The Ghost of Christmas Secrets

by Anna J. McIntyre

  “Valentine’s Day,” Lily said.

  Danielle frowned at Lily. “Valentine’s Day what?”

  “Shoot for a Valentine’s Day wedding. It’s not like you’ll need a long engagement, which would seem silly since you’re living under the same roof anyway.”

  Danielle looked to Walt and cringed. “That’s less than two months away, do you think it’s too soon?”

  He smiled and shook his head. “I think a Valentine’s Day wedding would be perfect. Considering all that’s happened since Clint’s accident, I have a feeling people might be able to understand a whirlwind engagement.”

  “A wedding!” Lily squealed.

  “You have to keep it to yourself for now,” Danielle reminded her. “Of course, I want you to be my maid of honor.”

  “Yes! I will be honored!” Lily hugged Danielle again.

  When the hug ended, Danielle looked at Heather and asked, “I’d love for you to be one of my bridesmaids, Heather.”

  “Me?” Heather frowned, pointing to herself.

  “Of course. I consider you one of my closest friends.”

  Heather grinned. “Gee, thanks, Danielle. I would love to be in your wedding.”

  Ian glanced at his watch. “Congratulations, you two, but Lily and I should probably get going. Before we tackle a Valentine’s Day wedding, let’s take care of Christmas.”

  Ten minutes later, Walt and Danielle stood at the front doorway of Marlow House, saying goodbye to their friends—whom they would be seeing within an hour across the street at the open house. Chris was the last to say goodbye.

  “Thanks again. I’m so sorry I put you through this,” Chris told Danielle. He looked to Walt and said, “And you too. I know you must have been worried about Danielle.”

  “Chris, I understand the desire to have a connection with family, even family members that you’re estranged from,” Danielle said.

  “And now you’ve found your brother,” Walt reminded him.

  Chris smiled. “He found me.”

  “I do want to ask you something before you leave,” Walt said.

  “What?”

  “Would you be my best man?” Walt asked.

  Startled, Chris stared at Walt. “Me? I’d think you would have asked Ian.”

  Walt shook his head. “Of all my male friends—the ones alive today—you’re the one I’ve known the longest.”

  “You met Ian before you met me,” Chris reminded him.

  “But he hadn’t met me.”

  Chris smiled. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

  Walt nodded.

  Chris’s smile broadened and he held out his hand. “I would be honored.”

  Danielle stood by quietly and watched as the two men shook hands.

  “That was sweet of you,” Danielle told Walt after they closed the front door. They were the only ones left in Marlow House, aside from Max. Even Marie and Eva had left—with Eva going to Chris’s house, and Marie following Lily and Ian across the street for the party.

  “He just seemed like the right choice.” Walt draped one arm over Danielle’s shoulder, and together they turned from the now closed front door.

  “And to think you used to have issues with Chris. I always knew you liked him.”

  Walt chuckled as they continued down the hall. “Now that we’re married, Chris doesn’t seem to annoy me like he used to.”

  They paused a moment at the open door leading to the downstairs bedroom. “At least we don’t have to clean out the rooms Loyd and Simon used. The chief’s men took all their stuff,” Danielle said. “And I imagine Noah will stop by here later to get the rest of his things if he takes Chris’s offer to stay with him.”

  “He’d better take Chris’s offer, or Chris can forget being my best man.”

  Danielle laughed. “Let’s go upstairs and get ready for the party.”

  When they reached the staircase, they paused a moment and looked up toward the second floor.

  “I think Simon lied to me,” Walt said.

  Danielle glanced at Walt. “Well, he tried to murder me. But what do you mean he lied to you?”

  “He told me It’s a Wonderful Life was one of his favorite movies. I don’t think that’s true.”

  “Uh, yeah. I have to agree. Simon seems more like a Krampus sort of guy.”

  “What’s Krampus?”

  “It’s a Christmas horror movie.”

  “A Christmas horror movie? That doesn’t seem very Christmassy,” Walt noted.

  “Neither is almost getting poisoned on Christmas Eve.”

  Walt nodded. “True.”

  They started up the stairs.

  “It’s kind of nice being in the house—just you and me,” Danielle mused. “It feels like our home—not your house or mine, but both of ours.”

  “I agree.” He looked at her inquisitively. “You aren’t considering closing the B and B, are you?”

  Danielle looked up to Walt and shrugged. “I still enjoy it—but if it was something you wanted me to do, I wouldn’t be opposed to seriously considering your wishes.”

  Walt laughed and kissed Danielle’s nose.

  “What?” She frowned. “You didn’t think I would take your feelings into consideration?”

  Walt chuckled and shook his head. “No, it isn’t that. Rather the opposite. Where I came from—”

  “You came from here,” Danielle reminded him.

  Walt grinned. “I’m referencing time not place. Where I came from, a wife didn’t consider her husband’s wishes—she simply acquiesced.”

  Danielle arched her brows. “Really now, did Angela simply go along with all your demands?”

  “Angela? Oh no.” Walt chuckled. “But then, Angela plotted to kill me.”

  “Yeah, well, if you thought you were always going to get your way because you’re a man, I might have to kill you myself.”

  Walt patted her backside good-naturedly. “I suppose for my own safety it’s a good thing I would rather be married to a woman who doesn’t expect me to do her thinking for her.”

  “Plus it would be boring. But seriously, I wouldn’t be opposed to closing the B and B if you hate it.”

  “I don’t hate it,” Walt said. “I’ve actually enjoyed meeting many of the guests—some, like Chris’s uncles, I could have done without. But what about you? Are you finding it isn’t what you want to do anymore? You mentioned how you enjoyed having the house to ourselves.”

  “I still enjoy the business. And I do enjoy having the house to ourselves. One doesn’t discount the other. In fact, running Marlow House as a bed and breakfast, it doesn’t just afford me the opportunity to meet new people, it makes me appreciate my home even more when I don’t have to share it with strangers.”

  “And then there is the baking without guests staying here,” Walt reminded her. “It would be a lose-lose situation. I would either gain a ridiculous amount of weight—or if you decided to hang up your apron, I’d be deprived. After going almost a hundred years without chocolate cake—and having tasted your chocolate cake—I’m not ready to give that up.”

  Forty

  Marie found Danielle sitting at her dressing table, applying her makeup. She had changed into a festive red dress, and around her neck she wore the Missing Thorndike, its diamonds and emeralds transforming the simple dress into an elegant Christmas ensemble.

  “You look gorgeous,” Marie gushed.

  Danielle turned from the mirror and smiled at the ghost. “I thought you were across the street already.”

  “I was. And then I popped over to check on Adam, and he’s running late. I came back here and found Walt at the kitchen table, so I figured it was safe to pop up here.”

  Danielle grinned. “Safe?”

  Marie smiled. “You are practically a newlywed, dear, and the way that man looks at you, I don’t think it would be wise to just barge in. It could be rather embarrassing.”

  Danielle chuckled and turned back to the mirror and applied some lipstick
.

  “I didn’t know you were going to wear the Missing Thorndike tonight,” Marie said as she took a seat on the foot of Danielle’s bed.

  Danielle shrugged. “I just thought it would look good with this dress.”

  “It does.”

  “I hope Eva doesn’t mind.”

  “I’m sure she won’t. It’s a shame to keep something that lovely locked away. Plus, if Eva wanted to, she could conjure up her own version of the necklace.”

  “I just don’t have the heart to sell it. And I figure Walt’s a pretty safe guy to be around when wearing expensive jewelry. Plus, it’ll just be friends tonight, and I didn’t broadcast I was wearing it.”

  “You look very festive, and Walt’s rather dashing tonight too. I didn’t have a chance to tell him yet. He seemed rather engrossed in whatever he was writing, so I didn’t disturb him. I just came up here.”

  “Ahh…I bet it’s that note he wanted to put in the Christmas card he got for Ian.”

  Marie arched her brows. “Walt got Ian his own Christmas card?”

  Danielle recapped her lipstick, set it on the vanity, and turned to face Marie. “It’s more of a thank-you note. If it wasn’t for Ian, Walt would never have met his agent—and then the publisher. While many authors successfully self-publish these days, Walt really doesn’t have the skill sets to do all that’s required of an author who’s not using a traditional publisher. Walt’s still figuring out the computer.”

  “I have to give him credit for that. That whole internet thing is beyond me.”

  Danielle stood. “You ready to go?”

  “Oh my gosh, she’s wearing the necklace!” Kelly whispered to Joe. The two stood by the dining room table in Lily and Ian’s house, sampling some of the appetizers.

  Holding a small poinsettia-patterned paper plate in one hand, Joe was just adding a meatball to the plate when Kelly’s comment had him looking toward the entry hall. Danielle and Walt had just arrived.

  “Definitely a couple,” Joe muttered under his breath, noting the possessive way Walt held one hand against the flat of Danielle’s back.

  “I have to admit they do look good together,” Kelly said begrudgingly. “I still can’t believe they showed up, considering what went down today.”

  “We’re here, aren’t we?” Joe asked.

  Kelly glanced up at Joe. “True. And I’m sorry for being so grouchy when you told me you had to go into the office this morning. I had no idea what was happening. I can’t even imagine how Danielle and Chris pulled it off—convincing those two monsters they were dying.”

  “I can’t get over how Heather’s cat just happened to take that moment to run through the office. I wasn’t sure how they were going to make Chris’s uncles believe they drank the wine. Up until that point, those two were watching them like hawks.” Instead of adding the meatball to his plate, he popped it into his mouth and then speared another one.

  Twenty minutes later Kelly threw her arms around Danielle and said, “I’m so happy you’re okay!”

  Startled by Kelly’s show of affection, Danielle reluctantly returned the hug. Walt had already left her side and was over talking to Ian, giving him the card and note he had penned.

  “You and me both,” Danielle said with a smile when the brief hug ended.

  “Joe was telling me one of your other guests is Chris’s biological brother?”

  Danielle glanced briefly at Joe, who stood quietly at Kelly’s side. “Yes, they believe so. But they’re having a DNA test to make sure.”

  “One thing I don’t understand, was there another couple staying at Marlow House?” Kelly asked.

  Danielle shook her head. “You mean besides Chris’s uncles and brother?”

  “Yes. I thought Lily said you had a newlywed couple staying with you.”

  “Oh, that…We had a newlywed couple make a reservation for Christmas, but they cancelled at the last moment,” Danielle lied.

  Kelly frowned. “Funny, I must have misunderstood her. I thought they had arrived.”

  Danielle smiled sweetly and shook her head. “No. Just Noah and those homicidal maniacs.”

  Kelly shivered. “So freaking creepy to think what they were planning!”

  “One thing that was peculiar,” Joe said. “Those two insisted Noah was staying at Marlow House with his wife. Of course, they admitted they never saw a wife. Not sure why they got that idea.”

  “I’ve no idea,” Danielle said with a shrug.

  Danielle was still chatting with Kelly and Joe when Brian Henderson arrived. She spied him from across the room talking with Lily.

  “Brian showed up,” Danielle said. “I wasn’t sure he would.”

  “He doesn’t really have family to spend Christmas with,” Joe told her.

  “If you two will excuse me, I have something to say to Mr. Henderson.”

  “I wonder why she called him Mr. Henderson?” Kelly asked Joe after Danielle walked away. Her eyes still on Danielle, she watched as she approached Brian, and to her surprise, she witnessed Danielle slug Brian’s arm, and then Brian broke into laughter.

  “Really? She was kind of a pain in the ass?” Danielle said.

  “You are.” Brian continued to laugh.

  “And it’s not like it’s going to mess up your Christmas,” Danielle went on.

  No longer laughing, Brian grinned. “And it didn’t mess up my Christmas. See? You’re still alive.”

  Danielle grinned and shook her head. “You are such a rat sometimes.”

  “I knew you were probably listening in.”

  Danielle let out a deep sigh. “I really can’t believe we’re all standing here—that it’s Christmas Eve and…”

  “And you could be dead right now?” Brian asked, his tone now serious.

  Danielle nodded. “Thanks for being there today. It made it less stressful knowing you and Joe were upstairs watching.”

  “It was pretty chilling, actually. I know I’ve had issues with Chris in the past, but after watching his uncles plot to murder him—listening to what that one said to him when he thought Chris was dying—it made my stomach turn. I’ve never witnessed such evil before.”

  “I have to agree with you.” Danielle glanced around. “Any idea when the chief is going to be here? He’s still coming, isn’t he?”

  “Yes. He was still on the phone when I left the office, talking to the authorities in California. From what I overheard, I think California’s going to get a shot at them first.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Brian nodded at something behind Danielle. She turned around to see who he was nodding at. It was the chief. He had just arrived, and with him were Evan and Eddie Jr. The boys dashed off to the table to get some food, while the chief headed in Danielle’s direction.

  Danielle and Walt retreated to Ian’s office with the chief for some privacy.

  “Chris should be here pretty soon. He took Noah over to Marlow House to get his things,” the chief explained when they were alone.

  “Brian said something about California getting a shot at the uncles first. What did he mean?” Danielle asked.

  “We had to massage the facts,” the chief explained. “We can’t really tell them Zara’s ghost helped us foil the murder plot.”

  “Yeah, well, I know all about massaging facts,” Danielle grumbled.

  “So the revised version—Before Zara’s disappearance, she told Noah she thought Chris Glandon was his brother, yet she didn’t know where he was now. Noah is officially telling the police he had no idea she had contacted the uncles, which is why their name never came up when they were investigating her disappearance. He’s claiming he decided to come here for Christmas to follow the trail Zara had been investigating before her disappearance.”

  “What trail?” Walt asked.

  “One of the things she learned was that a Chris Glandon had stayed at Marlow House. Noah is saying he decided to start his search at Marlow House—and by pure coincidence he found the Glandon u
ncles were also guests. He’s saying that’s why he was eavesdropping on the uncles, to learn more about his brother, but instead he overheard a plot to kill Chris and Danielle. At least, that’s the new version,” the chief explained.

  “What does that have to do with California getting the uncles first?” Walt asked.

  “The storage unit where they found Zara’s body, it was rented by a man who worked for the uncles. He was their gardener. He died not long after Zara went missing. It looks like he might have helped the uncles move the body, and then they decided he was a liability, so they got rid of him.”

  “We heard Brian telling Loyd and Simon that,” Danielle said. “But I hope they have more than that to nail Zara’s murder on them.”

  “They do. They have Zara’s Volkswagen. It was parked in their garage.”

  “They didn’t get rid of her car?” Danielle asked.

  The chief shook his head. “Nope. It looks like they didn’t believe there was anyone who would connect the missing woman to them. They figured they could keep her body indefinitely in the freezer, and as long as the storage rent was paid, there wouldn’t be a problem. They just never figured on a rat chewing through the cord and the body thawing out.”

  “What about the storage unit?” Danielle asked. “If the guy who rented it died, wouldn’t his family go into it and find the body?”

  “Apparently, there was just a sister, and she didn’t think he had the storage unit anymore,” MacDonald explained.

  Brian stood by the fireplace, cocktail in hand, surveying the room. He estimated there were about twenty or so guests. Understandably the conversation on most lips was about what had gone on that day. The only two who were undoubtedly thinking of Santa Claus and not attempted murder were Evan and Eddie Jr. The pair sat across the room by the Christmas tree, sneaking Sadie bits of cheese.

  Needing to use the restroom, Brian set his now empty glass on a table and headed for the hallway. Once there, he couldn’t recall which room was the bathroom. He pushed open the first door. It was the master bedroom.