The Sierra Files Box Set: Books 1-3: Plus a bonus Christmas novella!

by Christy Barritt

  “I thought you didn’t even approve of people using animals for entertainment purposes, among other things.” He stared at me, his eyes narrowed with curiosity.

  “I don’t. But I sense that your family sees them as more than animals. They seem to think of these reindeer as family. Plus, I fear these poor creatures are suffering a far worse fate than being introduced to the community in an annual holiday tradition.”

  “I love your passion, Sierra. I really do. And thank you for giving my family the benefit of the doubt. I appreciate it.” He planted a kiss on my lips.

  “Funny how life has changed since last year at this time, isn’t it?” I said. “Who would have ever thought we’d be married today with a baby on the way? Certainly not me, but I’m glad we’re here.”

  He nodded. “Me too. Now, I guess we should get back to finding those reindeer.”

  Chapter Eight

  Back at the house, I felt I was at an impasse. If Sam Bills, the animal rights activist, didn’t take the reindeer, and the crazy neighbors who resented the whole Christmas “spectacle” didn’t do it, then I had no idea who might. Sheriff Orlando didn’t like the Davises, but that didn’t give him enough motivation to break the law he’d pledged to uphold by stealing animals.

  I needed to rethink my strategy.

  Chad and I grabbed some sandwiches and chips to refuel before we continued with our investigation. Well, Chad had sandwiches and chips. I had hummus with carrots and celery. Everyone else was outside putting last minute touches on the display.

  “Chad, could you call Vernon and confirm that Sam Bills was at the hardware store yesterday, trying to fix his washing machine like he said?” I asked, sticking a carrot in my mouth.

  “I’m on it.” He picked up his cell phone and swallowed quickly before someone answered. A few minutes later, Chad hung up. “Vernon checked with all of his employees. No one saw Sam Bills at the hardware store. Apparently, they think Sam is hysterical because he gets wound up so easily. They purposely say things to get a rise out of him.”

  It definitely sounded like everyone there would remember if Sam came in.

  That meant the man didn’t have an alibi.

  “He seems crazy enough that he might just plan a hijinks like this,” Chad said. “One other thing Vernon said that I thought was interesting. Apparently, Sam Bills and Sheriff Orlando are cousins.”

  “Really?” Did that have anything to do with this? I wasn’t sure, but I stored that information away as we finished lunch.

  I was getting desperate, which meant I needed to hold on to every remote possibility.

  Chad got roped into helping string up some more lights after lunch. While he did that, I walked over to the gate leading into the reindeer pen to check those tire tracks one more time. I squatted down to get a better look at them.

  Had someone waited for the family to leave, backed up a trailer, and hauled away all of the animals? That took quite a bit of guts. It was a big risk, especially in the middle of the day.

  Which made it even stranger that no one had seen anything.

  “You know anything about tire tracks?” Paula asked, appearing behind me with a steaming mug of coffee in her hands. “That would be a handy talent to have right about now.”

  I stood and tightened the scarf around my neck. It certainly was chilly out here. It felt like . . . well, it felt like Christmas.

  “I wish I did. These tracks are pretty deep. Maybe that means it was a heavy truck? It would have to be heavy to leave any marks with the ground so hard like it is,” I mused aloud. “The trailer rules out the Nimbles.”

  “What do you mean?” She tilted her head.

  I shrugged. “If the family doesn’t have a trailer, they couldn’t have left these tracks, and therefore, they couldn’t have stolen the reindeer.”

  “But the Nimbles do have a trailer,” Paula said.

  “Come again?” I couldn’t have heard her correctly. I shook my head, just to make sure nothing was clogging up my ears and causing me to not understand.

  She nodded. “They sell Christmas trees in town. How else would they get the trees down to Main Street?”

  Outrage rushed through me. Mrs. Nimble had lied to me? And I’d fallen for it?

  Despicable.

  “They own that Christmas tree lot? But they hate Christmas.” My words sounded weak, even to my own ears.

  “That’s what they say. They’re just kind of grumpy. It’s a shame, really,” Paula continued with a shake of her head. “That little Charlie is the cutest little guy. He climbs over to that ridge over there and just watches everything. I make sure he has some extra time with Santa when he sneaks over for the light show, too.”

  “Charlie seems like quite the character. But what’s the family’s problem?”

  “I don’t know. They don’t want anything to do with us. It’s been that way since they moved here a few years ago.” She shrugged. “You can’t make everyone happy, can you?”

  “No, you certainly can’t.”

  “It’s a real shame. In this world today, people need something to look forward to. You know why we don’t charge for the light show?”

  “I have no idea.”

  She leaned against the fence post, her eyes serious. Unfortunately, since she wore reindeer antlers, her voice and her look were at odds. “When we started doing this fifteen years ago, the local factory had just closed. People didn’t have any money. They didn’t have any hope. We wanted to do something to cheer them up.”

  “O Come All Ye Faithful” began playing through the overhead speakers as we chatted.

  “Tell me more.”

  “Paul and I didn’t start with a lot. We’d just bought this property. It wasn’t much at the time. There was just a little shack and a whole lot of possibilities. As we grew our home, we added to the show each year. At first, all of this was just for us. Then friends came over and told us how much they enjoyed it. We decided to open our property to the public. We couldn’t believe the response. It’s grown into what it is today.”

  “That sounds wonderful.” I pressed my lips together as determination solidified itself in my gut. “I haven’t given up on finding them, Aunt Paula. Is there anyone else you can think of who might want to get rid of them?”

  She tapped her finger against her lips in thought. “You know, just last night I had another idea. I almost hated to say it because I don’t want to accuse anyone. But the man who used to own the reindeer—the man who abandoned them—is back in town. His name is Henry Jones.”

  “Tell me more.”

  “I guess he’s always thought the reindeer were rightfully his. I heard rumor he found another job and bought some more land not too long ago.”

  My pulse spiked. We had another lead. “I’ll grab Chad and we can check it out.”

  “Those reindeer are out there somewhere, Sierra. I hope a lead turns up sometime.”

  “Me too,” I told her grimly. “Me too.”

  An hour later, Chad and I pulled up to Henry Jones’ house. He lived on a piece of secluded property in the mountains. His place wasn’t big, but it was a well maintained, two-story brick house.

  Chad and I knocked on the door, but no one answered. It wasn’t really surprising considering that most people were working and others were traveling out of town for the holidays.

  “There goes that lead, huh?” Chad muttered as we stepped off the porch. “I hate to say it, but I don’t think we’re going to find those reindeer before the show opens tonight.”

  I raised my chin, too stubborn to give up yet. “Want to take a walk back there?” I nodded toward the back of his property.

  “We’d be trespassing.”

  “No one’s here. It shouldn’t hurt just to take a peek back there. I just want to see what’s beyond the barn.”

  He hesitated another moment before finally saying, “I suppose just a peek can’t hurt anything.”

  We tromped across the grass toward a barn in the backgroun
d. It wasn’t so much the barn that fascinated me, as it was the fenced in area behind the structure. I knew it was a long shot, but that fence looked new. It could be a place where cattle or sheep were kept, I supposed. But what if he had other plans for that area?

  I wanted to see for myself, so that when we left his property I’d have no doubt in my mind.

  By the time we reached the barn, I was out of breath.

  “Maybe you should take it easy,” Chad said, his hand on my back. “Maybe you’re pushing this too hard. I should have insisted you stay at the house and rest. This is too much for you.”

  I brushed him off. “Don’t be silly. This isn’t too much. I’m just not used to the altitude or the hills.”

  “Are you sure you’re okay? I don’t want to do anything to put you or the baby in danger. If anything happened to either of you, I’d never forgive myself. I’d never deserve to forgive myself.”

  I laid my hand on his chest. “Chad, you’re overreacting. I’m fine. This simply proves that I need to get more exercise.” It was one of the hazards of working a desk job. I was an administrator now, which meant more paperwork and less time on my feet.

  I sucked in a breath and straightened, knowing that if I didn’t do something soon to show that I was okay, Chad would haul me back to his aunt and uncle’s place, and I’d be on bed rest for the rest of my stay. I couldn’t let that happen.

  Suddenly, something moved from behind the barn.

  It was a . . . reindeer?

  Chapter Nine

  “Arrest them! They’re on my property!” Henry Jones accused, pointing his finger at Chad and I.

  “What did you do with the other ten reindeer?” I asked, craning my neck to see if there were any more reindeer hidden somewhere.

  Sheriff Orlando refereed the two of us, putting his hands out like we might get into a fistfight. Chad and I had called the sheriff to come as soon as we’d spotted the two reindeer. Unfortunately, Sheriff Orlando and Henry Jones had pulled up at the same time, which had led to this confrontation.

  “What other ten reindeer? I only have two.” Henry Jones glowered at me.

  He was probably in his fifties with pointy features and a ruddy complexion. He was none too happy to come home and find us here.

  “You stole these from the Davises!” I snapped back.

  “That’s ridiculous. Why would I do something like that?”

  I turned to the sheriff. “He would do it because the reindeer at the Davis’ property used to be his. He abandoned the animals, the Davises rescued them, and now he’s bitter.”

  “I applaud them for taking care of my reindeer!” Henry insisted.

  “See!” I started, before my thoughts ground to a halt. “Wait. What?”

  “I said, I applaud them. It broke my heart to leave those reindeer behind, but I had no other choice. It was either feed my children or feed my reindeer.”

  “You could have done something with them. Taken them somewhere safe. Left them in someone else’s care.”

  “I tried! No one wants reindeer. I didn’t know what to do with them. I figured maybe they could survive out here on their own. I know it sounds cruel, but when you’re desperate you make yourself believe whatever you need to believe to cope.”

  “So, whose reindeer are these?” I pointed to the field.

  “These are my reindeer. I just got them last week. Now that I’m back on my feet again, I wanted to start over.”

  “What do you do with these reindeer, Henry?” Sheriff Orlando asked.

  “I enjoy them. I watch them graze. I hope to take them to local schools and help educate children about them. But that’s it.”

  “Can I see your paperwork confirming the sales of these animals, sir?” Orlando asked. “That could clear all of this up easily.”

  “Of course. I’ll go get that right now.” The man scowled at me one last time before stomping into his house. We all waited there silently for him to return. What was there to say? If I was wrong—and it was looking that way—then I’d flubbed up royally. But could anyone blame me? On the outside, who would have thought that two families in town might have reindeer? The thought was ridiculous.

  Of course, the fact was that truth was often stranger than fiction.

  Henry stomped back outside with something in his hands. I wanted to see those papers, but I let Sheriff Orlando do his job.

  He took his precious time scanning the documents. Finally, he nodded, handed the papers to Henry, and then stepped back. “This is all legit,” he said. “I’m sorry, sir, for the misunderstanding. Would you like to press charges for trespassing?”

  Henry glared at me, and I held my breath. He very well could do that, and I wouldn’t blame him. But I really didn’t want to go through the hassle of being arrested for something this silly.

  “No, I’ll let it drop this time,” he finally said. “But only because I’m feeling the holiday spirit. No other reason.”

  Relief washed through me. Thank goodness.

  “But don’t ever show up here again,” he warned. “If you do, I may not be as nice next time. I’ll go the naughty route.”

  “We’ll be going now.” Chad led me away before I could get into any more trouble. We were halfway to our van when a voice called out to us.

  “I need a word with you two.” Sheriff Orlando briskly walked toward us. His cheeks were rosy and full, but his gaze appeared full of suspicion.

  “I heard you two have been asking a lot of questions around town,” he started.

  “Someone has to,” I retorted.

  Chad nudged me gently, a silent reminder to watch my tongue lest we end up in jail.

  “I’ll have you know that my men and I have been asking our own questions about those reindeer. We’re taking this very seriously.”

  “I guess you haven’t had any more luck than we have,” I said, trying to keep my voice easy. It was so hard, though!

  “No one knows anything.” He paused for a minute, his jaw twitching. “Will the light show still go on?”

  “You better believe it!” I burst. Chad nudged me again, and I tried to simmer.

  “This light show is important,” Chad said. “Of course we’d love to have the reindeer there, but the show will still take place whether we do or not. It’s important for the morale of the community.”

  He nodded slowly, almost defiantly. “Is that right?”

  Just then, something caught my eye. I crept closer to the sheriff, my eyes focused on his shirt. “What’s that?”

  He took a step back, his hardened expression softening with surprise. “Excuse me?”

  Without thinking, I picked a hair off his sleeve and held it to the light. “Is this a . . . reindeer hair?”

  The sheriff opened his mouth and then shut it again. Finally, he said, “That’s ridiculous.”

  I examined the hair again. “No, reindeer have hollow hair follicles that keep them insulated in cold weather. Some people even believe that reindeer hair is magical. Without tests, I can’t say anything for certain, but I’m willing to bet my Christmas wishes that this is reindeer hair. And I know for a fact that you didn’t actually get near Mr. Jones’ animals back there.”

  “What are you implying, young lady?”

  “I’m implying that you have a major grudge against the Davis family. Maybe you even got your cousin Sam Bills involved, and you two took those reindeer yourself in order to devastate the Davises.”

  “That’s an awfully big accusation. Are you sure you want to go there?” His jaw twitched.

  Chad grabbed my arm as if he feared I might sock the sheriff. I wouldn’t go that far. The sheriff wasn’t worth it.

  I narrowed my eyes. “What did you do with those animals, Sheriff?”

  He practically had steam coming from his nostrils as he stared down at me. “I’m a sworn officer of the law. I didn’t do anything with those animals.”

  “Then explain this!” I raised the hair as if it were a sword. A miniature swo
rd made for fairies to fight with.

  “I can’t,” he said. “But I’d suggest you back off before you get yourself in trouble.”

  I shook my head. “I’m not dropping this. If you think I’m that weak spirited, then you’re about to be in for a rude awakening.”

  With that, I climbed into the Vanagon and slammed the door.

  The sheriff had something to do with those reindeer disappearing. I just had to figure out what.

  Chapter Ten

  When we got back to Paul and Paula’s, I was fuming inside. How would I ever prove that the sheriff and Sam Bills were behind this? Sam had a trailer and no alibi, so he had the means and the opportunity. The sheriff had motive: he wanted to ruin the Davises. Without finding the reindeer, however, I had no proof.

  I needed to find out where the sheriff lived and see if he had enough property to keep the reindeer there.

  I found Paula outside where she was handing out cookies to her volunteers.

  “Do you know where the sheriff lives?” I asked.

  She stopped cookie delivery, her eyes widening. “He lives in town. Why?”

  “Does he have a lot of property?”

  “Maybe a half acre at the most. Why?”

  “I think he may be behind your reindeer disappearing,” I blurted.

  “What? Orlando?” She gasped, her hand going over her heart. “No. He wouldn’t take things that far.”

  “He had reindeer hair on him, and he obviously dislikes the family,” Chad added.

  “But, maybe there’s another explanation.”

  I shrugged. “Maybe. But you’re sure he couldn’t keep the reindeer at his house?”

  She nodded. “I’m positive. There’s just not enough property.”

  I sighed and leaned back, wondering where to go next.

  “Sierra, if we don’t find the reindeer before tonight, I understand. You’ve given this your best.” Paula frowned and handed me a cookie. “Cookies always make me feel better.”

  “Thank you.” I stared down at the reindeer sugar cookie and my stomach grumbled. I ignored it. “I don’t want to give up. I want to find those reindeer, now more than ever.”