A Mystery & Some Mistletoe

A Mystery & Some Mistletoe

NE Sully

Copyright 2011 Sully Books

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Chapter One

Snow drizzled down from the gray sky and covered everything in a light white coating. The business day had barely started, but cars fought through traffic and the sidewalks were busy with shoppers. Christmas was only a week away, and the entire city was caught up in the holiday. Mothers scolded their children for asking for toys so close to a day of presents and gifts. Young couples took ice skating trips and stopped under the mistletoe at every chance they had. Storekeepers worked hard to keep their shops clean and organized, but with the crowds coming in, it was difficult.

Everyone seemed to be in the Christmas mood, except for Cale. It wasn’t that he hated Christmas, but being the manager of an extensive two level mall was especially exhausting at this time of year. Anything that went wrong seemed to fall on his shoulders: customer complaints, shoplifters, lack of inventory. The intimidating stack of paperwork on his desk was piling higher and higher every day; no matter how much time he put in to making the stack disappear, it never even seemed to dent. The twenty-six year old hadn’t ever thought of these things when he was in business school. Sure, it was all there in the books, but real life was never really by the book, right?

Mr. Johnson? Cale lifted his head to see who it was that had disturbed his work this time. The timid voice belonged to his receptionist, a kind old lady who had worked for several managers before he was given the job after receiving his Master’s degree in business management.

Good morning, Mary. What is it? He noticed how the woman shuffled her feet nervously, and was worried about what would come next.

Todd, the security guard, sir, he’s here to see you.

Cale nodded for Mary to show him in, and she opened the door a little wider and motioned for Todd to enter the office. She shut the door behind the security guard, which only increased Cale’s anxiety over whatever it was Todd had to tell him. He didn’t expect Todd to beat around the bush, only because he never did, and he certainly didn’t disappoint this time either.

The Sunglasses Unlimited store was broken in to last night. Well, that’s what we think anyway.

What do you mean, that’s what you think? Cale shot back. While he appreciated Todd’s straight-to-the-point demeanor, something wasn’t quite right about the man, and it annoyed Cale tremendously.

Todd sighed. The opening employee walked in this morning to find half the inventory cleared out. Just disappeared.

That seems pretty clear to me that it’s a break-in then. Did you call the police?

Yes, they’re on their way, Todd replied. Thing is, Mr. Johnson, there’s nothing that makes it look like a break-in. No locks were picked or broken. Security cameras don’t show anyone coming in or going out with the stolen merchandise or after hours.

Cale could’ve just given up the whole thing right then. He could have just thrown in the towel, walked away, and admitted he was in over his head. He most certainly wanted to, but his pride wouldn’t let him. He laid his pen down on the desk and motioned for Todd to follow him. If there really was nothing on video tape, he had to see it for himself.

Mary, I’ll be out in the mall for a while. I have my mobile if you need me, Cale told the receptionist quietly.

Once in the security room, Todd cued the tapes from the previous night, and as he fast-forwarded through so they weren’t watching the whole thing real time, Cale’s head hung lower and lower. When the sun finally came up over the horizon on the tape a few minutes later, Cale hit the stop button and turned the player off. Someone chirped Todd’s walkie-talkie, and he said a few muffled words into the device. The person on the other end quickly replied, and Todd relayed the information to Cale.

The police are here. They want us to meet them at the store.

As the men made their way to Sunglasses Unlimited, Cale smiled at the patrons that were filtering into the building. There were some citizens, mostly elderly ones, who liked to come and walk the mall in the mornings to get in their exercise without having to brave the cold weather. He waved to a few regulars, and they smiled back at him kindly. He glanced in the other stores as he walked by, making sure no one was opening late and that all displays were in order, at least for now. When they passed by the music store, he looked for its owner, Nicole, who always opened, but didn’t see her today. Cale certainly wouldn’t have told anyone, but the girl always made his face heat and his tongue stumble over words. He tried to push images of her out of his mind as they neared the store in question and focus the task at hand. He sighed at the lone employee at Sunglasses Unlimited. Her name was Morgan, a college student who, at the moment, appeared to be very shaken up. When Cale entered the store, her eyes welled with tears, and he momentarily placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

It’s okay, Morgan. You’re not in trouble, Cale comforted. She nodded and wiped the moisture from her eyes. Todd shut the front gate of the store for now, although shoppers still tried to peer in and see what was happening.

A burly police officer stepped out from the back room where the inventory was kept and informed Cale they had nothing new for him. The crime was very clean; there were no broken locks or any other signs of forced entry, and nothing else out of the ordinary. The officer, whose nametag read R. Edwards, handed him a copy of the police report and a business card and, after suggesting Cale do some internal questioning of his employees, promised to be in touch. Great, Cale thought. More paperwork.

Mary, can you please call the security guys and have them check all the cameras and alarms? Then I need you to call whoever closed Sunglasses Unlimited last night and have them come in and see me as soon as possible. If reporters call, we’re not releasing a statement about last night’s … incident.

Mary nodded, jotting everything down on a to-do list. I’ll have all of those things done right away, sir. Oh, and that pretty little girl from the record store came up here to see you. Cale attempted to hide the blush in his cheeks, but the knowing smirk Mary had on her face weakened him. The receptionist knew how Cale felt about Nicole; was it that obvious to everyone? He began to panic a little, and Mary must have noticed because she got up from her chair and took his hand in both of hers. I think she likes you.

There’s things going on today that are more pressing, Cale told her, tapping the police report still in his hand.

I didn’t mean necessarily today, Mary started with the tone of a grandmother. But soon, you should talk to her about it.

Cale rubbed his temple and nodded, mumbling something about the ethics of busy mall managers dating pretty employees. Mary only chuckled to herself as Cale came out of his office shortly after setting the papers on his desk, and let Mary know where he would be if he was needed. She waited for him to leave, and then chuckled to herself. Her eldest grandson was about Cale’s age, and he still got the same smitten look on his face when his latest girlfriend was around as Cale got when Nicole was in the room. They’ll find their way eventually, but a push in the right direction never hurt anyone, she thought to herself as she went about the tasks she had been assigned.

Christmas-style Muzak swam slowly out of the loudspeaker over the mall as he made his way to the Vinyl Box, Nicole’s music store. There were only a few emo kids hanging around when he entered, and the store’s owner was nowhere in sight. She probably hadn’t been seen earlier because she was up in his office looking for him. Cale didn’t know a lot about her, but what he had learned in the last year he worked as the mall’s manager certainly had caught his eye. Before he could run through the mental list of things he knew about her, the brunette appeared from the back, made immediate eye contact with him, and smiled.

Mr. Johnson, how are you today? she asked, setting a box behind the counter. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the red laminate. Despite her smile, she seemed to be a little worried.

It’s not the best of days, Cale replied back, giving her a small smile. But it sounds like you knew that already.

Nicole nodded. You know Amy is the gossip mogul of this place.

As if on cue, Nicole’s best friend and assistant manager appeared. She hopped up on the counter and nodded. She’s right, I know everything that goes on around here.

Cale smirked at her, amazed at how different the two girls were, not only physically, but in personality. Nicole’s features were darker, while Amy was blonde and light. Although Amy was more outgoing and more confident in herself, Cale found himself drawn to Nicole’s laid-back, down to earth nature more than anything.

Well, he addressed Amy. What can you tell me about what happened last night?

He watched Nicole unload the box of band t-shirts and arrange them on the display behind the counter while only half-listening to what Amy was telling about how surprised she was there was no word going on about the rip job, as she called it. Nicole only chuckled at her friend’s enthusiastic manner and turned back to Cale when Amy was done.

I don’t need any of the details, she informed him. But I do want to make sure my store is safe. It’s all I –

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