I welcomed the return of CID, up to and including the description of Poirot with his messy desk and open newspaper, but it's a bittersweet return - lots of tension, shifts in mood, and no one quite gets what he/she wants in the end.

It's intriguing that you hint at certain things with Gene - that perhaps he understands more about this world than he might seem to, that his birthday just might be Christmas itself, that he's resigned to his loneliness but still hopeful.

And poor Alex! I assume this is meant to be canon and Alex doesn't get her wish...or are you looking at a sequel?