Candy Canes & Corpses

by Abby L. Vandiver

  “You need to take your mind off it,” Eve said. “Chill out. He’ll be here when he gets here.”

  “Are you trying to convince me or yourself?” Jill asked.

  Both, Eve thought. “Samantha just arrived. I’ve asked her to take down everyone’s names. She’ll be discreet about it.”

  Frowning, Jill asked, “Are you suggesting I wouldn’t be discreet?”

  “No.”

  “No, you’re not suggesting it or no, I wouldn’t be discreet?”

  “Yes.”

  Jill frowned at her. “You’re afraid I might give them the third degree.”

  “I actually can’t stop you from going to the dining rooms and… discreetly… conversationally trying to get some information from them. Feel free to do whatever you must do.” Eve prepared a tray. “I’m taking this up to the pregnant couple.

  Jill hurried on ahead and held the front door open for Eve and said, “I’ll wait out here for you. For all we know, there might be a killer on the loose and he might be hiding in the bushes waiting to ambush you.”

  Along the way, Eve thought about what she’d say to the couple. They needed to be informed. When the young man answered her knock at the door, Eve asked to have a word with him in the hallway.

  “Sorry,” he apologized. “Lily slept in. Otherwise, we would have come down for breakfast. By the way, I’m Bradley Hopper.”

  “Just as well you didn’t come down. There’s been an incident and I wouldn’t want Lily to be upset.” Eve filled him in.

  “Do you know what happened?” he asked.

  Eve shook her head. “He might have wandered outside and suffered an attack. We’ll know soon enough.”

  He took the tray from her and said, “I didn’t hear any sirens.”

  “The police haven’t arrived yet. The bridge is still down. Perhaps it might be better if you both stay here for a while. It should all be sorted out before midday. I wouldn’t want anything upsetting your wife.”

  He looked over his shoulder. “Thank you. That’s a good idea.”

  Moments later, she returned to the house.

  “Did you get their personal details?” Jill asked.

  “Oh… No, I guess Samantha will have to go up.”

  Returning to the kitchen, Eve took a moment to gather her thoughts by making more coffee. Then they both sat staring out the kitchen window. By the time they’d emptied their mugs, Samantha had finished collecting everyone’s details.

  “Here’s a list.”

  Eve took it. “The police will really appreciate this.” She turned to Jill. “Do you think you can hold the fort for half an hour? I need to swing by Mira’s and make sure she remembered to have breakfast. She’s been preoccupied with her book and…”

  “Eve, what’s going on?” Jill asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’re going into too much detail. I do that with my parents when I want to avoid something unpleasant.”

  Grabbing her coat, Eve said, “Half an hour. Call me if the police arrive before then.”

  “You’re going to check on Mira.”

  Eve gave a stiff nod. She never worried about her aunt. Maybe, just maybe, they needed to circle the wagons…

  ***

  Mira waved to Eve from her desk by the window. When Eve entered the kitchen, she heard Mira approaching from the hallway.

  “I’d just picked up the phone to call you,” Mira said. “I’ve been eager for news about your guests. Did they come to blows last night?”

  “No, they all went to bed quietly.” More or less. Eve told Mira about the singing Tinsel-Toner and managed to get a chuckle out of her aunt.

  “I almost wish I’d gone back to the inn with you. I think I’m ready to put aside my work for the year. You have your hands full with your guests. So, I’m thinking I could go there now rather than wait until Christmas Eve. It’ll save you the trouble of dropping in and checking to see if I’ve remembered to feed myself.”

  “Have you had breakfast?”

  Mira shook her head. “Are we already on rations or am I allowed to have a full English breakfast?”

  Eve bit the edge of her lip. “If that’s what you want, then that’s what you’ll get. Minus the bacon… and the sausages. I took all the bacon and sausages we had over to the inn. But you can have extra toast.” She looked inside the cupboard. “How do you feel about grits? I seem to have a lot of it.” Eve shrugged. “We had that group from Alabama not long ago. They were actually keen to try something new so I was stuck with the grits.”

  Mira grimaced. “How about you serve the grits to the Yule-Tiders and I can have their bacon?”

  Eve foraged through the refrigerator and gave a triumphant whoop. “You’re in luck. I found some bacon.” As she prepared breakfast for Mira, she asked, “Out of curiosity, if you didn’t know anything about me, how would you go about learning more?”

  “I’d ask you.”

  “Let’s say you don’t have that option.”

  Mira stirred some sugar into her coffee. “I’d do a search on-line. Or I’d find someone resourceful.” Mira’s mouth firmed.

  Eve didn’t need to ask because she already knew Mira had just thought of David. The retired detective had been quite resourceful in the past and instrumental in digging up privileged information. Well, no more…

  She set a plate in front of Mira and settled down on a kitchen stool next to her to sip a cup of coffee.

  “I take it you’ve already fed your guests,” Mira said.

  “Yes, I took care of them. I can’t remember the last time I had to prepare twenty-five meals.”

  Mira nibbled on a piece of bacon. “Twenty-five? I thought you’d split the guests up into groups and they were all even numbers…”

  When Eve saw Mira frowning, she surged to her feet and began wiping down surfaces.

  “I’m sure you said there were twelve Tinsel-Toners and—”

  “Yes.”

  “Eve? Has one of your guests checked out?”

  The sound of a low flying helicopter drowned out Eve’s response.

  Looking out the window, Mira said, “That’s a police chopper. I guess Jack is arriving early. I hope he didn’t want to surprise you.” Taking her mug of coffee with her, Mira strode over to the window. “I guess it’s not him. It’s not landing here. What do you suppose that’s about?”

  Eve’s cell phone rang. “It’s Jill.”

  When Eve stood there staring at her cell phone, Mira said, “You might want to answer it then.”

  “Yes, of course.” When Eve answered, she tried to keep her tone conversational.

  Eve nodded as Jill told her the chopper had landed right on the beach and Jack had started working the crime scene because, in Jill’s opinion, they had one.

  “Okay. I guess I’ll see you soon.” Eve slipped the cell phone inside her pocket and continued wiping the kitchen counter.

  Mira cleared her throat. “Are you going to make me ask?”

  Giving a nonchalant shrug, Eve said, “Jack found a way to get to the island.” Leaning against the counter, she drew out the list Samantha had compiled of the guests and studied it. Eve didn’t see any point in rushing back to the inn. She’d only be hovering around, watching the police do their job. Instead, she thought she would do a quick search on-line. If Todd Emerson had been killed…

  Eve pushed out a breath. A death at the inn. Only days before Christmas. Looking around the kitchen, she asked, “Where did I leave my laptop?”

  “In the sitting room,” Mira said.

  Eve waited until she stepped out of the kitchen to draw in a calming breath. She didn’t want to have to explain another death at the inn, not just yet.

  Settling down at the kitchen table, she began working through the list of the guests. She had no idea what to look for. No idea and no real enthusiasm for digging up information about a possible killer.

  People died all time. Just because a Tinsel-Toner had died on her beach didn’
t mean someone had killed him.

  She came across a few social media posts listing the times and places where the Christmas carolers would be making an appearance.

  “The Tinsel-Toners planned on coming to the island tomorrow.” Why had they come a couple of days earlier?

  Mira sat down next to her. “Maybe they found out the Yule-Tiders were scheduled to come yesterday and they wanted to stoke the fire.”

  “Why would they do that?”

  “Some people enjoy stirring up trouble.” Mira tapped a finger on the list. “I thought you said there were two groups of twelve. Is someone missing from your list?”

  Eve brushed her hands across her face.

  “Eve. You’re going to make me ask again… Has something happened to one of your guests?”

  Eve chortled. “What? Why would you ask that?”

  At the sound of the helicopter, they both turned toward the window.

  “I wonder if the helicopter is ferrying out any of the guests,” Mira said.

  Yes. At least one that she knew of, Eve thought, and he was going out in a body bag.

  Chapter Five

  Before Eve could emerge from her car, Jill jumped in.

  “Finally. I thought you were never going to come back. They’ve taken the body away and Jack is interviewing all the guests. He hasn’t mentioned the cause of death, but I’m going to take a wild stab and say someone hit Todd Emerson on the head.” Jill scooped in a breath and continued, “Also, you’ll never guess, so I’ll tell you.” Instead of telling her, Jill stopped.

  “You want me to prompt you?” Eve asked.

  “I’m debriefing you but you’re not even blinking. You could at least gasp in surprise.”

  “Okay, I’m surprised. Hang on. Why am I surprised?”

  “I watched Jack inspect the body. He paid particular attention to the back of the head. Then he looked up at the officer standing nearby and he nodded as if to confirm his suspicions.”

  “So, you’re not actually sure he’d been hit on the head.”

  “If you’d been here, you would have reached the same conclusion.”

  “Okay. Now can I get out of the car?”

  “No, there’s more.”

  Eve sat back and gave Jill her full attention.

  Lowering her voice, Jill said, “Todd Emerson is the one I heard singing last night. I’m thinking someone with a short fuse decided to shut him up for good.” When Eve didn’t respond, Jill added, “Last night, my back teeth were gritting. But I’m a reasonably stable person so I wouldn’t resort to violence. However, the same can’t be said for everyone else staying at the inn.”

  Jill had a point. They’d had front row seats to the altercation between the carolers. Tempers had flared… “Okay. Let’s be serious for a moment.”

  Jill snorted. “I never stopped being serious. You’re the one who got sidetracked.”

  “Do you blame me? I have no idea how I managed to avoid having to explain another dead body to Mira. I know she’s onto me… Anyway, since you were awake, did you hear anything that might have sounded like footsteps out in the hallway or a door opening? I haven’t had time to oil the hinges and I know there are a couple of squeaky doors.”

  Jill sat back and closed her eyes. “I’m going to have to think long and hard about that. I only remember being annoyed enough to punch my pillow.”

  “Tell me more,” Eve encouraged. “Did you imagine the pillow was his face and if you’d had the chance, would you have smashed your fist into his face?”

  Jill’s lips parted. “Are… Are you suggesting I’m going to be a suspect?”

  Trying to keep a straight face, Eve said, “It’s the festive season. You’re probably upset because your parents can’t be here for Christmas. You were looking forward to a break and suddenly, there are all these unexpected guests staying at the inn. Being woken up by a caroler singing Silent Night was the last straw. It pushed you over the edge.” Eve rolled her eyes. “I think I just became a suspect myself.”

  They sat in silence for a moment and then Eve murmured, “Everyone has secrets and I’m sure Jack will get to the bottom of this. This will all be over soon. Remember, the bridge is down so...”

  Jill gasped. “The killer is still on the island.”

  Eve drew out the list Samantha had put together and handed it to Jill. “This should keep you busy. Everyone’s names. You’re a whiz when it comes to finding background information. I only got as far as finding out the Tinsel-Toners were not supposed to be here yesterday. They came a couple of days ahead of schedule. I’m guessing they did that to annoy the Yule-Tiders.”

  Jack emerged from the house. He stood on the front porch for a moment and then drew his cell phone out to make a phone call. Seeing Eve, he nodded.

  “Jack will have his hands full,” Eve said. “How about we go in and start preparing lunch?”

  “What if the killer is in the house? Are we going to feed him too?” When Eve didn’t respond, Jill added, “I guess I should get cracking with a background check.”

  ***

  “Everyone is getting roast beef and baked potatoes for lunch. So, you can put your order book away,” Eve said.

  Jill waved her order book. “This is a drinks order. Some of the guests want to drown their sorrows. Which is fine by me. So long as they don’t start singing. The Yule-Tiders are all teetotalers. If you ask me, they’re all abusing your hospitality. You’d think they’d be happy to have a roof over their heads, a chunk of bread and cheese and a mug of coffee. Someone actually asked if we had any decent whiskey. Nothing short of a twelve-year-old drop will suit him.”

  The sound of the helicopter approaching had them both looking out of the kitchen window.

  Jill clapped her hands. “Oh, Josh is here.”

  Eve gasped.

  “What?” Jill asked.

  This was supposed to be the best Christmas ever. She’d planned on spending a quiet holiday with family and friends. What else could go wrong? And how could she have assumed Mira would be safe at home? “It’s all sinking in now. I can’t believe I could be so brainless. I left Mira alone in the house.”

  “Does she know about Todd Emerson?” Jill asked.

  “No. I couldn’t bring myself to tell her.” Eve grabbed her car keys and took off. “Please keep an eye on the potatoes. They should be fine for another half hour.”

  Jill rushed after her. “But what if the killer is still here, at the inn? Mira is better off staying away.”

  “Yes, but… We can’t know for sure.” She left Jill standing on the porch, her mouth gaping open. As Eve drove off, she saw Jack patting Jill on the back.

  A few minutes later, she pulled up outside Mira’s house and scooped in a breath. “Here goes.” Somehow, she had to convince her aunt to come to the inn with her a couple of days ahead of schedule without telling her why. Mira had already suggested coming early to save Eve the trouble of checking up on her. So, maybe it wouldn’t be so hard to talk her into it.

  As she strode into the house, she heard Mira on the phone. That only bought her an extra couple of minutes. She used the time to rush upstairs to get Mira’s overnight bag. As a seasoned traveler, Mira had long ago adopted the habit of packing a couple of days before she left on her trips but she always had a few essentials ready to go.

  When she came back downstairs, she heard Mira still on the phone so she took the bag out to the car.

  “You’ll never guess who that was,” Mira said as she met Eve in the hallway. “David. Would you believe it? He’s sticking to his story.”

  “And what did you say?”

  “I played along with him.” Mira smiled. “See. If I’d told him I knew about him lying to me, I would be huffing and puffing right now. Instead, I’m as happy as a clam at high water.” Mira folded her arms. “Why are you here again?”

  “Well. What with all those guests staying at the inn, I wanted to ask a favor. Jill and I have our hands full… Would you mind terribly comin
g over now? We could do with an extra set of eyes. I saw a couple of them eyeing my camera collection and you know what it cost me to buy those.”

  “But you took everyone’s details down,” Mira said. “If anything goes missing, you can chase it up.”

  Eve edged toward Mira’s office. “Will you be needing your computer?”

  “You’re really keen on me going now.”

  “I know you prefer to work without distractions, but have you ever tried doing the opposite?” Eve asked. “You might find a houseful of people inspiring.”

  “I think you have a point. All those guests driving you up the wall,” Mira exclaimed, “I might actually pick up a few ideas for my mad innkeeper.” As Mira strode into her office and organized a few essential items, she laughed. “For a moment there I thought you were going to tell me one of your guests had been killed and you think the killer is out there eyeing his next victim.”

  Eve laughed. If she told her now, she’d have way too much explaining to do. However, if she played her cards right, she might manage to avoid telling Mira about Todd Emerson and Mira would then find out through someone else. Although, in Eve’s opinion, it would be better if Mira didn’t find out at all. Could she pull that off?

  “I’ll make the rounds of the house and make sure all the windows and doors are locked.” When she finished, she filled up another couple of boxes with food and took them out to the car.

  Mira locked the front door and as she settled in the car, she looked at the back seat. “You’ve cleaned me out.”

  “Sorry. I’ll make it up to you.” She could do this. Yes, she could. She only needed to take Jack aside and ask him not to say anything about the body within Mira’s hearing. Mira already knew Jack had planned on doing everything he could to get to the island. He could explain that hitching a ride in the chopper so early had been his only opportunity. Jill would come onboard too. Eve didn’t think Mira would mingle with the guests. Yes, if they all played their cards right, Mira would be none the wiser.

  Eve tipped her head back and groaned.

  “Is something wrong, Eve?”

  “No, well… I’m just quietly arguing with myself.”