The Mystery Before Christmas

Monday

By the time Monday rolled around, Ford’s death had officially been ruled a homicide. With the new evidence relating to Ford’s death, Cass was even more determined to prove that Buford had been murdered as well. He’d been working a lot of hours, so we never had gotten around to having dinner together, but I was hoping he’d have some time to talk later this afternoon. I had to admit that I was anxious to find out what he had discovered by this point.

But before I could meet with Cass, I needed to meet with Dex. I had the second story relating the Secret Santa mystery to turn in, and I had an article on Ford’s body being found in Logan Pond as well. Both articles had turned out even better than I hoped, so I was fairly confident he would be happy with them. I just hoped that his satisfaction with this week’s articles would prevent him from firing me over my refusal to unmask Secret Santa.

I’d given the situation a lot of thought, and while I did admit to being conflicted, I knew that in the end, I had to follow my conscience. I wanted a shot at being a real reporter, and I knew that at times real reporters followed the truth no matter who might end up getting hurt in the process, but I also knew there were reporters out there who followed their heart and their conscience first and foremost and that, I’d decided was the sort of reporter I wanted to be.

“Waffles?” Aunt Gracie asked after I emerged from my room dressed and ready to tackle the day.

“Just coffee.”

“I have blackberry compote and whipped cream.”

I did love blackberry topping. “Okay. Maybe just one.”

Gracie handed me a mug of coffee. “So, what are your plans today?”

I took a sip of the coffee and then sat down at the empty table. “I have to meet with Dex, and then I’m hoping to meet with Cass and get an update on Ford Fisher’s situation. Where is Tom this morning?”

“He’s having breakfast in town with some of the guys from the lodge. I guess everyone is pretty freaked out about losing two of their own. They wanted to get together and discuss the situation.”

“The whole thing is really odd. First, Buford dies under suspicious circumstances, and then Ford is found dead just a day after being released as a suspect in Buford’s death. I don’t know what is going on, but I would be willing to bet that the two deaths are related.”

Gracie slid my plate in front of me. Boy, did it look good. In my opinion, having waffles with fruit topping and whipped cream for breakfast was a bit like having pie. Totally decadent and generally much enjoyed.

“Was Cass able to determine Ford’s cause of death?” Gracie asked.

“He, like Buford, was hit over the head with a heavy object, only the injury to Ford was a lot more extensive. Cass said that he most likely died from the blow, whereas the cause of death for Buford seems to have been hypothermia. I’m not sure why the killer went to all the trouble to dump Ford’s body in the lake. The fact that he did seems important to me. It appeared that Buford was hit and then left where he fell, but Ford was moved and then placed under the ice. That would require someone to make a hole in the ice so the body could be inserted. I have to wonder why someone went to all that trouble.”

“It took a lot of effort,” Gracie agreed. “Do you think there is symbolism at play?”

I frowned. “Like what?”

“I’m not sure exactly, but I do agree that even if the person who killed Ford didn’t want to leave the body at the location of the murder for some reason, there are easier ways to dispose of remains. Even if he wanted to leave Ford at Logan Pond, why not just dump him on the shore or in the forest? Why go to all the trouble to chop a hole in the ice and slide the body into the water?”

I took a sip of my coffee. “I guess that is the question of the day. I know Cass has been struggling with it. Maybe he knows something by now.”

“Maybe. I hope he figures this out soon. Tom and the other guys from the lodge are really worried about things. I think they are concerned that the reason Buford and Ford were targeted was because of their association with the lodge, and perhaps that could mean that one of them is next.”

I paused to consider this. “I don’t think the lodge is the common link. Ford and Buford were both at the bar on the day Buford died. I would think if there was a place that served as a common denominator, it would be the bar and not the lodge. But even that seems like a longshot. I suppose that being taken in for questioning in Buford’s death could have led to Ford’s death. I know Cass has considered that scenario.”

“Why would Ford be killed for being questioned in Buford’s murder?”

I shrugged. “Maybe whoever killed Buford suspected or even knew that Ford knew something that could help Cass to identify him or her, so the person who killed Buford decided to kill Ford before he could talk. Maybe the pond was chosen as the dump spot because it is shocking and public. The killer might even have known about the ice fishing competition.”

“So the killer was trying to send a message.”

“Perhaps.”

“To who?”

I shrugged. “Maybe there is someone else out there who knows something the killer doesn’t want to be told.”

“Well, that’s frightening.”

“Yes,” I agreed. “It is.”

“Let’s just hope that Cass can figure out who did this terrible thing and lock them up before they can hurt anyone else.”

I licked the last of the whipped cream from my fork. “Cass is a good cop. He’ll figure it out.”