The little girl turned and stuck her tongue out at him.
“Interesting nickname.” I sorted the sheets by color. Wilhelmina’s name might end up being a rainbow of colors.
“When she was born, two of her brothers had trouble saying her name. It sounded like wild one and stuck.”
“Was that before or after her personality showed itself?”
“Are you hinting that her behavior is a result of the nickname?” Jack’s phone buzzed. He glanced down at it and grinned. “My sister will be back early. She’s in the area, so she can pick up the kids here rather than at our uncle’s house. I know he’ll appreciate that.”
I went to put a half-sheet aside and paused, staring at it. An “x” was gone. My mind flashed to the naughty list that had Jenna’s name on it. These letters were similar.
The “w” was also missing. Jack had said the sheet he had was missing an “n.” The other sheets had two “n’s” on it. Jenna. Wilcox. I couldn’t think of a Christmas word with “x” unless one of the children put Merry X-mas on their ornament. That was possible.
Stop it. The command interrupted my excuses, stopping me from ignoring what was right in front of me because I didn’t want to think—see—the worst about a friend. It wasn’t a coincidence that an “x” was gone from the sheet of stickers. The box had been sealed when Garret showed it to me.
The security cameras were working today and also last night. I had seen an image on the screen. I was certain of it. And I hadn’t seen a movie playing on the computer, it was movement in the store. The cameras were working. Rachel lied to me.
The books. The Wilcox home had looked wiped out except for the few pieces of furniture and lots of books. Almost a small library worth of books.
Rachel. Rachel had added Jenna’s name to the sign and lied about the security camera. Thursday night, Rachel had an emergency. Friday, she was late to the parade. Lied about Garret not showing up on time. Today she left the store again. To run an errand. I had almost run into a truck leaving Eric’s house.
Had Rachel been involved in Jenna’s murder?
Sixteen
No, it couldn’t be. Tears filled my eyes. Hastily, I swiped them away, not wanting Cassie to see. Poor Cassie. Rachel was also her friend. Her employer. A mentor. How would she take the news? I hoped I was wrong. The top wish on my Christmas list was Rachel not being a murderer.
How could I prove myself right or wrong? I should know for certain before I called the police on my friend. Tears dripped down my cheeks. I wiped them away and took in small breaths, hoping to settle down. The computer. I could sneak back to Rachel’s office and see if the image on the monitor was footage from the security camera.
Jack paused in gathering up the coats and hats his sister’s offspring had scattered around the bookstore. “What’s wrong? Is he here?”
“No.” I stopped myself from saying nothing was wrong. I needed help in creating a diversion, and Jack had some resources available. “Can you hand me a book? Doesn’t matter which.”
“Sure.” Jack grabbed a book from the nearest shelf and handed it to me.
“I need a diversion,” I whispered, discretely placing the letter stickers between random pages. Didn’t want anyone getting rid of them while I poked around.
“What?”
“I have to look at something in Rachel’s office and need her to stay out here. I also don’t want her to see me leave.”
“Does this have anything to do with Eric?”
Did it? It was a good question. Maybe Eric had killed his wife and somehow wrapped Rachel into it. The guy had threatened me at gunpoint. There was a likelihood he did the same to Rachel. “Possibly.”
“I’ll see what I can do for you. I’ve always been a sucker for a lady in distress.” Jack surveyed the room, settling his gaze on his niece. The little girl was in front of a bookshelf, looking up at the top row of books. He grinned. “I think with help from a naughty elf, I can create quite the distraction.”
I hoped so. Scanning the store, I spotted Rachel in the cookbook section. Cassie was reading to children. Which meant Garret would be manning the register. Perfect. I picked up the book where I hid the stickers and made my way to the end of the line. It was three people deep. If anyone else got in line, Rachel would open up the other register. Please let everyone else continue to browse.
It would be nearly impossible to sneak into the office if Rachel was at the register. Jack and his niece would have to create one heck of a distraction for Rachel to abandon buying customers.
“That’s not what I meant!” Jack bellowed. “Get down from there.”
“She’s going to die!” A little boy screeched.
“Mom is going to kill you,” another little boy announced, a little too gleefully.
I couldn’t help it, I turned around to look instead of sneaking my way into the office. My mouth dropped open. Customers gasped. Rachel screeched and ran toward the case the toddler used as a ladder.
Wilhelmina was standing on the top shelf of a ten-foot tall bookcase. “I want this one.” She beamed down at her uncle and reached for a book.
For a split second, total terror crossed Jack’s face. His distraction plan was out of hand. Shame rippled through me. I couldn’t believe I placed a child at risk so I could spy on my friend.
Jack’s oldest nephew was sitting on the floor, flipping through a magazine. He looked up and his baby sister then returned his attention to his reading material.
“Call the fire department.” Rachel jabbed a finger toward Garrett. He nodded and went to the phone in the corner of the register area, his back toward me. Cassie was busy trying to corral other children from using the bookcases as a jungle gym.
Jack jerked his head backwards. Now was my opportunity.
Tucking the book securely under my arm, I made my break. My heart pounded as I entered the office. The computer was on. The screen was blank. Dropping into the office chair, I pushed the button on the screen. An image popped up. The store. A tightness filled my throat. I was right. She lied. The security camera in the store area worked. And I bet the one in the office was functional as well. Rachel knew who hit me and stole the sign.
Had she done it? Or Eric. Once again, tears threatened. No. Not now. I had to document the proof before something really did happen to the cameras. I was sure Rachel had deleted the recordings implicating her.
I wished I could talk to Rachel. Find out what had happened. Her reasons for lying to me. To the police. Had Eric threatened her? Why did I feel I owed her a chance to explain?
Because you don’t like the truth. You want to be wrong. True. I hated it. I wanted Rachel not to be involved. A simple explanation for everything that was adding up against her. Like the security cameras. She had turned them off and after Jenna was murdered, decided it was more prudent to have them back on even if it meant taking on more business debt than she was comfortable. People changed their minds all the time. What seemed like a bad idea became the better choice depending on the circumstances. There was something to be said for trusting and believing in your friends, and quite a few other words to use for a person who refused to see what was before them. Hadn’t I already created a problem by going to see Eric?
I allowed my anger at the mayor to overrule common sense and headed straight for Eric’s place, the proverbial lion’s den. And all for what? To prove that my deceased ex-husband hadn’t swindled money from the town because I was afraid Cassie and Helen would be judged by it—that I would be judged.
Using my cell phone, I snapped pictures of the screen and a few of the stickers sheets I placed in the book. Orville’s business card. He had given me his cell number. Quickly, I pulled out the card and entered the number into my phone. Before I talked myself out of the truth, I sent him the picture and what I suspected--Rachel was involved in Jenna’s murder.
The office door shut. I spu
n around. Rachel locked the door and braced herself against it. “What do you know, Merry?”
The tone of her voice told me what I needed—but didn’t want—to know. She had lied to me. “The security cameras work. You lied about canceling the monitoring service.”
Rachel continued to grip the doorknob, back pressed against it. Her complexion was pale and her body trembled. “Yes.”
“Why? Someone attacked me.” I stood, figuring it was better to be on my feet than sitting down if things ended up getting rough in here. I wasn’t much of a fighter but could defend myself. Or at least I hoped so. “Was it you?”
Tears snaked down her face and she shook her head. “I thought you had only saw the sign, and someone snatched it before you got it. I didn’t know you were hurt.”
“Jenna’s name had been added to that naughty list. It was important for the police to find out who took the sign. The tapes might help the police solve the case. But you didn’t want the police to know who altered the sign…because it was you. The stickers I saw spelling out Jenna’s name were very similar to the ones for today’s craft.”
Slowly, she walked toward me.
I fisted my hands. The store had been crowded but not so much that someone wouldn’t have seen a person altering the sign. After Jenna’s murder became public, someone would’ve stepped forward. No one stepped forward because the sign wasn’t changed during store hours. It was done in secret.
“You didn’t want the police seeing you take the sign out of the window, go back to your office, then place it back into the window. That’s why you lied about the security camera. Or you know who hit me and took the sign.” I braced myself for a fight.
Instead of attacking me, Rachel collapsed onto the chair, drawing her feet onto the cushioned seat. “Both.”
“Why?”
“Because someone had to threaten her. It was the only way.”
The images of stacks of books floated into my brain. Eric’s house. An empty house beside some basic furniture pieces, a few random kitchen supplies, and books. Random titles. I thought Eric or Jenna were eclectic readers. Instead, it was random purchases to have a reason to stop at the bookstore and see Rachel.
“The only way to protect Eric,” I said. “You’ve been sleeping with him. That’s why you got upset when I was asking question about your guy.”
She shook her head, tears tumbling down her cheeks. “No. I wasn’t just sleeping with him. I love him. He asked me to help. I don’t know what I was thinking. Why I thought—” Rachel lowered her face to her knees and sobbed.
“Are you saying you killed her?” Had she been so desperate for love she killed her rival?
“No. She was already dead when I arrived at their house. Eric called me, said he did something stupid. We couldn’t see each other anymore. I went over and…” Her remorseful gaze sought something from me. Forgiveness? Understanding?
I felt empty. “You helped him move Jenna’s body. You put her in Santa’s toy bag. You two tried to pin her murder on someone else. Norman or Pastor Heath could’ve been blamed.”
Rachel shook her head, her hair swung wildly about her shoulders. “No. I didn’t do that. All I did was let him use my car to move her.”
“All you did?” My voice rose into a high-pitch squeal. “You lied to the police. You’re covering up a crime. A murder.”
“Please, Merry, I need you to understand.”
“I can’t understand this.” I started for the door.
Rachel jumped up and snagged my wrist. “You can’t tell anyone. I won’t let you.”
I narrowed my eyes on her. The anger churning through kept my tears and despair at bay. “What are you going to do? Kill me also?”
Stunned, Rachel let go of my arm and took a step backward. “I didn’t kill her. I didn’t hurt anyone.”
“What about our town? Whoever else the police are investigating in Jenna’s death? You don’t think they’ve been hurt. You have to tell the police everything that you know.”
“I can’t do that. I’ll go to jail for helping him.”
That was something she should’ve considered before she loaned her car to a murderer. “Fine, don’t. But I will.”
Rachel tried to step in front of me. I knocked into her, sending her sprawling onto the floor.
She drew her knees up to her chest and rocked. “Please don’t, Merry. It was an accident. It was dark. Jenna was leaning against the bottom step of the porch. He only tapped her with his car. He didn’t mean to.”
“He was probably drunk.” Everyone feared that one day Eric would kill someone with his drunk driving. It just happened to be his wife. All those years of covering for her husband ended with Jenna being killed by him.
“You have to help me.” Rachel rose to her feet. “Please, Merry. I didn’t kill her. I shouldn’t have agreed to his plan. But I didn’t see any other way out for him.”
“He didn’t deserve a way out. He deserves whatever punishment is handed to him. He killed his wife. Whether or not it was premediated, he still killed her because of his actions.” How could Rachel not see that? Could love really be that blind? I unlocked the door.
“You have to, or I’ll tell everyone that you let Eric put Jenna in Santa’s bag. Everyone knows Christmas, and the parade, are your babies. No one will believe that you didn’t have a clue.” The threat trembled from her.
With my hands fisted at my side, I took a step toward her. “You’ll do what?”
The door creaked open. “Merry, I need you to back away from her,” Officer Brianna Myers said.
Rachel smiled at the officer. “It’s okay. We’re just having a small disagreement. It’s all worked out now. Right, Merry?”
“No. Eric killed Jenna. And Rachel—”
“I heard everything.” Brianna removed the handcuffs from her utility and walked toward Rachel.
As I hurried out of the office, Brianna reciting the Miranda warning and Rachel’s sobs mingled together.
Seventeen
Where was Cassie? I scanned the crowd. I wanted to explain to her what was going on with Rachel before Brianna marched out the store owner—our friend—in handcuffs. Through the window, I spotted a police car in one of the front spaces and a fire truck was in the road. The store wasn’t just filled to capacity because of holiday shopping but because of plain nosiness. Everyone wanted to see the “show.”
And they were going to get a good one in a few minutes. I heaved out a breath. Even though I was angry at Rachel for her stupidity and aiding a killer, a tiny piece of my heart went out to her. She had wanted to help—save—the man she loved. It wasn’t a choice I would’ve made but I knew the heart could lead a person astray.
Jack was holding his niece and talking to Paul McCormick. The little girl was lightly smacking her uncle’s cheeks and bellowing for him to look at her. Jack continued to speak to Paul, shifting the little girl so only one small hand reached his face. A volunteer firefighter, wearing gear, was carrying a ladder outside, having saved the little girl from her climbing expedition. The McCormick family’s hardware store was a few streets over. Paul likely ran straight over after learning of the emergency.
Paul smiled and nodded at me.
“I should know by now not to take my eyes off this one for a second,” Jack said, glancing over at me and smiling slightly.
Not what I had in mind for a distraction, allowing his niece to climb the bookshelf and put herself in danger, but it had work. Though, I do wonder how Jack’s sister would feel about his “lackluster” babysitting skills. I had a feeling he was going to find out soon as a woman raced into the store, a long scarf flying behind her. Her gaze was scattering around the store and finally rested on him and the child. A slight look of relief settled over her face.
“Mommy, I climb.” The little girl beamed and held her arms out to her mother.
> The mother groaned and plopped into the closest chair. “What did she do now?”
There was a long line at the register. Garret was checking out customers as quickly as possible. Nancy was the next in line, tapping her foot as she glanced at her watch. The pile of travel books in her arms nearly slipped from her grasp.
“I didn’t think when I told her to pick a book, she thought it meant I was giving her permission to climb the bookcase to retrieve one from the top shelf.” Jack deposited the child into his sister’s lap.
Cassie was placing books back into the bookcase. She must’ve sensed my stare as she turned. Her smile faded, and horror filled her face. She gasped and the books in her hands slipped to the floor.
“What’s going on?” Garret’s voice shook.
Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Brianna leading out the handcuffed Rachel. It was too late for me to explain first.
Nancy rushed for the door, placing her pile of books on the nearest display table. It wouldn’t be long for word to spread around town about Rachel’s arrest. But did Nancy know it was tied to Jenna’s murder, the embezzled money, or something else? There was one way to find out what Nancy knew, head over to Yule Log where Nancy had a standing dinner date with her friends and eavesdrop.
But there was a more pressing need. Cassie and Garret would be left with the task of closing the store tonight and answering questions regarding Rachel’s arrest. I walked over to Cassie who appeared frozen at the shelf. Her eyes were wide and shimmered. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into me, still holding the book as if it was a lifeline.
“You used that girl. For this.” Rachel jiggled her cuffed hands. Tears streamed down her face. “I can’t believe you’d do this to me, Merry.”
“I’ve already advised you of your rights.” Brianna’s tone was compassionate. “Reconsider saying anything else.”
A low buzz filled the area. Whispers were zinging around. Three words were in every comment: murder, Jenna, and why. I remained silent. It wasn’t my place to answer the question. The town would learn soon enough. My heart struggled with the emotions reeling through me. Anger, disappointment, and sympathy. In her desperation for love, Rachel made a horrible decision and was now going to pay for it.
BETTER WATCH OUT Page 14
