Swamp Santa

by Jana DeLeon

We headed to the house and rang the doorbell. It sounded like complete chaos inside. I could hear banging and the sound of glass breaking, then the baby started crying. It was almost a full minute before a harried-looking young woman I’d seen in town a few times opened the door. She stared at us for a moment, then her face cleared in recognition as she locked on Gertie.

  “Ms. Hebert,” she said.

  “Hello, Amber,” Gertie said. “You remember Ida Belle, and this is our friend Fortune. We’re out running Christmas errands and wanted to drop off a baby gift.”

  “Oh.” Amber’s expression softened. “That’s so nice. Please come in. I just put on a fresh pot of coffee.”

  We stepped inside and followed Amber through a maze of boxes and into the kitchen. Dishes sat stacked on the counter, a pile of newspaper next to them. The remnants of a broken cup were in a trash can sitting next to the refrigerator.

  I heard the baby cry off down the hallway.

  “Do you need to go get him?” Gertie asked.

  She shook her head as she poured us all a cup of coffee. “Zach has him. Diaper change time.”

  “It’s so nice how young fathers pitch in on things,” Gertie said.

  “Please excuse the mess,” Amber said as she moved a box off the kitchen table before she placed the coffee on it. “We’re so far behind on packing and now we’re having to rush to get it done in time.”

  “You’re moving?” Gertie asked.

  She nodded as she slid into a chair. “Zach’s company offered him a management position at their office in Abu Dhabi.”

  “Wow!” Ida Belle said.

  “It’s his dream job,” Amber said. “He’s an internet security specialist and brilliant. He’s been wanting to head up his own division for years and he’s finally getting the opportunity.”

  “That’s a huge change from Sinful,” I said.

  “I’m nervous as heck,” Amber said. “But the pay is incredible and we’ve been assured that there are plenty of top-notch private schools. And his company is putting us up in an executive condo for a year, so no rent either. I don’t know how I’m going to like living in a huge city with so many people, but Zach said if it doesn’t suit, we’ll move out after the year and he’ll commute.”

  “That sounds like a big new adventure,” Ida Belle said. “When do you leave?”

  “We fly out on the twenty-seventh,” Amber said. “But we have to get anything we want to ship over to his company mail center by the twenty-fourth. Mostly we’re just sending our clothes and pictures and things like that. The dishes and furniture are going to a cousin who just graduated from college and is getting set up in her first apartment in New Orleans.”

  “That’s nice,” Gertie said. “She really lucked out.”

  “She’s beside herself,” Amber said. “But she deserves a break. She’s worked full time to put herself through school. This little boost is just what she needs to hit the ground running.”

  I heard cooing noises and looked over to see Zach coming down the hall with the smiling baby. Amber made introductions and Gertie handed her the bag with the hat.

  “Since the Christmas baby is here now,” Gertie said, “give this a look.”

  Amber pulled the tissue out of the bag and removed the bright blue hat with white snowflakes and smiled. “Oh, it’s so pretty! Did you make this?”

  Gertie nodded. “I like to give all the new Sinful babies a gift their first Christmas. The hats have always been a big hit.”

  “I can see why,” Amber said as she jumped up and slipped the hat on her son.

  I hadn’t had the opportunity, or had mostly avoided the opportunity, to be around infants. If I was being honest, they sort of terrified me. So little and fragile. But since so many capable adults were present, I took the opportunity to study Nathan for a minute. He arms and legs were puffy with rolls, like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, and his skin was smooth white except for the blush of red on his face and a tiny birthmark on his cheek. The baby rolled his eyes up and his fat little hands reached up to try to grab at the hat but he mostly succeeded in waving his arms up and down.

  “It’s really nice,” Zach said, grinning down at the baby. “Thank you so much.”

  “Let me get him a bottle,” Amber said.

  She fixed the bottle and Zach a cup of coffee and settled back down with us at the cozy table. Now that Zach and Amber were both present, I figured that was my cue to launch into questions.

  “I don’t know if you’ve heard through the rumor mill,” I said, “but I’m a private investigator.”

  “Former CIA, right?” Zach asked. “That’s an interesting résumé for a place like Sinful.”

  I smiled. “It definitely stands out a bit. Anyway, I’m currently looking into the trouble at the school the other night.”

  Amber shook her head. “Wasn’t it horrible? Here we all thought Rollie had a heart attack—I was crying as bad as the baby does—and then we find out that Rollie had been attacked and stuffed in his closet by this imposter. This morning we heard it wasn’t a heart attack at all. That he’d been poisoned. Is that true?”

  “Yes,” I said. “That’s why I’m talking to everyone who was in the cafeteria before the showcase finished.”

  “You’re trying to figure out who poisoned him?” Zach asked. “But why? Who was he?”

  “He was a private investigator from New Orleans by the name of Peter Cooke,” I said. “Does that name sound familiar to either of you?”

  Neither had shown any sign of recognition when I’d given the name and now, they both shook their heads.

  “We wouldn’t have any cause to know someone like that,” Amber said. “In fact, you’re the first PI I’ve actually met in person.”

  “Did either of you talk to Cooke that night?” I asked.

  “I said hello when he came in,” Amber said, “but he didn’t respond. Just gave me a half wave and headed for the back of the room.”

  Zach shook his head. “I helped with some of the setup but I think I was over with Myrna when he came in. She was setting up her painting station and wanted to paint a snowflake on Nathan’s cheeks. After that, I chatted with Seth Prejean for a bit while Myrna did his baby. Then we gravitated to the dessert table, figuring we’d snag a plate before the crowd descended. We were on the other side of the room when everything happened.”

  “You said this man was a PI?” Amber asked. “Was he on a job? Is that why he beat up Rollie?”

  “We think so,” I said. “We think he was looking for someone and disguised as Santa, he had the best opportunity to check out most of the locals without drawing attention to himself.”

  “Who was he looking for?” Zach asked.

  “A young brunette woman with a baby,” I said.

  Amber’s eyes widened. “And you think…you don’t think he was looking for me?”

  “Why would anyone be looking for my wife?” Zach asked, somewhat defensively.

  “I don’t know for certain that he was,” I said. “We’re working with limited information, but I’m talking to everyone who fits the bill. The thing is, Cooke was a hired hand. There might be others.”

  “Oh!” Amber said. “You think someone could be in trouble. But for what? Goodness, there are several young brunette women with babies in this town, but the thought of someone hiring a detective to track one of us down is laughable. We’re not exactly living lives of international intrigue here.”

  “Actually, I was wondering about Nathan,” I said. “Do you know who his biological parents are?”

  Zach’s face flushed with anger. “You think someone is after my son? We went through a legitimate adoption process. You’re way out of line, lady.”

  I held up my hands. “I’m sure you did, but I was hoping you’d tell me the circumstances surrounding the adoption. I assume it was private. Did you know the mother? Have information on either of the parents?”

  “No,” Amber said. “Everything was conducted through an attorney. Mr
. Abshire said the mother was young and unwed and the father was long gone and not interested.”

  “Do you know if he signed over rights?” I asked.

  Zach rose from the table, clutching the baby in his hands. “I think you need to leave. We’re not going to sit here, in our own home, and defend ourselves from your implied accusations.”

  “But Zach, if we’re in danger—” Amber began.

  “There is no danger,” Zach said. “We had a legal adoption. And that’s more of our private business than anyone needs to know.”

  He motioned toward the door and we rose from the table and headed out. As soon as Gertie stepped out the door, it slammed shut behind her.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “That went well,” Gertie said as we climbed into the SUV.

  “Zach was definitely defensive,” Ida Belle said.

  “But why?” Gertie asked. “It’s not like we were accusing them of stealing a baby.”

  “Amber said ‘Mr. Abshire,’” I said. “That must be the attorney who did their adoption.”

  “It’s worth doing a check on him,” Ida Belle said. “You want to detour to that now or see Megan and Seth first?”

  “Let’s go see Megan and Seth,” I said. “The couples might be friends. If they are, Zach might call and warn them not to talk to us.”

  Ida Belle nodded and speed up. Megan and Seth’s house was just outside of town. Gertie said Megan had inherited it from her grandmother. At one time, it was the family farm, but her grandmother had sold most of the land to neighboring farmers when her husband passed and had kept a pretty, shaded one-acre plot that held her house.

  The house itself was exactly what I imagined a farmhouse should look like—white with green shutters and pretty landscaped beds out front that probably held an array of flowers in the spring. Giant oak trees surrounded the house, shading a good portion of the lot. A tire swing hung from one of the huge branches. I noticed a truck and a car in the two-car carport on the side of the house, but another car was parked in the drive in front.

  “Looks like they have company,” I said. “Do you recognize the car?”

  They both shook their heads.

  “Should we try another time?” Ida Belle asked.

  “No,” I said. “We’re already here and if anyone was looking out the windows, they saw us drive up. It would look odd if we left. We’ll just see who it is and play things by ear.”

  “Maybe they’ll leave,” Gertie said.

  We headed to the front door and knocked. A young man who I assumed was Seth opened the door and smiled at us. “Good morning, ladies. To what do we owe this pleasure?”

  A bit of relief washed through me. Either Zach hadn’t called Seth to warn him about us or Seth thought it was nonsense. We’d see how he felt once I started asking questions.

  Gertie held up the gift bag. “We come bearing a gift for the little one.”

  “That’s nice,” he said. “Come on in. We’re trying to get some Christmas photos of Caleb, so excuse the momentary chaos. I think we’re about to wrap it up. Then we can all collapse and drink sweet tea or strong whiskey. Depends on how your morning is going.”

  I liked Seth immediately. He seemed happy and had a good sense of humor. We stepped inside and saw the reason for the potential need to drink. Becca, the photographer, was trying to get pictures of Caleb sitting in front of the tree, but the baby wasn’t cooperating. Instead, he flapped his arms like a bird, then tried to scoot away. Megan stuck him back in place and the whole thing started all over again. Finally, Gertie whistled when Megan put him in place again, and he stared up at us, his eyes wide. Becca took a series of shots and gave Gertie a high five.

  “Got it!” Becca said. “Good call on the whistling.”

  “I just distracted him,” Gertie said. “He doesn’t know me so he had to stop all that moving and try to figure it out.”

  I made a mental note about whistling if I ever needed to get a baby to be still but I was really hoping I never had to use it. Caleb was making a lot of noise now and I gave him a once-over. I decided he looked more or less like Nathan, with the same chubby arms and legs and rosy cheeks. They must have been about the same age.

  Megan scooped Caleb up and grinned at us as Ida Belle made introductions. “He’s so cute but such a trial for pictures. If Becca wasn’t a friend, she’d have told us to find another photographer a long time ago.”

  Becca smiled. “I’m happy to do it. And trust me, sometimes adults aren’t any easier. Then there’s pets. Last week, I had a lady who wanted me to get all twelve of her cats in front of the tree.”

  “Wow,” Gertie said. “Did you do it?”

  “God no,” Becca said. “I finally got individual pictures of the cats and assured her I could photoshop them all into a picture and it would look like I took it. I’m still working on it.”

  “Twelve cats?” I said. “I only have one and he barely tolerates me living with him. If twelve moved in, I’d have to sell the house.”

  Everyone laughed and Megan waved toward the kitchen. “I just brewed a batch of sweet tea earlier. And I can put on coffee if anyone’s interested. Let’s grab a chair and take a break.”

  I wondered if Becca would pack up and leave, but she put her camera away and followed us back. Since Megan has referred to her as a friend, that made sense and it wasn’t a huge problem to talk in front of her as she already knew we were asking questions about Santa. Megan got Caleb situated in his swing and poured us all a round of tea. Gertie gave her the gift and everyone oohed and aahed and she tried it on Caleb, who wasn’t as impressed but looked really cute in it.

  “I feel another round of photos coming up,” Becca said.

  “More than just one,” Gertie said. “I understand you’re going to have another round of this.” Gertie pointed to Caleb.

  Megan broke into a huge smile. “Can you believe it? All those years Seth and I tried and as soon as we adopt, I get pregnant. I called the doctor a liar when she told me. But we’re so excited. We always wanted two.”

  “That’s great,” Gertie said. “I’m happy for you and looks like I’ll be knitting another hat next year.”

  “I’m looking forward to it,” Megan said, and laughed. “So are you guys just running around delivering baby hats today?”

  “We’re sort of combining missions actually,” I said, and explained my profession and that I wanted to ask some questions about that night in the cafeteria.

  The answers were similar to Amber and Zach’s and what I’d expected. Neither had spoken to Santa except a basic greeting. Neither had received a response. Neither saw anyone give Santa anything to eat or drink. Neither had noticed him on his cell phone. Neither showed any sign of recognition at Cooke’s name. But there was one difference that contradicted something Zach said.

  “I think Zach Vincent might have spoken to him,” Seth said. “I saw him over there when I was getting some food, but I’m not sure.”

  Interesting. Zach had claimed he was with Seth the whole time on the other side of the cafeteria. Had he merely forgotten or had he lied?

  “Are you still thinking that Santa…uh, Cooke, was looking for someone in Sinful?” Becca asked.

  “Wait,” Megan said, starting to look concerned. “What do you mean?”

  “Cooke was a PI out of New Orleans,” I said. “One of questionable reputation. I’m pretty sure he was attempting to track someone down and playing Santa was a convenient cover that allowed him to check out everyone without people asking questions.”

  “Have you found out who he was looking for?” Becca asked.

  “Sort of,” I said. “A young brunette woman with a baby.”

  Megan’s hand flew over her mouth and she looked at Seth, a fearful expression on her face. “You don’t think he was looking for Ashley, do you?”

  Seth frowned, looking completely unhappy at the suggestion.

  “Who’s Ashley?” I asked.

  “My sister,” Megan said. �
��She can be a somewhat challenging personality.”

  “That’s putting it mildly,” Seth said. “Ashley hates authority and living responsibly. She left home when she was sixteen and hasn’t been back. I’ve seen her exactly one time in the eight years I’ve known Megan, which is sad since she’s Caleb’s biological mother.”

  Okay. That one I hadn’t seen coming.

  “I assume Caleb was one of those not-living-responsibly things?” I asked.

  “Oh yeah,” Seth said. “She didn’t want any part of raising a child. Hell, she couldn’t even be bothered to deliver him to us. Some woman who contracts for the attorney did it. We haven’t had a single conversation with her through this whole thing. And she’s never once called to ask about how Caleb is doing.”

  “The attorney said Ashley couldn’t deliver him, remember?” Megan said. “The babies were always brought to him and he had them checked out by a hospital nurse just to make sure they were healthy before the transfer. Then his assistant delivered them. That way he could ensure the babies made it to their homes without incident.”

  Seth waved a hand in dismissal. “Whatever. She could still pick up a phone.”

  “If she never talks to you, how did you even know she was pregnant?” Ida Belle asked. “How did you process the adoption?”

  “I helped,” Becca said.

  Ida Belle, Gertie, and I all stared.

  “I was friends, of sorts, with Ashley,” Becca said. “We met at one of those highbrow corporate parties about a year and a half ago. I was hired to take pictures and Ashley was working the bar at the hotel where it was held. She was outside smoking when I stepped out for a break and we got to talking…sorta hit it off over mocking some of the things we saw inside. She’s got a wicked sense of humor. We exchanged numbers and got together afterward for a meal sometimes.”

  “And probably drinks,” Seth said. “Not like being pregnant would have stopped Ashley from doing what she wanted.”

  “She stopped smoking once she found out about the baby,” Becca said. “At least, I never saw her smoking again. And she did have red wine with dinner sometimes, but I never saw her hit the hard stuff. I think she was trying.”