The Secret Santa Project

by Carol Ross

  “I just thought it was wise to let someone know all the details. You know, on the way, way off chance that something was to go wrong.”

  Seth frowned. “I don’t like this plan. Why don’t you just tell Cricket? Or the police?”

  “Tell them what, though? We know it’s a long shot. We don’t want to say anything until we know for sure.” She didn’t mention that she hadn’t heard from Cricket since he’d left the Festival of Trees. So far, he hadn’t been “in touch” as he’d promised. She kept telling herself it was because she didn’t have a phone.

  And now she couldn’t shake the thought that solving the robbery would solve their issues, too. If she and Ashley could prove that Roy was behind this, Cricket would see how his concerns regarding Lee were unfounded. It would explain the renewed and, if Ashley’s theory was correct, exaggerated Blackburn buzz going around town. And then maybe Cricket would let this go and realize they were meant to be together.

  Even though, deep inside, the fear lingered in her that he might never reach that point. Because he was right. What would be the next thing to fill his mind with doubts?

  For now, though, she had to do this. “If there’s anything in the storage unit that doesn’t belong, we’ll call the police immediately.”

  “What if the robbers are, like, hanging out in there?”

  Hazel went stone-faced and said, “Like the secret bad-guy lair is inside the storage unit, and they’re all sitting around in there playing Russian roulette and smoking cigars?”

  “Sort of,” Seth confessed with a self-conscious grin. “Maybe.”

  Laughing, she admitted, “I asked Ashley the exact same question.” They took a moment to laugh together before Hazel added, “She says the place is one of those high-fenced kinds with a ton of security cameras, and there’s no way people could come and go without looking suspicious.”

  “What if you get arrested for trespassing or something?”

  “That’s the beauty of it. Ashley’s name is on the unit. She has a key. Technically, it’s still theirs together. She even has some stuff there. Including Christmas decorations, which gives her the perfect excuse.”

  “Huh. It seems like Roy would have to be pretty stupid to hide stolen goods there.”

  “But he’s not going to think that anyone suspects him. Why would they?”

  “You know the part that no one is going to believe, right?”

  “What?”

  “That you and Ashley are going shopping together. You need a better reason to be running around with her.”

  “I know. That’s why we’re taking Iris, too.”

  “You’re taking our pregnant sister along on your covert operation?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Oh, this is just great,” he said, his tone plainly stating the opposite. Then he groaned and scrubbed a hand across his jaw. “From Cagney and Lacey to Charlie’s Angels. What could possibly go wrong?”

  * * *

  “GOOD THINKING WITH the thermos of coffee,” Lee commented from the passenger seat of Cricket’s pickup. “Every respectable stakeout needs coffee. And...” he announced, reaching behind him and retrieving a box from the back seat, “donuts.”

  Hefty Haul Storage was one of those vast and secure gated compounds with multiple drab gray buildings planted in neat rows, all with uniform, orange-painted sliding doors. A code was required to open the gate to the complex. Individual units were then accessed with keys.

  He and Lee had been parked on a side street overlooking the parking lot for hours, and Cricket was beginning to question their plan. Which basically consisted of watching the storage business where Lee’s contact, “a former associate,” revealed that the stolen goods had possibly been taken.

  What if this was the wrong place? What if the thieves had already been here? Or if they’d discovered that Lee’s contact had ratted them out and they weren’t going to show up at all? Maybe this was a wild-goose chase. And precisely the reason why he hadn’t shared the information with Detective Carthy. They needed some evidence. Not the legal kind necessarily, just the reassurance that they were on the right track. Once they felt strongly about this possibility, then they’d tell the police.

  “You going to marry her?” Lee asked, working on his second buttermilk old-fashioned.

  The question was like a spike to his heart. “No,” he said. “We’re not... We aren’t right for each other.”

  “What are you talking about? You’re a perfect couple. She’s nuts about you. And you’re in love with her, right?”

  “Yes, but sometimes relationships need to be about more than that.” Just saying those words aloud had his chest going tight all over again. He knew he needed to talk to Hazel, but what would he say? Ironically, her current lack of a phone was proving temporarily convenient. He’d texted Iris, saying that he’d be out of touch for a couple of days, and could she pass the information on to Hazel.

  “Huh.” Lee took another bite of donut and stared thoughtfully out the window while he chewed. Finally, he asked, “Like what?”

  Her safety, her reputation, the fact that our brief relationship is already causing problems within her family. Tag would never let this go. Hannah had texted this morning to say that if Cricket didn’t show up for Christmas Eve, then she wasn’t going either. No way could he go with things so tense between him and Tag. Hannah would make no secret about why she wasn’t there, setting off a chain reaction and further irritating Tag. While Cricket appreciated her loyalty, this was more ammunition for Tag to use against him. And what if other family members followed his lead?

  Shay would undoubtedly agree with Tag. Seth and Iris, of course, would stand “publicly” with Hazel no matter what they might secretly believe. And on that score, he couldn’t be sure. Iris was a good friend, but she and Tag were close, too. Iris would weigh the pros and cons and analyze every angle, whereas Seth would focus on Hazel’s happiness. According to Hazel, Margaret and Ben were okay with their pursuing a relationship. But that was before the robbery.

  The robbery had changed everything, and Cricket could not allow Hazel to side with him against her family. He would not be responsible for tearing the family apart.

  “Now we’re talking...” Lee picked up the binoculars and held them to his eyes. He whistled. “Stakeouts would be way more fun if the scenery was always this nice.”

  It was apparent Lee was referring to the three women who’d just exited the silver SUV that had pulled into the lot and parked. A vehicle, he noted, that looked a lot like Iris’s. As the trio walked toward the entrance, something about the woman on the side closest to them reminded him of Hazel. He reached for his binoculars.

  “You know what, that one kind of looks like—”

  “Hazel,” Cricket finished, confirming his suspicion at the same time. “With Iris and Ashley. What are they doing here?”

  “Ashley,” Lee muttered appreciatively. “I’ve always liked that name. Is she single?”

  “Lee.”

  “Sorry,” he said, chuckling and clearly not sorry. He lowered his binoculars because the women had disappeared inside the gates of the compound. When he glanced at Cricket, it was obvious from his expression that he was concerned, too. “I know, I’m also thinking that... Can’t be a coincidence.”

  Cricket started the pickup and backed up.

  “Where are you going?”

  “We’re going over there. Something goofy is happening.” He maneuvered the pickup onto the road and crossed into the parking lot of the storage facility.

  “You realize we’ll be on camera now, right?”

  “Yes,” Cricket said, angling the pickup into a parking spot. “We have to find out what’s going on. Somehow Hazel got the same information as you.” He grabbed his phone. “I’m going to call Iris.”

  “Wait a sec.” Lee held up a hand. “A car just pulled in b
ehind us.”

  A full-size SUV drove by them and parked on the other side of the lot. Lee noted to Cricket that the plates had been removed from the vehicle, likely so they wouldn’t be captured by security cameras, which suggested illegal intentions.

  “I’m guessing they’re going to move the stuff.”

  Two men sat in the car talking and gesticulating before getting out. One was wearing a stocking hat, and the other had a baseball cap pulled low over his forehead. Stocking Hat slipped on a pair of sunglasses while Baseball Cap paused a few seconds to take in the surroundings.

  Lee said, “That’s Mason.”

  “You know him?” Cricket said to Lee, his blood turning ice-cold as he pulled up Iris’s contact.

  “Yep,” Lee said, putting on his coat. “He’s our guy. Get ready, make the call. We need to get those gals out of there. Mason was at Otter Creek, released a few months before me. Petty thief, pothead—steals to support his habit, or tries to, anyway. He’s about as bright as a burned-out bulb. Accidentally stole a firearm and got sent to prison. If she doesn’t answer, I’m going to hop out and stall them.”

  “How do you accidentally steal a firearm?” Cricket asked, willing Iris to answer.

  “That’s easier than you might think. He broke into a garage, grabbed a toolbox full of high-quality tools. Popular items. Valuable, easy to steal, easy to pawn. Except underneath the tool tray was a handgun. Mason was in a hurry, didn’t look through it. Also, didn’t realize he tripped a security alarm. Cops picked him up. Done and gone.”

  That actually did sound easy, from a thief’s perspective.

  “That’s why it’s important to do your research.”

  * * *

  “IDIOTS,” ASHLEY DECLARED with a bitter chuckle. “They didn’t even bother hiding it.”

  Hazel, Ashley and Iris stood in the storage unit, carefully considering the stolen tablets, toys and other merchandise. They couldn’t quite believe their eyes. They’d all worn gloves in case they needed to move boxes and bins around to search the place, but everything was neatly stacked near the door right out in the open.

  “Iris, can you take some photos?” Hazel asked. “I don’t have my phone.”

  “Brilliant!” Ashley said. “I’ll take some, too.” Both women photographed the items from several angles.

  Hazel said, “Let’s get out of here and call Detective Carthy.” And Cricket, she thought. Need to call him, too.

  “Wait a sec...” Iris muttered, peering at her phone. “Cricket is calling me.” Iris answered, “Cricket, hi.” A few seconds later, her eyes went wide. “You’re where?” Scowling intently, she listened for a few seconds. “Yep, got it. Understood.”

  Hazel was looking at Ashley, whose tense expression seemed to match her own.

  “Mmm-hmm, we’re going.” Iris tapped on the screen.

  “Iris, what—”

  “We need to get out of here!” she cried. Waving them toward the door, talking while they moved, she explained, “Cricket and Lee are in the parking lot, and he said two guys pulled in, and they’re pretty sure they’re headed here, to this unit.”

  Hazel felt a surge of adrenaline-charged fear. They rushed outside, and she quickly pulled the door closed. Ashley secured the lock.

  Swiftly glancing left and then right, Ashley suggested, “You know what?” She pointed in the opposite direction from which they’d arrived and started walking. “Let’s go this way, so we don’t pass them. Because if it’s Darrell or one of Roy’s buddies, he’ll recognize me, and maybe you, too, Iris. Better to avoid them if we can.”

  Hazel and Iris followed, and they picked up the pace, jogging around the corner and then traversing the side of the structure until they came to the gap between that building and the next. Slowing to a power walk, they followed the path and exited into the parking lot where Cricket and Lee were waiting.

  “We need to call the police,” Hazel said. “Everything is there in the unit. We think Roy set this up to get back at you and Tag.”

  Ashley quickly provided a few key details.

  “That makes stupid sense,” Cricket said.

  “Confirms what I heard, too,” Lee added.

  “The police might take too long!” Ashley blurted. “If they’re moving the stuff, they could be long gone before the cops get here, and we won’t be able to prove anything. We need to stall them somehow.” She turned back toward the entrance.

  “Hold up, there, cowgirl!” Lee said. “What’s your plan?”

  “Classic damsel in distress,” Ashley rattled off. “I’ll ask them for help moving my grandmother’s piano and then pretend like my key isn’t working. You know, ‘Oh, no! This is the wrong key. I need to go to my car. Can you come with me?’ If it’s my former brother-in-law, I’ll say I’m here for Christmas decorations.”

  “Wow.” Lee nodded approvingly. “That would work. But I might have a slightly safer idea than you alone facing off with two criminals. They walked into the unit, so they will have to get their SUV to load everything. They are probably boxing everything up to camouflage it. We probably have a little bit of time.”

  “Hazel,” Lee instructed, “call the detective and explain as much as you can. Cricket, come with me.”

  “What about us?” Ashley asked, handing Hazel her phone. “Her number is in there under Detective. Text the photos, too!”

  “Good idea,” Lee said and then pointed at Iris. “Baby-On-Board, you need to stay here.”

  They all agreed with that.

  Cricket looked at Ashley. “How do we get to your unit?”

  “Come on,” Ashley urged, already re-punching the gate code.

  Hazel quickly found the number for Detective Carthy and hit the call button.

  Cricket said to Hazel, “If they get by us, do not engage, okay? We already know who one of them is, and the storage unit has security cameras, so we’ll have their photos, too. It’ll be enough.”

  Hazel nodded, and she and Iris headed toward Iris’s SUV.

  “Detective Carthy!” Hazel exclaimed when the call was answered, relief surging through her. “This is Hazel James. I have information for you regarding the robbery.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  ASHLEY WALKED THROUGH the entrance with Cricket and Lee, the gate clicking shut behind them.

  “You’re coming with us, aren’t you?”

  “Of course, I am,” she said stubbornly. “It’ll be faster. We can argue about it later.”

  With an appreciative grin, Lee swept an arm forward, inviting her to lead them. She took off at a jog, and he and Lee followed.

  When they reached the third set of buildings, she veered right, saying, “This way.” They continued until they reached the path between buildings three and four. Ashley stopped, then pointed and whispered, “Unit 338. Two from the end. You can see the open door from here.”

  “Perfect,” Lee said. “Cricket, I’m going to turn my phone on Record and walk out where they can see me. Ashley, be sure you stay close to the building, out of sight, in case they recognize you.”

  They agreed and hurried toward the unit.

  As they neared the spot, Lee paused and held a hand to his ear to indicate he wanted to listen.

  The men weren’t exactly whispering, and they all heard. “Did he know about all these tablets?... Make sure they’re all the same model... Are you gonna tell Frye how many there were?... Are we going to sell them all in Anchorage?”

  Lee checked that the phone was still recording and then walked into position about ten feet in front of the open door. He stood for a minute, listening and watching them go through the loot, before calling out, “Hey, Mason! Whatcha doing in there?”

  “Blackburn?” a hesitant, surprised voice answered. “What are you doing here?”

  “Looking for you,” Lee answered, tossing a quick glance at Cric
ket. “We want those tablets.”

  Mason lunged toward the door and tugged it down. They could hear agitated talking and cursing coming from inside.

  A smiling Ashley moved a little closer to better hear the commotion. Movement from the edge of the building caught Cricket’s attention. Hazel, he realized, as she jogged in their direction.

  Lee stepped close and slapped the metal door with the flat of his gloved hand. “Hey, Mason, can you hear me?”

  “What are you doing, Blackburn? If this is a joke, it’s not funny.”

  “Unfortunately for you, no, it’s not a joke. We want what you’ve got in there.”

  “What do you mean, we? Who’s with you?”

  “You remember Lenox?” Turning to Cricket, he whispered that Lenox was a very big friend of his from Glacier City.

  Another voice, much deeper than Mason’s, yelled, “Dude, you are dead meat. You hear me? You don’t know who you’re talking to. You are done for. I’m going to—”

  “Shut up!” Mason yelled. “Lenny will—”

  “Stop!” Lee shouted and, shockingly, they both went quiet. “You realize the futility of your threats, right? One of us is holding all of the cards here, and it’s not you.”

  “Oh, yeah?” Deep Voice shouted again. “We’ve got the stuff, and I—”

  “I told you to shut up, Diggy!” Mason shouted again at his cohort. Muted, angry mutterings followed.

  Hazel reached Ashley and extended her hand for a fist bump.

  Lee looked over his shoulder at them, then made a face and rolled his eyes. Amateurs, he mouthed before addressing the thieves again, “So, here’s the deal. I know everything you’ve got in there, and it’s time to negotiate.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Diggy shouted. “We ain’t—”

  “Hey!” Lee interrupted again. “Mason, you need to get your buddy under control. You know what? We’re not going to discuss this by shouting through the door. Someone might hear us—or, more specifically, that tough guy you’ve got in there with you. Do you have a cell phone? You did get a burner phone for this job, right?”