Jets leaned toward Avery, her eyes bright with anticipation. "So Betty King was blackmailing people… Do say more."
"I was told to keep quiet. But then she's dead now, so I guess it doesn't matter." Avery's speech quickened. "Probably one of those people, the ones she blackmailed, they killed her. Or maybe her mob connection wanted more of the share of her business and was tired of her stingy attitude. Either way she was a horrible woman. Makes sense that someone would eventually bump her off."
"Not someone, but who specifically do you think would kill Betty?" Jets sounded impatient.
Avery, seemingly aware of the attention she'd attracted, leaned back into her chair, looking confident. Her voice came slowly as she explained. "It only took me a day to see Betty for who she was. People coming to the counter. She'd take them in the back room. They'd leave with an envelope clutched in their fist. Happened over and over.
"And then she took Logan aside. He told me later she insisted that the job of Elf Two was to stand inside that stupid nutcracker and listen to people's conversations while they sat on the bench getting warm. He was supposed to report back to her at the end of the day."
"Did he record the conversations?" Jets asked.
"He remembered most of them. Wrote some in a notebook. People would sit on that bench and jabber and he'd just take it all in. He spent most of his time inside that nutcracker," Avery admitted.
Jets cleared her throat. "And what about the notebook?"
"Betty must have taken it from Logan and then used the information to blackmail people. Not everyone gave in, but a lot of people did. They'd come over when Santa and Mrs. Santa opened for business. People would casually hand an envelope to Mrs. Santa. At first I assumed they were paying for the toys. But then I remembered Betty would insist that no money changed hands in the shop. She did everything by card. That's when I got more suspicious and put things together.”
"So the Santa couple was in on the blackmailing?" Jets's voice held an edge.
"I liked Mr. and Mrs. Santa, but they sure looked like part of the blackmailing to me. Kinda made me even more sad about Christmas." Avery frowned.
Michael felt a pit in his stomach. Thorny and Robyn. I don't believe it.
"So tell me, who handed over those envelopes?" Jets asked.
"I only paid attention at first," Avery said abruptly. "I don't know the people who live in Lily Rock. Most of them are strangers to me." Her face was blank.
Michael looked closely at Jets. Is she thinking what I'm thinking? Avery may have conspired with Betty. Maybe she was willing to help out with a little blackmail on the side. Michael's jaw clenched. Janis's eyes narrowed. She stared back at him.
"Thanks for this information. I'll bring it up to Logan when we get together. Then we'll get his point of view."
"Oh, he told me everything," Avery said at once. "He kind of has a crush on me, so he used it as an excuse to chat me up."
Michael sighed. Logan wouldn't be the first teenage boy to get in trouble because of a girl.
Jets shut down her iPad. Before she could speak, Maguire stood and let out a "Yip!"
"Somebody out front?" Michael asked.
"The door's unlocked," Jets said. "Why don't you have a look?"
Maguire glanced back at Michael and then trotted to the door. His paws skittered on the flooring. Michael called out, "Maguire," but the dog began to run, bolting down the hallway.
Michael ran after him calling, "Maguire. Buddy!"
"I'll get Elf One here to sign a written statement of her interview. I'll text you when we're done here," Jets yelled.
Making his way down the hall, he stopped at the entry door. No dog in sight. When he reached for the doorknob he realized that the door had been left ajar. Stepping outside, he looked toward the busy street and then back at the library. No sign of Maguire.
Michael glanced across the street. I'd better check the park first. He waited for traffic to pass and then ducked behind a bumper to sprint toward the sequoias.
Two children stood in front of a snowman, placing a scarf around its neck. A woman nearby clicked photos, calling out advice. "Smile, Kim. Stop scowling, Matthew." Walking past the photo op, Michael looked toward the wooden bench. A couple sat facing each other. They had their mittens wrapped around steaming cups of hot chocolate.
Michael turned to look back across the street. He shook his head in disbelief at what he saw. The animal rescue van, pulled along the curb, looked out of place in the festive Christmas atmosphere. Has someone already told them about Maguire? He crossed the road, dodging slow-moving traffic as he ran zigzag toward the van.
He peered inside the back window. No Maguire. Michael walked around to the driver's side. The open window showed a guy sitting behind the wheel, slumped back into the seat. "Have you seen a labradoodle about a year old?” Michael asked.
"You mean that crazy Maguire?" the guy retorted. "I haven't seen him, but I'd know him. We've picked that dog up half a dozen times. I wish someone would keep track of him. He's becoming a nuisance."
"So no one called you about Maguire?" Michael wanted to make sure that he'd heard correctly.
"Naw, we came up the hill for a Christmas cookie and a coffee. Lily Rock is pretty this time of year. But we'll grab a stray if we see one. Can't be too careful with dogs. And don't forget the coyotes. They get overconfident this time of year. Might try to go after a domestic dog or cat to eat and then scare the kiddies."
Despite the dire warning about the animal food chain, Michael felt relief. "Talk later," he mumbled, taking off toward The Fort. Maybe Maguire went back to see Meadow. Climbing two steps at a time, he made his way to the second floor. Then he walked inside Lady of the Rock.
Meadow stood behind the counter. She looked surprised to see him. "How are you, dear?"
"Is Maguire with you?" He shut the door behind him.
Meadow looked alarmed. "He's not here. I thought you had him."
"He bolted out of the constabulary like he'd seen a squirrel or something. The animal rescue van is on the street, but they haven't seen him either."
Meadow came around the counter. "We'd better find him before they do. I'm afraid he's been picked up so many times, they may cite me for negligence."
"You stay here. I'll keep looking." Michael spun around and bolted out of the door. He walked past the Lady of the Rock window display and around the corner, coming face-to-face with the crime scene at Old Toy Trains.
The nutcracker, appearing relatively unscathed, was still propped against the side of the building, where the paramedics had left it. Its position made it look like an oversized decoration waiting to be packed away after Christmas. Michael scanned the statue when his eyes stopped at the large black boots. He stepped over the crime scene tape to examine more closely.
A gaping hole appeared in each black boot. Someone had removed the bolts. Michael noted the rough wood inside the hole. Whoever unscrewed those bolts must have been in a hurry.
He looked through the shop window. Without lights the place no longer held its festive allure. No Santa to welcome children, the train on the shelf near the ceiling had stopped moving. Even the caboose hung precariously, two wheels off the track.
Sunlight illuminated the decorated window, shining a light on the Old Toy Train ornaments dangling from the branches. The names were still visible. Doc and Skye. Thornton and Robyn. Other names that Michael didn't recognize.
The hair on his neck stood up. Wait a minute. Do those ornaments have any significance? Could they be the names of people Betty was blackmailing? Right in plain sight as if to taunt her victims.
He returned his attention to the nutcracker. I wonder if someone sabotaged that nutcracker, unscrewing the bolts to make it fall. That would explain why it toppled over. Maybe they hid behind it and waited, and when Betty came out the door, one big shove and down it went. Did they intend to kill Betty or just injure her as a warning to back off?
Michael's phone pinged inside his pocket. He pulled it out. A text from Janis Jets.