The Mystery Before Christmas
- Автор: Дэйли Кэти
- Серия: A Cat In The Attic Mystery #2
- Год: 2019
- Язык: английский
- Год: Kathi Daley Books
- Жанр: Другие детективы
Электронная книга - «The Mystery Before Christmas». Краткое содержание книги:
“That is a very good question.”
I stood up, crossing my arms over my chest. “What about the nephew, Jason? We know he knew about Buford’s inheritance, and we know he was unhappy that his mother left all that money to her brother rather than to him. We know he tried to freeze the account that was left to Buford, but the money was already gone. What if he came to Foxtail Lake to confront Buford, and when he got here, he found all that money just stuffed in a drawer in Buford’s home? Could he be the one who killed him and then took off with the money he considered to be his in the first place?”
“I think that is a good possibility. I’ve been trying to track the guy down. He lives in Denver, so I may have to have the Denver PD go to his house and talk to him. I guess I’ll see if he calls me back.”
“And in the meantime?”
“In the meantime, I’m going to speak to Rupert now that Naomi has tracked him down for me, and I plan to continue to dig around in the memories of the guys who hang out at the bar and the lodge. I’ve got someone looking for money or correspondence relating to an offshore account, but to be honest, money in a mattress seems more Buford’s style than something as sophisticated as an offshore account.”
“Based on what I’ve heard about the guy, I agree. Are you going to be able to go to the tree lighting with me?” I asked.
He nodded. “I’ve been looking forward to it all day. Do we need to pick up Gracie?”
“Aunt Gracie and Tom are picking up Ethel and Paisley. They’re going to meet us there. I thought maybe we could get something to eat after.”
“That sounds good. I’m starving. The actual tree lighting only lasts fifteen to twenty minutes. There are a few speeches, the tree is lit, and then everyone sings a couple of carols. Still, it can be crowded, and parking is an issue at times, so I suppose we should head in that direction.”
“Should we tell Naomi that we’re leaving?”
“Based on my observation when I went up to the house to talk to Naomi, I think she and Hancock might be busy. We’ll lock up, but I don’t think we need to bother them.”
I called the dogs and headed toward the kennels. “Naomi said that Hancock is leaving again tomorrow.”
“That’s what Naomi indicated to me as well. I guess that is the package that comes with his job. It’s not a lifestyle I would enjoy, but it seems to work for him. Did you already fill out the training log?”
“I did. I think we’re good to go once we return everyone to the kennel.”
After being exercised, the dogs seemed happy to return to their beds, where they had plenty of fresh water. I had to hand it to Naomi; she seemed to know exactly what needed to be done to ensure that each animal in her care was as happy and healthy as they could be in the absence of a special human that belonged only to them. There were times when I considered adopting one of the dogs, but I wasn’t sure how Gracie and Alastair would feel about that. Volunteering allowed me to spend time with the dogs without making a long-term commitment. Then I would see how Milo and Cass interacted, and I’d find myself envying the bond they seemed to share with each other. The relationship between a man or woman and their dog really is a pretty special thing. Of course, the relationship I had with Alastair was pretty special as well, and I liked the fact that he was independent most of the time, but in the end, he was Gracie’s cat. Maybe one day, I’d want to have a pet who was just mine.
Chapter 10
Monday
“This is good. Really good,” Dex said after reading the column I’d just turned in that featured the recipients of the Secret Santa gifts. “This is exactly what I was looking for. Something personal. Something that really brings home the effect the gifts have had on the lives of those they’ve been bestowed upon.”
I let out the breath I’d been holding. “Great. I’m really glad you like it. I worked hard on the interviews and the write-up. I really wanted to give you the story you were after.”
“Well, you seem to have accomplished your goal.”
I smiled, encouraged by his positive response. “So, about the second article, the one featuring the Secret Santa prospects. Am I cleared to run with it as well?”
He hesitated. “Writing the second article is also supposed to serve the purpose of gathering the information you are going to need for the third article… the big reveal. Do you really think you are up for that?”
Did I? Honestly, I wasn’t sure. I wanted to assure Dex that he had nothing to worry about, but I knew how important this series was to him and didn’t want to be the one to let him down. “I have some good leads,” I answered. “And I’d really like the chance to see where they take me.”
Dex puckered his lips. “You did a good job this week, and I want to reward that by allowing you to continue, but I have a lot riding on this. I need you to be certain you can see it through.”
There was a part of me that wanted to take the easy way out and tell him to give the story to Brock, but if I ever wanted a staff position, I knew I needed to step up and do what needed to be done. Besides, Calliope Rose Collins wasn’t a quitter. I would never have been able to reach the heights I had as a musician if I’d allowed myself to quit every time things got tough. I knew that if you wanted to make your dreams come true, you had to clutch onto those dreams and never let go. “I can get you what you need,” I said with more confidence than I felt. “I have some strong leads, and I promise I will follow them wherever they might take me. You can count on me.”
“Okay. The series is yours. I look forward to the next two articles.”
“Thank you so much for this opportunity. I won’t let you down.”
“You are most welcome.” Dex got up and refilled his coffee mug. “How was your weekend?”
“It was really nice. The tree lighting was lovely. I forgot how much I used to enjoy it when the whole town came together to celebrate. It was cold, that’s for certain, but really, really pretty.”
“I got some great photos for this week’s edition. I think I have one with you and Cass and Paisley in Santa’s sleigh.”
I smiled softly at the memory. “We did take a sleigh ride. When Paisley first asked about it, I was afraid it was going to be much too cold, but there was a warm blanket in the sleigh, and the man who ran the ride gave us hot cocoa. The ride went through town, so we could enjoy the decorations and then through the forest, so we could experience that as well. The trail through the forest was lined with white lights, which reflected off the snow like millions of little diamonds. It was magical.”
“I don’t suppose you want to write up a small feature about your experience to go with my photos.”
I paused. “When would you need it by?”
“The end of the day.”
I slowly bobbed my head. “Okay. The memory of that special evening is actually pretty fresh in my mind. If you have a computer I can use, I’ll write something up right now.”
He clapped his hands together. “Great. There is a computer on the desk in the front office.”
I picked up my stuff. “Okay. I’ll take care of it before I leave.”
After I sat down at the desk, I took a minute to take it all in. To this point, I’d written the features that had been printed on my laptop at home, but working at an ink-smeared desk in a real newspaper office felt totally different. I actually felt like a real reporter for the first time. I had to admit the feeling was one I liked quite a lot. There was something about the scent of the place and the subtle noises in the background as various machines hummed and whirred. I don’t remember ever wanting to be a journalist, but as I sat at the desk in the middle of the bullpen, I had the sense that I was really home.