“That’d be lovely. I’m Lillian Skinner.” The woman held out her hand to shake.
“Did you miss the collection?” Marjorie fell into step beside her. “Felix and Dotty went around the neighbourhood in the van, picking things up.”
“I was at the hairdressers and my son didn’t let them inside.” Lillian shook her head, pressing her lips in a thin line. “I’m not sure if it was to spite me or if he was abiding by our warnings about strangers.”
“How old’s your son?”
“Fourteen.”
Marjorie laughed. “Unless he’s still waiting for his growth spurt, I doubt he had anything to fear from those two.”
“That’s what I thought, too, but I’m not allowed to say.” Lillian shot a quiet smile towards Marjorie, who reciprocated.
“The presents aren’t wrapped, are they?” she asked, thinking back to the day before.
“Not yet.” Lillian gave a small shake of her head as she opened the back of her four-wheel drive, revealing a mountain of neatly stacked boxes. “Though, if it was up to my husband, every single gift would have a tag specifying how much it cost and that it was generously donated by him.”
“A true philanthropist, is he?”
Lillian burst into laughter, then put a hand to her mouth and glanced around with wary eyes. “Claude always ensures credit when credit’s due. Even with charity.”
“The kids won’t care,” Marjorie said when the woman seemed upset. “And if you think he’ll be more likely to donate again next year if he receives effusive praise for his generosity, then I’m happy to write him a letter on behalf of the centre.”
“Really?” Lillian briefly closed her eyes. “That would be great.”
They manhandled the large stack of gifts inside the community hall, with Marjorie making a mental note to tell Braden he could put his wrapping skills to use again in the morning.
“Are you attending the party?” she asked Lillian on their way out and the woman shrugged. “If you are coming, let me know what your favourite dessert is, and I’ll bake it special.”
Based on the hand that flew to Lillian’s waist and the pained expression on her face, Marjorie guessed dessert wasn’t something she indulged in.
“What a pity,” she told Monkey Business when she arrived home. “If I had a rich husband, I’d eat until I was twice the size I am, then pay a plastic surgeon to suction all my fat back out!”
Braden wasn’t answering his phone so Marjorie settled for a text message, figuring his idea of early in the morning wouldn’t be before ten. If Esme had as few clients booked tomorrow as she did the rest of the week, hopefully, she wouldn’t mind watching the café while Marjorie snuck off to wrap presents with her boyfriend.
“That’s my idea of a neat date,” she said to Shadow, who still clung dangerously close to her heels. “My teenage self would be sad beyond words.”
Monkey Business trotted over and pushed Shadow’s head into the floor, taking his place as he skittered away.
“Monkey! Be nice!”
The Persian jumped back with a shocked expression, but Marjorie wasn’t falling for his act. “Shadow might be as annoying as a little sibling to you, but you have to treat him with care. He’s been through a lot lately and doesn’t need you bullying him.”
Monkey turned and walked away, nose in the air. As soon as he was out of reach, Shadow hurried back to take up residence at Marjorie’s feet. “The sooner we find a new home for you, the better.”
The next morning was drizzling and Marjorie was kept busy with builders sheltering until they could get to work on the site next door. She poured mug after mug of strong tea served with full-fat milk and sold out of scones before her usual customers could get a look in.
With all the rushing, Marjorie was happy that Barney took temporary ownership of ‘the ugly cat,’ so she didn’t have him tangling around her feet. Unfortunately, a clingy Monkey Business soon took up residence, mimicking Shadow though he was usually happy to stay in the corner, playing.
“You know I’ll always love you,” she said, popping him in the playpen although she knew he’d escape in ten seconds’ flat. “You don’t have to be jealous.”
Luckily the head builder took an interest in the chocolate Persian and distracted the kitten long enough for her to get through the queue of orders.
When the rain lifted and she could take a breather, Marjorie saw a reply to her message of the day before on her phone. She smiled as she picked it up, nearly tossing it when the phone unexpectedly rang in her hand. “Hello?”
“It’s Braden. I’m at the community centre and everyone’s shell-shocked.”
“Why? What happened?”
He gulped and blurted out the terrible news. “The Christmas gifts have been stolen.”
Chapter Six
Marjorie left the café in Esme’s capable hands and rushed to the community centre. In the five months they’d been dating, she’d never heard Braden sound so emotional. When she stormed through the door, he stood with his back against the wall and his face drained of colour.
“Is anybody hurt?” she cried, spinning to include Allie, Felix, Dotty, and Jon in her question. “How did they get in?”
“We think they jimmied a window,” Allie said in a flat voice. Her shoulders slumped and her energy seemed to have slipped down to the floor. “There’s some splintering on a sill out the back but we’re waiting for the police to arrive and confirm.”
“They haven’t attended yet?” Marjorie was shocked.
“With the murder—”
Marjorie interrupted, “What murder?”
Allie glanced at Felix who turned bright red. “It’s not common knowledge,” he mumbled under his breath.
“You’re talking about Martin?”
He nodded and wrapped an arm around Dotty’s waist. “I dropped by the station yesterday with this one”—he jerked his chin at Jon—“to sign in and heard the sergeant talking about the pathology report.”
“I’ve told you a hundred times not to eavesdrop.” Dotty folded her arms and frowned but didn’t remove the arm around her.
“They shouldn’t have been talking so loud about private things,” Felix protested, rubbing behind his ear. “Anyway, the injuries he sustained aren’t consistent with a fall. That’s all I know.”
“I can’t believe someone would murder that nice young man,” Dotty said with a sniff. “This town used to be a safe place to retire or bring up young kids. Now the papers are stuffed full of crime instead of tips on growing the best tomatoes.”
“Most of the stories are from Christchurch,” Felix said giving her a bump with his hip. “You know that.”
“So we’ve got a cesspool of crime brewing a ninety-minute drive away. You’re hardly making things better. Besides, our Chrissy presents weren’t in Christchurch. They were in the next room.”
Marjorie’s mind buzzed with the news aboutMartin Thorpe. The man had been pleasant and helpful in his role as her accountant. Despite his standoffish nature, she’d always presumed they’d eventually become firm friends. Even after he dropped her business.
Too late now.
“You don’t suppose the murderer was at his house when I found the body?” she asked in horror as the thought crowded into her head. “While I was standing outside waiting for the police, the killer could have escaped.”
Braden touched the back of her hand and shook his head. “From what you’ve said, Martin’s body must’ve been lying there for a while. How long would it take his kitten to walk all the way from his house to the building site?”
“I suppose.” Marjorie pressed a palm to her forehead, which felt hot. “And I should concentrate on the presents. That’s a crime that we might be able to solve.”
“We’ll have no option if the police don’t get a move on,” Felix snapped. “We’ve been waiting for close on an hour.”
Marjorie turned to Allie. “Were they missing when you arrived at work?”
&nbs
p; “Probably.” Two spots of colour burned high on her cheeks. “But Jon and I were outside, getting the final coat of paint over the graffiti. It took us a couple of hours to finish, then we came inside for a spot of tree decorating and found everything gone.”
“Do you mind if I look?”
The group shook their heads and Marjorie walked across the room, resisting the urge to tiptoe. From the doorway, she could see the enormous pile of presents that she and Lilliana had added to the previous evening were gone. The tree, the spare wrapping paper and ribbons, and the bicycles donated for two lucky youngsters had been left behind.
“What about the consoles?” she asked, walking back to join Braden. “Are they still in the games room?”
He nodded tiredly. “They’re still there and so is all the food stored in the kitchen freezers.”
Marjorie would never even have thought to check, but she understood the concern. With dozens of guests coming, the investment in ham, turkey, and trimmings was substantial.
“They’re pretty dumb thieves to leave behind those two bikes,” she said, tilting her head back so the approaching tears would be forced to retreat. “And the computer equipment.”
“I think they might’ve been interrupted,” Felix said. “The wrapped presents were an easy grab because they were all stacked up together. The other stuff would have taken another trip.”
Braden nodded. “It makes sense. Hopefully, the police can track down who saw them and get it sorted quickly.”
“But catching the thieves won’t get the Christmas presents back.” When the group turned to Marjorie, she continued, “Nobody would steal a pile of toys for no reason. They’ve probably opened and tossed aside everything they didn’t want.”
“Like the world’s greediest children,” Braden added sadly. “Either way, we need to work out what to give the kids now. Apart from a big lunch and a games room.”
“Perhaps we can canvass the local businesses again,” Marjorie suggested. “If they donated gifts previously, they might be in the mood to donate again. Especially given what’s happened.”
“But the biggest donors have already shut up shop,” Allie said, her face twisted with misery. “The most generous companies aren’t trading right up to Christmas day. They’ve already closed with no plans to reopen until after New Year’s.”
“But we’ve still got Monday and Tuesday to go next week.” Marjorie shook her head at the luxury of being able to shut for a fortnight until the festive season had been and gone.
“Most of the business district take two weeks off. Even the ones running a skeleton crew operate out of Christchurch and don’t have anyone on the ground, here.”
“What about the bars and restaurants?” Marjorie looked to Felix and Dotty who’d done most of the legwork the first time around. “If they didn’t contribute originally, they might be willing to help now.”
“They’ve donated food to the event, just like you. Adding gifts on top of it…” Allie trailed off and frowned at the floor.
Marjorie became more downcast as each potential remedy failed but she wasn’t quite done yet. “Door to door?”
“We don’t have time,” Allie shouted, stamping one foot on the floor before pacing over to glare out the window. “Even if we could get the money for gifts, we’ve still got to go over the list and select the right presents for each child. All that takes hours, you know.”
“The list is still there from our first rally,” Dotty said, ignoring her friend’s outburst. “But without the financing, we’re stuck.”
Regina pulled up outside in a police car, ending the conversation for the time being. She cheerfully went through the motions of investigating the scene, even roping off the room with a short piece of police tape.
“Who was the last person to leave the centre last night?” she asked when she’d checked the room and the presumed point of entry thoroughly. When Allie raised a hand, Regina took her aside for a flurry of questions. Although Marjorie couldn’t hear the conversation, she saw the way Regina’s eyes kept returning to Jon.
“You called yesterday about Evan Westcott hanging around outside?” Regina said, finishing up with Allie and striding across to Marjorie. “Did he leave?”
“Is he the one who tagged the building?” When Regina nodded, Marjorie continued, “Yeah, but he walked away while I was talking to you.”
“Have you seen him since?”
“I’ve only just turned up.” She glanced over to Allie who shook her head. “Do you think he’d be the type to steal presents?”
“The man isn’t in his right mind.” Allie walked over to join Marjorie. “His son is due to attend the party with his foster parents. Since he thought nothing of spray-painting the side of the building, I guess he might be petty enough to steal the presents, so everybody has as bad a day as he does.”
Marjorie jumped as though hit with a physical blow. She wanted to deny the allegation, even though she didn’t know the man. It was a terrible thought that someone could set out to ruin the day for a group of underprivileged kids.
On the other hand, the gifts cost a lot of money and took time to organise, but no one would make much money selling them, especially on the black market. If cash was ruled out as a motive, then it didn’t leave much else.
“People are so awful.” Allie burst into tears. “How could someone do this just before Christmas? Why ruin the party for everyone?” She wiped her face with the back of her hand, heat rising in her cheeks. “I’ve spent half my life volunteering for this community and every year it gets harder. This is the final straw!”
She stormed out the door, kicking it shut behind her. The behaviour was so out of character Marjorie felt shaken to her core.
Braden tugged at his earlobe. “Should we go after her?”
“Leave her alone,” Dotty said in a firm tone. “She’s been wound tight as a drum all year, so it’ll do her good to let off a bit of steam.”
Marjorie thought it would also do the woman good to know how much everyone appreciated and loved her, and leaving her alone to shout and cry in the car park was no way to show that. But Felix and Dotty knew Allie much better. After a moment of hesitation, she deferred to their judgement.
“Felix thought the burglars might’ve been interrupted halfway through,” Marjorie said to Regina, trying to get things back on track. “Would there be CCTV showing the incident?”
“Oh, yeah.” The officer pointed across the road, then next door. “We’ve got two angles on the car park if they were stupid enough to use it. Another one around the back where the window’s been tampered with.” Regina rubbed her eyes. “Since there won’t be much action on a Thursday night, if they used a vehicle and parked nearby, we’ll soon find them.” She sighed and tapped her pen on her notepad. “I doubt we’re dealing with a master criminal, but I don’t know that we’ll recover anything. At least, not in a fit state for the children.”
Jon scowled and folded his arms over his chest, rocking back and forward against the wall. After a moment, he pushed away and strode outside, heading in a different direction than Allie.
“I hope that lad doesn’t think his community service is done just because his boss took a minute to regain her composure,” Felix said in a slow drawl. “Because if he does, he’s got another think coming.”
“Unless anyone has more information,” Regina said, “then I’ll be on my way. I’ll have a word with Mr Roscoe on my way out and remind him he’s not here by choice.”
However, it was too late. With a screech of tyres, Jon drove the community centre van out of the car park, clipping the curb as he pulled onto the road and headed away.
Regina cleared her throat. “I don’t suppose anyone can account for Jon’s whereabouts at the time of the break in?”
Chapter Seven
“It was awful,” Marjorie said later to Esme, burying her face in her hands. “I feel so sorry for those poor kids even crying doesn’t help.”
“Good.” Esme u
ndid her apron and tossed it in the hamper. “Because crying won’t get anything useful done. What we need to do is rally the community into replacing the presents. We mightn’t be able to afford to replace name-brand stuff, but we can still make sure every kid gets a nice toy to play with.”
“I wondered about going door to door and asking for donations,” Marjorie began but Esme shook her head.
“It’s too close to Christmas to ask for charity. People will stretch every dollar to provide the best holiday they can for themselves. What we should do is sell them something they need and use the profits for the replacement gifts.”
“And what do people need?”
“A massage to unwind or a quick sugar fix to make them feel better. I’d blocked off my calendar for next week anyway, so I’ve got time to spare. If we take some of your muffins and biscuits around, we’ll soon be in profit, I bet you.”
“We can try,” Marjorie said, biting her lip in doubt.
Esme laughed and clapped her on the shoulder. “Take a friendly kitten with you to seal the deal. A mobile kitten café should increase conversions no end.”
“Only if you take your mobile massage chair to perform a shoulder massage on the spot. If we’re trying to relieve the stress of Christmas, then you need to deliver right away. It’ll just increase pressure if folks have one more appointment to remember.”
“Good point.” Esme hooked up an eyebrow. “Food, massages, and a kitten cuddle. Sounds like the perfect recipe for anyone who needs a dose of relaxation in their life.”
“Tomorrow afternoon?”
“Why not today?”
Marjorie wrinkled her nose and grinned. “Because I need to bake supplies and gather up some energy. After the shock of this morning, I’ll last about three houses before I’ll be the one sitting in your massage chair.”
“You should bring the terrible twins along,” Esme said with a nod towards Toil and Trouble, who were busy shuffling a saltshaker off a nearby table. “They can push the customers towards a sale.”
Lykoi Larceny Page 4