Monday - December 7

Shane checked her computer the minute she arrived in the DLO. No names. She removed her coat, hung it on the coat rack, and sat down at her desk, leaning her chin on her hands. "Now what?" she said to herself.

Rita and Norman came in. "Anything?" Rita asked, unbuttoning her coat.

Shane shook her head.

Norman set the bin of Santa letters he carried on the table. Shane got up and joined him. She pulled a stack of letters from the bin.

"We might as well start working on these until Oliver gets back from his meeting," Shane said. She divided the letters into three groups, passing one to Norman and another to Rita.

By the time Oliver walked in, the bin was empty. Addresses were confirmed and lists completed.

"Did you find our 'A. Car'," Oliver asked Shane.

"No," Shane said.

Oliver picked up his magnifying glass, came over to the table, and picked up the picture. "There has to be something here we're missing." He gave the photo and magnifier to Norman.

"There's a word on the reels," Norman said a few minutes later. "Penn."

"I can add that to my search parameters," Shane said.

"I don't think that will help," Norman said. " 'Penn' reels are owned by Pure Fishing, Inc., the largest manufacturer of fishing rods and reels. You can buy them in any outdoor supply store. They also have a website. Maybe..." He studied the photo again.

"What?" Shane asked.

"Reels are designed for specific species of fish," Norman said. "That could help determine where this picture was taken."

Shane opened her laptop and brought up the website. Norman handed her the photo. Shane searched 'reels'. She laid the photo against the screen, comparing the reels in the picture to the images on the website.

"These reels are designed for rainbow trout," Shane said. She went back to her desk and typed quickly. "I'm programming a search for all lakes in Michigan and Wyoming that stock rainbow trout."

"We already know from the letter that Andy and his grandfather were fishing on Heart Lake when they shared the dream," Oliver said.

"We're assuming the picture was taken at Heart Lake," Shane said. "It could have been taken somewhere else."

Oliver sighed. "Assume nothing," he said. "Please proceed."

Shane touched the last few keys and pressed 'enter'. She watched the data scroll. "This will take a while."

"I suggest we break for lunch," Oliver said.

Rita picked up the lists. "I'll drop these off. Meet you in the break room in a few minutes."

Shane's search was still running when the POstables returned from their noon meal. Norman carried another bin full of Santa letters. Norman, Rita, and Shane began processing them, while Oliver took Andy's letter to his desk and read it again.

Shane's computer beeped just before 5 pm. She ran over to check the results.

"There are hundreds of lakes in both Michigan and Wyoming that are great for trout fishing," Shane said. "This could take forever."

"Forever?" Oliver said.

"At least a few days. Unless one of you have any other ideas."

Oliver began pacing back and forth in front of his desk, his hands clasped behind him and his forehead wrinkled in concentration. Rita and Norman looked at each other, then at Shane, and shook their heads.

"We could open the present," Norman said. "There might be additional clues inside the box."

Oliver stopped pacing and faced Shane, Rita, and Norman. "No!" he said sharply. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and turned away from his colleagues. He stood there silently for a moment, then turned to face Shane, Rita, and Norman again. "I'm very sorry," he said. "I did not mean to speak to you like that."

Shane came up to him and took his hand. "It's all right," Shane said. "We're all getting frustrated." She rubbed Oliver's shoulder gently. "Let's call it a day."

Oliver looked at Shane and nodded slightly.

"There is one thing I want to make absolutely clear," Oliver said. "Under no circumstances will we open a gift for a child. We will solve this mystery without depriving a young boy the pleasure of opening his gift from his grandfather."

"We'll see you tomorrow," Norman said. He and Rita lifted their coats from the rack and left.

Oliver brought Shane her coat.

"I cannot believe I spoke to all of you like that," he said.

Shane reached up and touched Oliver's cheek. "Norman and Rita understand. And so do I."

Oliver took Shane's hand and pressed his lips against it. "Have I told you how much I love you?"

Shane laid her head on Oliver's shoulder. "You have, but I always love hearing you say it again. And again. And again. And I love you. So much."

Oliver walked over and lifted his coat from the rack. "Come to my home and have dinner with me tonight," he said.

"I'd love to. We can call your dad, talk to him about the picture, pick a day and time that's good for all of us, so I can make the appointment."

Shane took Oliver's arm and they walked to his car.

"I am not sure what I could make us for dinner," Oliver said as he drove the car out of the DLO parking lot. "I need to go to the grocery store. I should have thought of that before I extended the invitation."

"No problem. Why don't we stop and pick up Chinese?" Shane asked.

Oliver reached over and squeezed Shane's hand. "An excellent suggestion," he said.

Shane called Joe while Oliver put the food and dishes on the table. "Friday at 5:00," Shane said. She looked at her laptop. "That will work. We'll see you then. Bye, Joe."

Shane closed her laptop, put it back into her purse, and sat there studying the Christmas tree. "A starfish," she said, folding her arms and tilting her head to the side. "Now I remember." She turned and looked at Oliver. "It was my first Christmas here. We helped Hannah keep her promise to her mother. Her mother and the baby recovered. Best of all, you helped me see that God had answered my prayer for a happy family. Norman, Rita, and I had left for the airport, but we came back to the DLO because we missed you. The Christmas tree had a starfish on top of it."

Shane leaned over and kissed Oliver's cheek. "That was such a special Christmas. For all of us. Is that why you wanted the starfish on your tree? As a remembrance?"

"Yes. And no," Oliver said. He stood up and began to clear the table.

Shane sat there, watching him. Oliver had been quiet throughout their meal, speaking only if Shane asked him a question. "Are you still bothered by what you said to us this afternoon?"

Oliver closed the dishwasher. "No," he said.

Shane got up, walked over to Oliver, and held out her hand. "Come with me."

Oliver took her hand. Shane led him to the sofa and they sat down. She put her arms around Oliver and laid his head on her shoulder.

"What's upsetting you?" Shane asked.

Oliver sat there, unmoving, and not speaking. Several minutes later, he sat up, breathed out a long sigh, and said "It's this case." He got up and began to pace. "We have no other leads except a long list of lakes. As you said, it will take days to cross-reference hotels or cottages, looking for an 'A. Car' that may have registered at one of them." Oliver stopped and faced Shane. "My heart breaks, thinking that a young boy may not receive his present."

Oliver crossed his hands in front of him and looked up. "We need a miracle."

Shane came over to Oliver and took his hands. "Then we'll just have to pray for one," she said.

Shane went to the phonograph, selected a Christmas record, and put it on to play. "Dance with me," she said.

Oliver smiled for the first time that evening. He took Shane into his arms, holding her close. They moved slowly to the rhythm of the music. Shane felt Oliver's body relax. When the music ended, Oliver kissed Shane slowly, softly, and then they stood facing each other with their foreheads touching.