Teresa's Christmas Story

"I can't give you formal records without the warrant." the Principal said. "But I might can give you something better." The Principal called for Mildred, one of the teachers who had been there for forty years and never forgot a student's name nor any mischief a student perpetrated in their time. Indeed, she was more valuable than any paper record could be.

We spent 30 instructive minutes with Mildred. At the end of that time, we knew Teresa's name as well as her full story that I needed.

As we were leaving the school, I told Jack that there was one thing I still needed to do.

"The newspaper office? Why?" Muscone asked. He looked a bit uncomfortable.

"I need to get a Christmas present."

"A Christmas present? What the--" Muscone said as he got in my rented car with me. As we headed to the newspaper office, I told him what I wanted to find. He seemed relieved, but still uncomfortable. Jack Muscone was not all that great at hiding his inner thoughts and feelings, though very good at reading those of others.

Typical of most small-town newspapers, it was very small and most of the stories in its meager pages were about upcoming Christmas pageants, shows and charity drives.

"We lost a lot of our microfiche in a fire at the old courthouse building a couple of years ago." the editor of the paper told us. At first I was disappointed, but then had an insight.

"Do you keep separate files of your photographs, perhaps the negatives?"

"Oh... yes, we might still have some of those in the timeframe you're interested in." The editor allowed us into a room chock-full of filing cabinets and stacked papers, but fortunately everything was fairly well organized and labeled.

"August?" Jack inquired as I began looking through photographs. "I thought all this happened around Christmas."

"It did." I said, "but something happened in August, also, and I'm hoping there's a record of it. By the way Jack... tell me again why you're here?"

"As I said," Jack replied, "I'm just helping you out on this."

"And why are you helping me on this?" I asked. He knew what I was driving at. He closed the door to the room and came up to me, speaking softly.

"Among other reasons, neither I nor my FBI Agents like that bastard Nathan Allen very much. Your D.A. might or might not know know that Senator Allen would call in favors from those that wanted his political help: he would force them to have their teenage daughters meet the Senator in hotel rooms in order to get their help... or worse, to avoid being crushed by him."

"Oh really?" I said.

"And Senator Allen's name came up in a recent investigation of a certain murdered tele-evangelist."

"Jack, you fill me with interest." I said, looking up at him. "This might be what we need to save Teresa's career.

"Just don't step on our investigation." Jack said.

"I won't. And I'm really going to owe you one for this. And as part payback... I don't know what the other reason is, that you're doing this for, the real reason... and I won't ask. Ah, here's the photo I was hoping to find."

I took out the 10" x 8" black and white photograph and showed it to Jack Muscone. "You know," he said, "my FBI guys can get that colorized for you."

We obtained the editor's permission to take the photograph with us for duplication, as there were no negatives of it, promising to send it back by the end of the year, a promise we kept.

Oh, what a wonderful Christmas gift this was going to be, I thought to myself.

Part 4 - The Loose Ends

It was Saturday morning. I looked at the two sofas facing each other in Laura's office. I thought about the lives that had changed on these sofas, the secrets that had been revealed, some privately, some not so much. And in ten minutes, Teresa Croyle and Dr. Laura Fredricson were going to sit on those couches and more lives were going to change. Hopefully for the much, much better.

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On Monday morning, the head of the Internal Affairs division of the Town & County Police, Lieutenant Daniel Allgood, informed the Police Chief, the Police Union, the Mayor & Council, the District Attorney's office and the State Bureau of Investigation that Teresa Croyle was being suspended with half-pay. He further informed them that he was working with new evidence, and that he was taking charge of the investigation and would brook no interference in his work until it was completed.

The Police Chief and Police Union president backed up the I.A. head's announcement with all the political power and pull that they could muster, with considerable help from Town & County Councilman John "Jack" Colby and Councilwoman Dagmar Schoen.



"How long have we bought ourselves?" I asked Chief Griswold. Christmas was just days away.

"Through the Holidays." the Chief replied. "Certainly nobody wants to fool with this right now. But after the college national championship football game? Shit's not only going to hit the fan, it's going to splatter all over the damn place."

"Well, it's going to go down Christmas Eve." I said. "You're coming to my party?"

"I wouldn't miss this one for the world."

Part 5 - The Truth Revealed

I came out of my thoughts hearing the laughter of the crowd as people opened their Secret Santa presents. Some were gag gifts, some were pretty nice.

Teresa was sitting with Laura on one of the sofas, Teresa silently enduring the festivities. After the last presents were opened, I took a gift-wrapped package from under the sofa and handed it to Cindy. She was the only person besides Jack Muscone, Laura, and myself that knew what was inside. I sat back in my chair to their left side.

"Merry Christmas, Teresa." Cindy said. "We got something special for you."

"But... I didn't get anyone anything." Teresa said.

"I know." I said. "But you deserve this one."

"I don't believe in Christmas." Teresa said. "I don't deserve any gift." She looked miserable as well as frustrated and angry. She wouldn't take the package. "I'm not going to open it!"

"Teresa." Laura said softly, putting her hand on Teresa's, preventing her from getting up. "It's time."

"No... noooo." Teresa said, looking at Laura, her face a mask of a cornered, scared rabbit.

"It's time for you to tell your story, Teresa." Laura said. Her voice was hypnotic in its effect; my wife was a master not only of gleaning the truth from patients, but directing them to her goal.

Cindy was sitting on her knees on the floor in front of Teresa, like a samurai of ancient Japan. "Yes, tell us." she said. The women's eyes locked for a long moment, then Teresa lowered her eyes.

"Tell us what happened on that Christmas Eve, dear." Laura said, her voice soothing and coaxing.

"I... I was sixteen years old." Teresa said. Once she started, the words flowed.

"I had a sister, she was two years older than me. Her name was Alexis." Teresa said.

"And your father?" Laura said.

"My father... he loved Alexis. Our mom died in childbirth with me, I never knew her. Alexis, she looked like our mom. He always praised everything she did. But he never forgave me for my mom dying when I was born. Nothing I did was ever good enough."

Tears were in Teresa's eyes as she spoke, but she held it together.

"My sister tried to make up for it. She would tell me when I did good, and helped me with homework and took me shopping when I needed clothes beyond her hand-me-downs, since our father never bought me anything.

"Tell them about the race. The race in August." Laura said.

"There was a big town festival in August, and there was a two-man race. Alexis wanted me to race as her partner, even though I was just sixteen. So we trained for it, and we actually won the race. The newspaper took our picture with our gold medals, and Alexis was telling everyone how I was the reason we won."

"But our father, he wouldn't say a word to me about it. He congratulated Alexis and told her how great she did, but even when she told him that I was the reason we won, he wouldn't say anything to or about me about it."

"What happened Christmas Eve, Teresa?" Laura asked. The room was dead silent. Nothing moved. I'm not even sure anyone was breathing.

"Alexis usually took me with her to her friends' parties." Teresa said. "But this time she wouldn't let me go. I don't know why, maybe she had a premonition. I remember being pissed off about it and didn't even tell her goodbye." Tears spilled down Teresa's cheeks.

"We got the phone call at ten p.m. Alexis and a friend were driving home, Alexis was in the passenger seat. Some... some drunk son of a bitch crossed the centerline and smashed head-on into them. I found out later that the other girl died on impact, but Alexis didn't. Her body was mangled by what was left of the car, but she didn't die immediately."

Quiet groans could be heard in the room, but it became silent again as Teresa continued, her voice barely a thread.

"My father and I rushed to the hospital. In a few minutes, a doctor came out and told us that both girls had died. We were sitting there and I was crying and he was crying. I tried to give him a hug to comfort him, but he just looked at me."

"I remember his eyes, they were so full of pain, and hate. He just glared at me, and then he said: 'Why couldn't it have been you?'"

Another groan went through the room. Cindy was staring at Teresa, tears flowing from her eyes. Others were in tears also, and despite already knowing the story my own vision was a little blurry.

Teresa continued. "My father just got up and walked down the hall. I was in total shock and didn't try to follow him. I sat there alone for two hours, and then this policewoman came up to me and asked if I were her sister. She said she was at the scene, and that Alexis was conscious for a moment and she said 'Tell my sister I love her.'. Then she closed her eyes and never regained consciousness."

"I asked the policewoman where my father had gone, and she said he'd left the building two hours ago. She gave me a ride home. She had been so helpful to me, and that was the first time I thought about being a policewoman myself."

"When we got to my house, there were fire trucks there. My father was sitting in the front yard, with a blanket over his shoulders, tears streaming down his face. The house was on fire; it was completely burned up. My father had come home and set the house on fire, pouring gasoline into my room and Alexis's room and throwing a match."

"There was nothing left. Our medals from the race were gone, the scrapbooks, not even a photograph was left. I did not have one thing left to remind me of my sister. I could've forgiven my father for what he said to me, but I didn't forgive him for that. The police stopped me when I attacked him. I wanted to kill him. After that, I just remember crying a lot while that policewoman stayed with me."

"My father was committed to Shady Acres-- that's the mental institution there. I never tried to see him again. My mother's sister, who my father hated and I never saw, claimed me and I lived with her and her husband until I went to college. Their last name was 'Croyle', and I just used that name; I don't ever want to be known by my father's name again."

Teresa sat there, tears flowing, her eyes staring into space. At that moment, something happened that I would always like to remember: Cindy Ross stood up, pulled Teresa up and hugged her. Everyone just watched as they cried together. I knew that while Teresa had lost one sister, she had a new one tonight.

"You're going to make me cry." said Cindy, knowing she was far past that stage. "Here, you have to open this." She handed her the package. Teresa sat back down next to Laura amongst a chorus of encouragement to open her gift.

"Oh my God." Teresa said as the paper fell away. Inside were two copies of the photograph I'd obtained, colorized by the FBI and framed. They showed two teenage girls, Teresa and Alexis, happy and smiling, arm in arm as they showed off their medals after winning the race. It was the picture that had been published in the local paper.

"How... how did you get this?" Teresa asked, unable to move.

"Don't look at me. That's the guy who made this happen." Cindy said, pointing squarely at me.

Teresa stood up and I met her halfway for a hug. As I held up the sobbing girl, I said "Remember, Teresa, you have a family now. We're your family, and we'll always have your back."

Everyone came up to hug Teresa. People talked in quiet voices. Teresa would start crying every time she saw the pictures of her and her late sister, and she and Cindy sat arm-in-arm for a while as Teresa finally was able to talk about Alexis, no longer needing to keep the secret inside.

Part 6 - Epilogue

"It's getting cold out here." Laura said, draping a blanket over my shoulders. It was below 30 degrees and I was not wearing a coat over my shirt as I stood on the patio overlooking the vista. Christmas lights intermingled with the regular lights of the Town.

"Teresa's asleep in the guest room." Laura said. "I gave her a sedative. Cindy's asleep in there, too; she won't leave Teresa alone. Come on in soon, you'll catch your death of cold, as your mother would say."

"I will." I said, but she knew I wouldn't be in for a while; that was why she wrapped me in the blanket.

Why couldn't it have been you?

A few words, spoken in anguish and hatred by a man driven insane... a few words that destroyed what was left of a family. I couldn't get the words out of my head as I stood on the patio deck, looking out over the vista, the sparking lights of Christmas mingled with the normal drops of light of the Town.

I thought of my own family... of my father constantly preaching the Gospel to my sister Elizabeth, of her rebellion, of the strife between her and me... I thought of my sister in the hands of that molester, the tele-evangelist Jonas Oldeeds, of her later actions that now had her in the State Women's Prison.

Could the past be forgiven? I wondered. It was Christmas, could I start anew with my own sister before it was too late?

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The day after Christmas I went first thing to one of the stores downtown, one that sold candy and chocolates. They were having a sale of Christmas candies, and fortunately had a box left of a certain brand.

I remembered that my sister Elizabeth liked this brand of candy when she was a teenager. I did not know if she still liked it, but it was worth a shot. I wrapped up the box and Fed-Ex'd it to Elizabeth with a card that said simply "Merry Christmas" and signed my name. I didn't know if there would even be a response, but that didn't matter. And I felt better once the package was on the way.

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It was January 31st, nearly noon. Teresa was sitting in front of my desk in my office. The other detectives had just given her her farewell party, complete with gag gifts. Teresa started her new job the next day, February 1st.

"Midtown, Internal Affairs." I said. "I don't envy you that. All those frickin' politicians down there..."

"I know." Teresa said. "It'll be all right. Cindy's sister Molly put me in for the job, but I was still surprised that they hired me. Were you behind it?"

"No, that was Molly, Captain Malone and Daniel Allgood pulling those strings." I said. "I think they also did it to spit in the face of Senator Allen. He's becoming a vastly unpopular man around these parts."

"I know." Teresa said. "The guy whose family Dean Allen wiped out is still upset about the charges being reduced. It wasn't worth saving me to let that bastard get away with murder, you know."


"I know." I said, "and it wasn't my doing. But I told the man who'd lost his family what I'll tell you: the wheels of Justice may turn slowly, but they do turn. Dean Allen has three murders to pay for... and he will." My face may have masked my cold determination. Teresa changed the subject.

"The bastard that killed Alexis also pled down." Teresa said, bitterness crossing her face. "He had been a cop, a dirty cop. Then he was killed a few years later but the crime was never solved."

"His brother, stepbrother actually, killed him after he caused the death of an FBI agent." I said. "Don't ask how I know, but if you ever find out, just remember that his brother chose Justice over blood."

"Wow." Teresa said, then peered at me. "You know, it's a wonder that you're still alive, Don."

"What do you mean?"

"You've come in here and really stepped on some toes, some powerful toes that don't like you and don't want you cleaning up anything."

"That's nothing." I said. "You have no idea. But you be careful, too... Midtown I.A. is going to push your limits. But you only have to be there for a while. You'll be back here in time for the Sheriff Election in November."

"I dunno." Teresa said, knowing my words to be true. "Think the good guys will win."

"Of course." I said, standing up. Teresa stood up and I hugged her goodbye. She headed out the building to her car as I watched through the office window, a gaggle of detectives escorting her. After a round of hugs, the last being with Cindy Ross, Teresa drove away.

A few moments later, Cindy Ross came into my office. I was still looking out the window.

"Yeah, I never got to fuck her either." Cindy said as she sat down. She meant it as a joke, but only partially so. She was already feeling lonely at the loss of her friend, I realized.

"Oh well, she thinks of you as her big sister, her new big sister." I said.

"I know, and I'm fine with that." Cindy said. "I just hate it that she has to leave, now that things with her were getting so much better and she was so much happier.

"She'll be back." I said. "It's only a matter of time."

Finis