“Oh, Mr. Wexler.” The blonde is quick to shake his hand while her eyes spin like pinwheels. I’m sensing a theme here tonight. “I’ve been a huge fan of your work for many years. Any chance you’ll be doing a signing soon?”
“Very soon,” Shep says. “In fact, I’ll be doing a signing here at the local library sometime this month.”
She licks her lips seductively as she winks his way. “I’ll be looking forward to it, big boy.” She gives Pixie a quick pat before taking off, and Regina gives an indignant huff in her wake.
I shrug over at her. “Don’t worry, Regina. I know exactly how it feels to have someone constantly plotting to steal your man.” Mostly because she’s the one constantly plotting to steal Shep.
“Oh, it’s not plotting on my end, Bowie. It’s simply a waiting game.” She takes off and quickly gets lost in the crowd. Although she’s not nearly lost enough for my taste.
Hey? Maybe it’s Regina I saw lying facedown in that vision I had earlier.
I glance back at the cocoa booth and note that ornery Mrs. Claus having it out with the woman with the fabulous cape we just met, Carol, and I can’t help but shake my head. Some people are simply mean drunks. And yet, others simply can’t get along with anybody. I have a feeling the mayor’s ex falls into both of those categories.
An hour drifts by with Shep and me doing our best to steal kisses, and before we know it, the entire town has gathered around that massive tree as we count backward from ten.
“Three, two, one,” Shep and I shout with the crowd just as a blaze of colorful lights ignites as tall as a skyscraper.
No sooner does the crowd gasp and applaud the evergreen’s glory than it blinks and winks in long, uneven spurts—going off and on in a way that ensures us an electrical issue is afoot.
I spot a glob of lights scattered on the ground behind the tree, a good distance away, and I take up Shep’s hand.
“I think I see the problem,” I say as we head in that direction.
“Bowie, stay back.” Shep stops me cold as he takes a few steps toward the lights and I traipse over to catch up with him.
It’s the naughty Mrs. Claus lying facedown with a string of lit Christmas lights wrapped around her neck like a scarf, and clutched in her hand is a fistful of candy canes.
Shep rolls her over and checks her vitals before shaking his head my way.
Holly Wright won’t have to worry about being the only Mrs. Claus at the ceremony anymore. That great big sleigh in the sky has swooped down and carried her home.
Holly Wright is dead.
Chapter 3
Another death.
Another murder.
A sharp cry emits from behind and both Shep and I turn to find Kaila standing there with a shocked expression, an entire chorus of screams evicting from her throat. Soon, a thick crowd has amassed around Holly Wright’s body.
It’s safe to say, the tree lighting ceremony hasn’t gone as planned. That overgrown evergreen is dark once again, and the only thing illuminating the night is the dead woman with a string of colorful lights cinched around her neck.
I give a quick glance around the poor woman on the ground and spot an unusually deep well in the planter bed behind her. It looks like a footprint, so I waste no time pulling out my phone and taking a picture. The flash goes off, and ten people gasp my way.
“Whoa.” Shep jumps to my side. “No pictures, Bowie. I don’t want to start a trend.”
“I didn’t take a picture of her, I swear. Look, there’s a footprint right there. That could be the killer’s.”
He bites his lip as he looks over at it. “All right. I’ll take it from here.”
Shep calls for backup, and soon it seems as if the grounds are infiltrated with a small army of sheriff’s deputies.
Stephanie runs over with her hands warming her arms.
“Stella, what the heck happened?” She gives Pixie a quick scratch over the back as I hold her tight.
“It’s Bowie.” I make wild eyes at my sister. “And it looks as if someone killed that drunk woman who was causing a scene.”
Opal crops up in all her finery. The rings jabbed over her gloved fingers glitter in the night like stars.
“Bowie, please tell me another tragedy hasn’t occurred on the grounds of the manor.”
“Honestly?” I glance back where Mayor Wright’s ex lies sprawled partially over the sidewalk and partially over the manor’s border garden. “Her left hand might be on your property.”
Opal grunts. “Another chalk outline for townies and visitors alike to ogle. Thank heavens snow is still in the forecast.” She squints my way. “Didn’t you have a premonition about this one or something? My goodness, what good is this talent of yours? And here I thought it was great.”
I make a face at my sister because we both know it’s not all that great.
“I did,” I’m quick to confess. “But all I saw was a body wrapped in lights. I certainly didn’t know who it was. Or where for that matter.”
Stephanie shakes her head at Opal. “Don’t look at me. My latest vision involved two bare-chested Italian men in Santa hats. And the best part? I’ve already invited them to Sunday dinner.”
Opal offers me a pat on the arm. “Don’t worry, Bowie. There’s always one sister in the bunch that has all the luck. Now that Lola is here, maybe some of her wit and charm will rub off on you.”
My mouth falls open.
Since when have my wit and charm been in question?
“Lola.” She points to my horseshoe
