Free Afraid to Die by Lisa Jackson

visible through the ice, her eyes open wide.
    She was ready for display.
    He felt a little sizzle of excitement at the prospect. He knew just where to place her.
    With his first sculpture, he’d gone for the frivolous, happy aspect of the holidays and she’d turned out perfectly. But he couldn’t sit on his laurels, oh, no. Never. His time was limited to the frigid days of winter so he couldn’t slack off.
    And he had to show his diversity. Of course. So while Number One was light spirited, with this newest piece, Number Two for lack of a better name right now, he’d taken a more serious approach, trying to create a sense of reverence. Of piety. Of pure devotion.
    He doubted anyone would understand his need for perfection, the subtleties involved, but as long as he knew the depths of his dedication and talent, then the rest wasn’t important.
    Humming along to the notes of the “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” he felt inspiration well deep in his soul as he worked with excruciating precision. He only had a few hours, so he couldn’t afford any mistakes.
    He smiled at that ridiculous worry.
    He didn’t make mistakes.
    Of course he didn’t.
    That was just one of the things he and God had in common.

Chapter 5
    â€œY ou’re such a liar,” Alvarez accused Pescoli as they drove down the steep hill that separated the older section of town from the new. Near the river, the buildings had been built near the turn of the previous century, some, like the courthouse, built in the late 1800s. There were newer buildings interspersed with the old, but this section of town definitely had an Old West feel to it and the town fathers made a point of keeping it looking as if the “Old Grizzly Falls” could be used as the set for a western movie or television series.
    Up the hill, past a few old mansions that had been built by copper and timber barons, the newer part of town spread along the cliff face and into the surrounding countryside. While on the waterfront brick-and-mortar buildings stood tall, above, on Boxer Bluff, a few strip malls, fast-food restaurants, the new school and hospital became part of what townsfolk laughingly called Grizzly Falls’s attempt at “urban sprawl.”
    â€œA liar?” Pescoli eased her Jeep past the courthouse, where the Christmas tree was already adorned with hundreds of white, twinkling lights that sparkled twenty-four-seven. “Why is that?” She found a parking spot one block up from Wild Will’s and eased into it.
    â€œThe Secret Santa drawing. You didn’t get your own name the first time you picked a name from Joelle’s Santa hat.”
    Pescoli cut the engine. “I did, too.”
    â€œNope. Big lie.” Alvarez climbed out of the seat and slammed the door shut behind her.
    â€œHow would you know? Oh, don’t tell me. You drew my name! Oh, great. I’ll probably end up with boxes of herbal tea or some such crap from you.”
    â€œI thought you hated the game.”
    â€œI do.”
    â€œThen why worry about what you’ll get?” Alvarez picked her way over the crusted, dirty snow that had been pushed against the curb by snowplows. “And, no, I didn’t end up with you; I could just tell. My powerful skills of detection.”
    â€œYeah, right.”
    â€œAdmit it, Pescoli, you cheated.”
    Pescoli scowled as they crossed the street. “Okay, so you caught me. Big deal.” She was really agitated. “I just couldn’t deal with trying to find cutesy little gifts for Brewster twice in two years. Trust me, that’s my own personal version of hell. It’s bad enough I have to deal with him as my damned boss. I refuse to play games with the man!”
    â€œJeremy and Heidi ever break up?”
    â€œFrom your lips to God’s ears,” Pescoli grumbled as she walked through the doors of Wild Will’s, where as soon as they were inside, they