Six

There was a tap on the door, and someone called for Luna. Something about a slight issue regarding the pond deck being damaged.

She sighed heavily and turned, wrapping her hand around the doorknob. “That is something Katrina should be dealing with.”

Another question popped into my head and I rushed it out before she left. “Did all the cast and crew members receive Yeti cups?”

Slowly, she turned the upper half of her body and faced me. “You sure do have a lot of questions.”

“Marie is my friend’s cousin. I’m just trying to make sense of her death.”

“When you get to be my age,” Luna said, “you’ll realize life throws out more questions than answers. If you try and answer them all, you’ll never enjoy life as you’re constantly chasing down answers.”

“Sometimes the questions life throws out deserve answers. Marie had a cup with her when she left and then I found one outside. If Marie left with it, how was it here?”

Luna tilted her head to the side. “That is quite a mystery isn’t it. I know Marie had some customized cups created for the cast. She wanted to test out a crafter. She might’ve kept one for herself.”

She opened the door and left. There was ruckus coming from downstairs. I walked out and peered over the banister on the second floor, making sure to keep my feet planted firmly on the carpeted floor.

The hallway and first floor of the house were a scene of chaos. Men and women rushed from one end of the house to the other. Bodies weaving around each other. I was surprised no one collided. Everyone was moving at top speed, either carrying something or adjusting a light here, a rug there. There were lights set up all around the living room, and just past the spiral staircase, railing decorated with lighted garland, was the dining room where lights were also distributed about along with boom mics. It almost looked like a store for film equipment.

The sheriff headed straight for the door, ignoring everyone as he weaved in and out of the workers. He’d know if there had been another phone in the car. The big question was would he tell me. As I told Luna, he wasn’t the sharing type, but he might be the exchange-information type. Like finding out Marie had a second phone.

“Sheriff Rhodes,” I called out.

He paused for a moment, glaring toward the right side, one hand wrapped around the knob. Without a word, he opened the door and slammed it shut.

That wasn’t going to stop me. I followed him outside. There was as much hustle and bustle outside as there was inside. It seemed like everyone was behind today. Strings of lights were being tossed down from the roof and other workers scrambled below to catch the ends and wrap them artistically around the front columns.

“We need to talk, Sheriff.” I used my mom-isn’t-done-with-this-conversation voice. It had always worked on my children. Not so much with a sheriff. He continued forward, not slowing down for a second. I picked up my pace. The man was on a mission, and I wasn’t sure if it was ignoring me or he had a police matter needing his attention. I wasn’t sure which one I hoped it was. I hated to think someone was in dire need, but it also troubled me that he might be deliberately ignoring me. I jumped down the last step, trying to reach him before he got into the sheriff’s car parked in the driveway. “Why did you say that to Luna? It isn’t—”

The sheriff whipped around, a tense expression on his face. I stopped talking.

Crew members who were decorating the front porch paused and stared at us before dropping their gazes and pretending to resume working.

“This isn’t the place for this conversation.” He took hold of my elbow and guided me around the house toward where the golf cart I drove was parked.

It felt a little eerie behind the house. It was quiet and there was no one back there besides me and the sheriff. Off in the distance, a few crew members were carrying boxes out of the shed and placing them on the ground. I tugged away from the sheriff and placed one hand on the frame of the golf cart, readying to jump into it and speed away, or at least as speedy as one could in a golf cart. The last year, or rather my ex-husband’s and some town people’s murders, had made me a little jumpy and suspicious. I was no longer quite the carefree, all was merry and bright, Merry Winters. There was a slight edge to me now and I realized not everyone deserved a place on Santa’s nice list. Some people deserved nothing but coal—and jail time—for the rest of their lives.

I wasn’t sure how I liked this new outlook on life. I missed the days where I viewed everything with a childlike Christmas morning wonder. I had truly believed for a long time that everything could work out with enough love, faith, and belief in good.

The sheriff sighed and dipped his head. “I had to twist the truth when I talked with Luna.”

I gaped at him. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting but it sure wasn’t him admitting he lied. “Why?” It was the only thought that fully formed in my head.

He studied me for a long moment then released a sighed. He tugged down his sheriff’s hat, shielding his face from the sun. “There is something off about Marie’s death. I think you know it too. The less people who know about my suspicions, the better chance I have at getting the truth. The less people who know the details, the easier for me to narrow down the suspect list. Someone will trip themselves up. The only people who knew Marie’s plans are the cast and crew. It’s best everyone here believes it’s being written off as an accident.”

My cheeks flushed. I was letting my imagination get away from me. It was a reasonable, logical, law enforcement reason. “I found her cup, or what could possibly be her cup, on the dirt road leading from the cast and crew area to Luna’s house.”

His eyes widened. “Where is it?”

“I took it inside.”

Static crackled over his radio. He tapped his fingers on a button. “I have to take care of whatever is going on. Can you bring it to me? Be careful you don’t get too many of your fingerprints on it.”

“I found it on the ground. Kind of ran over it.”

“No problem. Bring it to me, or better I’ll stop by tonight and pick it up. Don’t want anyone getting suspicious about you leaving.”

“Did you find another phone? Marie usually carried two.”

He frowned. “It’s not a good idea for you to go around questioning people.”

It wasn’t the first time I heard that statement directed at me. “I’m just trying to make sense of all of this.”

“That’s my job. I shouldn’t even be asking you to find the cup for me, but the cast and crew and are determined to do what they can to make things hard on me. Wherever I go, they follow, marking it hard for a discrete investigation.”

“Likely because Luna requested it.”

He snorted out a small laugh. A squawk came from the radio on his vest followed by some garbled words. “I figured that. I have to answer this. Stay safe.” He strode away, talking into the radio attached to his vest.

Stay safe. A shudder raced down my spine. Was the sheriff giving me a vague warning or did he have reason to believe my involvement placed me in danger? I had to get the cup, which might be a clue and was in one of the boxes of the decorations I brought.

I hurried inside and froze. Everywhere Christmas decorations were scattered on the floor. The decorations. The box. Marie’s cup. Evidence. I had to get it. I scanned the area for any of the items I created. The living room. The main Christmas tree was going in the living room for the party scene. My boxes were in there.

In the large room was a twelve-foot Christmas tree. The Christmas tree branches were being twisted and adjusted, trying to make them just so as the ornaments were being placed on them and then adjusted. Most times by just a fraction of an inch. The white frosted bulbs with black vinyl images of Christmas scenes that also doubled as clues for the mystery would stand out on the massive tree. There were simple green lights on the tree, almost blending into the branches. It wasn’t easy for Bright and me to come up with designs that said Christmas and also tied into the murder mystery, but with help from the script writer and the production team, we were able to find the perfect mix.

In the corner were boxes that had been broken down. Where was the cup? I scanned the room, looking for the stainless steel cup. Panic flared. It was potential evidence. I crawled under the Christmas tree, careful not to jostle any of the bulbs or the tree itself. Nope. It hadn’t rolled underneath. I shimmied out. If I found a Yeti cup and remembered to move it from a box, where would I put it? The crew knew who the boxes belonged to, so they’d either take it into the kitchen or return it to the golf cart assigned to me.

Relief flooded through me. I loved it when a potentially huge problem remedied itself with only a bit of anxiety, and with a rational idea. Sometimes my mind ventured into the realm of suitable happenings or solutions only deemed possible for superhero movies. I weaved my way through the throngs of people and walked into the kitchen. It was a beautiful space, all white and silver. Sunlight bounced off enormous stainless steel appliances. Every burner on the gas stove had a pot, steam rising from them. The refrigerator was large enough to hold enough food for a basketball team and tucked up against it was a freezer of the same size. There was a line of fresh fruits, vegetables, and condiments on the white marble countertop.

A young man turned away from the stove and stepped into my path, crossing his arms and glaring down at me. “You are not allowed in here.”

“Just wanted to check the sink.” I took a step to the right. He matched it.

“This kitchen is off-limits to the cast and crew.”

“I wanted to see if someone put a cup I’m missing in the sink.” Once again, I tried going around him, and failed.

“As I said, the kitchen is off-limits to the cast and crew. No one would’ve placed anything in the sink.”

“Maybe someone from the kitchen staff found it and put it in the sink.” I was doing my best to keep my temper. When one wanted a favor, it was best not to yell or get snippy with the only person able to grant it.

“The kitchen staff is comprised of two people: the chef and I. Chef Olivia would not collect cups from the main house. And I know better than to bring anything unapproved into this kitchen.” He took hold of my elbow and led me out. “Which includes letting you stay.”

Olivia. The name danced around in my head like sugarplums on Christmas Eve night. There was something about it I knew but couldn’t quite grasp. I tugged away from his grip, hoping another quick peek into the kitchen brought to mind what I was desperately trying to remember. The space I stood in was a small gap separating the kitchen from the massive area I guessed was usually a dining space reserved for large dinner parties. Currently, it was housing multiple eight-foot-long tables still compressed and leaning against the wall, cloth tablecloths, punch bowls, and boxes labeled “plastic wine glasses.” I tried peering over his shoulder, but the doors fluttered close blocking the view from me.

“Can you check the sink?” I asked.

“No. And if I see an unauthorized item in Ms. Carmichael’s kitchen, I will pitch it into the trash.” He pivoted on his heel and slipped between the doors.

Grumbling under my breath, I headed toward the front room. Someone must’ve seen it. Even though Luna said Marie had them made for the cast and crew, I hadn’t seen anyone else carrying one around or one laying around the set. Maybe Marie only had one made. Why place a bulk order for an item when you wanted to check out the quality of an item? Unless Marie wanted to test if the crafter was capable of making a large order under time constraints.

“Lose something?” A deep, don’t-argue-with-me baritone asked.

I turned and sitting in an ornate rocker, in the other room, was the most unimposing security guard I’d ever seen. He stood, unfolding his body from the chair. The guy was tall, nearly six-foot-three and whippet thin. Even his height didn’t make him a commanding figure. No wonder the production was riddled with pranks. No one would take the guards seriously if they all dressed like the one before me.

He was wearing the same navy polo shirt as the rest of the security detail, but instead of black pants, he wore a matching shade of navy cotton shorts with parrots embroidered on them. White crew socks were pulled up over his calves and his canvas shoes were tie-dyed in greens, blues, and reds to match the parrots on his shorts. A pair of mirror sunglasses rested on his head with a tube-like sport retainer attached to the frames.

“A cup. Tumbler. It has a decal on it about drama. A Yeti.” I added in the brand, hoping that explained the tension in my voice. Those tumblers were expensive. “I had it in the box with the items I brought in to decorate. It’s not in the living room and then I checked the kitchen. Or tried to.”

“Luna doesn’t like anyone in her kitchen. Except for the chef and her snotty sous chef. Kid thinks he’s working for the queen. Did you check the coffee station? I leave my cup there all the time. Get distracted or asked to head somewhere else and my poor cup gets left behind.”

Coffee station was another good place. “Thanks. I hadn’t thought of that. I know I didn’t leave it there, but maybe someone found it and put it there.”

“Must be an important cup.” The tone of his voice caused me to pause and study him.

“Kind of is,” I said.

The man tipped his head down, causing his sunglasses to fall over his eyes. “Then you should’ve taken some extra time and taken care of your things. Items can disappear. Unfortunately, every workplace, and town, has people you shouldn’t trust.”

“Like who?” I didn’t try to stop the question. I was interested in knowing, even though I was a little suspicious on why he was sharing all of this with me.

“Take a look around. Anyone of them here will turn on each other. For the right incentive. The real truth lurks right under the truth they’re willing to show.”

“Is that why Luna hired security guards? Because she can’t trust anyone.”

“It’s because someone out there is determined to see her career end. And instead of getting rid of those she suspects, she decided playing a game was the better option.”

I stared at the man. “Did you tell the sheriff this?”

An eyebrow quirked above the rim of his sunglasses. He barked out a laugh. “Did you see how he cared about the fire this morning?”

“He wasn’t there this morning,” I said.

“Exactly.” He nodded once and walked to the front door, pausing to gaze down at a spot before heading out the door. “Earlier, I saw the sheriff pick up an item and it glittered a bit. I wonder if it was your Yeti. But why would he want it? Now that I think about it, Luna’s assistant, the one who died, had the same type of cup as you. Never saw that woman without her phone or coffee. Interesting the two of you have the same cup.”

“Lot of people on the cast and crew had one.” I hurried out the excuse.

He tilted his head. “Really. Haven’t seen anyone else with one.”

The sheriff had been honest with me—a stranger. Too honest if I thought about it. What if he was trying to throw me off track? An ache developed in my stomach. I didn’t like where my thoughts were going. I was basing everything off a feeling. Like not believing Marie, a former police officer, would leave a car after she was injured and head toward an abandoned house, and being suspicious that she didn’t her use her work phone to call for help.

“You don’t like the sheriff much do you.”

“Nope.” The man grinned. “Is it that obvious?”

“Yes.”

“Makes me a little nervous when two people argue, and one ends up dead.”

I swallowed hard. “She died in a car accident. The sheriff wasn’t the only one to have words with Marie.”

“If you mean Luna, those two always bickered. It was the basis of their working relationship. Luna ordered, Marie argued. Marie corrected, Luna smarted off.”

“You sure know a lot about them.”

“What can I say, I’m around a lot. I’m like the Three Wise Monkeys. Instead of not seeing, hearing, or speaking evil, I hear it and see it all.”

At least he left out the speaking it—unless that was what he was doing now. “Why don’t you tell the police about your suspicions?”

“What suspicions?” the guy asked, not even bothering to look back at me.

What game was this guy playing? Ignoring self-preservation in my quest for the truth, I followed after him. With his long legs, and my short ones, I was running to keep up with him. “About the argument between the sheriff and Marie giving you the feeling something evil was going on. Why tell me instead of the police?”

“I was just conversing with you and saying what a shame they fought before she died. It’s interesting you used the word suspicion. What would I be suspicious of?”

Heat flickered across my cheeks. He was right. I took his words as him being suspicious of the sheriff, all the guy had said was the sheriff said something impolite to someone. “It sounded like you were suspicious of him. Must be the environment I’m in. The mystery movie.”

“Even if I thought something odd was happening around here, they’re not inclined to believe me.” He stopped and spun around, almost colliding into me. A hopeful look sprang into his eyes. “The chief will listen and believe you. You have no agenda against any of us.”

I held back a frown. That was an odd thing to say. Did everyone on the set have something against each other?

“Why won’t they believe you?”

“Past behavior.” He mimicked drinking a lot of bottles. “Had a few runs in with the police.”

“Okay. I’ll tell them. First, I need to get Ebenezer then I’ll head into town and talk with the police. It would be good if you came also, fill them in on what you know.”

“Find your Ebenezer and tell him to hurry up. The chief starts her patrol in an hour. You want to get there before she leaves.”

“Ebenezer’s my guinea pig. I don’t think I should leave him in the house for other people to look after. One pet has already escaped, I didn’t want Ebenezer to run off and join the cat in whatever adventure he’s on.”

“Luna likes yours, so I don’t think it’ll disappear.” He pulled a set of keys from his pocket and held it out to me. Three keys dangled from a sloppily put together paracord keychain. “You can take my jeep.”

“The police might want to talk to you.”

“They know where to find me. I should stay here. For Luna’s safety.”

I frowned. “Why do you think Luna is in danger?”

“Why else would Luna hire a PI? Nobody else here has figured it out but Marie wasn’t no assistant.”

“How do you know?”

“Because she told me.”

  

The guard’s car shuttered and groaned, the jeep looked and sounded like it was pushing out its last mile. The vehicle’s body was a mix of blue, red, white, and rust. The canvas top barely existed; it had more holes than fabric. The guard’s comment swirled in my head. She had told him. I should’ve had him specify which she—Marie or Luna.

Ebenezer was squished into a corner of his carrier, head facing away from me. I wasn’t sure if he was snoozing or hiding in terror. The drive was bumpy. The roads heading into town was more potholes than anything else. Bits of rocks and asphalt pinged against the car. No wonder most of the cast and crew walked into town rather than drive. I swore it was taking me longer having to slow down and navigate around and over all the holes in the road. You’d think the town would fix it up with the movie being filmed.

Fortunately, it was only two and half miles to Carol Lake and the small town—really small town—was now right in front of us. The road evened out and freshly paved roads greeted me. The town must’ve run out of money before paving the way from Luna’s house to Carol Lake, or else they really didn’t want to make it easy for the visitors to show up.

The town of Carol Lake was situated around a tiny body of water I’d label a large pond. The shops were around the perimeter of the lake with a few houses scattered here and there among shops and in clusters behind the buildings. At the start of the bend was a local grocery store. The bright yellow and green building had a manger scene attached to its roof. It was hard to tell if the sign saying Carol Lake was to let visitors know if they entered or exited the small town. A walking bridge stretched from one side of the lake to the other. There was a wooden town map a few feet away from the bridge.

I gazed off into the horizon. There was a building with weathered 2x4s over the entire façade. Straining my eyes, I saw that the green windows were spaced evenly apart on the first and second floor of the building. Green columns held up what appeared to be a second story deck in front of the windows. It was the only building in Carol Lake that wasn’t near the water. It was set apart from the other businesses in town, on top of a slight hill.

I parked in a spot near the town square. I opened the rear passenger door and retrieved Ebenezer, who was in his carrier. “Let’s go see where the police station is located.”

Slipping the strap onto my shoulder, I walked over and checked out the wooden map of Carol Lake. The side of the map listed facts about Carol Lake. The lake wasn’t very deep, eight feet seven inches at its deepest point. There was a warning on the map about poisonous snakes being in the water and no swimming or diving permitted. I gazed at the clear water. It looked safe and inviting, hard to imagine it wasn’t suitable for a nice swim on a hot summer day. But just like other things in life that seemed safe wasn’t and at least the lake had a warning. Other areas of life you didn’t get a warning before you ventured into danger. You just found yourself in it and had to struggle to get out of it.

I pulled myself out of my thoughts and searched the map for the police station. It was on the other side of the lake, a short walk across the bridge and then five store fronts down from the end of the bridge. Even though it was hot, I opted for walking instead of driving around the lake. I wanted to get a look at the stores and see if any had items suitable for replacing the damaged items, and since I spent most days sitting because of my crafting, I took any opportunity that qualified as exercising.

The smells of Christmas greeted me. Almond. Gingerbread. Peppermint. There was a bakery at the corner and a display unit in front of the window was filled with all sorts of sugar, goodness, and Christmas treats with a large sign proclaiming it was Christmas in December. Might make a stop on my way back to the car. It was hard for me to pass up Christmas cookies.

The town square had piles of wood placed throughout in a semi-circle. I walked through the square, taking note of the bundles. The Christmas bazaar scene was being shot in town and the stacks of wood were likely the material to build the booth. From the stacks on the ground, I estimated at least twenty booths. Of course, with the magic of movies, the supplies for twenty booths might actually turn into forty or more. Attached to the piles of 2x4s were labels. I knelt down and read a few. Pie booth. Cookie booth. Soaps. Wreaths. Ornaments. Personalized signs.

At least the pies and cookies were out of my hands, though I could bake some fantastic Christmas cookies. It was one of my favorite Christmas-time activities. Of course, there was the little issue of all the crafts I needed to make. No cookie baking for me. There was the local crafter who might help out. Hopefully the manner in which Luna told her she picked someone else for the job wasn’t too off-putting as Ike’s recollection of the words between Luna and Marie suggested.

I took out my cell and searched Facebook for Sharon Zimmerman and found her business page. I scrolled through it. There wasn’t a phone number listed. Either Luna was mistaken about it, or Sharon had removed it, and if that was the case, it didn’t bode well for my mission of gaining her help for the movie. I sent her a message stating her name had been passed onto me as a local crafter who might have some items available for purchase. There was an issue on the set that had made it necessary to replace some of the crafts. I hoped there was enough intrigue in the message that piqued her interest and made her contact me.

Tucking my phone into the side pocket of Ebenezer’s carrier, I took note of the buildings I saw. Across the way there was a toy store, bakery, and a small clinic. There was a lot of Christmas decorations on the backs of the buildings. I paused and looked back over my shoulder, behind me the buildings were blank canvases. Only half of Carol Lake was being used for the film, or the other properties planned on decorating today.

I stepped onto the wooden bridge and tested it. The sun glinted off the smooth water of the lake. The bridge swayed a little under my feet. I gripped the railing with one hand and tightened the other on the strap. Ebenezer whistled a few times then settled down. I didn’t want him bouncing around in his cage and adding to the swaying affect. The slats had a few centimeters between each other, giving glimpses of the water beneath. I preferred solid ground, or at least a solid foundation, under my feet, especially when walking over a body of water. I was already a little leery about crossing the bridge. It wasn’t too far of a fall into the water, but my swimming skills were basically non-existent, and I didn’t want to test them out. I doubted Ebenezer would appreciate a dunk in the pond. Especially knowing there were poisonous snakes residing in the lake. A slight breeze cooled the air. It didn’t take long to cross to the other side.

The Carol Lake Police department was one of three offices located in a brick building that resembled a townhouse. There were three separate white awnings over the doors of the different establishments. The police department was the first in line followed by the health department office and the town bank. There were four parking spots in front of the building, and all were taken.

I placed the strap of Ebenezer’s tote on my shoulder and walked into the police department. There were two desks and chairs in the front room and in the back, there was one private office with large windows to see out into the area.

A nearly six-foot-tall striking woman wearing a police uniform stood near the desk, flipping a calendar with her left hand while her right was cupped to her ear. She looked through the window and spotted me. With a nod, she held up a finger, and shifted so I saw she was on a cell phone.

She ended the call and walked out of the office, eyeing the pet carrier. “Let me guess, the director Edward Yale sent you over to file a formal complaint about my officers’ handling of the situation this morning. Tell him Chief Quinn handled the matter.”

I’d ask how she knew I was with the production, but in a town this size, and one that didn’t seem to have much of a tourist business, I was either employed by Yale or was a visiting relative. I was sure she knew everyone who lived in Carol Lake and their relatives. Was it better to go with the truth from the start and ease my way into it? I placed the tote on a desk, positioning it to where the mesh part faced the chief.

The woman heaved out a sigh and picked up a set of car keys, glancing at the clock on the wall. Right. She had patrol duty in an hour. Now, less than an hour. Our police chief never went on regular patrol duty, but then again Season’s Greetings had more than two officers on the police force.

“No. Luna Carmichael might be in danger and I thought the police should know. Keep an eye on what’s going on at the movie set.”

“Why would you believe that?”

“Her assistant died in what appeared to be a car accident.”

Quinn shot up from the desk, body rigid. “The person killed in the accident was Luna’s assistant, Marie?”

Ebenezer drew back quickly, smacking the back of the fabric carrier and almost skidding it and him off the desk. I grabbed the handle and placed him on the floor.

Should I tell her the sheriff was investigating it? What if he suspected someone in town? “I was the one who saw her car and called 911. Something felt off about the scene. Like her wandering away and not calling for help.”

“I’m sure it’s being investigated.”

“Yes. The sheriff showed up at the scene.”

“Then the case is in the sheriff department’s hands and they wouldn’t appreciate another law enforcement department butting into their investigation.”

“Someone told me he heard Sheriff Rhodes and Marie having words sometime before her death.”

“Bringing that up now sounds like an accusation, Ms…” She trailed off, voice hardening with each word.

Ebenezer whistled. The sharp noise had the chief staring at him.

“I’m Merry Winters. This is Ebenezer. I don’t like spreading rumors, but I’d feel horrible if something happened to Luna and I hadn’t told the police what I know and heard. Marie was driving Luna’s car.”

Chief Quinn leaned against a desk and motioned for me to continue. “I’ll hear you out.”

I wished the security guard had come with me to tell her what he saw. In this situation, two were better than one. “The sheriff came to tell her about Marie’s death. Luna wanted to see the car…”

Quinn tilted her head to the side and leaned forward. “That seems a little odd.”

I swallowed hard, starting to regret my decision to speak to the chief as my words might turn Luna into a suspect. “Luna mentioned needing information for insurance purposes.”

Leaning over, the police chief tugged a pad of paper and pen toward her and scribbled on it. “You saw Marie drive away from the set? Did the car make any unusual sounds? Was there anyone else at the scene of the accident? Besides you, the sheriff, and the victim?”

I shook my head and held in a groan. I was turning Luna into a suspect. “No.”

Chief Quinn looked up and met my gaze. “I keep tabs on what’s going on in the neighboring jurisdictions. I heard about the car accident with a fatality. There was no mention of a witness.”

“Would there be?”

“It would help to reconstruct the scene and know what happened. Why was that kept quiet?”

“I didn’t see it happen. I came across it later,” I said. “Marie had left over two hours before I did. She was going to Harmony to get coffee for Luna and mail out a manuscript to Luna’s attorney.”

The chief paced around the room. “Anything else you think I should know?”

“I found Marie’s cup, or one that looks like hers, near the sharp turn leaving the area where the cast and crew are living. It’s a design Luna says others on the set have, but I haven’t seen another one like it. Yet.”

“I’ll follow you back to Luna’s and pick it up. I’ll get it to the sheriff. Best not leave possible evidence in civilian’s hands and for him to send out for prints. We don’t have the proper equipment here.” She stretched out her arms as if giving a tour of the department. Quick tour. Two desks. Two files cabinets. At the back of the room was a small refrigerator and a coffee pot.

I drew in a fortifying breath and braced myself for a reaction. “It’s gone.”

“Gone.” She sat on the edge of the desk, fingering her handcuffs.

I had a bad feeling she thought I was toying with her. “I put it in a box with the craft props I made for the film. When I went to get the cup and turn it over, it was gone.”

Something in my expression told the chief I was holding back because she frowned and leaned forward, almost eye-to-eye with me. “You have a person in mind who took it.”

I squirmed. “Someone else does.”

“Someone saw who took it.”

“A guard on the set hinted the sheriff took it.”

Her shoulders slumped forward, and she covered her face with a hand, shaking her head back and forth. “Let me guess, six-foot-three. Skinny. An odd taste in shorts.”

I nodded.

“Merry, the best advice I can give you is to ignore any opinions that man has about Sheriff Rhodes. My cousin, Vernon O’Neal, is usually a good judge of character except when it comes to Rhodes.”

“Why?”

“Why?” Her voice grew weary. “Because before Luna recently invited, and then disinvited, Sheriff Randolph Rhodes from her life, she was married to my cousin. Luna’s three loves in life are acting, trouble, and men, and which takes the top spot changes from day to day. If I were you, I’d keep a nice distance from Vernon. It’s best not to follow him on his tangents. He’s been trying to prove the evilness of Randolph Rhodes ever since the man caught Luna’s eye over forty-six years ago. It’s best for you to stay away from the pot Vernon is stirring and planning on throwing Rhodes into.”