It was the mystery of the year. Or rather, it would have been -- if old James Cartright had the sense to die on a slow news day. But he passed away on Christmas Day, and our local feel-good newspaper had already planned enough cute kid and Santa stories to shove old Miser Cartright’s death onto page four. He wouldn’t have liked that.

What he liked was running the town. Some say, ruining it. Remember the movie, “It’s A Wonderful Life” -- well, this town is what Bedford Falls would have been like if Miser Potter had run it. Local wits even said “Old Miser Cartright has been murdering Christmas for years -- serves him right to get murdered then!”