by Mabry Hall

Here is the last of our Christmas short stories for your holiday reading, this one has never before been published.

Rudolph sauntered into the bar, his red nose blue from the cold. “Gimme an Irish coffee, Bert. Gotta heat up the old schnozzle.”

Bert fixed the drink and gave it to the reindeer, accompanied by a quizzical look. “You’re through early for a Christmas Eve. Was the old man in a hurry tonight?”

Rudolph wiggled his antlers. “Let’s just say he was on one too many rooftops. And he wasn’t dressed for the weather.”

Bert peered out the window toward the moonlit tops of the houses below the mountain. Glimpsing a bright spot of red, he reached under the bar and pressed the silent alarm.

You can find other Christmas and Christmas mystery short stories in our Terrific Tales section.

Mabry Hall lives in northwest Louisiana, just a few miles from the setting of her 18 Karat Cold Mystery series. She shares her love of antique jewelry with her protagonist,, Annalee Wyatt, but fortunately doesn’t stumble upon as many dead bodies. Her first book, An Engaging End, is available on Amazon and B&N. Learn more about her on her Facebook page.