Johnny Paradise, a spoiled playboy, was up to his scrawny neck in gambling debts and other men’s wives. Johnny Paradise, the heir to the Wally Winter’s Wonderland Snow Globes, was running his grandfather’s company aground. Johnny Paradise was also stone cold dead from an apparent gun shot wound beneath the armpit. I stared at the ex-Mr. Paradise and pondered.

“Chief, Detective Sabrina Ho from Grand Rapids, PD. Detective Ho this is Sheriff Wes Tatenbaum.” Officer Snowden said.

I shook myself out of my thoughts and gave the big city detective a firm hand shake. Tatenbaum had looked up the homicide detective when he reached out to the big city for assistance and he had been impressed by her clearance rate. Ho was petite, shorter than he had anticipated, with a pixie haircut. She wore a serious pantsuit and bright red Snoopy Red Baron socks peeked out of her protective booties. “Detective Ho thank you for coming out to Evergreen Valley. Especially in this snowstormReally thank you. CSI has already processed the scene but I wanted to allow you to examine scene first hand.

Minutely Ho walked the scene. From the rows of pristine globes to the sealed windows to the office door that had to be smashed open Ho seems to see everything I couldn’t see.

“Hmm,” Sabrina said rubbing her temples. “This reminds of me of something. It’s on the tip of my brain. Tell me what you think Sheriff.”

“The gun appears to be a small caliber probably a .22 caliber—“

“Entering under the left armpit,” Sabrina said. “Snowden filled me over t he phone when I drove in. No tell me everything I can’t see. I grew up in a small town and the sheriff knows more gossip the United Methodist Women’s knitting circle.”

I laughed. “But they have better pickles. I wasn’t raised to speak ill of the dead but Johnny was a parasite. He was a hard man wrapped in velvet. He consumed, taking and taking. Anyone who could get away from him went elsewhere,” I said. My voice trailed off as Ho caught my eyes.

“Are you telling me picturesque Evergreen Valley is chockfull of suspects.” Ho’s eyes twinkled. “This scene is too clean.”

“But the windows and door were bolted from the inside. Like…” I said.

“The Benson Murder Case,” we said in unison.

“Johnny was shot elsewhere and died here in his office after bolting his own door,” I shouted.

“You know what this means?” Sabrina said.

My mind reeled to organize my thoughts around my racing heart. "we have a primary crime scene?”

Detective Ho gave me a Mona Lisa smile. “Let’s head to your headquarters Wes and unpick this locked room mystery.”

Sabrina patted my uniformed elbow and headed out into of Wally Winter’s Wonderland Snow Globes Inc and into the flurry of snow. I followed close behind.