Emily suffers a fractured wrist from her near miss with the car. When Sam checks on her, she brushes it off as slipping on ice and invites him to a gathering at her shop. Meanwhile, Emily debates whether the car incident is connected to Glenn’s murder or if her past is catching up to her.
In Glenn’s next video, he explains that his clues represent Christmas past, present, and future. The group agrees to think it over and reconvene later. Meanwhile, a mysterious figure listens to a recording of Emily and Sam discussing the case, noting that the murderer is still out there.
Violet plans “Dadmas” to celebrate with her dad before leaving for the holidays. Since Sam can’t fix the hole in the wall until after hours, Violet offers him her key. Later, Sam thoughtfully brings Emily food, telling her he’s watching out for her, just like she always looks out for others.
That night, a mysterious figure confronts Fred while he’s closing the bookstore. When the group gathers at Emily’s shop, Fred is missing. He calls to say he’s been attacked and that his copy of A Christmas Carol was stolen.
Sam receives a call—the lab found Morgan’s DNA on the Santa suit. She admits she wore it, explaining she followed Glenn to confront him about selling the rare first editions without Fred’s consent. When she found him stabbed, he stumbled toward her, leaving blood on her. Knowing she couldn’t help him, she panicked, put on the suit, and left. Sam warns her it doesn’t look good.
At the diner, Emily introduces herself to Noah and asks how he knew about the video. He confesses he overheard Brooke talking about it. Later, Emily learns that Talia dropped the charges against Noah, saying it was the right thing to do. Talia also mentions Morgan’s concern about the missing first editions.
Noah visits Emily’s shop and, noticing the hole in the wall, wonders if something is hidden inside. Emily and Sam take this idea to Fred at the bookstore. Together, they discover a hidden room behind a bookcase containing a packed bag and a one-way ticket to Switzerland. They realize Glenn wasn’t predicting his death—he was planning to end his life in Switzerland. Noah arrives, stunned by this revelation.
Inside the mausoleum where the final clue leads, Emily uses the books to unlock a crypt code. Sam arrests “Harvey,” whose real name is Sawyer. His long criminal record matches the fingerprints found at the scene. Sam promises to cut him a deal if he reveals who hired him.
Meanwhile, Emily confronts Talia, accusing her of orchestrating Glenn’s death for the first edition copy of A Christmas Carol. Talia knew Glenn was dying and had sold valuable books to fund his final journey. Wanting to keep the prize for herself, she hired someone to steal the book—but things went wrong, and Glenn was killed. Emily points out that the wax seal on the original invitation was different, revealing that Talia had opened it and learned about the game. Talia knows she’s been caught when she hears the police sirens approaching.
Later, Emily gathers the rest of the group and gives them letters from Glenn. In his letter to Fred and Noah, Glenn leaves them the bookstore, its entire collection, including the first edition of a Christmas Carol and—most importantly—the gift of reconnecting with each other.
On Christmas Eve, Emily hears a noise down in her shop. It’s Sam, fixing the hole in her wall. She finally admits she was afraid to be vulnerable. They give in to their chemistry and kiss. Just as Emily leaves to grab her coat for a walk in the snow, Sam gets a call.
When Emily returns, Sam looks upset and questions her story about her background. Holding back nothing, he asks, “Who are you, really?”