3:17 PM — Christmas Eve
Hal hated Christmas at his mother-in-law's house.
He had been there for two hours.
His mother-in-law had already asked him when he was going to fix the garage door.
His brother-in-law had spent forty minutes explaining cryptocurrency.
Someone's child was screaming.
The turkey was dry.
Hal was considering hiding in the bathroom when his phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
Desert Blossom Police Department.
Hal stared at it.
His mother-in-law looked over.
"Are you working?"
"No."
"Then don't answer it."
Hal answered it.
"Hal."
It was Clara.
"Hal, we've got a report."
"What happened?"
"Someone stole the town Christmas manger scene."
Hal closed his eyes.
"How much of it?"
"All of it."
A long pause.
"Do you know who did it?"
"Yes."
Clara sighed.
"Yeah."
"Kyle."
"Kyle."
3:42 PM
Hal pulled up to the 1959 single-wide.
He stopped the cruiser.
He stared.
He got out.
He stared some more.
In front of the trailer was the town's missing manger scene.
The baby Jesus was sitting in a plastic kiddie pool.
Mary and Joseph were leaning against the side of the trailer.
And in front of the whole arrangement were two animals.
A coyote.
And a raccoon.
Both were wearing makeshift antlers.
Hal slowly walked toward them.
The animals did not move.
Not even slightly.
Hal looked at Kyle.
"Kyle."
Kyle was standing beside the arrangement.
"Officer Hal!"
"Why are there antlers on a raccoon?"
"Reindeer."
"That's a raccoon."
"His name is Pumpkin."
"That's not a reindeer."
"He's participating."
Hal looked at the coyote.
The coyote was staring directly at him.
"Is that Precious?"
"Yeah."
"And they're supposed to pull the manger?"
Kyle nodded.
"They're reindeer."
"They aren't moving."
Kyle shrugged.
"They're tired."
Hal stared at him.
"Kyle, where did you get the manger scene?"
"I found it."
"Where?"
"Out in town."
"It belongs to the town."
"Oh."
"Did you know that?"
Kyle thought about it.
"I figured since nobody wanted it, I could take it."
Hal looked at the enormous sign lying beside the trailer:
CITY OF DESERT BLOSSOM — CHRISTMAS DISPLAY
He pointed at it.
"Kyle."
"Yeah?"
"It literally says who owns it."
Kyle squinted at the sign.
"Oh."
Methanny suddenly came running out of the single-wide.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS!"
Hal looked at her.
"What are you doing?"
"Cooking!"
"What are you cooking?"
"Christmas dinner!"
Hal looked toward the trailer.
There was smoke coming from the windows.
"Kyle."
"Yeah?"
"What's she cooking?"
Kyle shrugged.
"Turkey."
Hal took a step backward.
"Where's the turkey?"
Kyle pointed toward the single-wide.
"Inside."
Hal looked at the trailer.
"Is the oven working?"
Kyle thought about it.
"Define working."
Hal closed his eyes.
"Oh, God."
Methanny yelled from the doorway:
"EVERYBODY GET READY!"
There was a loud BOOM
The single-wide exploded.
For several seconds, nobody said anything.
A cloud of smoke drifted across the yard.
The inflatable mattress flew approximately fifteen feet into the air.
The raccoon finally moved.
The coyote ran.
Kyle stood completely still.
Hal stared at the smoking remains of the trailer.
Kyle slowly turned toward him.
"You're going to arrest us again, aren't you?"
Hal looked at him.
"What do you think?"
"But it's Christmas."
Hal pointed toward the smoking crater.
"A single-wide just exploded."
Kyle nodded.
"Fair."
4:18 PM
Kyle and Methanny were sitting in the back of Hal's cruiser.
The Christmas manger scene was still sitting in the yard.
The raccoon was gone.
The coyote was gone.
The inflatable mattress was hanging from a palm tree.
Hal looked at the wreckage one last time.
He got into the driver's seat.
His radio crackled.
"Hal?"
"Yeah, Clara?"
"Did you get them?"
"Yeah."
"And the manger?"
"Recovered."
"What about the animals?"
Hal looked out the windshield.
"I don't even want to know."
5:03 PM
Hal dropped Kyle and Methanny off at the Desert Blossom City Jail.
The desk sergeant pointed toward the Honeymoon Suite.
"Again?"
Hal nodded.
"Again."
He handed over the paperwork.
Then he walked outside.
He got into his cruiser.
He sat there for a moment.
His phone buzzed.
A text from his wife:
How's your night going?
Hal stared at it.
He typed:
Fine.
He deleted it.
He typed:
I'm going to a bar.
He sent it.
And for the first time all day, Hal smiled.
Merry Christmas.