by Jo Gibson
“Hello? Is someone out here?” Jay cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted as loud as he could. “Hello?”
“Over there!”
Jay pointed, and Diana caught sight of a parka-clad figure stumbling toward them. Dave and Jay jumped off the dock and hurried to help the stranded truck driver.
“Oh, my God!” Cindy looked scared. “But where’s his truck?”
Diana gave the only possible explanation. “He must have gotten stuck on the road, and walked in. It’s a good thing you heard him, Cindy. He could have frozen to death out there.”
“I’m going to get some coffee.” Cindy was turning to go back to the kitchen, when Dave and Jay pulled the truck driver up on the loading dock. She took one look at his face, and her eyes widened in shock. “Paul!”
Cindy and Diana rushed to help, and in a few moments, they had Paul seated in the warmest part of the kitchen, right next to the grill. He leaned back in his chair, and gave a deep sigh of relief. “Thanks, guys. I thought I was a goner out there. All the doors were locked.”
“I’m going to unlock the front entrance right now.” Jay nodded. “Someone else might make it through, and try to get in.”
“Did you come in the news van?” Cindy noticed that Paul had brought his video camera case.
“No. I talked them into letting me do a human interest segment on the people who were stuck at the mall, but they couldn’t spare the van. I talked Officer Goetz into letting me drive one of the delivery trucks. He didn’t think you should be trapped out here without an emergency vehicle. But I ran into a snow drift I couldn’t get through. There was no way around it, either, so I had to leave the truck about a mile down the road. I’ve got to call and tell him I made it.”
Dave nodded. “I’ll do it. You just rest up, and have some more of that hot coffee.”
“This fire sure feels good!” Paul took another sip of his coffee and grinned at Diana and Cindy. “I didn’t think I’d ever warm up again. It was really cold out there.”
Diana noticed that Cindy’s face was white, and she could tell that Cindy was thinking about what would have happened if she hadn’t heard Paul pounding at the door.
“We’re certainly glad you made it!” Diana smiled at Paul. “But now you’re stuck out here, too.”
Paul nodded. “I guess I am.”
Diana had the urge to laugh. Paul didn’t seem a bit concerned that he was stuck at the mall with them, and she didn’t think it had anything to do with the human interest segment he was supposed to do for the station.
Just then Dave came back with a grin on his face. “Officer Goetz says congratulations. He also told me he advised you against even trying to get through.”
“That’s true.” Paul looked a little embarrassed. “But I told him that I had to see Cindy, and I convinced him that it was an emergency.”
“What emergency?” Cindy looked puzzled.
“Remember when you gave me your phone number?”
Cindy nodded. “Sure.”
“Well, you forgot to write down your area code.”
The communications room was locked, but he was resourceful. He’d found a full set of keys in the security office, and he now had access to every part of the mall. It was late, and almost everyone had found a place to sleep. The furniture store had plenty of beds.
He glanced around and smiled as he saw the empty walkway. He was the only one out, and no one would be able to observe what he was about to do.
The room was dark, but he didn’t switch on the lights until he’d locked the door behind him. Then he walked to the box labeled, “telephone,” and began to systematically unplug the wires, labeling them as he went. He would cut off their link to the outside world. It was very important that no one interfere with his plan. But when he had finished, he would hook everything back up again so the whole world would know exactly what had happened.
Icy snow rattled against the plate glass window. The sound pleased him. It reminded him of muted snare drums, the kind they used for funerals of state. On the twenty-fifth anniversary of President Kennedy’s death, they’d replayed footage of his funeral. The muted snare drums had impressed him even more than the riderless horse. Of course this wouldn’t be a funeral of state. She didn’t deserve that honor.
She hadn’t been frightened when she’d opened his present, but that didn’t matter. She was only the first, and it would take them a while to figure out the pattern. Of course, they’d think it was an accident. He’d planned it that way. They would all be accidents. And they’d be so horrible, no one would ever want to come out to the Crossroads Mall again. It might take a few months, but the mall would close without the huge crowds of customers that the owners had expected. The big chains would be the first to pull out, and without them, the mall would have huge empty spaces with no revenues. No one would drive out here to patronize the smaller stores, not when their goods were easily obtainable elsewhere. Eventually, all the stores would close, turning this huge complex into a ghost mall. The investors would suffer, just like he had suffered, and they’d end up salvaging what little they could to cut their losses.
Land was the only constant. The land was stronger than any brick and concrete edifice that man could build. Grass would push up through the asphalt, and tiny trees would grow in the cracks. Walls would crumble and birds would build their nests in the rubble. It would take years, but the land would reclaim this place. And it would be his land, the land his grandfather had intended for him. It was his Christmas present, the only one he really wanted, and Santa would make sure he got it.
Six
Everyone else was sleeping soundly, but Sue Langer was wide awake. Part of the problem was the daybed she’d chosen. It was very pretty with its white metal frame and blue and white flowered sheets and comforter, but it wasn’t very comfortable. Sue smiled as she considered writing a warning and taping it to the frame. If you want your guests to sleep all night, don’t buy this bed! Of course she’d never actually write a note like that, but there really ought to be some way to sleep on a bed before you bought it.
Sue plumped up her pillow and turned on her back, but that didn’t help. Neither did rolling on her stomach, or on her side. She just wasn’t sleepy, and when she closed her eyes, they popped right back open again.
They’d tried to shut off the Christmas music, but the door to the communications room had been locked. They couldn’t even get in to change the tape, so they had to hear the same songs over and over. Sue didn’t really mind. She loved Christmas carols. But they made her miss Ronnie terribly.
She’d tried to call Ronnie at work, but he’d been out on a delivery. Naturally, she’d left a message for him on his voice mail, but she missed him so much, she wanted to hear his voice. The lights in the store were dim, and she couldn’t see her watch, but she’d heard the grandfather clock in the dining room section chime eleven times quite a while ago. It had to be close to eleven-thirty by now, and Ronnie got off work at eleven. Perhaps she should try to call him one last time. He’d be home by now.
Sue sat up on the daybed and slipped into her shoes, careful not to wake anyone else. Then she walked quietly through the furniture store and went out the door into the mall. As she passed the main entrance, she shivered a little. It was unlocked, and that gave her an uneasy feeling.
After Paul’s experience, Jay had insisted they leave the main door unlocked, just in case some unlucky truck driver broke down on the road and made his way to the mall. That was also the reason they were leaving on the lights. A stranded motorist might see them from the road, and head for the mall to take shelter. It all made perfect sense, but Sue was nervous about that unlocked door. She was used to double-locking her apartment door at night.
Sue stopped as she came to the giant Christmas tree, and stood for a moment, enjoying the sight. There was something very romantic about a Christmas tree, and she wished that Ronnie were here to enjoy it with her. Getting snowbound at the mall would have been wonderf
ul then.
“Silent Night” was playing over the loudspeaker, and Sue smiled as she walked on to the bank of pay phones just past the Crossroads Pub. She’d probably heard “Silent Night” about a hundred times today, but she loved it so much, she didn’t mind. She’d met Ronnie at Christmastime, and she thought of “Silent Night” as “their” song. If they had a Christmas wedding, she might even ask the organist to play it when she walked down the aisle.
Sue put in her quarter and dialed Ronnie’s number, but there was no dial tone. The phones had been working fine when they’d all called their parents, but the storm must have knocked down the lines. She tried another phone to be sure, but that one didn’t work, either. They were cut off out here at the mall, with no way to talk to the outside world.
For a moment, Sue almost panicked, but then she realized that she was being ridiculous. They weren’t going to be stuck here forever, and the Highway Patrol Officers had promised that the plows would be out, just as soon as the storm let up. They were perfectly all right, out here at the mall. They had plenty of food and water, and the building was well heated. They were really lucky they were here, where they had all the essentials to wait out the storm.
Dave had left the pub unlocked, and Sue went in to pour herself a chilled mug of beer. Perhaps it would relax her so she could sleep.
As Sue slid onto a bar stool and sipped her beer, she thought about how much Ronnie would like the Crossroads Pub. He loved to play darts and there were two boards mounted in wooden cabinets on the wall. Perhaps Ronnie would form a dart league, and they’d play out here a couple of nights a week. It would be a nice place to hang out.
Thinking about Ronnie began to make Sue feel sad. Although they had separate apartments, they spent most of their time together. Now Ronnie was in Prairie Falls, and she felt a little lonely, out here by herself. Diana had Jay, whether she realized it or not. And Cindy seemed to be fascinated by Paul. Heather had been flirting with Dave and Larry, attempting to make Jay jealous. She’d even tried to pick up on Hal Bremmer, but Hal had just smiled at her in that quiet way of his, and told her he wasn’t interested. The other girls had someone to talk to, but she didn’t have anyone. She was all alone and she missed Ronnie terribly.
Her beer mug was empty and Sue refilled it from the tap behind the bar. Then she sat back down on her stool and thought about what Ronnie would do when he got her message. One thing was for sure. He’d miss her as much as she missed him. He might even get in his car and try to drive out here.
Sue took another drink, and began to smile. She was sure Ronnie would try to get through. He’d do his best to convince the Highway Patrol that his full-size Blazer would make it through the snow. Of course they wouldn’t let him try. Part of their job was to protect people from themselves.
What would Ronnie do when they told him he couldn’t go through the road block? Sue took another sip of her beer, and noticed that her mug was almost empty. The beer was making her slightly woozy, but that didn’t matter. If she got a little tipsy, she could always sleep on one of the red leather booths in the pub. It was bound to be more comfortable than the daybed.
Sue refilled her beer mug, and moved to the booth. She was feeling nice and mellow, but her thoughts about Ronnie kept her awake. If Ronnie really wanted to get to her, he might try to borrow her uncle’s snowplow. When Ronnie was determined to do something, nothing could stop him.
There was a smile on Sue’s face as she thought about Ronnie and her uncle. Uncle Nate would think up all sorts of perfectly legitimate reasons why Ronnie shouldn’t use one of his big snowplows, but he’d eventually give in. After all, Ronnie worked for him all last winter, plowing the county roads.
Sue was so convinced that Ronnie was on his way, she decided to go out to the double-glass doors by the entrance and watch for him. Wouldn’t Ronnie be surprised when he drove up in the snowplow and saw her standing there? She’d tell him she couldn’t sleep because she’d missed him so much. Then they’d come back here so he could warm up, and she’d fix him something to eat.
It took quite a while for Sue to walk to the employees’ lounge to get her parka out of the locker. By the time she’d slipped it on and headed for the front entrance, “Silent Night” was playing on the loudspeakers again. She smiled as she pulled open the doors and stepped outside, into the frozen air. The wind wasn’t blowing as hard as it had been, and only an occasional flurry of snow skittered across the parking lot. She could hear the loudspeakers from out here, and this time the song was “Oh, Little Town Of Bethlehem.” The reflection of the Christmas lights on the snow was so beautiful, Sue felt her spirits soar. Glistening spots of color were everywhere. Red, blue, orange, green, yellow, and white. They flashed on and off, sparkling against the snow, until Sue began to feel dizzy from watching them. Then a big gust of wind whipped up, and she stepped back under the overhang where she was partially sheltered from the blowing snow.
Sue stood under the overhang and stamped her feet. She was beginning to get very cold, and she wondered if she was being silly. Perhaps Ronnie wasn’t coming, after all. Uncle Nate might have convinced him to wait until morning so that he could make the trip in the daylight.
The tips of her toes felt numb, and Sue wished she’d worn her boots. Her tennis shoes provided no warmth at all, and her feet felt like blocks of ice. Sue stamped her feet again, and peered out at the road. There were no lights. Nothing was moving out there on the highway. Was it possible that not even a snowplow could get through?
Sue turned toward the door, feeling foolish. She’d wanted Ronnie to come out here so much, she’d talked herself into believing that he was on the way. The cold had sobered her thinking, and brought her to her senses. Ronnie was probably in bed right now, sleeping after his long day’s work. He wouldn’t be foolish enough to start out here at midnight. He’d come tomorrow, in the middle of the day, when it was warmer.
She was about to pull open the door and go back inside, when she thought she heard the sound of sleigh bells. Sue stopped and listened. Was her imagination working overtime? But then she heard them again. They were loud and distinctive, and she couldn’t help hearing them over the sound of the wind. But where were they coming from?
Sue stepped out a few feet from the door, to stare up at the overhang. There were six heavy planters on top of the narrow balcony. Larry’s father had designed the building, and he’d told her all about the planters. In the spring, they’d hold flowering apple trees, and they’d be replaced in the summer with gardenias. When autumn came, they’d be filled with chrysanthemums, but right now, in honor of the Christmas season, they held miniature pines which were decorated for Christmas.
As Sue stared up at the planters, she heard the sleigh bells again. It wasn’t a figment of her imagination. Someone was up on the overhang . . . but who? And why?
Just then a shadowy figure stepped into her line of sight. Sue gasped, and then she started to laugh. It was Santa, wearing his full costume, and he held a set of sleigh bells in his hand. It was very clear that she wasn’t the only one who’d had too much to drink. One of the guys had dressed up in his Santa costume and come out here to put on a show!
“Hi, Santa.” Sue walked a little closer, a smile spreading over her face.
“Ho, ho, ho!”
Santa’s voice was deep and merry, and Sue laughed out loud. He walked over to lean against a planter, and grinned down at her as he rang the sleigh bells again.
“Come on, Santa.” Sue began to get a little worried. She could tell that Santa was bombed by the way he’d lurched against the planter. “You’d better come down from there. You might fall.”
“Ho, ho, ho!”
Sue moved closer, and stared up into his face. She couldn’t tell who it was. The beard and mustache covered too much of his face.
“Come on, Santa. The show’s over. You have to come down now. How did you get up there, anyway?”
“Ho, ho, ho!”
Santa gestured toward a door
at the other end of the overhang, and Sue nodded. Of course. The gardeners had to get out on the ledge to take care of the planters, and Santa had found the access door.
“Come down, Santa. Right now!”
Sue frowned as Santa shook his head. He was being very stubborn. She hoped he wouldn’t topple off the overhang, but he probably wouldn’t hurt himself, even if he did. There was a deep drift of snow beneath the overhang, and it was at least three feet deep. But it was cold out here, and she had to get him down before he passed out and froze to death.
How could she get him down, when he didn’t want to cooperate? Sue decided to try flattery and trickery. Since he thought he was Santa, she’d appeal to his best Santa instincts.
Sue took a deep breath, and waded into the icy snowbank. The cold seeped through her legs and feet, but she gritted her teeth and kept on going until she was almost directly beneath him. She’d have to change shoes when she got back inside, but it would be worth it if she could get him to come down.
“Come down, Santa.” Sue grinned at him. “I’ve been a good girl all year. I want to sit on your lap so I can tell you what I want for Christmas.”
Santa laughed, and Sue gave a sigh of relief as he got to his feet. She hoped he knew how to get down by himself. She certainly wasn’t going up there to help him! But instead of walking toward the door, Santa turned to grin at her.
It was the strangest grin that Sue had ever seen, and she drew in her breath, sharply. Santa was supposed to be kind and benevolent, but this Santa’s grin looked evil. His eyes seemed to bore into her as if they could read the fear that was beginning to grow inside her, and the twinkle lights reflecting off his face made him look almost demonic.
She stepped back instinctively, but she stumbled in the deep snow and fell to her knees. Then Santa gave a horrible, demented laugh, and pushed against the heavy planter with both arms.
Sue opened her mouth to scream as the planter started to move. She scrambled frantically to her feet, but it was too late. She was trapped, immobile, in the waist-deep snow. All she could do was stare up in horrible fascination as the heavy planter toppled from the edge of the overhang, Christmas lights winking on and off, directly toward her head. It struck in a grand burst of Christmas color, but all Sue saw was eternal darkness as her lifeless body crumpled, and her blood stained the pristine white snow with bright red poinsettia-colored splotches.