Mall Santa Murder: A Cozy Christmas Mystery (Gemma Stone Cozy Mystery Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

it, Jackson didn’t look too happy either.”
    “You should probably keep an eye on McLear,” Nick said quietly. “Whether you feel sorry for him or not.”
    “Okay,” Gemma said.
    “Be careful with your personal information around him,” Nick advised. “You don’t want him showing up on your doorstep or even getting your phone number.”
    “Yes, sir, I promise,” she said getting to her feet. “Now, I’ve enjoyed the wine and the company but you need to go home and I need to get some sleep.”
    She followed Nick to the front door and watched while he put on his coat and hat. Turning, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her tenderly. She inhaled his familiar scent and wrapped her arms around his lean, strong body, loving the way they fit together.
    “You know I’m pretty proud of you,” Nick whispered.
    “Thank you,” Gemma said, wiggling closer.
    “I could stay tonight - if you want me to,” he suggested, raining kisses on her eyelids, cheeks and nose.
    Gemma was tempted. Her whole body screamed for her to say yes. At the same time she knew that that kind of encouragement wouldn’t be fair to Nick or herself. She just wasn't ready.
    “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she finally said, regaining control of her senses, just barely.
    “Yes, you will,” he said, kissing the corner of her mouth one last time. “Yes, you will.”

Chapter Four
    G emma was a few minutes late opening her kiosk and she couldn’t blame it on her car this time. She’d overslept a little bit and then gotten involved in placing their order for more products. Then she’d gotten sidetracked surfing the net looking for something special for Holly for Christmas. As she pocketed the key after letting herself into the kiosk, she realized she shouldn’t have worried. Hardly any of the other vendors had arrived. Bill Chandler worked alone in his kiosk surrounded by the sparkling sun catchers he had artfully displayed. There were maybe only half a dozen customers meandering from store to store. Even the Christmas carols playing over the PA system seemed subdued for once.
    Then Gemma heard what she thought at first was a kitten. While her laptop booted up, her gaze swept the area, looking for the source of the quiet mewling. A cat, she thought. Here inside the mall? No way.
    Listening intently, she heard it again and turned her head this way and that, trying to find the direction the sound was coming from. Finally, she narrowed it down to either Santa Land or the boutique just behind it. Maybe a kitten had somehow gotten locked inside, smuggled in by one of the kids.
    Taking care to lock the kiosk behind her, Gemma moved slowly in that direction, wincing at her own echoing footsteps in the silence. She peered through the metal bars that guarded the front of the boutique. When she saw nothing inside, she turned away and stood there for a moment listening.
    Then she noticed the little girl hidden by one of the plastic reindeer, just inside the entrance to Santa Land. The sight of that little girl with her blonde hair in pigtails and tears streaming down her face nearly broke Gemma’s heart. Wearing jeans, raggedy looking sneakers and a dirty pink shirt with a puppy on the front, she couldn’t have been more than five years old.
    Gemma hurried toward her. “Honey, honey what’s wrong?”
    The child’s only response was to stare at Santa’s empty chair and sob even harder.
    “Oh, my, sweetie, don’t cry,” Gemma said when she reached the child. “Santa will be here soon.”
    “Santa’s lit,” the little girl hiccupped.
    Santa’s always lit, Gemma thought grimly as she scanned the area, not seeing Santa anywhere.
    “I don’t think he’s here,” Gemma said. She knelt down on the floor so she could be eye-level with the little girl. “Do you see him anywhere?”
    The child pointed just as Gemma saw the bottom of a black boot. She closed her eyes and hugged the little girl closer. The idiot had passed out on the floor between