Eve Lloyd’s A Deadline Cozy Mystery Box Set 2
Page 61
Jill shrugged. “I guess the tide has turned for the Stevensons.”
“They have about a dozen guests from the mainland,” Bert continued. “Anyway, they hired a cherry picker so their decorator could put up the ornaments on their massive Douglas Fir.”
“Fancy hiring a decorator to do your Christmas tree,” Jill said.
According to Bert, the cherry picker had made it into the island just fine but when it had crossed over again, the old bridge had collapsed.
“Luckily, the driver bailed out just in time,” he said. “He escaped with a few bruises, mostly to his ego.”
“This is the same bridge I’ve been driving over every other day for the past year?” Eve exclaimed. “How could that happen?”
“Probably wood rot,” Bert suggested. “It’s very old. A couple of months ago, the town put in a request to have it restored, but it got lost in red tape.”
Eve’s eyes widened. “Are you saying we’ve been risking our lives every time we went across it?”
“Not really. There’s a weight limit. I guess the cherry picker driver just ignored it,” Bert said.
“So, how long will it be until it’s fixed?” A week? A month? A year? Eve gasped. “Jack is coming for Christmas lunch.”
“We might be lucky and get a ferry sent out, but probably only for emergency purposes,” Jill said.
* * *
“I have a fully stocked pantry but I’m missing a few items,” Eve told Jack as she packed the few groceries she’d managed to get in her car. “It’s not the end of the world, but the fact I can’t get marshmallows is annoying. I have a good mind to drive out to the Stevenson’s house and give them a huge chunk of my worst attitude, but I’m in Christmas mode. It would be unseasonal of me and… and I refuse to become a Scrooge.” Eve heard Jack chuckle. “Well, I’m glad you find this amusing. How exactly will you be getting here?”
“I’ll work something out,” he said. “I’m sure there’ll be a ferry.”
“That’s what Jill said.” Eve heard her name called out. Turning, she saw Jill and her dogs approaching.
“Thank goodness you haven’t left yet,” Jill said. “My car battery died. I should have known something was wrong when I had trouble starting the car this morning.”
Eve groaned. “What’s that they say about disasters coming in threes?”
“Why? What else happened?” Jack asked.
“I’ll tell you when you come for Christmas lunch.” The pause she heard had Eve frowning. “Jack?”
“Yes?”
“Please tell me you’ll do everything you can to get here. I know it might be asking too much, but this is our first Christmas together.”
“I’ll be there,” he assured her. “Even if I have to helicopter my way in.”
Eve nibbled the tip of her thumb. “Could you do me a favor and bring some marshmallows, please? The tiny ones. Not the large ones.” Pressing her phone to her ear, she thought she heard a commotion in the background. “What’s going on?”
Instead of answering, Jack promised he’d make it in time for lunch and disconnected the call.
Eve hoped nothing new would crop up between now and Christmas lunch. If a new case landed on Jack’s desk, she’d be lucky if she saw him in the new year…
Looking at Jill, she asked, “What’s wrong? Why are you frowning.”
“Oh, I was just thinking about that phrase. You know, disasters coming in threes. Did you know people who believe in that particular superstition suffer from Triaphilia?”
Eve chortled. “Someone actually came up with a term for it?”
“Yes,” Jill said. “So, what other disasters have struck?”
“I’ll tell you on the way back to the inn.” Eve looked up and down the street. “Actually, let’s drop in on the other stores. I might find something I didn’t even know I needed.” Along the way, they encountered a group of carolers all wearing bright red reindeer sweaters under their thick coats.
“Oh, the Tinsel-Toners are in town,” Jill exclaimed.
“You sound surprised.”
“I am.” Jill swung around and looked down the street. “This is Yule-Tiders territory. Last year, they had quite a clash with the Tinsel-Toners.”
Really? Eve had spent most of her holidays on the island and she’d never noticed them. Well, she’d heard the caroling group but she’d never really stopped to pay close attention. “A clash over what?”
Jill grinned. “Territorial warfare. This is a small town. There simply isn’t enough room for two singing groups. At least, that was their argument. Personally, I think the more the merrier.” Her mouth gaping in surprise, Jill pointed down the street. “Here come the Yule-Tiders.”
Eve turned and saw a group of people dressed in period costumes approaching. “Did I hear a hint of excitement in your voice?”
Jill rubbed her gloved hands. “I’m up for spectator sport. You know, a bit of brawling never hurt anyone.”
“Jill. I’m shocked. Where’s your holiday spirit?”
“Ho-hum. I like a pinch of spice added to my Christmas. We should stand back. It looks like the Yule-Tiders mean business. Better still, why don’t we go into the bakery and grab a window seat. The Tinsel-Toners have staked their claim there. They have their timing down pat. This is the bakery’s busiest time of the day. Lots of foot traffic.” Jill’s eyes widened. “Oh, wow! The Yule-Tiders have picked up their pace. They really mean business.”
Eve stared at them open-mouthed. “Are they waving their fists in the air?”
“Yes. If we don’t move, we’ll be right in the thick of it.” Jill grabbed Eve by the arm and pulled her into the bakery.
“I told Mira I’d bring back some good cheer, not a report on casualties.”
Chapter Two
After a couple of hours of lingering in town, they returned to Mira’s house. Eve set her shopping bags down on the kitchen counter, her mind focused on what she had to take with her to the inn. She had a couple of days to prepare for Christmas and she didn’t want to make any extra trips.
Mira strode into the kitchen and inspected one of the bags. “The bridge is down.”
Puzzled, Eve gaped at Mira. “How did you hear about it?”
“Helena Flanders called by to confirm she and Abby Larkin are accepting the lunch invitation.”
Eve made a mental note to put a tick next to their names. It would be good to see Abby again. She hadn’t seen her since…
Since the disastrous lunch she’d held for the new island favorite, William Hunter the Third, Eve thought. Eve had been on her best behavior and yet she’d managed to end up hosting a killer.
“Mira, you’ve lived here all your life. Has the bridge ever collapsed before?” Eve asked.
Mira nodded. “Once, that I can remember. When Hank Smith’s wife left him for a younger man, he hit the bottle and decided he would go after her.”
“And?”
Mira stopped to think. “Oh, she’d taken his car so he had to drive his tractor. Well, he didn’t have to but he did and the tractor was all he had.”
“What’s the weight limit on the bridge?”
“Sixteen tons. The tractor was fifteen tons but the bridge had considerable wood rot.” Mira checked another bag. “More tinsel?”
“You can never have too much tinsel and I can’t believe we’ve been driving on an unstable bridge.”
Jill strode in, her dogs trailing behind her. “I think this is the last of the shopping. Do I get lunch? What with all the excitement, I forgot to get some in town.”
“I don’t see any mini marshmallows,” Mira said. “Did you forget to get them?”
“There’s a sudden food shortage in town.” Eve brushed her hands across her face. Of all the mishaps that could have happened at this time of year... “All thanks to the bridge collapsing. You might have to forgo the marshmallows for a while.”
“So, did you bring me any cheerful news from town?” Mira asked.
Jill clapped her hands. “Oh, yes. The Tinsel-Toners are in town.”
“No, really?” Mira laughed. “After what happened last year?”
Jill nodded. “This year, they’re all wearing bright red reindeer sweaters with blinking lights.”
“Heavens! They’ve thrown down the gauntlet,” Mira said.
Eve sighed. “I still don’t understand why they can’t get along.”
“The Yule-Tiders are sticklers for tradition,” Jill explained. “They’re very fond of their Dickensian outfits. I think Mira’s onto something. The Tinsel-Toners are wearing those sweaters with blinking lights just to annoy them.”
“So, their silly feud is about clothing and territory.” Eve shook her head in disbelief.
Jill drew out a kitchen stool and sat down. “It’s more than that. They each claim to have been first on the island. But, you’re right. The Yule-Tiders simply can’t abide the Tinsel-Toners’ modernist style. You see, they like to jazz things up a bit and that clashes with the Yule-Tiders’ traditional slant.”
Eve rolled her eyes. “You should have seen them, Mira. We had front row seats from the bakery. Fists were waved.” Eve tilted her head in thought. “Some of the words they flung around were downright rude, I’m sure they were.”
“Let me guess,” Mira said. “Strumpet.”
Jill giggled. “It sounds like a term of endearment for a lady of the night or a whipped cream pastry.”
“I heard a lot of blazes and balls, dratted and tarnation,” Eve said.
Mira nodded. “All Dickensian swear words. How did the Tinsel-Toners respond?”
“Let’s just say they didn’t beat around the bush.” Eve drew out a traditional English plum pudding, a German Stollen and an Italian panettone from the bag and wondered if they would actually get to eat them all. She had planned an extensive menu for Christmas Eve and Christmas lunch...
“So, how many people are you expecting for Christmas?” Mira asked.
“Six. There’s Jack.” Eve slanted her gaze and caught Mira lifting her eyebrows. “He said he’d find a way across. Anyhow, there’s Helena Flanders. Abby Larkin arrived yesterday. And you say they’ve both confirmed. Of course, there’s Josh.”
Jill grinned. “I guess if Jack can make it across then Josh will too. This will be our first Christmas together. I got him a DVD boxed set of his favorite cop show. Next year, he might surprise me with a detective’s badge.”
Eve continued, “And Jill’s parents make it six.”
Jill shook her head. “I meant to tell you. My parents are stuck in Montana. I think dad sabotaged the Winnebago. He’s always wanted to have a Montana Christmas.”
Mira slipped her arms around Jill. “Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that. Are you all right?”
“Yes. They’ve been taking so many trips, I’m almost used to their absence. The fact I have you guys softens the blow.”
“Okay,” Eve shrugged. “We’re down to four. More food for us.”
“My bet is on two,” Mira said. “Helena and Abby. Unless… There’s mention of a snow storm. In which case, they might not want to leave town to head out here.”
“We’re only a few miles away from town. Either way, we can still have a cozy Christmas. Just the three of us.” Eve nodded. “At the inn.”
* * *
“We’ll start taking some of these bags and boxes over to the inn now.” Eve said after lunch. “I’d like to put all the decorations up and then come back to Mira’s. We could spend a couple of days lazing around watching movies. Then, we’ll head over to the inn early on Christmas Eve. We’ll do the tree in the afternoon. Even if it’s only the three of us, I think it should be fun.”
During the short drive to the inn, Eve hummed a Christmas tune.
“You’re really getting into the spirit of it,” Jill said.
“I’m determined…” Eve bobbed her head from side to side. “No matter what happens, I’d like to have a cheerful holiday.”
“Do you really think the bridge is a sign of things to come?” Jill asked. “You know, like a bad omen.”
“Why would you ask that?” Eve sounded affronted.
“You mentioned it first and I’m being realistic. There are bound to be consequences. For instance, we’re not sure if Jack and Josh will make it. Have you heard from him?”
“He’ll be here,” Eve insisted. “It’s only been a few hours. I’m sure he’ll work something out and, as soon as he does, he’ll let me know.” Eve turned into the street leading to the inn. The sea looked as gray as the sky. Seeing several cars lined up along the street, she said, “Someone must be having guests staying over.” Most of the people living around the inn were locals but a few of the houses were owned by people from the mainland who only came on weekends. “Samantha’s car is still here.”
They unloaded the car and took all the boxes to the front porch. When she opened the front door, Mischief and Mr. Magoo barged in and raced each other to their favorite spot by the fireplace.
“Where do you want these boxes?” Jill asked.
“They’re the ornaments so we can leave them in the hall. We’ll start working on the staircase and work our way to the sitting room.” Eve smiled. “Oh, I can’t wait. The fireplace at Mira’s is lovely but this one is much bigger. The tree will look absolutely lovely next to it. I’m picturing a cozy afternoon decorating it and sipping mulled wine.” Removing her coat, Eve stilled. “Did you hear that?”
“Huh? What?”
“It sounded like… a conversation. People talking.” Removing her gloves and scarf, Eve went through to the front sitting room and stopped so abruptly Jill, who had followed her, bumped into her.
“Oh.” Stepping forward, Jill gasped. “The Tinsel-Toners. They must have come out this way to sing. I thought they only ever sang in town.”
Samantha strode out of the kitchen and hurried toward them. “Oh, good. You’re here.”
“What are they doing here?” Eve asked.
Samantha wrung her hands together. She usually wore her blonde locks gathered into a stylish twist but, since they were all in holiday mode, her hair hung loosely around her shoulders.
Looking over her shoulder, Samantha lowered her voice and said, “Well… The bridge collapsed.”
“Yes, we know that,” Eve said.
Pointing to the people gathered in the sitting room, Samantha explained, “They’re stranded on the island.”
“So, what are they doing here?” Eve asked again.
“Until a ferry is organized,” Samantha explained, “they have nowhere else to go. And even then, they’ll have to leave their cars behind so they’ll be stranded on the mainland. So…” Samantha broke off.
“So…” Eve prompted.
“Oh,” Jill said. “I see.”
“Well, I’m glad you do, but I don’t.” Eve stepped forward only to stop. “Hang on. Are you trying to tell me they’re guests here?”
Samantha gave a small nod.
“Why?”
“Because they’re stranded,” Jill said.
“Yes, I get that.” Eve’s voice hitched. “But why here?”
Jill shrugged and employed her most soothing tone to say, “Because this is an inn.”
“An inn that is closed for the holidays,” Eve said.
Samantha’s shoulders lifted and lowered in a helpless gesture. She looked toward the sitting room and then back at Eve. “I couldn’t turn them away. It’s Christmas.”
* * *
Eve spent an hour trying to make sense of the situation but she couldn’t find anyone who could give her a straight answer. Setting her cell phone down, she asked, “Isn’t the town’s selectman in charge of overseeing emergency services?” Eve looked up in time to see Jill trying to scurry away. “Jill.”
Jill stopped and, turning, she smiled. “Eve, there’s nothing you can do about it.”
“I can try. Who’s in charge?”
“You know as well as I do it’s Roger McLain.”
“Where’s your spirit of goodwill?” Huffing out a breath, Jill sat opposite Eve. “Samantha didn’t want to be the one to tell you. Roger McLain is actually responsible for sending the Tinsel-Toners here. He said it would solve the problem.”
Eve’s voice rose. “His problem now became my problem. I’m in holiday mode and now I’m going to have to work.” Eve slumped back. “Of course, they can stay. They have nowhere else to go, but I need to let off some steam.”
Jill grinned. “That’s the spirit.”
Surging to her feet, Eve grabbed her coat. “I’m going back to Mira’s. We’ll have more mouths to feed, so I’ll need to raid the pantry.”
* * *
“Back so soon?” Mira asked and followed Eve into the kitchen. “Did you forget something?”
Eve fumbled, “I… We…”
Putting her hand against her chest, Mira sunk down on a kitchen stool. “Oh, dear. What’s happened?”
Eve raked her fingers through her hair. “The bridge collapsed.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Well… a few people are now stranded on the island.”
Mira nodded.
“And they can’t get off the island until a ferry is organized.”
“And you know this because…”
“Because they are now at the inn.” Eve went into the back room and returned with a couple of boxes. Setting them down on the counter, she began packing a few staples. “I’m preparing for the worst-case scenario. I guess there’ll be a few more for Christmas lunch.”
* * *
Eve returned to the inn, parked her SUV and trudged up the steps carrying one of the boxes she’d packed. She would have to do some quick thinking. With a few more mouths to feed for heaven only knew how long, she’d have to make the food stretch a little further.