Rose and Helena Save Christmas: a novella by Jana DeLeon, Denise Grover Swank

the heat off of you two?”
    “Exactly. Only we messed up.”
    “What happened?”
    “He got me riled up and I told asked him how could he accuse a tiny thing like Neely Kate of torturin’ someone, then Neely Kate added she wouldn’t torture someone for fifty dollars.”
    Taylor was silent for a moment. “And only someone with inside info—or the perpetrator of the crime—would know that.”
    “Exactly.”
    “Damn.”
    “But there’s more,” Rose said.
    Taylor blew out a loud breath. “After your last news, I’m afraid to hear it.”
    “This is actually good news. After we realized Savoy is railroadin’ us, we took off for Madame Serafine’s shop.”
    “Why would you girls do something so risky?”
    Rose snorted. “Please, this was nothin’ for us. Just last week I was undercover in a strip joint tryin’ to find Neely Kate’s missin’ cousin.”
    Taylor was remarkably quiet, and Rose figured she was in shock.  
    “So anyway, Gina—the purple-haired girl—was in the shop, but crime scene tape was still across the front door so we figured she wasn’t supposed to be there. We slipped around to the alley and through the back door. When we got inside, Gina was on the phone.”
    “Could you hear what she said?”
    “Yeah, we heard enough to know she’s involved.”
    “After my information from the employment commission, I suspected as much,” Taylor said.
    “Gina said she had been lookin’ for the second bag everywhere but couldn’t find it. She said she wasn’t stupid enough to take it herself.”
    “Unless she wants to end up dead. These people are professionals and aren’t to be messed with.”
    “She pretty much said that, but there was something else. She said as soon as they found the other bag, she was out, and he had to keep his promise. What do you think that means?”
    “Maybe she didn’t want to be involved in the first place, or could be she’s got cold feet because Serafine was murdered. I don’t think that was the original plan.”
    “That makes sense. There’s one more thing.”
    “I’m almost afraid to ask at this point.”
    “She said as soon as the murder was pinned on ‘those girls and that PI’ she was leaving town. Savoy must have told her he’s after us when she was down at the station. I get Neely Kate…and me by default of being her friend, but why is he workin’ so hard to get you involved?”
    “I saved a friend from being railroaded in one of his trumped-up cases. Obviously, he’s holding a grudge. Damn it. Since Gina’s involved, God only knows what false information she’s fed Savoy to direct attention away from herself.”
    “I hadn’t even thought about that, but I bet you’re right. She’s probably made us out to be crazies, foamin’ at the mouth and all.”
    “I’m sure of it. So we’re working on borrowed time.”
    “Looks like it,” Rose said, her voice breaking. Her heart had begun to race, and she tried to catch her breath. She’d taken all of this in stride, but now it was hitting home. Maybe it really was time to call Mason.
    “Listen, I have some solid leads of my own.” Taylor recapped everything that had transpired since she’d last talked to Neely Kate. “So Arden James is making a drop at the theater. During the performance of Wicked .”
    Rose gasped. “Neely Kate and I have tickets to see Wicked tonight.”
    “You’re kidding.”
    “No. Mason bought them for Neely Kate and me as part of my early Christmas gift. That’s why we’re in New Orleans.”
    “I’m going to need one of those tickets,” Taylor said.  
    Rose’s ire rose. “No way. Neely Kate and I are goin’ to that play. We’re part of this and we’re not sittin’ in our hotel room waiting for Detective Savoy to show up and arrest us. We wouldn’t do that at home and we’re sure not doin’ it here.”
    Neely Kate nodded her agreement.
    “While I appreciate the can-do spirit, Rose, you need to leave this to a trained