Yuletide Defender (9 page)

She turned and stared into his eyes. “Thank you for inviting me.”

He cleared his throat and crooked his arm. “Then let's go.”

She slipped her arm in his and they walked down the hallway to the elevator. As they waited, she turned to Matt. “This elevator can be slow at times. I've talked to the owner about moving to a first-floor apartment, but for the time being I'm stuck up here on three. What about you? Do you have an apartment or a house?”

Matt turned his head away from her. “I live in a condo.”

Rachel's eyes widened. “A condo? There aren't many of those in Lake City. Which one do you live in?”

“Emerald Basin.”

“Emerald Basin?” she said. “That's a double-gated condominium community out toward the lake.”

He reached over and punched the elevator button again. “I know.”

Matt didn't turn toward her and his profile appeared impassive. Emerald Basin? She couldn't believe it. Only the wealthy lived there, not usually people who worked for the police department. She wouldn't have been more surprised if he had told her he lived in a homeless shelter.

She swallowed and tried to regain her voice. “Matt, why have you never told me you live in the most expensive area of the city?”

He turned to her. The icy stare he directed at her chilled her. “I never thought it was important.”

The elevator arrived and they stepped inside. Neither spoke
all the way to the ground level or after they exited the building. Matt took her arm and steered her across the street to his car. She halted, surprised again, at the sleek, black sports car in front of them.

“I-is this your car?”

He bit his lip. “Yes.”

She glanced up at him. “But I've never seen you drive this before.”

“Every time you've seen me I've been in one of the department's cars.”

He unlocked the door and held it open for her to climb inside. She snuggled into the leather seat as he slammed the door and stared in disbelief at the expensive sound system. The dials and knobs on the dash far outnumbered anything she'd ever seen. How did he ever remember what each one was for?

As Matt scooted behind the wheel, she pulled her seat belt across her lap. “Nice car.”

“Thanks. It was a birthday present. The condo was, too.”

She caressed the smooth leather-padded dash. “Those are some kind of presents.”

“Yeah, my mother likes to make a statement.”

Rachel froze at the callous sound of his voice. “Does your mother live near here?”

He cranked the motor. “No. I grew up in New York, on Long Island. She travels a lot. Haven't seen her in over a year.”

“You must miss her.”

The muscle in his jaw constricted. “Yeah.”

The sudden chill Matt emitted puzzled Rachel. She started to ask him something more about his mother, but one glance at his rigid facial muscles changed her mind. At a loss as to what had just happened, she glanced out the window at the side view mirror. The taillights of a car parked in a spot on the opposite side of the lot flashed as the driver prepared to back
out. A security light nearby illuminated the vehicle. Rachel squinted to get a better view. Something looked familiar.

Her eyes grew wide and her breath caught in her throat. The sight of a dent in the back fender and chipped paint across the trunk sent goose bumps racing down Rachel's spine. It was the car the young man had driven away after following her from the
Beacon
's lobby.

Matt backed his car out and headed toward the parking lot entrance. Her puzzlement at Matt's sudden silence vanished as the car pulled from its spot and followed them onto the main street.

The car trailed behind with no attempt to pass on the four-lane street. She gripped the sides of her seat and swiveled to glance behind. The car maintained its steady distance.

A few hundred feet down the road, a red light marked a major intersection. Maybe if the car pulled up beside of them in the adjacent lane she could tell if the driver was the same person she'd spotted at the
Beacon.

Before they reached the junction of the two streets, the light turned green and Matt drove on. Rachel twisted in her seat and glanced behind again. The car turned right and accelerated down the street. She caught a glimpse of the taillights disappearing in the distance and breathed a sigh of relief.

Matt cast a sideways glance at her. “What's wrong?”

Maybe she should tell Matt about the strange young man and the car with the dented fender. One glance at his face told her this wasn't the time. She could tell him later.

“Nothing.”

Had she been imagining it or was the young man in the dented car really following her? He could be a gang member. Perhaps a Ranger who wanted to put an end to her stories. Or he could be the sniper. And if he was, did he have a connection to the Santa who stole her purse?

She frowned and shook her head. The answers to those questions would have to wait until later. Right now she wanted
to concentrate on an evening at the ballet and dinner with Matt. From the moment she'd expressed surprise at where he lived and his car, his attitude had changed. She had no idea what she'd done, but something told her this would probably be their one and only date.

M
att couldn't believe he was sitting across the table from Rachel in his favorite Italian restaurant. The dining area looked beautiful tonight with the huge Christmas wreaths decorating the walls and the candles on the tables casting a glow about the room. The soft tones of a flute accompanied by a piano vibrated through the room as the musicians performed a medley of Christmas carols. He'd wanted to bring her here for weeks but he'd put off asking her. Now here they were. He hoped she was enjoying the evening as much as he was.

They'd gotten off to a shaky start at her apartment when he told her about his home and car. In the past when his family's wealth had been revealed, dollar signs flashed in his date's eyes and the questions began. Rachel hadn't reacted that way. He wondered why.

At the ballet, she'd appeared engrossed in the music and the dancers. When she did take her eyes off the stage, it was only to flash a happy smile in his direction. Now as he watched her, she closed her eyes, swallowed the last bite of her tiramisu and gave a moan of pleasure.

After a moment she opened her eyes. “That is a delicious dessert.”

He chuckled and picked up his coffee cup. “Does it rank up there with bear claws and cream cheese Danishes?”

A scowl crossed her face and she shook a finger at him.
“Don't remind me of how many calories I've eaten today. It's depressing to think of how many hours I'll have to spend in the gym this week.”

He laughed and set his cup down. “How did you enjoy the ballet?”

Her face grew serious and she stared into his eyes. “It was wonderful. Thank you so much for taking me. I've never been to a ballet before.”

His eyebrow arched. “Really? Never?”

She shook her head. “In my family we never had money for extra things like the ballet or the theater. Sometimes I'd hear girls at school talking about going to see
The Nutcracker
and I'd wish that someday I would be able to do that.” She reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “Thank you for making my wish come true, Matt.”

The touch of her hand made his skin tingle. He slipped his fingers from hers. “I'm glad I could be of help.”

A hurt look flashed in her eyes for a moment before she tucked a strand of her blond hair behind her ear and sat up straighter. “I suppose things like the ballet were common in your family. From the look of your car and now knowing where you live, I'd say you must have had a very privileged childhood.”

He nodded. “I suppose you could say that. My mother inherited a lot of money from her father, and she intended for her only child to have everything money could buy. She's still that way.”

Rachel's eyes grew wide. “Wow. I can't imagine how wonderful that would be.”

He reached for his water glass and circled the top with his finger. “It's not as good as it sounds. From the furthest time I can remember, my mother was never home. She was too busy with her social life. My father was off chasing the latest young woman who appealed to him. I had many nannies and
staff to provide for me but they didn't really care about me. I was just their job.”

Her forehead puckered with a frown. “I'm sorry. I understand about someone not caring. My father left us when my sister, Cara, was born. He couldn't deal with all her disabilities. We never heard from him again.” Tears glistened in the corner of her eyes. “I still can't understand how he could turn his back on us and walk away like we were nothing. I could never tell you how difficult it was for my mother to provide for Cara and me.”

His heart hurt at the agony in her words. “Well, your mother did a good job with you. Maybe I'll get to meet your mother and Cara someday.”

Her body stiffened and she sat up straighter. “Maybe. My mother is a wonderful person, but I worry about her. She's getting older. I know that soon I'll have to take over a lot of the responsibility of Cara. In fact, someday I'll have the total care of her.”

“Oh?”

She took a deep breath. “Yes, and it's expensive. My focus right now is to get a job that pays better. I need money for the future and I have to figure a way to get lots of it.”

“Money's not everything, Rachel.”

She tilted her head to one side. “Not if you've always had it. To those of us who struggle to meet our daily obligations, it's very important.”

“I suppose so.”

He laid his napkin on the table and motioned for the waitress to bring the check. There was no use prolonging this date. As much as he had hoped, there wasn't a relationship in the future for Rachel and him.

He tried to ignore the ache that cut into his heart but it was impossible. From the first time he'd met Rachel, he'd known she was special, but her honesty about wanting to get more money concerned him. He'd been hurt before by women who
were only interested in his family's wealth, and he was determined not to go through that again. Much as he disliked the idea, perhaps it would be better if he and Rachel ended their friendship now before it got more complicated.

 

Rachel watched Matt pull a wad of bills from his wallet and stuff them in the bill folder the waitress had left. He didn't even appear to count out the money. Just stuck it inside as if he couldn't wait to get it out of his hands fast enough. What was the matter with him? Twice tonight she'd watched his emotions close down. Once in the car and now in the restaurant. And both times they'd been discussing the luxuries that money provides.

He glanced at her. “Are you ready to go?”

She nodded and reached for her coat on the back of her chair before she remembered Matt had checked it with a hostess when they entered the restaurant. “I need my coat.”

“I'll get it for you if you want to wait in the lobby for me.”

He turned and strode across the restaurant toward the coat check room. His rigid back and shoulders made her feel like a young child who'd been reprimanded over something she'd done, but she had no idea what it was.

She walked to the front door and stared outside. Snow had fallen since they'd come in, and the sight of the changed landscape calmed her. As if on cue, the melody of “White Christmas” drifted from the direction of the musicians. A memory of pulling Cara around their yard on a sled on Christmas morning surfaced, and she smiled.

Matt Franklin's moods weren't going to upset her. It was snowing and Christmas would soon be here.

Matt stopped beside her and glanced out the doors. “Oh, it's snowing. Why don't you wait here while I get the car?”

“Okay.”

He held the coat for her to put on, but this time he didn't
lean forward as he had earlier. Rachel watched him leave and wondered if she would ever know the whole story about what had happened in Matt's past to make his mood so changeable.

The ringing of her cell phone interrupted her thoughts. She pulled it from her purse and frowned at the caller ID. Private number? No one she knew blocked their number.

“Hello?”

“Good evening, Miss Long. Did you enjoy the ballet?” The raspy voice was unfamiliar.

A tremor rippled through Rachel's body. “Who is this?”

A soft laugh echoed in her ear. “It doesn't matter who I am. But I know who you are.”

The hand holding the phone shook. “What do you want?”

“Why, nothing.” A hint of surprise laced the words. “I just wanted you to know I've been reading your stories. You're making quite a name for yourself in Lake City.”

“I only report the news.”

“Ah, the news. You've reported quite a bit lately about the gangs. Doesn't it ever scare you that they might decide you're a threat to them? They might even decide to harm you in some way.”

Rachel didn't like the way this conversation was going and summoned every bit of courage she possessed. “I'm not afraid of them. Now tell me what you want or I'm going to hang up.”

“That would be a mistake, Miss Long. I only wanted to tell you that I've been watching you. I especially like that red dress you're wearing tonight. I have a cross necklace that would look great with it.”

The words hit Rachel like a punch in the stomach. “W-w-who are you?”

“We met outside your office. I'm sorry I had to hurry away so quickly but I had to get back to the North Pole and check
my list for all the good little boys and girls. Unfortunately, your name wasn't on there.”

“Look, whoever you are, this isn't funny. Are you the creep who stole my purse?” Rachel struggled to keep from screaming.

He sighed and the sound sent shivers down her back. “Don't you want to know if I also took a shot at you and if I set off some fireworks at Pepper's Bar?”

Rachel sucked in her breath. “You're the vigilante.”

“Vigilante? I prefer to call myself a gallant knight who wants to rid this town of vermin. You wouldn't let me do that. So now I'm going to make you pay.” Hatred oozed from the words.

Rachel could hardly breathe. “What are you going to do?”

“Remember the man with the lunch box?” His words fell like thunder on her ears. “You're going to be just as dead as he is. Watch out for me, Rachel. I'm coming for you.”

The call ended but Rachel couldn't pull the phone from her ear. How did he know she was going to the ballet? And the red dress? He said he was watching her. Was he close now?

She spun around and let her frightened gaze dart about the room. Her gaze fell on a table near the back of the room. The man sitting there looked up from his plate, frowned and rose from his chair.

Smothering a cry for help, Rachel whirled and bolted through the double doors of the restaurant.

 

Matt pulled to a stop in front of the restaurant and waited for Rachel to exit. He leaned over the passenger seat and stared through the car window. She stood inside the front door with her back turned and her cell phone pressed to her ear.

When she didn't turn around, he shoved the gearshift into Park and climbed out of the car. He hurried across the snow-covered sidewalk and had just reached out to open the door
when Rachel whirled, barreled through the doors and plowed into him.

She screamed at the contact with his body and jerked away. Grabbing her by the arms, Matt steadied her and pulled her closer. She struggled to twist out of his grasp and her head lolled backward. Stark terror radiated from her eyes.

His lips stretched taut across his teeth and he gave her a gentle shake. “Rachel, what's the matter?”

She glanced up at him as if seeing him for the first time. Then she threw her arms around him. He tightened his embrace and she clung to him like a frightened child. When she didn't answer, he prodded her again. “Rachel, tell me what happened.”

She pulled away and glanced over her shoulder. “That man was after me.”

He peered past her and tried to get a glimpse of someone in the restaurant. “A man in the restaurant?” Matt took her by the arm and stepped to the door. “What man?”

Rachel pointed at a man who was making his way across the dining room. “Th-that one.”

The man sidestepped one table, then stopped at another where an elderly couple were seated. He bent over to say something to the woman, then walked behind her and scooted her chair closer to the table. The lady smiled up at him and patted his arm before he returned to his table.

Matt heaved a sigh of relief. “He was only helping an elderly woman. What made you think he was after you?”

Rachel stood transfixed, staring through the front door. She slowly raised the cell phone she had clutched in her hand. “A man on the phone said he was watching me. He said I was going to die just like the man with the lunch box.”

“What?” Matt grasped her arms tighter.

She nodded. “He called while you were getting the car.”

The engine hummed in his ear and Matt remembered he'd left the car running when he went to get Rachel. He turned
her toward the vehicle and steered her down the steps. “Let me get you in the car where it's warm.”

“Y-y-yes.” Her teeth chattered as if she was freezing, but Matt suspected it was from fear.

Once inside the car, he swiveled in the seat. “Now tell me exactly what happened.”

Rachel took a deep breath and related the phone conversation she'd had while she waited for him. Matt's heart beat faster with every word. When she'd finished, he reached across and wrapped his fingers around hers. Earlier he had pulled away from her. Then her hands had been warm. Now they were cold and stiff with fear.

He stroked her hand for several seconds before he spoke. “It seems obvious that your caller was the Santa who stole your purse and most likely the sniper as well. Maybe he's trying to scare you.”

The fear in her eyes told him she didn't believe that. “You didn't hear him. He sounded like he hates me.”

Matt reached across and buckled her seat belt around her. Placing a finger under her chin, he lifted her head until she stared into his eyes. At that moment, Matt knew he would do anything he could to protect Rachel. Later he would have time to sort out his feelings for her.

“Don't worry,” he whispered. “I'm not going to let that killer get close to you. I promise you that.”

Her chin trembled and a tear slipped from the corner of her eye. “Thank you, Matt.”

His gaze locked on her lips. He wanted to seal his promise with a kiss but he couldn't be distracted from the promise he'd just made. The problem was that he had to figure out a way to keep it.