Unforgettable Christmas Dreams: Gifts of Joy

by Rebecca York

  Halfway to the crime scene, she noticed a furtive movement ahead in the descending dark and slipped into the shadow of a large tree to see what was going on.

  Phil Cardon was skulking away from the crime scene, something bulky under his jacket. About to confront him, she stopped when she realized he was being followed.

  “Cardon, what do you think you’re doing there?” Chief Hammer caught up to the man, grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around. “Let me see what you’re hiding.”

  Hammer didn’t wait for Phil to cooperate, but opened Phil’s jacket and pulled a large bag free from where the other man held it to his chest.

  “Hey, you can’t do that!” Phil said.

  “I just did.” Hammer opened the bag. He reached inside and hauled out the trophy. Then a look of comprehension colored his expression. “What the hell are you doing with this?”

  “Hey, I found it. I figured it was worth something at a pawnshop. You can’t blame a guy for trying to make a few extra bucks where he can, especially during the holidays.”

  Hammer grabbed Phil’s arm and whirled him back toward the crime scene, saying, “We need to have a little chat.”

  Lexie stepped into a clearing and watched Phil try to squirm his way out of going with Hammer. The police chief had him in a tight hold and didn’t seem about to let go.

  What had Phil been doing with the trophy, undoubtedly the murder weapon? Why had he been trying to remove it from the scene of the crime?

  By the time she got back to the crime scene, Ned’s body was bagged and being carried to the ambulance. One of the officers was pushing Phil into a squad car. No doubt they were taking him in for questioning.

  Did he have something to do with the murder? With the human trafficking?

  Lexie didn’t know what to think, but everything was coming to a head. They needed to find those files.

  Before she could slip away, a man stepped in front of her. She stared at the finely cut overcoat for a few seconds before lifting her gaze to that of Detective Rand McClellan.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked.

  “I was hijacked,” she said, her stomach doing a fast twirl. Thinking Bray Sloane had told his brother-in-law about Simon and her, she was tempted for a moment to confide in the state lawman. She wanted nothing more than for the state authorities to take over the investigation. “One of my seasonal workers was driving the truck. We were on our way back to the garden center when he saw the squads and decided to follow them.”

  “So where is this guy?”

  “Chief Hammer has him.”

  A look of understanding crossed his face. “Ah.”

  “I’m Lexie Thornton,” she said. When he didn’t react, she realized Bray hadn’t said anything to him. And she knew she couldn’t, either. If she did, she would betray Simon. Disappointed, she asked, “Can I go now?”

  McClellan nodded. “Sure.”

  Getting into the truck, Lexie sped away from the crime scene as fast as she dared. Once on the main road, she headed for town and looked for Simon, but he didn’t seem to be following, probably because some of the police cars were heading out, as well.

  She called him. “I’m heading for the garden center to pick up my SUV.”

  “I’ll meet you at your place. Don’t go inside until I get there to go in with you.”

  “You’ll be there ahead of me. I’m going to pick up dinner.”

  “Lexie—”

  “Unless you want peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.”

  “Don’t take any chances.”

  Lexie called in to a local café and ordered a couple of the blue plate specials — meat loaf, mashed potatoes and green beans — so they’d be ready by the time she got there.

  Thornton Garden Center was already closed for the night and Carole was gone. Lexie traded the truck for her SUV and headed for home.

  Waiting for her, Simon led the way inside, checking to make sure there hadn’t been a break-in, before they sat down to eat at the kitchen table.

  Lexie told him about Phil Cardon.

  “He could be an accomplice,” Simon said, “trying to get rid of evidence.”

  “Something I was wondering myself,” Lexie said. She even wondered if Phil could have attacked her, but fearing Simon’s reaction, she didn’t voice the question. “If he’s not arrested, I’m not sure I want him working for me.”

  “Does he have to work for you? Legally, I mean?”

  “He’s seasonal. I guess after we finish Drake House tomorrow morning, I can let him go. But what if his story about wanting to hock the trophy is true?”

  “You are too trusting.”

  At least he didn’t say naive.

  “Drake Enterprises is officially locked up until Monday morning,” Lexie said. “So how do we get in?”

  “Leave that to me. No problem.”

  Another reminder of Simon’s past. The mouthful of food nearly stuck in Lexie’s throat and she washed it down with half a glass of water. Would Simon ever be satisfied living a normal life again? She couldn’t imagine it.

  “So we’re going to check out Drake Enterprises tonight?” she asked.

  “That’s the plan.”

  A thrill shot through Lexie as she realized they might find their answer tonight. Then what?

  “If we find the files, will that be enough proof for the authorities?”

  “I don’t know. It’ll be enough for me.”

  Lexie wanted to ask what he meant by that, but she was afraid she might not want to hear the answer.

  They finished eating in silence, after which Simon said, “I’ll clear.”

  “I’ll get the key.”

  Even as she left the kitchen, Lexie had some doubts about what they were doing. This kind of a search should be left to the authorities. Then again, she doubted that Chief Hammer believed in ghosts or in psychic abilities like the one that allowed Bray to see the names on the files.

  Even if they found the files, how were they going to explain everything?

  Maybe she never should have kept the key. But a lost key wasn’t exactly something the police would want to be bothered with. Scary how everything had escalated so quickly.

  Lifting the finial off the newel, Lexie looked inside and gasped.

  The key was gone.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Whoever got in and took the key is really good,” Simon said. “I didn’t see any sign of a break-in.”

  Suddenly it hit Lexie. “Katie! Mom brought her by the house to pick up some clothes earlier. She must have found it.”

  Lexie hurried to the phone and called her parents’ number. Her mother answered.

  “Mom, I need to speak to Katie.”

  “She’s up in her room. She said she was tired and wanted to go to bed early.”

  Was she getting sick? Katie never wanted to go to bed early. “Can you get her, please?”

  Lexie covered the mouthpiece and met Simon’s gaze. “Why would she have taken the key?”

  “Maybe she looked to see if you left a note and thought the key was for her.”

  “That makes sense,” Lexie agreed. “We’ll have to stop at the house to get it from her.”

  Her mother came back on the phone. “Honey, I don’t know how to tell you this but Katie’s not there. I—I think she left the house.”

  “What?” Panic gripped Lexie. Had someone kidnapped her daughter? She looked to Simon. “Where would she go and at night?”

  Simon immediately flipped open his cell and walked to the other end of the room, undoubtedly to check with the man who was supposed to be guarding their daughter.

  Then her mother said, “That party you wouldn’t let her go to… it’s tonight. Maybe she went despite your telling her she couldn’t go.”

  That had to be it, Lexie thought. Better that than where her mind had started to take her. “What was the name of that boy?”

  “Josh Pearson. He lives a couple blocks east of me. I’ll go there righ
t now.”

  “No, I’m her mother.” Lexie grabbed a pad of paper and pen. “Where does he live?” She made note of the address and hung up at the same time Simon closed his cell and cursed under his breath.

  “He didn’t see a thing.”

  “I don’t understand how she slipped by him, unless he was asleep,” said Lexie, annoyance, anger and fear suffusing her voice.

  “She must have gone out the back door. He simply couldn’t be in two places at once.”

  Lexie nodded and headed for the door. “We’re going to a party.”

  They threw on their jackets and left the house. Lexie went directly to the SUV and Simon climbed into the passenger seat. Lexie’s stomach clenched at the thought that Simon and Katie would meet face-to-face.

  “What are you doing?” she demanded.

  “Making sure my kid is okay. You can introduce me as your date.”

  “She’ll know that’s a lie.” The moment the words were out of her mouth, Lexie flushed. Simon didn’t have to know she didn’t date, but it was too late to take it back.

  “You can tell her there’s a first time for everything,” he said as she started the engine.

  Truth be told, despite her doubts about putting father and daughter together before they’d worked anything out, before she’d had time to prepare Katie, Lexie was glad Simon was with her. She could use his strength, and his sense of calm was catching.

  Ten minutes later, she double-parked outside a house that was obviously the scene of a party. All the lights were on and music and shouts drifted out to the street.

  Turning on her flashers, Lexie said, “Wait for me here,” and jumped out of the vehicle.

  As she ran up the steps, she looked through the front bay windows, but didn’t see Katie. A knot formed in her stomach. Katie had to be there. She had to be.

  A sign on the door said to COME ON IN — IT’S OPEN, so she did. Heart pounding, she looked around at kids who were eating and talking in one room, dancing in the other. She recognized only a few of them. She didn’t know many of the high school kids. When she didn’t spot Katie right away, her pulse began to race.

  What if they were wrong and Katie wasn’t here, after all?

  What if someone had gotten into the house and had taken her?

  Just then she spotted a girl named Megan, an older friend of her daughter’s.

  “Megan, hi,” she said, forcing a smile. “Have you seen Katie?”

  “I think she’s in the kitchen.” Megan pointed her in the right direction.

  Relieved, Lexie said, “Thanks,” and moved through the crowd to the kitchen.

  She spotted Katie immediately. Rather than being with the high school kids she’d wanted to be part of, Katie was with adults. Two women were getting food together and Katie was helping them by placing sandwiches they made on a tray. She had a big grin on her face and nodded at something one of the women said.

  Lexie waited until her system righted and called, “Katie!”

  Katie’s head whipped around and her eyes went wide. “Mom?”

  “Let’s go.”

  A mulish expression settled on her daughter’s face and she didn’t budge. The two women looked distressed but didn’t interfere.

  “Katie, now.”

  Suddenly Katie rushed across the kitchen, eyes bright, and sailed right past her. Lexie nodded to the women, who gave her sympathetic looks, then followed her daughter, who grabbed her jacket from a coat tree and stormed straight out of the house and down the front steps.

  “Get in the backseat.”

  “What? Why?” Katie demanded.

  “Because the front seats are occupied.”

  Katie did as she was told and slammed the door.

  Lexie slid behind the wheel and gripped it for a moment. “I’m disappointed in you, Katie Thornton. You scared Nana to death. You scared me. You deliberately disobeyed me. What were you thinking?”

  “That I didn’t want to be an old stick-in-the-mud like you. I wanted to have some fun in my life. But it looks like you were doing that, too, behind my back.”

  “Don’t speak to your mother that way,” Simon said, his tone flat but firm. “You owe her your respect. She was very worried about you and with good reason.”

  Lexie thought Katie might argue with Simon, but the girl didn’t say a word as they pulled away from the curb.

  “I’m taking you back to your grandparents’ house, Katie. I don’t want to disappoint them because they were looking forward to spending time with you. But if I do, I want to know that you won’t act without permission again.”

  Katie’s voice was sulky as she asked, “You’re not grounding me?”

  “I didn’t say that, but that can wait until you’re back home. In the meantime, I want you to promise me you won’t try to sneak off again.”

  “All right. I promise!”

  “One other thing… do you have the key that I left in the newel post?”

  “I thought you left it for me.” Katie’s voice rose defensively. “Like it was some kind of puzzle I was supposed to figure out.”

  “No, Katie. I just put it there for temporary safekeeping.”

  “Safekeeping? Why?”

  “I just didn’t want to lose it,” Lexie hedged, holding out an open hand by her shoulder. “May I have it, please?” She felt the metal press into her palm and let her fingers curl around it. “Thank you.”

  “You’re not mad about the key, too, are you?”

  “No, honey, I’m not angry about the key.”

  When they arrived at her parents’ house, Lexie walked Katie inside and assured her parents that everything was all right and that their granddaughter had promised not to scare them again. Katie couldn’t look at her, wouldn’t speak to her, not even when Lexie gave her a one-armed hug and kissed the top of her head. Silently apologizing for any scares she’d given her own parents, she kissed them, too, before leaving.

  When she got back into the SUV, she just sat there for a moment, trying to regain her equilibrium.

  “Everything okay?” Simon asked.

  “Fine. Is Katie’s bodyguard out here?”

  “In the dark car across the street.”

  “Good. Then we can go.”

  As she started off for Drake Enterprises, Lexie couldn’t help but worry. Katie had been asserting herself more lately, had even openly defied her, but she’d never gone behind Lexie’s back before. Or attacked her personally.

  Remembering how Simon had stepped in, how Katie had responded to him, she said, “You surprised me before. You sounded like a father.”

  “Maybe because I am a father and I want to be part of our daughter’s life.”

  Lexie had nothing to say to that.

  ***

  Simon hadn’t missed the way Lexie avoided the father reference. Because she didn’t believe him? Or because she didn’t want him to be a father to Katie?

  He also hadn’t missed that she hadn’t introduced him to their daughter. Then, again, what could she have said about him under the circumstances?

  The whole situation had simply been awkward.

  What he got from the incident, though, was to see firsthand a mother’s love. Lexie was tough and focused, a lioness with her cub, even in the face of their daughter’s temper. Katie had been a little snot to her, as kids could be when they didn’t get their own way. Though he’d interrupted, he hadn’t said what he’d longed to say, that Katie should appreciate what she had because she could lose it any time.

  Just as he had.

  Simon forced his mind away from the personal and concentrated on the task ahead.

  “Have you ever been at Drake Enterprises at night?”

  “Several times. We do their Christmas decorations. And then I went with Marie once. She was meeting Brandon there after a board meeting.”

  “What about security?”

  “No one mans the security desk after hours,” Lexie said, “but there is a guard that makes rounds every so o
ften. Maybe once an hour.”

  “We should be able to avoid him.” At least Simon hoped they could. He didn’t want to have an altercation with some poor guy just doing his low-end job. “So you know the layout of the building.”

  “Somewhat.”

  “The executive offices?”

  “They’re on the second floor. I’ve only taken an elevator up, but there are at least two sets of stairs, as well.”

  “We’ll take the stairs then.” The elevator would create noise and bring the security guard running.

  Just outside of town, Lexie pulled onto Yacht Basin Road, and when it split she took the right branch. Drake Enterprises was straight ahead, overlooking the water. She pulled the car over to the side of the drive under a stand of trees just before they reached the two-story brick building.

  She said, “I figure the security guard won’t be looking for anything back here.”

  “Good thinking.”

  And good that trees lined the road and provided them with cover all the way to the building.

  Simon led the way, fine-tuning his senses to any noise or movement. The only thing he heard was the water washing against the shoreline. Nothing in sight moved.

  “We’ll get in through the loading dock door,” he told Lexie. And prayed there would be nothing extraordinary about the locks that protected it.

  A moment later they were on the dock, under the shelter of a canopy. Noting the alarm system, Simon removed some tools from his pocket and disabled it. Then he started working on the door locks.

  “Is all this something you learned to do in your former life?” Lexie asked, her uneven voice revealing her nerves.

  “I had to learn to do a lot of things that I never thought I would do,” Simon returned. Breaking and entering were among the least offensive of the skills he had been forced to learn. “When we get inside, we’ll have no idea where the security guard is, so we’ll need to be silent. Use sign language.”