Read Online Murder in Christmas River: A Christmas Cozy Mystery by Meg Muldoon - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Meg Muldoon
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like I was running from Jack Torrance in The Shining .
The sun had gone down, and the woods were falling into twilight, a gray dust settling over them.
It took me about five minutes of fighting through the snow to make it back to the shop. I rushed for the cell phone in my purse and called 9-1-1. I felt the snow melting on my jeans, and bleeding through to my skin. I couldn’t stop shivering.
I tried to keep my voice steady as I talked to the operator.
“Is he alive?” she asked, her voice calm and steady.
“I don’t know,” I said.
But I was lying.
I did know. There was no other possibility.
Whoever that hand belonged to out there in the woods behind the pie shop was dead.
And had been for a while.
Chapter 17
Sheriff Trumbow told me to stay inside the shop while they investigated the scene, so I did.
I could see their lights out in the woods and hear the frightened barking of Huckleberry as several deputies sectioned off the area.
I was still shivering. Daniel had put his coat around me, and had poured me a shot of the Bourbon I kept in the cupboard for the Bourbon Chess Pies I made in the summertime.
He’d come at five instead of five thirty like he said he would. He forgot about the revision in the plans. And when he showed up, he was greeted with a row of flashing cop cars parked outside my shop.
When I finished talking with them, telling the story of how I was led to the body, I repeated the story to Daniel. About how Huckleberry had come and eaten the pie scraps and then waited out in the woods for me.
“It was just like you said, like he wanted me to follow him,” I said, trying to keep the shakiness out of my voice. “Just like the other night. And then he led me to this clearing, and that’s where I saw…”
I trailed off.
He waited for me to continue. I took a deep breath.
“Where I saw the hand ,” I said, finishing the sentence.
“It’s going to be okay, Cinnamon,” Daniel said, placing the glass of bourbon in front of me. “Drink this.”
I did as he said, the liquid feeling sharp at first, but then warm as it traveled down my throat.
He poured me another, but I let it sit on the kitchen island.
“What do you think happened?” I said. “Who is he and how did he end up out there? Do you think he got lost, or did he…. Was he…”
“Shhh,” Daniel said. “Don’t think about that right now. It’s all going to be okay.”
Suddenly, I heard the front door open in the dining room. I had the sign turned to closed, but hadn’t locked the door. Whoever came in didn’t seem to care about the sign.
“Cinnamon? Are you here?”
I let out a short sigh. It was John.
“Back here, John,” I said.
“Cinnamon, I saw all those police cars out in front. Are you al—”
John entered the kitchen and saw me. And saw Daniel.
I saw a flash of anger cross his face. Anger that he tried to hide by averting his eyes.
“What’s going on? Are you okay?” he asked solemnly.
I nodded and stood up.
“I’m sorry, I was just about to head over to your office. But something got in the way.”
“But you’re okay?” he said, giving Daniel a sharp and jealous look.
“I’m fine,” I said. “It’s just… I found something out in the woods back over there. I found a... it was a body in the snow.”
“What?” John said, surprised. “How? What were you doing back—”
“She’s already had to explain it to the cops several times,” Daniel said before he could finish. “She should rest.”
John’s eyes narrowed with anger.
“And who the hell are you?” John said. “Clearly I haven’t been made privy to that information yet.”
“An old friend,” Daniel said, standing up. “Now, I propose that we get you home Cinnamon. I’m sure the police will have more questions for you about what happened, but it can wait until the morning. You’re in shock, and you need to go home and rest.”
“Good idea,” John said. “I’ll take her.”
“I can’t
The sun had gone down, and the woods were falling into twilight, a gray dust settling over them.
It took me about five minutes of fighting through the snow to make it back to the shop. I rushed for the cell phone in my purse and called 9-1-1. I felt the snow melting on my jeans, and bleeding through to my skin. I couldn’t stop shivering.
I tried to keep my voice steady as I talked to the operator.
“Is he alive?” she asked, her voice calm and steady.
“I don’t know,” I said.
But I was lying.
I did know. There was no other possibility.
Whoever that hand belonged to out there in the woods behind the pie shop was dead.
And had been for a while.
Chapter 17
Sheriff Trumbow told me to stay inside the shop while they investigated the scene, so I did.
I could see their lights out in the woods and hear the frightened barking of Huckleberry as several deputies sectioned off the area.
I was still shivering. Daniel had put his coat around me, and had poured me a shot of the Bourbon I kept in the cupboard for the Bourbon Chess Pies I made in the summertime.
He’d come at five instead of five thirty like he said he would. He forgot about the revision in the plans. And when he showed up, he was greeted with a row of flashing cop cars parked outside my shop.
When I finished talking with them, telling the story of how I was led to the body, I repeated the story to Daniel. About how Huckleberry had come and eaten the pie scraps and then waited out in the woods for me.
“It was just like you said, like he wanted me to follow him,” I said, trying to keep the shakiness out of my voice. “Just like the other night. And then he led me to this clearing, and that’s where I saw…”
I trailed off.
He waited for me to continue. I took a deep breath.
“Where I saw the hand ,” I said, finishing the sentence.
“It’s going to be okay, Cinnamon,” Daniel said, placing the glass of bourbon in front of me. “Drink this.”
I did as he said, the liquid feeling sharp at first, but then warm as it traveled down my throat.
He poured me another, but I let it sit on the kitchen island.
“What do you think happened?” I said. “Who is he and how did he end up out there? Do you think he got lost, or did he…. Was he…”
“Shhh,” Daniel said. “Don’t think about that right now. It’s all going to be okay.”
Suddenly, I heard the front door open in the dining room. I had the sign turned to closed, but hadn’t locked the door. Whoever came in didn’t seem to care about the sign.
“Cinnamon? Are you here?”
I let out a short sigh. It was John.
“Back here, John,” I said.
“Cinnamon, I saw all those police cars out in front. Are you al—”
John entered the kitchen and saw me. And saw Daniel.
I saw a flash of anger cross his face. Anger that he tried to hide by averting his eyes.
“What’s going on? Are you okay?” he asked solemnly.
I nodded and stood up.
“I’m sorry, I was just about to head over to your office. But something got in the way.”
“But you’re okay?” he said, giving Daniel a sharp and jealous look.
“I’m fine,” I said. “It’s just… I found something out in the woods back over there. I found a... it was a body in the snow.”
“What?” John said, surprised. “How? What were you doing back—”
“She’s already had to explain it to the cops several times,” Daniel said before he could finish. “She should rest.”
John’s eyes narrowed with anger.
“And who the hell are you?” John said. “Clearly I haven’t been made privy to that information yet.”
“An old friend,” Daniel said, standing up. “Now, I propose that we get you home Cinnamon. I’m sure the police will have more questions for you about what happened, but it can wait until the morning. You’re in shock, and you need to go home and rest.”
“Good idea,” John said. “I’ll take her.”
“I can’t
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