Don't Get Mad, Get Even. Barb Goffman

call 911.”

      “It’ll be faster if we drive to the hospital,” Becca said. “It’s started to snow. They’re probably busy with accidents.”

      “Henry, go start the car!” Mom yelled.

      “Mom.” Becca knelt beside me as I began to shake. “Grab a blanket from the spare bedroom for Gwen!”

      “Of course.” She ran off.

      Becca shifted closer. “I told a little fib earlier. I bought Mom’s lemon torte from the bakery. I made your dessert from scratch.”

      I opened my eyes wide—the only movement I could make.

      “That’s right, Gwen. I can be crafty, too. Like how I’ve used that video camera you gave me last year. I set it up at first to spy on the nanny. Imagine my surprise these past few weeks, seeing you come and go.” She sighed. “I’ll look at today’s tape next week and discover that you tampered with ingredients in my kitchen this morning. I’ll tearfully hand it over to the cops and let them figure out that you…did yourself in.”

      I began wheezing. Dad ran over and, straining, lifted me up. While he carried me to the door, I saw Becca smile. Then I spied the Christmas gifts I’d put under the tree, and I smiled, too.

      My back-up plan.

      I felt peaceful as I drifted away, thinking of the sweets I’d made Mom and Becca for Christmas.

      \

      “The Worst Noel” originally appeared in The Gift of Murder, published by Wolfmont Press in 2009. This story was nominated for the 2009 Agatha Award.

      I think this story went through more revisions than any other story I’ve ever written (except “Evil Little Girl,” which has dogged me for years). The first draft was inspired by a call for stories using the word medium. I believe that editor was looking for stories with psychics and methods of communication and things like that. But when I heard “medium,” I immediately thought of the size. I thought of someone never living up to her family’s standards because she wasn’t a medium. She never would be. But the story didn’t really come together until I heard of another call for stories a year or so later from Editor Tony Burton of Wolfmont Press. He wanted crime stories set at the holidays, and things began to click. Mix a tortured, overweight woman and her family and the holidays? Oh yes, that’s certainly a recipe for murder.