"Slay Belles," by Marilyn Todd, in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine.
Ever drive past a small store with some strange specialty and wonder: "How do they stay in business?"
Marilyn Todd has a helpful suggestion: Maybe they are money launderers! Get a place with a lot of customers (even if they are tourists who don't actually buy much), and a cash-heavy inventory, and the taxman won't suspect a thing.
Or such was the discovery of sisters Hannah and Lynn who have deep roots in British organized crime. Their year-round-Christmas store, The North Pole, is doing just fine, cleaning up dirty money from various family businesses.
But the sisters have a special sideline. The store has Santa's Mailbox where kids can ask the fat man for help. And while Hannah and Lynn can't promise the latest video game or a pony, if the request is desperate they may be able to offer a special solution...
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