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likes to do it up. Everyone brings their kids, so naturally they want Santa there too. It’s so much fun. You should see me all dressed up!”
    “We’d love to.” Judd had laughed.
    “But how, honey?” Willeen asked. She turned to Eben and put her hand on his arm. “We’re not invited to the party,” she said with a flirtatious pout.
    Eben was pretty relaxed at this point. He usually didn’t like to bring anybody back to Kendra’s house. But his Santa suit was in the bedroom there and it was Christmas....
    “Come back to my place for a nightcap!” he’d blurted. “The Wood family is coming on Christmas Day. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.”
    Judd had insisted on paying the check and the three of them headed out into the night together.
    Now in the light of day Eben felt a little guilty about it. Oh well, he thought as he snowplowed back and forth. No use worrying about it now.
    The snow was really coming down and Eben’s goggles were starting to fog up. It was perfect Christmas Eve weather, but Eben was glad when he made it to the bottom. He hurried to his car and secured his skis in the rack on top. I’ll be home in a few minutes, he thought, and I’ll heat up some cider, take a nice hot Jacuzzi, and get ready to ho-ho-ho.
    “Eben.”
    Eben turned his head as he was opening the door to his car. Judd was running toward him.
    “Hi, Judd. What’s going on?”
    Huffing and puffing, Judd told him. “Willeen was sup-posed to pick me up but she had some trouble with the car. Would you mind giving me a lift to the place where we’re staying?”
    Eben tried to sound cordial when he was really anxious to get home. “Well, sure, Judd. Where did you say it was?”
    “It’s just a few minutes outside of town. Not too far.”
    “Hop in.”
    They drove along chatting amiably, heading in the opposite direction of the Woods’ home. Eben stole a peek at his watch, hoping that they’d get there soon. He didn’t have much time now.
    “Turn here,” Judd finally said. He led Eben up a heavily wooded rural road to an old Victorian farmhouse.
    “I see you decided not to go the condo route, huh?” Eben said.
    “We like an old-fashioned kind of place with a little bit of privacy,” Judd replied. “Why don’t you come in for a drink?”
    “Thanks, but I can’t.” Eben didn’t know why all of a sudden he felt uncomfortable. “I told you I’ve got to go be Santa.”
    Judd pulled out a gun from under his jacket and pointed it at Eben’s head. “Don’t worry about Santa. Nobody believes in him anyway. Now get in the house.”
    As his life passed before his eyes, Eben desperately wished he’d obeyed his instinct that morning to remove his things from the guest suite and wipe out the tub.

2
    Summit, New Jersey
    Saturday, December 24
    R EGAN REILLY LEANED back on the big overstuffed couch in her parents’ den and balanced a cup of hot tea in her hands; she was mesmerized by the twinkling lights of the sizable Christmas tree in the corner. Gaily wrapped packages were cozily arranged around its trunk. Tinsel glistened from its branches.
    You’d never know it was a fake, Regan thought. She turned her gaze to the flames lapping evenly in the fireplace. You’d never know the fire was a fake either. Three red felt stockings hanging on the mantel, embroidered with the names Regan, Luke and Nora, completed the perfect Christmas-card scene.
    The old grandfather clock in the hallway started to bong. Five o’clock and all is well, she thought.
    So where are my mommy and daddy?
    Her father, the owner of three funeral homes in the Summit, New Jersey, area, had gone out to take care of a few errands and her mother had gone into New York City to have her tooth repaired by their friend, Dr. Larry Ashkinazy, otherwise known as Mr. Drill, Fill and Bill.
    Regan, a private investigator who lived in Los Angeles, was home with her parents for a few days before they all headed out to Aspen on Christmas Day. Regan was going to