Christmas Tree Catastrophe (Lily Bloom Cozy Mystery Series Book 6) (7 page)

The piano player launched into a rousing version of Jingle Bells which silenced Crystal and Penny’s argument for the moment. More town folks came through the doorway with wide eyes taking in the festive display which made the already magnificent building sparkle like it was dressed to the nines.

Crystal made her way over to the eggnog bowl as Lily went for a refill. “You look lovely tonight, Crystal. You’re necklace is stunning. Where did you get it?”

Crystal’s hand went to the silver reindeer hanging on a delicate silver chain around her neck. “This? Oh, it’s one of my favorites. My mother gave it to me when I turned sixteen. Unfortunately, I recently lost one of the matching earrings. Did anyone find one after we were here Friday night? That’s the last time I remember having them both.”

“No, I’m not aware of anyone finding anything.” Lily was delighted when the guests began to stream through the door. “I expect there will be a big turnout tonight. Are you and Penny running the show since—” she paused and lowered her voice, “Malcolm and Tamara can’t be here?” She caught a fleeting twitch move across Crystal’s face before she managed to paste her smile back in place.

“It’s such a shame that Tamara can’t be here. She always loves this type of huge event. She is so good at organizing everything perfectly.” Crystal leaned closer to Lily with her hand cupped around her mouth. “How is she managing? I can’t imagine being in her shoes, the poor thing,” Crystal asked, trying to sound sincere. “Someone told me her cellmate is a prostitute.”

“Well, you know Tamara. She’s always thinking about everyone but herself. She is already making big plans to help her cellmate. I expect she’ll be out soon since I can’t believe for one second that she killed Malcolm.” Lily turned to stare squarely at Crystal’s face. “Do you?”

Crystal stepped back from Lily with her mouth forming a perfect O. “She didn’t? I heard all the evidence points to her, and, well, apparently she had a motive. Everyone knew about of the constant fighting between Tamara and Malcolm.”

Lily leaned closer and draped her arm around Crystal’s shoulders as if they were best girlfriends, not letting her walk away. “What did you hear?” Silent Night playing in the background helped cover their conversation.

Crystal furtively glanced around the room. “Malcolm told me—”

“Oh, there you are.” Eddie pushed in between Lily and Crystal and put an arm around each one. “Are you two having an interesting girl chat?”

Lily felt the hairs on her neck stand up when Eddie touched her but she didn’t pull away. Instead, she looked directly at Eddie. “Why, yes we were. Crystal was about to tell me something Malcolm told her about Tamara, weren’t you Crystal?”

Crystal’s cheeks blushed as she pretended to brush some lint off her sweater. “It wasn’t anything important, just that Malcolm wanted to help get me the head librarian job and Tamara laughed in his face, said it would never happen.”

Crystal fidgeted with her necklace, making Lily suspect she was hiding whatever else it was she had been about to tell Lily. Something she didn’t want Eddie to find out?

Interesting, and the plot thickens, Lily thought to herself and smiled sweetly. “I’m sure you and Penny will work together well for the benefit of the library.” She turned her body, maneuvering out of Eddie’s grasp. “Oh, and if I find your other earring, I’ll let you know.” Lily noticed Eddie sneak a peek at Crystal but he didn’t say anything.

The musical trio launched into Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree and Lily saw Iris start to kick up her heels to the beat. She pulled Walter onto dance with her and he swayed back in forth, obviously not much of a dancer, but certainly a faithful partner. Daisy clapped her hands, encouraging Iris to continue the show, which, Lily had to admit, was pretty good. A warm hand rested on the small of Lily’s back and a familiar scent of cologne filled her nose. Without even turning around, she leaned back into the strong arms of her fiancé.

He leaned so close, his words tickled her neck. “So, you aren’t mad at me?”

“Of course I am,” Lily murmured back. “But I still love you and I’ll prove you wrong about Tamara.”

Ryan squeezed her close. “You are something special. I love your strong will and loyalty.” He turned her around to gaze into her eyes. “Don’t be foolish and get yourself into trouble, though. Promise?”

“Don’t worry about me,” She murmured with her eyes half closed.

Ryan rolled his eyes. “If only not worrying were possible.” He leaned down and his lips brushed against hers, sending sparks through her body.

As the song ended, Penny rang a small bell she held high above her head. With a smile plastered on her face going from ear to ear, she patiently waited with her hands clasped together until it was quiet and she had everyone’s attention. “Thank you all for coming tonight to this magnificent library that Noah Lyman so generously had the foresight to envision, plan, and fund for our wonderful town. I’m excited to be able to announce that all of his novels, signed by Mr. Lyman and dedicated to the library, plus his unpublished manuscripts, are in a special room here in the Noah Lyman Room.” She motioned to a room to the left of the Christmas tree. “Be sure to enjoy his books while you’re here enjoying the wonderful food catered by Jennifer Steele from the Sunflower Café and the seasonal Christmas music providing a festive atmosphere for all of us.”

The buzz of conversation started up again and Lily noticed Crystal standing in the back of the crowd with a scowl on her face. It looked like she lost the battle for control of the festivities, Lily thought.

Nina bumped her elbow into Lily, bringing her out of her thoughts. “I can see the wheels turning in your head. What’s going on?”

“I don’t have a clue what it means, but Crystal and Penny are in some kind of power struggle. My guess is one of them wanted Malcolm out of the way? I feel like I’m missing something important.”

“Maybe Crystal and Penny were in love with Malcolm and one of them killed him in a jealous moment of passion.”

Lily smirked. “There you go again with the fiction side of your personality getting the best of you. Do you think one of them confronted him in the parking lot in the middle of a blizzard?”

Nina shrugged. “Sure, why not?”

“You’ve given me an idea. Do you want to help me search Malcolm’s house to look for any evidence the police missed?”

Nina’s eyes lit up as bright as the star at the top of the Christmas tree. “Definitely. Maybe that’s who broke into his house; someone looking for something incriminating she left behind.”

Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer picked up the energy in the room and everyone started to sing along. This was followed by several more traditional Christmas songs making the room vibrate with the singing. Lily was thinking the spiked eggnog probably helped loosen up all the vocal chords as more and more people started to shout out their favorites and the musical trio was happy to oblige the requests.

Lily grabbed Nina’s arm as she noticed Crystal slipping out the side door. “I can’t leave now,” she whispered, “but you can. Follow Crystal and find out what she’s up to.”

“I’ll text you if she does anything interesting.” And Nina was off.

Nick sidled up to Lily. “Where did Nina dash off to? I thought she was having a good time. Nice decorating, by the way. The library oozes fantastic.”

Lily filled a small plate with food—mini quiche, fruit skewers and a crab cake for starters—and moved to a corner where it was a tad bit quieter. “She’s doing some investigating. Following Crystal to see if she’s up to anything.”

“Crystal?” Nick answered, surprise in his voice. “Do you think she’s involved with Malcolm’s murder?”

Lily nibbled on the quiche as she settled down on a maple bench. Talking quietly, she explained to Nick, “I’m trying to think of any possibility to figure out who murdered Malcolm and get Tamara out of jail. Crystal has been acting strange right from the start. I’m sure she’s hiding something. What do you think?”

Nick sat next to Lily, crossed his legs and rested his arm on the back of the bench. “I haven’t known these people for as long as you, but I can’t help but agree with you about Crystal. She certainly acts like she’s hiding something and is a little paranoid. But what about Penny? She and Malcolm did not like each other one bit and he’s the only one who voted against Penny to be the head librarian. I overheard Malcolm telling Crystal on Friday night that there was nothing else he could do to get rid of Penny except keep a close eye on her performance and try to get her fired. Crystal was steaming mad and left seconds before Penny went out. It’s possible Penny overheard the conversation and snuck around to the front and took care of Malcolm before he could get her fired.”

“I suppose that’s a possibility.” Lily jumped when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Checking it, she read a text from Nina.
Crystal went into Malcolm’s house. What should I do?

Don’t follow her inside
, Lily texted.
Keep an eye on her and track what she does next
.

Lily ran one hand through her hair, wondering why Crystal went to Malcolm’s house. She certainly didn’t want Crystal to know Nina was following her.

Nick’s knee bumped into her. “Everything okay? You seem to be kind of distracted.”

Lily’s far away eyes focused on Nick, almost surprised to find him sitting next to her since her mind had wandered away from the library event. “Oh, yeah, sorry, I was thinking about something else.”

Nick laughed and leaned forward, jerking his head in the direction of the main entrance. “Hey, check who’s walking in. Who do you think she’s searching for?”

Lily followed where Nick’s eyes were looking and she stood up waving when she saw Melinda Biotchi. Melinda smiled and hurried over to the corner where Lily was sitting.

“I’m not staying long. I don’t feel comfortable in this crowd,” Melinda said as she quickly scanned the room while avoiding any actual eye contact.

“Nick, this is Melinda.” Lily introduced them, not sure if they knew each other.

Melinda quickly gazed at Nick and nodded a hello before turning her full attention back to Lily. “Can we talk somewhere?”

Nick got the hint. “Nice to see you,” he said to Melinda as he stood up. “I think I’ll go find Iris and try to charm her into dancing with me if they play another snappy song.”

Melinda took the spot next to Lily where Nick had been sitting. “I only came to deliver a message from my mother.”

“Is she alright?” Lily asked.

“Much better than I ever expected. She totally surprises me sometimes. There’s something about her cellmate that she wants to discuss with you. She wouldn’t tell me but she says it could be important. Will you be able to visit her tomorrow?”

Lily put her hand on Melinda’s arm. “I’ll make time. She didn’t give you any idea what this is about?”

Melinda shook her head as she stood up. “I can’t stay. I don’t feel like chatting with anyone or having everyone looking at me and asking about Mom. You understand, don’t you?”

“Of course, and don’t worry. I’ll visit Tamara as soon as I can.” Lily watched Melinda head toward the door but Nick intercepted her. They chatted for a couple of minutes before Melinda pulled away and made her way out the door, smiling. Maybe they did know each other, Lily thought.

The buzz inside the library came to a sudden halt when Nick, who was in charge of the library planning committee, rang the bell for everyone’s attention. “This opening is an enormous success. I’d like to thank the musicians for the wonderful Christmas music that entertained us all tonight.” The flutist played a little trill for emphasis. “Also, a huge thanks to Jennifer Steele for the food which is melt in your mouth delicious. Don’t forget, she’s the owner of the Sunflower Café which is right on Main Street, so be sure to support our little gem. And, of course, a big thanks to Lily Bloom for all the laurel roping, poinsettias and flowers making the library come to life. Her Beautiful Blooms Flower Shop was recently vandalized so be sure to stop in and show your support of another one of Misty Valley’s wonderful local businesswoman. One last acknowledgement I want to make is to Tamara Biotchi who, unfortunately, couldn’t be here tonight.” He paused to get everyone’s attention and quiet the low buzz that started in the room. “But, nevertheless, is always thinking about the library and had a wonderful idea to raise money for a handicap walkway. Her idea is for anyone who would like to be part of this project, to buy a brick and have their name engraved on it. The bricks will become a path from the main entrance to the gardens that will be installed in the spring. All the details will be available from Crystal Parker who volunteered to manage the fundraiser.” Nick pointed to Crystal who stood behind the main desk. Lily couldn’t help but wonder when she’d slipped back inside from her trip to Malcolm’s house. “There is a signup at the main desk if you want to get your name on the list tonight. Let’s all show our support and pull together to get this plan in motion.”

Everyone started to talk at once and Lily wondered if they supported the idea or were only gossiping about Tamara. It’s Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas played in the background and Lily’s mouth fell open as the guests started to congregate at the signup sheet.
Nick must have been talking to Melinda about his plan. Wasn’t he full of surprises? And Crystal would be running the project? Was it possible for Nick and Crystal to be in cahoots about more than a fundraiser for the library? Did they work together to get Malcolm out of the way?

Lily’s head started to spin with ideas when she spotted Eddie helping himself to another glass of eggnog. He missed his glass and most of the thick drink ran down the side onto the table. As he brought the glass to his lips, he misjudged and spilled what little eggnog had made it into his glass down the front of his red cashmere sweater. Moving through the crowd, Lily managed to get to Eddie’s elbow and steer him away from the eggnog and to a chair at the edge of the room.

“What do ya think you’re doing, Ms. Lily Bloom? I don’t want any help from you.” Eddie slurred his words as he swayed on the chair.

“It must be hard for you to be here tonight,” Lily said ignoring his attempts to push her away.

Eddie staggered to his feet but lost his balance and fell back into the chair. “Hard? Why do you say that?”

“Losing your friend and partner only two days ago. I imagine it must be a difficult time for you,” Lily said, trying to sound consoling.

“Ha. The worst part was getting that mother of his out of his house and over to the assisted living facility,” Eddie told Lily. “Did you know I’m responsible for her now? I never planned on that. Good thing my sister found an opening for her.” He slumped in the chair and his head fell forward.

Lily searched the room for someone to help her get Eddie out before he ended up sprawled on the floor. She felt a sticky hand grab her arm, pulling her attention back to Eddie. “Malcolm got exactly what he deserved. Tamara Biotchi did us all a favor. It’s a good thing I was visiting my mother or I bet that fiancé of yours would try to lock me up for it.”

“I thought you and Malcolm were friends?”

“Yeah, so did I. Turns out, he was a lying cheat.” His head slumped forward again.

Ryan arrived just in time to catch Eddie as he tilted sideways and was about to fall off the chair. “Quick, find Nick to help me move him. I smell more than eggnog oozing out of him. Is there an office or someplace we can get him until Crystal is ready to leave?”

Lily got Nick’s attention and waved him over. “The office is right behind the main desk.” She pointed across from where they stood. Ryan and Nick each grabbed Eddie under an armpit and half walked, half dragged him toward the office. Lily rushed ahead to open the door and pull a chair out for them to drop him on.

“How much did he drink?” Nick asked.

A small bottle fell from Eddie’s hand. Lily picked up an empty bottle of rum, holding it up for Ryan to see. “I guess he didn’t think the eggnog was strong enough. I’ll tell Crystal he’s in here so she doesn’t leave without him.”

Penny put herself back in the limelight, trying to take the attention away from Crystal. “Thank you all for coming tonight. Noah Lyman must be smiling at all the support the library is getting from all of you. His legacy will ensure that he lives on in Misty Valley for generations to come.” She raised her glass. “Here’s a toast to Noah Lyman, a mystery writer extraordinaire. Merry Christmas to all.” We Wish You A Merry Christmas played as everyone searched for their coats to make the journey out into the cold evening.

Lily tapped Crystal on her shoulder and whispered in her ear about Eddie. Her eyes darkened and her lips tightened into a thin line. “I told that fool not to drink too much. I didn’t think the eggnog was especially strong.”

“It wasn’t. He brought his own bottle and added extra to his glass. Do you need help getting him into your car?” Lily led her to the office.

“Probably. If he’s passed out he’ll be like a sack of potatoes.”

Lily opened the door to the office and sucked in her breath.

The chair was empty and knocked over on its side.

Crystal pushed past Lily. “He can’t be far if he’s as drunk as you said.” She righted the chair and squeezed around behind the desk.

“Here he is.” Crystal nudged him with her foot. “Eddie.” She poked him harder. “EDDIE.” Lily heard a groan. “Eddie, get up. I’m taking you home.”

Eddie used the desk to pull himself up to a sitting position and once he sat more or less upright, he held his head with both hands. “I don’t know what happened. How did I end up here?”

“Ha,” Crystal replied. “You can’t fool anyone. Lily found your empty bottle. Now get up or you’ll be walking home.” Crystal turned and walked out.

“Geez Crystal, can’t you at least help me get up off this cold floor?” Eddie pleaded but Crystal had already vanished out the door.

Lily offered her hand, not really sure what else to do, as he struggled to his feet.

“Thanks. I think Crystal is mad at me.” Eddie looked at Lily with his eyes brimming with tears. “I can’t seem to do anything to make her happy anymore. I wonder if Malcolm had the right idea, never marry, just love ‘em and leave ‘em.”

“Did Malcolm have a girlfriend? Maybe someone he recently broke off a relationship with?”

Eddie leaned on the desk. “I suppose so. He always seemed to keep one on deck and one in the wings, if you know what I mean.” He winked at Lily which made her stomach turn.

“You better catch up with your wife if you don’t want to be walking home. She sounded pretty serious about leaving without you.”

Eddie waved his hand dismissively as he tried to straighten up. Putting one foot in front of the other he actually managed to navigate through the doorway and head in the right direction to the main front door.

Lily shook her head in disbelief of what she had just witnessed in that relationship. But on the other hand, Eddie did give her an idea about finding the murderer if she could figure out who Malcolm’s girlfriend was. It certainly sounded like he wasn’t a faithful guy and there was a strong possibility he had more than one woman who might be quite thrilled to see him dead.

“Wow. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Ryan asked Lily as he joined her watching Eddie make his exit.

“You’ve got to find out who Malcolm has been seeing. She might be the murderer, don’t you think?” Lily said without even turning around. She shook herself to get those bad vibrations out of her system. “I was under the impression that Malcolm, Eddie, and Crystal were best friends, but with all that liquor in him the truth came out. Did you find anything in Malcolm’s house that could indicate he had a girlfriend visit?”

“Now that you mention it, we did find an earring but I didn’t think about it too much since I thought it might belong to his mother.”

“Oh?” Lily waited for the rest of the story.

“We found it hooked on the bottom of his bedspread.”

“Can you show the earring to me?”

“Come to the police station tomorrow and I’ll let you take a look.” Ryan put his hand on Lily’s back. “How about we help clean up so we can get out of here before we’re asleep on our feet?”

Jennifer was already packing up the few leftovers and Nick was breaking down the tables. “Wait a minute,” Lily said as she reached into the box with a few tasty morsels left inside. “I’ll grab a couple more since they didn’t all get eaten. I didn’t want to make a pig of myself before.” Lily selected a couple stuffed mushrooms and a cream cheese pinwheel something or other. “I can’t believe every last one of these didn’t disappear. You did a fantastic job with the food, Jennifer.”

Jennifer helped herself to a treat, too. “The whole event was pretty spectacular in my opinion; the music, your flowers and decorations, everything except the loud drunk at the end.” She made a face and staggered around the table imitating Eddie’s behavior.

Lily laughed. “Well, when there’s booze, there’s bound to be someone who overdoes it. The best part is the liquor loosened his tongue and gave us a new direction to go in to solve Malcolm’s murder.”

Ryan raised his eyebrows. “We? I don’t think I want you to be part of this equation, Ms. Bloom. I’ll get on it tomorrow and check into Mr. Moss’s love life.”