Page 15 of A Holly Jolly Mix Up (Sweet Christmas Kisses #12)

Andrew

“Sue, what address did you just dispatch?” I ask the clerk manning the emergency line not that far from my desk.

My heart is pounding heavily against my rib cage as I catch the end of the dispatch. It’s Jane’s bookstore, I’m nearly certain.

“The caller said that the Timeless Tales was vandalized.” Sue turns to me with a curious stare. “I’m sure they will call you in soon enough, but the patrol officer was going to make the initial report.”

Her words fade behind me as I’m already running for the entrance.

Of course, there’s no way that I’m not going to check with my own eyes that Jane’s business is okay.

Worse yet, what if she was around? I check my phone.

The last message was sent an hour ago, and she hasn’t texted me she was home yet.

Panic sets in as my mind races through all the terrible scenarios that could occur. I fumble with my phone, frantically tapping on her number as I sprint towards my car. The incessant ringing fills my ear as I rev the engine and peel out of the parking lot.

“Hi, you’ve reached Jane, please leave a voice—”

I cut off her automated message and redial. My heart pounds in my chest as I weave through traffic, flipping on the patrol lights to clear a path. But each attempt goes to voicemail.

“Please pick up, Jane!”

Sweat beads on my forehead, and my grip tightens on the wheel, leaving imprints in my palms. Snowflakes dance in front of my windshield, obscuring my vision. Of course, now it decides to snow.

The bright lights of Timeless Tales come into view, and a surge of worry courses through me.

A squad car is already parked outside, but even from a distance, I can see the shattered glass of the front window.

As I pull closer, the flashing lights cast an eerie glow on the snowy ground littered with broken shards of glass.

I park in front of the bookstore, take a second to breathe, and collect myself before getting out. My heart is racing as I approach the area, marked off by Officer Anders with yellow tape.

“Was anyone inside?” I ask, my voice trembling slightly .

“No one inside when we got here,” he replies, his expression grave.

I let out a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves.

“This is getting ridiculous, Andrew,” Officer Anders begins, frustration evident in his tone.

“It’s like they’re taunting us, these midnight robbers or whatever you want to call them.

” He turns to look at me, his eyes filled with concern.

“By morning, there is going to be a lot more damage. We should call Regina.”

I shake my head. “She sold it a few weeks ago to Jane Brooks,” I inform him as I take in the damages.

I feel a surge of anger and helplessness. The once beautiful window display is now a jagged mess of shattered glass, threatening to ruin the books and decorations within and allowing snow to blow freely into the shop.

“Any sign of the culprits?” My voice is tight with frustration.

“No one was here when we arrived,” Anders replies with a shake of his head.

My mind races as I try to come up with a plan. “Cameras?”

“Yes, but they aren’t hooked up yet,” he says, shining his flashlight on the newly installed security camera above the door. “Looks like the owner just put it in recently. ”

“Great way to advertise to criminals,” I grumble, taking a look around.

I don’t see anything that points to them actually entering and stealing anything.

A deep sigh escapes my lips as I continue to scan the area. “This is starting to really irritate me. We need to find a way to put an end to these break-ins and robberies. Our town needs to feel safe again.”

It’s odd, nothing seems out of place here. All the other shops that were broken into had goods stolen. This is just a broken window. Once Jane comes down here, she can assess if anything is gone.

Did their presence go unnoticed, or did someone witness their actions? Or perhaps they were startled and fled before stealing any items.

As the snow continues to fall heavily, it blankets the scene, concealing any potential evidence. Footprints, tire tracks, and any trace of the thieves would be obscured by now.

Frantically, I reach for my phone.

“Randy, it’s Andrew. Sorry to disturb you. There was a break-in at Timeless Tales.”

“Is Jane alright?”

“Yes, thankfully she wasn’t here at the time. Can you bring me some supplies from my house? The snow is already removing any evidence outside, and it’s going to remove any evidence we might have inside if we don’t get this window covered.”

“Of course. Is the spare key still hidden under the rock?”

“Yeah, it is.”

“For a cop, you’d think you’d know better than to leave it in such an obvious spot. I’ll be there soon.”

I send Randy a list of necessary items and comb the area for any hints or clues that might aid in solving this crime.

I begin pacing around, seeking for anything, anything at all that could give me a lead on these midnight hoodlums. My mind is a whirlwind of thoughts. The broken window, the snow waltzing in like an unwelcome guest, obliterating any trace of our trespassers.

A tap on my shoulder startles me, and I turn to see the familiar emerald eyes.

“Jane!” I throw my arms around her in relief. “You didn’t text me you were home, then I heard the dispatch report this address, and you weren’t answering your phone.”

“I’m sorry,” she says, returning my embrace. “I fell asleep the second I laid down in bed. I didn’t even plug in my phone.” I release her slightly, and she looks around. “Wow, they got me too, huh? ”

“Yeah, seems like it.” I don’t want to release her just yet. The scent of her, the feel of her in my arms is a comfort for my frayed nerves. “I was really worried about you, Jane.”

“I’m sorry, Andrew,” she apologizes again, focusing her gaze on me. There’s a mixture of guilt and worry in her eyes. “You should’ve seen your face when you turned around and saw me.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever been that scared before.” I’m unable to hide the emotion in my voice.

“I’m perfectly fine, Andrew. I’m safe.”

I sigh, releasing my worry. “Can you tell if anything is missing?”

She shrugs lightly. “It doesn’t look like they stole anything.”

“Unfortunately, the window display is another story,” I confess, gesturing towards the fallen snow and shards of glass on the ground.

Her expressive eyes widen in horror. “Oh no...the first editions...”

“We might be able to salvage them, but we can’t touch anything until a thorough investigation is done.”

She nods, her lips pressed into a tight line as she inspects the mess before us. The cold gusts of wind sweep up the flakes of snow, peppering them onto the books and the carpet, creeping into every crevice of the quaint bookstore .

“Go give Officer Anders your statement,” I instruct, pointing towards him. “Randy is on his way with supplies for us to cover the window.”

She nods and walks to Anders. I hear the sound of Randy’s car pulling up, and I turn to greet him.

We work quickly to put the plywood over the open window so the bookstore doesn’t have any further damage from the snow that seems to be getting heavier by the minute.

As we do, I fill him in on the little information we do have, and we walk inside the bookstore to see if there are any kind of clues.

Jane returns from giving her statement to Anders. She’s looking around the store when something catches her eye, and she gasps softly.

“Andrew, come here.”

I follow her gaze toward a few books splayed open on the floor, pages fluttering gently from the draft coming in through the now boarded window.

“This one isn’t normally up here,” Jane says with a furrowed brow. “In fact, I know it wasn’t here when I left last night.”

With gloved hands, I carefully pick up the book that caught her attention. “ The Last Great Getaway ,” I read aloud. “You think they left this here? ”

“Well, I certainly didn’t put it there,” Jane replies with a hint of frustration in her voice.

“What’s it about?”

“Just like it sounds. Think The Italian Job but set in the Victorian era.”

“So they think they’re invincible?” I scoff, unable to resist a small smile at the thought. “Well, we’ll see about that.”