Free Accused: (Mystery Series) (My Murder Mysteries #3) by H. B. Rae

motivation. What I want this year's tree to say . What emotions I want to stir." He said sarcastically looking down at his dad who had caught him watching Jessica. He felt his cheeks redden just a little so he turned quickly and grabbed a couple of the red and green glass balls to start hanging.
    The McGee family was not into the expensive, heirloom type of Christmas. Even though they lived in a modest little house Devin liked to call it trailer park chic, when his mother wasn't around, of course, which was most of the time. She worked as a nurse on the three to eleven shift and two nights a week she managed the convenience store over on Moose Road and Main Street working the graveyard shift. Devin was sure he hadn't seen her in the evening since he was in diapers.
    They had a few gaudy plastic lawn ornaments that were put out every year and the Christmas tree looked like dozens of dark green pipe cleaners all wound together. The only thing that his mother had paid good money for and insisted it be displayed prominently was the simple Nativity scene. They weren't very religious. But Devin's mother, having seen her share of heartbreak and miracles working for so many years at the hospital, was a believer.
    "How would you feel if everyone forgot it was your birthday?" she asked Devin one year when he asked her why the little ceramic statues had to be placed on the coffee table where he liked to park his feet sometimes. "We do it so we don't forget."
    "You're making a Rembrandt." his father teased, knowing he had embarrassed his boy just a little.
    "Don't you have to work today, dad?"
    Roland moved his arm so he could see his wrist and then tucked it back behind his head.
    "I don't have to leave for two hours. Aren't you glad?"
    "I'm glad!" Jessica piped up from the kitchen. "I'm just thrilled to my very foundation."
    "Hey, Jess. No one likes a suck-up. Besides, you're not getting anything in the will. He's leaving this entire dynasty to me. Me!" Devin said pointing into his own chest.
    Again Jessica started to laugh.
    "I don't know why you encourage him, Jess. I really don't." Roland said his eyes glued to the television that had some football game playing. He worked at Clemen's Fishery where most of the men in Homer, Alaska worked. He rotated his schedule and in the next few days he'd be on the water for two weeks and in the cannery for one with the last week off. The work was hard but the pay was good and with one kid heading off for college and the other heading somewhere the McGee household could use every extra dime they made.
    Devin gave Jessica a wink to which she stuck out her tongue. He continued unpacking decorations, smiling to himself as he did so.
    There were four red stockings with white, furry trim around the tops that hung from the bookshelves and a couple of weird stuffed elves, pillows of Santa and Frosty the Snowman and several handmade ornaments that Devin and his sister had made when they were little.
    It was at that precise moment that Devin was hanging up the tacky little decorations made by clumsy little hands that the front door opened and slammed shut. Only his sister slammed the door that way. She didn't come into the living room but instead stomped upstairs to her room.
    A collective breath had been taken and slowly released by Jessica, Devin and his father. Kelly was home. No one said anything but it would have been obvious to a blind man that there was a change in the air.
    Roland seemed to instinctively grab the television remote control and turn the volume down. Devin continued to put the ornaments on the tree but moved several boxes out of the way and stacked them on the wall behind him by the window where foot traffic was rare.
    Jessica looked at Devin and smiled kindly, tilting her head to the right as if to tell him it would be alright. But when she heard the stomping footsteps of Devin's sixteen year old sister pounding down the stairs she rolled her eyes.
    "Please just walk back out the