Mistletoe Justice

by Carol J. Post

  Her pulse picked up and her stomach rolled over. She would still be able to talk to Conner during her confinement. Some of the heaviness lifted. Right now, he was her lifeline.

  Nicki moved toward the small chest of drawers next to the bed. “I’m also leaving you some of my yoga pants and T-shirts, along with a few sweat suits. I’m a little taller than you, but they should fit.”

  “I can’t thank you enough for all this.”

  Nicki waved away her gratitude. “It’s no big deal. The place is sitting empty anyway. I used to rent it out, but a couple of deadbeat tenants cured me of that. Now I just let friends crash here when they visit.”

  Nicki moved toward the front of the cottage. “I’m going to let you get some rest now. If you need anything, just knock on my back door.”

  Darci twisted the lock behind her, then crossed the room to pull a T-shirt and pair of stretchy pants from the drawer. Thank You, Lord. If it weren’t for Conner and Nicki, she’d be spending another night in the woods, struggling to stay warm and hiding from predators—two-legged and four-legged. Instead, she had food and shelter and company, even if that company came in the form of Conner’s beautiful ex.

  After a relaxing hot shower, she slipped into clean clothes, pulled back the bedspread and slid between the sheets. She would probably be out cold within moments. If only the nightmares would stay at bay.

  As she pulled the covers to her chin, she prayed for a night filled with sweet dreams.

  Dreams of Conner.

  NINE

  Tracks crisscrossed in the sand, an intricate pattern of ridges and valleys left behind by massive tires. Now, a few minutes before the start of the workday, all the equipment was silent. And Conner stalked the area, eyes peeled for Captain America.

  Knowing that Kyle was nuts over any and all things Avengers, Jerry, the scale operator, had given Conner the action figure yesterday at lunchtime, and he’d put it in his pocket. But when he got home, it was gone. It had to have fallen out when he removed his keys. But he’d just finished combing the entire area, and the figure had vanished. He would have to declare Captain America missing in action.

  Conner headed toward the fenced equipment area to pick up the service truck, and his eyes fell on a small patch of blue at the deepest part of one of the tracks. He bent to brush aside the sand and unearthed a crushed Captain America.

  His brows creased in confusion. Yesterday, he’d left at the same time as everyone else. And none of the operators had started yet this morning.

  Which meant one thing. Someone had used the backhoe last night after the mine had closed.

  At ten o’clock, Conner headed for the scale house. He would spend his morning break with Jerry. After chatting a few minutes, he pulled the action figure from his pocket.

  Jerry’s brows shot up. “Whoa, what happened to it?”

  “It fell out of my pocket when I got my keys out yesterday. I didn’t realize it till I got home.”

  “Someone did a number on it this morning.”

  “Not this morning. Last night. I found this buried in a track before the guys had cranked up a single piece of equipment. The tracks match the tires on the Caterpillar backhoe.”

  Jerry shook his head. “That doesn’t make sense. P. T. doesn’t run a night shift. Once we head out of here at five o’clock, the day is done.”

  “That’s what I thought. But this proves otherwise. I’m afraid someone might be tampering with the equipment.”

  “That’s not good. Have you told Wiggins?”

  Conner searched his eyes. Of all the P. T. employees, Jerry was the one he’d gotten closest to. But could he trust him? He didn’t have access to the information he needed to prove Darci’s innocence, so he was going to have to trust someone. He’d rather it be Jerry than anyone else.

  “I’m afraid Wiggins might be involved. What do you know about him?”

  “Other than that he’s an arrogant jerk?” Jerry smiled. “Frankly, I don’t have a whole lot of love for the man. We keep hoping Peter Turlong will come back and clean house.”

  “Wiggins isn’t my favorite person, either, especially after what he’s done to Darci.”

  Jerry nodded slowly. “When I heard that she’d been caught embezzling funds then fled the police, I knew there was more to the story. That doesn’t sound like the Darci Tucker I know.”

  No, it didn’t sound like the Darci Tucker he knew, either. But things weren’t looking good. He’d talked to Hunter several times over the past three and a half days. Although no official charges had been filed, she was wanted for questioning. They believed that, whatever she was involved in, she was working with an accomplice who’d dropped his phone when delivering the money. Several calls between that phone and Darci’s confirmed their suspicions. The number was the same one she’d asked Hunter to check.

  Determination entered Jerry’s eyes. “What can I do to help?”

  “The signs coming onto the property say it’s under video surveillance. Is that true?”

  “Yeah, parts of it, anyway. Several years ago, we had some theft—one of the carts that the managers ride around on and a bunch of mechanics’ tools. Turlong had the cameras installed then. And just in case that wasn’t going to be enough, he got Genghis for backup.”

  Yeah, Genghis. Conner had met the pit bull that guarded the fenced equipment area his first day there. Since the two of them had been formally introduced, the dog would supposedly not bother him. But he always breathed a sigh of relief once someone had gotten him securely chained up.

  “Is it possible to get our hands on the tape from last night?”

  “I don’t know about the actual tape, but I believe the activity is still being backed up on the cloud.”

  That was even better. “How can I view that?”

  “You’ll need the URL and password. Let me see what I can do.”

  “Try not to arouse any suspicion, okay?”

  “Hey, if I just say we’re trying to bring Wiggins down, we’ll have the cooperation of everyone here. But no, I’ll be discreet.”

  By lunchtime, Jerry had the requested information, and by the end of the day, Conner had formulated a plan to safely view the footage. There would even be a side benefit. He would get to see Darci.

  He pulled from the gravel drive onto the asphalt and headed for home. It had been four days since Darci had taken off. Ever since, no matter where he went, someone seemed to be following. Whether law enforcement or Wiggins’s people, they were keeping him on a tight leash.

  He eased off the gas to make the final turn onto 92nd Place. The Crown Victoria that had followed him until that point continued on. But he wasn’t fooled. It, or another one like it, would be at the ready, should he decide to leave the house.

  When he stopped next to the yellow Volkswagen Bug, he pulled the TracFone from his pocket and brought up Nicki’s number. Mrs. Peggart would have things well under control inside. She’d whipped Kyle into shape in no time and had done it in a way that Kyle had hardly noticed. If only he could make her child-rearing techniques work for him.

  But it didn’t really matter. His mom had assured him that they would be ready to take Kyle back by Christmas. That was only a week away. Oddly enough, the thought no longer brought the sense of relief that it had before, the feeling that he’d just crawled out from under a two-ton weight. Instead, it left him with a hollowness in his gut and a hole in his heart. He was getting attached to the kid.

  Conner touched the screen and put the phone to his ear. When Nicki answered, he didn’t waste time with pleasantries.

  “I’m going to see you guys tonight.” Viewing the security footage on his own computer was a bad idea. He was being watched too closely, had possibly already been hacked. But Nicki...

  “Are you nuts?” Her voice raised in both pitch a
nd volume on the last word. “You need to stay put. I don’t want you bringing anybody down on us—good guys or bad guys.”

  “Don’t worry. Everything’s okay. I have a plan.”

  * * *

  Two hours later, Conner pulled into the Walmart Supercenter parking lot in Chiefland. After calling Nicki, he had made a quick trip to the library to try out the URL and password Jerry had provided. They had worked, and there was no log of online views. Mike had come right after dinner to pick up Kyle and would keep him all night, if necessary.

  And he’d taken a few minutes for a call to Hunter. Darci’s cop friend had nothing further to report. They would keep feeding each other whatever information they had—except Darci’s whereabouts. Hunter had cautioned him the night Darci fled. If he knew where she was, he couldn’t keep it a secret without risking the loss of his badge.

  As usual, a dark-colored SUV had been behind him from the time he pulled off his street until he turned into Walmart. It was probably at that moment circling the parking lot, its driver watching for him to return to his truck. Someone was going to be watching for a long time.

  He stepped through the automatic door and took a shopping cart. He’d parked near the grocery section, but that wasn’t where he would exit. As he strolled through the aisles, gradually filling his cart, guilt pricked him. He was going to abandon everything. At least he would avoid the refrigerator and freezer areas.

  He finished in the food section, then made his way across the store, occasionally adding an item to the cart. His last stop was the garden center. Three customers milled around, and a clerk stood near the cash register, arranging plants on the clearance display. Conner checked his phone for the time. In another five minutes, a text would arrive.

  It came through two minutes early. He parked his cart at the end of the patio pavers and made his way toward the open gate. The clerk glanced at him, and he nodded. Just as he stepped outside, a silver Ram stopped in front of him. He climbed inside and pulled the door shut. The truck began to move immediately. But he was already leaning far to the left, his face near the seat. To anyone looking in, it would appear Nicki was alone.

  After she’d driven for a minute, Conner lifted his head. “Does anyone seem to be following?”

  A firm hand pushed him back down. “Not yet, but stay low.”

  Nicki didn’t give him the go-ahead until they had traveled some distance on Highway 19-98. He rubbed his stiff back and neck, then lifted his hand for a high five. “We did it. We outsmarted them.”

  “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. I’ve still got to get you back.”

  “That’ll be the easy part. I’ll have you drop me off several blocks away and disappear. Then I’ll walk back to Walmart and get my truck.”

  Right now, nothing would dampen his enthusiasm. After four days of only telephone contact, he was finally going to see Darci. The way his heart was racing, he was as bad as a teenager experiencing his first crush. He needed to get a grip.

  He’d fought his attraction toward her, not allowing their relationship to progress beyond friendship. But this separation was making him crazy. It was also forcing him to admit that he was falling for her. Hard.

  Unfortunately, he couldn’t act on it. If he did, parting would be that much harder when the time came. And eventually it would. Darci would go back to her life with Jayden, and his mother would take Kyle. And he would once again be free and single.

  And lonely and bored.

  But that was no reason to involve Darci in his general dissatisfaction with life.

  Nicki glanced over at him in the darkness. “You’re awfully quiet.”

  “I have a lot on my mind.”

  A long moment passed before she spoke again. “I told Darci that no woman has ever been able to lasso your heart.”

  Great. Just what he’d feared. He’d been the topic of at least one conversation.

  “I was wrong.” Her voice was low, her tone heavy with meaning.

  She drew to a stop in her driveway, then led him down a sidewalk to the cottage in the back—Darci’s temporary home. Nicki raised her hand to knock, and the door swung open before her fist could make contact.

  Darci stood there in a pale blue T-shirt and black yoga pants—loaners, no doubt—her hair brushed to a fine sheen and falling freely over her shoulders. And all his good intentions fell away like icicles thawing over a roaring fire.

  A flood of emotion swept through him, overwhelming in its power. Without a word, he wrapped her in a hug and crushed her to him. Her arms went around his waist, the strength of her own grip rivaling his.

  His mouth sought hers, and when their lips met, a jolt shot all the way to his toes. A little voice in the back of his mind tried to tell him that what he was doing was wrong, that he should pull away and apologize. But never had anything felt so right, especially with the way she was kissing him back, without reservation.

  Nicki cleared her throat, shattering the moment.

  “Coworkers, are we?”

  * * *

  Darci pulled away and brought her hand to her lips as heat crept up her cheeks. She’d told Nicki that she and Conner weren’t a couple, that they only worked together.

  Conner had just made a liar out of her. And she’d done nothing to dissuade him. In fact, she’d encouraged him. It was the first time in five years that anyone had been able to slip past the defenses she’d erected around her heart.

  Her gaze locked with his. None of the confusion and embarrassment swirling inside her was reflected in his eyes. Instead there was conviction.

  “That’s something we might have to reassess.” He took both of her hands in his. “I’ve been so worried about you. Are you okay?”

  She nodded, swallowing hard. How was she supposed to carry on an intelligent conversation after his kiss had fried all her brain circuits?

  “I got a new lead today.”

  “What kind of lead?”

  “Something going on at the mine. I’m not sure yet what it is, but we’re going to use Nicki’s computer to see what we can find out.”

  She pulled away from him, panic building inside her. “We can’t. Wiggins will know and he’ll find me.”

  He once again grasped her hands. “No, this is different. We’re going to look at the surveillance footage at the mine. Everything is backed up to the cloud. Jerry gave me the URL and password today.”

  “What if there’s a log kept?”

  “There isn’t. I already checked.”

  “Come on.” Nicki still stood at the door. “I’ll take you two over there.”

  As Darci followed, uneasiness descended on her with every step. There were too many times over the past few weeks when she’d done something, only to find out later she was being watched. But Conner had already checked it out. And he was careful.

  Nicki unlocked her back door and ushered them inside. This was where Darci had been spending her evenings. After being cooped up in the cottage all day while Nicki worked, getting out for a few hours helped her maintain her sanity. She’d even cooked the past two nights so they could share dinner.

  They had plenty to talk about, whether discussing Conner or not, although he had been a favorite topic. Nicki had known him a long time and had a large repertoire of stories. And she’d confirmed what Darci had already suspected—Conner wasn’t a settling-down kind of guy. Regardless of how much emotion had gone into that kiss.

  Once they were seated on the couch, Nicki handed Conner her laptop. He removed a slip of paper from his shirt pocket and typed in the URL and password recorded there.

  “We can view it live while it’s happening, or we can go back and look at previously recorded footage.” He made a couple of clicks. “I dropped something before getting into my truck yesterday afternoon. When I came in this morning, it ha
d been run over by the backhoe. Something went on there last night, and I’d like to find out what.” He clicked the mouse two more times. “This is the camera that covers that area, and this footage is from Monday night, starting at 8:00.” He clicked again. “I’m putting it on fast forward, so we don’t have to stare at mounds of sand for eight or ten hours.”

  Even on fast-forward, the surveillance was uneventful. Fortunately, the conversation over the next hour was a bit more entertaining. Nicki was well into a story about an elaborate hoax that she and her girlfriends had played on some guys in college when Darci’s breath hitched. Something had moved across the screen, or partway across the screen.

  She held up a hand. “Wait. Rewind that.”

  Conner did as she asked, then played it back, this time on regular speed. A couple of minutes passed before the recording reached that point again.

  He nodded. “It’s an owl.”

  “Something’s wrong.” Darci shook her head. “Play it again.” When he did, she pointed at a place two-thirds of the way across the screen. “The owl disappears right here. If the camera picked it up, it seems as if the path should have gone all the way across. Instead, that bird disappears into thin air.”

  Nicki leaned forward to look at her past Conner. “What do you think it means?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know. Maybe somebody stopped the recording.”

  Conner let it continue to play. “No, it’s still going. See the time display?”

  “Go back to fast-forward. Let’s see if anything else looks strange.”

  A few minutes later, Conner tensed next to her, then clicked to pause and rewind. Nicki leaned closer as an object started across the screen. “It’s another bird.”

  As before, it disappeared two thirds of the way across.

  “Or the same one.” Conner stopped the video again. “Did anyone pay any attention to the time on the other one?”

  Darci struggled to recall the numbers. “When you said the time was still going, it was 9:53. So a minute or two before that, I’d say.”