Holly woke up the next morning to a thick coating of frost and that serene feeling you have when it is Christmas Day, and there is nothing at all to worry about. For just one day, she was going to shunt all thoughts of the case from her mind and just enjoy herself. She was due around her parents for lunch, but until then, she had some time to kill. A morning jog followed by a hot chocolate would be just the ticket.
She reached the front door and discovered that a small wrapped box was sitting on her doormat. Holly opened the door to look around and discovered that a further package had been left on the step. Feeling mystified, she brought the packages indoors and put them on the kitchen table, wondering if she dared open them. The package on the doorstep had a label that let her know it was from George, but while it looked just like his writing had on the invitation to the Christmas party, she knew it may still be a forgery. The other present - a small box - had no label and was wrapped in purple paper and tied with a purple bow. Any other time, it might have been exciting to receive a mystery present, but Holly was feeling cautious after the suspected cyanide poisoning.
Feeling very glad that no one could see her, she pulled on a pair of plastic gloves and the balaclava she wore when it was really cold, hoping that her face would be protected. She gingerly unwrapped the present from George, figuring that it would be the safer option.
A beautiful light blue and white scarf, hat, and glove set, was what she found inside. They were all lined with fluffy fleece and she sensed it was an expensive present to have bought. A note fell from the scarf when she picked it up.
Meant to give this to you yesterday when I dropped you off. Have a Merry Christmas.
Love,
George
P.S. Lizzie asked if we wanted to go round her house for a Boxing Day dinner? I think Christian, Lauren, Damien, and a few other couples are going. Give me a ring if you fancy it!
Holly felt her heart leap in her chest when she read the note. It looked like George might not have given up on her after all if he wanted her to attend a couples’ dinner with him. She was tempted to pick up the phone there and then, but decided to text instead - as it was Christmas and she had no wish to intrude on his day.
That just left the other box.
Keeping her gloves and balaclava on, she gingerly pulled on the ribbon and then unfolded the purple paper wrapping. Inside was a dark blue jewellery box. She flipped off the lid and stepped back in case there was some sort of spray mechanism. Nothing jumped out and bit her, so she moved closer and looked in the box at the stunning amethyst and silver necklace that lay there. She gasped and resisted the temptation to touch it - just in case.
A note was pinned to the lid of the box.
From your secret admirer. I can’t stop thinking about you! Merry Christmas. xXx
Holly frowned and wondered again if this was some sort of trap. If she took the gift at face value, it was probably from a man who had some cash to splash. She couldn’t think of anyone (except for George and Rob) she knew who would A - have the money, and B - secretly admire her. George had written his name on his present, and Rob was the kind of guy who came out and said exactly how he was feeling. None of this secret stuff. That was actually why she was dreading their ‘talk’ whenever it was to happen…
She lightly touched the necklace and nothing sprang out or burnt through her gloves. It seemed to be safe, but who had it come from? She had a feeling that she would find out soon. No one sent an expensive present like this one and then didn’t follow it up.
She considered whether or not to wear it, knowing it would act as a symbol of acceptance to whoever had sent it. She really shouldn’t, but it was pretty - and purple and silver were her colours…
She sighed and shut the box. She’d decide later. She definitely wasn’t going to be wearing it to the Boxing Day dinner with George. She smiled when her phone made a sound and she saw that George had sent back a smiley face and a time he’d pick her up.
Holly sat down at her kitchen table, forgoing the jog in favour of hot chocolate. After all, it was Christmas. Although she’d promised herself otherwise, she started thinking about the case. Holly wondered about the people Timothy had been blackmailing. Which one of them had finally snapped?
The next morning, Holly dressed in a dark blue dress with a print of white flowers and wrapped herself up in a faux fur gilet. Then, she added a coat and the scarf and gloves George had bought her. She would wear the hat to a less social occasion, as it would mess up her hair if she put it on now - and her hair didn’t need much encouragement to look like a mess.
“Happy Boxing Day! You liked the present?” George asked, walking up her narrow path and nearly slipping on the ice. She suppressed a giggle.
“Yes, they’re so warm! I’m just sorry I didn't think to get you anything. Christmas sort of jumped up and bit me this year,” she explained, and then felt even more guilty when she remembered that it must have been the same - if not worse - for George.
“Your present is coming with me to this awful couples’ dinner that I’d have to go to alone otherwise,” he said and pulled a face.
Holly felt deflated again but tried to not let it show. Did George really only see her as a friend? He turned to look when a dog barked somewhere down the street, and Holly drank in his white blonde hair, dark eyebrows, and stunning jawline. If only he felt the same way that she did.
“I’m happy to help. Let’s hope that everyone lives to see dessert,” she joked, but it fell flat. They both knew there was a chance that they’d be dining with a killer. All they could hope was that Timothy’s death was to do with his blackmail business, and they didn’t have another psychopath on their hands.
After a brief drive, they pulled up outside Lizzie’s house. It was an idyllic property that must have once been a farmhouse. Set in the middle of nowhere and surrounded by a heathland, the views over the still-frosted fields were stunning. Judging by the number of cars grouped around the house, they weren’t the first to arrive.
The door sprung open and Lizzie practically dragged them inside. “Come in, come in! Did you have a good Christmas? Come and see the duck that Christian has cooked for us! Doesn’t it all look lovely?” she said, never pausing to hear an answer.
Holly and George entered the large living room with a crackling fire in the hearth and several tartan upholstered arm chairs. Three men were standing by the drinks cabinet. Holly looked down the corridor to find Christian walking towards them all. He winked at her.
Lizzie practically jumped on Christian the moment he entered the room and smothered his face with kisses. Everyone in the room looked away. Holly noticed Lauren and Lana exchange a grossed-out look.
“Thank you so much for helping me to cook the dinner,” Lizzie said to Christian. “You’re my angel.”
Holly saw Lana mime sticking her fingers down her throat, her face hidden from Lizzie’s view by the armchair.
“What are we eating? I’m super hungry,” a new woman said entering the room. The man with the posh voice who’d asked about Holly’s piano playing moved next to her. She vaguely remembered the woman being called Vanessa. She’d learned a lot of names two nights ago when they’d been waiting to get interviewed. There’d been nothing to do but chat.
“Yes, let’s all sit down!” Lizzie said, ushering them into the dining room.
Holly held back and tilted her head at George. “Is Lizzie a company director?”
He shook his head. “No, she’s head of PR. You can probably tell,” he added dryly. “She’s dating a company director, though. Christian is my business partner. As is Damien, who is here with Vanessa,” he explained.
Holly raised an eyebrow. “So, everyone dates each other in the office? Doesn’t that lead to trouble?”
George shrugged but his facial expression hinted at what he really felt. “You can’t stop it from happening,” was all he said.
Lizzie rushed back into the room and seized George’s arm, a smile ever present on her face. “Come on, George, I’ve saved the best seat for you,” she said, and it didn’t escape Holly’s notice that she didn’t refer to Holly at all. She wondered if there was some history between the two.
“See you in there,” Christian said to her, walking past when George had been dragged away. His hand rested on her arm for a second and she felt his thumb stroke her skin, before he walked away in the direction of the kitchen, leaving Holly to wonder if she’d imagined it.
“George… George!” she hissed when she’d managed to sit down beside him at the table. “This isn’t a swingers’ party or anything, is it?” she asked, feeling horrified by the thought.
George gave her an odd look. “No, why would you think that?”
Holly opened her mouth to answer and then shut it again. Perhaps she was just imagining the strange way Christian was behaving - and the tension between George and Lizzie was almost certainly ancient history. She didn’t want to know.
“I was just kidding,” she said weakly. Fortunately, the prawn and avocado starters were served and Holly didn’t have to talk to George again for the next several minutes.
The conversation focused on the company and what the New Year would bring for them. Holly found her attention drifting. She looked around the room at the photo frames. Quite a few photos showed pictures of a very young Lizzie and a boy, close to her age. The boy had light-brown hair and a deep tan that made him look like he might have some hispanic blood, in stark contrast to Lizzie’s pale face and red hair. She didn’t know why, but there was something about the boy’s facial expression that hinted there might be something wrong with him.
There was a lapse in conversation and Holly thought it would be a great idea to do some bonding with Lizzie over the old photos. People loved to talk about that stuff!
“I was just admiring your photos, Lizzie. Who’s the boy in the pictures with you?”
A hush descended in the room. Holly looked around at all of the blank faces. “…Sorry?” she said, wondering what she’d done wrong.
“It’s okay. That’s Jason. He’s my brother, but he died when we were teenagers. There was an accident. We were out walking close to this house. He fell into the river and drowned,” Lizzie explained. There was a long pause before she pushed herself upright, the smile only slipping from her face for a second. “Now, who wants dessert?”
Holly pulled an apologetic face at George and tried to ignore the amused looks Christian was giving her across the table. What was his deal?
Something creaked above them. Holly glanced up.
George shrugged. “I guess Lizzie’s either got a ghost up there, or rats,” he said, and they shared a smile. Holly’s smile was a little wider as she felt a wave of relief that George had forgiven her for her unknowing faux pas.
“George, I made this dessert with you in mind because I know you love chocolate. It’s my almost famous, death by chocolate pudding,” Lizzie practically oozed over George when she put the plate down on the table. Holly accidentally caught the eye of Lana and Lauren. They both looked sympathetic.
Holly bit her tongue and ate some dessert. George would have to make his own decision.
She just hoped he picked her.