Her Secret Christmas Agent

by Geri Krotow

  “Yes, sir.” Nika couldn’t look at Mitch again in front of everyone. She didn’t want anyone to think she’d allow a distraction from the case.

  Problem was, Mitch was more than a distraction. He had somehow become her reason to solve the case. Mitch saw her police-officer side and all the hard parts that came with it, and still wanted her in his bed. God, thinking of Mitch and bed was not beneficial to the case at hand.

  First, she needed to practice apprehending a suspect in a two-foot-wide space between the counter and wall that the SMART Board was on.

  *

  On Friday morning Nika still hadn’t had a break in the case, so her stakeout plan was a go. As she sat in Mitch’s class she looked around at the chemistry students and tried to place the parents that Rachel had pointed out at the New Thought. There’d been at least three parents of kids in Mitch’s highest level chemistry class, unbelievably. But none of the students fit the mold of a child being taken advantage of, and all had very vocal plans to still go to college.

  “That’s going to wrap up our lessons until after the holiday break. All next week will be review for the exams in January. I’m going to cut you loose a few minutes early today. I’ve got a seminar I have to attend this afternoon, but I’ll be back for the three o’clock Rainbows meeting, and if you’re not going to that, I’ll see you at the holiday formal tonight.” Mitch shut down the interactive whiteboard. Nika mentally reviewed the messages that had been written there. She’d pored over the photographs and lab reports collected by the forensics team, willing the files to give her an answer.

  So far, no luck.

  “See you after school, Mr. Everlock.” Rachel spoke up and a few of the other students who were in the Rainbows murmured their agreement. They were having a quick meeting to verify the funds spent by the Rainbows for giveaway bakery goodies and imprinted souvenir items at the Silver Bells Ball tonight.

  Nika didn’t bother to say farewell. She’d be here after school, too, hopefully with an apprehended suspect on their way to SVPD.

  “Nika, can you stay for a minute?” Mitch didn’t look at her as the students filed out. It was getting harder to pretend she didn’t know Mitch as more than “Mr. Everlock.” A longing tugged at her, right in the middle of her chest. She yearned to be known as Mitch’s partner. Lover. Girlfriend.

  She was in big trouble. More than any case had ever gotten her into.

  “Come into my office. I have some research findings to show you.” Mitch kept a straight face as he turned and headed for his office and Nika wished they were walking into her bedroom instead of Mitch’s office.

  She’d never allowed a man to interfere with a case before.

  Mitch turned and faced her. “I really wish we could shut the door.”

  “We can’t.” Her reply was loud in the small space and Mitch’s eyes narrowed.

  “What’s going on, Nika?”

  “Nothing. I need to focus, Mit—Mr. Everlock.”

  “You do.” He looked away and she saw his chest rise as he took a deep breath, expelled it forcibly. “I don’t like this one bit, Nika. It goes against every instinct to leave you here to face a dangerous criminal.” His voice was low, his tone beyond tense.

  “We don’t have a choice. Worse case—I look like an idiot waiting in the cupboard. Best case—we catch the culprit and can breathe a sigh of relief.” She kept her voice low, too, as she fought against the urge to hurl herself against him and hug him, let him know she’d be okay.

  “For now. This is only the beginning with this cult. We’ve already been trying to crack them for over a year.”

  “We’ll deal with that as we have to, Mitch. Right now we have to keep the students safe.” When his expression didn’t soften, she risked touching his forearm with her hand, briefly. “I’m trained, Mitch, as much as you. Well, almost as much. I might not know how to use all of your superspecial spy stuff, and I didn’t serve in the Marine Corps, but I can take out the biggest, meanest culprit. Don’t worry.”

  Her attempt at humor had no effect as she watched the conflict play out across Mitch’s expression. A bell rang and the noisy hallways were quiet beyond the classroom, the silence an unexpected omen of the danger lurking in the school.

  Finally he met her eyes. “You can’t tell me to not worry, Nika.”

  “This is where you have to trust me. I know what I’m doing.”

  “Of course I trust you.”

  But not enough to believe she’d handle whatever came her way.

  “Do you? And please don’t say it’s the bad guys that you don’t trust. That’s pathetic, Mitch. I know you served alongside women in the war.”

  “You’d better stick to ‘Mr. Everlock.’”

  “Mr. Everlock, do you have a minute?” Gabi stood in the threshold of the classroom, her books a huge pile in her slim arms. Nika was grateful Mitch had warned her as she’d been too worked up to notice Gabi’s approach.

  “Thank you, Mr. Everlock. I’ll look at those studies. Hi, Gabi.” She left the classroom, wishing she and Mitch had had another few minutes to settle this.

  Who was she kidding? If they had five years it wouldn’t be enough. Mitch was a man who was used to running an operation. And while she’d never felt he doubted her abilities, he’d never relent when it came to her safety.

  Chapter 20

  Nika wanted to be in place for her surveillance well before the end of the school day, so an hour before the Rainbows were to meet she positioned herself inside the cupboard at the base of Mitch’s counter. In the front of the class, the doors faced the whiteboard and a small crack allowed her a narrow but sufficient field of vision. If anyone came in to write on the board she’d see their feet and be able to apprehend them.

  Mitch had helped her by clearing out the cupboard during his lunch hour. He’d thoughtfully placed a blanket at the base of the cabinet, which she’d have to thank him for later. The best thing was that he’d taken out all of the shelves so that she wasn’t as scrunched up as she’d have been otherwise. She sat in a cross-legged position and waited.

  Her vigilance was rewarded fifteen minutes before the end of the school day. Soft footsteps fell on the linoleum floor and she identified white athletic shoes and school-colored knee-high socks. A cheerleader?

  As silently as possible, Nika let herself out of the cupboard. The girl didn’t hear her until Nika was standing behind her. Nika made a split-second decision to stay undercover.

  “Amy? What are you doing?”

  Amy jumped at Nika’s voice and, as she turned to face her, Nika identified a paintbrush in one hand and a jar of red liquid in the other.

  Amy Donovan.

  “Nika! Where did you come from? You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that! I’m, I’m just about to write a surprise message for Mr. Everlock. To thank him for all he’s done for the Rainbows.”

  “Is that right? But you’re not in the Rainbows, are you?” She feigned getting a text. “Hang on—my mother’s asking where I am.” She used the time to text Bryce. SVPD officers would be here in minutes if not sooner.

  “Yes. What else would I be doing?” Amy looked shaken but was trying valiantly to appear annoyed, aloof. Nika wanted to have compassion for her but if this child had fallen for the hate her mother was absorbing at the New Thought meetings, then compassion wasn’t the ticket. Not right now.

  “I don’t know. I’ve never seen anyone write in paint on the SMART Board. Won’t that ruin it?”

  “No, I don’t think so.” Amy put the brush down and screwed the lid she’d left on the counter back onto the jar. “You know, I need to go. Practice starts early today.”

  “Answer my question, Amy. Are you in the Rainbows? Because I’ve been attending since I enrolled at Silver Valley and I’ve never seen you at one meeting or fund-raiser.”

  “You did, too. You saw me buy baked goods from you last week!” Amy’s desperation was spiking and her skin boasted a sheen of sweat.

  “As I recal
l, you stopped by to harass us. You didn’t drop one cent in the donation box.” Nika had no doubt Amy was their writer. But why Amy? Had she thrown the rock off the pedestrian bridge, too?

  “Stay right there, Ms. Donovan.” Two officers walked into the classroom, followed by Mitch. Nika feigned ignorance and took several steps back, away from the front of the room.

  “What’s going on?” Amy’s voice rose to a high pitch and Mitch placed himself between Amy and the officers.

  “Amy, you know what’s going on. It was you who moved the silk plants that held the security cameras today. We have you on tape. You neglected to cover the lens before you reached up to disable the cameras. And judging from what you’ve got in your hands—can I smell it?” Mitch held out his hand.

  Amy stared at him then gave him the jar. Mitch opened it and sniffed. “It’s pig’s blood, isn’t it? What were you going to write today, Amy?”

  “Wait, I can explain all of this. It was just for fun. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

  “Just like you didn’t mean anything by throwing a rock through my classroom window?”

  Amy’s eyes widened. “I never did that! I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “But you know about the pig’s blood, the messages.”

  Amy started to sob. “Yes.”

  “You’ll have to explain the rest down at the station.” Mitch nodded at the two uniformed officers, who proceeded to read Amy her rights and then cuff her. As they led her away, Nika stood in place near the back of the classroom. Amy didn’t look up as she walked out.

  Mitch stayed behind and spoke to Nika.

  “You’ll have to run the Rainbows today.”

  “Gladly.”

  *

  “I only know what I saw. They took Amy away and she looked really upset.” Nika stuck to the script she and Bryce had agreed upon to inform the students without causing any extra upset. Since Amy was already eighteen, it wasn’t illegal to report what she’d witnessed regarding Amy’s arrest. Nika could have told the other students what had really happened but it wasn’t her place. Amy deserved a chance to explain herself.

  Several members of the Rainbows had their own opinions.

  “It doesn’t surprise me. Amy’s mother has been getting nuttier and nuttier. She’s got, like, dozens of brothers and sisters.”

  “I always thought she might want to join the Rainbows but her parents are so lame. Very repressed and unwilling to see reality.”

  Nika wondered if Amy could have used the support of the Rainbows but her parents wouldn’t let her. That made her sad in ways these kids understood all too well. And might be a lead to another critical part of the case. Another suspect.

  “There’s not a lot we can do about it right now, so Mr. Everlock suggested we finalize our game plan for tonight.”

  “We’ve got the schedule here.” Rachel pulled out the spreadsheet they’d created last meeting. “Each of us only needs to work the table for twenty minutes. That’s not bad over a three-hour event.”

  “I’ll be leaving here to pick up the cupcakes and cookies from Silver Bites Bakery that we’re giving away along with the water bottles. Who has the original order?” Nika had volunteered to get the large order. As she looked around at the Rainbows, she didn’t notice anyone staring at her or giving each other looks about her. They still thought she was a student, as had Amy.

  And Rachel remained steadfast in her commitment to the operation against the Rainbow Hater.

  “Do you know how many kids will want our water bottle?” One of the members held up a rainbow-colored water bottle with Silver Valley High School, a silver bell and Holiday Formal emblazoned on it. They’d ordered ten dozen with the extra funds they’d raised beyond the cost of buying a table at the ball.

  “Are you kidding? They’ll be one of the first things that run out from all the tables.”

  “But some kids wouldn’t be caught dead with a Rainbow on anything.”

  “That’s their problem. Look how well our bake sales have done. We’ve changed the attitude of most of the school over the past four years. Remember when we were freshmen and everyone was afraid to join? Mr. Everlock took care of us even back then.” Rachel spoke with sincerity and Nika fought the tears back. You’re on duty. Get it together. There would be time to “feel her feelings” later.

  “When will he be back? Oh, yeah, he’s at the police station. Is this going to be the end of the hate crimes against the Rainbows?” Neel asked the question to the group.

  Nika waited before she responded, not wanting to seem to know too much for a newcomer.

  “There will always be haters. But if Amy’s the one who’s been leaving the ugly notes, and trying to disrupt the club’s activities, then I’d say we’re in the clear.” Several heads nodded in agreement.

  “So, what’s everyone doing before the formal tonight?”

  Chapter 21

  Mitch stood next to Colt in front of the one-way mirror to observe Bryce and Claudia interviewing Amy Donovan. He glanced at his watch. The formal would be starting within the next hour and he needed to be there as a chaperone.

  And to keep an eye out for Nika, if he was being honest with himself. They had Amy in custody but he knew there could still be danger lurking in the crowd at the holiday formal.

  “Nika did right by SVPD, and the high school.” Colt’s voice held a note of pride, as it should.

  “There’s no doubt that you have the best team here, Colt.” Mitch spoke more familiarly since it was just the two of them.

  Colt nodded toward the ongoing interview. “And we’re lucky we were able to work Claudia on to it in a legitimate, official unofficial way.”

  Both men laughed.

  “Watch Bryce go in for it here. I’ve seen him do dozens of criminal interviews and he warms them up, like he’s been doing for the past hour. Then he zings them.” Colt beamed and Mitch shook his head in mock dismay.

  “They’re not your children, you know.”

  Colt turned to him, his face wrinkled his own smile, his eyes bright. “No, but they’re the best damn law-enforcement officers I’ve ever known. You know as well as I do what they’ve both gone through.”

  Indeed, Mitch knew that Claudia had survived war and now several Trail Hikers’ operations, many of which he had no knowledge of. TH followed a strict need-to-know policy. And Bryce, besides being in TH along with his fiancée Zora, had been through hell last Christmas when the Female Preacher Killer was loose. Bryce had almost lost the love of his life during that case, right after they’d been reunited after years apart.

  “Here he goes.” Colt’s voice was hushed, almost reverent.

  Claudia put her hand on Bryce’s forearm, as if to restrain him from being so “mean” to Amy.

  “Amy, what Detective Campbell is asking you isn’t a reflection on you, or even your mother. A lot of Silver Valley residents have gotten caught up in the cult group you mentioned. Did you call them New Thought?”

  When Amy nodded, Mitch felt his own surge of pride. Claudia had been the best Marine Corps General he’d ever reported to while on active duty, and now her skills parlayed into a far more subtle way of smoking out the enemy.

  “My mother goes to the meetings all of the time. She’s made all of us—my brothers and sisters—go, too. But my father told her that I didn’t have to go.”

  “Why not?” Bryce took over.

  “I... I agreed to do whatever he wanted me to if I didn’t have to go and join the New Thought group. And I made him promise I’d still get to go to college next year. That he wouldn’t make me stay home like my mother wanted, and become some kind of slave to her and my siblings.”

  “Does your father attend the New Thought meetings?”

  Amy shook her head vehemently. “No. But he agrees with them on a lot of things. Like the Rainbows and what they stand for. He doesn’t think it’s right that Silver Valley High School protects the LGBT kids.”

  “And do you agree
with him, Amy?” Claudia’s question was soft, as if she were Amy’s long-lost aunt.

  Perfectly volleyed, Mitch thought.

  “I don’t care about who someone is. We all have the right to live our lives freely. I think the cult group is crazy, and I don’t care whether the Rainbows meet or not. I only wrote the messages because I had a deal with my father. Plus, it was kind of fun, I guess, at first. Like playing a prank. Until the messages got uglier.” Her lower lip wobbled. “I never wanted to make Mr. Everlock worry that he was really going to be hurt. But I had to do it, so that I can get out of Silver Valley after graduation.”

  “So why did you keep writing the messages, Amy? If you thought the messages were ‘uglier’? You had many avenues to pick for help. School counselors. Principal Essis. SVPD.” Bryce was playing his “bad cop” persona perfectly.

  “I already told you—my father promised I wouldn’t have to go to any of the meetings as long as I did what he told me to. It was easy enough to put them there in the early mornings, before anyone was in school. I was in early for cheer practice, and it was a no-brainer for me to say I was going to the bathroom and then run up to the classroom and write the messages.” She sobbed, her cries getting louder, her gasps for air pitiful.

  “What about the rocks, Amy?”

  “I never meant to hurt anyone. I mean it when I say I didn’t know about the first rock, through the classroom window. Not until one of the kids who came into the classroom when the cops were there told me. I heard about when the rock was dropped on Nika’s car, and she almost died...” She buried her face in her hands. After a while, she looked up.

  “I didn’t want anything to do with the New Thought meetings. My mother started to go all of the time, and she was bringing home information to my father after he stopped going. I didn’t want them to change their minds about me going away to school. I have to get out of Silver Valley and when I was accepted early decision to Temple University I knew it was my ticket out. But then my parents started making me stay home more. The only way my father let me leave the house was if I agreed to do something to discourage the Rainbows. And he wanted the list of names of students who were in the club, too.”