Read Trouble Under the Tree (A Nina Quinn Mystery) for Free Online

worked out quite
well.
    Brickhouse’s face hardened, and I followed
her gaze to see Mr. Cabrera standing on the other side of the
atrium.
    She caught my eye and clucked. “I don’t miss
him.”
    “I didn’t say you did.”
    “You were thinking it,” she said.
    “Maybe,” I admitted.
    She folded her arms across her big chest.
“Well, I don’t.”
    “I’m glad we settled that.” Shifting the
conversation, I said, “What have you got there, Flash?”
    He had something in his hand. Proudly, he
held it up, which was quite the struggle. His arthritis made
dexterity almost impossible. “One of my old baseballs.”
    Once upon a time, Flash had been a semi-pro
pitcher. “Did you bring it to get signed today?” Benny had brought
in local sports personalities, including Reds baseball players, for
the opening and there were already big crowds at their booths.
    “Heavens, no. Not unless there are some
old-timers here! Men who truly knew how to play the game.” His
out-of-control bushy gray and white eyebrows rose. “I just want to
show it off. They don’t make balls like this anymore.”
    I smiled. More like he wanted to reminisce
about the good ol’ days with some young fellas who’d be willing to
swap war stories. He headed off to stand in line.
    I caught Brickhouse looking at Mr. Cabrera
again.
    “I don’t miss him!” she insisted.
    “If you say so.”
    She clucked and strode off.
    I looked around for Jean-Claude, but he’d
wandered off as well—probably to buy his coveted stockings.
    Kit and Kevin were nowhere to be seen.
    Benny pushed through the crowd and headed
straight for me, walking pretty fast considering the limp. It was
the only outward indication of his accident. “Have you seen Mrs.
Claus? Fairlane?” he corrected.
    “Last I saw of her, Jenny had fired her and
she was going to find you to get her job back. She didn’t find you,
I take it?”
    He heaved a world-weary sigh. “No. Why did
Jenny fire her?”
    “I believe Fairlane might have groped Santa
one too many times.”
    His brown eyes widened then he asked, “When
was this?”
    “About an hour and a half ago. But Lele was
supposed to be filling in as Mrs. Claus. She should be around here
somewhere.”
    “Well, she’s not,” he said. “And now I don’t
have a Mrs. Claus.” He sized me up.
    “Don’t even think about it.”
    He frowned and limped off.
    Ten minutes later, he and Jenny made a
welcome announcement and started counting down the Christmas tree
lighting.
    I grabbed a good spot by the low granite wall
that circled wide around the spruce. The wall had been put in place
to keep people from getting too close—and hopefully discourage kids
from trying to climb the tree. A giant custom-made Christmas tree
skirt blanketed the space beneath the tree, and large empty boxes
that had been fancily-wrapped like presents dotted the skirt.
    Across from me, Nancy Davidson snapped
pictures of the crowd. Newspaper photographers also took plenty of
shots. Flashbulbs flickered all around me. The excitement in the
room was palpable.
    Someone bumped into me, and I turned and
found Flash scowling. “Dang whippersnappers didn’t even know who
Bobo Newsom was.”
    I was afraid to admit that I didn’t
either.
    “Ten, nine, eight,” Jenny called out.
    “I’m sorry.” I patted his hand and the
baseball he held loosely popped out and rolled toward the tree.
Flash started after it.
    I held him back. “You can’t go in there.”
    “Six, five, four,” Benny said.
    “I dare you to stop me, young lady. That
there’s my ball, and I mean to get it back.”
    “Two, one!” Benny made a grand show of
flipping a giant switch.
    Nothing happened.
    The Christmas tree stayed dark.
    The crowd booed.
    I glanced over at Jenny and Benny, who both
wore looks of sheer panic. Several elves hustled over to the power
box and started tinkering.
    Flash tried to lift his leg over the
wall.
    I grabbed onto him. I couldn’t have him
crawling under the tree.