Gooseberry Christmas

by Kathi Daley

  “Archie, Moses, and a yard crew have been busy all week with the decorating,” Adam said. “The Winter Ball is just over a week away.”

  “That’s true. It’s gorgeous right now, but I imagine once it gets dark, the yard will feel like a fairy garden.”

  Adam took my hand. “Come with me, and I’ll give you a tour.”

  I called the dogs, who followed closely behind. The entry just inside the front door had been decorated with a huge tree, at least twenty feet in height, which had been decorated in colors of red, silver, and white. The railings that lined the stairs on both sides of the entry featured garland and lights in a similar color scheme, which seemed to continue into the house. Adam led me to the ballroom, which was located on the first floor just down the hallway from the entry. When we poked our heads into the enormous room, we found a crew working on the decorations, and I could already tell it was going to be magical.

  I was curious about the rest of the house, but I supposed that would have to wait. Adam led me up to the suite his parents had occupied when they’d been alive. Of course, the suite wasn’t decorated since the area wasn’t occupied or open to the public.

  “I thought we’d eat in my suite, so I had Ruth set the table up in there. But before we go there, I wanted to show you where I’d pulled the photos and boxes of paperwork from, so when I refer to something, you’ll have an idea of what I’m talking about.”

  “It’s a lovely office.” The fireplace was made of white brick, the carpet, drapes, desk, and bookshelves were white, as were the file cabinets lined up on one wall. I couldn’t see into the adjoining room, but I was willing to bet the furniture in that room was white as well.

  “My mother seemed to enjoy it.” He looked around. “I’m not sure that white was the best choice, but she seemed to prefer it. The cleaning crew did a good job eradicating the dust and mustiness, and I initially thought we’d just work in here. But to me, the room seems to have a haunted feel, so I transferred a lot of the stuff from my mother’s desk and bookshelves into boxes, which I had brought to my suite. I had the photo albums moved into my suite as well.”

  “I understand. And however this works best for you is fine with me.”

  “Great.” He stepped into the hallway, and the dogs and I followed. He turned off the light, closed the door, and then continued toward the stairs and his private rooms. “I hope you’re hungry. Ruth made her famous pot roast for dinner last night, and she made hot roast beef sandwiches out of the leftovers.”

  “That sounds delicious.”

  Once we arrived at Adam’s suite, I settled the dogs on the rug near the fire. It looked like Adam, or maybe Archie, had worked their Christmas magic in here as well. The décor was less elaborate than the lights and tinsel downstairs. A modestly sized tree had been decorated and placed in front of the window, with greenery and red candles adorning the mantel. There was soft jazz playing in the background, which made the room feel intimate and cozy. Not at all the sort of place one might imagine working in when looking for answers to a twenty-five-year-old mystery. Still, I was happy for the warmth and the coziness of the room. I knew it would take time to get my answers, and it seemed important to proceed with a deliberate plan, so I’d decided to try to relax and enjoy the journey.

  After the food was served, Adam asked me about my week in town. I’d told him about some of my volunteer assignments, and we’d discussed the town’s decorations and the Christmas tree lot, which was now fully open and usually crowded. Adam shared that he’d spoken with Jackson on two occasions since his release, and while he was free for now and able to go about his regular life, he wouldn’t be totally off the hook until they found the real killer.

  “Parker, Jemma, and the gang have been working on the case,” I shared. “I’ve been helping out where I can, but I don’t know all the players the way the others do.”

  “When we spoke last, it seemed like you had a handful of suspects on the list.”

  “Parker spoke to Karen Highlander. As you may remember, Karen’s husband had served in the war with Bradford, and the two were lifelong friends. One of the customers I helped at the Christmas tree lot told me that she’d heard that Karen and Bradford had engaged in a big blowout not long before his death. I passed this on to Parker, who was able to discover that Karen had recently found out from another friend that the vehicle accident that killed Karen’s husband a year ago had occurred as a result of a miscalculation on Bradford’s part. Parker was able to determine that while Karen was angry when she was first informed of the situation, she realized that having a meltdown wasn’t going to bring her husband back, so Karen said what she needed to say to the man and then vowed to move on.”

  “Do you know if Karen has an alibi for the time of Bradford’s death?” Adam asked.

  “She was home alone, but after speaking with her, Parker seemed convinced she wasn’t the person we’re looking for.”

  “And Eugene Long?”

  “Parker had already cleared him after speaking to him last week. He didn’t have a solid alibi, but he did have a soft one, and Parker said he didn’t seem guilty when she spoke to him. As you may recall, she also spoke to Margaret Dover last week, and while she didn’t have an alibi, Parker didn’t think she’d end up being the killer. As of the time we last met, her money was on Gregory Fishman, who, as you know, recently lost his wife. Since then, Parker’s been given a new name she strongly feels could be the killer we’re looking for. His name is Fred Tillman, and I guess he used to work with Bradford.”

  “I know Fred. Why does Parker think that Fred killed Bradford?”

  “Parker went to talk to Fred about Gregory, and while they were chatting, Fred mentioned that Gregory’s wife certainly wasn’t the only wife in town to have slept with Bradford. Parker did some checking, and it appears that Fred’s wife, Daphne, was also one of Bradford’s past lovers. The difference is that while Gregory’s wife cheated five years ago, it appears that Fred’s wife was seen with Bradford less than a month ago.”

  Adam shook his head. “The guy really got around.”

  I speared a piece of carrot from my salad. “It does seem that way. Of course, we knew that from the beginning. There was discussion amongst the spectators the day Bradford was murdered that he was a lifelong bachelor who enjoyed spending time with a variety of different women.” I popped the carrot in my mouth. “The thing is,” I added, “that everyone knew this about the man. I suppose that there are men in the community who wouldn’t be happy to find that their wives or girlfriends spent time with Bradford, but I’m not sure they’d be surprised by it. It may turn out that someone like Gregory Fishman or Fred Tillman killed Bradford out of rage and jealousy, but I’m going to place my money on the motive not having anything to do with the man’s voracious and active sex life.”

  “Any guesses as to what that motive might be?” Adam asked.

  I slowly shook my head. “No. Not yet. I really haven’t had time to work on the case, but maybe I’ll do some poking around the next few days. I have a shift at the Christmas tree lot tomorrow, so that might be a good time to talk to folks and see what sort of gossip I can pick up.”

  “I’ll be at the Christmas tree lot tomorrow as well,” Adam informed me. “Maybe we can chat about the different theories we can come up with between customers.”

  “I noticed the lot has been really busy all week. Do you think you have enough trees to last until Christmas Eve?”

  “No. Based on my calculations, we should be out of trees by the twentieth. Maybe sooner. Everyone who lives in Gooseberry Bay knows that if you want a Christmas tree from the lot, you’d better get it early, so even if we run out, I think most people will already have theirs.”

  “Do you have all the Christmas trees you need for this house?”

  “We do,” Adam answered. “Archie ordered twelve trees, and they were all delivered this past Monday. There’s even a small one in the kitchen. I meant to continue with the tour, but I guess I got
sidetracked. I can show you some of the other rooms Archie decorated before you go. The conservatory is a must-see.”

  I smiled. “I’d like that.”

  After Ruth came in and cleared the table, Adam and I began sorting through the boxes he’d brought from his mother’s office. The files were mostly related to the foundation, but there were also personal financial files, which made it appear that it was Adam’s mother and not his father who took care of paying their personal bills.

  “Who’s Elsa Winfield?” I asked.

  Adam looked up from the file he’d been looking through. “Elsa Winfield was a nanny. She lived at the estate and looked out for Archie and me when we were young.”

  “How young?”

  He shrugged. “I guess she started with the family shortly after I was born, and she lived with us until Archie was old enough for the tutor to take over.”

  “Tutor? You didn’t go to school?”

  He shook his head. “We had a tutor who came to the house until we were in secondary school, and then Archie and I both went to boarding school through the twelfth grade and then on to college. Why do you ask?”

  “There are a series of payments in this ledger made out to someone named Elsa Winfield. Archie would have been seven in nineteen ninety-five, which probably means that Ms. Winfield was most likely no longer working for the family.”

  “Yes. That sounds right. I think Winnie was with us until Archie was four or five.”

  “Archie and you both would have been in England between the end of May and the beginning of September in nineteen ninety-five.”

  He nodded. “Yeah. So?”

  “So the payments I’m looking at were made to Ms. Winfield in June, July, and August of nineteen ninety-five.”

  Adam frowned. “Really?”

  I passed him the ledger.

  “That is odd. Winnie had moved on to a new assignment by that point. I’m sure of it.”

  “If Avery and I would have been staying here at the house that summer, does it seem reasonable that your father, or possibly your mother, would have hired Winnie to come back to look after us during our stay?”

  Adam slowly nodded. “Yes. That does seem reasonable. Especially if the women you remember weren’t here the whole time, or they had duties to attend to that didn’t include childcare. Winnie was part of the family for a lot of years. I know both my parents really liked her.”

  “Is Winnie still alive?”

  “She is.”

  “Perhaps we should call her to find out what she knows about the summer of ninety-five.”

  Chapter 10

  “So she remembered you?” Josie asked later that same evening.

  “She did. Winnie told Adam that the family she was working for planned to take their children to visit an aunt who lived in France over the summer. She was given eight weeks off from mid-June through mid-August, so when Mr. Winchester called her to inquire as to her availability over the summer, she said she was pleased to report that she was available and happy to fill in.”

  “So, did she know who you were and why you were here?” Jemma asked.

  “Sort of. She told Adam that when she arrived, she was introduced to two little girls. Ava was three, and Avery was just one. Adam’s father told her that the girls were the daughters of a family friend. He also told her that the children’s parents had suffered a personal emergency and that the children would be staying on Piney Point that summer. She said both little girls were so sweet, but that they seemed nervous and frightened as well. She didn’t know what was going on exactly, but her heart went out to the children, so she did what she could to make them feel happy and comfortable.”

  “So this Winnie wasn’t the woman in the photo with you or the woman with short dark hair you called Wilma?” Jemma verified.

  “No,” I answered. “According to Winnie, Marilee was connected to the children somehow. She thought she might be an aunt or cousin. Not a parent, but someone close to the children. She said that she came and went during the summer and that while the children seemed fond of her, she didn’t think there was a deep-rooted connection.”

  “And Wilma?” Josie asked.

  “She said Wilma didn’t show up on the scene until the end. Winnie’s family returned to Seattle in mid-August, so Winnie had to go back. She said that Wilma showed up a few days before she left. She never spoke to her in any depth, but she seemed to have shown up to help with the trip.”

  “Trip?” Josie asked.

  “According to Winnie, Marilee planned to take the children and leave by the end of the month, and Wilma was there to help with that. Winnie pointed out that she was only the paid help and not a confidant, so she didn’t really have any details, but she did hear that both the women and the children were gone by the time September rolled around.”

  “Did she happen to know either Marilee or Wilma’s last name?” Jemma asked.

  “No,” I sighed. “I really hoped Winnie would have known something concrete that we could follow up on. A last name, final destination after the group left Gooseberry Bay, or maybe some sort of news about the parents of the two little girls. But she really didn’t know much more than we already knew except for the fact that the two women I remember being there were only at the house for part of the time.” I frowned. “It’s odd that I don’t remember Winnie. It sounds like she’s the one who took care of Avery and me that summer.”

  “That is odd,” Jemma agreed.

  “Maybe it will come to you now that you have a name,” Josie suggested.

  “Maybe.”

  “So it sounds as if Adam’s father was definitely in on whatever was going on. Did you find any evidence that Adam’s mother was in on things as well?” Josie asked.

  “No, but the payments to Winnie were right there in the family ledger, which it appears Adam’s mother managed, so I have to assume she was aware of the situation.”

  “Someone somewhere must have additional pieces to the puzzle,” Josie said. “Maybe someone Adam’s parents knew or maybe someone else who spent time at the house that summer. I know the search for answers can be frustrating, but don’t give up.”

  “I won’t. And to be honest, I’m so happy here in Gooseberry Bay that the urgency I felt to find my answers and be on my way is totally gone.”

  “Do you think you might stay?” Jemma asked. “After you find what you came looking for?”

  I shrugged. “Maybe. The longer I’m here, the more certain I am that this might very well be the place I settle down and start over now that my dad is gone, and my life as I knew it has been upended.”

  After we’d exhausted the subject of my research session with Adam, Josie asked about the decorations. She’d been to the Winter Ball the past two years and knew how magical they could be.

  “They were still working on things,” I answered. “But the parts that were done looked fantastic. I can’t wait to see the exterior all lit up after dark.”

  “Did you see the ballroom?” Jemma asked.

  I nodded. “They were still working on that room, but the tree in the conservatory was up as was the tree in the entry. There were also trees in the kitchen area, the main living room, the dining room, Adams suite, and the library. Adam mentioned Archie’s suite was done as well, although we didn’t go in there.”

  “When I walked into the ballroom last year, I felt like Cinderella minus the pumpkin-shaped carriage,” Josie said.

  “It would be fun to arrive in a carriage,” I joked.

  “Fun, but cold. Maybe we could hire a limo,” Jemma suggested. “I know Hope and her friend, Sam, are going, as are Tegan and Booker. Parker said she planned to attend, so with the three of us, that makes eight. Maybe we could all go in on a car to sweep us off to the ball.”

  “What about Coop and Jackson?” I asked.

  “Coop isn’t into it,” Jemma answered. “He really isn’t into any of the Christmas events. He did offer to have your dogs and our kittens over to his place for the evening
, however. I think we’re going to take him up on his offer to watch Stefan and Damon. I guess you can talk to him about the dogs.”

  “I will. I would feel better if there was someone here keeping an eye on them.”

  “Jackson said he isn’t into it this year either,” Josie said. “He did attend with us last year, but I think he might just hang out with Coop and the animals this year.”

  “If we can find a limo and everyone else is up for it, I’m in,” I said. “It would be nice not to have to drive.”

  “It is a long drive, and you never know what the weather will be like,” Josie said. “Plus, there’s an endless supply of champagne circulating throughout the evening.”

  Jemma called Tegan and Hope while I helped Josie get the dinner she’d brought home from the bar and grill onto the table. The dogs and kittens were all crashed in front of the fire. With the cold wind blowing in from the east, it was nice to have a warm cottage and good friends to spend time with. While we ate, we talked about the ball and our dresses. Jemma and Josie told me about the eligible men from the foundation Adam and Archie ran who usually showed up and the handful of local men who could be expected to attend. Neither Jemma nor Josie seemed overly interested in getting into a relationship at this point in their lives, but they did share that they enjoyed dancing the night away on the arm of someone who filled out their tuxedo just right.

  Personally, I was excited about dancing with Adam. I knew that as one of the hosts, he’d need to make the rounds, but one perfect dance on a perfect night should be enough to give me something to remember in the years to come.