Page 27 of Christmas Mittens Murder

Except Hayley was having a tough time picturing Rosana Moretti acting so malevolently. She just was not a spiteful, wicked person.

Still, there were others in the Happy Hookers who might be prone to poison the well without a second thought. Or, the fact remained, Esther could have been doing a masterful job of covering up her own misdeeds in front of Doris.

Doris could read the troubled look on Hayley’s face as she considered all the angles. “Esther and I had known each other since high school. I could tell when she was fibbing and when she was telling the truth, and believe me, Hayley, when it came to those vicious lies about me, I knew in my heart that Esther was being sincere. That’s why I had to confront her, just to be sure, for my own peace of mind.”

“So after you confronted her, you two made up?”

“Yes, we hugged it out. Like friends do. Esther even cried a little because she was so upset at the thought of me believing her capable of such nasty behavior.”

Doris spotted her husband, Dick, dressed as Santa Claus, approaching.

“Please, don’t mention any of this to Dick, he’ll just worry. But I promise you, Hayley, when I went back inside the church, Esther was still very much alive!”

“Ho ho ho, Hayley, you want to sit on Santa’s lap and tell me what you want Santa to bring you for Christmas?” Dick cackled.

“Don’t be creepy, Dick, she’s a grown woman,” Doris sighed.

“Yes, Mrs. Claus!” Dick said, before turning to Hayley with a wink. “I guess we know who wears the red suspenders in this family! Ho ho ho!”

Hayley had to give him credit for never breaking character, and thought he should consider auditioning for the local community theatre.

“Now, Mrs. Claus, it’s awfully chilly here at the North Pole Christmas Tree Farm, and I’m starting to get cold. Do you have one of those festive holiday scarves in your knitting bag I can wear before frostbite sets in?”

“Of course, dear,” Doris said, opening her knitting bag and pulling out a red scarf dotted with tiny green Christmas trees.

“Ho ho ho, you’re a treasure for the ages, Mrs. Claus!” Dick announced loudly as he wrapped the scarf tightly around his neck and bounded off to greet some more customers who were just arriving.

Doris left her knitting bag open to reach for her mug of hot cider and take a sip when Hayley glanced down and noticed something glistening inside. She casually took a step closer, peering into the bag. She suddenly choked back a gasp as she realized what she had just seen.

The sparkly diamond ring stolen from Mr. Willoughby at the church Christmas bazaar was sitting on top of a ball of red yarn in Doris Crimmons’s knitting bag.

Chapter Twelve

Hayley stood there, stunned. She was not sure what to do. Doris closed her knitting bag just as Dick returned accompanied by a family of four—father, mother and two redheaded, freckled twin girls around five years old in matching LL Bean color-block down jackets and white boots.

“Ho ho ho! Mrs. Claus, these two beautiful bright little girls would like to have their pictures taken with us!”

“Heavens, yes, of course,” Doris cooed, playing her part perfectly. “Do you girls live here in town?”

“No, Millinocket,” one of the girls answered.

“How nice!” Doris said, clapping her hands. She reached over and picked up a paper plate sitting on a side table. “Would you girls like a sugar cookie?”

One twin grabbed two cookies.

The mother smiled. “Just one, girls.”

The second twin grabbed three.

They obviously were not in the habit of listening to their mother.

Dick plopped down in his chair next to Doris. “Come sit with me and tell Santa Claus what you sweet cherubs would like to find under your Christmas tree, and we’ll see if the elves can make it in Santa’s workshop.”

The girls stomped over, both jumping up in Dick’s lap so fast he had trouble balancing them at the same time.

“Careful, girls, Santa just had knee surgery,” Dick said through gritted teeth, wincing in pain.

The father excitedly whipped out his phone to take pictures.

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