“That’s what she said,” Greg answered, smiling.
“It was just in reference to another subject matter,” Tabby said, trying to explain herself.
“That’s too bad. I got all excited for nothing,” Bea said, walking away.
“Don’t tell me, it’s the house on Ball Road, isn’t it?”
“It’s a beautiful house. Big enough for a family and still in town close to both our businesses,” Tabby stated. “And the schools are a stone’s throw from the front door.”
“Architecturally, the house can’t be touched by anything else around here,” Greg admitted. “But, it’s right next to a cemetery.”
“That doesn’t bother me, does it bother you?”
“I guess not,” Greg said, picking up his pulled pork sandwich.
“Think about it. I can’t buy it on my own, but maybe together we could do it,” Tabby replied. “The Benson’s want the house; they already made an offer on it. I asked Betsy Piper to not give them an answer until we find out who killed her mom. My gut is telling me that Samuel is the missing son of Carl Bender and that’s why he wants the house.”
“Do you think the bank money is somewhere in the house?” Greg asked.
“I don’t think so. Betsy showed me a secret room that Carl Bender had built while he lived there. Her mother had ripped the room apart looking for the money to no avail.”
“Secret room? I wonder what else is hidden in the house,” Greg said, his interest aroused.
“I don’t know. But, with Mrs. Piper dead and now Dave Tullinson, my suspect list is narrowing. Samuel Benson and Jack Fletcher are the only two left who showed any interest in the house.”
“Any time you use married and family in the same conversation, I’ll definitely have to look into this house that has caught your attention,” Greg said, with that big old hundred-watt smile of his.
“Great! Now, what time do you want to meet tomorrow and where?”
“Why don’t we meet at one o’clock at The Tilted Coffee Cup? That will give us enough time to get trees, bring them home, and still make the meeting at the diner,” Greg suggested.
“I’ll text Jenny and let her know. We can get some hot chocolate before we go out tree hunting,” Tabby said, smiling.
Greg walked Tabby home after dinner. The streets were quiet for a Saturday night. They stopped at the gazebo and sat for a short while enjoying the Christmas lights around them. Walking north to the end of Main Street, they crossed the street and strolled south on the opposite side, checking out the store window displays as they went.
They stopped in front of Greg’s flower shop. Stuck on the front window was a large blue ribbon announcing his window as the winner in the Main Street Christmas Window Display Contest.
“Wow,” was all he could say.
“Congratulations,” Tabby gushed, as she was secretly hoping he would win all along.
“Let’s go find the other ribbons,” Greg suggested.
“The second-place red ribbon was stuck on the window of the Whipper Will Drugstore. They had set up a miniature North Pole which included Santa’s workshop, and the stables for Santa’s reindeer. Lighted street lights made from mini candy canes and elves scattered about getting into all kinds of mischief completed the scene.
They reached Tabby’s shop without finding the third-place ribbon. They agreed to look for it on the opposite side of the road on their walk home after the meeting tomorrow night.
Standing at the back door of the apartment, Greg put his arms around Tabby and pulled her close.
“You haven’t told me what you want for Christmas yet,” he asked.
“I don’t ask for specific things. I’m usually happy with whatever I get,” she answered truthfully. “You haven’t told me what you want either.”
“I already got what I wanted,” he whispered, pulling her closer and kissing her.
CHAPTER 8
* * *
Tabby relaxed in her overstuffed recliner drinking her coffee. The snow was just starting to fall, and it gave her a peaceful feeling inside watching it float down past the window. Her favorite season was autumn, but winter ran a close second.
She sat there in her sweats and fuzzy slippers enjoying her day off. Marmalade had curled up in her lap while her brother, Ghost, batted at the window from the plant stand trying to catch the snowflakes as they passed by.
A year ago, she would have never imagined that she could have a life like the one she was enjoying now. A new business that was thriving, a beautiful apartment in the center of town, two fur ball roommates, and a new boyfriend who tolerated her love of mysteries. She was extremely lucky and she knew it.
“As much as I would like to sit here all day with you, I have two batches of jelly to get done,” she said to Marmalade, nudging the cat off her lap.
She managed to get three batches of jelly done instead of two, and still had time to squeeze in a shower and a quick lunch before she left for The Tilted Coffee Cup to meet Greg and Jenny. Hot chocolates in hand, they climbed into Greg’s delivery truck for the ride to Jenkin’s Tree Farm, which was twenty-minutes outside of town on the road to Larsen.
Jenny was back to her old talkative self. She was excited for the Christmas Stroll the following weekend as her best-selling author friend, Tricia Gracious, was going to be doing a book signing at the bookstore promoting her newly released Christmas romance, Up on the Roof.
Greg had ordered red and green carnations to hand out to the ladies at Tabby’s shop as discussed. Jenny offered to go over to Tabby’s place during the week to help bake the thumbprint cookies she needed to stockpile for the strollers.
The truck pulled into the crowded parking lot at the farm. Children were running everywhere, and parents were looking over the trees that were standing against the fences waiting to be purchased. Strings of Christmas lights hung around the outside of the fences and outlined the log cabin that held a gift shop and snack area.
The first thing that Tabby noticed when she hopped down from the truck was the rich smell of pine that filled the air. This was what she loved the most about having a real tree in her home; the smell.
She just hoped that the cats would behave and not climb up the tree once it was in its stand and decorated. This would be their first Christmas with a tree full of dangling ornaments. Marmalade probably wouldn’t be a problem, but Ghost would more than likely empty the bottom half of the tree of ornaments and bat them around the apartment while Tabby was downstairs in the shop working.
“I am celebrating just being alive this Christmas. I want a ten-foot tree to put in the front window,” Jenny said, looking around for the taller trees.
“You have the room to do that with your high ceilings. I need a six-footer; I think that will be plenty big enough for my place,” Tabby replied.
“I’m not limiting myself. When I find a tree I like, that will be the one I take home. Let’s go further back in the lot where the trees are less picked over,” Greg suggested.
They walked in and out the rows of trees looking each one over as they went. Jenny found her ideal tree on the back fence of the lot. Not only was it tall, it was extra full and would fill her entire front window when placed there.
“Wow, I haven’t bought a real tree in a while,” she said, looking at the price tag hanging on her chosen tree. “Fifty dollars!”
“Well, you did choose the biggest tree in the entire lot,” Greg laughed.
“That I did and I’m going to get it regardless of the price,” Jenny stated.
“Don’t forget that twenty percent of each sale goes to the Paws Rescue League,” Tabby reminded them. “It kind of takes the sting off the price of the tree.”
“I forgot about that,” Jenny said, smiling. “That makes my tree even more worth getting.”
“Tabby, fancy meeting you here,” shouted a voice from several rows away.
She turned to see Sandy and Samuel approaching her group. Sandy was bubbling with Christmas spirit
and Samuel looked like he was being dragged through a torture chamber being there. Tabby said hi to him and he nodded his head in acknowledgment.
“Have you picked out a tree yet? This is the first time I get to pick out a real tree and I’m so excited. My mom hated Christmas, but then again, she hated everything. She never could get past her streak of bad luck and how she was robbed of the good life. But, I’m nothing like my mom. I must have got my Christmas spirit from my dad, whoever he was,” Sandy babbled.
“Jenny is the only one who has found a tree so far. Greg and I are still looking,” Tabby answered.
“I do want to thank you, Tabby, for telling my wife about the empty storefront on Main Street. I spoke to Mr. Wells who agreed to rent it to me for my new realty business. He even said he would consider placing all his business with me once he has my background checked. He told me that he had a bad time with his last realtor and wanted to make sure it wouldn’t happen again,” Samuel said.
Tabby was taken back a bit. It was the first time that Samuel had really said much of anything in a conversation. Maybe he was one of those people who had to get to know you first. She wondered if it was because he could never get a word in when he was around his talkative wife.
“I’m sorry, I don’t think you know Jenny. This is my best friend, Jenny Jones. She owns the Until the Book’s End Bookstore on Main Street. Jenny, this is Sandy and Samuel Benson.”
“Nice to meet you,” Jenny replied.
“Let’s let these nice people get back to tree hunting,” Samuel suggested. “We still have to find one, too.”
“See you around,” Sandy said, waving over her shoulder as they walked away.
“Wow! He actually speaks,” Greg commented.
“I know, I was thinking the same thing,” Tabby agreed.
A tree lot salesman came up to the group to see if he could help. Jenny pointed out the tree she wanted and the clerk said he would take it up front, put it through the wrapper and stand it next to the cashier with her name on it.
They continued their hunt for the perfect Christmas tree. Greg found his next. It was only five feet tall, but what it lacked in height it made up for in width. He left the girls to look for Tabby’s tree while he carried his up front to get it wrapped.
He asked the cashier to ring up Jenny’s tree, his own and to ring up an additional fifty dollars that would cover the price of Tabby’s tree. Any balance that was left over after Tabby’s tree was picked out he wanted donated to the rescue league. He returned to the lot searching for his two friends, who were both unaware that they were about to receive an early Christmas present.
Greg loved Christmas. His mother and father had both instilled in him the gift of giving, not only at the holidays, but year-round. He was happiest when he would see someone’s face light up because of something he had done for them and he never looked for anything in return. That was just the way he had been brought up.
He found the two women in front of a well-shaped, six-foot tall tree. Tabby was walking all the way around it, checking it out from all sides.
“Nice tree,” Greg said, walking up to them.
“I really like this one. It will look nice from the street, but also nice from inside the apartment. There isn’t a bad spot on it anywhere,” Tabby replied.
“I think it’s perfect,” Jenny said, sipping her now lukewarm hot chocolate.
“Shall I take it up front?” Greg asked.
Tabby looked at the price tag.
“I can afford thirty-five dollars. Yes, please, this is the one I want,” she said, smiling.
Greg hoisted the tree up out of the pipe it was standing in and led the way to the register. Both girls took out their wallets as Tabby’s tree was being run through the wrapper. Jenny looked around and started to panic when she couldn’t find her tree anywhere near the cashier like promised.
“You’re good to go, Greg,” the salesman said, handing him Tabby’s wrapped tree.
“Thanks, Mike. We’ll see you tonight at the meeting?”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” he answered, walking back into the lot to help someone else.
The two women stood there, holding their wallets, dumbfounded. They looked at each other and then at Greg who was flashing that to die for smile of his.
“Well, don’t just stand there. We have to hit the gift shop and get some warm cider for the ride home,” he said, walking away with the tree.
They followed him without saying a word. When he closed the back door of the van, where the three trees were now safely tucked away, Tabby and Jenny had money in hand to pay for their trees.
“Put your money away,” he said, putting an arm around each one. “I had the pleasure of buying my two best girls their Christmas trees and I can’t wait to see them decorated. Let’s each get a special ornament to always remember this Christmas by,” he suggested, leading them towards the well-stocked gift shop.
White twinkle lights filled the air above their heads as they entered the door. Thousands of different ornaments hung from decorated trees and on pegs that covered every wall in the cabin. Glittered buffalo snow under the trees had transformed the inside of the shop into a wintery wonderland. They each went in different directions in search of an ornament.
They met a half an hour later near the silver and blue decorated tree in the center of the cabin. Jenny had taken a basket with her and picked out many ornaments; none of which she would show anyone.
Tabby’s basket was also full. Some of the ornaments were going on the tree at the children’s Christmas party. Each year, every attending child could pick one ornament off the tree to take home with them. All the locals donated to the tree. When Greg found this out, he ran back and picked up a variety of ornaments to donate also. Jenny had already turned hers in at the first meeting.
Tabby also found two kitty stockings for Ghost and Marmalade, each having a cat on the front resembling her two furry roommates. She also picked up several packages of purple garland and silver tinsel for her tree.
They each paid for their purchases and then grabbed a hot cider with a cinnamon stick in it for the ride home. They had one hour to drop off the trees and get back to the diner for the meeting. Greg carried Jenny’s tree up to her apartment, promising to come back on his lunch hour the following day to help her get it in its stand and centered in the front window.
Tabby’s tree was laid down at the back door to the apartment. It would stay out in the cold until Wednesday night when both Greg and Jenny would be at the house and they could decorate the tree together while they baked. Greg’s tree would stay in the back of the van until he got home later that night after the meeting.
The diner parking lot was empty when they pulled in.
“Where is everyone?” Tabby wondered.
“This is weird,” Greg replied.
Judy Montgomery was standing in the doorway, flagging them down.
“I’ll go see what’s going on,” Greg said.
They had a lengthy conversation and then Greg gave Judy a hug. She disappeared inside the diner and Greg walked back to the car shaking his head.
“Well?” Tabby asked as he climbed into the driver’s seat.
“The diner was robbed right after the lunch rush today,” Greg said, sadly. “Tom was at the register pulling the money and a person with a ski mask came in with a gun. The robber hit him on the temple with the gun butt, knocked him out, and took off with the money.”
“Where was Judy?” Jenny asked.
“She was out back in the kitchen checking in a produce order that had just been delivered from Mac’s Market.”
“No customers saw anything?” Tabby inquired.
“The Twittles were the only ones left in the diner. Donald said it was all over before they even realized it was happening.”
“Is Tom alright?”
“He’s at Larsen General. I guess he was unconscious for quite a while, but he is going to be okay. They are keeping him overnight for observation.
Judy stayed behind to close the diner after the police were done with their investigation and let people know the meeting had been moved to the elementary school cafeteria. There’s a sign in the window stating the diner is closed for the evening and tomorrow due to an emergency. She’s leaving for the hospital now.”
“This time of year is so hard on people. It makes them do desperate things just to buy that one gift for their child. I saw a report on the news the other night that said the average family with two children spends a thousand dollars on Christmas,” Jenny said sadly.
“Let’s get going to the school. The meeting has probably already started,” Greg said, putting on his seatbelt.
People were just settling into the chairs around the tables that had been pushed together for the meeting. Tabby’s mother waved them over as she had saved seats for the three of them.
Jewel Nivens, the owner of The Local Scoop Ice Cream Shop, called the meeting to order. When things quieted down, she started to speak.
“You all know that money is tight this year for our celebration. We hadn’t found out about the extra families that had moved to town until just recently. Even though we did really well fundraising through the two haunted houses this year, it just wasn’t enough to do what we normally do every year at the party,” Jewel began.
“So, what are we going to do? We only have one week until the party,” Jenny asked.
“I wasn’t sure until this morning,” Jewel answered, holding up an envelope. “This came in the mail from an anonymous donor. It is a bank check, made out to me as the committee chairperson, for three thousand dollars to be used as we see fit for the children’s party.”
“Where was it mailed from?” Tabby asked, thinking it had to be from Mr. Wells.
“The bank check is drawn on Larsen Savings, but there is nothing on the check to identify the sender.”
“Who could have sent it? The only person I can think of is Mr. Wells,” Samantha Moon stated.
“It wasn’t me,” said a voice from the direction of the door. “I just found out today that you needed money for the party.”
JAMMED WITH MURDER Page 6