The Santa Slaughter - A Very Merry Murder Mystery

Chapter 5

"Here. Drink this."

Someone hands me a cup of Maggie's hot chocolate and I take it, lifting it to my lips before I remember to say thank you.

"I can't believe he's de-e-e-a-d!"

"And it happened here! Right here! Omigosh can you imagine if the murderer was here? When we were here?!"

The two teenagers I seem to have become responsible for are both sobbing into my lap and I absent-mindedly shush them, still holding my drink.

After I discovered Bill's body, things started moving really fast. So fast, I can't even remember a lot of it. I'm pretty sure I screamed. Either way, people came running, people who know things like CPR and how to preserve a crime scene. A crime scene. I still can't believe that's what I stumbled into. And to think, I was furious with him.

So was somebody else, evidently.

I shiver, sloshing hot chocolate over the side of my mug. I put it shakily down on the table in front of me and go to wipe my sticky hands on my costume when someone stops me.

"Hang on."

I look up and realize the guy who handed me the hot chocolate in the first place is now holding out a sealed packet of wet wipes. I blink stupidly, trying to place him.

"I'm Rob," he says, opening the packet and fishing one of the wet wipes out. He passes it to me and I take it, wiping the sticky mess carefully from my fingers.

"Rob." It's definitely the first time I've used his name, but at last, my muddled brain clicks into gear. "The reindeer guy?"

"Rob the reindeer guy." He nods, peering past me as one of the two teenagers straightens.

"Where is he? The reindeer, I mean."

"Secured in my van," Rob says. "I should probably go check on him if you don't need me..."

"Meredith?" I'd recognize Jeremy's voice pretty much anywhere and I look over to see him remonstrating with the uniformed police officer standing guard at the entrance to the Hot Chocolate Hut. That's when I realize how empty this place is. The scores of children and parents who were here drinking hot chocolate and enjoying the festive atmosphere are gone, but then I don't suppose there's much point in waiting around to see Santa when Santa is... I gulp, and realize Rob's still waiting for me to reply.

"I'm fine," I say, forcing myself to smile. "Thank you for the hot chocolate."

He winks and strolls off, and I make my way over to where Jeremy is getting extremely agitated about being prevented from coming inside.

"You don't understand! My friend - look, that's her. Meredith! Merry, are you alright? People are saying...well, the word is you found a..." He looks at me, white as a sheet, and I wonder why he looks more traumatized by the news than I feel about actually stumbling over Bill's dead body.

"Can he come in?" I ask the police officer politely. "We won't go out to the - crime scene." This time I manage to say it without cringing and the police officer frowns as if he's not that keen to disobey a direct order from his superior, but eyes Jeremy as if he also doesn't want to prolong their argument by refusing.

"Oh, alright." He stands aside and Jeremy lunges past him, pulling me into an embrace. "But you'll have to explain yourself to Officer Kelly."

"We will," I promise, while Jeremy squeezes the air out of my lungs. I teeter backward, steering him further into the hut and away from the irritated police officer while I wriggle out of my friend's strong arms. "Can you - not?" I manage, at last managing to get free. "I'm fine."