Grave Holiday (A Maddie Graves Mystery Book 9) Read online

  “Well, I’ve known Vera for a long time and it pretty much went how I expected it to … until Daisy admitted she was pregnant by Mike Robinson.”

  “I don’t know what that means.”

  “Vera was surprised to see me when she opened the door and she knew right away that something was wrong,” Christy supplied. “She told me after the fact that she thought I was going to tell her that Daisy was into drugs … or maybe broke into my house and stole beer or something … but she had no idea Daisy was sexually active.”

  “That kind of makes her sound like a bomb,” Maddie mused.

  “Oh, trust me, a bomb went off in that house this afternoon,” Christy said. “When Daisy told her she was pregnant, Vera kind of had a small breakdown. When Daisy told her who the father was, I thought the roof was going to come off the house. She completely exploded.

  “She went on and on about lying men and how you could never believe anyone telling stories about corncob pipes,” she continued. “The thing is, Daisy never mentioned the corncob pipe remark. Vera came up with that on her own.”

  “Which means that Vera heard it from a different source,” John mused. “Perhaps Vera heard it from Mike.”

  Maddie was baffled. “Why would Vera be talking to Mike? I would think he’d want to stay as far away from her as possible since he was boinking her underage daughter. I mean … ugh. Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Maddie was slow on the uptake at times when it came to sexual conversations, so when she finally realized what Christy was getting at she couldn’t help but feel sick to her stomach.

  “I think there’s a very good possibility that Vera saw Mike’s jingle bells at some point in the recent past, too,” Christy said. “There was something off about the way she reacted.”

  “Well, great,” Nick said. “That’s another suspect we’re going to have to question. Maybe Vera went up to the festival looking for Daisy and overhead them talking about the baby.”

  “Vera seemed legitimately surprised when she found out Daisy was pregnant by Mike.”

  “Maybe she didn’t know about the pregnancy but did know about the sex,” John suggested. “That doesn’t give her any less of a motive. I mean … think about it. What would you do if you found out you were sleeping with the same guy as your daughter?”

  “Kill the guy boinking both of us,” Christy answered without missing a beat. “I guess it’s good that I don’t have a daughter.”

  “Yeah, I’m generally big on the jokes, but even I can’t think of anything funny to say about this situation,” John said. “Do you think Vera and Daisy are legitimate suspects? You know them both better than me.”

  Nick shrugged, unsure. “I think that there are so many people in this town who had a legitimate reason to want to kill Mike that I have no idea how we’re supposed to narrow down the list.”

  “And Mike isn’t keen on helping,” Maddie added. “I’ve asked him to provide a list of women he was sleeping with twice now and he’s disappeared both times.”

  “Do you think that’s on purpose?” Christy asked.

  “I have no idea. He doesn’t seem bothered by his death, though. He also doesn’t seem bothered by the things he’s done. He said he thought Daisy was in her infertile period when they were having sex. That was his only regret.”

  “Yeah, Mike was a genuine ass,” Nick said. “There’s no getting around that. It doesn’t matter, though. We still have to figure out who killed him.”

  “And how do we do that?”

  “We line up the suspects and knock them down,” Nick answered. “We need to track down alibis for everyone. Once we can rule out a big group of people that will give us a smaller one to focus on.”

  “We don’t have any physical evidence other than time of death that can help,” John added. “There were no fingerprints on the candy cane, although there were some blue fibers that suggested the killer was wearing mittens or gloves. That could be almost anyone, though. It’s not as if blue is a rare color.”

  “So how do you want to handle it?” Maddie asked, glancing at Nick. “Where do you want to start?”

  “We’re starting at the festival,” Nick answered. “We’re going through every person who works here and getting an alibi to check.”

  “That sounds like a lot of work.”

  “I don’t know what else to do.”

  “Then let’s do it.” Maddie pressed a kiss to Nick’s cheek. “It will go quicker if we work as a group.”

  “I say we work in pairs,” John suggested, casting a sidelong look in Christy’s direction. “I think that would be fastest.”

  “Okay, that sounds like a plan.” Nick tightened his arms around Maddie’s waist. “Now get out of the tent. We’ll start working in five minutes, but I have something I want to do in here first … and I don’t need an audience to do it.”

  “Five minutes, huh?” John blew out a dramatic sigh. “You’re a lucky girl, Maddie. Five whole minutes. Whew!”

  “Not that,” Nick said, making a face as he rested his chin on Maddie’s shoulder. “I just want five minutes of peace to do this.”

  “You’re not doing anything but cuddling.”

  “I know.”

  “Oh, you’re such a woman,” John complained, ushering Christy out of the tent. “I’m never going to let you live this down. I hope you know that.”

  “I can live with that.”

  14

  Fourteen

  “So, do you know who stuck Santa with that sharp candy cane yet?”

  Maude sidled up to Maddie in the refreshment tent shortly after nightfall, causing the blonde to shake her head and swallow a loud admonishment.

  “It’s not funny, Granny,” Maddie chided. “This is a serious situation. A man is dead.”

  “A pig is dead,” Maude corrected, arching an eyebrow when the girl behind the counter shot her a dirty look. Maddie was thankful that Sandy’s shift appeared to be over because if Maude said that in front of a family member she was fairly certain the shame and guilt would follow her home.

  “Granny, you need to watch what you say,” Maddie said, tugging on Maude’s arm to drag her to a corner so they could chat away from prying ears. “I know you didn’t like Mike, but he was still important to a few people in town.”

  “His sister isn’t here,” Maude pointed out. “I saw her heading toward her car.”

  “Yes, but she could return. I think you should make it a hard and fast rule not to say something that you would be embarrassed to hear repeated should anyone be eavesdropping or something.”

  Maude made a face. “I never say anything that I wouldn’t repeat in front of witnesses.”

  Sadly, Maddie figured that was probably true. She decided to change tactics. “What are you doing here? You’re not causing trouble, are you? It’s Christmas, after all. I think you should be full of good cheer and merry feelings for the next few days.”

  “That sounds nothing like me.”

  Maddie adopted her best “stern” face. She looked like her mother when she dusted it off, which was one of the reasons Maude enjoyed pushing the limits of her granddaughter’s congenial personality. “Granny, what are you doing here?”

  “I’m not doing anything,” Maude replied, jerking back her arm. “I’m merely enjoying the festival.”

  “Be careful there, Pinocchio,” Nick warned, sidling up beside Maddie and grabbing her cup of hot chocolate so he could take a sip. “Your nose is growing.”

  “I’m pretty sure that was an insult,” Maude grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. She wore an ugly Christmas sweater – one of those ones featuring monsters instead of merriment – and she clearly wasn’t happy with Nick’s attitude. “You have no proof that I was doing anything wrong.”

  “Proof?” Nick cocked a challenging eyebrow. “Dale Kreskin just texted and said he saw you and your buddy Edna hanging out by the reindeer enclosure. He couldn’t be sure, but he thought you had a bag and shovel with you.”

/>   Maddie knit her eyebrows together, confused. “What does that mean?”

  “It doesn’t mean anything,” Maude answered. “Ignore him. He’s trying to sow the seeds of discontent in our happy home.”

  “It means that she was collecting reindeer droppings and I think we all know who they’re for,” Nick countered.

  “Reindeer droppings?” Maddie was appalled. “Oh, please tell me you’re not putting baggies of reindeer droppings on Harriet’s front porch or something. That’s definitely going against the Christmas spirit.”

  “I am definitely not putting baggies of reindeer droppings on Harriet’s front porch.”

  “Oh, good.”

  “The front seat of her car is another story.”

  “Granny!” Maddie wildly reached out to snag the back of Maude’s shirt but missed when her cagey grandmother evaded her hands and danced toward the door. “You two have an absolutely lovely night. Don’t wait up.”

  “Don’t get arrested,” Nick shot back. “I’ll leave you there overnight to think about what you’ve done if you do.”

  Maddie waited until her grandmother was out of earshot before shifting her eyes to Nick. “Would you really leave her in jail?”

  “Probably not. In the summer I would be more likely to let her suffer. I’m not keeping her away from you for Christmas, though.”

  “So that was an empty threat?”

  Nick smirked. “That was a warning of something that could legitimately happen but probably won’t. It’s the same thing that happens when people move to California and other people tell them that the city could fall off the map after a big earthquake.”

  “But that could really happen.”

  “So could this.”

  “I don’t think so. You’re too much of a softie.” Maddie wrapped her arms around Nick’s waist and pressed her face to the side of his chest. She was happy to bask in his warmth for a bit because they’d spent hours questioning workers and gathering information. Despite the lack of snow, the chill in the air was enough to make her bones ache. “How many people do you think we whittled off the list tonight?”

  “We haven’t officially whittled anyone off the list,” Nick replied, brushing his lips against Maddie’s forehead. “Once I make calls to confirm the alibis tomorrow morning we’ll start making headway.”

  “Are we done for the night?”

  “Pretty close. I wouldn’t mind taking one more pass to see if we come up with something, though. We might’ve accidentally missed someone. A lot of bodies moved through here this afternoon.”

  “Let’s do that.”

  Nick tossed the empty cup in the trash receptacle before grabbing Maddie’s hand. He was halfway through the tent flaps when he had to move to the side to make way for a trio of people entering. He didn’t bother hiding his frown when he realized who he was looking at. “David. Cassidy.” He nodded stiffly in greeting.

  “Nick.” Cassidy offered a friendly smile but the expression didn’t make it all the way up to her eyes. “How are you this evening?”

  “We’re good,” Nick replied, keeping Maddie close. Even though he dated Cassidy for six months he never felt comfortable around the woman, and that wasn’t simply because she melted down when he broke things off. She’d been something of a potential stalking threat ever since – and he especially hated the way she treated Maddie. “Are you guys out enjoying the festival?”

  Cassidy’s new boyfriend, David, either didn’t notice the chill settling on the tent or purposely ignored it. “We’re definitely having a good time. It would be better with snow, though.”

  “Maddie isn’t happy with the lack of snow either,” Nick said. “I’m hoping we’ll get a few flakes before Christmas to make her happy.”

  “Not me,” Cassidy said, her strawberry blond hair tucked under a blue knit hat. “I would be happy if it never snowed.”

  “Then why do you live in Michigan?” Maddie challenged. “If you hate snow you should live somewhere else.”

  “Don’t get snippy with her,” Marla snapped. Her nose was red, eyes glassy, and Maddie was almost certain the woman was fighting off a cold. “It’s not her fault that you’re a complete and total … .”

  “I wouldn’t finish that sentence,” Nick warned, wagging a finger in Marla’s face to get her attention. “I’ll arrest you for public swearing – which is still on the books, mind you – if you’re not careful. I will have no problem leaving you in a cell for the duration of the holidays.”

  “Oh, whatever.” Marla was beyond annoyed. “You realize I’m sick, right? Look at my eyes. Look at my nose. This is all because your grandmother sprayed me with the hose.”

  “Then perhaps you shouldn’t have trespassed on our property,” Nick shot back. “You can’t say you weren’t warned. As for looking at you, well, you look exactly the same as you usually do … and by that I mean you look really annoying.”

  “Oh, you’re such a putz,” Marla complained. “You used to be cool, but I think Maddie has cast some sort of spell and made you a putz. What do you think of that?”

  “I think that I don’t care what you think,” Nick replied, unruffled.

  “Yes, he only cares what Maddie thinks,” Cassidy grumbled under her breath.

  David ignored the potential fight and focused on Nick. “How are things going on the Mike Robinson case? I’m guessing you have a lot of suspects given he never slept alone … or with the same woman more than two nights in a row.”

  Maddie didn’t miss the fact that Marla averted her gaze at mention of Mike. She’d almost forgotten about the other tidbit she stumbled across earlier in the afternoon.

  “We’re still working on it, but there are a lot of women to sift through,” Nick said. “We’re pretty sure it has to do with his extracurricular activities, but it’s a long, slow process.”

  “Marla would know about a long and slow process with Mike,” Maddie volunteered, taking herself by surprise by getting petty in public. “Isn’t that right, Marla?”

  Marla’s eyes flashed red as she stared down Maddie. “I have no idea what you mean.”

  “What do you mean, love?” Nick asked, confused.

  “Just that Marla was sleeping with Mike, too,” Maddie answered.

  “Who told you that?”

  “His sister. She let it slip this afternoon. She thought I knew.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Nick asked, his eyes thoughtful as they bounced to Marla. “I’m going to need an alibi from her if it’s true.”

  “An alibi?” Marla was beside herself. “Why could you possibly need an alibi from me? I didn’t do anything.”

  “Then you have nothing to worry about,” Nick said, his spine stiffening. “Were you sleeping with Mike? Keep in mind, that if you lie and I find out about it I’m going to lock you up for misleading law enforcement. That’s not an empty threat. I mean it.”

  “Oh, good grief.” Marla wrinkled her nose and scorched Maddie with a dark look. “I might’ve had a drunken night or two with him. They were just flings. They hardly meant anything.”

  “Uh-huh. And where were you the night Mike died?”

  “I … have no idea,” Marla sputtered. “I … no. I was with David and Cassidy at that bar out on the highway that night. I remember now.”

  “Is that true?” Nick shifted his eyes to David.

  “What night was it?” David rubbed his chin as Nick answered. “No, she’s telling the truth. We headed out there for dinner shortly after seven and stayed until last call.”

  “See,” Marla said, her eyes flashing. “I told you I was telling the truth.”

  “Then you have nothing to worry about,” Nick said, heaving out a sigh as he glanced at Maddie. “That’s good for all of us because I would prefer not having to explain the history between everyone in front of a judge if you get arrested.”

  “Oh, you suck so much,” Marla complained. “Your girlfriend sucks, too. She sucks the big one.”

  “Just not M
ike’s big one, like you,” Maddie shot back, causing Nick to widen his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something but didn’t get a chance because a terrified scream split the night air on the other side of the tent. He didn’t give much thought to reacting, instead racing through the opening and allowing the bulk of the town to follow.

  “WHERE?”

  John and Christy raced out of the nearby food tent, their hands clasped, and scanned the area. They looked like they were about to embark on something cozy before hearing the scream.

  “There!” Nick pointed in the direction of the reindeer pit, casting a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure Maddie was close before breaking into a run. It took the foursome less than a minute to reach the source of the screams, and when they did Maddie was surprised to find Wanda Hodges standing next to the fence, her face as pale as death.

  “What’s wrong?” Maddie asked, gasping. She was in good shape, but the chilly air forced her to suck in a few painful breaths as she adapted to the cold.

  “There’s someone in the paddock,” Wanda announced, her lower lip trembling. “I … I’m pretty sure she’s dead.”

  “She?” Nick asked, an eyebrow winging up. “How do you know it’s a she?”

  “I saw an elf costume.”

  “Oh, well, great,” John muttered, releasing Christy’s hand. “I love those costumes. I can’t believe someone killed an elf. That’s so … anti-Christmas.”

  “Yes, that’s the true tragedy in all of this,” Christy deadpanned. She tried to put on a show to prove she was brave, but she was clearly shaken.

  “Stay here with Maddie,” John said, squeezing her shoulder. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  Christy wordlessly nodded and moved closer to her friend as Maddie locked gazes with Nick.

  “I’ll be right back,” Nick said, brushing his hand over her hat-covered head. “Don’t go anywhere.”

  “I’ll be right here.”

  Nick took a tentative step around one of the reindeer, the animal munching on something that looked like hay and barely giving Nick a second glance as the man slipped past the massive beast. Nick tried to focus on the ground so he wouldn’t inadvertently ruin evidence, but it wasn’t exactly easy given the darkness.