Santa Claus, Lies, and Murder (Amber Fox Mysteries book #4.5 - Novella) (The Amber Fox Murder Mystery Series) by Hodge Sibel

Author:Hodge, Sibel [Hodge, Sibel]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Wonder Women Publishing Limited
Published: 2014-08-05T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 4

I perched on the edge of Hacker’s desk, watching him type gobbledygook commands into one of his computers as I sipped a triple espresso and stuffed down my fourth mince pie. At least my hands had stopped shaking after all the spider incidents in a single day. Although they would probably start again after the caffeine and sugar hit.

“Do you know how much crap that’s got in it?” Hacker nodded to my feast.

Hacker and Brad were big on healthy eating.

“Yes, but it’s Christmas. It’s actually the law that you have to eat ten mince pies a day. Or ten slices of Christmas cake. Ten is a holy number, apparently.” I shrugged.

“You’ve eaten ten mince pies?” Brad walked into the office, carrying a Tupperware box, shaking his head.

“Not yet, but I’m working on it.”

“That is just wrong.” He sat at my office chair opposite. “Did you know sugar is worse for you than even tobacco or alcohol?”

“No. But now you’ve said that, I think I really need a whiskey or something to go with it. It’s been a freaky morning. Or—I know! Eggnog. Shouldn't we have eggnog on Christmas Eve?” I tilted my head. “Hmm…maybe I can suggest to Starbucks that they do a special eggnogaccino. Coffee and alcohol together. Heaven.”

Brad sighed. He was always trying to curb my unhealthy lifestyle, but it never worked. My five-a-day usually consisted of fruit-flavoured sweets. He held out the Tupperware box to Hacker. “Falafel with alfalfa sprouts and wheatgrass powder?”

Hacker leaned forward and took a grey ball with lumps of what looked like dead flies in it. “Mmmm. Yummy.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Yummy? Seriously? You’re eating grass and sprouts, and that’s yummy?”

Brad popped one into his mouth and chewed. “Delicious.” He nodded in an over-exaggerated way.

“Yeah, right.” I popped the last piece of mince pie in my mouth. “Mmm. Awww. Oooh. Soooo good,” I said in between chews.

Hacker finished eating, leaned back in his chair, then swivelled it to face us. “OK, so I did a check on Colin Prescott. He rents a two-bedroomed house and lives a pretty quiet lifestyle. He goes to the gym three times a week. He’s got no girlfriend. No vices that cost a lot of money and no debts. He’s worked at the London branch of the Natural History Museum for two years as a security guard. His staff appraisals are glowing and say he’s contentious, always on time, and never had a day off sick.”

“The perfect employee?” I thought about those eyes, and the way he stared that made me doubt that. “Maybe too perfect on paper.”

“Exactly.” Hacker grinned. “Two and a half years ago, he was on trial for the burglary of a stately home. He and a group of four other men were charged with stealing antiques and artwork. They were all acquitted, though, so he doesn’t have a criminal record.”

“And then he gets a job in a museum, where there’s lots of antiques and artwork?” Brad raised an eyebrow.

“He could’ve turned over a new leaf, I suppose,” I said.

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