Gingerbread Man

He needed to let them know, though. They needed to figure out how best to deal with it.
    Sighing, he picked up his cordless phone, and keyed in Ernie Graycloud's number. Ernie answered on the third ring, just about the time Mallory was beginning to wonder if he was busy with a patient or had been called in to the hospital or something.
    "Yeah, what is it?" he asked by way of a greeting. He always sounded slightly grumpy on the phone. It was his way.
    "It's Jim. Listen, we need to get together. Something's going on, and I don't like it."
    He heard Ernie's sigh. "This got anything to do with that cop who showed up in town?"
    "Yeah. He's showing way too much interest in Holly Newman. It's not good, Ernie."
    "I was afraid of that. Heard he was sniffing around her. He digging into the past?"
    "It looks that way."
    Ernie made a sound, halfway between a grunt and a clearing of his throat. "Have you talked to Marty about this?"
    "No, but I'm gonna call him next. We should get together, talk face-to-face."
    "That would be best," Ernie said. "It won't do to have this stirred up."
    "Agreed."
    "Good. Let me know when and where. I'll be there."
    "I knew I could count on you, Ernie." Mallory hung up the phone, leaned back in his rocker, and looked toward the town spread out in the distance. It was his town. Nothing bad ever happened there. It was up to him to keep it that way. And he damned well intended to do just that.
    * * *
    DORIS NEWMAN STACKED the last plate in the dishwasher, added detergent, and closed the door. "I don't like it. No, not one bit. Does your uncle Marty know about this person you thought you saw creeping around Detective O'Mally's place?"
    Holly was elbow deep in soapy water, scrubbing the roasting pan. Helping her mom with cleanup after dinner was part of her daily ritual, and she was trying hard to lose herself in it. "I have no idea. I imagine the chief called him by now. I mean, it's his cabin. He'll have to be notified." She kept on scrubbing. "Besides, like I said, I'm not even sure anyone was there. I mean, I was at first, but..." She shrugged, and sighed heavily.
    Her mother glanced at her, a touch of worry clouding her eyes. "You mean you think you might have imagined it?'
    Holly controlled her expression. "Of course not. I saw
something.
I wouldn't have made Vince—Detective O'Mally—call Jim if I hadn't seen
something.
I'm just not sure what."
    Her mother nodded, but Holly didn't know if she was convinced or not. God, she didn't want to worry her mom. Her mother had been through enough in her life. If the scales of justice were to be balanced, her mother would know nothing but sheer bliss for the rest of her days.
    "I just don't understand," Doris continued, speaking slowly now. She came to the sink, took a sponge and dipped it in the soapy water, then she took it to the round table and wiped it off. "What in the world were you doing out at the lake anyway, Holly?"
    Holly felt herself stiffen, but kept her back to her mother. "I just decided to take the long way home for a change. There won't be any foliage at all soon, and it's always prettiest around the water."
    Doris stopped wiping. Holly heard the cessation of movement and felt her mother's eyes drilling into her back. "Please don't lie to me, Holly."
    Forcing a smile, lifting her chin, hoping her eyes appeared shadow free, Holly turned to face her mother. "It's not a lie."
    "You decided to take the long way home—something you haven't done since—"
    "Don't." Holly turned back to the sink too quickly. "Just don't, don't bring it up."
    Her mother was silent for a long moment. Then she spoke again. "You decided to look at the foliage, on the most overcast day we've had in weeks, when most of the trees are all but bare."
    Holly swallowed hard. "Fine, you don't have to believe me. Why do
you
think I took that route home?" She scrubbed harder on the pot.
    Her mother sighed long and slow. Then she spoke, and her voice seemed a bit lighter than before. "I think you went out there to visit Detective O'Mally."
    The relief that washed through Holly that her mother was so far from the real reason, was short-lived. Disbelief followed on its heels. "That's the most ridiculous thing you've ever said to me."
    "Is it?" her mother came closer, leaned over Holly's shoulder. "Then why are you scrubbing the finish off my best baking pan. Holly?"
    Holly stopped scrubbing. She let her mother shoulder her aside, rinse the pan, and set it upside down in the dish