“You're up to something, Candy. I know you.”
“I'm building a Christmas Toy Island that, prayerfully, will be opened by next Christmas.”
“Is that so? Well, isn't it interesting that the man who wanted to buy the land the toy factory in town is sitting on ended up in jail for tax evasion, along with one of our county commissioners who was part of the operation? Gee, I wonder how that came about. Betty's rich cousin talked to the IRS and helped you save the toy factory, didn't he? Confess!”
“Like, cool it!” Sandy snapped. “I'm going to, like, go deaf.”
“Hush!” Haley ordered Sandy. “Candy...confess!”
Candy rolled her eyes. “Haley, the law was broken and the guilty are paying the price. Betty nor I had anything to do with what happened.”
Darn. Candy was telling the truth. Haley hated how she could read Candy like a book. Just once—just once—Haley wanted to detect a lie in Candy's voice. “Okay then. What about Peppermint Tolsky? Huh? He worked for the rich banker in question for ten years...and now he's working for you. What secrets does he know? Should I go question him?”
“You can try. Peppermint is a friendly man,” Candy answered.
“Yeah, like, he's a real friend to everyone,” Sandy added.
“Oh, is he?” Haley rubbed her chin. “Maybe I will talk to Mr. Tolsky.”
“Hey, like, the island is private,” Sandy told Haley. “No one is allowed on the island until next Christmas.”
“Oh, is that so...” A hideous grin formed on Haley's face. “Isn't that interesting?”
“Haley, the island is off limits because construction on the Christmas Village is going to begin when spring arrives. Until then, we're going to be working on the castle.”
“With Marty Belvins...a retired schoolteacher? Sure...sure...” Haley began rubbing her chin. “You have Ms. Valley Girl, Mr. Mafia Guy and Mr. Retired School Principal all working for you...not to mention an architect who was run out of Manhattan by his ex-wife's father, a man with known ties to crime families.”
Good grief. Haley was making it seem as if Candy was running a crime organization on the island she now called home. “Haley, Chris Carols is a decent man who married a very bitter and vindictive woman, who used her father to hurt Chris.”
“Oh...I see...” Another devious smile touched Haley's eyes. “We have a romantic interest in Chris Carols, do we?”
“You're impossible.” Candy shook her head. “I have shopping to do.”
Haley peeked into the grocery cart Candy was using. “Coffee...donuts...where's the food?”
“We've, like, just started shopping,” Sandy told Haley. “There's a big display of coffee and donuts up front...like, just in case you didn't notice. Tom the Turkey is hanging the display...like, totally.”
“Well...” Haley focused on Sandy. Sandy was dumb enough to break under pressure...or so it seemed. “Why did you leave Los Angeles? Who do you work for? Speak up! Confess!”
“What? Like...are you insane and all that? Get away from me!” Sandy yelled at Haley.
“Oh, I'll find out who you are, girly...wait and see. I have my ways.” Haley turned her eyes back to Candy. “At first I thought you won the lottery by chance. Now, I'm not so sure. I'll be in touch...don't go far!” Haley pointed at Candy. “My brother is the Chief of Police...I know people.” With those words spoken, Haley turned and walked away.
“She's, like, insane and all.”
“And she's going to be a very big thorn in our side, I'm afraid.” A bad feeling washed through Candy as she watched Haley walk away. Sandy's parents had their issues with drugs. What if Haley found out the truth? And what about Ralphie? Was Ralphie hiding any secrets? Marty? Even Chris? Haley's brother was the Chief of Police, and if the woman managed to arouse enough suspicion, who knew what would happen? Would the police raid the island? Would the FBI get involved? Suddenly Candy felt a wave of paranoid thoughts of her own crash into her mind. What if Haley caused Christmas Toy Island to be given a bad name before a present could even be unwrapped?
“Candy, are you alright?” Sandy asked. She saw a deep worry enter Candy's eyes.
“Let's focus on getting everything we need, honey. I'll worry about Haley later. If God brought us this far, I doubt a worm like Haley Huntington is going to cause us any harm.”
“Like, okay, I guess...we need bread and peanut butter and jelly...” Sandy bit down on her lower lip. She had never seen Candy look so worried. “Ralphie wanted Tang and Marty wanted Ovaltine. Chris wanted raisin bagels and Betty wanted orange juice. Peppermint...we, like, got his donuts...”
“We need staples, too, honey...like meat and rice and canned goods...” Candy watched Haley leave the aisle she was standing in. “Uh, let's hurry and get our shopping done.”
“Sure...like, yeah...the sooner we get back to the island, the better, I guess.”
Candy and Sandy spend the next forty minutes hurrying through the grocery store. Because they were buying for more than two people, Sandy had to go fetch another grocery cart. Haley remained in the grocery store and watched the show. After Candy and Sandy checked out, she walked out into the heavy falling snow. She found the two women putting bags of groceries into the back of an SUV. “You two seemed to go into panic mode after we talked, Candy. Gee, I wonder why? And now you seem in such a rush to leave.”
