CHRISTMAS KITTEN CAPER (HARDCOVER)

Chapter 1

“Hello everyone!” The warm scent of cinnamon and nutmeg wafted through the air as Angela Atkinson stepped into the entryway of her parents’ retirement home, her dog-in-crime Ruff McPaw trotting loyally after her, wet nose pointed up in the air.

Mm! It smells like gingerbread here.

Ruff darted toward the kitchen without so much as a second glance at the rest of the brunch-goers. You didn’t wash the batter bowl already, did you? He barked softly and widened his large brown eyes as much as he could while perching at Abigail Atkinson’s feet. Angela’s mother stood by the window over the sink, arranging a bouquet of holly and poinsettias in a gold and white vase on the counter. They sparkled in the sunlight that bounced off the snow-covered ground outside, casting a soft glow on the room.

“I know what you want.” She laughed and ambled over to the island, picking up the silver mixing bowl and leaning down toward Ruff’s eager muzzle.

Yum! he thought as he began licking the ginger remnants of dough out of the side of the bowl.

Angela rolled her eyes as she followed Ruff into the kitchen and leaned against the doorframe. “You spoil him,” she said with a laugh.

“It’s Christmas,” her mother defended. “Until you and David give me some grandchildren,” she retorted as she leaned down and scratched Ruff between his ears, “I’ll spoil him all I want.”

“Yeah, Angie.” Her sister Caroline snickered from across the room from where she was setting out plates and silverware. “You two better hurry and get married, or Mom will start ringing those wedding bells for you.”

Ruff barked and Angela mock-glared at her sister. “Oh hush,” she hissed, swatting the air with a dish towel. Angla made her way into the hall to shake the light dusting of snow that had settled on her shoulders off her coat. When she returned, Caroline, her daughter Megan, Charlie, William, and Michelle gathered around the table her mother had meticulously decorated with an elegant red tablecloth and their special Christmas-themed tableware. They started chatting about the annual Hummings Hollow Christmas festival, which was opening today in the center of town.

“Speaking of which, I heard there’s going to be a life-sized snow globe!” William chimed in. “We have to get in it!”

“Sounds like a blast!” Michelle’s long black hair swayed as she nodded. She was Angela’s best friend at the editor-in-chief at the Hummings Hollow Gazette, but no matter how often she saw them together, Angela still grinned every time she remembered Michelle was dating her brother. If things went the way Angela hoped, she and Michelle would be sisters for real soon enough.

As everyone sat down and passed around plates of bacon, eggs, and gingerbread pancakes as they debated over the best part of the festival, Angela frowned. Her mother’s eyes seemed to lose focus, staring somewhere far away instead of being present with her family. Thanks to her early-onset dementia, Abigail’s memory was slipping away.

Her father, Charlie, had retired from his extensive and impressive career as a cop shortly after Abigail’s diagnosis, and everyone in the family was doing everything they could to keep her happy and comfortable. Still, it broke Angela’s heart a bit every time she had one of her “senior moments” as her family so lovingly called her gaps in memory, especially around the holiday.

“Mom, are you excited about the snow globe?” Angela asked.

“Snow globe?” Abigail repeated, her brow furrowing slightly. “Oh, yes! It sounds quite magical, doesn’t it?”

“Definitely,” Angela replied, relieved that her mother had remembered. “I think we’ll all have a wonderful time.”

Just as they were finishing up, the doorbell rang. Angela pushed to her feet and beamed when it swung open to reveal her boyfriend David Pemberly on the other side, a box of donuts in one hand and a bag of treats for Ruff in the other. “Sorry I’m late,” he said, blowing out a puff of air as the winter chill colored his cheeks red. “Kathy insisted I stop by the Lake House to grab these.” David stepped inside, grinning as he handed the box of donuts to Caroline. “And I brought some holiday treats for Ruff, courtesy of Miguel.”

Angela smiled. Miguel and Kathy were old friends of hers from back when she worked at the coffee shop, and they always spoiled Angela and her family with extra treats. “Perfect timing,” she said with a laugh as she twined his arms around his neck and hugged him. “We were just about to start on dessert.”

Ooh, more treats! Ruff wagged his tail as he sniffed at the bag with eager anticipation.

“Come on, everyone,” William beckoned them over, gesturing toward the table. “Let’s finish up so we can get to the festival!”

Conversation flowed easily between bites of donuts and sips of coffee. Abigail began humming a familiar Christmas carol, but after a few notes, her voice trailed off and her brows knit together as her mouth dipped downward.

Angela exchanged looks with her siblings as she laid a hand on her mother’s arm. “Mom, what’s that song you’re humming?”

Abigail blinked. “I... I’m not sure. It’s been with me all morning, but I can’t seem to recall the name.”
Caroline caught the strain, a knowing smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. “Is that ‘Deck the Halls’ you’re humming?” she hinted gently.

“Fa-la-la-la-la,” Angela chimed in, her soprano harmonizing with Caroline’s alto. A spark of clarity ignited within Abigail’s gaze, and the corners of her mouth curved upward.

“La-la-la-la,” Abigail repeated.

Soon enough everyone chimed in for a quick impromptu caroling session. When the song was over, they buttoned their coats, slung scarves around their shoulders and headed out into the cold.

***

The festival had transformed the usually quiet square into a wonderland of twinkling lights, festive music, and the inviting aroma of spiced treats. Ruff trotted alongside Angela and David, taking in every detail.

“Isn’t it just magical?” Caroline exhaled as her breath formed misty clouds. “I can hardly wait to see what they have this year.”

Angela nodded as her gaze swept across the various booths and activities. They headed for the Lake House booth first, where Miguel and Kathy were serving steaming cups of hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows. Ruff whimpered and fixed his eager gaze on Kathy—or rather, her bulging pockets. Got more treats for me?

“Hey, Miguel, Kathy! How’s the booth going?” Angela asked, accepting a cup of hot chocolate and passing it to David before grabbing one of her own.

“Busy as always!” Kathy replied, flashing a smile. “And don’t worry, Ruff, I didn’t forget about you.” She handed him a dog-friendly treat, which he gulped down with an eager, grateful bark.

Ruff licked the last of Kathy’s treat from his lips, nose twitching as he caught whiffs of smoked meats, peppermint candy, and other holiday aromas.

OK, that was pretty good, but where’s the meat?

Next, they stopped by the Harmony Acres organic farming booth, which offered an enticing array of different products, including homemade honey and chocolate zucchini bread. Jamie, the head farmhand, was manning it, and Angela smiled as they approached.

“Hey, Jamie! How are things at the farm?”

“Good,” he grinned. “Graham’s finally taking some time for himself.”

“Much deserved,” Angela replied. “Congratulations. The zucchini bread smells amazing!”

“Thank you, Angela. It’s been a labor of love, but I’m happy to carry on Graham’s tradition.”

A few booths down, they found Paige, one of the library clerks, manning a table filled with illustrated versions of classic Christmas books and a little free library.

“Paige, these books are beautiful!” Angela ran her hand over a beautifully illustrated cover of A Visit from Saint Nick. “You must be so proud of this project.”

“Thank you, Angela,” Paige replied, as her eyes shone with pride. “It’s been a wonderful way to share the joy of reading with our community.”

“These are timeless stories,” David echoed, leafing through an ornate copy of A Christmas Carol.

They continued walking, but not before Angela slyly slipped Paige a handful of bills behind her back for the book. She had been struggling to figure out what to give David for Christmas and was more than happy to find something he’d like. One down, seven more to go.

Eventually, they made it to Victor Callahan’s booth. The business had apparently been booming since a family of raccoons took up residence in his display window.

“Raccoons?” David chuckled, adjusting his brightly colored Christmas tree sweater vest.

“Seems mischief can be rather profitable,” Angela mused, eyes twinkling with the irony of it all.

“Indeed!” Victor agreed, his face lit up with amusement. “They’ve become quite the local attraction.”

As the clock in the town center neared noon, the group decided it was time to split up and do some Christmas shopping. They agreed to meet by the big snow globe before heading to their appointment at the Christmas tree farm.

Angela nudged David’s shoulders playfully. “Remember, no peeking at what I’m buying!”

“Of course not,” David replied with a grin as he adjusted his scarf. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

They parted ways, their footsteps crunching on the frost-covered ground. Angela’s eyes darted from booth to booth, considering potential gifts for her loved ones. While she was lost in thought, Ruff tugged insistently at his leash, leading her toward a booth she hadn’t noticed before.

“Wait a minute,” Angela mused. “Where’s the Pines and Needles Christmas tree booth?” She paused, expecting to see the familiar greenery and twinkling lights that marked the spot each year. But there was nothing; no scent of fresh pine, no laughter of children darting between displays of noble firs and blue spruces. Turning toward a woman in a green long-sleeve shirt and festive candy-striped apron, Angela approached the festival organizers, who were busily directing a group of volunteers.

“Excuse me,” she said, catching the eye of a woman holding a clipboard. “I couldn’t help but notice that the Pines and Needles booth isn’t here today. Do you know what happened?”

The organizer glanced at her clipboard, flipping through a few pages. She squinted at her schedule as she traced her finger down the list. “Scheduled, yes, but...” Confusion clouded her features, “They’ve not shown up. It’s unlike Nelson to not turn up without so much as a call.”

“Definitely,” Angela agreed, as a small frown creased her forehead. “I’m going up there this afternoon. I’ll check on them.”

“Please do,” the organizer replied, flashing her a grateful smile. “We’d appreciate any information.”

Angela continued her shopping, but her mind kept returning to the missing Pines and Needles booth. Why hadn’t they shown up? She shook her head. It was Christmas. She had taken time off from private investigating for a reason: she wanted to focus on the holidays with her family.

But like her father said, once a cop, always a cop. Or, in her case, detective.

As they made their way across the streets and between festival booths, a flutter of movement caught her eye. A young man, in his mid-twenties, weaved through the crowd with a notepad clutched in one hand and a camera slung over his shoulder. As he approached each vendor for a quick chat, he jotted down notes and asked for a quick photo.

Angela rolled her eyes. The festival was a magnet for local journalists, but some seemed more intense than others.

“Interesting,” Angela muttered under her breath. The man thanked another vendor, scribbled something in his notepad, then moved on with a polite nod and a smile.

“Friend of yours?” David asked, following her gaze.
Angela shook her head. “See that man with the notepad and camera?”

David nodded. “A reporter, maybe? Hummings Hollow Gazette loves covering the festival.”

“Maybe,” Angela conceded, “but he seems... focused. More than you’d expect for a fluff piece this time of year.”

David chuckled. “You always find a mystery anywhere you go, don’t you?”

Angela laughed, pushing away the nagging feeling in the back of her mind. Maybe David was right. Not everything needed to be a mystery, especially at this time of year. Besides, a reporter searching for the meaning of the holiday season was hardly the strangest thing she’d seen since becoming a private investigator.

The vibrant colors and sparkling lights of the snow globe seemed to dance off the fresh layer of snow that tumbled from the sky as Angela and Ruff reunited with their family. Eager children laughed and shouted, bouncing on the tips of their toes as they waited in line to be the next inside.

“Look at that, Ruff!” Angela exclaimed. “It’s even more spectacular than I imagined.”

“It really is,” Caroline agreed, smiling. “I think we’re all going to have a blast.”

“Ready for a winter wonderland?” William asked.

“Absolutely,” Angela replied with a smile, tucking away the nagging thoughts of the missing booth for the moment. They slipped inside the transparent dome, walking beneath the cool rush of air from the fans animating the countless white flakes swirling around them.

Children bounced off the inflated floor, sending flurries of synthetic snow into the air. Caroline’s hair flew around her face.

Ruff maneuvered through the chaos, nuzzling against knees and hands. Angela watched as he danced through the mock blizzard.

“Isn’t this just magical?” Abigail breathed as she sidled up next to her, her eyes sparkling with joy.

“It sure is,” Angela beamed. Ruff bounded through the snow, looking more like a puppy than he had been in years.

“Mom, watch this!” Megan called out, launching herself into the air with a well-timed bounce. She twirled gracefully before landing back on the cushioned floor, earning a round of applause from her family.

“Very impressive!” Angela praised. “You’re a natural snow globe acrobat!”

“Let’s see what you can do, William,” David encouraged with a playful nudge.

“Alright, here goes!” William declared, taking a deep breath before propelling himself into the air. He executed a rather clumsy somersault, landing unsteadily with a grin.

“Way to go, kiddo!” Charlie cheered, ruffling William’s hair until his hand was swatted away. “You’ve got the makings of a true snow globe champion.”

Soon enough though, the clock ticked closer to one PM and Angela knew they had to get going if they were going to make their appointment at the tree farm. And check on Nelson.

“Alright, everyone,” she announced. “It’s time to head up to the farm and find our perfect tree.”