Christmas Cocoa Murder

It happened during the Christmas season, in the not-so-distant past, when Siobhán O’Sullivan had just graduated from Templemore Garda College, Macdara Flannery was still living in Dublin, and rumors of snow swirled in the Irish air. The new year would bring many changes, the most exciting of all, Siobhán would become Garda O’Sullivan right here in Kilbane, County Cork.
She had been advised to enjoy her last few weeks as an everyday citizen, and as usual life was filled with a thousand things to do. After all, tonight was the first showing of the Christmas panto in the town square. Siobhán opened the door to the back garden of Naomi’s Bistro, wielding a fat bone fresh from the butcher’s. She waved it around, hoping to entice the family pup in from the cold.
“Trigger. Come on, boy.” She was late for the Christmas extravaganza in the town square, but worry had her rooted to the spot. Their Jack Russell terrier had never been away from home this long. “Trigger. Look what I’ve got. Straight from the butcher’s shop.” She sounded like a right eejit, waving a dog bone and talking to an empty garden. “Come on, luv. Come home.
” Had he wandered into someone’s door last night, and they’d simply yet to let him out? She prayed that he was curled up in an oversized armchair, snoozing away, being well looked after, and he’d be home as soon as they realized they’d forgotten to let him out . .