“So, you went to investigate?”
“I did. I mean, I didn’t expect anyone to steal my lights on Christmas Eve, but stranger things have happened.”
“You’d be surprised by what happens on Christmas Eve. All right, you went downstairs and opened the front door. Then, what?”
“Then, I spotted the body. I didn’t know it was a body right then. I mean, my first thought was that some drunk had managed to find the wrong house and passed out on my porch.”
“After getting tangled up in your lights.”
“Exactly. So, I checked him, and well, I felt for a pulse. I didn’t find one, so I called you.”
“You didn’t see anyone when you opened the door?”
“Just the dead body.”
“And you didn’t hear anything earlier?”
Hope shook her head. “Like I said, I’d had some wine.”
“Do you recognize the deceased?”
“I think it’s Clive Thomas.”
“So, you knew him?”
“I had dinner at the Culpepper House the other night, and we chatted. I interviewed him for something I’m working on, a history.”
Detective Robinson nodded and yawned. “Excuse me. I had a couple of drinks last night, too. Clive Thomas has a certain … reputation. You weren’t seeing him, correct?”
“I was not. In fact, my dinner at the Culpepper included Cori. It was hardly some sort of tryst.”
“I believe you. So, Mr. Thomas was not expected to visit you.”
“He has never stepped foot in this house, at least, while I’ve been living here. I have no idea why he came here last night.”
“What time did you go to bed?”
“A little before midnight. Like I said, we had a little bon voyage party. I was tired.”
“If you would, think for a moment. Is there any reason that he would show up at your front door after midnight on Christmas Eve?”
Hope shrugged. “No reason at all. Had I heard him, I never would have let him in.”
Detective Robinson picked up his phone and ended the recording.
“Hope,” he said. “I’m going to ask you to come down to the station and give a statement.”
“Not tomorrow, I mean today. It’s Christmas.”
“No, the day after is soon enough. By the way, we’ll be taking your Christmas lights. They appear to be the murder weapon.”
Hope shook her head. “You can have them. I don’t think I could bring myself to use them after this.”
“Understood. If you can think of a reason why he would show up when he did, write it down and bring it with you to the interview. You didn’t touch the body, did you?”
“I felt his wrist for a pulse,” Hope said. “I didn’t touch the lights.”
“I’m guessing your prints are on them to begin with since you’re the one who put them out, right?”
“I did,” Hope said. “So, yes, my prints must be on them.”
Derrick stood. “I’m tired, too. I was up after midnight, putting together one of those hover boards for my daughter. If she doesn’t fall off and break her arm, I’ll be surprised.”
Hope walked the detective to the door. “Thanks for coming. I appreciate it. Merry Christmas to you and your family.”
“Merry Christmas to you. I’ll see you at the station tomorrow.”
Hope didn’t stop to watch the EMTs load the body and drive away. She noticed that there was yellow, crime tape all around her porch, which was as good as a CRIME-COMMITTED-HERE sign. She supposed the forensic team would be there for part of the day and be back after Christmas. The skeleton crew that had arrived with Detective Robinson wasn’t enough.
She stood for a moment, just outside the door, feeling the cold, the moon bright and casting shadows. Why had Clive come to her house? What was so important that he had to see her? And who had come with him? Who might have followed him? Who ended his life?
Hope shivered, realizing she was the logical suspect.
But why would I kill Clive?
I wouldn’t.
Hope dozed for the rest of the night. She stretched out on the sofa and tried to sleep, but the murder and the coffee kept her from any real rest. She greeted the dawn with another cup of coffee and the trepidation that came with a murder.
Clive had died for some reason. What was it?
“I had the strangest dream.” Yawning, Cori walked into the kitchen.
“What was it?” Hope asked.
“I dreamed there were a bunch of police cars and an ambulance outside our house. I mean, it was spooky.”
“That was no dream,” Hope said gently.
Cori stared at her mother. “What? You’re kidding.”
“No kidding. Remember Mr. Thomas, the man we met at the Culpepper House?”
“The icky guy.” Cori nodded.
“Well, this isn’t easy to say, but he died on our front porch last night.”
Cori’s eyes got big. “You’re punking me.”
“Sorry, I’m not. He was strangled.”
“Murdered?”
Hope nodded. “And you’re forbidden from telling anyone, do you hear?”
“But people will know. They probably know already.”
“They will, but they won’t hear it from us. By the way, you didn’t hear anything last night, did you?”
“You mean, like someone getting strangled?”
“That comes to mind.”
“No, I didn’t hear anything.”
“No dreams about someone getting strangled?”
Cori shook her head.
“That’s fine. The police have been here, and they might come back today. I have to go to the police station tomorrow, too.”
“Gosh, Mom. I shouldn’t go to Hawaii.”
“Yes, you should.”
“I need to stay with you. We can work on the murder together. We’ll help the police figure out who killed him.”
“Nope, you need to go.”
“I don’t want to leave you.” Cori’s eyes filled with a few tears.
“I’ll be fine.” Hope nodded. “I see no reason why you shouldn’t go. I doubt that the police will consider you a suspect.”
“Are you sure? I mean, they might want to question me or something. On TV, they always tell people not to leave town, or whatever.”
“This isn’t TV, and you’re hardly old enough to disappear. So, plan on leaving tomorrow with Lottie.”
Cori blinked and shook her head. “Mr. Thomas dead on our porch. That’s crazy.”
“It is. So, we’re going to forget about it for a while. It’s Christmas. I think it’s time to open some presents. What do you say?”
Cori grinned. “Merry Christmas, Mom. Let’s do it.”
The gift opening took some time as Cori had to show off all her stuff. Hope was the audience for her daughter, and that was fine with her. There was a moment, when she considered Clive Thomas and Carol Thomas. Hope assumed it was a very bad Christmas for Carol. No one wanted to lose a loved one on Christmas Day. But then, perhaps Carol wasn’t devastated. That she and Clive had problems was a known fact. To Hope’s way of thinking, Carol could easily be considered a suspect.