Forever Knight
A Visit From Saint Nick
"Here." Natalie Lambert said as Nick came into the morgue. She held a large package wrapped in bright paper toward him. "This is for you."
"What is it?" He said, turning the box over and shaking it. It didn't rattle and it didn't tick, so it must be safe.
"I've been doing some reading about life in the Middle Ages. I figured since you know all about the times that I live in, I should know a little something about your era."
"What does that have to do with this?"
"Today is December 6."
"And "
"It's the feast of Saint Nicholas. If what I read was correct, the people in the thirteenth century did not celebrate birthdays like we do. They celebrated the person's saints day instead."
"What's in the box?"
"Open it and find out."
Nick quickly tore the wrappings and held up the red faux fur trimmed coat. "A Santa Claus suit?"
"Well, Saint Nicholas, under various names, does bring toys and goodies to many of the children of the world. Here in North America, he's called Santa Claus, a variation of the German pronunciation of his name, Sinter Klaus." She saw his less-than-enthusiastic expression. "Besides, what do you get for the person who has everything? After all, it's the thought that counts, isn't it?"
A wide grin covered his face. "Yes it is. And you are the most thoughtful person I know." He pulled her into his arms. "I think it's a wonderful gift. It just so happens, I don't have a Santa Claus suit in my vast wardrobe." He kissed her gently on the cheek. "At least I didn't until now." He pulled away as he felt the vampire come to the surface. He had to be careful. One false move or one moment's lapse of control, and he could kill her. "Actually, I came for the Underwood report. Stonetree is having a bird about that case."
Nat fished through the pile of folders on her desk until she found the right one. "Just as you suspected. There were traces of cyanide and strychnine in his blood. He was definitely poisoned. I'd have a long talk with those two sisters. They seemed to be a few ants shy of a picnic, if you know what I mean. By the way, are we still on for a movie tonight?"
"Yeah. He said as he took the folder. "And it's your turn to pick it out. He tucked the box under the other arm. "And no vampires." He called over his shoulder as he headed out the door. "Please."
"No vampires." Nat repeated. "No problem." She held up the copy of Arsenic And Old Lace.
**********
Don Schanke topped the tank at the gas pump. He really didn't need the gas yet, but with only two days until Christmas, it was doubtful he could get it this cheap or this quickly until well after the New Year. From now on, there would be lines around the block at the pumps. Especially since most places closed at noon on Christmas Eve and wouldn't reopen until December 27th. Better to be safe than sorry. He put the nozzle back in the cradle and went inside the carryout. "Milk, cinnamon rolls, coffee, and eggs." He chanted as if it were a mantra. Myra had called his cell phone and told him to pick up these things on his way home.
He stepped out the door just in time to see his car being driven off the lot at breakneck speed. "HEY!" He yelled, dropping his bag on the ground. "COME BACK HERE!" He dashed into the street and ran as fast as he could. It was a losing battle as the speeding auto easily outdistanced the running pedestrian. He finally stopped as the car ran a red light and made a squealing tire right turn.
"DAMN! DAMN! SHIT!" He yelled as he breathlessly made his way back to the station. "How could I have been so stupid!" He couldn't believe he had left the keys in the ignition.
He picked up the bag and stared in horror as a gooey yellow slime oozed from the bag. He opened it and took out the carton of eggs. Only two of the dozen were still intact.
**********
Nick stopped as he saw his partner sitting at his desk. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be off until Boxing Day, aren't you?"
"Yeah." Don replied flatly. "I'm not here in an official capacity. I'm here as a victim. Somebody stole my car earlier tonight, and I just finished giving the report to the guys over in Robbery."
"That explains why you look like you lost your last friend."
"It's not just the car, but the trunk and the back seat were filled with presents. Since it was my day off, I did my Christmas shopping today."
"Waited until the last minute, did you?"
"Don't start with me, Knight. I'm not in the mood."
"I can understand how you feel, but maybe they'll be found in time for Christmas, or maybe some 'good Samaritan' will come to the rescue." < Like maybe an 'anonymous donor'. After all, what good is money if you can't help your friends? >
"And maybe I'll win the Irish Sweepstakes or the US Powerball." He buried his head in his hands. "It'd take a miracle, and frankly, I gave up on miracles at about the same time I learned that Santa and the Easter Bunny weren't real." He slammed his fist on the desktop. "Lt. Bergowicz said his men will keep looking, but he doesn't hold out much hope. According to him, the presents are probably with a fence somewhere, and the car is being chopped up into little pieces to be sent to Mexico for parts. Although what anyone would want with a '87 Ford is beyond me. He suggested I file a report with my insurance and use the check to buy new presents."
"Well, at least you have insurance. That's one good thing."
"It isn't just the money, Nick. Do you realize what I went through to get those things? Jenny and every other 10 year old in the civilized world wants a Holiday Fun Barbie for Christmas. I had to put one on layaway in September just to be sure I'd have it when the time came. Then there's the coat that Myra's been drooling over every time we go into a Kmart. And the Popeil Salad Shooter that her mother's been hinting at every time we call or write to her. That wasn't easy to find either. I even got you a present. What am I gonna do? "
"You got me a present? You didn't have to do that. I didn't get you anything."
"I didn't do it to get one from you. I did it because Because you're my friend and I care about you. Now nobody's gonna have any presents. Christmas! BAH! HUMBUG!" He buried his face in his hands.
"Come on, Schanke. You can't think like that. You have to be positive."
"I AM being positive. I'm positive this is going to be the worst Christmas the Schanke family has ever had."
**********
Nick lifted off from a deserted area in the back of the police parking lot. Business had been light, even for a Christmas Eve, and since he had made plans to spend some time with a certain Coroner, he had booked off early. He wanted the loft to be extra special just for her. He could have taken the Caddy, but the night sky was particularly clear and the nearly full moon and the twinkling stars overhead almost called his name. He could always go back and retrieve his car after he finished communing with the sky. He liked this form of travel, and if no, make that when he regained his mortality, this is the part he would miss the most.
He had just completed a series of lazy loop the loops when he spotted the car in an alleyway. From where it was parked, it couldn't be easily spotted from the street. If someone didn't know it was there, they never would have seen it. Unless they were flying low overhead, that is. There was no doubt in his mind. That was Don Schanke's car. No other '87 tan Ford sedan he knew of had an 'Elvis Forever' placard in the back window. Soundlessly, he landed in the alley. Two men were busy unloading the contents of the trunk and back seat into a van.
"I bet we can get a bundle for these." The first, a scruffy looking thin man said.
"Yeah. Particularly some of these toys." The second one, a short hefty man, held up a package with a doll in it. "I know at least a dozen people who would kill for a Holiday Fun Barbie. I wonder where he got it?"
"He put it in layaway, you dipshit. See, the payment tag is still on it. Probably bought it before the rush." Scruffy said.
"Oh, yeah. He's a real smart man. Now, if we hurry, we still have time to get this to Sal before he goes home tonight. He's got some of the best nose candy in the Province, and this haul should buy us at least a dollar bag." Hefty threw the doll into the van.
"What about the car?"
"That clunker? We couldn't get #$%^ for it. Maybe I'll keep it and maybe I'll push it into the lake."
"How about if I take it off your hands?" Nick approached the duo.
"Who the &^$@ are you?" Hefty asked.
"You think you're &}<#%^+ man enough to take a piece of our action?" Scruffy added. "You gotta know Sal ain't gonna be too happy about that."
"I don't think he will be either." Nick pulled out his badge and held it in front of him. "Nick Knight. Metro Police."
"A #*!&^%~ cop! " Scruffy pulled a switchblade and lunged at Nick. He grabbed his assailant's hand just as the blade was about to touch him. He heard the sound of bones cracking as he took the knife from the thief. Slowly and dramatically Nick bent the blade in half.
"Who the what the &*$$ are you?" Scruffy stammered as he flattened himself against the car.
"Whatever you are, I bet you can't bend this." Hefty leveled an automatic at Nick and emptied it.
Nick winced as the bullets slammed into his abdomen. Although they could not kill him, they did hurt like hell. He felt his eyes go yellow and his fangs descend. < No use trying to hide them. Might as well make the best of them. > With a low growl, he grabbed the still smoking gun from Hefty's hands and crushed it in his fist.
Hefty nearly backed over his partner as he tried to get away from who what ever this was with them in the alley.
Nick pulled the duo to their feet and held them about a foot off the ground. He homed in on their heartbeats. <I hope I can do this right. It's been a long time since I've tried to whammy two at a time. > He stared deeply into their eyes until their wildly beating hearts slowed and synchronized. "You have been very naughty little boys." He said in time with their heartbeats. "I want you to go to the Twenty Seventh Precinct. You will ask for Lieutenant Rob Bergowicz of the Robbery division. You will tell him and his men every bad thing you have ever done. You will tell them everything about Sal as well. You will not tell them about me or about what happened in this alley tonight. It never happened. You just had a change of heart, that's all"
"Naughty boys Twenty Seventh Precinct " They said in unison. " Lt. Bergowicz Tell everything This never happened ... Change of heart."
"Good." Nick said as he set the men on the ground. "And if you are very very good in the coming year, Santa may bring you something nice. Now. Go." < That wasn't nearly as hard as I expected. >
The two took off running in the direction of the precinct station.
As soon as they were out of sight, Nick doubled over in pain. He pressed his hand to his side and when he pulled it away, it was bloody.
"Damn. One of those slugs must still be in there." He had planned on seeing Natalie tonight anyway, but not for this reason. Being careful not to get blood on them, he returned the boxes and bags to Don's car. Then he drove to the station. It would have taken too much out of him to fly in his condition.
**********
" And nobody noticed you were bleeding?" Natalie Lambert asked
"Only the Desk Sergeant, and he quickly forgot. With some help, of course. By this time, it was only a trickle." Nick said from the gurney where he was laying. Natalie was probing for the bullet that was still lodged somewhere in his abdomen. "It's a good thing I keep a change of clothes in my locker. And the towels from the shower room made adequate bandages until I got here."
"Ouch!" He winced as the probe touched a delicate spot.
"You felt that?" Nat asked. "That's great. Maybe you're progressing to mortality a little."
"Of course I felt that. If somebody was poking around in your gut, you'd feel it too." He tensed his stomach muscles and tried to pull away as she hit another tender area.
"And if you don't stop squirming around, I'll never get that bullet out." Seconds later, she held up the projectile. "Ta-Da! There's the bugger. It sure cut a swath through your intestines. If you were mortal, I'd be doing an autopsy on you about now instead of tiptoeing through your descending colon." She watched in fascination as the wound closed over. Minutes later, the scab hardened and fell off, leaving only an angry red mark where the bullet hole had been. In a few hours, even that would be gone.
"I'm glad that Schanke got his car and his presents back. I'll bet he was surprised." Nat said as she put the instruments into the sterilizer.
"He doesn't know yet." Nick said. "Since the thieves admitted their guilt and made a full confession, most likely there won't even be a formal trial. After getting permission from the Crown Prosecutor, Lt. Bergowicz agreed to photograph the contraband in case it's needed and then release everything so Schanke could have his Christmas. I sort of persuaded Bergowicz to let me return the stuff to the Schankes. They should be finished with it about the time I get back to the precinct."
"So, what are you going to do? Play Santa?"
**********
Nick pried the dining room window and climbed in. It wasn't easy with the extra padding and the lawn and leaf bag full of presents that he and Nat had spent over two hours wrapping. He gingerly rubbed his chin. The beard was scratchy and the spirit glue that held it on was beginning to irritate his face. In addition, the bangs on the wig kept dropping in his eyes. And his hat kept falling off. Still, it was worth inconvenience if everything went according to the plans he and Nat had formulated. They had to do something to restore Schanke's faith.
Carefully, he closed the window and locked it. Unless you knew what you were looking for, no one would suspect that it had been forced open. He tiptoed into the living room. The first thing he checked out was the fireplace. He smiled when he saw that the flue was open. If he did this just right
On the end table was the obligatory milk and chocolate chip cookies. A note propped in front of them was addressed to Santa in what was obviously Jenny's handwriting. Nick picked it up and read it.
Dear Santa.
I'm sorry that some bad men stole all your presents. Please don't judge all of us by their actions. I still believe in you, even if Daddy says he doesn't. I think deep down in his heart he still does, though. I don't really need toys and all that stuff. I'm not some little kid anymore. I'm ten years old after all. I have my Mommy and Daddy and all my friends. That's enough presents for me. I hope these cookies will make you feel better. I baked them all by myself, with Mommy's help. She lit the oven for me.
Yours truly,
Jennifer Schanke.
He wiped a small tear from his cheek and refolded the note. He reopened it and wrote a reply.
Dear Jennifer.
Don't you know there's magic in Christmas? Love and faith are the real magic at this time, and you have plenty of both. The presents under the tree are proof of that. I believe in you, too and in your father and mother. And in every person of good will. I know your father still believes. He just needs a little reminder of that faith every now and then. Like now.
Love,
Santa.
PS. the cookies were delicious.
He replaced the note.
A floor to ceiling tree stood in front of the huge picture window, gaily decorated with ornaments and shimmering garlands. Hundreds of tiny bulbs glowed in the darkness. In stark contrast, the floor underneath it was bare. There should have been a myriad of presents there. Instead, there were only two packages, probably Myra's and Jenny's presents for Don. Opening his bag, Nick quickly rectified that situation. He was placing the last box when he heard footsteps. Then the lights in the living room came on. In the archway, Schanke stood in his pajamas and robe, his 9mm automatic leveled at the alleged burglar.
"Freeze, punk! Make one false move, and I'll blow your ornaments off!" Schanke said somewhat groggily. "Isn't it bad enough you took all the presents? Now you gotta take the tree as well?"
Nick raised his hands and slowly turned to face him.
"What the " Schanke's mouth dropped and his eyes grew to the approximate size of dinner plates as he saw the red suited intruder and all the boxes and bags under the tree. He knew it had been bare when he went to bed.
Nick put his finger to his lips and slowly walked toward him. Then he put his finger on Schanke's lips. Don did not even flinch. It was as though he was in a trance like state. Gently, Nick took the gun from his partner's hand and laid it on the coffee table. Schanke still did not move. He just stood, transfixed by the sight in front of him. Nick picked up the plate of cookies and emptied it into a baggie, which he tucked into his wide black belt. Then he took the glass of milk and handed it to Don. He also pressed something into his other hand.
He backed to the fireplace. He put his finger beside his nose and grinned broadly. He waved to the bewildered detective, and with a whoosh of air, he was gone.
From the roof, Nick leaned over the chimney. "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night." He bellowed down the opening in the deepest voice he could muster. Then, he lifted into the night sky. He would have liked to stay and see the full consequences of his visit, but Nat was waiting for him at the loft.
Shaking himself, Don Schanke ran to the door and onto the lawn. He looked up just in time to see a tiny speck flying across the moon. He opened his hand and stared. In it was his key chain! Then he gazed wide eyed at the curb where his car was parked.
"M-Y-Y-R-R-A-A-A!"
**********
And a Happy Holidays to
One and all