by Lilly York
“Okay. Thank you.”
She turned back to Will, but he’d disappeared. She looked around but had no idea where he disappeared to. She shrugged her shoulders and went back in the lodge where several of the housekeepers were waiting to talk to her about overtime. She busied herself with their schedules and forgot all about Will.
She spent the evening doling out electric candelabras, greenery, and new mistletoe for each of the bedrooms, so the staff could change them out as they were cleaning the rooms the next day. The front door opened, and she turned around surprised. Officer Blitz stood in front of her with his hat in his hands.
“I’m sorry to come over so late. I just wanted to check on you to make sure you heard back from Bob over at the garage. Sometimes he can get busy and while he doesn’t mean to, he can forget to give a person a call.”
She smiled. “Not only did he call, but he delivered my vehicle to me. You sure know how to give good service in this town.” She wandered to the red and green covered window and peered outside. She could see the snow swirling in against the backdrop of the large overhead light in the front yard. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
“It is. Of course, it can be heck to drive in and a pain to shovel. But if you can sit inside by a warm fire and look through glass, well, it’s just downright pretty. God did good.”
His simple statement made her pause. She never heard anyone speak so casually of God before. She had ordered a nativity set for her front yard as well as angels for her rooftop, but not because she believed in them. She did so because others believed in them and for many, Christmas was a time of faith. She was more pragmatic. She looked at religious emblems as one might look at Santa Claus, reindeer, and elves. She ignored his remark. “Would you like something hot to drink? Maybe a few gingersnaps?”
“I wouldn’t turn down a hot cup of chocolate. Cookies, either for that matter.”
She led the way to the large commercial kitchen. “I think hot chocolate has become my go to drink.” She handed him a hot mug with whipped cream piled on top. “Have you always lived in Christmas Tyme?”
He swallowed a drink of his hot chocolate and wiped his mustache with his napkin. “I have. I was born and raised here as were my parents before me.”
“Are you married? Do you have any kids?”
He sobered. “My wife passed away a few years after we married. She had an aneurism and we had no idea what hit her. She was laughing one minute then grabbed her head in agony. Next thing we knew, she was lying on the floor. We had one little boy who was 2 at the time. He’s all grown up now and in college.” He smiled as he spoke of his son.
“I’m so sorry. You and your son must be very close.”
“We are. We’ve only had each other since. It was hard at first, being a single dad. But I grew into it. It’s amazing what you can do when life requires it.”
She nodded and nibbled on a cookie. He drank the last of his cocoa and rinsed out his mug. “Thank you for the refreshments. I best get on home before the roads get any worse.” He nodded and followed her out of the kitchen to the front door.
“Thank you for stopping by. It was kind of you to check up on me.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll be seeing you.” He put his hat back on and walked out and through the snow to his vehicle. She watched his taillights disappear then went back to work.
Nik was sure to hear about the extra work load for housekeeping from Mildred. If not in words, then certainly in dirty looks. One would think Mildred owned the lodge instead of Nik. She shook her head and said aloud, “Nothing but a distraction. I’ve dealt with problem employees before. Just because we live in Christmas Tyme, doesn’t mean everyone is going to be jolly.”
She glanced at the clock and groaned. It was getting late. She’d been so busy, she hadn’t realized just how much time had passed. After organizing the supplies for each room, she tackled the dining room and had spent hours either removing, moving, or adding décor. A couple of girls stayed and worked with her and she had no idea when they’d left. She’d been so intent on the job at hand, she hadn’t paid attention. She did notice the tables were all set with red tablecloths and plaid red and green table runners. The white china and sterling sliver gleamed. The matching plaid napkins were folded perfectly on each plate and vases of greens with holly berries dotted the table tops. She breathed deeply, mentally making tomorrow’s list.
Her new chef, Enrique, was set to arrive the next day and she wanted to have a clear afternoon for him and his dedicated sous chef, Felix. They came as a package deal and Nik hoped they were worth it. Christmas Tyme was about to be culturized—whether they liked it or not. Of course, she prayed they liked it. Up until this point her dining room had been used exclusively for the breakfast portion of her business. She was expanding and opening the dining room to the public for supper. Eventually they would open for lunch too, but as ambitious as she was, she didn’t want to take on more than she could handle right before Christmas. Enrique would be responsible for hiring his own team once he arrived. She worried he would expect too much since the restaurant he worked at last received a Michelin star. So far, he seemed to be reasonable with his demands. His salary was a little more than she had wanted to spend, especially with Felix’s salary. She hoped the restaurant ended up being a raving success. She desperately wanted to fit in.
Nik climbed the stairs to her small apartment on the third floor. After locking the door, she opened the fridge to see what she could scrounge up to eat. “Eggs. Again.” She shrugged and lit the gas stove. She was about to put her eggs in the pan to scramble when she thought she heard something out on the roof. She peered out the small window in her living area but couldn’t see anything. She often thought she heard noises and most of the time it was simply an animal or a tree branch brushing the roof. She placed the soft fluffy eggs on her plate, along with a couple pieces of toast and dug in. She brushed her teeth, slipped into a pair of flannel pajamas and fifteen minutes later, she was sleeping soundly—the noise on the roof nothing but a forgotten dream.
Chapter 4
The pounding on her apartment door woke Nik before she was ready to get up—which put her in a sour mood from the start.
“I’m coming.” She screamed from her drool-soaked pillow. She pushed her hair back out of her face and threw her legs over the side of the bed and yawned as she stood up. “Sheesh. This better be good!” She glanced through the frost laden window as she passed.
The sky was still dark, and she didn’t bother looking at the clock. She knew it was too early to be up. Period. She had every intention of crawling back into her warm cocoon—as soon as she turned away who ever was at the door.
Nik threw the door open without asking who was on the other side. She was startled to find Rudy Blitz standing before her. She immediately regretted her decision and she slammed the door in his face. She heard the knock as she ran for the bathroom. She ran a brush through her hair, squeezed some toothpaste onto her finger for a quick toothbrush, and put her robe on. She glanced at her phone before answering the door again.
“Officer Blitz. Um, I didn’t expect…” She trailed off. Of course, she hadn’t expected him. Why would she have? It was just after four in the morning.
He appeared a little winded, even with a breather at the door while she readied herself. The three flights of stairs were hard on most people, including Nik. She figured the climb would be good for her when she chose to move into the apartment. Perhaps someday she’d get a place of her own, one where she could leave work behind her for the day and just relax. Until then, she was at Mistletoe’s beck and call.
“Come in. I’m sorry. I wasn’t sure who would be at my door at this time, but I really didn’t expect that who to be you.”
He nodded, removed his hat then entered her small living room. “I realize you’ve had a rough go of things here lately, with the fender bender and all, but I’m afraid I have more bad news.”
“What could be so bad it could
n’t wait until morning?” She yawned, yearning for her warm bed.
“Well, you hired Will Winters to do your decorating, correct?”
She was intrigued. “Yes. Why?”
“Well, Ma’am. It would appear he has become part of your rooftop décor. He’s…uh…dressed in a Santa suit and he’s perched on your chimney. We were doing our rounds and we thought something looked wrong. Officer Donner climbed up and sure enough, it’s Will—stone cold in a Santa suit.”
She let out a gasp, more of a squeak really. She could hardly catch her breath. “You aren’t serious. He’s not…frozen, right?”
He nodded. “I know he’s cold. I’m not sure if he’s frozen. The coroner will let us know. I do know, he’s no longer with us.”
“But, but…how? What was he doing on my roof in a Santa suit?”
“We have no idea. But we aim to find out. I just wanted to let you know so you weren’t surprised when you heard noises on your rooftop.”
Suddenly she remembered the noise from the night before. “Last night…” She looked up with her mouth forming an oh. “Last night…I heard a noise on the roof. I ignored it, thinking it was a tree branch.” She sat down, her face noticeably paling. “If I had only known…perhaps…”
“No. Don’t punish yourself like that. We don’t know yet where he died. We have a strong feeling your roof wasn’t the scene of the crime. Someone strong lugged him up on the rooftop to make a point. Your place just happened to be handy—and without any other decorations at the moment—which would cause him to be noticed nearly immediately.”
“I see. So, me changing up decorations is probably the only reason the killer chose my place to display him?” She could hear the careful steps of boots making their way across her roof.
“Most likely. Course, that isn’t an official statement. We won’t know until we investigate.”
She felt the tears start to course down her cheeks and wiped them away. “I hardly know him. I don’t know why I’m so upset.”
He patted her shoulder, not quite sure to what extent he should console her. “We wouldn’t be human if we didn’t care about our fellow man. It’s how we were created to be.”
Her tears and heavy heart let his words slip without comment. When she’d lived in New York City, she would have argued until she was blue over a word like creation. Since living in Christmas Tyme, she found herself softening. The people here took their faith just as seriously as they did Christmas. For most, the two went hand in hand. Besides, she liked Officer Blitz. He was kind and while he wasn’t as handsome as Officer Dash, he was kind of cute. His smile was growing on her.
The pounding on the stairs caused them both to turn toward her apartment door. Officer Dash poked his head through the opening. “Rudy, we’ve got the body down.”
Officer Blitz nodded. “Okay, I’ll be right there. Was there any evidence on the roof?”
Officer Dash looked to Nik then questioned Officer Blitz without saying a word.
“It’s fine. Go ahead.”
There were some boot imprints, but last night’s snow ruined any chance of getting a good look at the size and sole. Nothing else that we noticed. Maybe the body will tell us something.”
Officer Blitz nodded. “It always does.”
“True. I’ll see you down there.” He gave Nik a look she couldn’t decipher then turned and left the way he came.
Nik stood up and slowly walked to the door, waiting for Officer Blitz to follow his partner. He seemed to be purposefully lingering and he opened his mouth several times to say something then decided against it. He exited then turned. “If you hear anything else, don’t be afraid to call. We’ll be back here at first light to see if we’ve missed anything. Until then, get some more rest.”
She closed the door behind him and locked it, then turned on the hot water for some tea. She no longer desired to curl up in her bed. Her thoughts wouldn’t leave her in peace and she had too many unanswered questions to relax. She’d might as well start her day.
Chapter 5
Nik stumbled through the morning in slow motion. The individual cabins just beyond the woods still needed to be decorated. She wasn’t sure what she would do to get the place spruced up in time for her party. The police had determined her roof to be free and clear from being the scene of the crime, or at least the original murder, so after the finished their extensive search, she was free to decorate. The only issue was, her decorating guru was dead. She made a note to call the landscaping company to send someone out. They had to have a decorating service, didn’t they? She certainly didn’t intend to sound callous, but she still had a business to run, body or not. Large boxes with the decorations she’d ordered started to appear at the end of her long driveway near the service entry. She had to make the call soon or her food deliveries would never make onto the property.
Nik had made the call and found herself short of help. The landscaping company had their hands full plowing driveways and decorating for their “regular” customers. They said they’d try to get someone out to her, but she shouldn’t count on it. She stood outside and stared at the roof. She could handle the outside, or so she thought. The roof however was going to give her issues. She was deathly afraid of heights. Still, she had to do something. People expected Christmas Tyme to be fully decorated year-round, but come December, everything better be perfect and decorated to the hilt. She wished she hadn’t made the decision to change up the décor. The now non-functional plastic pieces had already been taken to the dump. There was no going back. She had nearly talked herself into climbing up the long ladder to at least take stock of the situation when she heard a voice behind her.
“Signora? Why are you standing out here like a nincompoop? It’s cold.”
She turned to find her brand new chef scowling at her. “Enrique, you made it.”
“Of course, I made it. I said I would be here and here I am.”
She grinned and turned toward the quiet young man with him. “You must be Felix?”
He nodded.
“Welcome, to both of you. I have your cabins ready and you’re welcome to use them as long as you need to.” She wasn’t worried about Enrique over staying his welcome. While the cabins were nice—his very much so—they weren’t up to his usual standard of living. Felix, however, she had no idea about. He could fall in love and move in permanently. She’d cross that bridge if she had to. “Come on. I’ll show you to your new homes.”
The men carried their own bags, as much as Enrique grunted his displeasure. He was used to being catered to, she was sure. She’d seen much worse from chefs. Even so, every one of them had superiority complex—a god complex of sorts.
They came to Felix’s cabin first. The cabins were built to accommodate families. They had two bedrooms, a living room with a lovely fireplace and a kitchen with counter seating as well as a generous dining area overlooking the pond. Felix thanked her and closed the door. To be honest, she expected a little more from him in the way of gratuity. She shrugged.
“Felix looks tired. Did you have a hard trip?”
Enrique said, “I didn’t. I have no idea how Felix’s trip was. He came up yesterday evening. Said he had some things to take care of. I didn’t question him. As long as he was here today, to check in for the job, it mattered not to me.”
“Oh, well.” She turned to the nicer of the cabins she owned. “This is your home away from home. I hope you enjoy it.” She pushed open the door and entered a world of pine and poinsettias. A fully decorated Christmas tree graced the corner of the living room and a single stocking hung from the mantle of the large stone fireplace. Wood was in place for a cozy fire. She’d made sure some of Enrique’s favorite drinks were stocked in the refrigerator. The kitchen, while smaller than a commercial kitchen, was outfitted with the latest and greatest in appliances. She was proud of this cabin. And, letting it to Enrique proved how much she wanted this restaurant to be a success. The cabin was her biggest money maker. She hoped Enrique
would now be labeled as such.
She proceeded with the tour, showing him around the cabin. It was smaller than Felix’s, but it was pure luxury. From the gorgeous kitchen to the luxurious bathroom, he would be living in style. Much better than her tiny apartment on the third floor of the main building.
He expressed his need for a nap by way of a yawn. Not once did he say thank you or how much he liked the cabin. Then again, she hadn’t really expected him to.
“Well, I guess I’ll leave you to unpack and rest before dinner. I can give you a tour of the property later on—if that works for you?”
“Yes, yes. That will be fine.” He closed the door nearly hitting her backside as she walked out.
“Chefs,” she muttered to herself as she walked back to the kitchen entrance to the lodge. Even with his grisly manner, she was nearly giddy in anticipation of opening night at the restaurant. He had sent his menu to her the week before and placed the order for the ingredients needed to make Christmas Eve the biggest hit in town. She was looking forward to culturizing this town. Whoever heard of eating weenies in barbecue sauce and pigs in a blanket? She shook her head.
The afternoon was dedicated to decorating. The outside ground level was done. Lights were hung. The ladies who volunteered to work overtime had the inside of the lodge and the cabin rentals so beautiful, looking at them nearly took Nik’s breath away. She stared at her rooftop. She’d saved the hardest for last. Still no word on when the landscaping company could come out so, she guessed making the roof twinkle was up to her.
Tires crunching on new fallen snow caught her attention and she turned. Officers Blitz and Donner pulled up behind her in a Jeep Cherokee and opened the door calling out, “Need a hand?”
Her mouth popped open, but no sound came out. The men were obviously off duty and dressed for working outdoors. She stammered, “Uh…”
Officer Blitz took charge. “I assume your ladder is where it’s been for the past twenty years? The garage?” He marched toward the detached combination garage shed, all done up to match the log covered lodge. He returned less than a minute later with a long extension ladder. “Okay, so what’s the plan for this roof?”