Vernon was in the kitchen when he answered his phone. “Em,” he said. “It’s like you read my mind. I got the zebra pen repaired and rounded up all the zebras, but one of them wandered into the house and I can’t get him out. He’s looking at me like I’m an idiot. I swear he’s giving me the evil eye. I offered him a carrot and some alfalfa and a can of cat food, but he’s not having any of it.”
“That’s Willie. He’s harmless. He just talks a good game.”
“You named him Willie?”
“Yes, after Willie Sutton. He was a convict. The zebra has stripes. It makes sense.”
“If you say so, cuz.”
“Give him a salt lick and he’ll be happy.”
“I don’t know where you keep the salt licks,” Vernon said. “He’s gonna have to be happy with potato chips. I got a big bag of those.”
“Whatever,” Emerson said. “I need you to do something for me first.”
“I’m on it. What do you need?”
“Go into the library and find the plaster statue of Saint Nicholas.”
“Okay, but Willie’s gonna follow me. He’s been following me all over the house.”
“Yea
h, he’ll do that. He doesn’t know he’s a zebra. Call me back on the plane number when you get the statue.”
Vernon called back ten minutes later. “I got it,” he said. “Now what?”
“Break it open.”
“Whoa. Isn’t that sacrilegious? I mean, busting a statue of Saint Nick? Wouldn’t that put me on the naughty list?”
“The naughty list is a myth, Vernon.”
“So you say. I’m not taking any chances.”
“Vernon, break the statue. I’ll suffer the consequences.”
“Does it work that way? How will Santa know?”
“I’ll write him a letter.”
Emerson and Riley listened on the other end of the line as Vernon hit Saint Nick with a meat mallet.
“Is there anything inside it?” Emerson asked.
“Yeah, a little bag. With coins in it.”
“Gold coins?”
“Uh-huh, with pictures of some guy that looks like Magneto from X-Men on it.”
Emerson glanced at Riley, who nodded. “That would be Bertie,” she said.
“How many coins?” Emerson asked.
Vernon took a second to count. “Ten.”
“Thanks, Vern,” Emerson said. “Give Willie a hug for me.”