Page 81 of Sleigh My Heart

Michelle put her car in gear and waited. Might as well see where you’re going in such a rush.

It shouldn’t have surprised her when, a few minutes later, Elaine pulled into the mall. The woman speed walked as fast as those heels could carry her to the plus size shop that Margarita worked at.

Michelle ducked into a different store, out of sight. Peeking around the display in the Shoe Palace’s front window, she had a direct line of sight. Elaine breezed past the mannequins and the tables of accessories to the counter. A woman Michelle didn’t know smiled and shook her head.

“Yup, she’s not working. Now, what are you going to do?” Michelle leaned closer to the window.

“May I help you?”

She whipped around and a tower of stilettos tumbled. “Sorry. No, I’m good.” She dropped to help the employee pick up the mess, but she kept sneaking looks out the window. When Elaine huffed by, Michelle shoved the shoes into the young man’s arms and rushed after her, right into Nick. “Uff.”

He reached up and steadied her. “Hey, what’s the hurry?”

“Margarita’s aunt. I just talked to her at HighTower. I followed her here. She’s on the move.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“No. I got this. I’m not confronting her, just tracking. Besides, I need to wait and see what Jim comes up with.”

“Call me later.”

“Will do.” She pivoted and hurried after Elaine. Who knew the woman could move that fast in heels? Michelle stepped it up to a jog.

As she reached her vehicle, Elaine’s car pulled up to the light at the exit. The chase was on.

***

Nick called in a favor when he got back to his desk. Five minutes later, Margarita Smith’s employment file was in his inbox.

“Let’s see what we can find out.” He read through her employment file and resume twice before he dropped his head into his hands.

Smith worked the night Garmen was shot, and her manager of the club was down as a reference for her employment. Not her aunt, Elaine Smith. The very one that Mickey was following at the moment.

Nick scrolled over to the folder with Garmen, Staniski, and Junior’s files. He had copies of the background checks from their hires. So far, nothing they didn’t know, but he kept going.

"There." He stopped scrolling. The reference for Staniski was one E. Smith. He didn’t put it together until this morning. He checked Garmen’s. Nope. Only Jonny’s. Why would Towers’ assistant give a reference to one and not the other? Especially when Garmen was dating her niece?

Unless…? He grabbed his phone and called Michelle. Voicemail.

Shit. He texted her his theory and shut the file. He needed to get to work. The festival was days away, and he didn’t have a sleigh or a Santa. And come the twenty-sixth, he wouldn’t have a job.

Chapter 21

Michelle parked a block down from the Songbird nightclub. Elaine had gone in ten minutes ago. Michelle saw Nick’s text. Great minds think alike. She’d come to the same conclusion fifteen minutes ago.

Elaine and Jonny? She’d seen weirder things. Age was just a number, right?

Her fingers were on the keypad, mid-text to Nick, when a message from Jim popped up.

Jim: Keep an eye on the aunt. I’ll call you soon.

Michelle: Already on it.

She wanted answers but didn’t push. Her brother—sure, but the detective—not if she valued her job.

If she stared at that door any harder, a vein would pop in her head. It was as if she could magically will Elaine to appear. Every so often, she scanned the street. Not much action this time of day in this part of town. This block came to life after dark.

Ten minutes later, the only action was a stray dog doing his business on a vacant lot. She turned her attention back to the club and hoped she didn't get an aneurysm.