Santa Sleuth Read Online Free Page B

think a chair. The rest is really blurry. There’s this gap between my fighting with him and my waking up with the fire all around me.”
    “Maybe Jason set the fire, or maybe the person who came in did.”
    “If there was another person on the premises I just need to figure out who that person was.”
    “I’m sure it will come back to you. In the meantime, if you need a sleuthing partner I’m in.”
    I smiled at Jeremy. “Thanks. I might take you up on that. Zak wants me to stay out of it, Levi has been acting withdrawn and secretive lately, and Ellie is pretty distracted with dealing with the insurance company. Two heads are always better than one.”
    “Did you ever find out why Levi didn’t show up at the Santa booth on Saturday?” Jeremy asked.
    “No. No one could get hold of him for the entire day, but he did come up to the hospital to see me on Sunday. Physically he looked fine, but based on the stress lines around his eyes and his overall appearance, I can tell he’s seriously worried about something. I tried to get it out of him, but all he would say was that he was working through some stuff and needed his space.”
    Jeremy tied a red bow to the top of the tree. “I’m sure he’ll work through whatever it is he needs to deal with.”
    “Yeah,” I agreed. “I do feel bad for him, and I feel really bad for Ellie. She seems to be dealing okay, but she has to be on serious overload. I thought I’d try to spend some time with her this weekend. Maybe do the girlfriend thing.”
    “That sounds nice, and if you need anything at all just let me know.”
    “I will.” I picked up the stack of mail that must have been dropped off just prior to my arrival. I was willing to bet there were several other equally large stacks on my desk. “I’ll be in my office until the kids get here.”
    “I’ll let you know when the bus arrives,” Jeremy assured me.
    I smiled when I noticed that Jeremy had set up a small tree and strung lights around the window in my office. He was the perfect manager for the Zoo. He was thorough and thoughtful and really seemed to care about each and every one of our animals as much as I did. My new role as a wife and surrogate mom didn’t allow me as much time at the Zoo as I used to spend, but with Jeremy at the helm I knew I need never worry that things weren’t being taken care of as they should be.
    By the time the kindergarten class arrived I’d sorted through the mail and cleared the messages on my desk. Charlie was thrilled with all the attention he was receiving from the group of five-year-olds and decided to go on the tour with them and Jeremy. I pulled a tall stool up to the front counter and began jotting down a gift list. I had a lot more people to buy for this year and I’d barely begun my shopping.
    Zak was tough. He didn’t really need anything, but he somehow always managed to get me the perfect gift, so I was determined to find the perfect one for him as well. I’d already considered and rejected all the typical gifts such as clothes and electronics. If Zak needed something or even wanted something he bought it for himself. What in the world does one get for the man who already has everything?
    Zak’s ward, Pi, wanted new computer equipment, which Zak had promised to track down and purchase. In my opinion Pi already had more stuff than NASA, but he was a computer genius on track to partner up with Zak, and I knew that like my husband, technology couldn’t begin to keep up with his skill level and knowledge base.
    Alex wanted new clothes, for which I had been shopping for the past month. She was such a practical girl, who only requested items she actually needed, such as new winter boots and a new coat because she’d outgrown the warm clothes she’d worn last year. I’d purchased these items in addition to some fun new outfits I was certain Alex would love, but I really wanted to find something personal and special for the little girl who had won my