Mall Santa Murder: A Cozy Christmas Mystery (Gemma Stone Cozy Mystery Book 1)

by Willow Monroe

  “They’ll catch you eventually,” she said.

  Grady laughed. “I doubt it. Now, let’s get this over with. I want to get on the road by midnight.”

  He stood up and reached for Gemma. Just as he touched her, she flung herself into the reindeer and they began toppling over, one by one in the opposite direction she had hoped.

  Now Grady laughed again. “Did you really think you could stop me with plastic reindeer?”

  Gemma felt herself being pulled roughly to her feet.

  “I think strangling you is the way to go. You deserve it,” he snarled pulling her back against him.

  There was that anger again, surging through her whole body, survival instinct kicking in. And that’s when she drove the pointy heel of her boot directly into his foot as hard as she could. Grady howled and his hold on her loosened enough for her to stomp his foot again and then he pushed her away from him. She found herself on the floor looking up into the barrel of his gun.

  “You’re done,” he snarled.

  Gemma cowered on the floor, silently telling her dad that she did her best. And then it dawned on her that she might get to spend Christmas with her parents after all. The gun shot echoed around the mall, sounding much louder than anything she could have imagined. She was surprised that there was no pain, only a strange deafness.

  And then Grady fell on top of her.

  Confused, Gemma scrambled to get out from under him as quickly as she could. And then strong hands lifted her to her feet and she was face to face with Nick.

  Gemma knew Nick was talking to her as he touched her face, her arms, her hands but she couldn't hear a word. Her knees were weak and she held onto Nick just to keep from falling down. Ross was on his cell phone and bending over Grady, who lay face down on the floor.

  “I was so scared,” Gemma shouted, looking away from Grady. “How did you get back in the mall?” Then she realized her hearing was slowly coming back. "Sorry."

  “We’ve got Ross to thank for that. He saw Grady lock the front door behind us and suspected something was going on. Especially when your car and his were the only two in the lot,” Nick explained.

  Gemma knew she was going to have to sit down soon. Her knees felt like jello and her head was spinning.

  “He managed to get us to a service entrance door in the back that had been left unlocked,” Nick finished.

  “What took you so long to find me?” Gemma asked.

  “By the time we got inside, he already had you out here,” Nick told her.

  Ross finally stood up and came to where they were standing.

  “Is he...,” Gemma asked.

  Ross shook his head. “No. An ambulance is on the way,” he told her.

  “His office is full of stolen merchandise,” Gemma told Ross.

  “I’ve got back up on the way, too,” Ross said. “It’s gonna be a long night.”

  Gemma thought he already looked exhausted.

  “Take her home,” he said to Nick. “I can get a statement from her tomorrow.”

  “My purse and coat,” Gemma said, pointing toward the HealthGems kiosk.

  Nick went after it.

  “Thank you, Ross,” Gemma said. “I know you saved my life.”

  Ross brushed her hair back off of her face, tucked the wild locks behind one ear. “You did good, deputy. You did good.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  On Christmas day, Gemma awoke to at least three inches of new fallen snow. She hummed to herself while she showered and picked out her outfit for the day. A pair of dark green slacks and a soft blue sweater shot with silver and gold threads. The bruises left from her evening with Grady were looking better and better every day and most of her sore muscles were feeling better.

  Downstairs she smiled when she saw the Christmas tree, lights twinkling and much-loved decorations glowing softly. It looked so pretty she couldn’t figure out why she’d been so reluctant to put it up in the first place. In the kitchen, she found a radio station that played Christmas carols and then made a pot of coffee. She opened a can of cinnamon rolls, separated them carefully and placed them in a baking pan.

  While the delicious smell of warm cinnamon filled her kitchen, she sipped coffee and tried to imagine the look on Rosalie McLear’s face when the gifts they had purchased for the children were delivered that morning. She wondered if Rosalie would guess who it all came from since there were no toys, only warm coats, boots and clothes for four little ones.

  Nick promised to come by early for coffee and a snack and to get his present, which she refused to give him before Christmas. She was just drizzling the icing from the little pouch when he knocked on her door.

  “Perfect timing,” she said as she opened the door.

  “Merry Christmas,” Nick said.

  Once the door was closed, she caught his hand and led him toward the kitchen. In the doorway to the kitchen, he stopped, took her in his arms and kissed her warmly. Gemma was a bit surprised and then she remembered hanging the plastic mistletoe there. She held on tight and kissed him back.

  “It scares me to death every time I think how close I came to losing you,” he whispered, resting his forehead against hers. He continued to hold her as if he never wanted to let go.

  “It scares me every time I think about that, too,” Gemma laughed.

  “I smell cinnamon,” he said.

  “Yep, I baked,” she announced.

  “And you put up your tree,” Nick said in surprise.

  “Yep, decided it was time to take a step toward moving on,” she told him, pouring coffee into a mug and sliding it across the island toward him.

  “Does that mean I still have a chance?” he asked, cinnamon roll halfway to his mouth.

  “Hold on, cowboy. I’m not ready to take that step yet,” she said, holding up both hands.

  Nick chuckled, pulled an envelope out of his jacket pocket and placed it on the counter between them.

  “What’s this?” she asked, touching it with her fingertips.

  “Open it.”

  Gemma opened the envelope and slid a slick brochure with a beautiful mountain lodge on the front. Inside was a reservation for two for Valentine’s Day weekend.

  “Oh, how sweet,” Gemma said, tears welling up in her eyes.

  Will you go with me?” Nick asked.

  She hesitated. “Nick, I...”

  “You don’t have to answer right now,” he said, letting her off the hook pretty easily.

  “I have something for you, too,” she said and went to get his present from under the tree.

  “Wow, Gemma, are you crazy!” Nick exclaimed when he opened his gift.

  Gemma beamed at him as he opened the soft brown leather portfolio which contained a new Samsung Tablet.

  “It’s the least I can do for one of the guys who saved my life,” she said.

  “Gemma, thank you so much. My old tablet was just about gone. I could barely get it to charge anymore,” Nick said.

  “See, I pay attention,” Gemma said. "And you're going to need it now that you're a hot shot reporter."

  "Not on top yet but I'm getting there."

  They laughed and he kissed her again. She closed her eyes, thinking he tasted of cinnamon and coffee. Nice.

  “How is the story coming?” she asked.

  “It was way, way bigger than we thought,” Nick said. “I’m still digging through all the evidence. And Ross has been a huge help, giving me access to things before they’re released to the public.”

  “He’s a good guy,” Gemma said.

  “He is,” Nick agreed. “Okay, do you need a ride over to Holly’s house?”

  “No. I think I’ll be fine,” she assured him.

  With one last, lingering kiss, Nick stepped outside into the snowy day heading back to the newspaper office.

  Gemma was in the kitchen pouring a second cup of coffee for herself when her doorbell rang again. She smiled thinking Nick must have forgotten something. Glancing to where he had bee
n sitting, she didn’t see his keys or phone.

  “What did you...?"

  Ross was standing there grinning at the surprised look on her face.

  “Ross, please, come in,” Gemma said, ushering him in out of the cold. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

  He continued to look at her a strange look on his face. “I had no idea you were one of the wee people.”

  “What?”

  “You’re what, barely five feet tall? I’ve only seen you in those ridiculous high heeled boots,” he said and laughed.

  “Those boots saved my life,” she said, giggling despite the blush she felt creeping up her cheeks.

  “I thought I saved your life,” he argued.

  Gemma grew serious. “You did and you have no idea how grateful I am for that.”

  They stood there awkwardly for a moment until Ross broke the silence. “Here, I brought these for you.”

  That’s when Gemma noticed he was carrying a beautiful poinsettia.

  “Thank you so much,” she said, taking it to the kitchen and placing it in the center of her big island. “It looks gorgeous there.”

  Ross nodded. “It does.”

  “Coffee?” she asked and he nodded again.

  While she poured his coffee, she realized this was the first time she’d seen him in something besides a suit. He was dressed casually in jeans that fit him nicely and a cream colored sweater that enhanced his dark good looks.

  “Hey, I got a call from Rosalie McLear this morning. Seems an early delivery was made to her house.”

  Gemma was grinning from ear to ear. “You didn’t rat me out, did you?” she asked.

  He shook his head and took a sip of the coffee. “Never.”

  “I have a question. I know Grady had survived the gunshot wound and is still in the hospital.”

  “He’ll go straight to jail from there, along with Ralph the Elf,” Ross told her.

  “What about the boys involved in this thing?”

  “They’re getting reduced sentences for their testimony. For some of them it was a first offense so they'll probably just get probation.”

  “Good. I’d hate to see their lives ruined because of Greedy Grady,” Gemma said, using her new name for him.

  Ross laughed.

  “I still can’t figure out why Bill Chambers lied to me about Edna being sick when she wasn’t. I was sure he was somehow connected with this,” Gemma mused.

  “Gemma, Edna is dying,” Ross said, all laughter gone from his dark eyes.

  “What!”

  “Bill made her stay home that morning purely because he was afraid the weekend had been too much for her. They found a spot on her lung the day before Thanksgiving. He’s just trying to keep her safe and with him as long as possible,” Ross explained.

  “Oh, no,” Gemma said quietly. “I had no idea.”

  Again, a little awkward silence settled into the room.

  “Now, I have a question for you, deputy,” Ross said, placing his hands on her shoulders.

  “What would that be?” Gemma said, looking up at him.

  “I suspect you’re going to need a ride to Holly’s for dinner and I’m offering the use of my chariot.”

  “That would be lovely, Detective Ferguson,” Gemma said. “And I’m sure there will be plenty of room for you at her table as well.”

  “I wouldn’t want to intrude,” he said.

  “I have a feeling she and Mitch have an announcement to make today and you won’t be intruding at all.”

  “An announcement?”

  “Yes, I think he’s asked her to marry him,” Gemma said, unable to hide her own happiness at the situation.

  “Then by all means, let’s go toast the happy couple,” Ross said.

  Gemma was very aware that he still had his hands on her shoulders, his fingers gently massaging them and sending sparks of desire shooting along her spine. Their eyes met and held and she wasn’t surprised at all when he kissed her.

  After all, they were standing under the mistletoe.

  MANSIONS CAN BE MURDER

  Gemma Stone is excited about being invited to participate in this year’s fitness convention at the stately Northlake Manor Hotel. It will be a boon to her fledgling HealthGems company and a great way to spend some quality time with her best friend and business partner Holly.

  The only glitch in the weekend plan is that when they get there, they discover that the convention center has overbooked – again. Now they have to share their space with aliens, crackpot authors, and the occasional horde of zombies, not to mention the hotel management – three unpleasant siblings who are either crazy or mean.

  When a four-star general turns up dead in the lobby, the chaos becomes pure madness, especially for Gemma. It seems the general was a con-man, his murderer was ingenious, and the only clue is Gemma’s business card, clutched in his cold, dead hand.

  Sneak Peek: Mansions Can Be Murder

  Chapter One

  “Wow, it looks like an ice castle,” Gemma Stone said as her best friend Holly steered the SUV onto the winding tree lined driveway that led to Northlake Manor.

  Sharp icicles hung from the gutters of the beautiful bed and breakfast, glittering and twinkling in the winter sun. It had once been the Northlake family’s home, and from the driveway it still looked like one, a giant gothic mansion that could have been the setting of a horror movie. Only after getting closer could one see the brick addition along the back of the house that marked it as a hotel. That part also housed the ballroom-slash-convention center and a restaurant.

  The grounds were beautifully landscaped and in the spring they would be bursting with color. Right now, everything was snow and ice, bright in the dull cloud-filtered morning sunshine. Even though the paved parking lot had been scraped clean of snow in anticipation of the busy days ahead, it was piled up in tidy drifts, still a brilliant white.

  “You act like you’ve never seen the place before,” Holly said, shooting her a look from the driver’s seat.

  “Well, it’s been a while. I think the last time we came out here was New Year’s, about three years ago,” Gemma said, a teasing grin on her face.

  “Don’t. Don’t even go there,” Holly said, trying to place her hand over Gemma’s mouth.

  Gemma dodged her, almost smacking her own head against the passenger window in the attempt. “Yeah, Nick and I went with you and, oh, what was his name?”

  “Gemma, stop it,” Holly shouted, laughing now. “That was the worst New Year’s Eve I’ve ever had.”

  Gemma laughed, too. “How did you get roped into going out with him, anyway?”

  “Gemma...” Holly warned.

  “Oh, yeah, I remember. Wasn’t he the brother of a friend of one of your cousins in town for the holidays?”

  “Shut up.” Holly steered the vehicle around to the back, where they’d been told they would find a loading dock.

  “Well, I still think it looks like an ice castle,” Gemma mused, keeping her eyes on those beautiful icicles that rivaled any sculpture she’d ever seen.

  And then Holly made a sound and the vehicle came to an abrupt stop.

  “Hey, watch it. You almost made me spill my coffee," Gemma grumbled.

  With one hand on the dashboard and clinging to her coffee with the other, she followed Holly’s startled gaze and gasped. This was impossible, her mind kept saying. I'm not seeing this. They don't really exist. Gemma blinked in disbelief. And, yet, there they were. Her worst nightmare come to life.

  Zombies.

  There were only three outside the loading dock at the back of Northlake Manor but they were the most hideous creatures she'd ever seen. The weak winter morning sun, just peeping through the clouds seemed to highlight them as they shambled along the cinderblock wall with their arms outstretched, their mouths working as if already chewing on her flesh. Their clothing, covered in ugly brown stains which she assumed to be dried blood, hung in tatters. One's head was cocked at an odd angle. One was missing
an ear. One of them had a hand that looked mangled and torn and he appeared to have been scalped, his white skull showing.

  Even as the thought entered her brain that they still had time to escape, she saw Holly reach for the gear shift and slam the vehicle into reverse. And then there was a low, hungry roar much too close for comfort. A hideous face and two hands smashed against her window, the nose and lips flattened against the glass. Both women screamed. Holly stomped on the brakes hard to avoid running into a big panel truck parked right behind them, throwing Gemma against her seat belt.

  "We're trapped," she moaned.

  And then the monster stepped back from the SUV, stuffed his hands in his pockets and smiled. Nick Leonard stood there, head tilted to one side, grinning that lazy, sexy grin that was normally capable of melting her heart. Gemma barely had time to register this before a movement caught her eye. The zombies were lurching toward him in that slow, jerking, robotic gait. She screamed again and tried to open the door. She had to get Nick inside. She could not lose him; not like this. They had to get away from there somehow.

  Nick, seemingly unaware of the approaching zombies, watched her as she struggled with the lock, not knowing which way to push it to get the door open. Finally, she heard it click, wrenched it open and grabbed at Nick with both arms, intent on pulling him inside.

  "Well, you're awfully happy to see me," he teased. Then he caught her hands in his and tugged gently.

  The seatbelt hindered her movements. "Zombies," Gemma managed to gasp. "Don't you see them?" And then she froze and backed away. "Unless you...you're one..."

  Nick burst into laughter. Holly was laughing as well. Stunned, Gemma looked from one to the other. Not Holly, too! She covered her face with both hands. God, this had to be a nightmare. She had to wake up.

  “Look,” Holly said and tapped Gemma on the shoulder

  Biting her lip to keep from screaming, Gemma peeked between her fingers and looked to where Holly was pointing. The zombies were no longer heading for Nick. In fact, they were walking away, laughing, talking and swaggering, moving and acting like real human beings now. They were obviously pleased at her reaction.