“Dad—your cheek,” Taylor exclaimed.
After my date with death, I’d almost forgotten about the shot Gooch delivered to my face. I touched the red, swollen flesh and pain shot through my entire body. Nurse Taylor ran and got me a bag of ice.
“Daddy—you got dirt all over your reindeer,” Zooey pointed out, and didn’t seem happy about it.
I looked down to see my reindeer sweater coated in soot from the cellar, mixed with some blood that gave it an edgier look.
“We can wash it, honey,” I told her, still unable to shake the vision of Gooch tossing my children into the coal furnace. “The important thing is that you’re safe.”
I wanted to take the twins into my arms and not let them go. But I didn’t have that kind of time. And knowing them, they would want no part of me dirtying up their Christmas dresses.
“Somebody needs to call the police. Scroggie and Gooch are in the cellar,” I said.
“And Jacqueline was found tied up on the porch,” Libby added, staring suspiciously at me.
I looked away. “Seems as if they turned on each other. But the important thing is that they’ll be going away for a long time for taking you hostage.”
“And they’re not the only ones,” Libby said, glaring at her father. “Someone else admitted crimes here tonight, and needs to pay the consequences.”
Alexander was indignant. “I told him what he wanted to hear, Elizabeth. Those men were crazy—they cut off my finger, for goodness sake!”
I couldn’t believe that I was about to defend Alexander Wainwright, but, “Anything your father said was under duress. Having worked in the legal department at Wainwright & Lennox, I would be willing to testify that their business practices were always on the up-and-up.”
I think the only thing keeping Libby from strangling me was her confusion. But Taylor also risked a lengthy grounding to take my side, “Yeah, I didn’t hear Grandpa say anything.”
I’d taught her well, at least when it came to maintaining that trust fund.
With an annoyed look, Taylor signaled Alex to join forces. “I didn’t hear anything, either,” he added.
Before Libby could question our turncoat status, a visitor surprised her. “I figured if you couldn’t come to me tonight, I’d come to you,” Ned said in his usual enthusiastic style as he bounced into the room, carrying a large bouquet of flowers.
They embraced, and then Ned asked, “How’s your father? I was worried.”
Libby peered across the room at her father. “He’s going to be fine. Just a carving accident with his finger. I thought it was much worse, but I guess I was mistaken.”
I smiled at Alexander. He didn’t return it, but at least didn’t look like he’d bitten into a lemon like he normally did when he saw me. I did save him from a potential prison sentence, or at least an embarrassing arrest and the possibility of being prosecuted by his own daughter, and my smile told him that it wouldn’t come for free. He would owe me a favor, a big one. And I would be collecting tonight.
This was about as close as we’d ever get to joining forces. Scroggie must have thought pretty low of me to think that I’d ever work with Alexander, or that I’d trust him to hide the money on his property. Perhaps I was the one who should have gotten the lead in the Christmas play.
“It’s still not too late to come to the city,” Ned said. “I was hoping the girls would help me trim my tree.”
“I’d like that,” Libby responded. The twins looked excited by this news—the events of tonight already washed from their mind.
“And for Taylor and Alex, I have movies. I wasn’t sure what you like, so I think I got every Christmas movie ever made.”
Taylor gave me a “do we have to?” look. And I nodded that they did. It was important to their mother, and who knows, maybe Ned would become a permanent part of their Christmases from here on out. And worst-case scenario, now that their trust funds were secure, he might be able to get them a great deal on a penthouse apartment one day.
Then Ned surprised me, asking, “You’re welcome to come, Kris, if you’re interested.”
Libby’s face told me that I better not be interested. And I wasn’t. “Thanks for the offer, but I have to work tonight.”
He looked surprised. “You have to work on Christmas Eve?”
I smiled. “My boss doesn’t pay me enough, so I had to pick up a second job.”
***
The Greenwich police arrived at Wainwright Manor approximately twenty minutes later. Stone Scroggie—once he was dug out from the rubble—was arrested and charged with hostage taking, among a litany of other crimes. As was Jacqueline Helada.
But after an extensive search of the coal cellar, Gooch was never found.