Christmas Cookie Murder. Leslie Meier

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СКАЧАТЬ with her perfume?”

      “You wouldn’t want that,” agreed Sue, who loved to shop but rarely paid full price, preferring to keep an eye out for sales. She could spot a markdown a mile away.

      Lucy gave the clerk an apologetic little smile, and the two left the stall. In the walkway outside, Lucy grabbed Sue’s arm.

      “Did you see the price?” sputtered Lucy. “Thirty-five dollars for three hangers. I can’t afford that.”

      “You’re not the only one,” said Sue glumly. “I don’t think this is going to be a very happy Christmas season. Money’s too tight.”

      “Isn’t it always this time of year?”

      “This year’s worse,” said Sue, pausing to examine some hand-crafted wooden picture frames. “I’ve never seen it so bad. I’ve already gotten a restraining order, and it’s only Thanksgiving.”

      “Restraining order?”

      “Yeah. The moms at the center get them when the dads and boyfriends start acting up. There’s always one or two during the holidays, but I’ve never had one quite so early.”

      “But the economy’s supposed to be booming.”

      “Not for some of the families using the day-care center. I keep hearing about the lobster quota.”

      “The state had to do that, or there won’t be any lobsters left,” said Lucy. “They have to protect the breeding population. I wrote a story about it for the paper.”

      “I know,” agreed Sue, replacing the frame and moving on to the next booth. “But a lot of people in this town depend on lobsters for a living. They’re really taking a hit.”

      “Hi, Franny!” exclaimed Lucy, waving to the woman in the next booth. “I didn’t know you’d gone into business.”

      Franny Small, a fiftyish woman with tightly permed hair, beamed at them proudly from behind a display of jewelry.

      “Well, you know, the hardware store finally closed—couldn’t compete with that new Home Depot. I was cleaning out the place, and I didn’t know what to do with all the bits and pieces—you know nuts and bolts and stuff like that—and then I had this idea to make jewelry. And well, here I am.”

      “This is hardware?” Lucy looked more closely at a pair of earrings.

      “See—that’s a hex nut. But these are my favorites—they’re dragonflies made from wing nuts. The wings are copper screening.”

      “Look at that, Sue. Aren’t they great?”

      “They’re wonderful,” exclaimed Sue, “and only ten dollars. I’m going to buy a pair to put in Sidra’s stocking.”

      Sidra was Sue’s daughter, recently graduated from college and now working as an assistant producer at a TV station in New York.

      “That’s a good idea,” said Lucy, thinking of her own teenage daughter. “I’ll get a pair for Elizabeth. She’ll love them.”

      “Do you want them gift-wrapped? I use the old brown paper and string from the store—it kind of completes the look.”

      “Sure,” said Lucy. “Thanks.”

      “So, Sue, when is the cookie exchange?” asked Franny, as she tore a sheet of paper from the antique roller salvaged from the hardware store. “I want to be sure to mark my calendar.”

      Sue groaned and Lucy explained. “She says she isn’t having it this year.”

      “That’s too bad,” said Franny, neatly folding the paper so she didn’t have to use tape, and tying the whole thing together with a length of red-and-white string. “Why not?”

      “It just didn’t seem like such a good idea—I didn’t really know who to invite. So many of the old regulars have moved away, and Marge is sick, and…”

      “Can’t you invite some new people?” asked Franny brightly.

      “Yeah, Sue,” said Lucy, pulling out her wallet. “How about inviting some new people? You must know a lot of nice young moms from the day-care center.”

      “I’d love to make some new friends,” said Franny, giving them their change and receipts. “I don’t have much time for myself, what with making the jewelry and running the shop here. I’ve really been too busy to socialize. I’ve been looking forward to the cookie exchange for months.”

      “I knew this was coming,” protested Sue. “New people! You don’t understand. These young moms aren’t like we were. They don’t cook! They buy takeout and frozen stuff. Remember when I invited Krissy, the girl who owns that gym? She brought rice cakes! Somehow she didn’t get the idea of a cookie exchange at all.”

      “They were chocolate-chip rice cakes,” said Lucy, grinning at the memory.

      “Put yourself in their shoes,” said Franny, earnestly. “It must be very hard to raise a family and keep a job—I don’t know how these young girls do it all.”

      “With a lot of help from me,” muttered Sue. “It isn’t just day care, you know. It’s advice, and giving them a shoulder to cry on, and collecting toys and clothes and passing them on to the ones who need them.”

      “You do a fantastic job,” said Lucy.

      “You do,” agreed Franny, turning to help another customer. “But I hope you won’t give up the cookie exchange. I’d really miss it.”

      Lucy gave her a little wave, and they turned to investigate the pottery in the next booth. Lucy picked up a mug, running her fingers over the smooth shape. Then she looked at Sue, who was examining an apple-baker.

      “There’s no way around it. You have to have the cookie exchange. People are counting on you. It wouldn’t be Christmas without it.”

      Sue’s dark hair fell across her face at an angle, and Lucy couldn’t see her expression. She hoped she hadn’t been too persistent, that she hadn’t pushed Sue too hard. She really valued their friendship and didn’t want to jeopardize it. When Sue flicked the hair out of her eyes, Lucy was relieved to see that she was smiling.

      “You’re right, Lucy. It wouldn’t be Christmas without the cookie exchange. But it doesn’t have to be at my house. Why don’t you be the hostess for a change?”

      “Me?” Lucy’s eyebrows shot up.

      “Yup.” Sue pointed a perfectly manicured finger at Lucy. “You.”

      

CHAPTER TWO

      16 days ’til Xmas

      Sue had been right, thought Lucy, pushing open the kitchen door and surveying the mess. Agreeing to host the cookie exchange had been a big mistake. It was СКАЧАТЬ