A Killer Christmas Party Read online

  I glanced at Tania, who was examining her fingernails. She didn’t appear to have noticed her mother-in-law’s comments.

  Beth sat down on the edge of the couch next to Lincoln. “Will said he had big news. Will—do you want to tell us now before the kids come upstairs?”

  “I wouldn’t say it was big news. It’s not really anything at the moment.” He picked up his drink from an end table and took a sip.

  Tania looked up at her husband. “What is it?”

  He met her gaze. “I’ve been thinking about moving up here and buying a bed-and-breakfast on Willowby Island. A friend of mine is selling theirs and it would be a great opportunity.”

  My head shot up. Did Tania not know about this plan? If not, fireworks were about to go off.

  Her reaction didn’t disappoint.

  She stared at him wide-eyed. “You can’t be serious. We have a life in Arizona. I have friends, the kids have friends. We’re close to my family in Nevada and you have a thriving dermatology practice. We can’t just pick up and leave. That’s insane.”

  He held up his hands. “Now, just wait. I didn’t say I’d decided for sure. I still need to visit the B and B while we’re up here for Christmas.”

  I thought her eyes were going to fall out of her head.

  “You made plans to see the place without even asking me how I felt about moving.”

  Will focused his attention on the burgundy floral rug. “You know how much I hate dermatology. I’ve been telling you that for years, but I’ve stuck it out because I know how much you love the money.”

  Beth’s eyes were going back and forth between Will and Tania, almost as though they were players in a tennis match. Lincoln looked like he’d rather be anywhere other than in his own living room at the moment and I felt the same way.

  Tania stood and marched over to Will. “When I married you, you were a dermatologist with a promising career ahead of you. You can’t just change everything now. And I’m definitely not going to become some hostess at a B and B.” She walked over to the end of the couch and snagged her purse, which she slung roughly over her shoulder. “You forced us to come up here for Christmas and now you spring this on me? I’m out of here.” She flounced out of the room, the front door slamming as she exited the house.

  We all stared at each other. For the second time that night, I was at a loss for the right words.

  “Ahem.” Adam cleared his throat and turned to Will. “Is that true? You want to quit your job and run a B and B?”

  Will nodded. “I thought being a doctor would allow me to connect with patients, but I only see them for a brief visit and then in surgery. I want to be around people that are awake—actually get to know them. And Willowby Island has always had a special place in my heart. I remember when we used to go camping near the beach there when we were kids.”

  Adam nodded. “I remember. I loved it too.” He peered at his brother. “It sounds like you’ve made up your mind.”

  Will sighed. “I would love to jump at the chance to own the B and B, but Tania pretty much reacted the way I thought she would. I know I should have told her earlier, but I hoped she’d at least consider it if I told her about it with a bunch of people around.” His eyes were downcast. “Imagine how great it would be for the kids to grow up on Willowby Island. It would be so different from Arizona. They’d get to play outdoors in the trees and grass, and not be stuck inside with air-conditioning all year.”

  Lincoln and Beth exchanged glances.

  “We thought you loved living in Arizona,” Beth said. “You’ve never mentioned anything different.”

  “I didn’t tell anyone because you were dealing with your own health problems, but a couple of months ago, I had a health scare of my own.”

  I heard Beth’s sharp intake of breath. “Are you ok?”

  He smiled at her. “Yes, Mom, I’m fine. It was a false alarm, but it really made me think. I don’t want to continue living the way we have been, away from family and me not ever having time to spend with my kids.”

  Lincoln nodded. “Ok. So what can we do to help? It doesn’t sound like Tania’s on board with all of this.”

  “No, but I think she’ll come around.” Will was trying to sound confident, but he looked uncertain.

  A timer in the kitchen binged and Beth jumped up. “Dinner’s ready.”

  Adam stood and called down the stairs, “Kids, time to wash up for dinner.”

  They thundered up the stairs and jostled past each other to get to the bathroom sink first. We ate dinner together as a family, but Will’s kids asked several times about their mother’s absence, putting a strain on the rest of the evening. When Adam called it a night, I didn’t protest in the slightest.

  3

  The next morning, Mikey’s preschool class was scheduled to bring handmade Christmas cards to a retirement home where they would sing a few carols for the residents. Adam had a client meeting, so I stopped by Beth’s house to drop Ella off for a few hours.

  I rang the doorbell of my in-laws’ house, clutching Ella in my arms. Since I’d only be gone for a minute, I’d let Mikey stay in the car behind me in the driveway. When Beth opened the door, her face was haggard and she was gently rocking Desi’s baby daughter, Lina.

  “Hey,” she said in a tired voice. “How’s Miss Ella this morning?”

  “She’s doing well,” I said, looking down at Ella, who stood clutching my leg. “But you don’t look so good. Are you ok?”

  “Oh sure. I’m fine. It’s just been a bit much with having Will’s girls here.” She shook her head. “They’re so full of energy.”

  I cocked my head to the side. “Aren’t Will and Tania here to take care of them?”

  “Will had a late night out last night, and Tania never came home.” She shook her head again. “I don’t know what’s going on between those two.” She glanced back into the house and whispered to me, “He might be better off without her though.”

  I bit my lip. Hearing my mother-in-law speak badly of my sister-in-law was always a shock because Beth was one of the nicest people in the world. Tania must have really rubbed her the wrong way.

  As if she’d read my mind, Beth added hastily, “I shouldn’t have said that. Please forget I said anything.”

  I smiled. “Of course. I knew what you meant.” I knew she’d meant what she’d said, but I didn’t want to make her feel bad about it.

  I glanced back at Mikey. “I’d better get going to the retirement home. Mikey worked for an hour on his Christmas card and he’s excited to sing for the retirees.”

  “Have fun.” Beth waved to Mikey in the car. “You’re picking up Ella after work, right?”

  “Yeah, unless you need me to come and get her earlier.” I scrutinized her face. “Are you sure you’re all right with all of the girls?” Beth often watched Lina and Ella and sometimes Anthony and Mikey as well without breaking a sweat, but Will’s girls were a different matter.

  “Don’t worry about it. Will should be waking up soon and then he can take care of his girls. I think he’d planned to take them to the zoo today anyway.”

  “Ok then.” I peered past her into the house, where I heard two of the girls shouting at each other. Beth had said she’d be fine though and I needed to get going with Mikey now so we could arrive at the retirement home in time to sing. Nancy Davenport, the leader of the Busy Bees Preschool PTA, would never let me forget it if I showed up late.

  I got back into the car with Mikey and we drove to the part of town along the bluff overlooking Puget Sound. Most of the houses in this stretch of the road had been built around the early 1900s for wealthy settlers. I’d been here recently when I’d visited Angela Deveaux’s house, but I’d never been to the retirement home before. As we motored past her house, I shuddered, thinking about the body I’d found there just before Halloween. The house and lawn were well-kept, but nothing had been decorated for Christmas. Poor Angela. Being all alone in that big house couldn’t be fun, especially know
ing that her husband killed someone on their property and had tried to murder her as well.

  Ericksville Heights Retirement Home was housed in a large building from the early 1900s. From the size of it, I’d guess it had originally been a hotel for the well-to-do. In preparation for Christmas, someone had strung up lights along the roofline and decorated a tall pine tree in the front yard. Christmas wasn’t too far away, and I mentally moved decorating up a few spots on my to-do list. Maybe Adam and I could put the lights up over the next weekend.

  The parking for the retirement home was across a residential street from the house. The lot was packed, and Mikey and I had to park at the far edge of it. I checked the time on the car’s clock. We were already a minute late and I still had to get him out of the car and over to the home.

  “Ok, Mikey, grab your card and let’s go.” He started to unfasten his seatbelt and I opened the minivan’s side door to help him out.

  “My coat?” he asked, pointing at his puffy blue winter jacket.

  I shook my head. That would add several minutes on to our timeline. I hadn’t bothered to put mine on either, and it wasn’t too far to the building.

  Together, we ran across the street, past a sign reading Ericksville Heights Retirement Home and up the front steps of the large building.

  I opened the door and a blast of heat welcomed us.

  “Welcome,” a young woman behind the desk sang out in a too-cheery voice. She pointed toward the back of the lobby. “You’re here with the preschool, right?”

  I nodded and she went back to her computer.

  In front of us, twenty preschoolers and their parents bumbled around the front desk and a very overwhelmed looking woman in her early twenties. I caught sight of Desi and Anthony, and we joined them where they stood on the outskirts of the crowd.

  “Thank goodness. I thought they’d have started by now,” I whispered to Desi.

  “No. The recreation director for the retirement home didn’t show up at work today and her assistant isn’t very well prepared for this. Nancy’s fit to be tied.”

  I snuck a peek over at Nancy. Her face was pink and her hands waved haphazardly in the air as she berated the poor assistant.

  “I’m glad I’m not on the receiving end of that.” We waited a few minutes and then the young woman led us into a room filled with senior citizens.

  “Good morning, everyone,” the assistant said in a low voice that no one heard. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Good morning.”

  This time a few eyes turned to her and she smiled. The room quieted.

  “As you may know, we have a special treat for you today. The children from Busy Beavers Preschool have come to share some Christmas cards with you and sing.”

  “Bees,” Nancy called out. “We’re from Busy Bees Preschool.” She shook her head in disgust.

  “Yes, of course.” The woman’s face fell for a moment, but she quickly recovered. “Let’s welcome the kids from Busy Bees Preschool.”

  We all nudged our children forward and they gathered in a ramshackle line, then belted out an off-key version of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” The crowd cheered politely and they sang a few more Christmas carols, then disbanded. Led by the parents, the kids then spread out and joined some of the senior citizens at their tables.

  “Oh look, there’s Delilah Brown,” Desi said.

  “Who?” I scanned the room for anyone vaguely familiar.

  As she walked toward the back of the room, she pointed out a woman sitting among friends at a round table. “She’s one of Mom’s friends at the Ericksville Historical Society. I’ve known her my whole life.” She paused. “You remember you’re helping out at the historical homes tour this weekend, right?”

  I felt my stomach lurch. I’d forgotten promising Beth that I’d volunteer at it. She wasn’t able to make it because of commitments at the Boathouse and had begged me to help out. Since she did so much for Adam and I, there was no way I could say no to her request. There went any chance of decorating this weekend.

  I pasted a smile on my face. “Of course.”

  Desi lifted an eyebrow at me, but said nothing.

  I followed her dutifully over to the woman’s table.

  “Hi, Delilah.” Desi leaned down to give her a small hug. “I was hoping I’d see you today.”

  The woman beamed. “I wouldn’t miss it for anything. This is the highlight of the Christmas season.” The women beside her nodded.

  “We love seeing all the kids,” one woman with a cloud of fluffy white hair said. “And who are these little angels?”

  I almost looked around the room for said angels before realizing she meant our boys.

  Desi pointed at Anthony, who was staring at the women with wide eyes. “This is my son, Anthony, and my nephew, Mikey.” She turned to Delilah. “And this is my sister-in-law, Jill. She’s married to Adam.”

  “Ah,” Delilah said, “so nice to meet you, Jill. I’ll have to tell Beth I finally had a chance to make your acquaintance.”

  I smiled at her. “It’s nice to meet you too.”

  The other women stood to leave. “We’re going to go to the chair yoga class now. Do you want to join us, Delilah?”

  Delilah shook her head. “No, not today.” After they left, she asked us, “Would you like to join me for a coffee break in the dining room?”

  I glanced at Mikey, who was bouncing restlessly behind the table.

  “There are cookies for coffee break,” Delilah said. “And they’re delicious.”

  The boys heard the word cookies.

  “Can we, Mommy?” Anthony asked, his eyes dancing with thoughts of cookies.

  Desi laughed. “Sure, we’d love to join you.”

  “Great.” Delilah stood with the aid of her walker and guided us slowly toward a large dining area. “The cookies are over there and they’ll serve us coffee at the table.” She chortled softly. “They don’t think it’s a good idea for us old folks to be carrying cups of hot coffee while using our walkers. Can’t say I blame them though.”

  Once we’d chosen our treats and had been served coffee and milk, the boys munched away happily at their plates of cookies. Desi and I had allowed them to splurge on several cookies each in hopes that it would occupy them while we chatted with Delilah.

  “I love your walker.” Desi pointed to Delilah’s walker, which was decked out with hot pink tennis balls on the bottom and shiny silver streamers hanging from the handles.

  She laughed and ran her fingers through the streamers. “I can’t resist the urge to make things pretty.”

  “So how long have you lived in Ericksville?” I asked, sipping my hot coffee.

  “All my life,” she said proudly. “I’ve been here since it was a sleepy little town, before we even had a proper ferry.”

  “Wow. You must have some tales to tell,” I said. “I’m curious, was this building originally a hotel?”

  She laughed, a wonderful tinkling sound. “Yes. It was built as a hotel, then became a sanatorium. After tuberculosis became less prevalent, it was turned into apartments, and most recently, of course, the Ericksville Heights Retirement Home.” She looked around the room with pride. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

  Desi nodded her head. “It is. I’ve always admired the building.”

  “I just love living in a building with so much history,” Delilah said as she crunched down on a Santa Claus–shaped Christmas cookie. When she finished, she told us a bit more about the home’s heritage. “You know, there’s a rumor that during Prohibition, the owners of the sanatorium were rumrunners. They’d fill their boat with alcohol in Canada and come down here to distribute it.”

  “I’ve never heard about rumrunners in Ericksville before,” Desi said. “I’ll have to see if my mom knows anything about that.”

  Delilah regaled us with more tales about the area’s history. I was fascinated by how much she knew of the area and could have listened to her for hours. Having grown up in Idaho, I did
n’t know much about Ericksville’s past.

  Unfortunately, ten minutes later, Mikey and Anthony were on the last crumbs of cookie, and I knew they wouldn’t sit there so patiently for much longer.

  “We’d better get going,” I said.

  “So soon?” Delilah asked.

  Desi smiled at her gently. “We need to get the kids to preschool and I have to get back to the café.”

  “Oh, that’s right. I forgot you own a café.” Delilah looked at me. “And what about you?”

  “I’ve been working with Beth at the Boathouse since last spring as an event coordinator.”

  “Oh, how fun,” she said. “Beth always has the best stories about some of the Boathouse clients. Do you like it?” She peered at me.

  “I do. I’ve found I enjoy coordinating events for people. I used to be in marketing but in a behind the scenes capacity. Getting to actually know some of the clients has been great.” That was mainly true, although there were a few exceptions—Angela and a couple of Bridezillas came to mind. Thinking about work reminded me that I still needed to get the final count for the Pearson Company’s Christmas party, which was my first priority after I got back to the office that day.

  The boys were starting to jostle each other and get louder. Desi and I stood.

  “It was nice to meet you, Delilah,” I said, grabbing Mikey’s hand firmly. He squirmed, trying to escape my grip.

  Desi hugged her. “I’ll try to stop in and see you again soon. This was nice.”

  “That would be lovely,” Delilah said to Desi, then turned to me. “It was nice meeting you, Jill. I’d love to see both of you again.” Her voice held notes of sadness. “Say, before you go, would it be ok with you if I give the boys each a piece of candy?” She held up a roll of cherry LifeSavers.

  I smiled. “Sure. I think they’d like that.”

  Delilah removed two pieces of candy and gave one to each of them. The boys took them eagerly and immediately stuck the treats in their mouths.

  We waved goodbye and led the kids outside. They ran over to a line of hedges that bordered one side of the yard, darting in and out of them while giggling.