December is a month dedicated to most people’s favorite holiday, Christmas!!! Who’s in charge of Christmas? Well, of course it’s the big man in red himself, Santa Clause. Every year he brings presents to people all around the world. But he has a side job too. He’s a detective on a small town’s police force in Indiana. He uses his extra-special gifts to solve cases and this year the fate of both of his jobs is at risk.
It had just gotten dark and snow was blanketing the earth on this Christmas Eve in little a town called Santa Clause, Indiana. A police officer had just gotten off of work and was walking out of his building. He held a cup of cocoa that had steam practically pouring out of the cup. He was only beginning to brush the snow off of the seat of his spectacularly red Harley Davidson motorcycle when someone yelled to him from the building.
“Chris I know you have to get home but there’s been a case that we think you are going to want to see.” He spun around and his golden police badge glistened from the light of a street light right above him.
“Let me hear it,” he said as he walked back towards the building.
“Well this is Reverend Miser and well here I’ll let him tell you,” said the receptionist. Mr. Cringle turned to a slender very tan man. He looked like he belonged in Florida where the sun was always shining. He shook the officer’s hand and began speaking. “Hi, Mr.” he started but had to look down at the officers badge to finish his name, “Cringle. My name is Rev. Miser and at my church we set up a toy drive for the less fortunate and when I got there to take in the toys tonight someone had stolen them,” he finished.
“Well I need you to sit down and write up a list of suspects while I make a phone call,” Chris said. As he finished he turned and walked into his office. Leaving the lights off he unlocked a drawer and when he opened it the drawer revealed an odd looking phone. It was adorned with candy canes, Christmas trees, and even Santa. The phone itself only had one button. He pushed and immediately a squeaky voice picked up on the other end.
“Oh, Santa thank god. Where are you? We have the sleigh ready and everything but you aren’t here. If you get here now then,” he was stopped as Santa started speaking.
“Listen, Buddy, something’s come up and I need the naughty-nice list, Rudolph, and I need them here now.”
Just as he finished speaking there was a slight rustle just outside of his office. He peered out and saw a reindeer with a hefty sized list in his mouth. He went out the side door of his office and led the reindeer inside a room that looked into the interrogation room through one sided glass. He took the list and put in a manila folder. He then walked back out and brought Rev. Miser into the interrogation room.
“Did I do something wrong?” asked the rev.
“Oh no, Mr. Miser it’s just protocol so that we can have all of this documented. Now I’ll need that list of possible suspects, and I’ll need some patience on your part.”
“Alright, here it is but I really must be going so can we make it fast,” he said as he handed over the list that had about 10 names on it.
Mr. Cringle took the paper and entered the room that the reindeer was waiting in. He opened the manila folder and laid Rev. Miser’s list right next to it.
“Shoot,” he finished as he reached the bottom of the list. “All these people are on the Nice List and if they would have stolen the presents they would be on the Naughty List. Sadly so was the Reverend but he was the only one here so may as well get the full story.
“Reverend can you give me a description of today’s events.”
“Sure well after this morning’s services I wrapped up all the presents to get them ready. I then went home to take a nap and freshen up before this afternoons services.” As he spoke those words Rudolph’s nose flashed a bright red which Santa knew was the tell-tell sign that someone was lying. Santa leaned into a micro-phone and said “Reverend are you absolutely sure that was what you did after church?”
“Yes, I know that’s what I did.’
And then Santa had this case solved with one simple question.
“Reverend do you know the song Santa Clause is Coming to Town?”
“Um, yes I’m familiar with it.”
“And you know the lines;
He sees you when you’re sleeping. He knows if you’re awake. He knows if you’ve been bad or good,” he finished catching himself singing the infamous song.
“Well, yes I mean who doesn’t know the words?”
“Well sir as I bear an uncanny appearance with the man I also know those things. And Reverend Miser, you have been very bad this year.”
“OKAY!!!!!” he shouted, “I’m sorry. It started as one present that my daughter had wanted but I’d forgotten to get for her. Then when I realized how easy it was to just take without consequence I took them all. Heck they are still in the trunk of my car. I’m so sorry!!!!” he sobbed.
“But one thing I don’t understand is why you would report your own crime?”
“Well I knew the charity we were working for would start calling tomorrow and I thought that if I reported the crime then no one would think that I did it.”
“I see. Wait one second” Santa finished. The phone in his office was ringing and Santa left to answer it.
“Oh, Santa, thankfully we got a hold of you, that Naughty-Nice list we sent you. Well it was an old copy and there was one change. Heath Miser was added to the Naughty-List,”
“Thanks Buddy! Will you drop my sleigh off at The House for the Less Fortunate in Santa Clause, Indiana and put it out back. I’ll pick it up from there;” he hung up the phone and re-entered the interrogation room.
“Heath Miser today is your lucky day. We are going to drive to the House for the Less Fortunate and you are going to give all the presents back.”
“Oh thank you so much.”
Mr. Miser left in his car and was trailed by Santa on his Harley. Above a faint red light followed them. They stopped in front of a small building. As they parked kids flowed out of the front door, and Mr. Miser began to hand out the presents. When he was finished he turned to thank the detective but he (including his Harley) was gone but he noticed a faint red light streak way above him in the sky. He entered his car ready to go home and there was a rectangular present that was wrapped in shiny red wrapping paper. There was a note with the words “For your daughter” scribbled onto it. As he picked up the present a hardy laugh rung through the night sky and he went home and went to bed knowing that Santa could see him sleeping.
