“Don’t worry, Mattie. I’ll handle Mei. She won’t blame you about the extra rental fees. Besides, the police won’t need the trailer for long. The extra-bad news is that they’re going to want to see the rest of the pieces that you sent back to December with the movers.”
Mattie dropped her head onto Dave’s chest. “Just shoot me now.”
“Think about all the free publicity Christmastown will be getting if you solved a decade-old robbery,” Dave said.
“You’re not helping.”
Virginia coughed again. “George Essex is still saying this is all a big misunderstanding.”
“A misunderstanding? He chased us across at least two provinces to get his hands on a Christmas decoration. I don’t think he’ll be able to convince the police that it was for some plastic crystals. What’s your take, Ginger?” Dave asked.
“I don’t know. When we wrote the podcast, we looked at all of the official reports. The police examined the mall display in detail at the time, looking for any clue as to where the jewels had gone. They didn’t find anything then. If you did just pry a diamond out of that lamppost, everything we know about the Frost Creek robbery will have to be re-examined.”
“What a mess,” Mattie groaned.
“At least you’re in the clear. You might even come out looking like the hero. You found the loot and saved the day.” Virginia wiped the back of her hand against her forehead, brushing damp locks of auburn hair off her face. “This heat is brutal. I’m going into town to hit the fairgrounds, get an extra-large lemonade, and head home this afternoon. You have one more show tomorrow, don’t you, Humbug?”
“Tomorrow morning,” Dave confirmed.
“I want videos. Mattie, I’ll see you at the park office on Monday, right?”
“I’ll be there.”
“Good. Bring the magician,” Virginia said before she turned and walked away. She climbed into the truck that was still parked in the middle of the field. Then she bumped her way across the rough dirt until she hit the exit to the highway and was gone.
“This is officially the most epic road trip ever,” Dave said.
“And what comes next will be even better.”
Chapter 10
Mattie
Three Months Later…
* * *
Mattie shivered when a cold breeze rocked through her. She tried to remember how it felt to stand in the warm summer sun, but the little icy snowflakes hitting her face kept breaking her concentration. She pulled the cherry-red coat that was part of her Christmastown uniform tighter around her. The whirlwind that had been her life for the past few months was finally coming to an end.
She thought that things would have returned to normal once George Essex had been arrested that exciting Saturday afternoon in August. But that was only the beginning.
First, she’d had to give her statement at the Hopewell RCMP detachment. After that, she’d had to watch Constable King hook up her trailer and drive it to the RCMP forensic lab in Winnipeg. Every square millimetre of all eighteen pieces was examined under microscopes and jeweller’s loupes to see how many more diamonds and other gems were hiding in the fake frost and snow. Then, she had to book an extension with the rental company to keep the trailer a couple of extra days until the RCMP released it. And that had all been on Saturday afternoon.
Dave’s show on Sunday had a huge attendance. People weren’t just coming because of the popularity of his first performance, but because the whole town had heard about his involvement in catching a jewel thief. It had taken over an hour for him to get away after his appearance with how many people wanted to talk to him. Mattie had been happy to wait; every job he booked there was another incentive for him to stay in Manitoba.
Sunday afternoon had, thankfully, been a leisurely drive to December. The ride in the Magnificent van was a lot smoother when it wasn’t towing half a village. She’d hooked Dave up with a spot in visitor parking at the complex where her tiny one-bedroom apartment was located. Then they’d each spent an hour in her bathroom, revelling in the never-ending hot water in the shower. Mattie ended the last night of their road trip with spaghetti and meat sauce and a bottle of red wine she’d been saving for a special occasion.
“I’ve got to go back to work tomorrow morning,” she’d said to Dave that Sunday night. “And I have to tell Mei Chen everything. How I didn’t know about our new decorations’ history, what happened with George Essex, and why my six-figure Santa’s Village is now being held as evidence in two different criminal investigations. I am so fired.”
“Why are you so certain you’re sunk?”
“She’s obsessed with maintaining the park’s reputation. To be fair, it is her job. Christmastown is supposed to be famous for being family-friendly, not notorious.”
Dave had laughed. “I can see your point. On the other hand, I doubt that you intend to specifically market your elfie stations as “As advertised on the Still Unfound Mysteries podcast. She must understand that everything has a history.”
“I should be so lucky. What are you doing tomorrow?”
“I’m going to check out December and take advantage of your Wi-Fi to see what businesses around here might be looking for a mechanic.”
