Richie Buck wakes up on his final morning at the North Pole with a pounding headache, a mysterious gift in his pocket, and Mrs. Karen Claus standing in his bedroom.

Karen drops every bombshell on him at once: her affair with Cam D. Kane, Santa’s own affair with Ruthie Barker Guest, and her belief that Santa may have run RBG down “like a dog in the street.” And she wants Richie to be the messenger.

But she also gives Richie one question to take back to Santa - one that makes Richie’s breath catch: Why didn’t you run?

As Richie prepares to leave the North Pole for good, Ellie the Elf bids him farewell with a wink, and Richie boards the long, cold journey back to his quiet southern hometown. He barely steps off the plane before Detective Samantha Strong and half the sheriff’s department close in, escorting him straight from the airport to an interrogation room. Strong has new information: Ruthie Barker Guest hasn’t received a gift from Santa since 1985. She was on the permanent naughty list.

And then, the twist Richie has been guarding, Santa’s sleigh wasn’t covered in Ruthie’s blood at all.

It was from an owl.

Still, nothing prepares Richie for the conversation that follows when he finally sits across from Santa again. As Richie reveals Karen’s affair, the forgotten gifts, and the locket he salvaged, Santa crumbles under the weight of decades-old secrets. But when Richie asks why he didn’t flee the night of the arrest, Santa’s answer stops him cold:

“Because only the guilty run.”

Now Richie is home with more questions than ever, and a voicemail waiting on his machine. Dr. Whimsickle has finished his psychological assessment of Santa.

And his news is disturbing.

Cast: Richie Buck - Jason Usry Santa Claus - Pat Picone Karen Claus - Laura Anderson Ellie the Elf - Sydney Catanese Detective Samantha Strong - Shiloh Catanese Dr. Peter Whimsickle - Scott Musgrove

Head Elf, Jason Usry Co-Executive Elves: Rebekah Sebastian, Dr. Shiloh Catanese, Dr. Scott Musgrove, and Michelle Kaz. Santa Maybe, a Criminal is written and produced by Jason Usry Music and Sound FX sourced through Epidemic Sound, Soundstripe, Audiio, Universal Music for Creators, and more. Additional music and atmospheres provided by Captain Fathands. Follow the show on social media: X - @santamaybe Facebook - @SantaMaybePodcast Web - santamaybe.com

Until next time: BE NICE