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Ms. Alice’s eyes slit open, and she gives us a stern look. We close our eyes and wait again. I’m not sure how long we’re supposed to wait. Her methods are different from mine.
All at once, the old lady takes her hand from mine and claps. “That’s that. Now we go about our business and wait for the thief to appear.”
“I sure hope he does.” Pushing to my feet, I think of all the work I did on the flowers and palms for tomorrow morning.
Ms. Alice holds up her hand, and I pull her to her feet with a grunt. Once she’s up, she leans into me and whispers, “It couldn’t hurt to pray while you’re at it.”
CHAPTER3
CHRISTMAS BOOTY
SPENCER
Joselyn’s just out the door when my phone goes off with a text from Scout.Any chance you could locate a Baby Jesus in time for tomorrow?
I’ve tried to stay out of this cozy mystery, but with Baby Jesus missing, I’m worried about my wife. I know how much time she spent preparing the nativity scene for the big day, and it won’t be the same without the star of the show.
I shoot him a quick reply.Where are you now?
Jogging up to our bedroom, I change quickly into a pair of jeans and pull on my boots when his reply appears on my phone.I’m at the site with the kids. You coming down?
Give me ten minutes.That’s about as long as it takes to drive between the two small towns.
While the ladies are tapping into the spirit world, I’ll see what contacts I have in the retail world around this area. If worse comes to worse, I’ll drive back to Columbia tonight and get a replacement.
At the scene of the crime, Oliver is inside the stable area with Scout while Melody is in the adjacent field throwing her pink football with her cousin Jesse.
Oliver sees me and runs to meet me at the car. “They got him while we were sleeping. Nobody saw a thing.”
I take the boy’s hand and walk with him to where Scout is staring at Mary deep in thought. “I saw something, but it’s like they knew about the camera. They had to have crawled in here or used a hook or a fishing line…”
Standing in front of the wooden structure, I study the palms and sea grasses my wife arranged around the space. Several palm fronds are pushed away, and a plaster lamb is lying on its side.
“It’s not just for the old timers. We’ve got to find a Baby Jesus for the kids.” Scout is searching on his phone. “I swear, when I catch these guys...”
I go to where Mary is kneeling with her hands clasped, holding a bouquet of calla lilies. The ground in front of the manger is covered in a spongy, green moss Joselyn had explained would stay fresh because water is stored in a crate beneath it.
It’s when I notice a patch of moss behind Joseph has been torn away and the water is exposed. It looks like it’s been spilled, or…
“It’s an animal.” I drop to one knee and lean closer to examine the damaged turf. “Look at these digging marks. Looks like it was after water.”
Ollie runs to where I’m kneeling and leans in close to the ground. His dark brow is furrowed, and he looks up at me. “An animal?”
“But why would an animal want dolls?” Scout’s beside me now, too.
“I couldn’t begin to guess.” Rising to my feet, I dust my hands together as I scan the open area. “It’s pretty far from the tree line. Maybe a raccoon?”
“I’ve never heard of a raccoon stealing things. Usually they just pick through the garbage for food and leave the rest alone.”
“It’s true.” I exhale deeply. “And we’re running out of time.”
“Maybe it’s a dog!” Oliver slips his hand in mine. “I’ve always wanted a dog.”
My eyes move from the little boy to Scout, who’s scratching his chin with his thumbnail, nodding slowly. “A dog would make more sense. It could also explain why we didn’t see anything on the nanny cam—if it’s a small dog. I’ll ask around and see if anybody’s seen a stray, or hell, it could be a pet.”
“I’ll see if I can find a backup just in case.” I pull out my phone. “Keep me posted. Come on, Ollie, want to ride with me?”
“Sure!” He takes my hand, and we walk to my black Tesla parked on the street. My “space car” as he likes to call it. Funny kid.
