Christmas Tree Catastrophe (Lily Bloom Cozy Mystery Series Book 6) (5 page)

Lily and Tamara followed the music of
Deck the Halls
into Iris’s kitchen. A blast of ginger and cinnamon enveloped them before the sight of trays and trays of Christmas cookies greeted their eyes. Daisy was swinging to the beat of the music making the bells on her reindeer antlers jingle. Lily couldn’t help herself as she snuck up behind Daisy and tapped her on the shoulder. A blood curdling scream drowned out the music and Daisy’s oven mitts flew into the air.

She turned around to find Lily and Tamara laughing at her. “That was mean,” she scolded, trying not to laugh too. “Just for that, you can’t have any of my cookies.”

“Oh yeah?” Lily grabbed a gingerbread man and bit the head off. “Oops. This one is broken, I’ll need to finish it.”

Tamara sank onto one of the kitchen chairs, unzipping her parka and eating a cookie, or three, herself. “How many dozens of cookies are you making?”

“Well, I’ve got six or seven recipes that are old standbys and I always like to try one or two new ones each year, so, I guess there will be a lot!” She laughed. “Once I get going, they just seem to multiply on their own but it will work out well this year since I’m going to make fancy bags of cookies for everyone at the wedding to bring home.”

“If there still is a wedding,” Lily mumbled.

“What now? You and Ryan are in one of your ‘not getting along’ moments?”

“Something like that,” Lily said as she started to arrange the gingerbread boys and girls around the fruit bowl. “So, if these are all the people that were at the library last night,” and she used icing to name each one, “let’s recreate what happened.”

Tamara said she wanted her cookie to be iced in hot pink.

Daisy rolled her eyes. “Give it a break, Lily, and let the police deal with it. Oh, I almost forgot. Kari called looking for you. She said someone threw a brick through the front window of Beautiful Blooms.”

“Bricks seem to be the modus operandi lately,” Lily said with her lips in a tight line.

“What are you talking about?”

“The short version? It seems to be that a brick was used to kill Malcolm Moss which was planted in Tamara’s car but disappeared when we were at the police station. Then, when Tamara backed into Crystal’s car, she had a stack of bricks on the floor of her car. Now, a brick through my shop window? There seems to be a pattern. And I know just who the first suspect on my list is. I better head to my shop now and get this problem sorted out. Are you staying here Tamara?”

She nodded with her hand over her mouth to keep the cookie crumbs from falling out.

Lily was fuming as she drove to her Beautiful Blooms Flower Shop. This was supposed to be an uneventful, quiet few days leading up to her wedding on Christmas Eve, but instead, it was turning into a disaster. At least she had calmed down enough to not be mad at Ryan anymore. He was doing his job and he had to make his decisions based on the facts. And when he said how they might have been trapped in the library basement with the killer, it made her skin crawl. As soon as she parked in front of her shop, she texted him.
Meet me at my shop. Vandalism
. As soon as she hit the send button and got out of her minivan, his cruiser was pulling up behind her.

She smiled, letting the last bit of frustration at Ryan slide away. “That was quick?”

“Kari sent me a text too.”

Lily felt sick to her stomach as she looked at the broken window, covered by a heavy blanket to keep the cold air out. The sharp points of glass gave an evil image, not the warm and cozy sensation she usually had when she walked into her shop. As she looked at Ryan, he put his hand on her back, helping a little to dispel the feeling of dread that had settled in the pit of her stomach.

Kari’s face was a mixture of anger and fear when she greeted them. “I didn’t see anything, I just heard the crash and shattering glass.” She pointed to the brick lying on the floor.

“I’m glad you didn’t get hurt,” Lily said as she glanced around at all the pieces of glass scattered around the potted plants and cut flowers. “I wonder if that brick came from Crystal’s car,” she said to Ryan.

Their talking drowned out the sound of the door jingling and Lily was startled to hear a voice. “Are you open for business?”

She turned around, looking right into the face from the Sunflower Café—good looking, fortyish, she decided. Sticking out her hand to the newcomer, Lily said, “Yes, sorry for the mess. I’m Lily Bloom, the owner of Beautiful Blooms. How can I help you?”

After he pulled his eyes away from the brick in the middle of all the broken glass, he smiled and clasped Lily’s hand with a warm grasp. “I’m Eddie Parker, Malcolm Moss’s law partner.”

“Oh, I’m sorry for your loss. Such a terrible tragedy.” Lily noticed that Eddie’s eyes left hers and moved to Ryan standing behind her in his police uniform. “We had some vandalism but it will be cleaned up shortly.” She guided him away from the mess into her small meeting alcove. “Would you like some coffee or tea?”

Eddie sniffed some roses before he made himself comfortable. “Coffee would be nice. This is a lovely space. Malcolm always said if I ever needed flowers, Lily Bloom was the person to talk to.”

Kari brought a tray in with two coffees and some of Daisy’s chocolate raspberry bars.

“That’s wonderful to hear. Malcolm was an interesting person but he never shared those sentiments with me.” She picked up a coffee and handed it to Eddie, waiting for him to continue with the purpose of his visit.

He gazed off into space, sipping the steaming coffee, seeming to be getting lost in his own memories. “Malcolm and I go way back.” He focused on Lily’s face. “We were law school friends and, well, one thing led to another and we decided to go into practice together. It’s such a shock, I don’t even think the reality has hit me yet.”

Ryan poked his head in. “Excuse me Lily, I have all the evidence and photos, you can clean up now and call someone about the broken window.”

“Thanks, I’ll do that.” With her head turned away from Eddie, she puckered her lips and sent him a kiss. Turning her attention back to Eddie, she said, “How did you find out about Malcolm’s death?”

“Crystal, my wife, told me. I think she’s even more upset than I am. The three of us—Malcolm, Crystal and I—have been close for years.” He put his cup down. “I don’t want to tie you up any longer, but I stopped in to order some flowers for Malcolm’s mother, Sara.”

Lily picked up an order form. “So, what type of flowers were you thinking about?”

“Well, since it’s so close to Christmas, I thought an arrangement with greens, reds and some white would be nice.”

Lily nodded. “How about some pine with red roses and small white calla lilies?”

“That sounds perfect.”

“Shall I deliver the flowers to the house?”

“No. I’m going to move her, temporarily, to the same Rosewood Assisted Living Facility where my mother lives. Sara moved in with Malcolm a few years ago and can’t stay at his house alone. Mentally, she’s sharp as a tack, but physically, she needs assistance and she’s probably scared to be there alone now, especially after the break-in. Fortunately, the Rosewood just had a space open up. I’ll help her move later today, so if you can deliver the flowers tomorrow or Monday, it would be perfect. Nothing too big, she’ll only have one room.”

“I’m closed tomorrow, but I could deliver them on Monday. Thanks for stopping by, perhaps you will be at the library opening tomorrow?”

“Of course, Crystal wouldn’t want to miss it. Malcolm was so looking forward to the event and we think he’d rather everyone turn out and enjoy it than sit at home feeling sad about him.”

Lily stood up. “It’s been my pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Parker.”

“Please. Call me Eddie,” he said as he stood up and walked to the door.

Lily watched him leave, thinking that something didn’t seem to add up about his rude behavior toward Tamara at the café and how friendly he acted now. Maybe it was as simple as that he needed something from Lily so he put away his scowl momentarily. Or it could be that he had it in for Tamara for some unknown reason. And that look he gave the brick? Did he recognize it as one from his wife’s car?

Nina rushed into Lily’s shop, skidded to a stop before stepping on the broken glass, whipped out her camera and took some photos of the damage. “Lily, what happened? Is it true that someone vandalized your shop? Is this connected to the break-in at Malcolm’s house?”

Lily held up her hand. “Slow down Nina. I don’t know yet. Someone threw a brick through the window and Ryan is investigating.”

“Well,” Nina lowered her voice, even though the only other person in the shop was Kari, “I heard that it was Crystal Parker that broke into Malcolm’s house.”

“Really? Whatever for? Eddie Parker was just in here and he told me that he, Crystal, and Malcolm have been close for years. Why would she break into Malcolm’s house?”

“Good question. Then Malcolm was found dead not much later? Was Crystal at the library last night?”

Lily started to sweep up the broken glass. “She was. For a short time. And she was at the library again this morning when Tamara and I went in to check on a couple of things for the opening. Well, I didn’t see her in the library, but I heard a door close and I saw her car drive away.”

Nina was jumping around with excitement. “Keep brainstorming Lily, you’re starting to put all this together.”

Lily leaned on her broom. “It doesn’t make any sense. What would Crystal’s motive be for breaking-in or for murdering Malcolm if they’ve been friends for so many years?” Lily sighed and bent down to dump the pile of glass into a trash can.

“We’ll need to do some more digging. Hey, are those some of Daisy’s goodies over there? Can I try one?

“Sure. Help yourself. There might still be coffee in the back. And there’s something else I just remembered,” Lily said to Nina’s back. “Malcolm wanted Crystal to be the head librarian, not Penny. That doesn’t sound like two people that didn’t get along.”

Nina stuffed the raspberry square into her mouth. “I’ve got it! Crystal wanted to kill Penny, but in the dark killed Malcolm by mistake and now she’s trying to divert all the attention on to someone else.”

Lily laughed. “You’re certainly stretching your imagination with that scenario. You’re a newspaper reporter not a fiction writer.” She waved her hand at the broken window. “I need to find someone to fix this window for me.”

“Give me the measurements, I’ll get the glass and come back with Nick to fix it for you. He’s handy and can fix anything. Try to think of some more scenarios so I can get an exciting article in the paper.”

“I’m supposed to be relaxing and getting ready for my wedding, not solving a murder,” Lily said, but Nina was already out the door.

Kari finished the arrangement she was working on. Everything was Christmas colors—reds, greens and white. There were also plenty of orders for centerpieces with candles and pine cones. “What do you think? Are my arrangements good enough?” Kari asked Lily.

Lily smiled. “You’re a natural. Each one is unique and that shows your creative streak. Are you keeping up without any trouble?”

“I think so. You shouldn’t even be here. Sorry I had to call about the broken window.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I just wish I had some idea of who it was and why. It could be kids with too much time on their hands during the school vacation. Is there anything else you can remember?”

Kari continued working while she told Lily, “Well, I don’t know if this is connected, but about fifteen minutes before the brick came flying through the window, a woman called asking for you. She sounded angry but didn’t leave her name or a message, just slammed the phone down when I said you weren’t here.”

“That is interesting, but without a name I can only guess as to who it was.” Lily bent down to stroke Sweet Pea who had been rubbing against her leg. “If you’re all set here, I think I’ll head back to my mom’s house since Daisy was in the middle of making her delicious Christmas cookie assortment and I’m craving a couple right now.”

Kari laughed. “Save some for me.”

“Don’t worry, everyone who comes to the wedding is getting a goodie bag full of her delicious treats. Don’t stay too late, it’s already getting dark out.” Lily checked on Sweet Pea’s food before saying goodbye to Kari and leaving for her mother’s house.

Driving through Misty Valley and seeing all the houses decorated with Christmas lights started to put Lily in the Christmas mood. Every window on Main Street glowed with the light and warmth of a candle in each window. She enjoyed the view of so many Christmas trees shining through windows, dressed in all manner of decorations.

With a deep sigh, Lily let the chill that had been settling in her heart start to thaw. The Christmas spirit was seeping in and pushing the anxiety out, until she noticed Crystal walking out of the hardware store carrying a bag. Lily drove by slowly, adding this to the growing list of suspicious behavior she could add nest to Crystal’s name.

Shaking that off, she told herself to forget about the murder and vandalism for now and try to get back to the warm and fuzzy feeling.

Iris and Walter’s house was twinkling in the darkness by the time Lily pulled into the driveway. It put her in a comfortable mood and, hopefully, for one night she could sit back and relax. The house was still filled with the faint scent of Daisy’s baking and the comforting smell of a roasting turkey. Lily sucked in the delicious odors and noticed her mouth water with anticipation. The thought of sitting down with her family and enjoying an enchanting evening was exactly what she was hoping for. And with some luck, Ryan would show up too. With the drama from the night before, she hadn’t even tasted whatever she put in her mouth at dinner. Tonight would be different. She would savor every bite.

Rosie bounded over, wiggling and smiling her goofy dog smile. “Oh Rosie, I can always count on you to get me in a good mood. Did you play all day?” Rosie barked in reply as Ollie and Poppy joined the fun. The two puppies were never far from Rosie or something exciting going on.

Iris and Daisy hurried Lily along to the living room, telling her to close her eyes. “What have you two been up to?” Lily asked enjoying the excitement building inside. The dogs rushed past her, warm air reflected off her face, the refreshing scent of balsam fir filled her nose and quiet Christmas music played in the background.

“Open your eyes!”

Lily’s heart almost stopped at the sight of the beautiful Christmas tree glittering with tiny white lights and all the decorations that Iris had accumulated over the years, including photos of Lily and Daisy when they were in grade school and all the silly ornaments they made for her when they were much younger. The tree stood in front of the big arched picture window, completely blocking it, and Lily had to tilt her head back to find the antique star that always adorned the top of the tree for as long as she could remember. She wrapped her arms around her mother and her sister and pulled them close. “Our first Christmas here with you and Walter in his beautiful house. A new tradition is starting.”

Iris made Lily sit in a soft chair facing the tree with the glowing fireplace to her right. She couldn’t help but admire the stockings hanging from the mantle since there was barely enough room for all of them. Lily counted them. Nine hand knitted big stockings for Walter, Iris, Lily, Daisy, Adam, Ryan and Jennifer, plus Walter’s daughter and son-in-law who would be arriving in time for the wedding. There was also one medium stocking with a reindeer and snowflake pattern for Katie, Jennifer’s daughter. Finally, three small ones with a dog bone pattern for Rosie, Ollie, Poppy and another small stocking with a red mouse pattern for Sweet Pea rounded out the collection. “Who made all the stockings? They’re awesome.”

“I guess you didn’t know that Kari is an experienced knitter. She made them all, an early Christmas present for all of us,” Iris explained.

“I better give her one fantastic Christmas bonus with all the hard work she’s been doing, and finding time for this too.”

Lily sank deeper into the soft cushions, sighing and feeling quite content. Iris put a glass of red wine in her hand and set a tray of hors d’oeuvres on the coffee table in front of her. “Daisy and I whipped together some recipes for your wedding. What do you think?”

“If I eat too many of these, there won’t be room left for whatever is smelling so good in the kitchen. And I won’t fit into my wedding dress,” Lily said as she picked up a bacon wrapped scallop. “I guess it won’t hurt to sample a couple.” She laughed as she popped the whole thing into her mouth. She put two thumbs up while she chewed and swallowed. “That was incredible.” She took a guacamole bruschetta next and licked her lips when that was gone. She sipped her wine and her hand hovered over the tray. “One more.”

Daisy pointed to the spinach, pear, pecan and cranberry pinwheels. “Try one of these, I just found the recipe and I think it’s the best one here.”

“Oh, Daisy. These flavors meld together perfectly,” Lily said after swallowing the treat and closing her eyes.

Iris and Daisy finally sat down with their wine. Walter came in and smiled at the three women. “I’ll never get tired of seeing you all sitting here. Can I sample these now?” He focused on Lily. “Those two,” he pointed to Iris and Daisy, “wouldn’t even let me in the kitchen to see what they’ve been doing.”

Iris patted the seat next to where she was sitting. “We had to let Lily see them before you gobbled everything all up,” she teased.

Lily’s phone rang. “Maybe that’s Ryan. He said he couldn’t come over tonight but there’s always a chance he changed his mind.” Seeing the number, she pouted. “It’s only Tamara.”

After listening to Tamara, Lily felt the blood drain from her face. With shaky hands, she silently closed her phone and looked around the comfortable room, pausing at each face. “Tamara is in jail. Ryan arrested her for the murder of Malcolm Moss.”