Worst Noel

by Amy M. Reade

  “Sorry. How is she doing? The last time I saw her she was a tiny little thing.”

  Lilly grimaced. “You’d be proud of her if only you could remember her name. She’s smart and driven.”

  “What do they want to do with their lives?”

  “Tighe wants to be a physical therapist and Laurel wants to be a music teacher.”

  “That’s cool.”

  “Uh-huh.” Lilly’s gaze drifted to the kitchen area, where the waitress was no doubt taking her sweet time putting in the orders for the kids’ dinners. Wouldn’t that food ever arrive?

  “Tell me about your shop. How long have you had it?”

  Lilly waved her hand dismissively. “Years. After you left I had to make money somehow, so I had two jobs while my mother watched the kids. Eventually I saved up enough for the shop and the inventory. In my spare time I learned everything I could about jewelry, gems, stones, et cetera. I had a mentor, an older gentleman named Robert, who owned a jewelry store in town until he retired to Arizona. He was a huge help to me and in fact, I bought most of his inventory when he left. I also taught myself jewelry design. It’s a great little shop; I don’t know what I’d do now if I didn’t have it.”

  “I’m happy for you.”

  “Thanks.” The first civil words they had shared brought on an awkward silence, which was blessedly broken by the arrival of the waitress bearing three takeout boxes.

  “Thank you. I’ll pay for these now,” Lilly said quickly. The waitress handed Lilly a check and Lilly scanned it quickly then handed over a wad of cash. The waitress took it, then asked Beau if he wanted anything else.

  “No, just the check,” he answered. She tore a check from her pad and handed it to him.

  “Lilly, I’m not going to give up,” Beau said. “I’m going to keep on you about this. I’ll go to court if I have to.”

  Lilly rolled her eyes in response. “It won’t do you a bit of good, Beau.”

  “We’ll see.”

  Chapter 21

  Lilly couldn’t believe she hadn’t yet thought to ask Beau where he was staying. “So where have you been staying since you came back to Juniper Junction?”

  But he was wiser than she expected. “Oh, a place right outside of town.”

  Lilly groaned inwardly and stood up, gathering the takeout boxes. “Well, I can’t say this has been fun, Beau. But it was interesting.”

  “See you around.”

  “Don’t count on it.”

  Lilly left the diner without a backward glance. The whole encounter had left her shaken and upset. So much for her detective skills—she wasn’t even able to get him to divulge his address. Back in the car, she yanked her cell phone out of her purse and called Bill.

  “You are not going to believe this,” she greeted him.

  “What now?” he asked.

  “Keep it up with that tone and I won’t tell you,” she said.

  “I’m sorry. What is it?”

  “Beau and I just ate dinner at the diner on Main Street. Well, he ate pie and I couldn’t eat anything, but we sat across from each other in the same booth and I didn’t kill him.”

  “Good. The last thing we need is for you to be a suspect in three murders. But getting back to the point, what were you thinking?”

  “He was waiting for me at my house when I got home from work and he suggested that we get something to eat. I thought it might be a good way to get some information out of him, so I agreed.”

  “And did you get anything out of him?”

  “Nope. He wants to be the kids’ father again.” There was silence on the other end of the phone. “Bill?”

  “I’m here. I just can’t believe it, that’s all. You told him no, of course.”

  “Of course.”

  “Good. What do you mean, he was waiting for you at home?”

  “He was parked out front. When I drove into the driveway he came over to my car to talk to me.”

  “Had he been in the house?”

  “He said he hadn’t.”

  “And based on previous experience you had every reason to trust that.” Bill’s disbelief was clear. Lilly chided herself for believing Beau. Her foot itched to floor the gas pedal and make sure the kids were okay.

  “I called Laurel from the driveway to tell her I was going out for dinner and I took her order and Tighe’s order. She didn’t mention anything.”

  “Hopefully that means Beau was telling you the truth. We don’t want him to be talking to the kids.”

  “I’d kill him first.”

  “Please, no killing talk. Like I said, you’re already in enough trouble.”

  “Any news?”

  “None.”

  “Has anyone talked to Mrs. Laforge to see if she can confirm my alibi?”

  “Yeah. She didn’t see anything.”

  “That’s a first. Of course it has to be when I’m on the hook for two murders. But if Tighe curses even once, she makes sure I know about it.”

  Bill chuckled. “It’s part of the grumpy old neighbor code.”

  Lilly sobered. “Have you talked to Mom today?”

  “No. You?”

  “Not yet. I’m sure the kids took a meal over to her. I’ll give her a call when I get home.”

  “Let me know if she needs anything. I can drop it off tomorrow morning.”

  “Okay. Thanks.” Lilly hung up with Bill and dialed Noley. As she drove home she told her the story about Beau. Noley was worried.

  “Do you think he’ll try to contact the kids?” she fretted.

  “I’ve told him not to. He’ll listen if he knows what’s good for him. He’ll have the entire Juniper Junction police force breathing down his neck if he so much as looks at Laurel or Tighe. Can you believe he didn’t even remember Laurel’s name? He called her ‘Lauren.’ What a jerk.”

  “Are you going to tell the kids about him? Maybe they should know he’s back in town.”

  “I’m afraid to tell them anything because I don’t want them to get the urge to see him or talk to him or want to know more about him. I’ve been pretty successful at keeping his personality flaws to myself, but they still know I can’t stand him. And I don’t know what I would say if they asked to see him. I mean, he’s still their biological father and I can’t blame them for being curious. I think I would feel obligated to let them at least meet him.”

  “Too bad he ever came back,” Noley said. Lilly was pulling into the driveway.

  “I’m home now, so I’ve got to run.”

  She was met at the door by two hungry kids. “Did you bring dinner?” Laurel asked before Lilly could get fully inside.

  “Yes,” she said with a laugh. “Sorry it took so long.”

  “Who’d you go to dinner with?” Tighe asked. He had become more and more protective of Lilly as he had gotten older.

  “An old friend,” she answered, hoping her evasiveness wasn’t too obvious.

  “A friend who’s old or someone who’s been a friend for a long time or someone who used to be your friend?” he asked. Lilly rolled her eyes.

  “You’d make a good lawyer, you know that?”

  “I know. I also realize you didn’t answer the question.”

  “Who cares?” Laurel asked. “Leave her alone. Every woman is entitled to some privacy. Right, Mom?”

  “Yes. But you are not a woman yet, so don’t try to trick me. I still want to know what you’re doing all the time.”

  “Mom...” Tighe’s voice held a hint of impatience.

  “All right. I went out to dinner with someone I was friends with a long time ago.”

  “Thank you. Was that so hard?” Tighe asked.

  “No. And you’re not my father, young man,” Lilly said, pointing her finger at her son. He smiled at her.

  “So who was it?”

  Lilly let out an exasperated sigh. “No one you’d remember. Now would you stop it with the third degree and eat your dinner?”

  “Uncle Bill called and said to
keep an eye on you.”

  What’s it called if I kill my own brother? Fratricide? Aloud, Lilly said, “Don’t worry about me at all. I’m just fine. Bill’s worried because Eden Barclay and Herb Knight are dead. Police officers are like that—they worry about their families all the time. I’m fine, trust me.”

  She changed the subject, hoping Tighe would leave her alone. “Did you two check on Gran today?”

  “Yeah,” Laurel replied. “She was wearing a bikini when I got there. If I ever wear a bikini at that age, I want someone to shoot me.”

  “A bikini? Why?”

  Laurel shrugged. “I don’t know. She said she was going swimming.”

  The thought of her mother outside in the cold wearing nothing but a bikini bathing suit spurred Lilly into immediate action. She grabbed her purse and rummaged through it for her phone while she grilled Laurel.

  “Did you tell her to change her clothes?”

  “Yes, but she said she was plenty warm and didn’t want to put anything else on.”

  “How long did you stay?”

  “About a half hour. She stopped talking about going swimming, so I figured it was okay to come home.”

  “And she was still in her bathing suit when you left?”

  “Yeah.”

  Lilly was dialing her mother’s house. It rang six times, then the answering machine clicked on. Lilly hung up and called again. Six more rings, then the answering machine. Lilly grabbed her car keys and dialed Bill’s number as she pulled on her coat.

  “Bill, Laurel told me Mom was wearing a bathing suit earlier tonight, talking about going swimming. Have you talked to her?”

  “No. Did you call her?”

  “Yes. No answer. I’m going over there.”

  “I’ll meet you.” He hung up and Lilly yanked open the back door.

  “Want us to go with you, Mom?” Laurel asked. Her eyes were wide, her mouth drawn. She was probably afraid her grandmother had gone out in the cold after she left.

  “No, you stay here in case Gran calls. I’ll text you if I need you to come over. Lock the door.” Lilly pulled the door closed behind her and left in a hurry.

  She pulled up to her mother’s house in just a couple minutes. The lights were off and her mother didn’t answer her repeated loud knocks on the door. Lilly ran back to her car and rifled through her glove compartment for her set of keys to her mother’s house. She ran back up the front steps and was trying to open the door with trembling fingers as Bill’s police cruiser pulled up next to the curb.

  He ran up the walk and Lilly turned to him in frustration. “I can’t get the key in the lock!” she cried. “She’s not answering when I knock.”

  “Calm down, Lil. You’re not helping anyone by getting upset. Give me the key,” he said, holding out his hand. She handed him the key and he slipped it into the lock. He unlocked the door and pushed it open, calling, “Mom? Mom, are you home?”

  No answer.

  Chapter 22

  “Bill, we need to find her. If she’s outside in a bathing suit she could freeze to death.” Bill pulled his radio out of his coat pocket. It squawked as he spoke into it, alerting any officers to keep watch for their mother. He described her as “possibly dressed in a swimsuit.”

  He turned to Lilly, who was still wearing her coat. “I’m going to check inside. You get in the car and go up and down the streets in the neighborhood. Check with a couple neighbors, ask if they saw her leave.”

  “What kind of neighbor would watch an old lady in a bathing suit wander down the street in the snow and not do anything?” Lilly asked in exasperation.

  “I don’t know, Lilly. I’m just trying to keep us both busy until she’s safe.” The edge in Bill’s voice betrayed his concern.

  Lilly nodded. “I’ll call if I learn anything.”

  She ran out to the car and drove off slowly, scanning each side of the street for her mother or any sign that she had been outside recently. She didn’t see any footprints in the fresh snow, but it was dark outside and the streetlamps weren’t very strong. Besides, she couldn’t see the sidewalk clearly from the inside of the car. She turned a corner and stopped in front of a small Craftsman-style bungalow where her mother’s friend Joyce lived. She ran up Joyce’s steps and rapped on the door.

  Tiny, scared eyes peered through the curtain covering the window set in the front door and the porch light came to life.

  “It’s me, Joyce. Lilly Carlsen, Beverly’s daughter. Remember?” Three locks clicked and the door opened slowly.

  “Joyce, have you seen my mom?” Lilly asked breathlessly.

  “No, my dear. I haven’t talked to her today. She’s missing?” Joyce’s hand flew to her mouth.

  “We can’t find her,” Lilly explained. “I’m going out to look for her. If you hear from her or see her, would you please call her house? My brother is there waiting for news.”

  “Of course,” Joyce answered, but Lilly was already down the front steps, running back toward her car. She had left it running.

  She slid into the front seat and had put the car in gear when her cell phone rang. It was Bill.

  “Did you find her?” she asked.

  “Yes,” he said, his voice low. “She was sound asleep in the spare room in the basement, still in her bathing suit.”

  “Is she awake now?”

  “Not yet. I didn’t want to wake her up until you got here.”

  Lilly heaved a sigh of relief. “I’ll be back in just a minute.” She hung up, got out of the car again, and went up Joyce’s front steps. Joyce had been watching from the living room window and opened the door before Lilly could knock.

  “Did someone find her?” she asked, her voice quavery with anxiety.

  “Yes. Bill found her. She was asleep in the spare bedroom in the basement. I guess she couldn’t hear the phone or us knocking on the front door. But she’s all right, so don’t worry about her.”

  “I’m afraid this is going to be happening more often,” Joyce said with a sad shake of her head. “She’s failing.”

  “I know,” Lilly replied quietly. “We’ll deal with that. I’m just glad she’s okay.”

  Joyce put her hand on Lilly’s arm. “She doesn’t want to go into a nursing home.”

  “I know that, too. Bill and Mom and I are going to have to examine our options. You get back inside, Joyce. It’s cold out here. I’m sure Mom’ll call you tomorrow.”

  She returned to her car more slowly, her happiness at knowing her mom was safe dampened by Joyce’s words. Her mother’s friend was right—this was going to happen more and more as her mother’s dementia worsened. It was not a reality she was ready to face and not a conversation she was ready to have with anyone, and least of all her mother.

  When she pulled up in front of her mom’s house, there was another police cruiser parked behind Bill’s. She suddenly felt very weary, as if she just couldn’t make it up the front steps of the house. She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against the steering wheel. How long would she and Bill be able to take care of their mother without around-the-clock help? She couldn’t keep relying on the kids to take care of her—within two years they would both be leaving for college, God willing.

  Taking a deep breath, she got out of the car and went inside. Bill was sitting on the couch in the living room talking to an officer who sat in Mom’s favorite chair.

  “Hi,” Lilly said, walking over to him and extending her hand.

  “Gary, this is my sister, Lilly. Lilly, Gary Fields.” Lilly sat down heavily next to Bill.

  “Is Mom all right?” she asked.

  “She’s fine. She’s certainly in much better shape than either you or I. I asked Gary to come over because he was in the neighborhood and he’s been going through this with his father.”

  “How’s your father now?” Lilly was almost afraid to hear the answer.

  “He’s living in an assisted living facility. Loves it.”

  Gary’s words did nothing to soo
the Lilly’s fears. She didn’t want to put her mom anywhere. She nodded and looked at Bill, wanting nothing more than to change the subject. “Should we go wake her up?”

  “I guess so. I don’t want her to wake up in the morning by herself and not know where she is. Besides, she must be freezing in that getup.”

  Gary smiled. “My dad used to go outside in his underwear in the winter. He always swore he wasn’t cold.”

  Bill chuckled. “If the whole thing weren’t so serious, it would be comical.”

  Gary stood up to leave. “Let me know if you need anything. You know, there’s a company that sells scent bottles for elderly people. They ship you a sterile bottle and all you have to do is swab your mom’s skin with a cloth they provide. You know, arms, legs, torso, neck. Then you put the cloth in the bottle and seal it up. That way if your mom ever does actually leave the house and go missing, police dogs have a scent they can follow to find her. I’ve heard it works really well.”

  Bill shook Gary’s hand. “We’ll definitely look into that. Thanks for coming over.”

  Gary left and Bill followed Lilly down to the basement. She opened the door to the spare bedroom and had to smile when she saw her mom lying on the bed, no covers, clad in only a bikini with red ruffles.

  Lilly leaned over her mother and shook her shoulder gently. “Mom?” she said. “Mom, Bill and I are here to get you upstairs and in your bed.”

  Beverly groaned and turned over, her arm lying over her eyes. “Why is it so cold in here?”

  Lilly and Bill grinned at each other. “You’re wearing nothing but a bathing suit, Mom. You must be freezing.”

  Beverly pushed herself into a seated position. “Oh, that’s right. Now I remember. I was going to go swimming but my friend cancelled.”

  “Who were you going swimming with?” Bill asked. Something in his mother’s tone must have alerted him that she didn’t imagine the swimming.

  “That nice young man. What’s his name…Oh. Beau. He called and asked if I’d like to go swimming in the pool by his house. He’s such a delight.”

  “Beau asked you to go swimming?” Lilly asked, her voice doubtful.

  “Yes. He was going to pick me up, but then he called and said he was having car trouble and we would have to reschedule. I hope he gets his car fixed.”