The Snow Storm

  December 23, 1997   The hunter green 1995 model Ford Taurus was finally loaded down with all of the family's luggage, including the decorative bags and boxes of Christmas presents for the children from Santa, as well as for all of the numerous family members that would be gathered together to celebrate the joyous season. From where she was standing Lacey Williamson could hear her husband Andy's small sigh of annoyance as he closed the trunk of the car with a slight snap. He had not had an easy time of cramming all of the parcels and suitcases into the small space. He couldn't imagine that all these much stuff was needed to make the holidays special.

And Jinx it is exactly what he did when he uttered those few fateful words. Because it has not even been twenty minutes  yet that the kids are in the back seat fighting like cats and dogs. “I am not touching you..” Jack taunts his sister, his finger hovering less than a centimeter away from her arm. Sunny moves her arm away from him and he follows it with his finger, just to be annoying.  "I am still not touching you..." He breathes out in a sing song voice.  “Stop it, Jack! That is so annoying! Mom! Come on! Will you make him stop already!” Sunny screeches at the top her lungs, making Lacey wince at the loud noise. The girl smacks her brother's hand away from her arm and Jack howls as if she had taken a flame thrower to his skin. He clutches his hand tightly and gives his sister a f

  Andy jerks in his seat, pulling his head away from her to stare at her in complete and utter shock. She knows that it was the use of the foul profanity that actually managed to get his attention, but she does not care. If cursing like a sailor is what it takes to get him to pay attention to her for a moment and to get him to take her seriously, then she will say any damn word that she has to, without even a moment of hesitation. “We just passed a sign for an all night diner that is coming up in about two miles or less. I think that we should probably stop in there for a bit to warm up and to grab a nice, hot meal. I am sure that the kids are getting hungry and they surely must be tired of sandwiches with snack cakes or chips by now. What do you say to that, honey? Sound like a good idea?” Andy says to his wife with a smile, bland smile. Lacey

Andy steers the car out of the parking lot, turning it out onto the still abandoned road. Once they are heading away from The Darn Good Diner, he turns to look at Lacey and frowns at her regretfully.  “Baby, I am so sorry.” “Andy, it's not like-” “No, honey, just listen to me for a second. Really. I am sorry for all of this. I hate fighting with you.” Andy tells her, laying a hand on her arm to give it a gentle squeeze. "I know that I made you upset with me when I chose to help Nate and I am sorry that I made you angry. You know how much I hate being at odds with you. I love you so much." Lacey thought at first that he was apologizing for not believing her about Nate. That he wa sorry for being so oblivious to everything that was going on aro

  The local news had been playing in the background the whole time that they had been getting the children settled for the evening. The screen kept flashing through topics, the woman on the television prattling on about a man dressing as a Santa and collecting change for fake charity organizations. Then there was some coverage of a house lighting contest, that apparently turned into a big thing. There was a cash prize of ten thouand dollars at stake, so people went wild with it. Lacey thought it was nice, but it wasn't enough to make her want to watch the news. But what was able to catch Lacey's attention was the breaking news story that flashed on the screen about a local murder that happened right before Christmas.