“Emily told us that your birthday is on Christmas Eve, Krista. And that you had a lot of disappointments as a child, and no real family. I think it’s understandable that you’d have some reservations at Christmastime. Sort of like holiday PTSD.”

  “Holiday PTSD?” she repeated. “I think that pretty much sums it up.”

  “But you’re in recovery now.” He linked his arm into hers as they walked through the town square. “And you’re about to go ice-skating.”

  By the time Conner led Krista onto the ice rink, she was glad she’d worn two sets of thermal underwear beneath her jeans. Not only did that offer more padding in the event of a tumble, it was actually keeping her fairly warm. Her legs wobbled as she attempted to keep the blades of her skates moving in a straight line, and she felt like a klutz. Not wanting to splatter herself all over the ice as young skaters skillfully swooped past her, she clung even tighter to Conner’s arm.

  “Try to relax,” he told her as he guided her along the edge of the rink. “Don’t think about it too much. Just go with the flow. And lean on me as much as you like.”

  After a couple of awkward loops around the rink, with no falls, she finally started to relax. “You’re a good teacher,” she told him as they started to increase speed. But she was still clinging tightly to his arm.

  “You’re a good student.” He smiled down at her. “I thought you’d be a fast learner.”

  After about an hour, Krista suspected she could probably skate without his assistance, but she didn’t want to let go of his arm. She liked the feeling of being that close to him. And being a novice skater provided a good excuse.

  “We should probably take a cocoa break.” He gracefully guided her out the exit, still supporting her with one arm. “Your ankles might need a rest.”

  “And you might want to regain the feeling in your arm.” She chuckled as she released him. “I’m afraid I’ve cut off your blood supply with my death grip.”

  “Not at all.”

  They spotted Julia and Kyle at a picnic table and went over to join them. The four of them conversed easily, like old friends, as they consumed cocoa and cookies. Krista felt completely at home with these people—so much so that she almost wanted to pinch herself. It seemed almost too good to be real. Maybe it wasn’t.

  After warming themselves by the fire-pit, they returned to the rink, and this time, Krista proved to herself that she really could skate unassisted. It felt amazing to glide along without help. Almost like flying. Her confidence was steadily building and she realized she actually liked skating. Then Conner even showed her how to skate backward. She moved at a snail’s pace, but at least she was moving.

  “I think I’ve become a real ice-skating fan,” she told him as he linked her arm for a couple’s skate. “This is a lot more fun than I expected. I’ll bet it’s good exercise too. I can’t wait to bring Emily. She’s been begging me to take her skating, but I keep putting her off. I think I’ll bring her here tomorrow.”

  “We should go together,” he told her. “Anna is a fabulous skater. I’m sure she’d love to teach Emily.”

  “That’d probably be better than me teaching her.” Krista chuckled. “And knowing Emily, she’ll probably be skating circles around me in no time.”

  “So it’s a date? You and I, bringing the girls here tomorrow?”

  “It’ll have to be in the evening, Conner. Emily and I are on elf duty until five.”

  So it was set. Another date! Okay, maybe it wasn’t a real date. Just two parents taking their girls skating. Or maybe it was a date. Or maybe it didn’t matter. What did matter was getting to spend more time with Conner.

  12

  Krista couldn’t remember a better weekend—ever. In fact, it was practically magical. So much so that it was almost scary. How could something this wonderful last? It was as if she’d been put under a Christmasville spell. Ice-skating with Conner, playing elves with Emily. More ice-skating on Saturday night. Going to church with all the Harris family on Sunday. A Christmasville caroling hayride on Sunday evening. It was like living in a storybook. But like all good things, Krista knew it would probably end. Hopefully not badly.

  On Monday morning, Krista was somewhat grateful to get back to her nine-to-five routine, and first on her agenda was to go over the city budget. But as she reached for the recently printed document that Winston had finally managed to get to her, she noticed something. It looked slightly thicker than the mayor’s copy sitting right next to it. Interesting. She did a quick check on the page count to discover Winston’s report had more pages. Curious over the difference, she flipped through both documents one page at a time to discover they were not identical. What did this mean?

  She took her time now, going over both spreadsheets line by line and highlighting the discrepancies. The only conclusion she could make was the doc from Winston had been adjusted. But why? Was there a logical explanation? Or was Winston trying to cover up something? Krista had recently read an article that suggested embezzlement in general was on the rise. Could he possibly be guilty of this sort of fraud? That was a serious accusation and not something she planned to leap lightly into. Not without concrete evidence.

  She called Pauline into her office. She was still trying to make up her mind how much to divulge, but she decided that of all the city staffers, Pauline was probably the most reliable and trustworthy and perhaps the most knowledgeable. Due to retire in a year, she’d worked for the city longer than anyone else. Including Winston.

  “Have a seat,” Krista said slowly. “I need to talk to you.”

  “You look troubled.” Pauline pulled a chair closer to the desk. “Is something wrong?”

  “I’m not sure . . . Maybe.” Krista tried to gather her thoughts.

  Pauline leaned forward. “Is this about Conner?”

  Krista blinked in surprise. “Conner?”

  Pauline looked slightly embarrassed. “Sorry. But I know you’ve been spending time together.” She smiled. “Which I happen to think is quite nice. And, don’t say you heard it from me, but he does too.”

  Krista felt her cheeks warm. “Well, I have certainly enjoyed his company, but no, this isn’t about him.” She pointed to the spreadsheets lying open on her desk. “Something isn’t right here. These don’t match up.”

  “What do you mean?” Pauline leaned forward.

  Krista quickly explained the discrepancies, pointing some lines out specifically and asking how they could differ so much. “You’ve worked for the city a long time, Pauline. Do you think it’s possible that Winston is doctoring the books?”

  “You mean embezzlement?”

  “I hate to say that. But something isn’t right.”

  “It’s a well-known fact that no one likes reading the annual financial reports. I know I never have,” Pauline admitted. “But it’s not part of my job description. But I’ve heard the mayor complain and I seriously doubt he reads them thoroughly.”

  “Yes. And there’s no budget committee, which concerns me.”

  “The city councilors are volunteers with full-time jobs and busy lives. I’d be surprised if they went over these docs with a fine-toothed comb.”

  Krista sighed. “Don’t you think that leaves plenty of opportunity?”

  Pauline frowned. “What do we do?”

  “Well, I certainly don’t want to accuse him.” Krista drummed her fingers on the desk. “How about if we request the reports from previous years. I could tell him I’m doing an analysis.”

  “How would that help?”

  “Well, if he’s been doctoring the books, he might get nervous. He might make excuses and try to delay it. That alone is a flag.”

  “And?” Pauline adjusted her glasses, peering more closely at the reports.

  “What would you recommend?” Krista asked her.

  Pauline’s expression grew firm. “An investigation.”

  “With the police?” Krista grimaced.

  “If Winston has embezzled funds, it’s a serious crime, Krista. Not only would that be stealing from the City of Winter Hill, it’s robbing decent, honest, tax-paying citizens.”

  “I know. But if he’s innocent, it could blow up in our faces. And I’m the new kid on the block.” Krista stared down at the spreadsheets. Her gut told her that something was definitely not right, but was she ready to stick her neck out?

  “You need to speak to the mayor, Krista. Today. In the meantime, I’ll play sleuth. I’ll go to Winston’s office and tell him you want the budget reports for the last five years, and I’ll say that you need them ASAP. He has to have them on file—it’s the law. I’ll ask for his hard docs with the assurance that I’ll copy the spreadsheets myself and get the originals directly back to him. Then I’ll watch how he reacts.” Her brows arched slightly. “I’m pretty good at reading people.”

  Krista agreed, so Pauline went one way and Krista the other. With the spreadsheets in hand, she went straight to Mayor Barry’s office. Finding him working on his computer, she apologized for the interruption. “It’s urgent.”

  “Come in. Come in.” He smiled, then noticing her serious demeanor asked what was wrong. As she quickly explained, his brow grew furrowed. “Do you really think Winston could be stealing from the city?”

  “I honestly don’t know. That’s just the worst-case scenario.” She told him about the article she’d recently read. “Given the circumstances, it’s probably a legitimate concern.” She confided that Pauline was doing some sleuthing right now. “She suggested we contact the police. Although I’m not sure about that.”

  “Let’s not jump the gun, Krista.” He pursed his lips.

  “Trust me, I don’t want to. But I don’t want to ignore this either.”

  “No, no, of course not. But how can the police be of any help?”

  “Well, I assume they’d check his bank statements and look for any kind of evidence.”

  “Oh my . . . oh my.” He rubbed his chin. “You realize this could get very messy, Krista. What if you’re wrong?”

  “That’s what concerns me. I don’t want to be sued for libel.” And she didn’t dare voice the words, but she realized she could be risking her job.

  “And to have something this negative exposed right in the middle of Christmasville.” He slowly stood, shaking his head. “It will be a black eye for the city—for sure. Whether Winston is guilty, or if he’s falsely accused and innocent.”

  “So what do we do?” Krista felt her stomach tying into a knot.

  Mayor Barry was pacing back and forth behind his desk now. “We probably should call an emergency council meeting. But then it’s out there. It’s impossible to keep something like this under wraps. Word leaks out and then it’s an even bigger problem.”

  “Small-town gossip.” She sighed.

  “Why don’t you just confront Winston?”

  “Seriously? Just walk into his office and ask if he’s been embezzling?” Krista shook her head. “That could blow up as easily as anything. He already doesn’t like me.”

  “Then I’ll ask him.”

  Krista didn’t particularly like the sound of that either.

  “Yes, that’s probably the best plan. Straightforward and forthright.” The mayor nodded firmly. “Yes, I should handle this. After all, I’m the mayor. And don’t worry, Krista, I won’t make an actual accusation. I’ll simply raise the flag. I’ll give Winston the chance to explain why these reports are different.”

  “Well, if you think that’s the best route.”

  “I do.” He picked up the spreadsheets. “Mind if I take these?”

  “No. But, please, don’t hand them over to him. We might need them as evidence later on.”

  The mayor picked up the docs and headed straight for the finance department. As much as Krista wanted to witness the scene, she didn’t want to interfere. After all, she and Winston were already at odds. And she’d only been on the job three weeks. Far too soon to get involved in a sticky situation like this. She hurried back to her department, silently praying that Mayor Barry’s visit would go well. Dismayed that Pauline wasn’t back yet, Krista went into her office and, just like the mayor, began to pace back and forth.

  “Well, that was interesting.” Pauline closed the door behind her with a grim expression.

  “Tell me everything.” Krista leaned against her desk.

  “For starters, I didn’t care for Winston’s reaction when I asked for the financial reports. He started giving the same excuses as before. But I stood my ground, reminding him that an auditor could show up and demand them just like that.” She snapped her fingers. “I think the word auditor got his attention. So he reluctantly retrieved the spreadsheets, but insisted I remain in his department to copy them—with his assistant supervising. So that’s what I was doing when the mayor showed up.” Pauline sank into a chair with a weary sigh.

  “What happened?” Krista asked.

  “Well, I’m sure the mayor didn’t intend to make it sound like he did. But I have to warn you, Krista, it did not sound good.”

  “What happened?”

  “Mayor Barry began the conversation by divulging to Winston that you were concerned about discrepancies in the budget.”

  “Oh, no.” Krista stood up. “The mayor said that?”

  “He told Winston you’d asked him to look into it.”

  “I didn’t think he was going to bring me into it.” Krista was pacing again.

  “I suspect he was trying to maintain Winston’s confidence, Krista.”

  “How so?”

  “By making it appear as though you were the one investigating him.”

  “That’s just great.” Krista controlled herself from rolling her eyes. “As if Winston doesn’t already have it out for me. I don’t understand why Mayor Barry would give him more ammunition.”

  “I guess the mayor is playing good cop, bad cop.” Pauline’s expression suggested she didn’t approve either.

  “And I’m the bad cop.” Krista groaned.

  “Winston, as you can imagine, claimed complete innocence and indignation.”

  “And he’d probably like my head on a plate by now.”

  Pauline nodded.

  “I think it’s time to talk to the city attorney.” Krista sighed as she reached for her phone.

  By ten thirty, Krista, the mayor, and Byron were meeting in the conference room, with Pauline taking notes. Although the mayor appeared inclined to believe in Winston’s claim of innocence, Byron, after looking over the two budget reports, came to the same conclusion as Krista. “Something is definitely wrong,” he told them. “And the prudent thing to do at this point is to give Winston administrative leave while an internal investigation is conducted. His assistant should be placed on leave as well. Just in case she’s involved. Or even if she’s not.”

  “Do we contact the police?” Mayor Barry asked with a creased brow.

  “You could do that. Or else you can hire someone to conduct a private investigation. I can make some recommendations.”

  “What about the council?” Krista asked. “Should they be informed?”

  He nodded to Mayor Barry. “That’s up to you.”

  “I wish we could keep a lid on this,” the mayor told him. “At least until after Christmasville wraps up.”

  “I totally agree.” Krista looked at Byron. “I’d like to recommend you supervise an internal investigation,” she told him. “That way we could be sure it’s done properly and respectfully, and hopefully privately.”

  “Yes,” Mayor Barry said quickly. “Let’s keep this out of the public eye as well as the police department for the time being.”

  “Unless we find conclusive evidence,” Byron assured them. “Then it’ll be time to press criminal charges. It never pays to procrastinate. Once a flag’s been raised, you give a criminal time to transfer funds or even leave the country.”

  “But if an investigator is watching him . . .” Krista really hated to be part of this. “Wouldn’t any quick actions be noticed—then he could be caught red-handed?”

  “Theoretically,” Byron confirmed. “And in a way, it can be helpful. If Winston really is guilty, he’ll probably act fast, which is why we need an investigator right now.”

  They talked awhile longer, finally agreeing that it would be best for Byron to engage an investigator before informing Winston and his assistant that they would be on paid administrative leave, starting today. “I’ll say that they’re being excused from work until a complete audit is performed,” Byron told them.

  “Good,” the mayor said. “Perhaps you can make it seem like a little pre-holiday vacation.”

  “A vacation that could end up with jail time,” Byron said wryly.

  “Oh, I hope not.” The mayor shook his head. “Maybe it’s all just a silly mistake. And if it’s not, well, I feel I’ll need to blame myself. I’ve never given those budget reports my full attention. I doubt anyone has.”

  “One thing for sure,” Krista declared, “I’m going to lobby for a council-appointed budget committee in the upcoming year. More citizen involvement will make it more difficult for something like this to happen again. I mean, if it’s happened at all.”

  Things went from bad to worse as the week progressed. Neither Winston nor his assistant were pleased with their “pre-holiday vacation.” Never mind that their leave of absence included full salary and benefits, unless and until they were proven guilty and culpable anyway. But the worst part was how quickly inaccurate gossip spread through town. Citizens seemed to immediately take Winston’s side, claiming that after twenty-nine years of faithful service, he and his assistant had been unfairly fired by the new city manager. It didn’t help that the few people she’d actually met felt she was too young and inexperienced for the position.

  According to the mayor, who claimed he was attempting damage control, these false rumors were probably the work of Winston’s wife. Val Palmer was one of those influential women who belonged to every civic club and committee, and regularly connected with half the people in town. Naturally, she’d circulated the faulty story, both in person and via social networking, in an effort to gain sympathy and protect her husband’s reputation.