Page 67 of Sleigh My Heart

She shook her head. “It was so fast. I heard it, saw Garmen jerk and drop. Instinctively, I ducked and grabbed my gun. I scanned behind me, saw no one, and took off running for Garmen. I knew Nick would be coming around the corner any second.”

“And when he did?” Trey asked.

“I yelled to get down, that I didn’t know where the shooter was. He ignored me and continued to Garmen. I told him not to touch him. I reached him a second later, checked his pulse, and when I found it, started to triage.”

After a few more questions, Fenley slid the rest of his papers in the folder and closed it.

CJ stood. “Has your sergeant talked to you yet?”

“He’s on his way.” She didn’t need to see the man face-to-face to know she’d be on suspension or desk duty until the ballistics came back.

CJ nodded, then placed a hand on her shoulder. “You know it’s procedure. Hang in there.”

“Yeah.” She did know, but she was losing precious time to find the killer, and her best lead was in surgery at the moment.

“Michelle, I’ll see if I can light a fire under the lab guys,” Trey said.

“Thanks.” A faint smile crossed her face. If it were any other agent, she would be held in custody until the lab results came in. Thankfully, it was Trey. Not only was he married to a fellow cop, he was trustworthy. She didn’t get the skeezy internal affairs feel from him.

When they left, she turned back to the interview in the next room. If anyone could get Junior to crack, it was her brother.

***

Now what would he do? Nick’s thoughts were miles from here as he kissed his sleeping daughter’s head and slipped out of the room. Twenty-six miles, to be exact, in an operating room at the Hennepin County Medical Center. The Ashwood Medical Center had top-notch staff and facilities, but when a patient needed major life-saving surgery, they were rushed downtown to the HCMC or Abbott Medical Center.

God, how he wanted to be pacing the visitor’s lounge, waiting for news on Garmen. First, he had to stop at the police station to give his statement. There was no way he would miss them questioning Junior, not when Michelle said Jim was questioning him. Nope, he tagged along with her like he had every right to be in the observation room.

Now, he was home, but his mind was still looping through his mess of a night. Would Garmen live? What was Junior’s involvement? And would they get it all sorted out in… he glanced at his watch… seven days?

Fat chance of that. He had better odds of being run over by Santa’s reindeer. It was looking more and more like he’d need to find a new job after the holidays. Fine by him, if only he was affected. Unfortunately, all the mall employees would be looking for work.

Then there was Ava. A nagging stab in his chest throbbed at the idea of letting her down. He couldn’t swat that away as easily as finding a new job.

Downstairs, his father dosed in the recliner. Taking a blanket from the back of the couch, Nick covered him up. Another person who would be let down if he didn’t get that sleigh back before the festival.

In a million years, Nick wouldn’t have guessed how hard it would be to find a replacement sleigh. He had tried. That afternoon, he’d called every theatre company, Christmas supply, and even the antique shops to find a different sleigh. Zero, zilch, nada. Not one to be found. Not even Facebook Marketplace had one, and they have everything. As he looked at his father, the question rang in his mind again. Now what would he do?

“You want to tell me what happened?” Russ’s voice was gravelly with sleep.

Mrs. Swenson had been doing a crossword puzzle at the kitchen table when Nick came home. She’d said that his father had dozed off about an hour ago, and Ava had been asleep for hours. He thanked her and walked her to her car.

“I thought you were asleep.”

“You’re avoiding the question.” One blue eye, similar in shade to his, popped open.

“Nothing.” He picked up an empty plate and mug from the coffee table.

“That’s not what I heard. Irene’s son called. I know there was a shooting and you and Mickey were somehow involved.”

Nick froze halfway to the kitchen. “I see the grapevine is still as fast as ever.”

“Law enforcement officers’ families talk. Remember, I was married to a LEO.” His dad shrugged. A wince crossed his face. When Nick moved to help him, Russ waved him off. “It’s a tight community. Sometimes, they’re the only people who understand.”

“Dad.”

“No. I’m not going to rehash history. Your mother loved being a cop, and I loved her. I wouldn’t trade those years for anything.” He scrunched his face and shot a stern look at his son. “Now answer the question.”

He dropped to the couch. “I had a hunch that Mickey was at Trudy’s Bar, hoping to find Cliff Garmen. He might have information on the sleigh theft.”