Polterheist(36)

"She picked up a little knife from her kitchen, and it got all glowy."

"Glowy?"

"Glowy. And then it grew about five inches-big enough to send me down for the dirt nap, believe me."

I believed him. He had more practical experience with lethal weapons than anyone of my acquaintance-except possibly Max. I looked across the store at Lopez, wondering how to explain to him that inanimate objects were arming themselves with deadly intent at Fenster & Co.

Lucky continued, "Then the doll-glowing red eyes, dripping fangs, big knife, and all-gives this sort of cackling screech and leaps through the air at me."

"My God, what did you do?" I cried.

"Huh?" said a startled shopper.

"Nothing! Go away." I turned and looked at the tree. "What did you do?"

"Whaddya think? I turned and ran."

"What did the doll do?" I asked the tree.

"She ran after me," Lucky said grimly. "Laughing and screeching and drooling-and trying her best to stab me with that knife."

"Did people see this?"

"Nah. We were near the menorah. Who goes there? Not meaning to hurt your feelings or anything, Esther, but no one comes to Holidayland to see a menorah."

"So there was no one around?" I asked.

"Nope," he replied. "Things happened so fast. The doll turns into a monster and leaps at me. I jump and run. It chases. I run past that Viking mural and that big log, and I take a sharp turn toward Solstice Castle-where I bump into a whole buncha people, all standing in my way."

"And?"

"And I turn around to fight the doll . . . But it's lying face down on the floor now, looking normal again . . . except that Chérie's hair is smoldering and her tiny little knife has melted."

"Whoa," I said.

"Yeah," he said.

While I pondered this horrifying story, a child's voice floated to me from the other side of the trees. "Mommy, there's an elf hiding in there!"

"Oh? Uh, hello, Mr. Elf," said a doubtful-sounding parent.

"Buzz off," said Sugarplum, in a tone that prohibited discussion.

I thought of the little blond boy who'd been so frightened yesterday. "So Jonathan saw exactly what he thought he saw, didn't he?" I mused. "Something with glowing eyes and claws and dripping fangs."

"Yeah, I'd say that little kid gave you the straight dope on that."

"I wonder if that grimacing gnome came to life?" I said. "Became animated. Got possessed. Whatever."

"Well, we know from what happened with Chef Chérie that once they're possessed-or whatever-these things are mobile. Mighta been the gnome. Mighta been a Santa dummy from the North Pole that chased the kid into the Enchanted Forest."

"That poor little boy!" A shudder passed through me. "No wonder he was hysterical when we found him."

"No kidding. I hope his mother leaves the lights on at night for him for a while," Lucky said with feeling. "I've faced down some pretty scary things in my life, Esther, including three different guys who pointed a gun at me and pulled the trigger. But I swear, I don't think I ever seen anything as scary as poltergeist Chérie. I'm a little amazed that I don't need to change my elf shorts now, if you know what I mean."

"So we know this entity, whatever it is, is messing with mechanical toys, regular toys, elevators, displays . . . Oh, and I think it might also be messing with people!" I told him my theory (half-baked, admittedly) about Naughty and Nice.

"Well, if they're evil, then Nelli ain't noticed it," he said. "Those girls was upstairs earlier today, helping keep the fathers under control in the line to see Santa. Me and Max was casing that whole section of Gloomyland with Nelli at the time, trying to pick up a vibe. Our favorite familiar walked right up to those two elves without acting any different at all. One of the blondes is kinda scared of big dogs and the other one giggles a lot, but that was as weird as it got."

"Hmm." All right, if they weren't possessed by something, perhaps they were the source of the trouble. "Maybe they're causing the activity. Could they be the instigators, either consciously or unwittingly?"

"That sounds like a question for the doc."

"I mean, those two bimbos seem like disturbed personalities to me. So if a poltergeist attaches itself to-"

"We'll ask Max what he thinks."

"Even if Nelli didn't pick up on anything, I find it easy to believe those women are-"

"We'll ask the doc," Lucky repeated tersely.

"Huh? Oh. All right."

"In fact, he should be here any minute."

"What?" I glanced anxiously across the store at Lopez, who was still talking with his parents. I was relieved to see that they looked relatively calm now. His mother was straightening the collar of his coat, and he was nodding while listening to his father say something to him. "We don't want Lopez to see Max here!"

"No kidding," Lucky replied. "But when the doc and I decided to meet you at the karaoke bar-"

"It's a bear, not a bar."

"-we didn't know you'd be busy entertaining New York's finest. By the way, I thought you two broke up?"

"We did."

"He don't act like a guy who's broken up."

"More to the point," I said, "he don't act like a guy who'll be happy to see Belsnickel here at Fenster's. So we should take steps to prevent their meeting now."

"Well, we can't call Max and tell him not to show up. He don't have a cell. And I can't head him off, because I got no idea which direction he's coming from," he said. "So you'll have to get the cop out of here right away."

"How do I do that?"

"I don't know," Lucky said irritably. "Show some ignition!"

"I think you mean initiative," I said. "All right, I'll see what I can do. Then you and Max and I should meet later."

"How about meeting by the menorah?" he suggested. "It's pretty private there, compared to the rest of Gloomyland."

"No, I'll probably be stuck in the throne room. With Karaoke Bear deceased now, I think Miles will want me to go back to helping Santa for the rest of the shift."

"We'll look for you there later, then," said Lucky. "I'm gonna wait here for Max and Nelli, and then we'll keep a low profile until the cops are done with their search."

"All right." I looked across the store again. Lopez was saying something to his mother, then he kissed his father's cheek. That made me smile-until I realized he was saying goodbye to them. "Watch out, Sugarplum. Lopez is coming back this way."

"Someone called for maintenance?"

I jumped at the sound of a voice right behind me and turned to find myself facing a guy in tan coveralls that had a Fenster's logo on the shoulder.

"Uh, yes," I said.

"The message I got was a little garbled," said the maintenance man. "A bear fainted?"

"No, he short-circuited, and we're concerned this whole karaoke apparatus may be dangerous."

"Karaoke?" the guy said. "That is dangerous."

"We don't want anyone to get a nasty shock," I said as Lopez joined us. "So you've got this under control now, right? We can leave immediately, right?"

"Uh, sure, yeah," said the maintenance man.

I scooped up my coat from behind Karaoke Bear's platform. "Let's go," I said, taking Lopez's arm and pulling, eager to get him out of here before Max and Nelli appeared.

"Wait, Esther, I should make sure this guy-"

"This is his job, not yours," I said, hauling Lopez away from the platform. "What do you know about electricity, after all?"

I turned my head to give him an impatient glance. Behind him, I saw Belsnickel and Vixen approaching us from the western entrance.

Lopez shrugged. "Well, all right. Since I'm still here, I guess I could go upstairs and help execute the search."

"No!" I blurted, fearing that he might find Max's ID up there.

"I won't touch your stuff, I promise. Okay?" he said reassuringly. "Believe me, I'd rather not search the belongings of someone I-"

"No, I mean . . ." Max and Nelli were approaching this spot. Max's gaze was roaming the area, but he hadn't seen me yet. "I mean . . ."

Behind Lopez, Lucky stepped out from behind his tree and started making exuberant gestures to Max to go back-go back!

Max mistook this for a friendly wave and returned the salute.

Lopez prodded, "You mean . . . ?"

"I'm . . . I'm . . ."

Lucky pointed at Lopez, then repeated his gesture urging Max and Nelli to flee-flee!

"You're . . . ?"

Max looked this way and saw me. He smiled and started to wave . . . then apparently recognized the back of Lopez's head. They had met a number of times, he knew Lopez was here, and I guess he made the connection between my companion's build and his shiny black hair, and Lucky's frantic grimacing. Max's eyes flew wide open and dismayed surprise swept across his features. He stood there, stock still, while my heart raced. Lopez might shift or turn around any moment, and both elves were within easy view now.

"I'm . . . hungry," I blurted. "Want to get a bite? Let's go. Come on." I started tugging on his arm again.

Looking understandably surprised at my urgency, he said, "Um . . . sure. I am kind of hungry." Letting me drag him along, he asked, "Where do you want to go?"