The Mysterious Hand at Christmas
An Arabela Crox Mystery
It was a frosty Christmas morning in Cedarwood Grove, and the town square glistened with freshly fallen snow. The towering Christmas tree stood majestically at its centre, a beacon of holiday cheer. However, the festive atmosphere was shattered when a dog, sniffing around the tree, unearthed a grisly discovery — the severed right hand of a man.
Arabela Crox, a renowned crime writer, sat in her cosy office, working on her latest novel, when Harvey Liosen, an engineer with a keen eye for detail, burst through the door. “Arabela, you need to help solve this mystery!” he exclaimed.
Arabela, intrigued by the case, agreed to assist. The town was abuzz with speculation, and three men quickly emerged as suspects: Fr. Joe, the local priest; Edward Syth, the school teacher; and Ceasar Tom, the gardener — all of whom had been seen near the tree on Christmas Eve.
Arabela and Harvey began their investigation by interviewing the suspects. Fr. Joe claimed he was delivering Christmas blessings, Edward insisted he was merely taking a walk, and Ceasar stated he was checking the tree for any last-minute decorations. Despite their alibis, something felt amiss.
Determined to uncover the truth, Arabela and Harvey scrutinized every detail. The dismembered hand had a tattoo of an anchor and a name engraved. They discovered that a ship had docked in the port on Christmas Eve, and among its crew was a sailor named Winston Friend. Further investigation revealed that Winston had been using a saw to cut down the Christmas tree in the mountains for the ship when a tragic accident occurred, severing his right hand. A wandering dog had run off with the hand, burying it near the tree. The dog and the missing hand were gone.
The other sailors rushed to the hospital, Winston’s wound was treated, and he was fitted with an advanced electric prosthetic hand donated by the Artificial Intelligence Research Institute in the town a few months ago. Unaware of the chaos his lost hand had caused, Winston boarded his ship, which set sail for Africa on Christmas Day.
With the mystery solved, Arabela and Harvey shared the story with the townspeople, bringing a sense of closure and relief. Cedarwood Grove returned to its festive spirit as the sun set on Christmas Day. The shock was soon overcome by the resilience of the townspeople and the investigative prowess of Arabella the crime writer and her good friend Harvey. It was a memorable Christmas for the sailor with a new hand that was a lot more powerful and for the crime writer who was spurred on to write a story about AI and crime.
