Homicide detective Stanley Greene didn't like being called in early in the morning and he really didn't like having to go into work at 4 A.M. Christmas morning.

He pulled into the precinct's parking lot and sat behind the wheel for a minute trying to collect himself and wake up a little. He didn't stop for coffee so he'd have to drink the black sludge that had probably been brewing since second shift got off at midnight.

He pulled himself out of his car into the frigid December air. Snow had started to fall last night and now it was several inches deep. Drifts collected against the pale grey precinct wall. It was going to be a white Christmas and Stan was glad. His daughter would be excited when she woke up and saw the winter wonderland, even if her father wouldn't be there to open the presents. Some asshole had ruined his Christmas again this year.

He walked down the hallway to the interrogation rooms. The station smelled like stale cigarettes and eggnog. His partner, Charlie Cooper stopped him at the main desk.

"Hey man, this one is pretty bad," he said.

"Aren't they all?" Stanley responded.

"No, not like this," his facial expression spoke volumes. "Have you been to the scene yet?"

"No. I was going to find out what happened first, then go on over. It's secure right?"

"As good as it's ever going to be. The father is the main suspect. He was the only one left at the scene. The wife and his two kids are still missing. He's the one that called 911. We haven't found the bodies yet. The house was a mess. Blood and small bits of flesh scattered everywhere. He's been telling some fucked up story about killer elves."

Stanley raised his eyebrows.

"I know, but he says that he knows you. Says that he'll tell everything to you and you only."

"Shit. Who is he?"

"Daniel Fox."

"Doesn't ring any bells," Stanley said with some relief.

"He's in room five."

Davis opened the door to interrogation room five and at first he was sure that the man sitting at the small table smoking what looked like his hundredth cigarette was a stranger. Then he looked a little closer and took him out of the context of the job, thought about the people in his other life, the one that took place at Hailey's school plays and Sundays at church and realized that he did know him. The man was a regular at Stan's church, in fact Stan's own wife had introduced them. She was friends with Daniel's wife, or had been when she was still alive.

The man stood up in a hurry and Stan's hand instinctively went to his gun, but stopped when the man held out his hand. Stan took it and realized that Daniel had dried blood on his hands.

"Thank God you're here. Do you remember me?" Daniel asked. "Our wives introduced us at church."

"Yes, I remember. Why don't you have a seat Daniel?"