Merry Buried Christmas

by Lyndsey Cole

  Leona balanced a tray of mugs filled with cider on one hand. If looks could have knocked Detective Crank over, she’d be on her butt instead of standing and grinning.

  Leona’s mouth opened. Annie shook her head and held the door open. “You’ve got guests arriving, Leona. I’m sure they would love a mug of your special cider.”

  Camilla picked up another tray and herded Leona through the door.

  “Well. These cookies are delicious,” Christy said. “Not that I would expect anything less from Leona.” Christy took a bite and turned to Annie, who was the only one left in the kitchen with the detective. “Danny had an accident?”

  Annie forced her face to stay neutral and her mouth to stay shut. If Christy was fishing for more information, she certainly wasn’t going to get it from her.

  “If he looks for his truck, tell him it will be parked right next to his mother’s car. I’m going over both vehicles with a fine-toothed comb.” Christy moved right into Annie’s face. “I want Heather’s bag, and I’ll find it. With your help or without.”

  Christy slammed her plate on the island and left.

  Annie managed to breathe again. Heather gave the bag to Danny; how could that be a crime? She shook her head and called Jason.

  She tapped her foot and mumbled, “Come on, answer your phone. This isn’t the time to ignore me.”

  “Hello?” Jason’s voice came through the air like sweet music to Annie’s ears.

  “Listen. Christy just left here. She’s looking for Danny and Heather’s bag. Make sure the bag is well hidden in your car and bring Danny back here. Maybe she won’t look for him here again.”

  “What’s going on, Annie?” Jason asked. “Does Christy think Danny killed his own mother?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m sure she has more information than she shared with me. If she starts asking Danny questions, who knows what he’ll tell her. Let’s just try to avoid her for as long as possible, okay?”

  “Okay. I’ll take the back roads so I don’t cross paths with her.” Jason hung up.

  Annie slipped her phone into her pocket, put a smile on her face, and joined the growing crowd around the Christmas tree.

  Brian Black saw Annie and marched right over to her. The scowl on his face could only mean trouble.

  “Can we talk outside, Brian?” Annie tried to turn him around and get him outside but he planted his feet and refused to budge.

  “No.”

  “Okay, then. How about you tell me what you did when you left the Black Cat Café this morning?” Annie had her hands on her hips and stared up into Brian’s red face. If she could put him on the defensive, maybe she could get him to leave on his own.

  “I argued with that woman and she still refused to pay for her meal. She said Leona or Danny would take care of it.” He leaned close to Annie. “I don’t want to ruin their open house, but I will if that’s what it takes.”

  Annie put her hand on his arm. “How much money are we talking about, Brian?”

  He looked up and scrunched his mouth to one side.

  “Don’t tell me you made this into a big deal and you don’t even know.” Annie glared at Brian.

  “Well, I don’t know what people left for tips, but let’s figure it at twenty percent, plus her breakfast.”

  “Okay. What’s the amount?”

  “Fifty dollars?”

  “Fine.” Annie got her bag off the coat tree and handed Brian two twenties and a ten. “All set now?”

  “I should have asked for more,” he grumbled.

  “What?” Annie leaned right into Brian’s face. “Did you make all this up just to try to bleed Leona for money?”

  “No.” Brian backed away from Annie and put his hands up. “That woman was rude and insulted the waitress. She said the eggs were runny and the toast was burnt. That’s not good for business.”

  Annie pushed his shoulder and turned him toward the door. “You have your money and you won’t have to worry about her anymore.”

  “That’s the best part. She got exactly what she deserved.”

  Annie moved in front of him before he reached the door. “And what exactly is that, Brian?”

  Brian clamped his jaw shut and pushed around Annie without saying a word. Annie couldn’t help but wonder if Brian Black knew more about Heather besides what he accused her of stealing from his café. He was at the Black Cat Café in the morning about the time she might have been murdered. But, would he shoot her over fifty dollars?

  The front door opened and, along with a cold blast of wind, Jason and Danny entered.

  Leona rushed to Danny’s side and held his arm.

  “I’m going to go upstairs and lie down, if that’s okay with you, Leona,” Danny said. “I’m exhausted.”

  “Okay. I’ll go up with you.”

  Guests meandered around the Christmas tree and into the adjoining dining room to sample the delicious Christmas baking. Everything felt as it should . . . on the surface.

  “Did Danny tell you anything?” Annie asked Jason as she hung up his coat for him.

  “Heather told him she was in over her head.”

  “With what?”

  Jason shrugged. “He didn’t know.”

  “Something happened while she was in town that got her murdered, and it’s starting to look like Danny got set up as the patsy.”

  “I think you could be right. We have to see what’s in Heather’s bag before Christy gets a hold of it,” Jason said.

  8

  With Danny tucked into bed in their private wing, Leona managed to act like the happy hostess she needed to be. A steady stream of locals came through the front door, oohed and aahed at the beautiful Christmas decorations, and feasted on all the fancy baked goods.

  Leona took small groups upstairs to show off the guest rooms and explain a little history about several of the antiques she’d decorated the rooms with. Outside, Wade had a constant flow of pink-cheeked sleigh riders bundled under warm blankets while a light snow dressed the trees in white.

  The afternoon turned into early evening and the sky cleared. After his last trip around the fields, Wade hitched the horses to the fence and followed the last stragglers inside.

  “Got any more of that cider I’ve been hearing about? With a shot of rum if you have any?” Wade asked Leona as he rubbed his hands together. “Something to warm my gut would be more than welcome right about now.”

  Camilla offered to get the drink for Wade while Annie and Leona chatted with him.

  “I’m glad your father finally managed to make an appearance,” Annie said. “Randy is quite the charmer with all the ladies, escorting them around the bed and breakfast like he is the lord of the manor.”

  “Ha.” Wade rolled his eyes. “He thinks he’s irresistible. But there’s one person he didn’t have any luck with—Heather. She acted like he was a big bore during her stay with us.”

  That comment got Annie’s attention. “Was he upset with her?”

  Wade flicked his hand dismissively. “He’s always upset when someone doesn’t warm up to his lame jokes. It’s a good thing she decided to leave when she did or he might have thrown her out.”

  “You said Randy was in bed all morning recovering from his hangover?” Annie asked.

  “His door was closed when I went to the barn. Who knows if he was in bed or off wandering around? Sometimes, after a heavy night of drinking, he finds himself in the strangest places.”

  Camilla returned with an extra-large mug of cider. “Here you go.” She handed the drink to Wade and whispered, “I found the rum.” She offered him a small plate mounded high with cookies, too. “You must have room for some of Leona’s delicious Christmas cookies to go along with the cider.”

  Wade grinned. “Always.” He stuffed a whole cookie in his mouth, making it impossible for Annie to keep asking any questions about Randy. After Wade swallowed, he asked Leona, “Mind if I take a look around?”

  “Go right ahead. And if you want anythin
g else to eat, there’s still plenty in the dining room.” She pointed to the door that led straight into the dining room, instead of to the hallway which was the long way around through the kitchen.

  Annie and Leona wandered to the dining room where Jason and Mia were surveying what was left. “This is my favorite,” Jason said as he picked up a rum ball and popped it in his mouth. “Do you want me to get the fires going for some extra atmosphere?”

  “That would make a perfect ending to this day that had a rocky start,” Leona said as she pushed several stray hairs out of her face. “Hearing the crackles and smelling the burning wood will be calming while we get all this cleaned up.”

  Cookie crumbs littered the buffet and puddles of punch had dried to a sticky sheen on the dining room table. All signs that the guests had been busy helping themselves and, hopefully, enjoying their visit.

  Mia looked at Leona and squinted. “Where’s your necklace?”

  Leona’s hand went to her neck and rubbed her bare skin. “Oh, it was annoying my neck so I took it off.” She walked to the buffet and pulled the top drawer open. “That’s strange. I thought I put it in here.” She pulled the second drawer open without any luck finding her necklace. She quickly pulled each door open to no avail.

  “Where could it be?” Leona asked to everyone in the room. “If Heather was here, I’d suspect she dumped it in her big red bag but, obviously, that can’t have happened. Let me check in the kitchen.”

  They all followed Leona and searched every counter, drawer, and cupboard. When Annie reached for the refrigerator door, Leona’s mouth fell open. “Are you kidding? You think I was so distracted today that I stuck my beautiful necklace in the refrigerator?”

  “It’s possible. It has to be somewhere.” Annie opened the freezer next. No necklace.

  Mia held up her hands. “Let’s all slow down and take a breather. The necklace will turn up and Leona will say, oh yeah, now I remember putting it there . . . haven’t we all done that?”

  The others sheepishly nodded.

  “How about your purse, Leona?” Camilla asked. “I know you guys laugh at me for lugging my huge bag around, but everything of importance to me is always right at my fingertips.”

  Leona slapped the side of her head. “Why didn’t I think of that? I remember now. That’s exactly where I put it.” Her purse was stored in the corner of the kitchen counter—out of the way. She unzipped the inside pocket. “Here it is.”

  “We can all relax now,” Mia said. “Let’s enjoy the fire, get the leftovers put away and the crumbs cleaned up before Leona has to deal with a mouse invasion on top of everything else.”

  The swinging kitchen door squeaked closed behind Annie. Randy, who was still leaning against the mantel, spun his head and held his mug up. “Hello ladies. I’ve got an idea,” he announced when everyone was back in the dining room. “How about I take all of you out on one last sleigh ride under the stars before I take Bert and Bess home for their dinner. I sent Wade home to clean the stalls, fill their water buckets, and have their hay and oats waiting. The snow stopped and it’s a brilliantly clear night. Any takers?”

  “I don’t know,” Leona waffled. “There’s so much to do still.”

  Mia pushed her sister toward the door. “You all go. The fresh air will do you good and I’ll get started on the cleaning.”

  Leona’s eyes widened. “Are you sure? It would be fun.”

  “I’m sure. Now, go before I change my mind.”

  No one had to be told twice.

  Jason walked out with Annie with an armful of blankets. “I’ll get you all wrapped up in the sleigh and help Mia with the cleaning.”

  “Get Heather’s bag out of your car. We should look inside and find out what we’re dealing with,” Annie whispered to him.

  Jason held Annie’s arm and slowed his pace, letting everyone else climb in the sleigh.

  “Enjoy the sleigh ride and we’ll deal with the bag after.” He pushed her forward. “Now, go and bundle up so the cold wind doesn’t freeze your nose off.”

  Annie, with Roxy close behind, climbed in next to Leona and burrowed under her blanket. Camilla and Martha sat opposite, looking like a couple of school girls on their first date.

  “Are you ready?” Randy shouted. He didn’t wait for an answer but clucked to the two giant horses and they were off at a fast clip.

  Annie’s head snapped backward and she grabbed Leona’s hand under the blanket. The runners on the sleigh slid across the fresh snow with a hissing sound that complemented Bert and Bess’s thump, thump as each pair of hooves hit the ground together. The four women laughed and let their heads fall back to watch the starry sky pass overhead. Cold wind stung their faces.

  “I can almost forget how this day started,” Annie whispered to Leona.

  “Almost isn’t good enough.” Leona sighed, letting the weight of the day fall back onto her shoulders. “I finally told Danny about Heather.”

  Annie squeezed Leona’s hand. “I’m sure it hit him hard but try not to worry, we’ll get this all sorted out.”

  “The problem is that Danny has all these stolen things now. What will Detective Crank say about that? Especially since we didn’t turn them in right away.”

  Annie didn’t want to let her mind go down that path. Maybe they could just return everything and pretend Heather never stole from the local businesses. She’d already reimbursed Brian Black so his name could be checked off the list.

  The sleigh turned at the edge of the field, making Leona lean against Annie. Their shared warmth under the blanket was cozy. Roxy even managed to find a spot on Annie’s lap with her head poking out from under the blanket. Annie closed her eyes, concentrating on the forward movement to clear away her worries.

  It didn’t work. The harder she squeezed her eyes, the more unanswered questions she came up with. The first one, of course, was who killed Heather? The second was, why? And the third one that might be the best clue to the whole mess—what was the real reason Heather came back to Catfish Cove in the first place?

  Leona whispered in Annie’s ear. “I wonder if Randy is involved somehow. Heather stayed at his house. Danny said that Heather told him she had to get away from Randy last night and lock herself in the room where she was staying.”

  Annie’s eyes popped open and she stared at Leona. “Wade told me Randy was upset with Heather, so that all adds up.”

  She turned her head and stared at Randy’s back. Was she looking at a killer?

  With Bert and Bess blowing warm air that frosted the whiskers around their nostrils, the ladies all said their goodbyes to Randy.

  “I’ll catch up with you to pay for your services tomorrow, okay?” Leona asked. “I don’t have an extra ounce of energy at the moment.”

  “No problem. I know where you live.” Randy chuckled and clucked to his team.

  In unison, the two gentle giants pulled the sleigh toward home with a bit of extra speed in their trot. Or so it seemed to Annie.

  “What kind of a guy is Randy?” Annie asked Leona as they trailed behind Martha and Camilla who were chatting excitedly about the sleigh ride.

  She shrugged. “I’ve known him for a long time and he is a bit of a hothead, but murder?” She shook her head. “I just don’t know.”

  Annie stomped the snow off her boots before she stepped inside.

  “What I do know, is that it’s time to dump out Heather’s red hobo bag and figure out if any of the items might lead us to her killer.”

  Before Detective Christy Crank decides Danny is her top suspect, Annie added silently.

  9

  As Annie sat in Leona’s living room, toasty warm air and a pleasant wood fire fragrance seeped through the cold dread that had settled around her. But with the sight of Heather’s stuffed red hobo bag on the living room coffee table, her dread deepened to outright fear. The bag had the appearance of Santa’s goodie bag . . . except for the fact that the goodies inside Heather’s bag might be connected to a muc
h more sinister action.

  Annie shivered and it wasn’t the frosty air outside that had chilled her.

  Mia walked into the room and smiled at everyone returning from the sleigh ride. “How was it outside?”

  Camilla rubbed her hands together in front of the fire. “Clear, crisp, and cold, but this fire will do wonders to thaw us out.”

  “And,” Martha added as she made a beeline to the spread set out on the side table, “this food is exactly what will fill our bellies.”

  Annie had ignored her rumbling stomach but at the sight of Mia’s display of Leona’s goodies, her empty stomach begged for something. She followed Martha to the food and the crock pot simmering with cider. “I see my mother found some special treats that Leona didn’t put out for the open house.” Annie’s hand hovered over one treat before filling her Christmas plate with spinach dip bites, turkey and brie rolls, and a gooey piece of pull-apart Christmas bread.

  “Did you see this?” Martha pointed to the centerpiece of all the food.

  Annie’s fingers immediately stroked her strawberry necklace at the sight of the display. Towering above all the food was Leona’s stunning Christmas tree made out of strawberries dipped in chocolate. Candy canes were tucked between the strawberries. “This is beautiful, Leona. When did you have time to prepare all the food for the open house plus extra for us?”

  A smile crept across Leona’s mouth. “I did a lot of planning. And don’t forget, I sent a lot of Christmas desserts to the Black Cat Café, too.”

  “I bet we could sell a lot of these strawberry Christmas trees. Everyone would love one for their dinner party. I’ll ask Greta to make some.”

  Jason patted the seat next to where he sat on the couch. “I saved you a spot, Annie. Better grab it before Roxy snuggles up next to me.”

  Roxy had her head on the cushion with her eyes starting to close. Annie laughed. “She’s ready for a nap. I’ll get her some food and water before I sit down.” She handed her plate to Jason.

  Roxy followed Annie into the kitchen where Leona kept an extra set of bowls and a bin of dog food just for her favorite four-legged visitor. “You’ve had a busy day, too, with all the guests you had to meet and greet.” Annie poured a cup of dry food in one bowl and filled the other with fresh water. “Here you go.”