Page 1 of Ghost of Christmas Future
PROLOGUE
Jude
Boston, Christmas Day, 2017…
Jude Byrne sat alone in his apartment overlooking the frozen Charles River. Christmas lights twinkled on his neighbors’ balconies and on trees in the neighborhood. The street was mostly deserted, after the mad dash of Bostonians over the last few days to get home in time for Jolly Old St. Nick to pay a visit.
It had been somewhat exhilarating watching his neighbors pack up their cars for road trips or hop into taxis with suitcases on the way to Logan Airport. He’d even enjoyed the manic frenzy at the supermarket the day before with people practically coming to blows over the last box of stuffing. Thankfully, the crisis had been averted when an aproned member of the staff saved the day with a case filled with more. The Christmas spirit of the combatants had been restored, with both parties wishing each other the joy of the season before sprinting off to buy bottles of wine or an arrangement of multicolored Italian cookies.
Jude had been so impressed with the cookie trays, that he’d gotten one for himself. He hadn’t encountered a lot of Italian-Americans when he’d been growing up on Navajo Nation, but had fallen in love with their loud voices, heavenly marinara sauce, and their baked goods. Before leaving his tiny office crammed in the back of Bradford Hicks’ law firm, he’d overheard a conversation between two coworkers who were talking about having lasagna for Christmas dinner along with prime rib, mashed potatoes and gravy. He’d been so inspired that he’d stopped by an Italian market on his way home that day and picked up a fresh lasagna for himself, along with meatballs and a loaf of bread.
From his spot on the sofa, Jude could smell garlic and oregano. According to the timer set on the microwave, Christmas dinner would be served in ten minutes. His dining table was bare, aside from a stack of napkins and the salt shaker. All of his plates were stacked neatly in the cupboard and his empty beer bottles lined the kitchen sink like toy soldiers. Aside from Jude’s sorry ass, the house was empty.
There would be no family members to hug and reminisce with. No funny stories from an uncle who was perpetually unlucky in love. No gifts. No tree to put them under. No carolers. No broadcast ofIt’s A Wonderful Life. Jude’s apartment looked like it did on any of the other three-hundred-sixty-four days of the year. Empty pizza boxes were stacked next to the trash can, which was filled with empty Chinese food boxes and grease-stained fast food bags. No family pictures adorned the walls. No child’s schoolwork or drawings were stuck on the fridge with alphabet magnets. Aside from a cozy throw blanket Jude had gotten in this year’s Yankee swap, the apartment looked as sterile as it had the day he’d moved in nearly two years ago. The house screamed bachelor, but for the fact that all of the gorgeous men who paraded through the apartment on a fairly regular basis were all home with their families. Enjoying good food, presents, and laughter.
Jude’s family were all back in Arizona. He’d called his grandfather, Running Eagle, a few days before. Life back on the reservation was status quo. Eagle asked Jude to come home, as he always did. Jude told stories of cases he’d help solve and how busy he was with work at the law firm. What he didn’t tell his grandfather was that the Law Offices of Bradford Hicks & Associates, was locked up tight and would be until the calendar flipped to 2018.
Getting up from the sofa, Jude stood at the picture window looking out over the river. There were no spandex-clad runners getting in their pre-marathon miles. No crowded streets. No honking, backed up traffic. In fact, it seemed to Jude like he was the only man left in the world. He had to admit it was a pretty lonely place to be.
Usually Jude loved being alone. He brought home a steady string of lovers, who he was quick to fuck and then show the door. That way no one could ever disappoint or reject him. Jude didn’t have time in his busy life for that kind of drama. Although, standing in his silent apartment, he’d give anything to have someone here to share his lasagna or to watchA Christmas Storymarathon. Someone to chat with. A friend.
Jude didn’t believe in God overly much. He knew there was a power greater than his own. An entity who made the planets orbit the sun, who’d created the Grand Canyon, the sea, rivers, animals, and people. In this moment of absolute silence, Jude reached out to this greater power and asked for something. Not great wealth or popularity, or playing center for the Boston Celtics. No, his ask was far simpler. Jude asked for the one thing he was lacking at the moment. The one thing that would make his lonely life more bearable.
Jude prayed for a friend who’d be closer than a brother.
1
Jude
December, present day…
Jude was more tired than he’d ever been in his entire life. He and the rest of the cold case unit had been hot on the trail of a killer who’d taken three lives back in 1975. A few weeks ago, they’d gotten a huge break in the case and it had been an all-out sprint to find the killer, who’d been living the high life in the Green Mountains of Vermont. It had taken nearly two weeks of constant surveillance, but they’d finally gotten their man. It took another three days to get Gary Jones to confess and to orchestrate extradition to Massachusetts, but it was finally done, with three weeks to go until Christmas.
Not wanting to leave Jude out of any of the fun of the season, Cope hadn’t bought a single present and hadn’t taken the kids hunting for a Christmas tree. His husband had wanted Jude to be home for all the festivities, which had nearly brought Jude to tears. Tennyson and Jace had done the same thing for Ronan and Fitz. Yesterday, all three families had bundled up and found their perfect trees. The kids sang songs and drank hot chocolate, while the adults argued over whose tree was bigger, fuller, and prettier. The day had ended with dinner at Lobster Charlie’s, which had become a tradition over the years.
After the kids were tucked into bed, he and Cope had sat at the kitchen table with the Christmas lists the kids had worked on while Jude was gone. Over the course of an hour they’d picked out all the toys for the kids and decided which gifts would come from them and which from Santa.
After a huge breakfast of Mickey Mouse pancakes and bacon, Jude was wrangling the tree. It always looked so easy when the worker at the tree farm sheathed it in the netting that would hold the branches together. It was a different matter, trying to extricate the tree at home. Of course, the next step was even worse, setting the tree into the stand and making sure it was straight and screwed in tightly. There were several off-color jokes Jude could make about the situation, but the truth of the matter was he was too tired. All he wanted to do was get the tree up. After that Cope would feed the kids and Jude could catch a quick forty winks.
“Daddy, do you need some help?” Wolf asked.
Jude was about to tell his son no, but caught the earnest look on his face. “Sure thing, buddy! Grab the netting and hold it up away from the branches and I’ll cut it.”
Wolf did what his father asked. “Teamwork makes the dream work, right, Daddy?”
Jude chuckled. “That’s right. How was school while I was gone?”
“It was pretty good. I got a hundred on my spelling test and Aurora got into a fight.” Wolf’s dark eyes glowed with excitement.
“A fight?” Jude hadn’t heard anything about this until now. “Who did she fight?”
“Boogers McGraw!” Wolf laughed, holding his stomach.
Jude hooted along with his son. “You mean Marcus McGraw?” There weren’t any other kids with that last name in Wolf’s school. He’d never heard the nickname before either. A lot had obviously changed since he and the others had gone to Vermont.
“Yup!” Wolf agreed, catching his breath.
“Why do they call him Boogers?” Jude couldn’t wait to hear the answer.
