Gift Wrapped For Murder by Connie Shelton

Author:Connie Shelton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: female sleuth, cozy mystery, crime fiction, new mexico, series books, detective series, culinary mystery, holiday stories, romance mystery and suspense, christmas collections
Publisher: Columbine Publishing Group, LLC

Chapter 20

For a woman of eighty-seven, Elsa’s memory is amazing. I followed her into the living room where she cleared a few items off the top of an old steamer trunk and lifted its lid. Inside were stacks of yellowing newspapers and magazines.

“What is all this stuff?” I asked incredulously.

“Oh, whenever I see a story that catches my attention I save all the issues and put them in here,” she beamed. “I’ve got the Kennedy assassinations, the moon landing—although I think they staged that whole thing somewhere in Hollywood—and the time that one mayor got booted for his shenanigans with money.”

“And the story of Father Ramon’s illicit affair with a married woman,” I added.

“Oh, that one was messy,” she confided, digging into one of the stacks.

I shouldn’t have been surprised. Elsa had followed a couple of favorite soap operas for years, although she wouldn’t admit to exactly how much they titillated her. A few months ago I’d had occasion to bring some old files over and work on them here. I’d watched firsthand how she finished her gardening work every day by a certain time so she wouldn’t miss “her shows.”

Within a couple of minutes, she’d pulled out the papers she was looking for.

“There,” she said triumphantly. “Look ’em over. You can bring them back when you’re done.”

I put on my jacket and tucked the papers under my arm. “Is there anything you need from the store?” I asked. “Any little chores around the house?”

“No, no, I’m fine,” she assured me. “I always do my shopping on Wednesdays. Even if they don’t give out trading stamps anymore.”

Worried that the lack of trading stamps would start her on a new subject, I hurriedly said goodbye and told her to be sure to call Ron if she needed anything. I tossed the old newspapers into the back seat of the Jeep and drove the few blocks up Central to the RJP Investigations offices. Not planning to stay long, I parked out front.

Tammy was feeding Rusty half a donut when I walked in. She looked up at me guiltily.

“He really shouldn’t have this kind of stuff, huh?” she asked.

“Well, let’s not make it a habit,” I said. She was doing such a good job getting Ron organized that I didn’t want to nitpick the details.

We went over a few office matters, then I went up to Ron’s office and peeked in. The phone, as usual, was at his ear, but he gave me a grin.

Across the hall, in my office-turned-bedroom, I gathered my overnight bag and the snow boots that seemed ludicrous here but would be a necessity back at the cabin. I carried everything out and stashed it in the back cargo area of the Jeep, Rusty following my every step. Donuts or not, I guess he wanted to be sure he wasn’t left behind. Once the luggage went into the car, he knew I was leaving.

Ron was off the phone when I went back upstairs, and we spent thirty minutes in

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