Silent Night, Deadly Light (Whispering Haven Cozy Mystery Book 5) by Ruth Baker

Author:Ruth Baker [Baker, Ruth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: CleanTales Publishing
Published: 2024-12-19T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

The main street was lined with bright green garland and lights that would glitter in the evening. Shop windows bore elegant Christmas displays that begged the passerby to stop and stare, an invitation to come inside. The pedestrian-only street was filled with people lugging multiple shopping bags around, bundled against the cold as they made their way from store to store. But the trio barely noticed the Christmas cheer bubbling around them as they pushed through the crowd and toward the town hall.

It appeared as though the news about the mayor had spread far and wide. Several reporters had set up camp outside of town hall, along with two news station vans. A woman spoke into a camera as Paul, Lexi, and Carol all strolled up the stone steps to the main doors.

Inside, the atmosphere was hushed but frantic. People scurried down the hall, clutching files and loose papers against their chest as they hurried from place to place. Others stood in small clusters against the wall as they muttered to one another. None of them paid Carol, Paul, and Lexi the slightest bit of attention as they made their way through the building, up the stairs, and toward the secretary’s desk guarding the mayor’s office.

Sally glanced up as they approached. She gave a half-smile as she held up a finger, her head tilted as she wedged the phone between her ear and shoulder.

“I promise, we’ll take care of that as soon as possible. The deputy mayor’s schedule is a little busy at the moment, so I’ll unfortunately have to push the meeting until the new year, if that’s all right. Okay, thank you.”

She hung up.

“Sorry about that,” Sally muttered. She appeared frazzled, her hair in disarray and dark bags beginning to form beneath her eyes. “It’s been a madhouse today, as I’m sure you can understand.”

“I can imagine,” Paul said. “I’m sure losing the mayor right now hasn’t been easy.”

“No,” admitted Sally. She sighed, running her fingers through her hair. “I wouldn’t have thought him capable of killing someone, to be honest. But, if he did, then it’s a good thing they caught him.”

“You must know him fairly well. Do you think he did it?” Carol asked.

Shrugging, Sally said, “After everything I’ve heard, it seems likely. If you had asked me last week, I would have said no, but…” she trailed off, making a vague, inarticulate gesture.

It appeared that even some of the mayor’s employees assumed his guilt at this point. That didn’t bode well for the investigation. The uncertainty and anxiety began to creep in, along with a nugget of doubt. Still, they had to push on.

“I’m sure she’s very busy,” Carol said. She could have guessed that even without overhearing the phone call. “But we really need to speak with Karen as quickly as possible.”

Sally nodded, picking up the phone. “Let me see if she can.”

Sally had barely gotten their names out of her mouth when she paused to listen, then nodded. “I’ll send them right in, then,” she said, before hanging up.

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