A Christmas Miracle

by Velvet Vaughn

  They peeked into rooms as they navigated the hallway. Most of them were empty, which wasn’t surprising. It was Christmas Eve. People would be out doing last minute shopping or already be home with their loved ones. No one would want to be stuck at work this late in the day. They stuck their heads inside one room and spotted a man perched behind a desk, his dark head bent over a pile of papers.

  Though she never had the opportunity to watch him grow into manhood, she would never forget that face.

  “Will! Look,” Lizzie breathed, clasping a hand to her chest. “That man. It’s Anthony Preston…and he’s reading a file.”

  Will stood stock still, almost not breathing. “Look at the box, Lizzy. It’s a closed case file.”

  Lizzy’s countenance lit up with joy, yet tears streaked down her face. “I don’t even have to get closer to look at it. It’s our file, Will. He’s reading our file.”

  ~*~

  Will couldn't believe they’d actually located little Anthony Preston, the boy they’d rescued the night they died, and that he now worked for the police department. He was even more astonished to discover Anthony was the one who pulled their file. He was trying to solve their murders. There was no way this was merely coincidence. God clearly had a hand in it.

  Lizzy sat on a corner of the desk and dug through the box perched on Anthony's desk. She glanced up at Will. “If I can find my journal, I wrote down everything we discovered that night while you were driving.”

  He peered inside the box. “Look at this stuff.” He indicated a mutilated notebook. “That once held notes from my Law Theory class. Everything in there is covered with lake sludge. It will take a miracle for anyone to still be able to read anything we wrote.”

  “Here it is!” Triumphantly she lifted the leather-bound book that sported thickened yellow pages, an obvious indication of water-damage.

  Tony's head whipped up and he stared directly at her. She froze.

  “Drop the book, Lizzy,” Will ordered, urgency clouding his voice. “He can see it…it’s us he can’t see.”

  Lizzy released the journal. It plopped inside.

  Tony blinked and shook his head. Then he tugged the box closer and peered cautiously inside. Gingerly he removed her journal. He examined it from every angle. With a shrug, he flipped it open and began reading what he could of the faint, smeared print.

  "Hey, Tony."

  Will spun at the voice to find a woman perched in the doorway, wearing a festive red sweater with a picture of Rudolph on the front and neatly pressed black pants, her long chestnut hair secured in a ponytail that hung down her back. She looked beautiful and very nervous. She obviously couldn't see Lizzy sitting cross-legged on top of the desk or him standing sentinel by her side.

  "Tony.” Lizzy tested out the name and nodded. "I like it. He looks like a Tony."

  "What?" Tony barked, looking up from the journal. His voice softened. "Oh, hi, Macy. I didn't realize it was you. How are things in the crime lab?"

  "Busy, as usual," Macy sighed, then perked up. “Can I grab you a cup of Joe?"

  "Sure, I'd love one. Thanks."

  Macy made no move to fetch the coffee. She took another step inside the room. "I didn't get a chance to tell you that what you did, you know, with Buddy Horton, well, I'm impressed. Very impressed."

  "I beat the shit out of him," Tony reminded her ruefully.

  Macy grinned widely. "I know. I would have used your service weapon to blown off his—"

  Tony threw back his head and burst out laughing. Macy joined in, her cheeks staining a pretty shade of pink. Lizzy and Will's heads ping-ponged back and forth in fascination, from Tony to Macy and back.

  Lizzy smacked Will with the back of her hand. "Look at her pulse fluttering like a hummingbird in her neck. She likes him."

  "Look how wide his pupils are, trying to drink her all in. He likes her, too."

  Macy worried her bottom lip and her hand swept out, almost conking Lizzy upside the head. Lizzy ducked. "Do you need some help going through those boxes? I'm off the clock."

  "I appreciate the offer, but it's Christmas Eve, Macy. No one should be stuck here.” Tony's tone was soft. "Why don't you head on home?"

  She shrugged a careless shoulder. "My folks are on a cruise and my brother is spending the holidays with his in-laws. It's just me, It's A Wonderful Life and a frozen turkey dinner."

  Tony studied her for a moment and she glanced away, the color in her cheeks darkening. One corner of his mouth kicked up. "Then sure, I'd love some help."

  Macy visibly relaxed and grabbed a chair from against the wall. Will dodged out of the way as she scooted it next to Tony.

  "Actually, I'm glad for the help," Tony admitted. "I've been staring at these files so long, I swear one of them levitated a few minutes ago."

  Macy laughed and Tony watched her. Her smile faded. "Don't stop," he murmured. "You have a beautiful smile."

  She glanced at her hands in her lap. "Thanks. So do you," she added shyly.

  "They’re so sweet," Lizzy purred. "Tony needs a good woman in his life."

  "How do you know he doesn't have one already?"

  Lizzy shrugged. "I just do. Besides, no ring.” She indicated the naked finger on Tony's left hand.

  "Hers is bare, too," Will pointed out.

  "Tell you what," Tony said. "We'll work on this for a little while and then grab dinner. No one should be alone on Christmas Eve."

  "I'd like that." Macy’s face lit up with a smile. "So, what are you working on?” She peered at the battered journal.

  Tony paused, clearly debating how much to reveal. “If I tell you this, you can’t repeat it to anyone. If the Captain got wind of my personal involvement, he wouldn’t let me pursue the case."

  Macy’s eyebrows lifted but she nodded. “I promise. Spill.”

  “When I was eight, my parents were killed and I had no other relatives. I was sent to live in an orphanage.”

  “Oh, Tony.”

  He shook his head fiercely. “Don’t pity me. I turned out fine. Besides, I wouldn’t be telling you this if it weren’t for the case.”

  “Sorry,” she grumbled.

  “You don’t need to be sorry. I just don’t want to be pitied. I’ve come a long way from that pathetic little boy. Anyway, a man approached me one day. He told me he was a lawyer and that he would try to locate relatives who could adopt me. I acted like it was no big deal but inside I was thrilled. I wanted out of that place. I hated the Sisters and everyone else at the orphanage. In hindsight, none of them did anything wrong. They just weren’t my family.” He shot her a look imploring her to understand.

  “He came back the next night and said he found a great-uncle who wanted me.”

  “So that’s how he did it,” Will muttered. “I wondered what he said to make the boys go with him.”

  “Bastard,” Lizzy spat.

  “The man told me we had to keep it from the nuns who ran the orphanage. I had no problem with that. Then he said we had to meet the uncle that night. I had no problem with that either…until he carted me outside and it was pitch black. After I lost my parents, being in the dark frightened me. He grabbed me, slapped tape over my mouth and jammed a needle in my arm.”

  Macy gasped.

  “I thought I was screwed.” One side of his mouth quirked ruefully. “I figured it was penance for the way I treated the Sisters.”

  Macy completely ignored his joke, her serious attention focused solely on Tony. She didn’t even blink. She reached out and placed her hand on his arm. “What happened next?”

  “I couldn’t keep my eyes open from whatever drug he shot me up with. The next thing I knew, I was thrown to the ground. I forced my eyes open again and stared into the faces of two very real angels standing over me.”

  Macy hung on his every word, her eyes huge saucers.

  "They saved me from the man, took me back inside and then disappeared. I didn't see them again. Until today, I never knew who they were or how to thank
them for saving my life."

  Will shared a sad smile with Lizzy.

  “You mean you found them? After all this time?”

  Tony nodded and peeled open the folder, withdrawing a picture. He tossed it on the desk in front of Macy.

  “Oh, no.” Her hand moved from his arm to cover her mouth. She stared at the photo, a finger reaching out to trace the faces of Will and Lizzy twenty years ago. She looked up at Tony, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “What happened?”

  “That’s what I’m going to find out. What we’ll find out if you’re sure you want to still help me.”

  Will put his arm around Lizzy’s shoulder and squeezed.

  “Tony will stop Ernest March,” Lizzy announced with complete faith.

  “How did they die?” Macy again studied the picture.

  “They were pulled from Winston Lake along with their car. The file says they actually made it out of the car, but were shot in the head. On the same night they saved my life. They didn’t stand a chance.”

  “The man who tried to take you killed them,” Macy deduced correctly.

  “I have no doubt it’s the same man.”

  “How are you going to find him after all this time?”

  Tony picked up the battered journal and shook his head. “I have no idea.”

  “I slipped the notes I took that night between the cover,” Lizzy recalled, moving closer to work a corner free, trying desperately to not disturb the book and spook Tony again. “There.”

  Macy stared at the book. “Tony, there are some pages sticking out of that journal.”

  Tony turned and noticed the edge sticking out and his brows dipped. With two fingers, he gingerly plucked out two pages. “Although it will probably take a miracle for any of the pages to be legible. All the ink probably blurred together after being stuck in the water after they were murdered.”

  “It’s legible,” Lizzy whispered with awe. “The cover must have preserved it from the water.”

  Tony’s eyes grew dark and stormy, his mouth flattening into a harsh line as he read the notes detailing their discovery. His hands curled into fists. Shooting to his feet, he whipped his jacket from the back of the chair.

  Macy sprung upright, too. “Tony, what is it?”

  “I have to go, Macy. We’ll have to reschedule dinner.”

  “No.”

  Tony’s brows rounded in surprise. “No? Okay, if you don’t want to have dinner with me… but I thought—”

  “No, you’re not going off on some vendetta without me. I’m coming, too.”

  “This case just got bigger than both of us. From what I read, the ramifications are huge. Quite possibly a career-ender. Or life-ender,” he tacked on. “This man has killed before.”

  “Then you need me,” Macy insisted. “You need backup.”

  Tony crossed his arms across his broad chest. “Absolutely not.”

  Macy mimicked his stance, her eyes narrowing. “Absolutely yes.”

  Tony thumped a hand to his breast. “I’m the cop.”

  “Who’s on suspension,” Macy reminded him. She jerked a thumb over her shoulder. “Don’t make me tell Captain Purnell what you’re doing.”

  Tony’s eyes narrowed to slits and then he smiled. It wasn’t a nice smile. “You wouldn’t dare.”

  Macy caved, huffing in annoyance. “No I wouldn’t, but I’m coming with you."

  "Macy, you’re a lab—"

  "Don't say geek. Don't you dare say geek.” Her voice was low and lethal.

  Tony held his palms up in surrender. "Relax. I was going to say rat."

  Macy tapped her foot. "Well, now, that’s just so much better.” She pursed her lips. "You know what they call cops–relatives of the porcine family.” She jabbed a finger at him. "I would never call you that. And just so you know, they let all techs carry guns and visit dangerous crime scenes on CSI."

  Tony barked out a laugh but quickly stifled it at the look on her face. "That’s make-believe, Hollywood, fantasy. This is real life."

  Macy lifted her eyebrows and said nothing.

  Tony let out a long-suffering sigh. “I’m never going to win this argument with you, am I?”

  “Get used to it,” Lizzy and Macy said at the same time.

  Will grinned broadly. “I can vouch for that.”

  Tony dropped his head back and stared at the ceiling. “Fine. Get your coat and I’ll fill you in on the way there.”

  Macy’s smile lit the room. She threw her arms around Tony and then as if just realizing what she’d done, quickly pulled away. “I’ll be right back.”

  “I’ll be right here.” His gaze trained on her departing form as she hustled out of the room. “Tomorrow,” he added under his breath as he fingered his coat and shot out the door.

  “He’s going to confront March,” Lizzy guessed.

  Will grabbed her hand and chased after him. “And so are we.”

  ~5~

  “Come-on, come-on,” Tony chanted, cranking the key. The engine sputtered and died again. Tony slammed his palm against the steering wheel. “Dammit.”

  “Are you okay, Will?” Lizzy inquired.

  “It’s pitch black under here, but I found the spark plugs. This baby won’t start.” On cue, Tony twisted the key again. Will worked his magic and Tony cursed, louder this time.

  The passenger door flew open. “You bastard.”

  Tony gritted his teeth. “Get out, Macy.”

  She plopped in the seat, jerked the seatbelt over her shoulder and snapped it into the lock, ignoring him. She stared straight ahead. “You lied to me.”

  “Look, I am not taking you with me and that’s final. I don’t want you hurt. Besides, this damn car won’t start.”

  Macy reached over and turned the key. It purred to life like a kitten. “There’s just no end to your lies, is there?”

  Tony stared at the ignition, dumbfounded. “I swear, it wouldn’t start.”

  Macy rolled her eyes

  Will eased into the back seat next to Lizzy with a grin.

  “It doesn’t matter, because I’m going with you.” Macy pulled out a gun and pointed it at Tony.

  “What the hell? Put that thing away.”

  Her tone was sugary-sweet. “Just because I’m not a cop, doesn’t mean I can’t fire a gun. You of all people should know that…you've taken me to the firing range. You’ve seen my scores. I have a permit.”

  “Macy, there’s a big difference in shooting a paper target thirty feet away and putting a bullet into a flesh and blood human being.”

  “Unless you want me to test that theory, drive.”

  His jaw clenched so tight it looked like it might snap, Tony shifted the car to drive and floored the gas, flinging Will and Lizzy against the seat.

  “Your temper doesn’t scare me,” Macy informed him as she tucked the gun in her purse.

  “It should.”

  Macy rolled her eyes again and Tony cursed under his breath. “You’re one stubborn woman.”

  She ignored his comment. “Tell me what you discovered.”

  “You know I can’t discuss an ongoing investigation with you.”

  She reached into his pocket and filched the note.

  “Dammit, Macy—” The car swerved as Tony tried to snatch it back. A horn honked and a little old woman shoved her hand out the window, her middle finger waving at Tony. He would have returned the gesture had she not looked just like Betty White.

  “Oh, my God,” Macy whispered. “The governor? It was Ernest March?”

  "Yeah," Will confirmed grimly. “Potentially the next president of the United States.”

  ~*~

  “Now you see how big this is,” Tony remarked. “That’s why I didn’t want you along with me. I can’t involve the Captain or anyone else. This really could end careers. I have to do this myself, but I can’t tip him off that I know he’s the one.”

  “I had no idea,” Macy murmured. “I’m sorry I forced myself along and read the note.�
�

  “Not to mention pointing a gun at me,” Tony reminded her.

  “Yeah, that, too.” She sighed. “Since you can’t tell anyone where you’re going, whether you like it or not, I’m your insurance. I promise I’ll stay in the car and if you don’t come out in fifteen minutes, I’ll call for back-up.”

  “Make it thirty and deal,” Tony said.

  Tony turned into the long driveway that led to the governor’s house and braked at the small white booth.

  "I need to see your invitation," the security guard announced as Tony lowered the window. Invitation? Hadn’t thought about that. Tony flashed his badge, anticipating all sorts of questions.

  "Good enough." The guard smacked the car roof twice before pushing a button. The gate lifted and Tony motored forward.

  "I wonder why we need an invitation," Tony mused aloud. March spent most of his time at the Capital, but he kept his Bedford Springs residence and spent most holidays here. As they neared the house, Tony gaped at all the vehicles. “Damn!”

  “He and his wife must be having a Christmas Party,” Macy deduced.

  “Well, that’s good—maybe. He wouldn’t risk shooting a cop with so many witnesses, would he?"

  ~6~

  “I apologize for all the noise, but Mrs. March and I are celebrating my announcement to run for president,” Ernest March boasted as he led Tony to the richly-appointed den in his ostentatious mansion.

  “And Christmas?”

  March waved an impatient hand. “Yes, yes, and that.”

  Tony smirked. This man’s arrogance knew no bounds. He clearly thought he was more important than Jesus Christ.

  “Matilda is an exceptional hostess,” March praised, having no idea the direction of Tony’s thoughts. “She’ll make a perfect first lady.”

  Gah. In Tony’s opinion, Matilda March wouldn’t make the perfect anything. She reminded Tony of a particularly nasty pit bull. She was reed thin with short white hair that stood in spikes, her face forever pinched in a disapproving scowl.