Page 10 of A Christmas Duet

Leveling her flashlight in the area where she’d heard the noise, the only thing she saw was furniture covered with white sheets.

Mice? She swallowed tightly. Hailey hated mice and quickly dismissed the thought. The loud scratching sound surely came from something larger than a few mice.

With her heart in her throat, Hailey aimed the flashlight in another direction, sweeping the beam toward the stone fireplace. At any other time, she would have paused to admire the craftsmanship and the beauty of the mantel. Not now, though, when she was intent on discovering the intruder.

It was then that she saw something move from the corner of her eye. Turning the light in that direction, she gasped and let out a strangled scream. She panicked and leaped out the door before slamming it shut. With her heart in her throat, she stumbled several steps back in her eagerness to escape and nearly tumbled down the porch stairs.

Grabbing hold of the pillar, she managed to catch herself.

The intruder was a raccoon.

An angry raccoon who didn’t look pleased to have his private hideaway disturbed. Standing on his hind legs, he’d hissed and seemed ready to leap forward and attack.

Once she was able to breathe again, Hailey quickly returned to her vehicle and grabbed the written directions for how to get to Podunk from the cabin. The first two turns were the same. It changed when she left the gravel road leading into town.

Although she would hate it, Hailey could deal with mice. Rocky Raccoon, not so much.

As Katherine had mentioned, Podunk was five miles from the turn off the main road. As she neared the town, her panic slowly dissipated. Help was within reach.

The lights in town were a welcome sight. Safety. Help.

As far as she could determine, the main street stretched only seven or eight blocks, perhaps a few more. The first thing she noticed as she drove down the main street was a tall statue of a rust-covered frontiersman. He wore a coonskin cap and cradled a rifle in his arms as if he was holding on to a newborn. Someone had strung tinsel over his shoulders like a shiny boa. It caused her to smile.

A huge logging truck passed her on the other side of the road; its headlights nearly blinded her.

When her vision cleared, she saw the sign in front of the store Katherine had mentioned: Cantor Store. It was the largest building in town and took up half of the second block. As she pulled into the angled parking, she noticed a café that looked to be doing a booming business. The windows were outlined with mistletoe and berries, Santa in his sleigh, all his reindeer flying over the moon.

At the end of the road, she saw what looked to be the city park with a big white gazebo in the center. Hailey could easily picture summers there filled with families and picnics.

Podunk was a quaint little town, picturesque andhomey. Hailey wrapped the welcome around her like snuggling under a cozy blanket.

Making her way into the store, she was greeted with a shout from a woman who was at the front register. She wore brown bib overalls and a red-checkered flannel long-sleeve shirt. “Jethro, help Mary Susan load up those bales of hay. Her truck is parked out back.”

A man’s voice sounded from the depths of the store. “On it.”

Hailey had to assume Jethro was an employee. Looking around, she didn’t see more than a handful of people. Thinking she should use this opportunity to pick up a few items, she headed toward the cleaning supplies. If the raccoon had taken up permanent residence, then there was sure to be other bits ofevidence.

Two people were in front of her at the cash register, and Hailey patiently waited her turn.

The silver-haired woman at the register locked eyes with Hailey as she set her purchases on the counter. Hailey remembered that Katherine had mentioned the owner was named Thelma. Thelma Cantor.

She made a huffing sound and shook her head. “You that city girl Ellie mentioned?”

Hailey wasn’t sure who Ellie was but had to assume that was either Katherine’s mother’s or possibly her grandmother’s name.

“A…Yes. I was told if I had a problem, you’d be able to help me.”

“She said that, did she?” Thelma snorted and rolled her eyes.

“You’re Thelma, right?”

She answered with a curt nod. “No need to tell me your name. Doubt you’ll last here long. You city types rarely do. It’s a shame, too. Podunk has a lot to offer, so give it a chance.”

“I’ll do that,” Hailey promised.

“Now, what can I do for you?”

Hailey sighed. “I was told the electricity at the cabin had been turned on.”

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