Ornamental Danger: a holiday short story (Working Stiff Mysteries) Read Free Page B

time to time.
    He gave me a small smile. "Sometimes we have to take jobs we don't really want. Ya know?"
    "Oh, I know. Believe me." I smiled back.
    Convinced that he was going to live for the moment, I went back to the task at hand.
    "This says that the flowers are from Doris Millcomb. Who in the world is Doris Millcomb?"
    He shrugged, and I shrugged in turn.
    Sundae let out a whoop from the doorway. "Oh, honey. Let the games begin. Doris Millcomb has arrived. Only a dozen or so more gifts to come."
    I signed the delivery slip, and the young man saluted me as he backed down the stairs and headed on his way.
    I turned to see Sundae doubled over, her face red with laughter.
    "I don't get it." I tossed one more look at the ridiculously over-the-top arrangement and decided to leave it on the front porch for now.
    Closing the door behind me, I watched my friend struggled for breath.
    "What is so dang funny?"
    She finally managed to get the words out. "Oh queen, my queen…you're being courted."
    And then the laughter continued.

CHAPTER FOUR
     
    "Silver bells, shotgun shells…it's Christmas time in the country." — A Millbrook Christmas Carol
     
    Three pies, two cobblers, and a Christmas wreath later, Sundae headed home, and I tempted Paget out of her room with the promise of dinner at Ms. Lanier's, followed by dessert at Front Porch Café before I had to head back for another night shift at the tree farm.
    As we crossed the lawn, Paget grabbed my arm and halted our forward progress. A car was tooling up the driveway. We stopped to watch the driver exit with a large bag of something with a homemade ribbon bow on it.
    Oh, no. More bribes.
    "Mandy, is that you dear?" A woman in her early sixties with pristine make-up and hair, dressed in a June Cleaver style dress, pearls, and heels made her way to where we stood.
    "Yes. It's me. And you are?"
    "Why, I'm Suzette Granger dear. And I just brought you some goodies for the holidays. There's a little invitation on there to take a look at when you get a moment. I do hope you'll come." Her smile was well over sixty watts even in the twilight sun.
    "Okay, then. Thanks for stopping by." I simply couldn't take another chat with a local about the Christmas lights judging. I was just burnt out on bulb talk.
    "All righty. You have a nice evening now. But don't forget the party. It will be the best ever. No need to let that terrible discovery from this morning bring down the holidays. Right?"
    I knew she was referring to the death of Ms. Strength, but something about the way she threw it in there with her party invitation just seemed a little cold. I smiled and waved as she trotted back to her car and backed down the driveway.
    "I don't like her." Paget startled me.
    "Now, Page, that's not very nice." I corrected my sister, but I didn't exactly disagree with her. There was something about Ms. Granger that didn't sit well with me.
    When I turned to look at Paget, she was facing me with a loving look of concern on her face, and I warmed.
    "Mandy, you're not leaving me, right?"
    I rubbed her bare arm and wondered about the sudden change in topic. She'd obviously heard about Ms. Strength's death. "We've discussed this, Paget. I'm here to stay."
    She seemed to search my eyes as if not totally convinced.
    "What's brought this up, Page?" She turned to look back at our house. Aunt Patty's house. When our aunt had passed away during the early part of summer, it had left Paget without a caretaker and had forced me out of medical school. I'd had a tough time adjusting to life back in my home town after years away at college. But, in the end, I'd decided that I had to stay and be the new constant in my sister's life. She needed me, and come to find out…I sorta needed her too.
    "I just wondered why you had to work two jobs? I mean, now that I'm out of school for the holiday break, I wanted to spend more time with you." She looked down at her feet sheepishly.
    I tugged on one of her new braids. "I told