Deck the Donuts by Ginger Bolton

Author:Ginger Bolton [Bolton, Ginger]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington Books
Published: 2021-08-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

The small white ball hadn’t rolled inside the plastic bag as the bag tumbled out of the blanket.

Mistletoe berries were sticky.

Paige had hung mistletoe near the front door the night before.

The plastic bag had been with a phone, a water bottle, and a broken bourbon bottle, all of them wrapped in a rescue blanket like the one I’d given Paige.

I didn’t remember ever having bought or being given that brand of bourbon. Paige had reeked of alcohol even after I drove her away from the crash scene.

She had hinted that she didn’t know where Travis’s phone was and that it might have been flung out of the bus. She could have brought his phone, his water bottle, the bourbon, and her bag of mistletoe to my house in her shiny black tote bag.

Maybe I had discovered why she’d done a thorough job of shoveling the pathway from the porch steps to the driveway—she had made it possible to carry trash to the garbage cans without leaving footprints in the snow. Had she thrown out those things during the night while I was sleeping? Or had she done it earlier, while I was at work or Christmas caroling? And then, during our gift-wrapping and cookie-gobbling party, she’d told me plausible stories.

She’d seemed innocent....

And I’d been gullible.

Frowning and shivering, I phoned Brent’s personal line. I was outside, and Paige wasn’t likely to hear me. However, her room was in the front of the house, and it was possible that she slept with the window open, so when Brent answered, I murmured, “I know it’s not even six yet. Sorry for calling so early. I’ve found things in my trash cans that Travis might have owned.”

He caught on. “Is Paige still staying with you?”

“As far as I know, but I haven’t heard a peep from her this morning. She could have left while I was sleeping. I’m outside.”

“We’ll be right over. Do not confront her, and stay on the line.”

“Okay.”

My phone to my ear, I crept into the house and listened to partially muted sounds of Brent’s voice. I couldn’t tell what he was saying or who he was talking to. It was probably whoever he’d meant when he said that “we” would be right over. Had the DCI detective arrived?

There were still no signs that Paige was awake. I slipped on a coat, grabbed my keys, and tiptoed out to the driveway. If Paige followed me and seemed threatening, I’d get into my SUV and drive away. I wouldn’t have to brush off the snow, either. Paige had done that the day before, and hardly any snow had fallen since. I wouldn’t go to my car unless I needed to, though. If she eased behind my computer desk and leaned forward, she’d be able to see my car from her bedroom window.

In the darkness, I went around the corner of the house and tucked myself against the brick wall beside the trash cans and the bag of kitchen garbage. Over the phone, I heard car doors slam.

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