Jolly Dead St. Nicholas (34 page)

Daniel nodded as though he understood perfectly. “So, what time did the party start?”

“Time? I don’t know, around seven.”

“Seven. When did it end?” He took another sip of the wine. He noticed she wasn’t drinking hers, just holding it in her hand, which was now shaking a little.

“What’s wrong with you, Daniel? I’m beginning to feel like one of your suspects.” She put the wine glass down with a clang. Drops of the golden liquid splashed out onto the coffee table.

“You’re an amazing woman, Brenda. Beautiful, talented, sexy, smart. But I don’t think you’ve mastered the art of being in two places at once.” He stared at her, waiting for a reaction.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Daniel. Just tell me what’s going on.” Her voice raised a decibel.

Daniel felt his temper flare. “No! You tell me what’s going on. Who was that man you were with at the Dovetail Inn last night?”

Brenda jumped to her feet, almost stumbling in the process. “How did you… Oh!” A hand flew up to cover her mouth.

Daniel got up. “So it’s true.”

“It’s not what you think, Daniel.” She was on the verge of tears.

“Then tell me what it is.” He kept his distance.

“It was a family matter. Something my mother asked me to take care of for her. That’s all.”

“A family matter? Did that something your mother asked you to take care of include a kiss?”

Brenda’s gaze hardened. “Who told you about this?”

“That doesn’t matter. You were seen. You lied to me, Brenda. Is he your lover also? It must be difficult juggling two of us at one time. Or are there more?” Daniel could feel his insides quivering. He’d hoped to handle this with more dignity but his emotions were getting the better of him.

Brenda moved toward him, their bodies almost touching. She put her arms around his neck then tried to kiss him. When he moved back, she did also. “I love you, Daniel. You have to believe that.” Tears shone on her rosy cheeks. Slowly, she pulled the sweater over her head, exposing a lacy bra. “We’re meant to be together. A perfect fit…that’s what you always say. A perfect fit.” She moved toward him again, running a finger down his abdomen to his belt buckle.

Daniel felt the pull he always did when Brenda worked her magic on him, but this time he resisted. Reaching down, he took hold of her hand, removing it from his body. “I think we need to cool it for a while, Brenda. A little time apart will give you a chance to decide who you really want. It will also give me a chance to decide if I want to take this relationship any further.”

“No! You don’t mean that. We’re in love. We can work this out. I’ll…I’ll never see that man again. It was nothing. Whoever was spying on us got it all wrong. Please, you have to believe me.” She lunged toward him. The sweater, now a tangle of cashmere at their feet, caused her to fall into his arms.

Pushing her away, Daniel picked up the sweater and thrust it at her. “Get dressed. Don’t embarrass yourself any more than you already have.”

Crying openly now, she hastily put the sweater back on. Daniel went to the bedroom and removed her clothing from the closet. Next he emptied the dresser drawers she’d confiscated a few weeks ago. He put them into the suitcase she’d brought at that time. Brenda stood in the doorway still crying.

Back in the living room he placed the suitcase on the floor by the sectional. He then picked up her coat and purse and handed them to her. “I’ll need my key back,” he said, with a lot more calmness than he felt.

Brenda met his gaze, holding it for a long moment. Finally, gathering her things, she headed for the door.

“The key?” Daniel reminded her.

She spun around, her eyes now bright with fury. Digging into the coat pockets, she produced the key. After throwing it at him, she left, slamming the door behind her.

Daniel checked to make sure she’d given him the right key. After that, he went to the sectional, sat down and finished off the entire bottle of wine.

Sunday had dawned bright and clear with more snow expected by nightfall. Adelaide entered the church right before the service began. She’d foregone Sunday school again so she wouldn’t have to listen to her classmates talk about Douglas’s recent plight, namely being detained in jail for further questioning, which in most people’s minds would be the equivalent of him being arrested for Jerry’s murder. She could only imagine the torture the poor man was going through, locked up in a cage like an animal. She had called the station around ten o’clock Saturday night to check on him.

“He’s not been a happy camper by any means, but he had a good dinner brought over from Dora’s. He’s now asleep. He’s the only prisoner we have tonight, so far. I hope it stays that way,” Ron Elam, the night dispatcher, had told her.

Adelaide slipped behind a back pew, then down the main aisle to the fifth row on the right. She slid in next to the Henshaws, who always saved her a seat. “So good to see you out and about, Carl,” she whispered across Ethel, who sat between them.

“He’s still weak. He should have stayed home, but wouldn’t listen to reason,” Ethel groused. Her face lacked its usual rosy glow this morning. She looked weary.

“I’m fine, Ethel. The doctor says I need to get my strength back. If I lie in bed I’ll just keep getting weaker. Besides, I want to show my support for Reverend Preston, who has given up his retirement to come back here in this time of crisis.”

“Nice speech, Carl. No doubt the politician side of you has suffered no ill effects from your beat down in the alley,” Ethel snapped.

Adelaide suppressed a chuckle. Hearing the term
beat down
coming out of Ethel’s mouth was funny as could be.

As the organ prelude began, Adelaide looked around at her fellow worshipers. The church was packed. Many of the faces were new. There were also many members here today that she didn’t see very often at Sunday worship. Of course, Christmas always brought out members who didn’t attend regularly, but she surmised that the recent murder and subsequent publicity was another reason for this morning’s bumper crop.

Vernon came down the aisle, stopping at their pew. “I’m ushering this morning, so I’ll be in the back. How’s Douglas doing? Any word?”

Adelaide was surprised. Vernon attended sporadically—now he was ushering? She whispered, “I called last night. He’s doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances.”

“Don’t forget we have a lunch reservation at the Dovetail Inn after church,” Vernon told her.

She hadn’t forgotten. Douglas was to have been included also, but that wouldn’t happen now.

He looked over at Ethel and Carl. “Why don’t you two join us? The reservation was originally for four, so it will be no problem to add one other person.”

Carl looked hopeful, but Ethel shook her head emphatically. “No, but thank you anyway. Carl will need to go home and rest after church.”

Just then the organist cranked up the volume, so Vernon hurried up the aisle to get out of the way as the choir began the processional.

James Preston was, as always, a formidable figure standing in the pulpit. Although he wasn’t very tall, he had a presence that held people’s attention. In keeping with the Advent Season, his robe was a rich, deep purple. The lights on the Christmas tree at the altar gave the sanctuary a warm, cozy feel. Additional light filtered in through a dome-shaped stained glass window behind the choir loft. The effect was kaleidoscopic.

Adelaide was very impressed with his sermon today, even though it wasn’t in keeping with the Christmas season. She just hoped the parishioners were paying close attention.

“So we need to ask ourselves why we’re so quick to jump to conclusions, sometimes the wrong ones,” he said. He hesitated a moment, scanning the pews, making eye contact with several worshipers. “Like those who persecuted Jesus, we often form an opinion and refuse to see things any other way, even when there might be evidence that disputes our own theory. Fear makes us vulnerable to misinformation. Prejudices sometimes make us blind to the truth, even when it is evident to others. Thirty some years after his miraculous birth, fear and prejudice put Jesus on that cross at Calvary, my friends. Fear and prejudice!”

Stirrings of discomfort rippled through the pews as many people squirmed in their seats. Adelaide looked across the aisle at Zelda Jackson, who was glowering at the preacher.

Beside Ethel, Carl said a soft “Amen.” Ethel nodded her agreement.

After the service, Adelaide met Vernon in the church office where he was handing the offering plates to Carl, who then placed them in the safe. Ethel’s voice could be heard out in the hallway, as she stood talking to a group of women from their Sunday school class.

Adelaide stepped over by the file cabinet across from the desk, taking her cell phone from her purse. She punched in speed dial number one, hoping Daniel would answer. To her disappointment, she got his voice mail. “Daniel, call me. I want to know how you’re doing this morning.” She disconnected after leaving her succinct message.

James passed by outside the open office door. “I just need to get this robe off, then I’ll be ready to go,” he called to Adelaide.

Adelaide felt restless, on edge. Her mind wasn’t on the upcoming meal. It was on her son and how he was coping with the news she’d delivered yesterday. She walked out into the nearly deserted hallway just as Ethel came to collect Carl.

Dora Carmody exited the parlor, heading her way. “Quite a sermon, wasn’t it?” She pulled on her coat as she walked.

Adelaide nodded. “Long overdue, I’d say.”

“I took Douglas’s dinner over to him yesterday evening. He looked so pitiful sitting in that jail cell. I felt so bad for him.”

Adelaide stopped short of telling her the DA was going for a Grand Jury indictment tomorrow. “I still think he’s innocent. I just wish I knew how to prove it.”

“Ready to go? Oh, hello there, Dora,” Vernon said as he exited the office with the Henshaws right behind him.

Dora nodded her greetings, then left.

“She seemed in a rush,” Carl commented.

“So are we,” Ethel replied. “You need to get home and lie down.” She then unceremoniously hustled him out the front door.

James exited the small hallway, his face brightening as he approached them. “The sanctuary is empty. We’ll just do a quick check of the basement, then I’m ready for that wonderful Sunday spread at the Inn, aren’t you?”

Adelaide felt her appetite return. Vernon took hold of her arm, giving it an intimate squeeze. James led them into the basement where they ascertained no one lurked. Moments later they exited the church, locking the front door behind them.

* * * *

In anticipation of the predicted snow, Adelaide had chosen to wear a navy blue wool pantsuit today. The white blouse under the jacket had been a Christmas gift last year from Daniel. After depositing their coats in the cloakroom, she, Vernon and James were seated at a table for four near one of the fireplaces. She shrugged off the jacket, placing it over the back of her chair. She looked around the crowded dining area that had formerly been the living room. It was spacious with a high ceiling and tall narrow windows. The aroma of pine plus savory spices filled the air.

Buffet tables along the wall held the brunch fare, everything from specially-made omelets to succulent roast beef and savory turkey. Reservations on Sunday were required, especially during the Christmas season when so many tourists visited the town.

“You know, if the town council votes to allow a casino here, there will be quite a bit of competition for this place. Those casinos always put several high-end restaurants under their roof,” Vernon said, as they settled into their seats. “I can’t think the Rausch’s are thrilled about that possibility,” he added, referring to the restaurant’s owners.

James shook his head. “That won’t be the only thing that will change. I know many people think it will revitalize the area by employing local residents, but I’ve heard that in other communities where casinos have been built, they bring in employees from outside the area, especially dealers who have experience.”

Adelaide had heard all these arguments. Some were valid, but the truth of the matter was that the gift shops and restaurants would likely employ locals, even if some of the actual casino jobs went to already trained personnel from other locations. In spite of that, she was still opposed to the idea. She wanted to see the town council solicit other types of businesses to the area, ones that would offer stability and future expansion. She feared that the glitz and glamour of a casino would bring unattractive changes to the town she loved so much.

The waitress came to their table with ice water. They all opted for the brunch rather than ordering from the menu. Vernon insisted on one check, which he would pay. As they got up to start through the line, James said to Vernon, “I wish you’d let me treat you two.”

“Not a chance,” Vernon replied. “I invited you, so you are both my guests.”

James smiled at Adelaide. “Well, it looks like we still have a lunch date, then.”

Adelaide caught the strange expression on Vernon’s face as his shoulders stiffened a bit. He stared at her for a second or two then looked away. She felt the overwhelming desire to explain to him that it had been nothing but an impromptu invitation from James when she’d dropped by the church Friday, but just then they arrived at the buffet tables so she didn’t get a chance.

The food, as always, was delicious. They chatted about what James had been doing since retirement, how things were going at the pharmacy and the upcoming holidays. Adelaide ate slowly, savoring every bite. She’d just finished her salad and was getting ready to rejoin the line when she saw something that brought a smile to her face.

“Look who just walked in,” she said, nodding toward the door.

Vernon glanced over, as did James.

“Well, I’ll be. I wondered how long it would take him to get up the nerve to ask her out,” Vernon said.

James seemed pleasantly surprised. “I can see I’ve missed a few things while I was gone.”