Someone had hidden a Christmas gift there.
Gold stars glimmered on pink paper that had been wrapped around a box taller than me. Undoubtedly one of those nightmarish items that was hard to wrap. The top of the package gave it away. There was no mistaking the shape of a lampshade. It had to be from Natasha to Mars. Maybe a standing lamp for his study? A gold ribbon circled the middle of the tall package, ending in a big fancy bow with six loops, definitely handmade.
I hadn’t worn a watch, but I was fairly certain I needed to head home. It would be awful if Alex arrived to pick me up, and I wasn’t there.
I reached past Daisy to close the cabinet when, to my horror, she slammed a heavy paw on the package, piercing the wrapping paper.
“No!” I shrieked. “Oh, Daisy! What have you done?” I couldn’t just patch it with tape. I would simply have to apologize and rewrap the whole thing. There wasn’t anything else I could do.
I leaned over to grip her collar. There would be no more pawing at the gift. I hoped she hadn’t broken anything.
But when I leaned over, I realized something was very, very wrong. And it wasn’t just torn gift wrap.
The box hadn’t fit around the lamp perfectly. Someone, probably Natasha, had slit a box up the side to wrap it around the base of the lamp. Daisy’s claw had torn the tape holding the box closed. I thought I saw a shoe.
I looked closer. Definitely a woman’s shoe. Bending as close as I could without toppling over, I realized it must be a gag gift. Undoubtedly a joke similar to the sexy leg lamp in A Christmas Story. Didn’t seem like something Natasha would give anyone, though. Her sense of humor didn’t run in that direction.
Daisy worried me. If it was a gag gift, why was Daisy so interested in it?
I reached up to the lampshade and pried loose two pieces of tape. A curl tumbled out and lay atop the wrapping paper.
I screamed and jumped back, falling over Daisy.
No! It couldn’t be a real person. It just couldn’t. Maybe it was a gag gift from Mars to Bernie. That sounded more like it. I blew air out in relief, and clambered to my feet. That made perfect sense. Mars bought Bernie a silly “woman” lamp. Natasha had probably wrapped it for him, and they’d hidden it in the garage.
I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and picked up the curl to jam it inside. I was no authority on wigs but it certainly felt like real hair. I stared at the package. If it was Mars’s, he’d get a big laugh out of giving me a fright. But just to be sure, I tore open the box—and found myself staring up into Gwen Babineaux’s dead eyes.
The scream that shuddered out of my throat could have curdled milk.
My heart thudded. I checked her neck for a pulse. Her skin felt incredibly cold. I ran for Natasha’s workshop in search of a telephone to call for help. Black and silver ornaments crowded the counters, near orange and pink ones. A stack of pink gift boxes almost hid the wall phone. I punched in 911 and gave them the location.
The dispatcher tried to keep me on the line. I stepped on something soft and backed up. On the floor lay a five-inch-tall gray felt mouse. Unless I was mistaken, it looked a lot like the one Edith Scroggins had made such a fuss over at Rocking Horse Toys. I picked it up to examine it more closely. It wore a Santa hat, but the glasses were missing.
Stray thoughts about Edith passed through my head. Gwen invaded them, and I hung up the phone.
Breathing heavily, I hurried back to Gwen. I had little hope that she might be alive, but I checked her pulse again. Did I feel something? I wasn’t sure. I was using my forefinger and middle finger so I wouldn’t mistake my own pulse for hers.
What was taking them so long? I wished there was something I could do for Gwen.
An ambulance siren howled briefly.
I ran outside to guide the paramedics who disembarked with amazing calmness.
A police car had arrived as well. Officer Wong strode toward me purposefully, her uniform straining against her curvy figure. Her expression grim, she uttered one word: “Scroggins?”
I glanced at the mouse that I still carried in my hand. Where was Edith? And why was her mouse in Natasha and Mars’s garage? “No. It’s Gwen Babineaux from next door.”
They all followed me through Natasha’s workshop and into the garage. I jammed the mouse into my pocket.
Wong flicked a strong flashlight beam over Gwen and the wrapping paper. “Whoa! If she’s not alive, then don’t move her.”
I watched them, vaguely conscious that I held my breath. Maybe she was alive. Maybe they would find a heartbeat that I couldn’t feel.
They didn’t. Officer Wong called in on her radio and I overheard the words, crime scene.
“What happened here?” she asked.
I explained how Daisy had torn the wrapping paper.
“That’s really creepy.” Wong shuddered. “It’s like a message from the mafia or something to wrap someone up as a gift.”
I peered at her. She wasn’t kidding. I hadn’t taken the time to consider why Gwen was wrapped. If someone had done this to Gwen as a threat to Baxter, then it was the cruelest, most horrible thing imaginable. “Her husband sells real estate. That doesn’t seem likely.”
“Then why wrap her up?”
Good question. I had no answers.
At that moment, Baxter emerged through the door that led to the workroom. He squinted like he’d run in from the dark and the lights hurt his eyes. “Everything okay here?”
Wong said, “Baxter, let’s step outside.”
Baxter ignored her, his eyes fixed on the cabinet. He walked closer in haste. “Gwen?” It was barely a whisper. “Gwen!” He shouted her name in panic. Baxter lunged toward her between two of the paramedics. Wong stepped forward to restrain him.
“What happened to her? What’s going on?” shouted Baxter. “Is she okay? Gwen!” Baxter screamed her name as though he hoped she would respond.
Wong said calmly, “I’m very sorry, Mr. Babineaux.”
Baxter’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He held the back of his wrist to his nose and closed his eyes. His head fell forward and his shoulders began to shake.
One of the first responders gently escorted him outside. Baxter shuffled along without protesting, like an empty shell of a person.
We heard a little tussle, and Sugar burst into the garage. Like a ballerina on light feet, she crept forward, assessing the situation, and then cried out, “Mom!”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Dear Natasha,
Each year my mother raves about my crafty sister’s Christmas wrap, which she makes herself. I can’t compete with homemade paper. How can I make my gift wrap special?
The Other Daughter in Gift, Mississippi
Dear The Other Daughter,
Find sturdy boxes with tops and bottoms. Wrap them in luxurious fabric, using a glue stick and a glue gun as necessary to adhere it. Use the glue stick to wrap a bit of velvet ribbon around the sides of the top pieces. Adorn the tops with bouquets of fresh berries and pine.
Natasha
“What happened?” Sugar croaked. She shook off the gentle hand of a paramedic. “Why aren’t you helping her?”
“I’m very sorry,” said Wong.
I was still reeling from the facts that Gwen was dead and Sugar had called her Mom.
Sugar’s forehead furrowed. “She . . . she’s dead? She can’t be. Mom! Nooo! Mooooom!”
And then she collapsed in a sobbing heap. It broke my heart. I couldn’t imagine what she must be going through. I helped her to her feet. We shuffled slowly. Sugar bent over as though she had no strength left in her. I kept her walking through the workshop and out the door into the cold night air. Next door, Bethany and Katrina rushed out the back gate.
Sugar’s head jerked up at the sound of their voices. She wrested her arm from my grip and breathed, “They must never see her like that.�
� With a burst of newfound strength, she rushed toward the girls, turned them around, and ushered them quickly into their own backyard.
Neighbors and additional police cars arrived in the alley. A man stepped out of a car and strode toward me. I knew who he was before I could make out his face. I knew from the way he carried himself. I knew his gait and how he held his shoulders. Wolf Fleishman. The detective I had dated for many years. I always suspected I would run into him again someday, just not tonight.
“Hello, Sophie.” His voice was low, somber, soft. I remembered it all too well. Daisy strained at her leash to reach him. He strode closer and patted her. “In there?” he asked.
I nodded and showed him the way. Wolf looked good. He had always carried a few extra pounds. Both of us liked to eat, but he was tall enough to pull off the extra weight.
Wolf’s eyebrows jumped when he caught sight of Gwen wrapped up like a present. He said nothing, but I could see that he was taking in every little detail.
“How are you involved in this?” he asked.
“I found Gwen. Actually, Daisy did.”
He frowned. “You’re not exactly dressed for walking Daisy in an alley.”
I gasped. I’d forgotten all about Alex! “I have to go!”
“I’m not through with you yet, Sophie.”
“Look, I’ve told Wong everything I know. Okay?” I turned and started to jog away.
“Sophie!” Wolf charged after me. “You can’t just leave the scene of the crime. You know better than that.”
“Wolf! You know where I live. I’ll answer any questions you have. Look, I’ll come back. Okay? Just let me go home for a few minutes to make a phone call.”
I didn’t wait for his response. If he hadn’t known me so well, I imagined he might have chased after me. I hurried Daisy along the alley and out to the street. I had to slow down to catch my breath. Ugh. Having to talk with Wolf would be uncomfortable at best.
When I reached my house, Mars yelled to me, “Where have you been? My house isn’t that far away. Come up to the third floor and hand me the staples. We’ve been waiting.”
Aargh. In the commotion about Gwen, I’d forgotten all about the staples. They lay in the workshop, where I had made the call to the police. “Has Alex been here?” I shouted.
“Not yet. What’s with the flashing lights over my way?”
I rushed into the house and checked the clock. Alex would surely be there any minute. I hurried up the stairs. Mochie and Daisy sprang ahead with more energy than I could muster. I made it up to the dormer window and opened it, huffing and puffing.
Mars reached out his hand.
“I’m sorry. I left them in Natasha’s crafting room. Gwen Babineaux is dead.”
“What?! We heard the sirens.”
“Mars, you might want to head home. I found her in your garage.”
His boot slipped on the roof shingles. “My garage? Bernie! We have to go. Come on.”
Mars climbed through the window. “What was Gwen doing in my garage?”
“Beats me.” I gave Bernie a hand as he crawled through the window. “She was wrapped in pink and gold Christmas paper.”
The color drained from Mars’s face. “Natasha,” he whispered. He gazed at Bernie and me with fear in his eyes. “What am I saying? She couldn’t do something like that. I never said that. There has to be a reasonable explanation.”
I stopped short of saying what I thought. There simply was no reasonable explanation for a person to be wrapped up like a gift. None whatsoever.
Bernie shook his head. “Sorry, old chap. Looks like Natasha finally went over the edge.”
Mars shot him an annoyed look. “No, no. It can’t be. I better get over there.” Mars rushed out of the room and scrambled down the stairs.
“Wrapped in Christmas paper?” Bernie snorted. “That smacks of Natasha in every imaginable way. I believe she’s gone ’round the bend this time.”
Bernie accompanied me down the stairs. The phone rang before we reached the bottom. I raced into the kitchen to answer it.
“Hi, Sophie.”
I recognized Alex’s voice.
“I’m so sorry to cancel on you, especially this late, but I have an unexpected work emergency.”
“Oh.” I hated that he could hear the disappointment in my tone. I cleared my throat. “That’s okay,” I said brightly, as though I didn’t care. “We’ll get together another time.”
“Thanks for being so understanding. I’ll call you, okay?”
What could I say? “Okay.” And that was that.
Bernie slung a comforting arm around my shoulders. “He called it off?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“Well, we can’t have you all dressed up with no place to go.” He offered me his arm. “Would you care to accompany an English bloke to his restaurant?”
“I think that would be lovely. Oh, good heavens! How could I have forgotten about Gwen even for a second? I can’t go anywhere. I promised Wolf I would come right back.”
“Wolf?” Bernie shook his head. “Be careful, Sophie.”
“About what?”
“Don’t fall for him again. It’s no good being in love with someone who isn’t available.”
“Dana.” I’d forgotten all about his relationship with Dana. One Halloween, Bernie had met a very lovely woman and dated her. Unfortunately, she had an equally charming former husband and a young son who wanted nothing more in the world than to reunite his parents. “Did she go back to her ex-husband?”
Bernie avoided my question. “I just don’t want you to be hurt. You did a huge favor for Wolf, and he owes you. Don’t mistake that for romance. I’ll walk you back over to Natasha’s garage.”
When we stepped outside, a blaze of lights surrounded us. I locked the front door. At the sidewalk, we turned to admire my house.
A red sleigh glowed atop the roof. Golden reindeer appeared to be lifting off in flight and then landing, and then taking off again. Icicle lights ran along my roofline and accented the dormer windows. Bright lights lined every angle on my house. They graced the limbs of the tree in front of the house, too. On the other side, Bernie and Mars had created a tree out of lights by drawing them to a peak at one of my chimneys and somehow planting a star on top of it. Smaller trees lined my short walkway.
It was over-the-top but beautiful. “Bernie, it’s amazing! Clark Griswold would be proud.”
“We still have some work to do on it, but we’re almost there.”
“I can’t imagine what else you could do. Natasha and Gwen . . . I can’t believe Gwen is dead.”
“I was joking about Natasha,” he said. “She didn’t really have a quarrel with Gwen, did she?”
“I heard they had a bit of a tiff yesterday when Gwen threatened to put unflattering pictures of Natasha on the Internet. You know how Natasha takes pride in her appearance. And she accused Gwen of stealing her Christmas colors.”
Bernie cast a sideways look at me. “You have to be kidding. Even Natasha wouldn’t kill over that. Would she?”
He accompanied me around Mars and Natasha’s house to the alley. The lights on the police cars strobed in the night, and I couldn’t help thinking that unlike the Christmas lights, which were so cheerful, the police lights pulsed an ominous note.
Everyone in the neighborhood had come out to watch.
Wolf spotted me right away.
“Want me to stick around?” asked Bernie.
“I’m okay. Wolf’s a decent guy.”
“I’m standing by if you get into trouble.” Bernie joined Nina, Liza, Mars, and Daisy.
Wolf made a beeline for me, took me by the elbow, and propelled me to a calm spot beside the garage. “Are you out of your mind? I know we have a history, but you can’t just go running off like that. I could have you arrested.�
��
“You knew I would come back.”
“Sophie! This woman was clearly murdered. How do I know you didn’t hide something? The murder weapon, for instance? It’s bad enough that you and Daisy contaminated the crime scene.” He sucked in a deep breath. “No matter what went on between us before, I’m in charge here.”
I pulled the little mouse out of my pocket and held it out to him.
“What’s this?”
“It might be a clue. I think it belongs to Edith Scroggins. I found it on Natasha’s crafting island.”
Wolf was not amused. He didn’t take it. “Now you’re jerking me around. Don’t change the subject. Look, I’m sorry about the way things worked out between us. It wasn’t fair to you.” He mashed his lips together and stared at the ground for a moment. “I don’t think I ever thanked you personally for what you did for me.”
“Yes, you did. The flowers you sent were beautiful. I think we should just try to move past that part of our lives.”
Wolf smiled at me and snorted. “Same old Sophie. Tell me how you found Gwen.”
“Sophie!” In the eerie lights of the gingerbread decorations, a man ran toward us.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Dear Natasha,
I am one of your biggest fans. Your robin’s-egg blue signature color has inspired me to decorate my house in blue this holiday. Any advice?
Having a Happy Blue Christmas in Bluefield, West Virginia
Dear Having a Happy Blue Christmas,
Silver and white go beautifully with blue for decorating. Make a blue skirt for your tree, use a blue tablecloth, wrap all your gifts in blue, white, and silver, and go nuts with blue ribbon everywhere!
Natasha
“Stop, Sophie!” Alex jogged up to me and placed his hand on my arm. He had left the military years ago, but the ramrod-straight back and authoritative bearing was part of him.
I couldn’t help grinning just a bit. After all, it’s not a bad thing when your ex-boyfriend happens to see your new and extremely good-looking boyfriend being protective. His brow furrowed, creasing in between his dark eyebrows. Square jaw, great chin, kind eyes—I still couldn’t believe he was interested in me. “You should have legal counsel before you talk to the police.”
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