by Cindy Bell
“Oh no.” Nina shook her head as her eyes grew dark. “My first day, and I’ve already offended someone. I wasn’t so sure I’d be good at the customer service part of this.”
“You’re doing fine.” Charlotte met her eyes with a smile. “Beth is a very strong-willed woman, and you’ll find out when you get to be our age that it can hurt your pride when a younger person offers to help with a simple task.”
“I didn’t really think about it. I suppose it was just instinctive to want to help.” She rubbed her hands together and took a deep breath. “I’ll have to remember to be more careful next time.”
“It never hurts to offer to help a customer, but you’ll get to know them as they come in. Some people are friendlier than others, and some, like Beth, just want to be treated as an equal.” She shrugged, then patted the counter. “You’ll meet all kinds of people. That’s one of my favorite parts of this job, you get the opportunity to get to know so many locals. There are very few people in Blue River and the surrounding towns that haven’t passed through these doors at least once or twice. Trust me, you’re doing very well. Don’t let that little incident shake you up.”
“Thanks, Charlotte.” She grabbed a cloth. “I’ll just wipe down the counters while it’s not too busy.”
Charlotte poured herself a cup of coffee before the next rush would come in. She was very impressed with Nina, and hoped that Beth’s snide remark wouldn’t scare her off.
The rest of the day went smoothly, though busy, and by the time four o’clock rolled around Charlotte was more than happy to let Ally and Nina close up.
“I want to show Nina the closing routine in case there’s ever a time that she might need to do it.” Ally looked over at Nina. “I wouldn’t normally ask you to, but things do come up.”
“Yes, they do.” Nina shrugged. “I’m all ears.”
“Great. Mee-Maw, you’ll be okay getting home?” Ally looked into her eyes.
“Of course, Ally.” Charlotte shot Nina a knowing look. Nina returned a sympathetic smile.
“What?” Ally looked between them with a bewildered smile.
“Nothing, sweetheart.” Charlotte pecked her cheek, then headed out the door.
After Charlotte left the shop she decided to stop by Martin and Trudy’s apartment. She wanted to do something to cheer them up after their run-in with Victoria the day before. Armed with a small box of chocolates she knocked on the door, and waited for someone to answer. The door swung open so forcefully that Charlotte took a step back.
“What do you want now?” Martin barked. His dark expression transformed when he recognized Charlotte. “Oh, Charlotte, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize it was you.”
“It’s all right.” She cleared her throat as her heart still raced in reaction to his anger. “I should have called first.”
“Please, forgive me. It’s just that Victoria has already been over here twice today, and I assumed it was her again.” His cheeks were flushed, whether from anger or embarrassment she couldn’t be sure.
“I’m sorry to hear that, Martin. I brought you and Trudy something. Is she home?” She clutched the box of chocolates in her hands. If Martin was this angry, then how was Trudy holding up?
“No, she’s not here.” His voice grew rough again and he narrowed his eyes. “Thanks to Victoria we had a fight, and she left. I have no idea where she went, Charlotte. We’ve never had a fight like that before.” His eyes moistened just before he closed them. “It’s supposed to be Christmas, you know, this is the worst Christmas ever.”
“I know. I’m sorry you’re having so much difficulty. I’m sure Trudy just needed a break from all of the tension. She’ll be back, Martin. All of this will settle down.” She presented him with the box of chocolates. “This is for you. The two of you can share it when Trudy gets home. Try not to let all of this get to you. Victoria was wrong, most of your neighbors enjoy all of the hard work you put in. Don’t let anyone tell you different. Okay?”
“Thanks, Charlotte.” He sighed as he took the box of chocolates from her. “Diana is always talking about how delicious your chocolates are, and she is right.”
“Then you’re going to like your Christmas gift this year.” Charlotte winked at him. After he closed the door, she hoped that he would have a better evening. It worried her a little that Trudy had taken off. As far as she knew the pair rarely had marital problems, but then what happened behind closed doors in a relationship was not always public knowledge. As she headed for her apartment, her cell phone rang. She saw that it was Diana’s number.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Charlotte, it’s me, Diana.”
“Hi, Diana, what’s going on? You sound frazzled.” Charlotte frowned as she unlocked her apartment door.
“I am frazzled. I thought I ordered enough chocolates but apparently, I didn’t. I really want to get all of these gifts done tonight. Are you still at the shop? Is there any way that you could bring some home with you?”
“No, I’m not still at the shop.” She stepped into her apartment and smiled at the familiar surroundings. “But Ally is, I can have her drop some by. How does that sound?”
“Oh really? I don’t want to trouble you, but that would be so wonderful. You don’t think Ally would mind?”
“No, she can drive past on her way home, I’m sure she won’t mind. Let me just give her a call. When she brings the chocolates I’ll come right over, okay?”
“Okay, thanks so much! You’re a lifesaver!”
Charlotte hung up the phone with a sensation of warmth in her heart. She was happy to help out a customer and friend, and Diana said such good things about the shop that she was owed special treatment. She placed a call to Ally and made the request. As she expected, Ally was happy to stop by.
Chapter 3
After such a busy day Ally was relieved to turn the lock on the front door. There was still work to do to close up, but at least she knew she wouldn’t be battling another rush. She brushed her brown hair back from her face and tied it up in a tight ponytail. Closing up was less daunting with a companion to keep her company.
“Great job today, Nina.” She smiled at her as she walked back over to the counter. Nina had already begun packing up the chocolates on display.
“Thanks, Ally, I really enjoyed it.”
“Really?” Ally arched an eyebrow as she opened the cash register.
“Really. I have to admit, Ally, when you first told me about running the shop, I honestly thought it had to be the best job ever.” Nina leaned back against the counter as she watched Ally finish shutting down the cash register.
“And now?” Ally pushed the drawer shut with her hip as she carried a pile of receipts to a file behind the counter.
“Now, I see that it’s a great job, but it’s also a lot of very hard work.” She clucked her tongue. “You must be exhausted after a day like this.”
“Well, it’s not normally this busy.” She filed the receipts then turned back to face her. “Normally we have a little more time to just chat with the customers. But during the holiday season it can certainly get a little crazy. Is it too much for you?” She met her eyes.
“No, I don’t think so. I guess that’s really up to you though. Isn’t it?” She smiled, though it wavered some.
“Relax, Nina, I think you did a fantastic job. I’m really surprised that you picked everything up so fast. Not because I didn’t think you could do it, but because I thought it would take someone a lot longer to get used to everything. So, if you’re still interested, I’d love to hire you for the job.”
“Absolutely.” She clapped her hands. “I’m so excited.”
“Great. I’m going to give you some paperwork to take home. You can just bring it back with you tomorrow morning, then I can get the hiring process started.” She thumbed through another file to find the right paperwork. From memory the shop had only ever employed delivery drivers and it had been so long since the shop had hired anyone that she felt as if sh
e needed to blow the dust off the paperwork. “Oh, fair warning, there is a pen out back for Arnold, and on occasion my cat Peaches comes to work with me.” She pulled the paperwork out and handed it to her. “Will that be a problem?”
“Only if you don’t let me pet them!” She grinned as she took the paperwork. “I really can’t thank you enough, Ally. Though, I should probably tell you, I upset your grandmother’s friend, Beth today.”
“You did?” Ally raised an eyebrow. “How?”
“I offered to carry her boxes of candy.” She cringed.
“Oh, don’t worry about that.” She waved her hand. “You’re going to get some people that can’t be pleased. They’ll be upset if you do offer, and just as upset if you don’t. You did the right thing by trying to help her out. And thanks for reminding me, I need to grab another box of chocolates from the back to run over to my grandmother. Thanks for today, Nina, have a good evening.”
“Thanks, you too.” She hurried out the door towards the parking lot.
Ally looked up at the clock. It was nearly six. She had to get home to feed Peaches and Arnold, but then she would head back to the shop to finish a few more orders. After she ducked into the back to grab the box of chocolates, she took one more glance over the shop. Everything appeared to be in place. She locked the door behind her as she left. On the way home she stopped by Freely Lakes. She still found it a little strange to visit her grandmother instead of sharing with her the cottage she’d grown up in, but it was also nice for them both to have that space. It meant that she could look forward to visiting with her grandmother. As she pulled into Freely Lakes she smiled at the Christmas lights that lined the buildings. It looked a bit like a fairy tale castle the way it was lit up. She grabbed the box of chocolates from the passenger seat and carried it towards her grandmother’s apartment. As she approached it, she heard loud Christmas music.
“I guess Martin is still at it,” she mumbled. When she passed Martin’s apartment she was stunned by the sight of Christmas figurines tossed all over the floor. She narrowed her eyes as she continued on to her grandmother’s door. After a quick knock, Charlotte answered.
“Thanks so much, Ally. I’ll run these over to Diana in just a bit. How was the rest of the day?”
“It was good.” Ally smiled, though the expression faded quickly. “Have you seen the decorations in front of Martin’s apartment? It looks like someone destroyed them.”
“Oh no.” She sighed. “I bet Victoria went after them. I’ll go take a look. You get home and get some rest, okay?”
“Sure, I will.” She kissed her grandmother’s cheek. Of course, she had no intention of going home and staying at home, but she didn’t need to tell Charlotte that. “Listen, try not to get too involved in things between Victoria and Martin, you know how these neighborly disputes can get out of hand sometimes.”
“Yes. I do.” Charlotte frowned. “Hopefully, it hasn’t already gone too far.”
Ally pursed her lips as she realized her grandmother had no intention of staying out of it.
Charlotte gave her granddaughter a quick hug, then released her so she could head home. She knew that she was only going to feed the animals, and then go straight back to the shop. Ally was determined to make every penny she could during the holiday season. Charlotte admired that about her, as she had always felt the same way. Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Christmas were big business boons for them, and their business relied on the extra money made from those special holidays to survive year round. After Ally left, Charlotte decided to check on the state of Martin’s decorations. When she saw them, she felt terrible. She knocked on the door of the apartment. The door swung open so suddenly that she gasped.
“What do you want?” Martin barked at her. Anger twisted his expression, until he recognized her. “Oh, Charlotte, I’m sorry. I thought it was Victoria again.” He looked past her at his decorations. “Oh no!” His voice raised again. “Did you do this? Why would you do this?” He practically screamed. Charlotte was so stunned by his anger that she barely noticed a few neighbors make their way past the scene.
“Of course, I didn’t do this, Martin, I was just checking on you…”
“Get out of here! Get out of here now, Charlotte!” He grabbed some of the decorations only to throw them back to the floor. Charlotte’s heart lurched. He seemed so angry, almost vicious.
“Please, Martin, is Trudy home, yet?”
“No, she’s still not home. I think she’s left me. She took off. All because of Victoria.” He tore down the lights on one side of his door. She noticed that his face was covered in sweat.
“Martin, you have to calm down or someone is going to call the police!”
“Let them!” he shouted again, this time so close to Charlotte that she jumped back.
“Fine!” She turned on her heel and stomped away from his door. Once inside her apartment she took some time to calm down. She didn’t want to spread her frustration to Diana, who she knew needed the chocolates. She placed a quick call to her.
“I have the box of chocolates, Diana. Would you like me to bring them now?”
“No, not straight away. I’ve already finished packing most of the boxes and I’m about to deliver some of them. You can bring it by after, is that okay?” She sounded so cheerful and relaxed. It was a relief after Martin’s attitude.
“Okay, I’ll come by in about an hour.”
“Perfect. Thanks again, Charlotte.” She hung up the phone.
Charlotte settled into her chair and closed her eyes. She tried to forget about Martin’s anger. Of course, he wasn’t actually angry at her. She couldn’t believe that Victoria would take things so far. An ill feeling brewed within her as she realized that their argument would probably lead to the police being involved, and maybe that was for the best. It didn’t seem to her that either of them could control their tempers.
A little over an hour later, Charlotte headed for Diana’s apartment. When she knocked on the door, there was no answer. Charlotte was surprised as she had let Diana know she would be stopping by. Was she still out delivering the gifts? She knocked again. Finally, the door opened.
“Hi!” Charlotte smiled as she held out the box of chocolates. “One more, just like you asked.”
“Oh, thanks so much, Charlotte. Let me take those.” She grabbed the box. Charlotte caught a glimpse of her living room and noticed boxes scattered all over her coffee table. She was surprised, as it looked like a mess and she thought Diana had already delivered or at least boxed up most of the chocolates.
“Do you need any help, Diana?”
“No, I’m fine, thanks. Just a little busy. Bye now!” She waved as she pushed the door closed. Charlotte guessed that she was embarrassed about being caught in a lie. She’d never point it out to the woman. It was clear to her that Diana liked to do things for herself, and if that meant she bragged a bit or made up some white lies, Charlotte didn’t really mind. She walked back towards her apartment. She was a bit nervous to go by Martin’s, but noticed that the decorations were back in place. Luckily, there was no sign of an argument, and her favorite Christmas song was playing. She started singing along to “Jingle Bells”. That cheered her up a little.
Later that evening as Charlotte prepared to go to bed, she heard her favorite song again. She smiled, until she glanced at her watch. It was two minutes after ten. The music continued to play. Was it possible that Martin fell asleep and didn’t realize what time it was? Why wasn’t Victoria out in the hall hollering about the music? She stepped out of the apartment and glanced down the hall. No one else was in sight. She knew that if the music didn’t turn off soon Martin could get in trouble, so she knocked on his door. After two sets of knocks with no answer, she touched the knob. It seemed odd to her to attempt to open someone’s door, but her instincts told her that something wasn’t right. Neither Martin nor Trudy answered the door yet the music was still on? She pushed the door open, and saw the blood right away. It streaked the car
pet and wrapping paper laying on the floor, and led to Martin’s body. A scream escaped her lips as she realized that he was dead. In the hallway behind her Charlotte could hear voices, but she was too stunned to recognize them or understand what they said. It wasn’t until the shrill siren of a police car broke through all of the noise that she realized someone had called the police. The next few minutes were a blur of police officers, and questions. At some point she managed to text Ally.
Chapter 4
Ally had just locked the door of the shop for the second time that night when she received a text from Charlotte. The message was a bit garbled, but what she could understand of it shocked her. Could Martin really be dead? She rushed to her car and drove straight to Freely Lakes. The parking lot was filled with police cars, and the flashing lights painted a garish blanket over the sparkling Christmas lights. She parked in the first place she could find and ran towards the door. As she reached it, an officer stopped her.
“Ma’am, are you a resident here?” He locked eyes with her.
“Petey, it’s me Ally. I need to get in to see my grandmother.” She started to push past him.
“I’m sorry, Ally, but I’m not supposed to let anyone in or out.” He pointed to the parking lot. “You can stay here if you want, but I can’t let you through.”
“Seriously?” She frowned as she studied him. “If Luke were here you would let me in.”
“But he’s not.” He set his feet shoulder width apart and physically blocked the door. “Don’t make this night harder, all right?”
The desire to argue with him was so strong that she had to bite into the tip of her tongue to prevent it. As much as she wanted to get to her grandmother, she didn’t want to do anything to cause problems for Luke.
“It’s all right, Petey, it’s all right.” A firm hand clapped down on her shoulder, but it didn’t feel reassuring. She looked over her shoulder to see the chief. “Come on in, Ally, I’d like to speak with you.”