“He’s making a list, and checking it twice,” sang Santa’s merry ringtone again. “Thanks Rich, we’ll be right over,” Claus laughed into the phone. “My prescription from my trip to the clinic is ready, could you drop us off on your way, pretty please with a gumdrop on top Pointyshoe?” Santa asked me.
Leaving him and Tallymaker at the curb, I headed down to Wapiti Office, which houses a bank of private mailboxes. We located the medium sized box that corresponded with our key. The small brown paper package tied up with Christmas tree green string was surprisingly hefty for its size. We asked at the front desk if anyone had seen Mintycane, again showing the photo on my phone, my favorite one with her big green eyes twinkling happily after she successfully completed her agency training certification. Shop owner Gary Hammons said they hadn’t seen her, but that they could help us make some color flyers with her photo to put up around town. What a great idea! I left the elf brigade to work on the printing and distribution of the “Have you seen me?” flyers, and went back to pick up Santa.
Sitting in the truck outside the downtown drugstore, I pulled the string off the package. The wrappings fell away to reveal a snow globe with a miniature North Pole scene inside, and a folded up sale mailer from a local general store with a whole annex devoted to Christmas.
I had time on my hands, so I reviewed my notes and remembered the lumberyard connection. I tapped into our search engine, GIGGLE, and soon had the number for Marson & Marson Lumber, Inc. I identified myself and explained that I had a lead that a male with elven features and of a child-like height had been seen shopping there. I was transferred to Ken Marson, president of the 60-year-old family owned lumberyard and hardware company, who was happy to help with our investigation. “We did have a gentleman asking what kind of timbers would be best for shoring up a mine,” Marson said. He went on to describe how the knowledgeable crew quickly narrowed down the large selection of woods on hand to the best choice and the order was loaded up on one of the distinctive turquoise-blue Marson fleet trucks and delivered to an abandoned mine site. I thanked Ken for his help, and hung up the phone, adding the number to my favorites for future reference.
Still in the truck, looking at my watch again, I wondered what was taking them so long in the drugstore?
Come to think of it, my stomach was still a little queasy from the rough landing, so maybe I should go inside Cle Elum Drug and get something for that anyway. I saw a Santa hat on the other side of the left shelf, but when I went around to get him, it turned out to be pharmacist Rich Grillo wearing a Santa hat, inspecting the Christmas cards in the greeting card display. “You Pointyshoe?” Grillo asked with a big grin. I told him I was, and he said he had a message from Mr. C. He told me to find Mintycane I should “find Mintycane”, with a knowing nod towards the card rack. I didn’t have time for this, but if the big guy ordered it, what could I do? As Rich went off to get me something to calm my belly, I began scanning the rows and rows of cards – from ones for wives and husbands, aunts and friends, to mushy serious ones, to goofy funny ones. Caught myself laughing at a particularly humorous message thinking Mindy would like this one, when I looked back at the front again. It was a cartoon of a cute little lady elf standing under the mistletoe. Mistletoe, mistletoe, where could I find that? Wait a minute, that Christmas store!
