Her Christmas Detective - Laura Ann Page 0,1

don’t we go around and you can all tell me your side of things, hm?” Detective Gordon said calmly to Mrs. Harrison. “Bill,” he said, referring to Sheriff Davidson, “has heard all this before, so when he gets here we can jump into the thick of it.”

Mrs Harrison sighed dramatically, then jumped into her story. “I brought a ring with me on this trip, one that was very special.” She looked forlornly down at her empty finger and Bella almost felt sorry for her. If the woman hadn’t been accusing Hope, who was working as the inn’s housekeeper, of being the thief, Bella might actually believe all the drama. “I never go anywhere without it,” Mrs. Harrison said softly.

“When did you last see it?” Henry asked, pulling out his phone and punching notes into an app.

“The night before it was taken, so two days ago.” She sniffed. “I took it off, put it in the jewelry box I brought with me, and went to bed.”

Who brings a jewelry box with them on vacation? Bella scoffed inwardly and shook her head. Despite her disbelief, she pulled out her phone and started to take her own notes. Something big was happening at Gingerbread Inn, and Bella was going to get to the bottom of it.

Although she loved her grandmother and would never regret helping out, running the front desk was far from exciting. Bella loved adventure. She liked to be in on the action. In fact, she preferred to be the one doing the action!

“Who all has been in your room since you were here?” Detective Gordon pressed.

Bella froze, her stylus stuck above her screen. This was where things might get sticky, and the decision as to whether or not she would get to know Henry better was right now. The rest of the group already knew that Mrs. Harrison was convinced Hope, the sweetest of all the sweet people in the world, had taken the ring.

“Only housekeeping!” Mrs. Harrison cried. “I have already said all this! It had to be her!”

The detective glanced toward Hope, then back to Mrs. Harrison without saying anything.

Bella narrowed her eyes, trying to read his body language. Does he believe her? He isn’t pressing Hope about anything.

“Is there a possibility that someone else could have come in? You said you went right to bed. So it disappeared while you were sleeping?”

Mrs. Harrison fluffed her hair. “I left the room only momentarily,” she admitted, her Italian accent weaker as she calmed down. “I wished to read for a few minutes before going to sleep, so I walked to the library.”

Now we’re getting somewhere...

“Is it possible someone else went in your room during that time?” Hank asked. “Did you leave the door unlocked?”

Mrs. Harrison shook her head. “I had my key with me, so no one could have gotten in unless they had one themselves.” She raised an eyebrow. “Like a housekeeper.”

Or maybe not.

HANK WAS HAVING A TERRIBLE time keeping his mind on Mrs. Harrison’s testimony. One of the most adorable women he’d ever seen was off to the side of the room, bouncing on her toes and punching something into her phone. Bill said she’s a journalist and a spitfire. He started to chuckle, then forced it to stop when Mrs. Harrison gave him an odd look. I think spitfire might be an understatement, if her bold way of greeting me is any indication.

Bella’s dramatic entrance into the ballroom had certainly been eye-catching, but the long, strawberry blonde hair and bright blue eyes had kept his attention well past her arrival. She had a pixie-like face, with a small smattering of freckles across her nose. It made her look young, but her demeanor said otherwise.

She looked vibrant and full of life. Plus, those baby blues sparkled as if she held secrets...and Hank found himself wanting to figure them out.

“Aren’t you going to arrest her?”

Hank blinked several times, pulling his mind from the beautiful woman to his left. “Sorry, Mrs. Harrison. We don’t arrest people on hearsay.” Not to mention Bill said Hope wouldn’t harm a fly, and unless she’s the world’s best actress, her frightened look tells me Bill is right.

She hmphed, but Hank moved on.

“I will have to investigate everything you’ve told me, and then we’ll move on from there.” He stood, pocketing his phone. “I’ll pull Hope aside and ask her some questions in a bit.”

“Do you have any enemies?”

Hank turned to see Bella walking up to him and Mrs. Harrison. He frowned as he