If the Shoe Kills (22 page)

I smiled and waved. “Okay, then. Stop by the shop next time you're in town and I'll give you that milk, my treat.”

I returned to the Jeep and watched as Becky checked the contents of her shopping cart, then the bag I'd given her. Apparently both had passed muster because she started walking back toward town. As I passed her on the road, I waved, but she was looking straight ahead. “Stubborn to a tee,” I muttered. Anyway, she was not my problem.

Yet still my heart ached for the lost little girl who Becky must have been once upon a time.

M
y phone rang that Saturday morning, waking me up. Since my alarm went off at five, the caller had better have an emergency or they were going to be dead. Jackie and I had stayed up late at the house, making fifty felt stockings for Santa to give out, stuffed with candies. I'd campaigned for homemade stockings, and after finishing the first twenty had cursed my frugal nature. But by ten, they were done and stuffed in boxes in the back of my aunt's Escape. We'd unload as soon as I walked down to the shop.

Prep was done. Squinting at the clock, I had twenty minutes left to sleep. Once I told off the joker on the phone. “What?” I croaked.

“You pulled it off. I didn't think you could, but you did,” a man's voice squeaked in my ear.

“Mayor?” I must be dreaming. The mayor never complimented anyone, much less me. This was just part of a crazy, worry-filled dream. And I knew I had one more holiday project to deal with before I could relax. Decorating the entire town of South Cove, thanks to the mayor's flaky wife.

“I told Tina you'd do it, but honestly, with your lack of social skills, I didn't think it was possible.”

Yep, that was our mayor. Never let a chance for a good dig to go by. Emma nudged me with a wet nose. This wasn't a dream.

“What are you talking about?” I muttered, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. Now that Emma was awake, she wouldn't let me go back to sleep. Time to get the morning going, in her mind.

The mayor ignored my question. “I'll see you at the party.”

The phone clicked in my ear, and I realized he was gone. “So what got into him?” I asked Emma, who translated my words into
Wanna go outside?
She ran to the bedroom door and waited for me.

“You're just like the rest of the people in my life, Emma,” I said as we trudged down the stairs. I opened the door and she flew out to the porch, missing the steps and floating to the grass, where she charged to the back of the property, checking her domain. “You don't listen to me, either.”

So far, my new throw pillows had stayed safe from Emma's attention. Then again, I hadn't left her alone in the house for the last week. I kept hoping she'd grow out of the chewing stage soon. I set the coffeemaker and curled up on one of the kitchen chairs, waiting for the brewing to finish. As I waited, I watched Emma out the window.

There would be no run today. Jackie wanted me and Toby at the shop as early as possible. My normal Saturday 7:00 a.m. opening shift would start at six, even though the kids weren't due until eleven. Toby had grudgingly agreed to be Santa. And the girl he was dating was coming in for the party with her daughter. I think he was more nervous about that than having fifty kids on his lap telling him what they wanted for Christmas.

I wondered about the mayor's call. Maybe he'd been talking about the party at the shop. Jackie had gotten a lot of press interest, and good press was one thing the mayor thrived on. In fact, a television crew was coming in to do a piece for their evening news segment called Good News Happenings. I hoped it gave the Bakerstown Children's Center a much-needed boost in donations and support. Diane deserved some good news.

I poured my coffee and checked the outside temperature before I went upstairs to get ready. The weather had warmed up after Monday's cold snap, and right now, it hovered in the midfifties. My mind hadn't been far from Becky all week. Tuesday I'd called social services, where a patient social worker had explained that even if the girl was under eighteen, she wasn't a priority, not with so many homeless kids and no room at the shelters. I hadn't seen her around town again, so maybe she'd decided to return home, wherever that might be. I sent up a quick prayer for her safety and climbed the stairs to my room.

As I walked into town, my mind was focused on the mental to-do list that hopefully would make this party a success. I'd already passed Diamond Lille's when I noticed something different. I turned around in a circle. The holiday decorations were up all over. The lampposts dripped with garland and tinsel. The power poles held red, white, and green flags, proclaiming South Cove Santa's one-stop shopping town. The animated mechanical carolers Darla had blown last year's decorating budget on were singing in City Hall's front yard. White lights hung off every building, and in the shop windows, people were finishing their holiday scenes. Christmas had come to South Cove. I felt like I was on the last page of a popular Christmas story.

In the empty building next to City Hall, a huge Christmas present sat under a silver tree that changed color every few seconds. The tag on the box turned into a sign that read
Vintage Duds—Do Not Open Until After New Year's Day
. We had a new business coming into South Cove. Whoever was opening the store was plugged in enough to know about the holiday tradition of decorating for the holidays. Probably a townie. I'd check in with Amy to see who the new owner was and invite them to the next Business-to-Business meeting.

Christmas carols were being piped in through the town's speaker system. I'd argued against the cost when Darla had proposed the system a few years ago, but now I couldn't imagine the holidays without the sound. The front door was already unlocked, and Jackie was carrying in a box of the stockings to set next to Santa's chair.

“I would have brought those in,” I chided her. “Are there still boxes in the car?”

Jackie set the box behind the chair. “Nope, all of them are tucked back here. I've got the copies of
A Night Before Christmas
all stuffed with the free coupons, and I set out the carafes we can fill with coffee and hot chocolate right before the party starts.”

I took in the décor. The bookstore section had been turned into Santa's study, and the dining room area resembled more of Santa's workshop. All in all, we were smack-dab in the middle of the North Pole rather than the central California coastline. I loved it.

I poured a cup of coffee for my aunt and myself, and we sat in the middle of the room, enjoying the silence. “I can't believe you pulled this off.” I had put up Christmas decorations in the window last year, but nothing to this extent.

“It was no problem at all.” Jackie smiled. “I had a lot of extra time on my hands this year.”

“Well, you're in charge of holiday decorating for the rest of time. I never imagined it looking this good.” I sipped my coffee. “Maybe you should tackle the house next week before we have Thanksgiving. I was planning on doing a floral centerpiece and calling it good.”

Jackie frowned. “You're joking.”

“About the centerpiece? No. I have way too much on my plate to decorate the house for one dinner. Besides, I never know whether to go all full-blown Christmas or actually go pilgrim Thanksgiving.” I pushed aside worries about the dinner coming up next week. I would deal with it Monday when I went shopping for the turkey.

“Dear, I'll be over first thing tomorrow to plan out the decorations, and then by Monday night, you'll be ready.” She frowned at me. “You have at least bought the dinner supplies, right?”

“I've ordered pies from Sadie. The rest is on my list for Monday. The books say I'm right on target.”

A look of horror crossed my aunt's face. “The books are wrong.”

Toby opened the front door with a weak, “Ho, ho, ho.”

I was glad to see him, hoping his entrance would stop the Thanksgiving talk. I didn't want to know all the reasons I was behind the eight ball, again. At least Darla had come to her senses and handled the festival decorations. “You sound like an anemic Santa. Come on, put some
umph
into it.”

Toby grinned. “Ho, ho, ho.” The words came out stronger this time.

Jackie shook her head. “That will not do at all. Good thing I've already replaced you.”

Toby and I exchanged glances. “Who's going to be Santa, then?”

Jackie smiled.

Sasha and her daughter came into the shop. “Wow. South Cove gets into this Christmas thing, don't they?”

Her little girl ran over to the Christmas tree we'd set in the corner, a pile of fake presents positioned on top of a fake snow wrap. “Pretty,” she murmured, watching the lights change color.

“Olivia, don't touch.” Sasha focused on me. “Sorry, but the center wouldn't let her on the bus without a parent. Jackie asked me to come early. Is it okay that I brought her? I can sit her at a table and she'll play with her dolls.”

“We're fine. It's a special day.” I thought about Emma stuck at home. She would have loved seeing all the kids. Maybe next year, after she'd grown out of the puppy stage.

The morning flew by, and next thing I knew, it was minutes before the bus from the center was due to arrive. The Santa chair still sat empty. I dropped off the last two filled carafes and cornered my aunt, who was talking to Mary Simmons by the tree.

“Where's Santa?” I whispered, trying not to alert Olivia, who had been watching the chair for over an hour now.

Jackie smiled. “Stop fretting. Santa won't show before the kids. He's got lots to do, not just hang around here with us.”

I saw Olivia's shoulders drop just a bit. I supposed she had been hoping for a little one-on-one time with the big guy before the busload of kids arrived. I pulled Jackie out of earshot of the little girl. “Toby agreed to be Santa, right?”

“Stop worrying.” Jackie focused on a bus pulling up outside the shop. “Look, the kids are here.”

Before I knew it, the shop was filled with jumping kids and their just-as-excited parents. I waved at Diane, who had brought one final child, whom I recognized as Angel, from the bus. I wove my way toward her.

“Sorry we're a little late. Angel's aunt dropped her off at the last minute, and I just couldn't say no.” Diane laughed. “Yep, I'm all rules and regs until you push me. Then I'm just a softie.”

“No worries, we're still waiting for the guest of honor.” I pointed to Santa's empty chair. The door opened, and I saw Becky enter the shop, her eyes wide as she took in the crowd.
Welcome to my world
, I thought.

A few more people came in after Becky, but I'd started putting out trays of treats to keep the kids going on sugar while they waited. I saw Marie come in and sit next to the tree. Most of the town had arrived, along with the news crew. They were interviewing Mayor Baylor over by the empty Santa chair.

I raised my eyebrows at Jackie, but she waved me away with a universal don't-worry-about-it look. I returned to the counter and saw Becky standing behind the coffee bar, shoving something into her large tote bag. She caught my eye and shrugged. “I needed a napkin.”

I turned my head out to the tables, checking to see if all the napkins had been used, but as I did, the front door opened.

“Ho, ho, ho,” Santa's voice boomed through the noise of the party. As he passed through the crowd, little kids screamed in joy and surrounded him as he finally arrived at his chair. The news lady positioned herself next to his chair, pushing the mayor aside.

“Santa, what do you have to say to all of the kids watching you today?” She moved the microphone into Santa's face.

He gently pushed it down and answered her question. “Make sure you listen to your parents, brush your teeth, and be nice to those around you. And Santa's elves will make sure you are on the nice list.” Santa held up the notebook next to his chair. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some wishes to write down.”

Toby escorted the mayor and the news crew away from Santa's chair, and the first child in line climbed on Santa's lap. Sasha had been given the honor of being Santa's helper, so Olivia was first in line. The little girl started listing off the gifts she wanted under her tree.

The next few minutes were a madhouse as the kids jostled for a place in line. Everyone was chatting and smiling. I saw Darla standing by the front window and waved.

When she reached me, I gave her a quick hug. “Thanks for taking over. I knew I could count on you.”

“I'm not sure what you're talking about.” Darla glanced around the room. “I didn't do any of this.”

“No, I mean decorating South Cove. It looks wonderful.” I watched as Santa gave Olivia her book and stocking. Something about the man looked familiar.

Darla held up her hands. “That wasn't me. I got the call last night just like everyone else.”

I turned away from watching Santa and focused on Darla. “The call?”

“Mary Simmons got everyone in town out last night, and we worked until about nine getting everything done. She said the kids deserved the best day no matter what kind of problems we were having in town.” Darla shrugged. “She was right. I was being a brat.”

I found Mary in the crowd and smiled. “I would never have guessed she could rally the troops that way.”

“She didn't call you or Jackie because she knew you had your hands full with this.” Darla glanced around the room. “You did a great job. And Santa is amazing.”

Marie and Becky huddled together near the door. Then they left together. Something in Marie's body language said she wasn't happy about leaving. My sixth sense for trouble started tingling. “Excuse me, I've got to check on something.”

I motioned to Toby that I was heading out front and he nodded. At least someone would know I had left and when. Of course, Becky and Marie could be talking about the one thing they had in common: Ted. Somehow that didn't make me feel any better. By the time I'd reached the door, the street was empty. I stood listening to the Christmas music, but then I heard the cat yowling again. I wondered if I could find the animal this time. I went around the building and started up the stairs toward Josh's apartment. Maybe he could help me trap the cat. It had to be hungry.