Christmas Conspiracy

by Susan Sleeman

  “Do the Kempners have a personal relationship with Pam, so they might have gotten to know Kelly better?”

  “I think Lucy babysat for Kelly.”

  “Then Lucy needs to go on our suspect list.”

  Rachael sighed. “You know I hate this, right? It’s so unfair to take a woman who has already suffered, and then accuse her of something like this.”

  “We won’t accuse her of anything, but we will talk to her.”

  He was technically correct, but Rachael thought the Kempners would feel as if he was pointing the finger at them. Still, she supposed there was no way around it.

  She gestured at Ursula, whose waving had turned frantic. “It’s time for my speech.”

  His frown remaining, Jake escorted Rachael though the crowd. She gave what she hoped was an impassioned speech about how God implores people to help the less fortunate, and as she made the rounds of the room after she’d finished speaking, the warm response from CAR members told her she’d touched their hearts.

  Her mouth dry, she led Jake to the punch bowl by the window.

  “Look, more snow!” She squealed like a little child before she could control her enthusiasm. She pointed out the window, and people standing nearby caught sight of the snow. With it being a rare occurrence in the Portland area, they rushed to the window to peer outside.

  “Won’t be long before people leave to avoid the slippery roads and hills,” Jake said. “We should get going before them, so I can keep a better eye out for your safety.”

  “And maybe get back to the firehouse soon enough to play in the snow.”

  Jake gaped at her.

  Her childlike suggestion shocked him as much as it did her. She hadn’t felt this lighthearted in a long time. Maybe the success of her speech had brought the change, but if she faced the truth, she’d have to admit that the man standing next to her had more to do with the changes in her emotions than anything else.

  He urged her toward the coat check stand. “If there’s any accumulation, the entire team will be outside by the time we get home.”

  He helped her into her coat, then put his arm around her waist and drew her tight against his body. She doubted he had to hold her this close for security’s sake, but she had to admit she liked it and didn’t pull away. They stepped into the parking garage, and a gust of wind pummeled them. She snuggled even closer and saw him smile.

  The night had been so enjoyable that she could easily imagine it as a date, and she found that she didn’t mind that idea, either.

  They rounded the corner to the car, and she spotted a vagrant huddled by a post. He’d shoved his hands into his pockets and had propped a sign in his lap saying he was hungry. His head was covered with a frayed hood, his gaze looking down.

  Rachael couldn’t walk past the man and not offer him some money. She inched away from Jake and grabbed the emergency cash she always carried in her coat pocket. “It’ll just take a minute.”

  “I don’t think...” Jake said, but by the time he spoke, she was already halfway across the space.

  She heard rushing footsteps behind her, and she turned to see if Jake was upset that she hadn’t checked with him first.

  “Gun!” he suddenly shouted, and launched himself through the air to wrap his powerful arms around her and tackle her to the ground.

  A gunshot exploded from the area of the homeless man. The sound echoed through the space as they slammed into the concrete, and she feared the next shot, if there was one, would pierce Jake’s back and end his life.

  TWELVE

  Jake cocooned Rachael in his arms and took the brunt of the fall on his shoulder. Pain razored through his body. He ignored it and immediately rolled to cover Rachael.

  Another shot rang through the air and a bullet slammed into his back, the force driving him into her. He’d chosen to wear a Kevlar vest under his dress shirt, not the heavy-duty combat vest he’d been wearing when the deputy shot him at Rachael’s center, and the pain of the impact took his breath away. He tried to suck in deep breaths as he heard footsteps racing away from them and receding into the background.

  Jake wanted to go after this guy, but he wasn’t about to leave Rachael alone and unprotected. Up the incline, the shrill beep of a car alarm cut through the space. Then a door slammed and an engine roared. Wheels squealed on the concrete, and Jake knew the vehicle barreled down the ramp toward them.

  He dug deep for strength that he still hadn’t recovered, and rolled them both to a protected spot. Tires crunched over the concrete mere inches from his head. He tucked Rachael closer, squeezing her as tightly against his body as possible, then craned his neck to see the car.

  “Same vehicle as the one outside Francie’s apartment,” he said and strained to catch the license plate. He could make out the first three digits, and they matched the car that had been stolen near the vet’s office, so it added credence to that lead.

  He lay there for a few minutes, cradling Rachael to be sure the shooter didn’t return and open fire.

  “Can we get up?” she asked, her voice shivery and timid.

  “Sorry,” he replied. “Not yet.”

  “Can you at least let go a little bit so I can breathe?”

  “Yeah, sure. Sorry.” He released her and dug out his phone to call dispatch to put out an alert on the vehicle and to notify Skyler of the incident.

  When he finished his call and hadn’t heard any other sign of a vehicle in the area, he eased back more. “We can get up, but I want you to take cover behind a car. Just in case.”

  He helped her to her feet as voices rang out from the entrance of the building. He stepped in front of Rachael to protect her.

  “It was a gunshot!” a woman exclaimed. “Looks like that guy’s been shot in the back.”

  “You were shot?” Rachael whipped around him so fast he couldn’t stop her. She lightly ran a finger over the bullet hole. “Thankfully you wore a vest.”

  He moved behind her and eased her off to the side. “One of the first rules of law enforcement is that you have to take care of yourself first if you’re going to help others, so I’ve learned to be prepared.”

  The minute the words left his mouth, he knew he was careful with his physical safety and well-being, but what about his mental health? Was he taking care there, or was he working so hard that he was burning himself out? And Rachael—was she doing the same thing?

  They really were two of a kind. Maybe God had put them together so they could see their own behavior reflected in each other and realize how foolish it was. Maybe.

  He tucked her behind a pillar, then turned his attention to the crowd. “Deputy Jake Marsh. I need you all to go back inside and remain there until I tell you it’s safe.”

  Surprisingly, they complied, so when the police arrived to process the scene and take statements, it was handled in a systematic fashion. Even Skyler commented on how orderly things had been done before she fired questions at Rachael at the speed of a machine gun’s bullets.

  “Could you give us a minute to catch our breaths before you give us the third degree?” Jake asked, careful to insert humor in his tone to make it seem less demanding.

  “There’s nothing funny about this.” Skyler pressed her finger on the bullet hole in Jake’s jacket.

  “Point taken,” he answered, but stepped closer to Rachael. Not only because he wanted to be close to her, but because Skyler had the look of a leopard ready to pounce.

  She fixed that penetrating gaze on Rachael. “Start from the moment you left the firehouse.”

  Rachael recounted the night in detail in a surprisingly calm voice, considering she was still shaken. He inserted a few comments to flesh out the story but let her tell her side, as she might have noticed things he hadn’t picked up on.

  “Did you get a good look
at the shooter?” Skyler asked.

  Rachael shook her head. “His head was down, so no.”

  “What about you, Jake? Did he look up when he fired?”

  “Maybe, but by that time I was tackling Rachael to the ground, so I didn’t catch his face.”

  “And it’s clear you weren’t looking at him when he shot you.”

  “Exactly,” Jake replied. “I did get a good look at the car, though. It was a Honda Accord, and the first three digits of the plate match the stolen car I found in the database.”

  Skyler jotted the information on her notepad. “I think it’s time to contact a TV station.”

  “The media?” Rachael asked. “Why?”

  “Since the shooter was driving the stolen car we’ve already ID’d, we can assume this isn’t some random homeless guy, and he’s our kidnapper. The media will distribute the information, and ideally someone will see the car and call in.”

  “And what about the sketch?” Jake asked. “If Cash took care of that today, we can release that, as well.”

  “He got started on it, but unfortunately, the sketch artist was pulled to work on a murder. She’ll meet with him again in the morning.”

  “So the minute they’re finished, we’ll show it to Rachael and then get it to the press,” Jake said, hoping this information combined with the license plate would help them locate the car to process it for prints and provide the kidnapper’s identity.

  Skyler nodded. “I’ll make sure you get the sketch.”

  “We also need to tell you about Lucy and Olin Kempner,” Jake added, earning a disappointed look from Rachael.

  But whether it disappointed Rachael or not, the couple seemed like a great lead—and Skyler had to track down any and every lead possible.

  * * *

  Later that night, Jake sat on the sofa, paperwork and his laptop lying next to him. He’d been trying to catch up on his work, but Rachael had joined him to walk the family room floor with a very fussy Kelly. Rachael said they thought the usually easygoing baby was experiencing a bout of colic, and she wouldn’t quit crying. Rachael wanted Pam to get some sleep, so Rachael had checked in to see if he was awake. Once she found him doing paperwork, she brought the baby downstairs.

  As Rachael paced the floor, he hadn’t been able to take his eyes from her. She had no idea he was watching her. Her focus rested solely on the child, and every time she walked toward him, the longing in her eyes made his breath catch. She tenderly cradled the baby and softly cooed to her until she stopped wailing and hiccupped to a stop. Rachael’s face beamed with happiness.

  His thoughts went to the fund-raiser, and the way she’d displayed different sides of her personality. She’d been friendly with every person she met. Wealthy, impoverished, it didn’t matter. She’d connected with them, but she’d also held herself in reserve. It wasn’t until she’d discovered the snow, and her eyes had held the delight of a small child, that he’d experienced how carefree she could be.

  The more he got to know her, the more he was coming to learn that she was a special woman. He was surprised she hadn’t remarried yet and had a child of her own.

  The thought of her with another man made his gut cramp, but he couldn’t very well see himself in her life. Not with the way things were now.

  She tiptoed across the room and settled Kelly into her swing. The rhythmic click of the swing lulled Jake into a sleepy mood, too, but it didn’t seem to impact Rachael. She crossed to the Christmas tree and stared up at the top. He peered at the illuminated star casting yellow light onto the dark ceiling and wondered what she was thinking.

  She turned and caught him watching her. Their eyes met for a moment, and anguish darkened her eyes.

  Jake should mind his own business, and stay in his spot, but he couldn’t leave her standing there alone. Not with her looking so forlorn.

  He got up to join her. “I guess Kelly’s asleep.”

  Rachael smiled. “For how long, I don’t know, but I hope the swing will help her sleep.”

  “Then why are you so worried? Is it Kelly or everything else that’s been going on?”

  Her smile fell. “Who says I’m worried?”

  He simply arched a brow.

  “Okay, fine. I’m worried.”

  “We’ll catch this guy, you know. He may be making it difficult, but we’re good at our jobs, and we will find him. Then your life can go back to normal.”

  “I know, but...” She shrugged.

  “But what, honey?” he said, before thinking about how intimate the word sounded.

  “What if I don’t want it to go back to normal? What if all I’ve been through the last few days has taught me that I want more from life?”

  “Like children of your own?” he asked.

  She took a step closer—why, he didn’t know—but he liked her nearness and wouldn’t argue over it.

  The air around them was charged with heat as warm as the fireplace. The tree lights reflected sparkling shadows, leaving the room feeling as romantic as he could imagine, and he couldn’t seem to pull his gaze from hers.

  “You deserve to be a mother.” He gently touched the side of her face.

  “But I...I don’t—”

  “Shh.” He pressed a finger to her lips. “Just accept that you’re an amazing woman who would make an exceptional mother, and anything else that’s been holding you back can disappear for the moment.”

  “Yes,” she said breathlessly.

  He took her yes to mean so much more, and he slid his fingers through her silky hair to the back of her neck and drew her even closer. He lowered his head, fully intending to kiss her, but paused first to be sure it was okay with her.

  “Yes,” she said again.

  He pressed his lips against hers. Tentatively at first, but when she gave no resistance, he deepened the kiss. His head swam with how right kissing her felt, and before he lost control of his emotions, he lifted his head.

  He wanted a wife and a family. That was certain now, but could he commit the time a wife and family would take? Could he let go of his guilt? Trust that God had put Rachael in his life for a reason beyond protecting her?

  “I...” she said, pushing away, likely because of the uncertainty he was displaying. “We shouldn’t.”

  Did she mean they shouldn’t kiss? Shouldn’t care for one another? In either case, they’d gone well beyond caring.

  He opened his mouth to tell her so, but Kelly started whimpering from her swing. Rachael touched his cheek, her fingertips soft as a feather, then she walked over to Kelly, scooped her up and rushed from the room, as if running away from him.

  He thought he’d been confused before, but he honestly couldn’t have been any more perplexed than he felt now, and he didn’t know how to move forward with her—or even if he should.

  THIRTEEN

  Over breakfast with Rachael, Jake stared at the text from Skyler.

  Sid Cooper’s a resident of the halfway house by vet’s office. I can’t talk to him until later today. If you’re free, it would be great if you could question him.

  So Sid Cooper, Pam’s boyfriend with a rap sheet that included aggravated assault and armed robbery, lived close to the vet and close to where the car had been stolen.

  Coincidence? Jake didn’t think so.

  He told Rachael about Sid. “I’ll head over there straightaway, and I’d like you to stay here with Archer.”

  “Maybe I should come along to see if I recognize his voice.”

  “We all heard the intruder’s voice on the center’s video feed, so if he’s our guy, I should be able to recognize him.” Jake suspected that he might be wrong, and he wouldn’t be sure of the man’s voice, but after last night’s attack, he didn’t want to take Rachael out of the house. He also wouldn’t expose
her to such an unscrupulous guy unless absolutely necessary.

  “I suppose you’re right, and besides, I’m babysitting Kelly today. We wouldn’t want to take her there.”

  “Exactly.”

  Jake arranged with Archer to cover Rachael’s protection detail, then he drove to the halfway house and waited in the office while the manager went to get Sid.

  He strode into the room, his shoulders back, a glare on a narrow face covered in acne scars. He wore torn jeans and a dingy T-shirt.

  “I didn’t do it,” he said.

  Jake resisted a smart-aleck comment about this being the common response from most criminals, and focused instead on the tenor of the man’s voice. It was deep and gravelly, much like the kidnapper’s, but then it could simply be the voice of a man who’d had a habit of inhaling drugs for years.

  Jake gestured at a chair. “Why don’t we sit down and talk.”

  Jake didn’t wait for Sid to comply but took a seat on the edge of the desk, placing himself in a position to peer down on Sid.

  Sid dropped into the chair, and his body seemed to sigh with the relief of not having to support itself. “What’s this about?”

  “Pam Baldwin. Do you remember her?”

  “Pammy.” He smiled, revealing rotting teeth, likely from a meth addiction. “Sure. We had some good times.”

  “Maybe these good times included fathering a child.”

  “Heard something about that.” His tone didn’t give Jake a hint of what the guy was thinking.

  “Pam says you were together when she got pregnant.”

  “Yeah, man, yeah. I heard the kid was three months old. If that’s true, we were together then.”

  “I know you and Pam aren’t hanging in the same circles anymore, so exactly how are you keeping up with her?”

  “A dude she works with lives here. We were talking about the good old days. He mentioned her.”

  It sounded like a logical explanation, but Jake wouldn’t take it at face value, so he asked and received the name of Pam’s coworker.

  He jotted it in his notebook. “How does being a potential father make you feel?”