by Tegan Maher
“How do you think he died?” I asked.
The sneer fell from Ralph’s face. “What’s it to you?”
I shrugged. “I just wondered.”
“Well, you know what they say about curiosity and the cat, right?” He turned back to his locker and slammed it shut, causing us all to jump.
Without another word, he stormed out the door.
“Don’t mind him,” Rhonda said. “He’s probably the one who killed Stewart.”
“He didn’t like Stewart?” I asked.
Tylesha snorted. “Not even a little.” She looked around the room then lowered her voice. “Three days ago they got into a fist fight out in the back alley. They had a competition going, see?”
I furrowed my brow. “With women?”
The girls laughed.
“No,” Rhonda said. “With who was the number one man around here. See, stocker is a coveted position. Even though rule number one is we can’t keep the merchandise for ourselves, it has to go to customers first…no one really follows that.”
“They don’t?” I asked.
Rhonda held up her hand. “Okay, everyone does but the stockers. They know the goods before everyone else. They see what comes off the truck and can grab what they want, then secretly hand the toy off to a friend who is posing as a customer. Every week a couple of the guys make a list of hard-to-find toys, and whoever completes the list first has bragging rights for the following week.”
I nodded, even though I thought it was the most juvenile thing I’d ever heard. “So Stewart and Ralph had a fierce competition going. And what about this Troy guy I’ve heard about? Who’s he?”
Tylesha’s eyes went doe-eyed. “He’s only like the hottest guy who works here.”
“Was he friends with Stewart?” I asked.
“Oh, yeah. Best friends.” Rhonda grinned. “How do you think they stayed on top so long? Troy and Stewart got smart and worked together. If one of them was stocking and the other wasn’t, they made a pact to watch what the other one needed off the truck to finish the list and grab it. A lot of times that left Ralph working alone. Two against one. Totally pissed him off.”
“Pissed off enough to kill?” Rex asked. “It’s a clue! It’s a clue!”
“Well,” Rhonda said, “our break is over. We gotta split. It was nice talking with you, new girl.”
“Lexi,” I said.
“Right,” the girls said simultaneously.
The minute the door was closed, I was alone in the room.
“Okay,” I said. “I wonder if somewhere in that mess upstairs is this week’s list? Maybe Ralph got tired of being second fiddle and took his competition out. After all, they had a fist fight just days ago. Maybe Ralph decided to up the ante and just take Stewart out altogether.”
“Killing over bragging right? Very stupid! Very stupid!”
“Yeah, it is. But it’s the best we got so far.”
“Tonight we break in!”
I chuckled. “Yep. Time to take a better look around Stewart’s trashy apartment. See if we can’t stumble across something that the police wouldn’t recognize as evidence.”
Chapter Four
By the time four-thirty rolled around, I was ready to get upstairs and start snooping. I’d met the manager, Collin, when he first started his shift, but then he had to speak to the detective and later cover Stewart’s daytime shift. I didn’t get a chance to feel him out.
“You go on home, Lexi,” Jessie said at four-thirty. “It’s been a crazy first day for you.”
“Thanks. I am a little tired.”
“Tired of wasting time here,” Rex said.
“You gonna be all right?” Jessie asked.
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
She bit her lip. “Well, I mean, there was a dead body next door to where you’re staying. This is a new place for you and it’s already spooky.”
I bit back my smile. Jessie had no idea what spooky even was.
“I’ll be fine. Thanks, though.”
She patted my arms. “Okay. You take care, and I’ll see you tomorrow at eight sharp. Don’t forget, you’ll be upstairs in gift wrapping.” She bounced up and down. “And it should be a busy, busy day. It’ll only be two more days until Christmas!”
I laughed. “All I can say is I hope the truck tonight delivers a couple Tickle My Tummy dolls. I’ve probably had six parents threaten to beat me up today because I couldn’t get my hands on one.”
A frenzied look came over Jessie. “Oh, Lexi, if only we would! I’d love to get a couple in the store. I’d give anything to have one of them, myself.”
I blinked in surprise. “You have kids?”
“No, silly!” she lightly slapped my arm. “I just love the cute little furry guy.”
“Time to go before the nutty girl gets any nuttier,” Rex said.
I waved goodbye and headed toward the back of the store to the back alley. The door was marked employees only. Jessie had already told me that during the day it was open so I could use it to leave, but I’d have to come around the front of the store in the morning to be let in.
I frowned and stopped at the back door. It was propped open with a rock. Putting my feelers out, I closed my eyes and sensed only one person outside. Pushing the door open all the way, I stepped outside and burrowed down in my colorful jacket.
“Hey,” a good-looking guy near the stairs called out. “Don’t move that rock. I need to get back in.”
“I won’t.” He had a Toyland and Treasures smock on, so I figured he worked here.
“I was about to light up,” he said, “but I can’t find my lighter anywhere. You got one I can bum?”
I wrinkled my nose. “No. I don’t smoke.”
“Smart girl.” He stuck his cigarette behind his ear. “Name’s Troy. What’s your name?”
“Lexi. I just started today.”
“You the new girl who found Stewart upstairs?” he asked.
I heard the sadness in his voice and took pity on him. “I did. I’m sorry about your friend.”
He shrugged. “It happens.”
Rex snorted. “He needs new friends.”
“Well, keep your eyes peeled for my lighter, please,” Troy said. “Stewart gave it to me.”
“Sure. What’s it look like?”
“Silver, big “T” on the center.”
I waved. “Will do. See you tomorrow.”
I left him there, walked up the stairs, and let myself into my apartment.
“I’m starving,” I said. “But I’m going to have to wait until everyone leaves before I break in next door. Maybe Stewart has something I can eat.”
“Yuck! Even I wouldn’t eat that trash,” Rex said.
“Ha ha funny guy.” I took off my jacket and sat down on the couch…and practically sank to the floor. Great, it was going to be a long night. “Wake me at eight, would ya?”
“Got it, boss!” Rex gave me a salute and settled down next to me.
True to his word, Rex woke me at eight. The toy store closed at seven, so I figured an hour would be plenty of time to count the till and clean the store. Deciding against the colorful jacket, even though it was freezing outside, Rex and I crept next door.
Rex shimmied under the door. His job was to unlock whatever locks were in place. I had a dead bolt and bottom lock, so I figured Stewart did, too. My job was to contort myself through the yellow tape in a way that didn’t disturb it and leave it a jumbled mess.
“Push it open!” Rex said.
Using my magic, I gently slid the door open then pushed the yellow tape shaped like an “X” over to one side and squeezed in.
Kicking the door closed, I threw up a light orb. I’d been working on the light spell whenever I had a chance, but so far I couldn’t get it exactly right. Instead of a normal, soft-glow light orb, my orbs were multi-colored and shot off tufts of sparkling glitter that disappeared before it reached the floor. Tonight’s orb was yellow and orange and shot off purple gl
itter.
Wrinkling my nose at the smell, I set to work. “We’re looking for this week’s list. I don’t have any idea what it looks like, so just keep your eyes open for anything listing kids’ toys.”
“Aye, aye, Captain!” Rex gave me a salute and scampered away.
I crept slowly toward the spot where Stewart was found, periodically waving my hand above the discarded debris, giving myself a path to walk. There were crumpled bits of paper everywhere, along with sticky notes. I picked up one note and read: Independence Day, action figure, Rob T., and a phone number. Another read: Tamagotchi, Claire B., and a phone number.
There were myriad pieces of these sticky notes throughout the small living room that basically had the same information. A toy, who for, and a phone number.
I was about to pick up a wadded piece of paper off the floor when a roach scampered out from underneath. Shuddering, I waved my hand and sent it flying through the air. The roach flipped back over and hurried away.
Flattening out the paper, I was excited to see it was a list from two weeks ago. It looked like Stewart was that week’s winner. I waved my hand around and carefully moved the mounds of trash around me, hoping to find another piece of paper.
I was about to give up when something on a sticky note caught my eye: Jessie, TMT, a surprise.
Chapter Five
“Whoa!” I whispered.
Seeing Jessie’s name was surprising, but even more shocking was the heart above her name. My mind reeled. Granted, Jessie could be anyone, but what were the odds? Did this mean Stewart had been on the lookout for a Tickle My Tummy doll for Jessie Charmain as a Christmas surprise? And what was with the heart? Jessie never gave any indication she cared for Stewart. She claimed she knew him, just not that well. Was she lying? Or was the love only one-sided? Did Jessie even know?
“Got something interesting here,” I said.
I heard rustling, then a few seconds later, Rex popped up from the middle of some trash, pizza crust in his mouth.
“Good eats! Good eats!” Rex said around the crust.
I suppressed my gag reflex and reminded myself he was a rat, he was doing what came naturally…but still. Gross. Goodness only knew where that pizza crust had been and who’d already been chewing on it.
Which reminded me, I was really hungry. Did I dare brave Stewart’s refrigerator?
“Whatcha got, Lexi?” Rex asked.
I quickly filled him in on the sticky note I’d found with Jessie’s name.
“Good clue! Good clue!” Rex finished eating the crust and started to waddle over toward me. Unfortunately, the bottom of his foot must have been sticky—no surprise there—because he’d taken three steps when a piece of balled up paper stuck to the bottom of his foot.
He tried to jiggle it off. “Let go!”
“Let me help, Rex.” I reached down and grabbed the paper from his foot and smoothed it out. “Bingo! You found this week’s list. Great job!”
“What can I say? I’m on it!” he joked.
“Looks like Stewart only needed four more toys. A Star Trek Barbie, Tickle My Tummy, Tamagotchi, and something called Sky Dancers.”
“Found something else!” Rex scooted back butt first from under the couch and handed me a silver cigarette lighter with a big “T” on the front.
“It’s Troy’s. Wonder what it’s doing under the couch?”
“Could have been on the table when Stewart smashed through it,” Rex said. “Then it just slid under the couch.”
“True. Or maybe Troy came over last night, they have a cigarette and Troy sets it on the table, they fought over the toys on the list or something else, and after a few-too-many drinks, Troy pushes Stewart onto the glass coffee table and the lighter rolled under the couch.”
“Could be! Could be!”
“I think we got enough. We know Ralph and Stewart got into a physical altercation a couple days ago, Stewart sells hard-to-get toys on the black market, Collin the manager knew about Stewart’s extracurricular activities and planned on firing him, Troy’s missing lighter was found at the scene of the crime, and Jessie may or may not have known she was to receive a Tickle My Tummy from Stewart.”
Chapter Six
“I want you to hit the basement and see what Ralph and the stockers are saying,” I said.
“On it!”
Rex wiggled inside my jeans pocket as I knocked on the front door of Toyland and Treasures the next morning. He insisted on traveling inside my pocket instead of in the backpack. He said the Tickle My Tummy gave him the creeps.
Jessie looked up from the counter, smiled, and hurried over to let me in.
“Morning, Lexi,” Jessie said. “How did you sleep last night?”
“Pretty good,” I said.
Jessie laughed. “I hope so, because today will be a madhouse!” She clapped her hands. “Only two more days until Christmas!”
“You sure do love Christmas,” I said.
She nodded enthusiastically. “I do. I especially love trying to find exclusive toys.”
“Ding! Ding!” Rex said.
“What’s your toy this year?” I asked. As if I didn’t already know.
Jessie sighed. “I’m afraid this year is a bust. I really wanted the Tickle My Tummy doll, but I don’t see that happening. After I clocked out yesterday, I spent three hours visiting different toy stores trying to find one, but no luck.”
I chewed on my lower lip, hoping I looked innocent and thoughtful. “Can I tell you something?”
“Sure,” Jessie said.
“I heard from a couple different people yesterday that Stewart was trying to find you a Tickle My Tummy.”
Jessie gasped. “What? Why would he do that?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe he heard you were looking for one. I mean, it’s not like y’all were dating or anything, right?”
Jessie jerked back and her face scrunched. “Uh…no! I can’t date an employee. I’d be fired. I don’t know why he would tell people he was trying to find me one, unless he thought it would help him keep his job.” Jessie frowned. “But that’s silly. If he actually did find a Tickle My Tummy, I’d have to turn him in because he’d have probably gotten it from the store.”
“Would you really, Jessie? I doubt it! I doubt it!” Rex cackled manically, and I felt the vibration in my pocket. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing at the rat’s humor.
“I’m sorry if I upset you,” I said. “I just thought you might want to know what I overheard a couple employees saying.”
“Who were they?” Jessie asked.
“Think fast! Think fast!” Rex chanted.
“Um, I’m not really sure. Yesterday being my first day and all.”
Luckily another employee pounded on the front door, and Jessie left to go answer it. I hurried into the breakroom to start my day. Hanging my backpack up in my locker, I draped the smock over my head and punched in.
At eight, I followed Trixie up the ramp and listened as she went through the precise way to wrap a gift. Who knew there was an actual process?
“It’s very important you set your supplies down in the exact same place every time,” she said. “This way you aren’t looking around for them, and you can work much faster.”
“Got it.”
“Do you think you can handle this?” she asked snootily.
I gave her a hard smile. “It’s not rocket science, Trixie. I think I’ll be okay.”
Her nostrils flared but she didn’t say anything else. Turning, she made a big production out of straightening her tubes of wrapping paper and aligning her scissors, tape, and tags just right.
By ten, customers were standing in line, and many of them weren’t happy. I had no idea wrapping a stupid gift could be so hard. My cuts were crooked, I kept forgetting to put the tape back in the same spot, and it didn’t take long to realize I actually wasn’t a people person.
We had a small break from the rush around ten forty-five, and I breathed a sigh o
f relief.
Trixie turned to me. “I told you it would be easier if you kept your accessories in the same place every time.”
I narrowed my eyes then did something I wasn’t proud of. I looked at her tape and mentally moved it behind a roll of wrapping paper.
She turned back to her side of the table and gasped. “Where’s my tape?”
“I don’t know,” I deadpanned. “But I’ve heard if you always put it back in the same spot every time it’s easier to keep track.”
With a strangled cry, Trixie lifted all the wrapping tubes until she found it. I could see the wheels in her head turning, like had she really done something she’d never do? When she looked back at me, I just smiled.
At twelve-thirty, Collin came upstairs to relieve me for lunch. He must have noticed my surprise to see him and not Jessie. “Jessie and I are doing a split-shift today. She’ll come back on from five-thirty to close.”
Hurrying to the break room, I wondered what I’d do about food—I’d only found a bag of semi-stale chips in Stewart’s apartment last night—when the smell of chili wafted through the door. Pushing it open, I nearly wept at the buffet in front of me. Two crockpots filled with chili, a huge bowl of baked potatoes, cheese, scallions, and sour cream lined the table.
“It’s our Christmas potluck,” a girl I hadn’t met yet said. “The company does it for us every year.”
“Thank the goddess.” I snatched up a plate, opened the potato, and loaded it down with everything on the table. By the time I sat down, my hands were visibly shaking.
I’m not ashamed to say I had two helpings.
As I pushed through the people and hurried up the ramp to gift wrapping, Trixie ambled down. “I expect my stuff to be in the same place I left it when I get back.”
I gave her the same salute Rex gives me and kept on walking. Collin was still behind the table, so I took the stool next to him.
“How’re you holding up?” he asked.
“Fine, thanks.”
“Rough start yesterday, then gift wrapping today. You’re a trooper.”