Happy Thanksgiving
The Macy's Parade is a New York tradition, and the Reagan family has been working it for decades. But with only an hour before the Parade starts, the whole parade is threatened when Santa turns up dead. Can they find the killer and a new Santa before it's too late?
Never have I ever written a Thanksgiving story. Halloween, yes, Christmas, yes, Thanksgiving, NO. While watching the Macy's Parade, I suddenly got this idea from all the clips they showed from TV and movies that used the parade as a plot device. It just came to me…
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The phone rang as Frank finished tying his tie. "Please tell me this is the police commissioner," the harried woman's voice said.
"I am," Frank replied. "What's going on?"
"We are just over an hour out from the start of the parade," she began. "And we can't locate Santa."
"Before we go on," Frank said, a little impatient. "Could you tell me your name?"
"Oh, I'm sorry," she said. "I'm Charlotte LaRoux. I'm in charge of the parade."
"How long have you been looking?"
"A while," Charlotte said. "I left him in the dressing area about an hour ago, but when I went to see if he was ready to go, he was gone. I looked literally everywhere."
"He's got to be somewhere," Frank told her.
"Can you have a few officers help us look?"
"I can't leave other areas unprotected, but I'll see if I can't find someone," Frank replied.
"Thank you," the panicked woman said. "When I found the blood, I got worried…"
"Wait a minute," Frank stopped her. "What blood?"
"I didn't tell you that?"
"No."
"There was blood in the dressing room," she told him. "I thought maybe he cut his head or hand or something."
"I'm sending over my best detective," he told her. "Before this gets out. I'll have him meet you at the beginning of the parade route."
"We'd better hurry," she put in. "We need to get the floats lined up. The pre-parade entertainment starts in less than half an hour."
"Try to stay calm," Frank told her. "We'll get this taken care of as soon as humanly possible and hope it doesn't affect anything."
"Thank you Commissioner Reagan," Charlotte said.
"You're welcome," Frank replied then cut the call and dialed Danny's number.
"Hello?" Danny answered the phone.
"I need you to go to the start of the parade," Frank said. "As soon as possible."
"What's going on?"
"That's what you're going to find out," Frank said. "I got a call from the woman who is running the parade. She says Santa's gone missing. What's worse, there was blood in the dressing room where he was supposed to be getting dressed."
"Great," Danny said. "Anything else?"
"Just try to keep it quiet," Frank told him. "We don't want to scare anybody or upset the kids."
"Got it," Danny replied.
Frank had barely put his phone down and begun putting his shoes when the phone rang again. This time it was Gormley.
"Sid," Frank replied. "What's up?"
"You know that credible threat we've been watching for?"
Both shoes on both feet, Frank put them on the floor. "Go ahead."
"There's word that a bomb is on one of the floats," Sid told him. They don't know which one."
Frank pinched the bridge of his nose. "Santa's missing," he said.
"What do you mean Santa's missing?"
"I just got a call from the parade organizer," Frank told him. "She can't find Santa. I sent Danny over to find out what's going on."
"You think Santa might have been the one who left the bomb?"
"No," Frank replied. "I think Santa witnessed whoever left the bomb. He might be dead if my gut is right." He sighed. "Put it out that the credible threat is a probable threat."
"You gonna call the mayor?"
"Yes," Frank replied. "I'll call the mayor."
"Good luck," Sid said. "You'll need it."
Frank made a call to his detail, instructing them to come for him now, as he grabbed his suit jacket and put it on over his vest. Then he called the Mayor and apprised her of what was going on.
"I trust that you know more of what you're doing than I," she told him. "I'm hoping your plan is to keep things quiet as long as possible?"
"I'd say we've got an hour," Frank told her. "If we don't find something, then we can evacuate the parade route."
"You know I don't really want to do that," Mayor Dutton said.
"Neither do I," Frank told her. "But we've pulled a solution out of our ass at the last moment before. We can do it again."
"I hope so," she said. "The country is watching."
"I know," Frank replied simply.
Downstairs, he said a quick apology to his father as Henry started to get things out for their holiday breakfast. "I've got to go to work," Frank told him.
"On Thanksgiving?"
"The credible threat has been upgraded," Frank told him. "And Santa's gone missing."
"Santa?"
"In the parade."
"They connected?"
"I'm working under that assumption," Frank said. "But it's possible Santa just snuck a nip and got a little drunk and wandered off."
"But you don't think so," Henry said.
"My gut tells me they're connected."
Henry nodded. "You're gut usually tells it like it is," he said. "Can I do anything?"
"Stay out of the line of fire," Frank replied as the doorbell alerted him to the arrival of his detail.
"That's all I ever get to do," Henry said with mock disappointment in his voice.
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"Damn. That's a lot of blood," Maria Baez, Danny's partner, said.
"I have a bad feeling," Danny said, the paused to make sure that no kids were in earshot. "That Santa's dead."
"She thought he hit his head?"
"Yeah," Danny replied. "Way too much blood for just a cracked head." He scanned the floor, and found a phone under Santa's discarded hat. "It's filming," he said. "Battery's almost dead." He handed it off to a gloved officer who stopped it and put it in an evidence bag. "Get this to TARU immediately."
"Yes sir," the officer said and scurried off.
"Now they're saying the terror level has been upgraded," Maria told him as she hung up a call on her own phone.
"That complicates things," Danny said as they left the tent where the dressing area was. "But the real question is, where did the guy put Santa's body?"
Jamie stopped Danny just outside the tent. "I think I can tell you that," he said.
"Where?"
Jamie led him along the rows of floats until he got to Santa's sleigh and pointed through the engine access door where Eddie was squatted down. Danny ducked down and looked. Sure enough, Santa's glazed eyes stared back at him.
"They've called the ME," she told Danny. "But I think we need to bring in the bomb squad in."
"Why?" Danny asked.
Eddie extended her nightstick and carefully moved Santa's beard aside. There, counting down from a half hour, was a digital timer.
"Get everyone back, NOW," Danny ordered and Jamie and Eddie moved to comply. He took out his phone as he and Maria moved away and speed dialed the bomb squad. "Bomb confirmed on Santa's sleigh. Get a team here forthwith. Let the commissioner know."
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Frank stalked into his office in time to get the report from Baker. "There's a confirmed bomb found on Santa's sleigh," she told him as she followed him in to take his coat and hang it on the coat tree. "Bomb squad is moving in to disarm it. The bad news is, it's attached to our missing Santa. He's dead, unfortunately. Timer has just under a half hour left."
"Great," Frank said, frustrated. "Will they have to delay the start of the parade?"
"The floats in the area of Santa's sleigh are being left, but the others are being moved to a second staging area," Baker reported. "After the bomb squad checks them for potential supplemental bombs."
"So far it's just the one?" Frank asked.
"So far," she confirmed. "Garrett went down there to handle the press if it is necessary. He's waiting for your call."
"He been briefed on this development?"
"Yes, sir," Baker replied. "He's waiting to find out more information."
"Hopefully they'll be able to get the parade going without much of an interruption," Frank said.
"Copy that, sir," Baker replied.
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In a protected area outside of the estimated blast radius, Danny stood watching a screen as it broadcast from the camera on the bomb expert disarming the bomb. The man gave a thumbs up and the group heaved a collective sigh of relief.
"Now that that's been taken care of," Danny said. "We got anything from TARU?"
Maria handed him her phone. "Yeah, this."
On the tiny screen, a segment of the video from Santa's phone played. He had caught a man fiddling about with the float and filmed him. The man had seen him and followed him to the dressing area, where he killed him with a knife. The last thing before the hat dropped on the phone, was a perfect shot of the perp, which Danny froze it on. He handed it back to Maria. "Take a screenshot of this and send it to every cop on the parade route."
Maria moved to comply as Danny took his phone out and called the Commissioner's office. "The bomb's been disarmed," He reported. "The end of the parade might be a little late, but it's ready to go."
"Good," Frank said.
"In other news," Danny went on. "Santa got a perfect picture of the perp. I sent it to every cop working the parade so they can be on the lookout for him."
"Good idea," Frank replied. "Do you think he's still in the area?"
"As many cops working this morning, plus the ones called in," Danny said. "He won't get far." An impatient Charlotte joined Danny. "Just a sec," Danny told his father. "Something else?"
"Is Santa's sleigh cleared to go?"
"Normally, I'd say no," Danny replied, still holding the phone to his ear. "But the CSIs are finished with it and it can be escorted by a couple of officers to the end of the route before they bring it in."
"We also need a Santa," she said. "So if you know anyone…"
"Danny," Frank put in. "I think we do know someone willing to be Santa in the parade."
Danny laughed. "You really think he would?"
"Don't you?"
"You want to call him? Or should I?"
"I'll do it," Frank said with a smile. "You let Ms. LaRoux know."
"I think I have you a Santa," Danny told Charlotte.
"Can he be here in a half hour?"
"I'll see what I can do," Danny replied.
"Good," she said. "Tell him I'll have a turkey dinner ready for him and his family in the VIP room at the store when the parade is over."
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"You want me to do what?"
Henry was waiting at home, getting ready to start cooking the bird with Nikki's help when he got the call from Frank.
"They need a Santa," Frank said. "They have a costume and the beard. They just need someone to wear them."
"They don't have a back-up guy?"
"Their back-up is in New Jersey and can't make it in time for the parade," Frank said. "He'll be here to be Santa in the store afterwards."
"What about my turkey?" Henry went on. "I have to be here to baste it every half hour."
"You put it on yet?"
"No. Not yet."
"Then don't," Frank said. "They'll have a dinner with all the trimmings at the store after you hand off to the back-up Santa."
"What about my turkey platter?"
"We can bring that and have it waiting when we get there," Nikki told him.
"Come on, Pop," Frank said. "How often do you get to play the big guy on national TV. If Santa doesn't show…"
"Millions of children will be disappointed," Nikki finished. She gave Henry a beaming smile, and he gave in.
"All right," he said. "How will we get there in time?"
Ten minutes later, Henry and Nikki were in the back seat of Danny's cruiser holding on for dear life, lights flashing, siren screaming and flying low. They arrived at the start of the parade in the St Nick of time and Charlotte helped him into the Santa suit.
Danny showed him a picture of the terror suspect and told him to keep an eye out for him. Jamie and Eddie had volunteered for Santa escort duty and took places on the lower part of the float where they could watch for him while waving to the crowd.
Nikki caught a lift to the end of the parade route with Henry's platter where she joined her mother, Jack, Sean, and Frank to watch the parade on a large screen TV in the VIP lounge where they would be having dinner.
"While the parade itself is running on time," Al Roker, one of the hosts for the televised parade said. "Santa's sleigh is running behind due to mechanical issues."
Erin glanced at Frank. "Mechanical issues?"
"We didn't want to scare anyone," Frank said.
"From what I've been told, because of security concerns this year," Al went on. "Santa will be accompanied by two NYPD officers and there is an increased police presence this year."
Savannah Guthrie, Al's co-host looked at him. "Has there been a threat against Santa?" she asked.
"Nothing specific," Al said. "Commissioner Frank Reagan released a statement earlier this morning in conjunction with Santa himself."
The coverage broke away to play a taped statement read by Garrett a few minutes before. "Due to increased chatter online, we are adding extra officers to the security among other things and Santa has requested an escort to make sure nothing happens to his sleigh." Nikki started giggling and Erin cracked a smile while Frank remained stoic. Garret went on. "Santa insists any threat and extra police presence will not stop him from making his appearance today, nor from his appointed rounds on December 25th. Thank you."
"That would be hysterical if the reasoning behind it wasn't so serious," Nikki said as she tried to control her fit of giggles.
"Well, Garrett was sure he would sound silly," Frank said. He was still serious, but had a glint of amusement in his eye. "But Santa's statement is helping to keep the city calm."
"How's Pop doing?" Erin asked.
"Calm," Nikki said. "I think he's excited though. I mean, how often do you get the chance to be Santa in the Macy's parade?"
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Henry relished standing so high above the street in Santa's sleigh, waving at the children and people lining the street. Jamie and Eddie rode with two elves in a part of the sleigh that was lover than the platform where he stood. They waved now and then, but kept their eyes peeled for the terror suspect that they were looking for.
As they approached the end of the parade in front of Macy's Department Store, Henry saw someone move out of the corner of his eye and looked that direction. The man had a control of some kind in his hand, but Henry knew it was the man they were looking for. He yelled down to Eddie, who was on that side, "Eddie! There!" He pointed and Eddie looked to where he pointed then keyed her radio with his position.
Danny and Maria, both in uniform to patrol the parade route and in the area, made their way through the crowd as the subject began to frantically push the button on his control but to no avail. Minutes before the parade, the bomb squad had found and disarmed a second device, one controlled by remote. It was obviously a backup in case the first didn't go off.
The man realized Maria had zeroed in on him and threw the control at her before taking off in the opposite direction. Henry, Eddie and Jamie watched in relief as Danny tackled him and cuffed him in the street near where the sleigh was going to pass. Before they got there, Maria and Danny had him cuffed and moved him away from the street.
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The Reagan family gathered for Thanksgiving dinner. Henry was still wearing the Santa coat, pants and hat, but had removed the beard. Charlotte had set the table, but had placed four extra chairs along one side.
"What are the extra chairs for?" Henry asked her.
"This is a tradition in my family," she said. "Only on a smaller scale. I've done a little homework on your family." She went on to explain that she had set a place for each member of the Reagan family at the table and one to the side for each member that could only join them in spirit. "I remembered your granddaughter-in-law was killed this year," she said. "So I researched and found that your wife died in 2001, Commissioner Reagan's died in 2005 then you lost a grandson in 2009. In my family, we set a place for the people who have died because they are still here and they deserve a place at our celebration."
Henry nodded then requested one more chair. Charlotte looked puzzled. "For Santa's helper who died today," he told her.
She had another chair brought in and Henry took off his Santa hat and hung it from the corner of the back. "Santa will always be welcome at our table."
He stood at the head of the table as the family sat around the table. "We have a lot to be thankful for this year," he said. "As we also have much to be sorrowful about. Let's remember what we are thankful for today. Who wants to go first?"
"I'll go first," Frank said. "Today I am thankful we stopped a lot of people from dying and thankful for my staff that came in today, disrupting their own celebrations to deal with the crisis." His family nodded their agreement.
Erin went next. "I am thankful for my wonderful daughter and our family."
"I am thankful to have a great partner," Jamie said. "Who has not just my back, but my family's backs, too."
"I'm thankful for my dad," Jack said to Danny's smile.
"Me too," Sean said.
Danny sat up. "This is where Linda would have tried to think fast before saying she was grateful for her boys," he said. "This year, I get to say that I'm grateful for them. I am also thankful that she was their mother."
Nikki smiled as she took her turn. "I'm thankful to have gotten out of dinner duty," she said. "But I hate the reason for it."
They looked at Henry expectantly. Before him was the turkey platter, filled with turkey cut from the bones of the bird baked by the staff of the kitchen department at the Macy's store they were in. "I," he said, then cleared the knot from his throat. "I am thankful for the turkey platter." He turned to the chairs lined up against the wall. "And for the four chairs that used to crowd the table." He raised his glass to them and was joined by the rest of the family. "Happy Thanksgiving."
"Happy Thanksgiving," the family said to each other.