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:
“Somehow, Cass knew,” I informed the others. “He asked Naomi to track him down.”
“Yup,” Tom picked up his coffee mug. “That makes sense. For some reason unbeknownst to me, Rupert and Naomi are close. If anyone would know where to find the old coot, it would be her.”
“Maybe you can stop in and talk to Cass later,” Gracie suggested. “Find out what is going on. I have to admit to being curious.”
“I’ll stop by Cass’s office after my appointment with Mary Anderson.”
“Are you still trying to track down Secret Santa?” Tom asked.
I nodded. “Trying, but not having much success, I’m afraid. Honestly, Mary is my last Secret Santa suspect, and even I have to admit that she is a weak lead.”
“And what if it turns out Mary is not Secret Santa?” Gracie asked.
I nibbled on my lower lip. “I do have one other idea. I guess you heard that the clinic got a new x-ray machine. Now, that is a costly gift. If Mary doesn’t admit to being Secret Santa, I think I’m going to stop by and talk to Doctor Nolan. An x-ray machine isn’t the sort of thing one just orders from an online catalog. I feel like Doctor Nolan had to have been in on the decision as to which machine to get.”
“I agree,” Gracie said. “It does seem that the machine is one gift the recipient would have to have been in on from the beginning.”
I glanced at the clock. “I’d better head upstairs and get ready.” I picked up my plate and utensils and stood up. “Do you need me to bring anything back from town?”
“If you wouldn’t mind running by the market for potatoes, that would be wonderful,” Gracie said.
I set my dishes in the sink. “I’d be happy to. How many do you need?”
“Just get ten pounds. I’m making chowder for dinner, but I’m sure I’ll use the rest in the next couple of weeks with the holiday and all.”
I went back to the table and gathered up my coffee mug and napkin. “Anything else?”
“No. That is all I can think of. Will you be home for dinner tonight?”
“I will. Paisley is coming over after school. I’ll see if she wants to stay for chowder as well.”
“I spoke to Ethel yesterday when I dropped Paisley off at home after her piano lesson. She mentioned that both she and Paisley are doing better. I guess they’ve settled into a routine that seems to work for both of them.”
“That’s wonderful,” I grinned. “I will admit that I’ve been worried about the situation.”
“Ethel thanked me for helping out. She said that Paisley really adores you, and she thinks that having you to talk to is really helping her through this difficult time.”
I set my mug in the sink. “You know I’m happy to help out. Paisley is a great kid. I really enjoy spending time with her. In fact, in many ways, I feel like her being here and wanting piano lessons is what encouraged me to move on from my own loss. I guess I owe her quite a lot.”
“I think the two of you were meant to help each other during this difficult time in both your lives.”
I had to agree with that. It did my heart good that I’d been able to help Paisley, but I knew in my heart that she had helped me as well.
After I showered and dressed, I checked my phone for messages. Surprisingly, there was one from Martin Simpson letting me know that he had been able to confirm that Justice Bodine was still in Europe, so I shouldn’t go to all the effort of trying to track him down. Aw, not only was it sweet of him to take the time to track Bodine down but to take the time to track me down as well.
There was also a message from Cass letting me know that he’d spoken to both Naomi and Haviland about Barkley and that Barkley was going to spend some time with Haviland to determine if the two were compatible. I thought about the seemingly lonely man and the even lonelier dog and prayed that it would work out for both of them.
As long as I was at it, I flipped over to my email app. Most of what I had was junk, but there was an email from a woman I’d known in New York, who wanted to speak to me about a job offer. There had been a time when I’d considered returning to New York and looking for a job, but I was happy here. I knew in my heart that Foxtail Lake was where I was destined to build a life. I hit return and let my friend know that, while I was honored she’d thought of me, I’d decided not to return to the East Coast.
After checking my mail, I tossed my phone on the bed and started getting ready for the day ahead of me. My first interview would be with Mrs. Anderson. After that, I hoped to chat with Cass and then… I really had no idea. If Mary didn’t turn out to be Secret Santa, I supposed I’d need to widen my search parameters. I just wished I had a better idea of exactly how to do that.
Chapter 17
Mary Anderson lived a relatively normal life in spite of her success in the lottery. She lived in the same nice but modest house she’d lived in before she’d won millions of dollars, and other than the new SUV in the front drive, there was nothing about her home or her person to suggest she was a wealthy woman. I’d done some research and found out that since she’d won her millions, she hadn’t done as many lottery winners did and made a bunch of impulse purchases, nor had she engaged in expensive travel or spa treatments. In my mind, this made her a good prospect for Secret Santa. If she hadn’t spent her winnings on herself maybe, she’d spent the money, or at least part of it, on others.
“Thank you so much for agreeing to speak to me,” I said after she ushered me into her home.
“I’m happy to help out if I can. I think the world of your aunt. She is always there to pitch in with a project or lend a helping hand to a neighbor in need.”
“She is pretty great,” I had to admit.
She motioned for me to take a seat. “So you mentioned on the phone that you are doing an article for the newspaper on Secret Santa.”
I nodded. “That is correct. It is a series, actually. Last week, I wrote about some of the gift recipients, and this week, I am focusing on potential residents who might turn out to be the mysterious Secret Santa.”
She grinned. “I will admit the Secret Santa idea has been great fun. The gifts and the mystery behind the gifts have been the talk of the town for weeks now. Honestly, I wish I would have thought of such a creative idea. I feel like Secret Santa has not only benefited those he has bestowed gifts upon, but his presence has been a blessing to the community as a whole.”
“And what exactly do you mean by that?”
“Secret Santa has reminded us that there is still good and magic in the world, even if at times, things occur to make it seem otherwise.”
I had to admit that was true. “The mood of the town as a whole does seem to have been lifted by the gifts.”
“So am I to understand that your goal is to reveal the identity of Secret Santa?” Mary asked.
“That does seem to be the question of the day.”
She puckered her lips. “Personally, I wouldn’t. I think that the idea that Secret Santa could actually be anyone is part of the wonder of the whole thing. As I mentioned earlier, I wasn’t the one to think of the idea, but as I also mentioned, there is a part of me who wishes I was. Secret Santa has created a sense of goodwill in the town that I feel has been missing for a while. I don’t plan to steal Secret Santa’s thunder by piggybacking on what he is doing, but I do plan to up my own giving this year.”
“I guess the feeling of joy the man has spread is somewhat infectious.”
“Personally, the Secret Santa gifts have reminded me of the innocence of childhood belief. The happy feelings associated with that belief make me want to reach out and hug everyone.”
I had to chuckle at that. “Yes, I guess I understand that. And I do get what you are saying. I think the wonderful feeling created by doing something for others can be contagious. As you have, I’ve noticed an elevation in the mood of the community as a whole since the gifts began arriving.”