Page 44 of Never Sleigh Never
In the distance, moonlight ricochets off a display of Christmas decorations. I quicken my steps to a trot. When the shapes take form, it hits me. They’re like the Rolls Royce of light-up decorations. I gasp. “How in the hell did he get those? They’ve been back-ordered for the last four years.”
Willa comes to a stop next to me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I rip off my Betty White mask and pass it to Willa. “Those reindeer.” I point to the patch of snow a few feet from the path. “They’re all animatronic with top-of-the-line LEDs that work in any condition, even underwater.”
“You’re orgasming over Christmas lights, aren’t you?”
“A little. I need a closer look.” I hurdle the snowbank, and my boots press into the freshly fallen snow.
“Sure,” she mutters. “Leave an obvious boot trail directly to the crime scene.”
“I’ll be sure to cover my tracks on my way out.”
“That won’t be any better.”
Up close, the lead reindeer gleams like a frosted dream. I stroke its neck with reverent fingers. “It’s beautiful,” I whisper, “and so much bigger in person.” I circle around while admiring the front. The toe of my boot catches on a jagged rock, and I tumble forward. My arms flail wildly, smack into something hard, and a sickening snap crackles through the air. Snow puffs up as I crash into the powder. Seconds later, it sprinkles down on me. I blink, shake the snow off, and look up just in time to watch the reindeer’s head fall delicately onto my lap.
“Shit. Shit. Shit.” I sit up and hoist the decapitated head in the air. A vise locks around my chest. In my hands is a four-thousand-dollar light-up reindeer head. Technically, since it’s only the head, it would be worth only one thousand, three hundred and thirty-three dollars. Either way, it’s expensive.
“That would be a lot scarier if it were a real deer’s head,” Willa says from the pathway.
I scramble to my feet with the broken deer’s head in my trembling hands. I jerk my gaze to Willa. “You wouldn’t happen to have any tape or glue with you?”
She shoves her hands in her pockets. “I have some gum.” She holds a paper package in the air.
Chew a bunch of gum and use it as an adhesive? My lips press together. Unfortunately, I’m not MacGyver so that’s out. I hoist the deer’s head in place, but it’s too dark to see anything. Dodging shards of metal and plastic, I search for a spot to join the two pieces. At the base of the neck, I wedge a few stray plastic tabs into place. Once secure, I remove my hands with the tenderness of a bomb tech and hold my breath. Any slight breeze could cause the head to drop. After a few seconds, it holds. I exhale a deep breath. The right-side dips before it plops into the snow. “Dammit.” I retrieve it from the ground and, instead of trying to fasten it to the body again, I tuck it under my arm.
“Are you taking a souvenir?” Willa holds out her hand and helps me through the snow and onto the path.
“It won’t stay. Maybe he won’t notice.”
“He won’t notice a deer is missing its head?”
“He has five others. I don’t know how observant he is. At this moment, I’m reacting first and thinking later. I’ll figure it out.” We continue to sneak down the path that leads toward the back of the carnival.
“I get to add breaking and entering and stealing to my resume,” Willa says.
“If you want to get technical, you’re only an accomplice in the stealing.”
“Oh, even better.”
The path curls toward the far corner of the grounds where something smooth and pale gleams in front of the tree line.
I stop dead in my tracks. “What’s that?”
Willa continues past me until she realizes she’s alone. She spins to face me and turns to where I’m pointing. “Is it some sort of building?”
I rush forward, and Willa’s hot on my heels. We round the last corner and an oval of ice stretches before us with bleachers flanking two sides
“Son of a bitch. He has an ice rink.” My shoulders drop. “Why didn’t I think of an ice rink? What is a Christmas festival without an ice rink?”
Not only do I have a decapitated reindeer head tucked under my arm that I need to contend with, but now I have to compete with an ice rink. Bah humbug.
Sixteen
A Frosty Kidnapping
Logan
