Here Comes Santa Paws by Laurien Berenson

Author:Laurien Berenson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington Books
Published: 2019-08-22T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

As it happened, I never got around to mentioning the plan to Sam. I did tell him that he was in charge of getting both boys off to school the next morning. That was cause for a raised eyebrow.

“Claire’s picking me up early,” I said. “There’s something we need to do.”

“Do I want to know?”

“Probably not.” I smiled to soften the sentiment. I knew it hadn’t worked when I heard Sam’s next question.

“Do I need to start raising bail money?”

“I hope not,” I told him cheerfully.

Sam didn’t think that was funny. That put him and Faith on the same team, which wasn’t reassuring.

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” I said to Claire the next morning when I climbed into her car.

We were close to the shortest day of the year and the sun was barely up. The temperature outside was frigid, and there was frost on the grass in my yard. The air smelled like snow. I wondered if that meant some was on the way. I hadn’t had time to look at a forecast.

“Of course I don’t know what I’m doing,” Claire replied. She put the Honda in reverse and backed down the driveway. “That’s why I asked you to come along.”

That was just peachy.

“Faith thinks we’re nuts,” I mentioned.

“Faith’s a dog. We don’t have to take her opinion into account unless we want to.” Her gaze swiveled my way. “Which we don’t. I’m guessing you didn’t tell Sam where you were going?”

“Not exactly,” I admitted.

“Good.”

Claire turned her eyes back to the road and drove. It wasn’t long before we were on Forest Glen Lane. The Mannerly estate loomed into view.

“Oh, look,” I said, when we reached the entrance. “There’s a gate across the driveway.”

“There was a gate there two days ago,” Claire replied drily. “Didn’t you notice?”

“Two days ago it was open,” I pointed out. “Now it’s closed. Uh-oh.”

“No problem.” Claire pulled the car over beside an entry box, discreetly painted black, that I hadn’t noticed on my previous visit. “How do you think I got in the other day? Lila gave me the code.”

“Of course she did,” I muttered under my breath. “That’s lucky,” I said aloud.

“Or good planning,” she informed me.

The double gates swung open. Claire pulled the car through and they closed behind us. We coasted thirty feet to the gatehouse. The small building looked dark and deserted. The weak morning sun did nothing to brighten its appearance.

A piece of bright yellow crime scene tape was tacked across the cottage’s front door. Claire and I both pretended we didn’t see it. She pulled around the back and parked in the same spot she’d used the other day.

“Too bad there’s no place to hide the car,” I said as we got out.

“Hide it from whom?” Claire asked. “Take a look around, Melanie. There’s nobody here to see us.”

So far, so good.

“Where’s the window you were telling me about?”

“It’s on the other side.”

Claire began to beat her way through the underbrush that had grown up next to the house.

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