Kiki Lowenstein and the Missing Gift, Part VI (Last Part)

By Joanna Campbell Slan

Author's Note: I decided to challenge myself by writing an ongoing short story. Kiki Lowenstein's friend and co-worker Margit has neglected her own health while caring for her mother, who has dementia. In addition to worrying about Margit, Kiki has a problem. One of the gifts she bought for Anya is missing. Although Kiki searches high and low, she can't find the gold chain she bought to accompany Anya's Star of David. Meanwhile, Margit's mother has taken a turn for the worse. Could this turn out to be the most horrible Christmas ever?

Read Kiki Lowenstein and the Missing Gift, Part I here—

http://killerhobbies.blogspot.com/2016/11/kiki-lowenstein-and-missing-gift-part-i.html

Read Kiki Lowenstein and the Missing Gift, Part II here—http://killerhobbies.blogspot.com/2016/11/kiki-lowenstein-and-missing-gift-part-ii.html

Read Kiki Lowenstein and the Missing Gift, Part III here--http://killerhobbies.blogspot.com/2016/12/kiki-lowenstein-and-missing-gift-part.html

Read Kiki Lowenstein and the Missing Gift, Part IV here—

http://killerhobbies.blogspot.com/2016/12/kiki-lowenstein-and-missing-gift-part-iv.html

Read Kiki Lowenstein and the Missing Gift, Part V here --
http://killerhobbies.blogspot.com/2016/12/kiki-lowenstein-and-missing-gift-part-v.html

Margit’s mother passed away two days before Christmas. A call from the nurse on duty had hurried our friend to the memory care facility. I kept in touch with Mrs. Claws, the caregiver in charge, and she told me, “It was an easy passing. She slipped into a coma and only awakened once, briefly. But Mrs. Eichen was by her mother’s side the whole time.”

“I don’t know whether to expect Margit for Christmas or not,” I told my husband as we put the gifts from Santa around the tree on Christmas Eve.

Detweiler gave me a sad smile. “We’ll play it by ear. She’s welcome, of course, but she might not feel like surrounding herself with the noise of happy kids opening presents. I couldn’t blame her. Maybe we can slip away around lunch and check on her.”

That sounded like a good plan.

Not surprisingly, Erik was up at first light on Christmas morning. His shouts rang like a church bell as he shouted up the stairs. “Anya! Come see! Santa came! He brought us stuff! Lots of stuff!”

Anya politely knocked on our door, although we were already hustling our way out of bed. Brawny met us in the hallway with a sleepy Ty in her arms. I took my baby and like a Biblical procession of old, we marched down the stairs and into the great room. While Erik hopped from one foot to the other, Detweiler lit the fire. Anya had passed out one gift to each of us when the doorbell rang.

Gracie, my rescued harlequin Great Dane, stood in the foyer, barking and wagging her tail. This was a sign that our visitor was a friend, not foe.

“Look who’s here!” Brawny sang out.

A bundled up Margit entered the great room with arms full of wrapped packages. Her eyes were red, as was her nose, but her smile assured me she was pleased to be joining us. Anya helped her unload the parcels, but before she could set things down, Margit demanded that we close our eyes. When we opened them on her command, each of us found a beautifully embroidered stocking in our laps.

“Next year, if you hang these, Santa will fill these up,” she said.

An hour later, the floor was covered with wrapping paper. Ty was chewing on a box. Erik was totally absorbed in a Legos set that Anya was helping him build. Brawny had gone to put a breakfast casserole in the oven, and Detweiler was outside shoveling our walk.

“How are you?” I slipped an arm around Margit.

“I am fine.” Her eyes confirmed her words. “I did all I could while I could, and she is without pain. She is beyond all earthly cares now. I am free to move on.”

**

Margit stayed all day and accepted our offer to sleep in a guest room rather than drive home. I watched her carefully, but I quickly realized she’d told me the truth. She was fine. She was at peace with herself. Sure, she would grieve, but she knew she’d done all she could.

Detweiler and I were holding hands in front of the fireplace when Anya took a spot next to me on the sofa. “Mom? This is the weirdest thing ever. See this?” She handed over her stocking. A beautiful Star of David had been stitched on the front.

“Uh-huh. Margit was very thoughtful to combine both aspects of your spiritual life, wasn’t she?”

“Oh, Mooo-oom.” Anya chided me in that special way that’s unique to a teenager. “Not that! Look closer. See the gold trim around the star? It’s a link chain.”

And then I saw it. The missing portion of the necklace I’d purchased for Anya so she could wear her Star of David. My jaw fell open in surprise.

“How do you suppose it got there?” Anya marveled at the sight.

All I could figure was that when my gifts fell off the shelf, Margit had found the chain, thought it gold thread, and stitched it into the design. But, thinking of my friend, upstairs in the bedroom, this explanation seemed too simplistic. So instead, I told Anya the truth.

“It’s a Christmas miracle, honey. A Christmas miracle.”

**

To all my readers and friends, I wish you many, many miracles! Thanks for following along as I wrote this story.

Need a last-minute gift? Here's an idea...

Reserve your copy of Love, Die, Neighbor: A Prequel to the Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series, right now for only 99 cents. After the release date -- 12/31/2016 -- the price will go up. So pre-order your copy today! https://www.amazon.com/Love-Die-Neighbor-Mystery-Lowenstein-ebook/dp/B01N2OHJMX/

Kiki Lowenstein and the Missing Gift, Part III

By Joanna Campbell Slan

Read Kiki Lowenstein and the Missing Gift, Part I here—
http://killerhobbies.blogspot.com/2016/11/kiki-lowenstein-and-missing-gift-part-i.html

Read Kiki Lowenstein and the Missing Gift, Part II here—http://killerhobbies.blogspot.com/2016/11/kiki-lowenstein-and-missing-gift-part-ii.html

Author's Note: Something is wrong with Margit. She parked her car at a crooked angle in the parking lot of Time in a Bottle, Kiki’s store, and that’s not like at Margit at all. The older woman is a stickler for having everything just right. Clancy and Laurel confirm they’ve seen signs Margit is losing her hearing and her sight. Is this a manifestation of stress? Margit’s mother is in a care facility designed to cope with her Alzheimer’s. And if it is due to the stress in Margit’s life, what—if anything—can Kiki do about it?

“Did you ask her what’s wrong?” My husband Detective Chad Detweiler’s voice was muffled as he nuzzled my neck. I rolled over and faced him in our big bed. The kids were asleep, the nanny had retired for the night, and finally we had time to catch each other up on our days.

“I wanted to, but the store got so busy so fast.”

“That’s good, right?” He kissed the tip of my nose. “You’re making money. It’s the holiday season. I don’t know much about retail, but I’ve always heard that’s why they call it ‘Black Friday.’ Stores are finally in the black, making a profit because of Christmas.”

The newest Kiki book can be reserved at a special price of only 99 cents. Get yours today at
by clicking here.   Or copy and paste this link
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“Yes, but I am really worried about Margit. When Laurel, Clancy, and I walked in, she was on all fours. Somehow she’d dumped everything off one of the shelves in the back. Stuff was all over the floor.”

“Hey, babe. You sell paper. It’s not like your merchandise can break.”

“No,” I said with a sigh. “But that particular shelf was designated as the place I’ve been hiding the kids’ Christmas gifts. I caught Anya and Erik snooping in our closet, so I moved all their presents onto that shelf in the back room of my store. It’s right next to Margit’s desk. They would never dare look there, because she’s such a grouch about her territory.”

Detweiler hugged me. I buried my face in his shoulder and inhaled the fresh scent of his cologne. 

“Look,” he said. “Make a date with her. Take her to lunch. Be kind but direct. Ask her what gives.”

“Yup.” I closed my eyes. That had been my plan all along, but it was nice to hear him agree with it.

~*~

Clancy blocked the back door of Time in a Bottle, my scrapbook and craft store. “I am going with you.”

“No.” I tried to slip past her, but she wouldn’t budge. “It’s better for me to go alone. I don’t want to make a big deal of out this. If Margit is having problems, her pride will keep her quiet. I’ll have a real time of it, trying to pry the truth out of her. If you’re there, she’ll really clam up.”

“If I’m not there, you won’t have the nerve to confront her.” Clancy’s eyes flashed with irritation. In her beige cashmere turtleneck and brown faux suede pants, she was dressed for a nice lunch out with the girls. A necklace of heavy gold links set off her auburn hair.

I looked the part, too. I’d put on a pair of black pants and a white blouse, topped with an evergreen cardigan. On my collar,I’d pinned a candy cane pin that Erik had made for me out of bread dough clay.

Laurel stuck her head into the back room. “Ladies, quit fighting and get going. If you’re late meeting Margit, she’ll be in a rip-roaring bad mood. You know how upset she gets when people don’t show up on time. I’ve got the store covered. Now, shoo!”

~*~

Margit had already gotten us a table at Canyon Cafe. As Clancy and I approached, she checked her Timex watch. Fortunately, we were right on time. Unfortunately, she’d only expected me. That meant she had to signal the waiter and ask for another place settings. Although she tried to look pleased to see Clancy, a prissy pout of her lips suggested she was not happy that plans had changed.

Sometimes Margit could be a real pain in the backside. She and Clancy were both inflexible but in different ways. Clancy prided herself on self-discipline. She didn’t care too much about other people’s bad habits, as long as they didn’t impinge on her organized world. Margit wanted to control everything and everyone, everywhere. She was confident she knew best.

After the server brought the chips and salsa, we placed our orders. Margit wanted the South Texas Tortilla Soup, I had the Chicken Quesadilla, and Clancy got the Orange-Glazed Tilapia Salad.  I also ordered a glass of ice tea, Clancy wanted a Diet Coke, and Margit a cup of coffee.

I had billed this as a management meeting when I approached Margit.  Therefore, I started the conversation by talking about how our sales were going. After our food arrived, I switched subjects. “Margit, I’ve noticed you aren’t yourself lately.”

Peering at me through her cat-eye glasses, she said, “Who else would I be?”

The question took me totally by surprise. I chewed the air and struggled for a response. But Clancy, bless her heart, was ready, willing, and able to jump into the fray.

“We don’t know who you are, but you sure aren’t Margit Eichen! What the heck is going on?”

**
To be continued....

I'll post Part IV next week, here. Please stick around to see what happens--it'll be a surprise to me, too!

Don't miss this special pricing! My newest book--Love, Die, Neighbor: The Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series Prequel-- is available now for pre-ordering at a special price of only 99 cents. Reserve your copy today by going HERE, or copying and pasting this address:

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Die-Neighbor-Mystery-Lowenstein-ebook/dp/B01N2OHJMX/

That Aha! Moment When a Project Comes Together

 There is a moment in every creative endeavor when the imagined outcome becomes real--when you can see past the mess and the work undone to a successful conclusion.

I reached those points this week in both my newest book and in the dollhouse I'm entering in the 2016 Creatin' Contest.

HONEY B's SWEET SPOT

This is a love song to the quaint Lake of the Ozarks shops that I remember fondly. There's an inn called The Lodge of the Four Seasons, so Honey B's will feature all four seasons. But getting the project together has been challenging because I've been so immobile. At one point, I thought about pitching the whole mess.

But recently the floor plan showed promise. I could see how the pieces would fit. The front porch is shaping up, too. I love the old-fashioned metal chairs. I hope to add cushions to them.

To get that color of yellow, I used nail polish. The table is a fake barrel with a circle that looks like wood but is actually mat board. I stopped into a local framer's shop and asked if he had any scraps he was going to toss. He brought out a stack of mat board a foot high. I even made the shutters around the windows out of it. The pumpkin setting is by Betinha Murta, a very talented miniaturist.

Here you are looking down into the building.

I painted the back wall, and I've made a tree that will go in the left corner. The fireplace is egg carton bricks and paperclay. The gingerbread house is by Betinha. The table, chairs, and tea cart are plastic by Chrysnbon, but my husband's furniture repair guru gave me small bottles of the stain he uses. You would never guess these items were plastic. On the left wall is a vintage dollhouse cupboard. Can you see the bear in the far right? I'm planning to elevate him by putting him on a platform. There will be curtains over the windows, which is why I didn't add trim.

LOVE, DIE, NEIGHBOR

It started as a short story, but this prequel to the Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series will be a full-blown novel. This isn't the final version, but I thought I'd share it anyway. Something about having a cover makes a book feel REAL.

Do you like it?

My Holiday Gift to You!

As my gift to all of you, I've written three short stories just for the holidays. These will only be available at my website until January 15, 2013. All three can be found by clicking the SHORT STORIES tab right under the LARGE photo of me on my website www.JoannaSlan.com




1. "Searching for Baby Jesus" -- A short story featuring Grace Ann Terhune of the Southern Beauty Shop Series. When a figure disappears from her friend's creche scene, Grace Ann gets involved with surprising results. If you like it, you might want to pre-order Wave Good-Bye, the next book in that series! Release date March 5, 2013.

2. "A Christmas Treasure" -- Set in 1820, this long short story details how loving hearts turn a holiday in Yorkshire, England, into an unforgettable event. This story features Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester. If you like it, you might want to pre-order your copy of  Death of a Dowager, the second book in The Jane Eyre Chronicles.  Release date April 2, 2013.

3.   "Kiki Lowenstein and Santa's Helper" -- A surprising discovery about several decades worth of photos leads Kiki to do a good deed. Click on the tab and then on "Kiki Lowenstein and Santa's Helper." Now's the perfect time to pre-order your copy of Picture, Perfect, Corpse, the sixth book in the Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series. Release date May 8, 2013.

From my house to yours, I wish you the Happiest of Holidays!

All my best,

Joanna