The Inn at Holiday Bay: Trickery in Toyland

Book 37: The Inn at Holiday Bay

by Kathi Daley

Genres: Mystery; Animal Cozy Mysteries; Holiday books; Amateur Sleuth; Female Sleuths

Synopsis

It's the week before Christmas, and Abby and Lacy are on a mission—find the one toy Lacy's youngest wants more than anything. But when Toyland's long-awaited shipment arrives without the elusive gift, the pair jump into a high-stakes holiday scavenger hunt where the coveted toy is part of the prize package. What begins as merry fun quickly turns chaotic as half the parents in town seem to be chasing the same hard-to-find treasure... and some will do anything to win.

Meanwhile, Toyland's owner is stirring up trouble of his own—trouble that ends in murder. With a suspect list longer than Santa's naughty-and-nice roll, Colt and Alex must unravel a tangle of holiday secrets before a killer slips away.

Celebrate the season with the entire Inn family as they dive into all the beloved traditions: Pamela's List shenanigans, fresh Christmas snow, and the joyful anticipation of Georgia's new baby. Cozy, chaotic, and filled with Christmas cheer—this is one holiday mystery you won't want to miss.

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Release date: December 23, 2025

Publisher: Kathi Daley Books

Sample

Chapter 1

“Why is it that the most wonderful time of the year is also the most stressful?” my good
friend, Lacy Parker, asked me after we met for an early breakfast on the last Saturday before
Christmas. It was crunch time for Lacy, who still needed to find that one special gift for
Madison, the youngest of her six children, and I’d volunteered to help her with her search.
“I blame the media.” I picked up my bright red Christmas mug and took a sip of the
Christmas Coffee the Bistro offered as a special this week. As the owner of a local inn, I
understood the importance of creating a picture-perfect experience for my guests. Generally, I
enjoyed the challenge of meeting each and every expectation, but I felt bad for Lacy and wanted
to support her in her moment of misery.
“Somewhere along the way, the marketing gurus have managed to convince us that we’re bad
parents if everything isn’t perfect,” Lacy jumped back in. Silent Night played softly in the
background, and usually, the soft music combined with colorful decorations would have
provided an air of relaxation. Today, however, Lacy’s stress was impenetrable. “And trust me,
I’ve got the message that nothing less than perfection will do. Perfect gifts, perfect decorations,
and home-baked cookies representing home-baked love.”
“It’s a lot to organize with six children,” I pointed out, as my friend continued to rant.
Ranting wasn’t at all Lacy’s typical behavior, but I could tell that she was beyond frustrated.
“It is,” she agreed with a huff. “But I am organized, and I had a handle on it. At least I
thought I did.” She paused and then continued. “Do you remember our pre-Thanksgiving
shopping trip? I felt like the Christmas Slayer as we tackled the mall in Portland. I was organized
and felt confident in my ability to conquer the holidays. Then the new Christmas movie came out
in the movie theaters, and every seven-year-old girl on the planet decided they absolutely must
have the Princess Ice Castle with all the accessories for their special Santa gift. Of course, buying
Maddie a real castle would be easier than finding this particular toy castle.” She laid her head on

the table in front of her. “Suddenly, I went from feeling like Super Mom to feeling like the worst
mother in the world.”
“You’re not the worst mother in the world. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that you’re the best
mother in the world.” I reached out and placed my hand over Lacy’s in an offer of support. “And
it’s just a toy. I’m sure Maddie will understand if you aren’t able to find it.”
When Lacy looked up, she looked so defeated. “She’ll be a good sport about it, but she won’t
understand. Not really. All her friends will wake up on Christmas morning to find the Princess
Ice Castle under the tree, and she won’t. I’ll feed her some line about Santa’s inventory issues,
and she’ll say she’s fine with whatever he brought, but deep down, she’ll wonder why Santa
didn’t bring her a castle when all her friends got castles. She’ll try to act brave, but she’ll secretly
wonder if she’s been bad this year. She’ll wonder if not getting a Princess Ice Castle had been all
her fault. You know how sensitive Maddie is.”
I did know how sensitive Maddie was, and really did feel for Lacy and her predicament.
“Maybe the mothers of Maddie’s friends are having as much trouble finding a Princess Ice Castle
as you are. Maybe Maddie won’t be the only one without the toy.”
“I can’t say for sure that all Maddie’s friends will wake up to a Princess Ice Castle. Although
I did speak to a few of the mothers during the last day of school before the winter break party
yesterday, so I know that Ashley G.’s mother, as well as Ashley H.’s, were on top of things and
ordered the castle before the movie even premiered.”
I knew that Ashley G. and Ashley H. were two of Maddie’s best friends.
Lacy blew out a long breath and then continued. “Maddie just turned seven, and this will
likely be the last year she believes in the magic of Santa. In fact, if I’m honest, I can see doubt in
her eyes even now. I probably should have had the talk with her this year rather than making the
decision to wait until next year, but I want this Christmas to be magical for her.” She ran a hand
through her hair. “I want it to be magical for both of us.”
“It’s your last Santa Christmas as well.”
I couldn’t help but notice the moisture behind Lacy’s eyes as she nodded. Suddenly, I
understood the frantic nature of Lacy’s search for this one perfect toy. A Christmas overdose pity
party wasn’t at all her style, but since Maddie was her youngest, this would be her last chance to
have her own magical Christmas morning where all the kids at least pretended to believe in the
magic of Santa for the sake of their younger siblings.
“Where did the years go?” Lacy asked. “One minute, I have a house full of children young
enough to believe in the magic of Christmas, and the next minute, I have triplets hoping that
‘Santa’ will bring them cash.”
I raised a brow. “The boys want cash?”
She nodded. “They’re hoping to be able to earn enough money to go to Florida with some of
their friends during spring break.”
“Aren’t they kind of young for a non-family spring break trip?” I asked. The triplets were,
after all, only thirteen.
Lacy replied. “They’re too young for a Daytona Beach spring break trip, but I guess the
Gunderson family is renting a house on the beach near Clearwater for ten days.”

I knew that Lacy’s triplets were good friends with Donovan and Bradly Gunderson.
Lacy continued. “The boys were invited to go along with the family as long as they could pay
for their own airline tickets to and from. Lonnie and I discussed it and decided that if the boys
could earn the money for their airfare, we’d let them go. We expected them to earn the cash
they’d need by doing chores such as cleaning the garage, shoveling snow, and helping Lonnie
split and stack wood, but apparently, they decided it would be easier to ask Santa for cash rather
than gifts this year.”
Mark, Michael, and Matthew were great kids, but they did seem to have a knack for getting
the system to work for them.
I was on the verge of making a comment related to the idea of setting parameters that would
dictate how the airfare could be earned when Shelby Morris, the owner of The Bistro at Holiday
Bay, greeted us. “Hey, Abby, Lacy. You’re out early.”
“Last-minute shopping,” I responded.
Shelby smiled. “There seems to be a lot of that going around. Even though we don’t normally
open until eleven, we decided to open for breakfast this month to accommodate the influx of
holiday shoppers that swarm Holiday Bay every December, and we already have a line out the
door.”
“I did notice that it seemed busier in town than usual.” I looked around the room that was all
decked out in holiday splendor. “I’m glad you decided to open early this month. I kind of like the
energy in the room. It feels festive.”
“We’ve done really well this month. Between providing the breakfast service and the income
from all the office parties we’ve been hosting, the Bistro will be in the black for months to come.
It’s been hectic, but I’m not complaining. I will, however, be happy for a few days off once the
Christmas rush is over.”
“Are Sage and Sierra here?” I asked about Shelby’s two half-sisters, Sage Wilson and Sierra
Danielson. Sage and Sierra lived elsewhere, but usually visited over the holidays.
“They’re both due to arrive today, and they plan to stay through New Year’s. I’m really
looking forward to having some quality time with them. I love that Dawson and I have the house
to ourselves the majority of the time, but I do appreciate having the family around during the
holidays.” Dawson Westwood was Shelby’s live-in boyfriend, one of her business partners, and
the Bistro’s bar manager. “I heard Colt and Mackey went to California.”
My significant other, Colt Wilder, had gone to California with his niece, Mackenzie Hudson,
to visit Mackey’s brother, Tyler, who was living with his cousins while he attended school in
California. Colt had hoped Tyler would come home to Holiday Bay during his winter break.
After expressing his desire to remain in California, Colt, who was on leave from work due to an
on-the-job injury, decided to take Mackey out of school a week early so that he, Mackey, and
Colt’s parents could visit Tyler, who was refusing to return home for the holidays.
“They left a week ago,” I confirmed. “Colt’s parents are going to stay in California through
New Year’s, but Colt and Mackey are planning to return on the twenty-third. I’ve really missed
them, and I’m grateful they’ll be home to have Christmas at the inn with the rest of the inn
family and me.”

“I’m glad to hear that Colt and Tyler were able to reach a compromise regarding the holidays.
It seems as if things are going better since Tyler decided to go to school on the West Coast.”
“It’s been an adjustment for Colt, but I think things are going a lot better for everyone
involved.”
Before the move, Tyler had demonstrated behavioral issues that caused a lot of stress for
everyone.
“So what can I get the two of you besides coffee?” Shelby asked.
The cinnamon rolls I’d noticed in the display case when we walked in looked delicious, but I
figured it would likely be an exhausting day that would require protein, so I ordered scrambled
eggs and toast. Lacy ordered the same.
“I’m going to text Mylie and check in,” I said to Lacy after Shelby walked away. “She has a
full day of events planned for our guests, and I want to be sure she’s all set. I was going to ask
her about it this morning, but when I ran into Jeremy on my way out, he told me that Danny had
suffered a tough night, which means that Mylie had a tough night as well. I didn’t want to wake
her, so I told Jeremy to just let her sleep.”
Mylie Slater was my events coordinator at the inn. She lived on the property with her
husband, Jeremy, who was my second-in-command behind my business partner, Georgia Carter-
Peyton, who was expecting her first baby to be born during the last week of the month and was
currently out on maternity leave. Danny was Jeremy and Mylie’s eighteen-month-old son, who
was recovering from an ear infection.
“I’m sorry to hear about Danny, and I hope he’s better soon. It’s so hard when the little ones
get sick.”
“I can see that Mylie and Jeremy are both exhausted, but according to Jeremy, the
pediatrician assured him that Danny would start feeling better in a day or two.”
Lacy texted her husband, Lonnie, while I checked in with Mylie. Since it was a busy time at
the inn, I felt somewhat guilty about taking time off to spend with Lacy, but Lacy was important
to me. She’d been there for me more times than I could count, and if she needed some extra
emotional support today, then I wanted to be able to give it to her. The daughters of my heart and
employees, Bailey Sullivan and Haven Hanson, had assured me that they had a plan worked out
with Annabelle Cole, Jeremy’s niece, to keep an eye on both Danny and Hazel, Bailey’s one-
year-old daughter, while still helping Mylie with the activities on Pamela’s List. The girls were
both organized and hard workers, so I was sure they’d handle things while I spent a few hours
with Lacy as she worked through the latest challenge provided by being a mother to six adorable
children.
Mylie texted back and let me know that everything was under control. The Pamela’s List
activities were an Inn at Holiday Bay tradition. The annual event first came into being during the
first Christmas I met Mylie after she showed up at the inn in search of her one true love. After
finding a letter to Santa written by a child who had stashed her wishes in the mouth of a human-
sized nutcracker, Mylie was hooked. The letter asked Santa not for toys, but for more time with
her parents. The letter was specific about how Pamela Norwood hoped to spend this special time
with her parents, and included activities such as snowman building and ice skating. Mylie
decided to complete the list of activities Pamela had listed in the child’s honor. The idea had

caught on, and the other guests staying at the inn that year had joined in. Ever since that first
Christmas, a list of activities that guests are invited to participate in each day has been the
backbone of our Christmas celebration.
“Is everything okay?” Lacy asked.
I nodded. “According to Mylie, Jeremy has the breakfast buffet set out. Haven and Bailey are
helping with that, but once the breakfast service is cleaned up, the entire team plans to help
Mylie with the scheduled activities. Mylie also shared that Georgia texted to inform her that she
was bored and planning to stop by today.”
“I thought Doctor Chan ordered Georgia to take it easy until Charlee is born.”
“She did, but while Georgia is supposed to be taking things easy, she’s also going crazy with
all the waiting. If I know Georgia, she’ll be elbow deep in glitter from the wreath-making
activity by the time I make it back.”
“I’ve always enjoyed wreath-making. Given our lack of snow this year, I guess the activities
on Pamela’s List must have needed to be modified.”
“Unfortunately, that’s true. Normally, the sleigh ride and snowman-building competition are
two of our most popular activities, and the kids all love Jeremy’s day-long sledding trip. But
Mylie and the others have done a good job finding alternatives this year.”
“I’m sure your guests appreciate your efforts.” Lacy looked at her watch. “Maybe we should
go and get in line at the toy store. Even though it’s still early, I have a feeling that there’s going
to be a line.”
Toyland didn’t open for another ninety minutes, but it was the last Saturday before
Christmas, and the rumor mill had been buzzing with news about a shipment of hard-to-find toys
that would arrive this morning. In my opinion, it was likely that the toy store had started that
rumor merely to create excitement on the last shopping weekend of the season. Still, I could see
that Lacy was anxious to get going, so I asked for a coffee to go, layered back into my outerwear,
and followed her out of the crowded restaurant.
As Lacy had predicted, the line of anxious parents waiting for the toy store to open was
significant. Lacy had suggested getting into line by six a.m., but I’d thought that was
unnecessary. Apparently, I was wrong.
“If everyone ahead of us wants a castle, we’ll never get one,” Lacy said.
“I’m sure there are people in line who have come for different toys.” I glanced at the line.
“Jenny Park is second from the front, and she has three sons, and Bev Smithers, who is two
places behind Jenny, has adult children, and her only grandchild is a grandson.”
Lacy craned her head to look down at the line. “Yeah. I guess you’re right. And I suppose it
really depends on how many castles are in stock.”
“Do you even know that any castles are in stock?” I asked.
“No,” Lacy admitted. “I called yesterday to ask about the new stock that everyone has been
talking about. All they would tell me was that a shipment of hard-to-find toys would be arriving
this morning, would be sold on a ‘first-come/first-served’ basis, and wouldn’t last long. The
clerk I spoke to refused to verify that any castles were among the hard-to-find toys that had been

promised, but he didn’t deny it when I shared that I had heard as much. Of course, I suppose the
clerk might not have known what the shipment included. For all I know, the hard-to-find
inventory the store received might have been a shipment of those robots all the little boys seem
to want this year or the new video game systems that can’t be bought for any price right now but
will likely be on sale the day after Christmas.”
“I know you said that your boys wanted cash for Christmas, but I know how much they love
video games. I’m surprised they didn’t ask for the new system. It really does seem to be the hot
gift this season.”
“Oh, the boys want the video game system, but their plan is to go in together on a system
once it goes on sale. They figure they’ll have enough money for the plane tickets and the gaming
system if they do that.”
“Smart kids.”
Lacy groaned. “They are smart kids, and their willingness to wait for the new gaming system
shows maturity. I suppose I need to face the fact that they aren’t little boys any longer.”
I was going to make a comment about the goal of parenting being to raise resourceful and
responsible children when Eden Halliwell and Joy Christenson stepped into line behind us.
“Hey, guys,” Eden greeted.
Eden and Joy both worked at Firehouse Books, a local favorite of mine. The cozy bookstore
in the courtyard carried a selection of my previously published books, so I often stopped by to
sign whatever they had in stock. Since I regularly stopped by to sign books and drop off
bookmarks, I seemed to run into the staff fairly often. I knew that neither Eden nor Joy was
married, nor did they have children of their own, but Joy had younger brothers and sisters, so I
had to assume they’d joined the line to find a hard-to-find toy for one of them.
“Good morning, Eden, Joy,” I responded. I looked at Joy. “Are you here to find something
for one of your siblings?”
She nodded. “Lilly isn’t even four yet, but apparently Christmas will be ruined if Santa
doesn’t bring her the new Sing to Me Baby Doll.”
Three years old seemed young to have such a strong brand attachment, but I guess things had
changed since I was three and would have been happy with any baby doll.
“I’ve seen the commercials for that doll,” I said. “It is pretty unique. If you sing the first few
lines of a song to the doll, she will somehow sing the rest of the song back to you.”
“I really can’t imagine how they programmed the doll to do that, but according to other
mothers I’ve spoken to, the doll does seem to be able to deliver what has been promised,” Lacy
assured me.
Technology really has come a long way in recent years.
“The problem is that the demand for this super expensive doll far outweighs the supply,” Joy
continued. “My mother is willing to pay pretty much any price, and she still can’t get her hands
on one.”
“The manufacturer has been flooding the airways with ads for them, so I guess I’m not
surprised that the doll is sold out,” I offered.

“It’s so frustrating,” Joy complained. “As you said, the doll appears to be completely sold
out, yet the commercials run every fifteen minutes on all the cartoon channels. It’s like the toy
manufacturer wants the kids to be disappointed on Christmas.” Joy glanced at Lacy. “I assume
you’re here to shop for one of your six children.”
“Maddie,” Lacy confirmed, and then shared a few of the details relating to her search for the
Princess Ice Castle.
Joy frowned. “I hope you have better luck than my neighbor. She’s been frantic to find one of
those castles. She told me yesterday that she’d be willing to take a dog sled to the North Pole and
talk to Santa directly if it would net her a castle.”
I turned to observe the line behind us, which had doubled in the few minutes we’d been
standing there. By the time the doors to the toy store opened, the line was going to wrap around
the block. I wondered if there would be someone at the door to meter customers, or if they’d risk
a stampede by allowing everyone to storm the place at once.
“The store doesn’t open for another half hour, but it looks as if the toy store owner is going to
make an announcement,” Eden said as the hands on the big clock in the town square inched their
way toward the bottom of the hour.
“Can I have your attention?” Maxwell Dugan asked in a deep voice that was most likely
meant to convey a certain level of determination. “The shipment that we have been expecting has
arrived, and while it was not what we hoped it would be, we do have two video game systems
and eight robots in stock that we didn’t have yesterday. Unfortunately, we didn’t receive any
units of the Princess Ice Castle, flame-throwing dragon, or Sing to Me Baby Doll as we’d hoped.
We do, however, have many excellent alternatives for those items. If you’re waiting in line to
purchase the video game system, robot, or any other toy, we’re excited to announce that we’ll be
opening early today to meet the high demand. Please proceed forward in an organized fashion.”
There was a lot of groaning as about half of those in line got out of line and wandered away.
“The man is lying,” a woman standing behind us in line complained. “My nephew, Billy,
works in Toyland’s warehouse, and he told me that the original shipment from the manufacturer
contained both castles and dolls, plus a lot more video game systems than Dugan claimed.”
“Why wouldn’t Dugan want to sell the units if he has them?” the woman she was with asked.
“Billy thinks there might be some sort of back-room wheeling and dealing going on,” the
woman replied.
“Back-room wheeling and dealing?” a tall fisherman named Ethan Jordon, whom I knew
casually since he was a regular at the Bistro, asked.
“According to Billy, any of the hard-to-find toys can be had if you have enough cash,” Billy’s
aunt said before both women walked away.
“Do you think that’s true?” I asked.
“No idea, but I’m not interested in black market toys, so I guess that just leaves the scavenger
hunt,” Joy, who was obviously disappointed in the outcome of the morning, commented.

“I guess so,” Eden replied. “But even though Lou was gracious enough to offer the time off if
we needed it, both of us really shouldn’t take today off.” She referred to Lou Prescott, the owner
of Firehouse Books.
“Scavenger hunt?” I asked.
Lacy replied. “The Holiday Bay Chamber of Commerce sponsors a holiday scavenger hunt to
raise funds for local charities. Teams of two can buy a ticket to compete. The number of tickets
sold is limited, and the event sells out every year, so I normally don’t compete since this is
already such a busy time of the year for me.”
“That sounds like a nice event, but what does that have to do with these hard-to-find toys?” I
asked.
Eden replied. “The winner of the scavenger hunt receives a treasure chest filled with a variety
of items that have been donated by local businesses all over town. Lou donated a bunch of books
and novelty items from the bookstore. When we received the promotional flier to display in our
window, I noticed that a Princess Ice Castle, a Sing to Me Baby Doll, a flame-throwing dragon, a
video game system, and a robot were all listed as items included in the chest. With the scarcity of
all those items this Christmas, I think the competition to win the treasure chest is going to be
fierce. Even if the winner doesn’t have children, you know they’ll be able to find buyers for the
toys for double or even triple the retail value.”
“I know I’d pay anything for one of those castles.” Lacy looked at Eden. “Do you have a
ticket?”
“I do actually. I bought it as a means of contributing to the community, but wasn’t necessarily
going to use it since I knew I’d be needed at the bookstore today.”
“I have time to do the scavenger hunt,” Lacy offered. “And I really just need the castle. If
you want to give me the ticket, I’ll compete, and I’ll give you the doll and the rest of the stuff in
the chest if I win.”
Eden looked at Joy, who shrugged. “You’ll need a partner,” Eden said.
Lacy looked at me. The last thing I had time for was a scavenger hunt that would take up an
entire day, but I still found myself agreeing.
“That’s great,” Eden said. “And to be honest, you have a much better chance of winning
since you’ve lived here your whole life, while Joy and I have only been here for a few years.”
She handed Lacy the ticket. “You need to meet in front of the big tree in the park by ten-forty-
five. Once you present the ticket, you’ll be assigned a number and given a promotional package.
The scavenger hunt runs from eleven to five.”
“Okay.” Lacy accepted the ticket and slipped it into her pocket. “I can’t guarantee that Abby
and I will win, but we’ll try.”
“I know you will,” Joy said. “I can tell that you want that Princess Ice Castle even more than
I want to obtain one of those Sing to Me Baby Dolls.”
Eden looked down at our shoes. “It’s a good thing you both wore comfortable footwear
today. I was told the event organizers plan to have the teams running all over town.”

Chapter 2

By the time Lacy and I arrived at the big tree in the park with our ticket, most of the other
entrants were already milling around. It was hard to know who was competing and who’d merely
shown up to offer support since the number of people gathered far exceeded the number of
tickets sold. But I suspected that there were lots of desperate mothers and fathers who might not
have bothered to compete in the past, who’d taken the time to show up today in the hope of a
last-minute opening for an opportunity to try to fulfill their child’s Christmas wish.
“It looks like we’re going to have some steep competition,” I said, recognizing most of the
faces in the group. “I wonder if some of the entrants have done the scavenger hunt before.”
“I think there are a lot of repeat participants,” Lacy said. “While I haven’t competed in the
past, I do know a bit about the event. Traditionally, twenty teams are entered, and each team
must find twenty items or locations. The event runs from eleven to five. Every team and both
team members must return to the big tree where they started by five o’clock. If you and your
team member aren’t both at the tree by five o’clock, you’re automatically disqualified. The goal
is to be the first team back to the tree after having found all twenty items or locations. If no team
finds all twenty items or locations, then the team who found the most items or locations before
five o’clock will be the winner.”
“How do you prove that you’ve solved a clue and found the correct item or location?” I
wondered.
“Photos,” Lacy answered. “Basically, the way it works is this. Once the scavenger hunt starts,
each team will receive a text with their first clue. The beginning clues are staggered so that the
teams head off in different directions from the start. Once you follow the clue and find the item
or location you’re after, you take a selfie of both team members with the item or location. So, for
example, if the first clue leads you to the gazebo in the park, you’ll take a selfie of both team
members standing in or in front of the gazebo. Then, you send it in, and once the photo is

received, you’ll be texted the next clue. As has already been mentioned, the goal is to be the first
team to successfully follow all twenty clues and send in all twenty selfies as proof.”
“Twenty seems like a lot.”
“It is a lot, but the event organizers didn’t want to make it too easy. I know that Rhonda
Pendergrass and her daughter won last year after successfully following the clues to all twenty
items or locations. There have been other years, however, when no one has been able to conquer
all twenty, and the team with the most photos turned in that were correct won.”
I looked around at the crowd that had gathered. “Isn’t that Rhonda and Paula Pendergrass
over by the bench?”
Lacy frowned. “It looks as if the mother/daughter team is going to try for a repeat.”
I had to admit the mother/daughter pair looked prepared for whatever they might encounter.
They wore bright red tracksuits, comfortable running shoes to match, and each had a bright green
water bottle strapped to a belt around their waist.
“Can I have your attention?” Erlander Grant, the current president of the local Chamber of
Commerce, requested from the podium that had been set up at the front of the crowd. “Welcome
to the tenth annual Christmas at the Bay Scavenger Hunt. As you know, all proceeds from this
event will go to local charities, so I want to make it clear right up front that if you purchased a
ticket to compete, you are already a winner.”
Everyone clapped.
“If you haven’t done so already, I need every team to fill out the entry form. You will find the
paperwork on the table to my left. The first clues will be texted to each team at eleven o’clock
sharp, so be sure to get that paperwork filled out immediately.”
About half of the participants, including Lacy and me, headed toward the table.
“We need the ticket,” a girl who looked to be seventeen or eighteen said to a boy around the
same age. “Did you bring it?”
“I thought you had it,” the boy responded.
“I don’t have it. I told you to grab it when we left the house. No ticket, no treasure chest, no
cash. Go and ask Randy if he thought to grab it.”
The teenage team had been standing in front of us, but they stepped aside when they realized
they needed to track down the missing ticket.
“I noticed there were a few teams made up of high school-aged kids. Is that normal?” I asked
Lacy.
“Not as far as I know. For one thing, the tickets that allow a team to compete are several
hundred dollars each. Most teenagers don’t have that kind of cash, and if they do, they don’t
want to spend it on a community fundraiser.”
“I guess the prize package does have items, such as the video game system, that would
appeal to the teen crowd. Maybe a group went in together on the ticket.”
“Maybe,” Lacy agreed as we stepped to the front of the line.

Luckily, the paperwork was easy. We just had to produce our ticket and provide a cell number
to exchange clues and photos throughout the event. T-shirts were given to each participant, and
everyone was instructed to wear them so the merchants we visited would know we were present
in their shops for a specific reason.
The man continued to speak as the crowd registered and donned the t-shirts. The information
he provided briefly covered the event’s procedures and rules, and then focused more extensively
on sportsmanship and fair play. I wondered if the event ever took on a cutthroat quality, and
given that there were items included that no one seemed to be able to obtain any other way, my
guess was that it did.
“Are there any questions?” Erlander asked.
A woman who introduced herself as Nancy, and Lacy indicated was a rancher’s wife who
often volunteered at the high school, asked if the prize package would be awarded to the winning
team immediately after the scavenger hunt. Erlander assured her that it would be. Another
woman asked if there were limitations on the modes of transportation, and the man assured her
that each team was free to get around by any means they saw fit, other than having someone else
drive them. There were a few more questions that didn’t really seem relevant, so eventually,
Erlander looked at the woman covering the registration booth. “Are we ready?”
She nodded. I looked around at the crowd and noticed that a group of six teens approached
the registration booth at the last minute. They must have found the ticket since the woman gave
two of the teens t-shirts.
I turned my attention back to the man with the microphone, who looked out at the crowd.
“Okay. Since we seem to be ready, let’s let the hunt begin.”
Lacy’s cell phone dinged as we received our first clue.
“A popular eatery stitched from the fabric of seafaring men and a sorted past,” Lacy read
aloud. She looked at me. “There are a lot of popular eateries in Holiday Bay. How will we
narrow it down?”
“It has to be the Bistro,” I said. “Stitched from the fabric likely refers to the fact that before
Dory Coverston turned the building where the Bistro is now housed into a bistro, it was owned
by Walter and Edith Gustaf, who turned the building into a garment factory after the fish
processing plant that had been in that location went out of business. Seafaring men would refer
to the fishermen who provided product to the processing plant during its heyday, and a sorted
past would refer to the fact that Edith was a member of a Boston mob family.”
Lacy smiled. “Yeah. It has to be the Bistro. Should we walk or drive?”
“We should drive since we don’t know where the next clue will lead us.”
The traffic on Main Street was already heavy and was likely to get worse as the day wore on.
If we had a way of knowing where the clue after the Bistro would lead us, it might have been
faster to walk than to drive, but since we didn’t know where each clue would lead, driving made
more sense. We would need to keep in mind the heavy traffic that could be expected on the last
Saturday before Christmas as we navigated our day.
Once we arrived at the Bistro, we took a selfie in front of it and texted it as we’d been
instructed to do. A few seconds later, we received a thumbs-up, followed by a text with the next

clue. This led us to the high school gym, where we were to take a selfie in front of the state
championship banner the girls’ softball team had brought home two years ago. When we arrived
at the gym, I noticed a group of teens taking photos of the scavenger hunt participants as they
captured their own selfies. I wasn’t sure if they were part of a team or just bystanders getting in
on the fun.
Once we finished at the high school, we were sent to the bowling alley, where we were led to
a bowling Santa and with his holly jolly elf, and then to the new candy store in town.
“The place is packed, and there’s a line out the door,” I commented when we arrived.
“The chocolate castle is at the back of the store, so we’re going to need to squeeze inside,”
Lacy replied.
I looked at the crowd, which seemed to have lined up tightly to prevent anyone from slipping
ahead of them in line. “Do you think they’ll let us in?”
“Maybe, once we explain why we need to go inside and assure them that we aren’t there to
buy anything.”
It took a bit of sweet-talking, but eventually. Lacy convinced a harried-looking woman to let
us slip inside ahead of her. As promised, we took our photo and left. Nancy Robertson and her
teammate, Viola Shipman, arrived just as we were walking out. Unlike Lacy, who politely
navigated our way inside, Nancy plowed through the doorway, knocking two children to the
ground in the process. The aggressive move surprised me since Nancy had a reputation in the
community as a generous and giving woman who volunteered more of her time than most.
“It appears that Nancy has failed to embrace the spirit of competition,” I said.
“Some of these teams are in it to win at all costs and will do anything it takes to come out on
top. We’ll need to stay diligent if we want to have a fighting chance.”
“Four down and sixteen to go,” Lacy said with a smile on her face once we’d finally made it
back to my SUV. “And so far, despite the crowds we’ve had to navigate, we’re way ahead of
schedule.”
“It seems like we’re ahead of schedule, but if we have six hours and twenty clues, we’ll need
to budget a maximum of eighteen minutes per clue. That’s not a lot of time since we have to
either run or drive between locations, and we need to leave time to make our way back to the tree
once we have all our clues solved.”
“It’ll be tight, but we can do this.” Lacy pumped her fist into the air. “We are doing this.”
I tried to smile in return, but I was already feeling the strain of so much running. Maybe Lacy
should have teamed up with someone from the track team rather than a middle-aged woman who
hadn’t intentionally run anywhere in years.
“Okay, so what’s the next clue?” I asked, once I caught my breath.
“Follow the star to find the child.”
“Follow the star to find the child makes it seem like we’re looking for a nativity,” I said.
“The problem is which one? I know the community center has a nativity scene in the foyer, and
the community church has had a nativity out front since the day after Thanksgiving. It seems to
me that the Baptist church recently put one up as well.”

Lacy looked at her cell phone again. “Follow the star must be the clue we need to focus on.
Are any of the nativities located on Star Street?”
We both agreed that none of the choices we’d come up with were located on Star Street.
“Maybe there are other nativities in town,” Lacy suggested. “I guess we can head over to Star
Street and take a look. Maybe someone who lives on that street set up a nativity.”
“We could, but that would waste a lot of time if we’re wrong. I feel like this should be easier.
The event coordinator knows the teams are limited on time. They wouldn’t have us running all
over town looking at nativities. The answer must be in the clue.”
“Follow the star seems to be the most significant part of the clue,” Lacy read again. She
scrunched up her face as she thought about it. “Star Bright Preschool. Maddie went there when
she was younger, and I remember that they always went all out with their decorations. Maddie’s
favorite decoration was the huge star someone strung on a frame and placed on the roof of the
building. Once it gets dark, you can see it from miles away.”
That sounded like as good a guess as any, so I suggested that we head in that direction. We
held our breaths after taking the selfie and sending it in since we weren’t sure we’d been correct
in our logic. If we’d guessed wrong, we wouldn’t receive a point for this clue, and the best we
could do was nineteen. Since we had the feeling that the scavenger hunt was going to come down
to the fastest completion of twenty correct clues rather than the most points earned, missing even
one clue could put us out of winning the scavenger hunt.
“We got the point,” Lacy said. “I have to admit that I was sweating that one. There seemed to
be other good choices like the nativity idea.”
I was feeling a bit tense as well. Who knew that a friendly scavenger hunt could be so
stressful. “So what’s next?”
The next clue took us to the local museum. The clue was pretty easy, which helped us make
up some time.
“Okay, what’s next?” I asked Lacy, excited that we’d gotten the last clue so quickly.
“Elves are jolly and full of cheer, but when elves are naughty, they’re sent here.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Elf jail?”
“No, not jail. The reindeer barn,” Lacy said. “There’s a children’s book about a naughty elf
who has lost his Christmas spirit. After a series of misdeeds on his part, Santa removes him from
the toy factory and puts him to work in the reindeer barn. Between mucking out stalls and
hauling feed, he meets a naughty reindeer who has been removed from active duty and sentenced
to spend time in the barn as well. The pair decides they’ve been mistreated and set out to get
even, but through a series of unexpected events, they end up realizing that actions have
consequences. In the end, they both find their Christmas spirit.”
“Okay, so we need to find a reindeer barn. I don’t suppose we’re supposed to find a real
reindeer barn. Maybe a regular barn.”
“No, a reindeer barn. There’s one in Santa’s Village.”
The trip to Santa’s Village took us through the heart of town and a ton of traffic. We were an
hour and twenty minutes into it by the time we’d taken our photo and received the next clue. So

far, we’d solved seven of the twenty clues. It felt like we were on a roll and would meet our goal
if we could keep up the pace. Most of the clues were pretty easy, although there had been a few
tough ones thrown into the mix, like the clue that led to the Bistro. I suspected the event
organizers wanted everyone to be able to solve at least some of the clues. Since the scavenger
hunt participants had paid a fairly hefty price to be included in the hunt, I was certain that the
event organizers wanted everyone to walk away happy.
“In eighteen forty-three, three ghosts changed Christmas forever. To solve the clue, find the
source where it all began.” Lacy read the next clue. “London?”
“I doubt we’re expected to go to London, so the clue must be referring to something less
literal.”
“Maybe the clue is referring to the original publication of A Christmas Carol.”
“That sounds right,” I agreed. “Library?”
Lacy hesitated. “I imagine the library has a copy of A Christmas Carol, but I’m thinking
there must be more to this clue than a trip to the library.”
“What about a bookstore?” I asked.
“Yes.” Lacy smiled. “It’s a bookstore. Firehouse Books, to be exact. The other day, when I
was in the store picking up the books I’d special-ordered for my kids as per our tradition of
giving each child a new book on Christmas Eve. I noticed that Lou had a copy of the first edition
of A Christmas Carol. She doesn’t own it, but one of her rich friends had lent it to her for her
Christmas promotion. She was nervous about being responsible for such a valuable book, but
thrilled to have it for the season as well.”
“I remember hearing that Lou had acquired a few first editions of various books for her
promotion,” I said. “I was chatting with Lonnie when she called and asked about having him
build her an impenetrable case to display the books in during the day. I guess she planned to lock
the books in her safe when the store was closed.”
“I’m not sure the case Lonnie built her is impenetrable, but it is sturdy,” Lacy assured me. “A
casual shoplifter would never be able to get into the case, and even a seasoned burglar would
have a tough time.”
“Okay, let’s go. We can give Eden and Joy an update while we’re there, and perhaps we can
talk Velma into a snack and a beverage. I think we’re going to need to keep our energy up if
we’re going to get through this day.”
Velma Crawford was my good friend and surrogate mom. She co-owned the bookstore with
Lou, and I was sure she’d feed us if we asked her to.
“Velma sells sweets and coffee, but I’m thinking fuel. I’ll call Surfside Deli while you drive,
and ask Andy or Eli to drop turkey sandwiches and iced teas off at the bookstore for us,” Lacy
offered. “We can pick them up and take them with us to munch on after we take our photo and
then figure out the next clue.”
Andy and Eli Anderson were brothers who owned the deli in the courtyard shared with
Firehouse Books, Courtyard Bakery, All About Bluebells, and an empty storefront that had once
housed a craft store.

Once we got into my SUV, I made a U-turn and headed toward the bookstore. The distance
from Santa’s Village to the bookstore was only a few blocks, so the blue compact car following
us felt intentional. “Do you remember that blue car that followed us down the hill from the high
school?”
“Yeah,” Lacy replied.
“It’s behind us again. Now, I suppose that this is a small town, and being followed twice in
one hour by the same car may be a coincidence, but it seems suspicious to me.”
“I saw the same car after we left the museum, and I think I remember seeing the car at the
preschool as well. I wonder if one of the other teams sent out scouts.”
“Maybe. There was that team of high school-aged students who signed in at the last minute
because they were looking for their ticket. There were six of them, and only two could compete.
Maybe they have their friends working with them. I’m not sure what we can do about it if that’s
the case, but maybe we should watch for the car and try to lose it after the next stop.”
I pulled into a parking space in front of the bookstore. The blue car continued past us. It
appeared to be occupied by two high school students, which solidified my theory that the high
school team might have solicited help.
“So how’s it going?” Joy asked the minute we walked into the bookstore.
“I think we’re doing pretty well,” I replied as Lacy snapped a selfie of the two of us in front
of the display case and sent it to the command post. “Of course, we have no way of knowing
how the other teams are doing, so it’s hard to say where we currently fall in the rankings.”
“Marylee Winston and her niece were in earlier. They got distracted by the decorations in the
courtyard and decided to stop for lunch. They reasoned that since they’d already missed two
clues and weren’t going to win anyway, they might as well enjoy the day.”
“One down, and eighteen to go,” I smiled.
“Rhonda Pendergrass and her daughter were in a few minutes ago. They claim to be over half
done,” Joy informed us.
“Half done?” Lacy asked. “How is that possible?”
“I don’t know anything for sure, but when Claudia Bowman was in with her boyfriend,
Anvil, Claudia said something about Rhonda cheating. She swears she cheated last year as well,
but no one could ever prove it.”
“Cheated how?” I asked.
Joy shrugged. “I don’t know. Claudia didn’t know for sure. In fact, Claudia thought that
Rhonda might have someone feeding her answers ahead of time, but Ron Brown was in with that
cute friend of his, and he said that he’d heard from a few different groups that Rhonda had scouts
following some of the other teams.”
I frowned. “We’ve had a blue car following us. I wondered if the occupants of the car might
have been working with the team who registered at the last minute.”
“What team was that?” Joy asked.

“A pair of high school-aged kids. A boy and a girl. It seemed odd that kids that age would
even be interested in competing, but this year’s prize package is pretty attractive.”
“I guess the kids might have others helping them. Although I’m not sure how you’d prove
it.”
“The blue car hasn’t followed us to every stop,” Lacy pointed out. “I suppose the fact that
we’ve seen them a few times could be a coincidence.”
“Maybe,” Joy agreed. “But according to Ron, it was his opinion that the teams who are doing
the best in terms of points are being followed. We had one group come in who was only on their
second stop after an hour scavenger hunt began, and they hadn’t noticed anyone following them,
but the team before you, who was on their ninth clue, said they’d noticed a young woman in a
red car following them.”
“If Rhonda is cheating, she should be disqualified,” Eden said.
I agreed, but I also pointed out that for that to happen, we’d have to prove that Rhonda was
cheating. Right now, our focus needed to be on winning the legitimate way.
“I have the next clue,” Lacy said. She read it aloud, and after considering a few options, we
decided that we needed to head to the lighthouse. The lighthouse was by far the furthest
destination included in the scavenger hunt so far. The other clues had led to destinations within a
few blocks of one another.
“This seems wrong,” I said as Lacy and I walked toward my SUV with our iced tea and
sandwiches. “The lighthouse is a ten-minute drive in each direction. That’s twenty minutes. Then
the hike from the parking area up to the lighthouse to get the photo is another five minutes in
each direction. Given the fact that we were only given six hours to find and photograph twenty
items or locations, I doubt the event organizers would include a destination that will take more
than ten percent of the total allotted time.”
“The clue was ‘Brightest light on the darkest night.’ What else could it be other than the
lighthouse?”
“The moon or maybe even the north star.”
“Full Moon Brewery is only about a mile from here.”
I hesitated. If we were wrong, we’d likely lose the scavenger hunt. “There is a mural on the
side of the building featuring a full moon shining down on a boat as it navigates a dark sea.”
“So should we try it?”
I really wasn’t sure. The lighthouse was a good choice as well, but its proximity seemed to
make it an unlikely pick. “I think we should,” I finally said. “Given the tight timetable, the
lighthouse as the correct answer is just too improbable.”
“Okay, let’s do it,” Lacy said.
She nibbled on her sandwich while I drove. We figured we’d take turns driving, so we could
both eat. I looked around to see if anyone was following us, but so far, the blue car was nowhere
in sight.
When we arrived at the brewery, we noticed a car parked in the parking lot belonging to
Becky Longford, one of the other scavenger hunt participants. No one was around, which we

thought was odd, so we decided to poke our heads inside to make sure Becky wasn’t having car
trouble. We found members of not one but two teams sitting at the bar drinking beer.
“Did you come to join us?” Becky asked.
“No,” Lacy said. “We saw your car in the parking lot and decided to check to make sure you
were okay.”
“We’re fine. We were so far behind after the first three clues that when we got here and found
out this was the wrong destination, we decided to throw in the towel and have a beer.”
So, this wasn’t the correct location. “I looked at the redhead sitting across from Becky. I
remembered that she was part of a team as well. “Did you try this location as well?”
“No. Benny and I thought it was the lighthouse, so we wasted half an hour driving out there.
We came here after we found out that it was the wrong guess. Becky and Brandon wandered in a
short time later.”
“So if both the lighthouse and the brewery are wrong, where does that leave us?” I asked.
“Since the darkest nights produce the brightest stars,” Brandon provided, “I wanted to head
to the big telescope on the pier when I heard the clue, but Becky wanted to try here instead, so
we came here.” He held up his beer. “I guess it worked out okay, though.”
It looked like the two teams who had thrown in the towel were having a lot more fun than
Lacy and I were.
Lacy and I thanked the group for their insight and headed back to my SUV. Neither of us was
sure about the big telescope on the pier, but it was the only idea we had, so we headed in that
direction and took our photo. We both held our breath as we waited for the return text that would
let us know whether our guess was correct or not. ...