by Lilly York
Chapter 11
Nik called Officer Blitz, or Rudy as he preferred she call him, as soon as she got back to her office. “Hey, how is the investigation going? Did you find anything in the store room?”
“Ugh, I can’t officially comment on the case. I’m sorry.”
“But…”
“The investigation is on-going. We are looking into things and should have a statement shortly.”
“That’s okay. I understand. Does that mean I don’t have to tell you what I’ve found out?”
“Yeah, no. That’s not how this works.”
“Do you have someone there you can’t talk in front of?”
“That would be correct.”
She recounted Felix’s story as best as she could. When she finished, he said, “I’m alone now. So, how do you think this relates to Will’s murder?”
“Do you have any idea how much business I’ve lost since Santa died on my rooftop?”
“He didn’t die on your rooftop.”
“Well, everyone in town is saying so. I’ve had children crying. Shoot, I’ve had adults crying. People have actually said, ‘wow, way to kill Christmas’ when they find out what happened. Not to mention, I lost my chef. Profits are down. My rooms are half empty. All because Santa died on my rooftop. If I sell, who do you think is going to be scooping up the place?”
“I see your point. It would work to her benefit, wouldn’t it?”
“Yep. And she’s doing a darn good job of turning my employees against me too.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, little things. Lights left on. Food purposely left out to spoil. All stuff to cost me money and affect the bottom line.”
“Maybe you need to rethink the idea of firing her.”
“Not until I know if she’s behind Will’s death. It makes perfect sense. It would destroy my business.” She sighed. “What’s being said around town? Have you heard anything?”
“Oh, you know how people are. They love to gossip. I wouldn’t put much stock in anything spreading around.”
“You mean, people are actually pulling you aside and telling you things? Things about me?”
“Well, no. It’s just, when we’re sitting at the café having breakfast and coffee, people like to talk.”
“What do you mean, we?”
“Well, me and Dash.”
“People are talking about me in front of Dash too?”
“You’re not trying to impress him, are ya? I heard he brought you your money.”
“No, not at all. But, isn’t he just as new to Christmas Tyme as I am?”
“Nearly. He applied early fall. So, maybe a month or so before you got here.”
“Oh, you didn’t forget about Bob, did you? Didn’t he threaten Will when I had my unfortunate accident?”
“Yeah, I already checked into it. He and Brutus had caught Will sneaking into their storeroom at night to use it as a crash pad. Besides, the two of them were on an overnight run picking up supplies. Every year we put together a hundred Christmas boxes to send overseas to soldiers.” He paused. “Anything else you’re not telling me?”
“No. That’s about it.”
“You know I’m going to have to check out Felix’s story. He has much motive as anyone.”
She sighed. “Yeah, I figured as much. But please, don’t detain my only chef. I need him.”
“If he committed murder, you’ll be finding yourself another chef. Comprende?”
“Fine.”
“And make sure you’re watching your back. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.”
She hated not being able to see people’s faces when they talked this way—wondering if he meant what she was hoping he meant or just being nice. “I’ll be careful, I promise. Will I still see you later tonight for dinner?”
“You bet. What are we having?”
“I can’t tell. It’s a surprise. But, I think you’ll like it. We’re doing a practice run for Christmas Eve. The whole menu. The staff is staying as well. I’m not sure if Mildred is joining us. She hasn’t given a firm commitment. It will be hard keeping a straight face around her. Especially when I’m pretty sure she’s out to destroy my business…and perhaps she’s even committed murder.”
“Yes, you may be right. I’ll see you in a few hours.”
“See you later.”She hung up and headed to the kitchen to see how things were going. Felix was still down a sous chef and as helpful as Judy was, Nik was certain he was missing his professional staff.
She entered the kitchen without making any fuss. She wanted to see him work without being obvious. Several of the housekeeping staff had been reassigned to help with the sample menu. Each was following instructions, peeling or chopping, rinsing or cutting as Felix so instructed. One girl had a bandage on her hand. Nik winced at the thought of someone getting hurt in her kitchen.
Little pots de crème, crème brulee, and crème caramel were sitting on a side table, freshly made. It took all the will power she possessed to keep from snatching a crème brulee—her favorite dessert. She couldn’t wait to get Rudy’s opinion on the food. This town wasn’t going to know what hit them.
Seeing everything was in order, Nik climbed the stairs to the storeroom. She wanted to check it out for herself. The room used to be another apartment, identical to the one she was in and set apart on the roof to look like there were two towers extending from the second floor. She had no idea when the second apartment turned into a storage room, but, it seemed a good place to put those things that weren’t very often needed. She flipped the light on and began walking through, looking for anything amiss. Not that she’d know really. Whoever loaded up the rooms didn’t do the best job. Heaven only knew what was in them and they were far from organized.
She walked to the window which could have been used in the crime and peered out. Nothing. Nothing out of the ordinary. She sighed. She had been hoping to find the clue to put Mildred behind bars, so she could get back to growing a business. Damage control couldn’t begin until the culprit was found, and her good name was restored in the community.
Nik left the store room and went to her apartment to dress for dinner. Tonight’s guests were mainly staff members. Everyone would lend a hand in setting the food and drink out, but once that was done, everyone would partake.
She chose a pair of jeans, black boots, and a red cashmere sweater. She touched up her make-up, pulled her hair back in a tight pony tail, spritzed on some scent, put in a pair of ruby studs to match the outfit then descended the two flights of stairs leading to the main lobby. The guests had access to an elevator. Her apartment and the storage room were only accessible through stairs—one of the reasons she didn’t turn either apartment into guest quarters. Most people didn’t want to climb stairs these days.
She was nearly to the ground floor when her boot caught on something and she tumbled the rest of the way down the stairs, landing in a heap for all the world to see. She was more embarrassed than she was concerned for her physical being. All her employees, as well as Rudy, were standing around drinking spiced hot apple cider and every single head turned to see her sprawled out on the floor.
Chapter 12
Nik’s face was bright red. She tried to stand up on her own before any fuss could be made. She cried out in pain though as she placed her weight on her ankle.
Rudy came to his senses and rushed to her. “Oh my gosh. Are you okay? What happened?”
She had never handled pain well, so she snapped, “Obviously I fell down the stairs.”
Rudy startled slightly then asked, “Where are you hurt.”
She sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m just…” She glanced at all the onlookers.
Rudy took charge. “Everyone, if you could go into the dining room and give us some privacy, I’d appreciate it. As would your boss.”
As he addressed her employees, she glanced around for anyone looking guilty. She’d been up and down those stairs a million times and not once did something trip h
er up. Judy was looking at the floor. Mildred was looking right at her with a smirk on her face. When Nik made eye contact with her, she quickly looked away and turned for the dining room.
Once they were all out of listening range, she said, “This is Mildred’s doing. You should have seen her face.”
“Could be. Or, she could have just been happy to see you fall. Either way, she’s not innocent.” He reached down and lifted her up.
“Rudy. You’re going to hurt yourself.”
“Darlin, you don’t weigh that much. Besides, I’m stronger than I look.”
She turned her head into his shoulder then looked up. “Where are you taking me?”
“To the hospital, of course. You’ve just fallen down a set of stairs and at the very least, twisted your ankle.”
“No. I’ll be fine.”
He raised his eyebrows. “You need to be seen.”
“After dinner, okay? I promise I won’t put up a fuss then.”
He sighed. “Fine. But only if you sit still and put ice on it.”
“Deal.”
He carried her to the dining room and set her in one of the comfortable dining chairs with her feet propped up on another chair. “Now, no trying to move. I’ll get whatever you need.”
“Could I bother you for some aspirin and that ice pack?”
“Of course. Where will I find some aspirin?”
Judy interrupted. “I’ll go. I know where everything is.” She looked like she wanted to say something else then decided against it. “I’ll be right back.”
“That was nice of her.”
One thing Nik had figured out about Rudy early on was, he almost always had something good to say about everyone. Even when it infuriated her, the trait endeared him to her. He was kind. You couldn’t say that about everyone. “It was nice of her.”
“Looks like they’re putting the food out. Let me go get you a plate.”
While he was gone, Judy returned with the aspirin, a glass of water, and an ice pack. “Here you go. This should help.”
“Thank you.” She swallowed the aspirin with a sip of water while Judy set up the ice on her ankle.
“I’m sorry you got hurt. Really, I am.”
Nik watched her go then turned her attention to all her employees gathering around the trays of tapas to fill their plates. She grinned through the pain. Then she watched their faces. Some looked as if they were being tortured. Others nibbled but weren’t really eating. Rudy returned with her plate and she took a bite of the skewered tuna chunks. “I have missed this so much.”
He watched her eat it then said, “Oh, I thought you were going to say something was wrong. That fish is raw.”
“It’s rare—which is perfectly fine for Tuna.” She looked at him. “Aren’t you going to get your plate?”
“Yes, I was just going to do that.”
He returned a little later with some chorizo, sizzling shrimp, and cheese and meat from the charcuterie.
“What is everyone saying? Do they like it?”
“Well, um, I’m not sure. People are used to eating hearty meals around here. I’m sure they’ll get used to it. What did you call this again?”
“It’s tapas. Basically, it’s small bites. Sharable plates of bits of food. The idea originated in Spain and is all the rage. The flavors are bold and delicious. You only need little bits to satisfy you.”
She took a bite of a little sandwich. “Oh my gosh. This is delicious.”
He looked at her like she was crazy then set his plate down. “While you eat, I’m going to go check out the stairs. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
She watched employee after employee put their half-filled plates down. A few people had volunteered—with pay of course—to stay and help clean up. Those people were picking up the still full plates and taking them to the kitchen to dispose of the uneaten food. Her heart plummeted. What is wrong with these people?
Rudy returned shaking his head. “Someone beat me to the stairs. Did you see Mildred leave the dining room?”
“Actually, I never saw her in the dining room. She walked this way, I was sure of it. Did you find anything on the stairs?”
“Yeah, a couple of holes where nails had been pounded in. Since the wood is in pristine condition, it was easy to see the holes.”
“So, someone did purposefully try and hurt me.”
“I would say yes, someone did.”
A few people wandered over and thanked her for the food. She heard a few others talking about going out for burger after leaving the lodge. She would donate all the leftover food to the food pantry, but she was afraid no one would eat it, even if it was some of the best food her employees had ever been exposed to.
“Rudy, they hated my food.”
He rubbed her hand. “It’ll just take them some time to get used to eating something different. Remember, most of these people have spent their lives here in this little town. Give them some time.”
She nodded her head. What was she going to do about Christmas Eve? If her employees were any indication, the townsfolk would hate it.
“Hey. It’s time to go get that foot x-rayed.
She tried standing up and cried out.
Rudy swooped her up, grabbed a blanket from the back of a chair in the lobby and carried her to his car.
“I’m going to need my purse. My insurance card is in there along with my check book.”
“Okay, I’ll be right back. Anything else you need?”
“My coat?”
He nodded, started his Jeep then took off for the lodge. He returned a few minutes later and they took off for the local hospital. Two hours later, they emerged with Nik in a cast and using crutches. Her pain meds were kicking in and she declared how hungry she was. “You could always come in for some leftovers. I’m sure there are plenty.”
He swallowed hard then said, “I thought maybe we’d grab a cheeseburger. I know this great little dive bar on the outskirts of town. Doesn’t require dressing up, but they do serve a mean burger.” He grinned at her, hoping she saw the humor in his request.
She smiled. “Sure. Why not. And if the same bar tender is working, I’ll make up for my last tip.”
“You don’t have to worry about that. I have it on good authority Shep loved the whiskey.”
“Shep?”
“Yeah, the bartender. He’s my cousin.”
“You’re kidding! Is there anyone in this town you don’t know?”
“Well, I didn’t know Felix was related the town’s royal family.”
“That’s something, I guess.”
Rudy pulled into a handicap spot by the entrance to let her out. “You stand on the sidewalk. I’m just gonna park. I’ll be right back to help you in.
Not two minutes later, he was back at her side, giving her moral support. They entered and sure enough, Shep was behind the bar. He nodded at Rudy then turned the corners of his mouth up just a smidgen after seeing Nik.
Rudy helped her get settled at a table then went to order for both of them. He brought two glasses of sprite back to the table. “I figure you didn’t want any caffeine this late. Sprite okay?”
She smiled. “Perfect.”
Shep brought out two plates piled high with the biggest burger Nik had ever seen. Sweet potato fries were spilling off the edges and two little sauce cups of ranch dressing sat on each plate. “Here you go.”
“I’ll never eat all this.”
Rudy smiled. “I was counting on that.”
She cut her burger in two then took a large bite. Her mouth barely fit around the burger with all the toppings. She sighed. After she swallowed she said, “You know what, you’re right. This is a great burger.”
He said between bites. “I told you so.”
Nik had just stuffed a fry in her mouth when the news came on. She yelled and pointed. “Rudy, that’s him. That’s who chased Dash from the bar.”
Both of them watched a much older version of Dash on the national news ch
annel. The newscaster was saying, “James Donner Teagan was arrested this morning at his residence in Atherton California on charges of racketeering, money laundering, and murder for hire. His wife and team of lawyers descended on the court house demanding bail be set. Of course, it’s not likely Judge O’Conner will set bail as the likelihood of Teagan fleeing is probable. With a large estate in Ecuador, a country known for not cooperating with the United States in matters of extradition, it is possible Teagan would never answer to society for his crimes.”
Nik’s mouth was nearly on the floor. “Rudy. That’s Dash’s dad. If I hadn’t been so upset the other night, I would have seen the resemblance. No wonder he ran out on me. If that were my father, I’d freak too!”
Chapter 13
Since reservations at the lodge had been cut nearly in half from the year before, according to the previous owner’s records, Nik didn’t feel too bad about taking one of the empty rooms on the first floor. At first, she insisted she could tackle the stairs. After going up one flight with her crutches, she felt as if she could sleep for a week. She gave in and took the room.
Rudy got her settled in with a pain pill and helped her get comfortable in bed before bidding her a goodnight. She watched him go, then pulled out her laptop. She still had research to do but she could feel the pill doing its job. Her eyes began closing so she set her laptop aside and snuggled into the warm quilt and down feather pillows. Her guests truly enjoyed luxury. The peaceful slumber quickly turned dark and fierce as visions of a silver version of Dash Conner threw money in a washing machine. His eyes burned red and when he bared his teeth, he had fangs which he used to bite into her ankle. She jumped awake, looking at her throbbing foot, thankful it was only a nightmare, and no one had her ankle in their jaws.
The sun had risen. She was surprised she had slept so long and so hard. She was seriously considering trading in her apartment for better lodging—at the very least a better bed. Maybe she would take Felix’s cottage when he moved into his house. She smiled at the thought.