Cold Case Christmas

by Jessica R. Patch

  No happy reunion.

  “My mom died.”

  “What do you want me to do about that?” he asked, eyes narrowed. There was no love here either. Not even an ounce. “Do you want money or something?”

  Money. Oh, she had debt up to her eyeballs, but she wanted nothing from this man. Besides, her own dad had enough to pull Nora out of debt if she’d ask for it. “I don’t want anything but answers. I found the agreement you made with my dad. It was in a safe I stumbled upon earlier this evening.”

  Scott glanced behind him. “My wife is in the house, upstairs asleep.”

  “I’m not asking you to wake her up and bring her to the party.” Nora wanted to rip his head off. Instead, she forged ahead. “When was the last time you saw my mother?”

  “Before you were born. She told me she was pregnant and I told her to get rid it of it.” A hard edge formed around his lips.

  “It is me.” How could he stand here and talk about her like she was a thing and not a person?

  “You, then. I told her to get rid of you. She said she would.”

  The man was a liar, but she couldn’t tell if he was lying now. “Why did my dad draw up those papers? And did you ever meet him?”

  Scott hugged his robe tighter around him. “He came to visit me right after you were born. Said he wanted to raise you as his own. I was concerned he might try to extort money from me—”

  “Blackmail you for producing a child through an illicit affair with an eighteen-year-old girl who probably thought you loved her?” Nora nearly spit on the ground. “He is much classier than that.”

  Cocking his head, Scott studied her, then laughed. “You think she loved me? That I let on like I loved her?” He sobered and his eyes widened. “You don’t know, do you?” He laughed again. “Oh, this is rich.”

  Dread pooled in her gut.

  “Your mother was nothing but a high-end call girl. You were an oversight in a business deal gone bad.”

  Nora couldn’t find a single word.

  “She didn’t want to keep you because she had any imaginings of me leaving my wife. But I didn’t trust her not to try to blackmail me or ruin my career. When Joshua Livingstone agreed to pay me to have you, I knew he’d keep the secret and not come after me. So I took the deal. It wasn’t my first choice, but it’s worked so far.” His smug smile sent her over the edge.

  His first choice would have been to abort her!

  “Well, the money stops right now. You won’t be getting another penny and if you so much as contact my father, I’ll come forward and tell the whole world. And they’ll believe it. Because even without DNA testing, I look like you.”

  That changed his arrogant face. For the first time, he looked afraid of her. Not of getting caught but of Nora.

  “And if I find out you had anything to do with my mom’s death, I promise you, you’ll go to prison. But not before the world and your family know what a piece of slime you are.” She balled her fists to keep from shaking in front of him.

  Scott hesitated, then spoke. “How do I know you won’t come after my money? My career?”

  “Because my father raised me better than that.” Her father had paid quite a high price to have Nora as his own and was willing to pay until the man before her died.

  Another taxi pulled behind hers, lights shining in the distance.

  “What is going on?” Scott demanded.

  Nora wasn’t sure.

  Until Rush stepped out of the backseat with fire in his eyes.

  * * *

  Rush stalked to the gate; anger boiled to his brain, but relief that Nora was alive and okay for the moment kept his head level. He’d finally left the pileup on Route 5 only to return to Joshua’s and discover Nora wasn’t there.

  What they’d found on her bed told the tale. Joshua had revealed that he wasn’t her biological father. The man who was looked livid and slightly nervous.

  Rush approached. Pulled his badge. “Chief Deputy Rush Buchanan. I’m from Splendor Pines.”

  “Why are law enforcement involved in this?” Senator Rhodes demanded and glared at Nora. “You said you wouldn’t tell anyone. Didn’t want anything.”

  “I don’t!” Nora’s voice rose. “How did you get here?” she asked Rush. “I got the last direct flight and there were delays.”

  “That’s not really what we need to discuss at the moment, now, is it?” He held his temper in check. “I have a few questions about Marilyn Livingstone.”

  “I already answered those.”

  Rush listened as the senator recounted his relationship with Marilyn—who he claimed to be a call girl. Joshua hadn’t shared that. He might not know. “I’m done talking without my lawyer.”

  He gave Nora one last glance, turned his back on her—for the second time—and marched toward his home. Rush couldn’t imagine the pain and torment she was feeling at this moment.

  She’d opted into flying the coop. Hadn’t called him, approached her father or stayed put. Nora had possibly put herself in further danger, though Rush didn’t have a gut feeling the senator was behind the attacks on her. He wasn’t sure if he’d had a hand in anything that might prove nefarious from the night Marilyn died. She did have a case of money.

  Now that Nora had revealed everything, Rush couldn’t be certain the senator wouldn’t retaliate somehow. But the most important thing at the moment was Nora.

  She stood gazing through the bars as if they would open up to her and a new story would unfold. Rush laid a hand on her shoulder. “Nora, it’s time to go home.”

  She rapidly blinked, then inhaled. “Right. Okay.”

  Rush paid her cabdriver, then guided her into his cab. She gnawed on her nail and stared out the window. Lost in thought. There had to be thousands. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “No. You heard it yourself. There’s nothing to say.”

  There was tons to say! She had to be dying inside, and more than anything, Rush wanted her to lean into him. To talk about her feelings. To know she could confide in and trust him. It was this barrier that had torn them apart and kept them apart. Rush had thought Nora might not be a runner anymore since she’d stuck around to look into her mother’s past. But this heavy news had sent her heading for the hills. Physically and emotionally. Proving there were no more shots between them.

  “Your dad knows you found the papers. You left them on the bed.”

  Nora nodded.

  “Nora, I know this is a major bomb, but what really matters is that your dad loves you. And he’s a good dad. Now you know what he’s been hiding.” Rush touched her hand, but she pulled away, then slowly she gave it back to him. The simple gesture warmed his heart. He laced his fingers with hers. “Please talk to me.”

  “If my dad was keeping quiet to protect me from the senator, then he must believe that the senator is dangerous.”

  Rush didn’t mean to talk about the case but if that’s all he was going to get, then so be it. “But he couldn’t be behind the attacks. That first one at the chalet happened only hours after you arrived in town. Unless he has a connection to Splendor Pines and someone called him and he put out an order. Even then... I’m not sure it’s Scott Rhodes.”

  “Me either. He was genuinely surprised to see me on his doorstep. Mom may have been going to take him money that night and something happened. Either done by him or someone else, but if it was him, why not take the money?”

  The cab dropped them at a private hanger. Rush paid the fare and he and Nora crawled out of the cab. “This is how I got to you.” He smirked. “When there were no more direct flights, I hit up Buddy Wilkerson.”

  “Ah Buddy. I didn’t realize he was still flying planes.”

  “On occasion. And he’s always been a bit adventurous, so the storm didn’t affect him as much as a few extra dollars and doing me a favor did.” Rush w
aved to him and they made small talk before boarding. Once they were buckled in and taxiing, Rush continued, “I agree with you. I don’t think the senator is our present-day killer. I can’t say for sure if he’s involved in the past. But my cousin Hollister was in the navy with a woman who is now a private detective. Lives in DC.”

  “How would you remember that?” Nora asked.

  “He brought her home a few times after you moved to Knoxville. They seemed pretty serious, but it ended. On amicable terms. She can probably look into the senator discreetly. See if we can find any airline tickets or hotels nearby on that night. It’s a long shot, but it’s all we have.”

  “Is she how you got Scott’s address?”

  “Yep.”

  “What’s her name?”

  “Theodora VanHolt. She goes by Teddy, though.” Rush leaned back as they ascended. When the plane steadied, he sighed. She may not like what he had to say, but she was going to hear it now that she couldn’t make a break for it. Unless she had a parachute. “Nora, you shouldn’t have taken off like that. You could have gotten yourself killed. We were all hysterical. Do you not care about the people who care for you?”

  Nora squeezed her eyes shut. “You weren’t there when I read those papers. You have no idea how it made me feel—”

  “And you won’t tell me. Ever since your mom died, you’ve closed yourself off emotionally and physically. You didn’t used to be this way. You used to trust me with your hopes, fears and dreams. You can’t pin this one on Ainsley. It happened long before her.”

  Nora started to speak but closed her mouth. Finally, she spoke. “I can’t explain what happened to me after Mom disappeared. Or I didn’t want to because it would make me a horrible person. The last person I wanted to see me in a bad light was you.”

  Rush’s chest ached to hold her. He cradled her cheeks. “Nora, I could never see you in a bad light. Not then. Not now.” Though he was disappointed in her and her actions, there was no hiding the generous, kind and clever woman before him. More than anything he wanted to lean in and kiss her, but now wasn’t the time or the place.

  “I’m tired. Mentally. Emotionally. Physically.”

  Rush scooted closer and offered his shoulder. “Rest. We can talk later.”

  The turbulence didn’t seem to affect her. Nora slept right through it all until they landed at Splendor Pines Airport. “How you feeling?” Rush asked.

  “I don’t know. It’s been a lot to take in. Instead of answers I keep getting more questions.”

  Rush thanked Buddy and led Nora to his truck. They climbed inside. Rush shivered and found his gloves. “I’m going to take you back to the chalet.”

  Nora nodded and they inched their way toward the cabins. The heat kicked in and warmed the cab of the truck. When they arrived, Rush parked in the driveway of his cabin. “We’ll walk over.”

  Nora only nodded. Her face was pale and her eyes tired, dark circles underneath. Snow crunched under their feet, and Nora leaned into Rush and he put his arm around her.

  Crack!

  Gunshot. Snow sprayed about a foot from them. “Run!” Rush hunched over Nora, shielding her, and ran behind a tree.

  Another shot fired.

  And another. Bark splintered. Which was safer—heading for her chalet or into the woods?

  Woods. “Let’s haul it through there and to your dad’s.” Someone had been lying in wait. Rush didn’t have his radio on him to call it in. But he did have a gun. He fired back, hoping whoever was shooting might change his mind knowing they were armed.

  The shooter returned fire.

  Grabbing Nora’s hand, he hauled her into the woods with him.

  When they’d made it deep inside and almost to the stable, the firing stopped. Either they were tracking quietly or they’d given up.

  Rush fired one more round to test and see. Nothing.

  “Now what?” Nora breathed, air pluming from her lips.

  The shooter probably expected them to make a dash to the main house, where he might be tracking to now. “Let’s double back to the chalet and I’ll call for backup. Make sure no one gets hurt here or at your dad’s place.”

  Scott Rhodes could have called someone. But the better assessment was someone else had planned this attack. Maybe Ward McKay. Maybe anyone. Marilyn had a slew of deadly secrets, and one of them was out to get Nora.

  EIGHT

  The morning was overcast and full of snow and ice. Nora hadn’t slept a wink. The weight of her mother’s past had borne down on her heavily along with the adrenaline from the attack and confronting Scott Rhodes. She picked up her cell phone from the side table: 7:00 a.m. Now she was feeling the exhaustion, but there was no time to sleep. The smell of toast drew her attention to her stomach and it rumbled. Toast. Power must be back on. She plugged in her cell and the lightning bolt lit up.

  After brushing her teeth and hair, she entered the kitchen. Dad sat at the table drinking coffee. Tired eyes met hers and for the first time in all her life she glimpsed a measure of uncertainty in them. Nora’s stomach knotted.

  Conversation time.

  Rush cleared his throat. “Pot of coffee and toast. I’m going to go next door and shower. Call me when...” He nodded and grabbed his coat, then bolted.

  Nora forced herself to pour a cup of coffee and take a piece of buttered toast from the plate by the coffeepot. “I’m not sure how to start,” she said. Tears burned the backs of her eyes.

  “Let me start, then.” Dad stood. “I love you, Nora. I love you because you belong to me. I chose you to be mine. I haven’t regretted it a day.”

  Nora’s throat tightened and she gripped the counter as she felt Dad’s presence move closer to her until she could hear him breathing behind her.

  “I love you, Nora.”

  With trembling lips, Nora turned and faced her father. His deep, dark eyes gazed into hers and tears glossed them over. She fell into his arms and sobbed. “Were you ever going to tell me the truth?”

  “No. Because the truth is you’re my daughter. Nothing else matters and I wanted to spare you the pain you must have endured last night. I wish you hadn’t gone to Jackson.”

  But she had and she was glad she did. She would have always wondered. Now she knew what kind of monster had created her, the way in which she’d been born. “He said some ugly things, Dad. I don’t want to believe them, but I can’t ignore them.”

  “Your mother came here looking for a job.”

  “At eighteen. I know she lied about her age all these years.” Nora sat at the table, unable to stand. This was too much information. Too heavy. Too devastating.

  Dad slowly nodded and sat across from her. “She was lost and looking for a place to belong and have you. Something about her moved me. I was way too old for her, and at first it was me giving her sanctuary and a job as a maid.”

  Her mother. A call girl and a maid.

  “But I fell in love with her and I wanted to marry her. I believe she fell in love with me, but her past was tragic.” He choked on his own voice. “She was born into an abusive family and she was hurt in every way you could imagine, Nora. When she sought help at sixteen, that man took advantage of her so she ran away.”

  Nora’s heart broke and she sobbed. Mom had been hurt so much, so often. No way to trust anyone. She must have seen the goodness in Dad. His compassion, kindness and generosity. It must have drawn her.

  “She lived on the streets awhile in Virginia, where she was from.”

  “After the house fire that took her family and all the photos?”

  Dad sighed. “Those were stories. Your mom didn’t want to tell you about her horrific childhood or family. She escaped them.”

  “They never came looking for her?”

  He placed a gentle hand on hers. “They weren’t the kind that cared if she left or stayed, I’m sorry to say
. She ended up in Jackson, where she met a girl who talked her into making a lot of money. Told her it was safe. Classy.” Disgust hung on his words. “That’s how she met Scott Rhodes.”

  Nora covered her face with hands, her mind reeling. “But, Dad, why the affairs? I mean, if she loved you. You were kind to her. You respected her.”

  Dad’s lip trembled. “Sometimes, familiarity is comforting when you don’t feel worthy of good things. Of love. Even if familiarity is like going into bondage.”

  Nora was reminded of the Israelites. Wishing for slavery because they at least got three squares a day and the wilderness seemed uncertain even though God promised to be with them. He’d given them freedom.

  “I kept praying and hoping she’d see that I loved her unconditionally and she would change.” He rubbed his face, exhausted. “I didn’t turn a blind eye. I talked. I ranted. I begged and pleaded with God to let me walk away, to give up, but He seemed to always bring me back to the book of Hosea. Do you know how many times I read it? More times than I can count. Those pages are riddled with tears.”

  Nora could hardly imagine her dad wetting the pages of his bible in tears.

  “But I stuck it out. I reminded myself of her past. The pain. The torment. I did everything I could to prove that she could trust me and was safe.”

  The bank account. Her own money.

  “She struggled her whole life, Nora. But one thing she knew was that I loved her. That she could always come back. Because no matter how exhausted I became, how numb at times and furious at others...down to the bitter end, I loved her.”

  Nora’s heart lurched into her throat. Dad had stayed the course. Kept loving. What if Nora had done the same with Rush? When things got tough. Far less severe than what Dad had experienced. “You knew all this time she was leaving us?”

  “Nora, what do you think was happening when she left so many times before? Have you blocked that out?” He clasped her hand. “I told you she was gone on a trip, but, honey, she was leaving. She bolted when things got difficult, when she felt guilt over the affairs. It was hard for her to face me at times. But she always came home because deep in her heart, I know she loved me. And I have no doubt she loved you and Hailey.”