Deadly Night, Silent Night

by Margaret Daley

  “You know me well. Do you have any leads?”

  “The drunk we found insists he came through an unlocked window to get out of the cold and to sleep.”

  “Do you believe him?”

  “Yes. This isn’t the first time Sam Dickerson has done that with other places. Not to mention the amount of alcohol in his system would have made it hard for him to pull off the shooting and hacking into the computer, even if he had the skill to do so. What little I can find out about the man supports that.”

  “George personally checks the old building each week. He’s been with the company a long time and started out working at the original store. Everything was locked up as of two days ago.”

  “Does he check it the same day each week?”

  “Yes, but the times vary.”

  “So someone could have gotten into the building during those two days.”

  “I admit the security isn’t as strong there as it is at the new store, but why would someone want in it?”

  “They’re close enough to your computer network that they might be able to hack into your system unseen. In a car in the parking lot, the person could be caught on camera or at least a license plate number could be captured. Tomorrow, I’m going back to check the old building and see if I can find where he might have set up. I want George to go with me.”

  “Sure. I’ll let him know. When do you want to do it?”

  “I’ll call you in the morning. But the earlier the better.”

  She released a long sigh.

  “Go home, Rebecca. You need rest. You said yourself that this is a busy time for you and the business. You’ll function better with sleep. Is the store still going to be closed tomorrow?”

  “Yes, but I’m determined it will open on Wednesday. As a sponsor, the Iditarod promotion is important. It’s a big event here in March, and I want to start our build up during the holiday season.”

  “And how will you manage it if you keep falling asleep like you were when I came in?”

  “I’m afraid I might fall asleep on the drive home, so I’m going to make do with this couch.” She patted the brown leather cushion between them.

  “I know you have a few security guards on duty tonight, but go home. I’ll drive you. I have to be back here early tomorrow, so I’ll pick you up. Your house is on my way.”

  A laugh bubbled up in her, and it felt good. “Yeah, if you go five miles out of your way.”

  “Another good idea is to bring Susie with you tomorrow.”

  “I was thinking about that.”

  “See, you need to go home to get Susie so you might as well stay there for the night.”

  “You are persistent.”

  “It helps when I have a difficult case to solve.”

  Rebecca panned the office, the urge to leave if only for a few hours overwhelming her. Why did she think sleeping here would prove she was a good CEO? She couldn’t change what happened earlier today, and certainly her tossing and turning on a narrow couch wasn’t going to help her to be rested for tomorrow’s grueling work. Even now her father’s influence governed her actions. She still tried to please him even though he wasn’t around to see it.

  She gave Alex a small smile. “Your power of persuasion has swayed me.”

  “A wise woman. Are you ready to leave?”

  “Yes.” She rose, gathered her coat and purse, and left the office with him. “Let’s take the stairs. I’m going back to using them rather than the elevator.”

  “An elevator isn’t a refrigerator that doesn’t open from the inside.”

  “I beg to differ. I couldn’t open the elevator door when I tried earlier.” As she descended the stairs four floors, she slanted a glance at Alex. “You’re one of the few people who knows about my fear.”

  “And I won’t tell anyone.”

  She paused on a step and really assessed the man she’d known for years and yet hadn’t. Not deep inside. But what she did know was that he was a loyal friend and very good at his job. “I never thought you would.” In the dim light, she resumed her descent. She trusted Alex as much as she did her twin brother. “I knew rationally I would be saved from the elevator, but that didn’t make any difference when I couldn’t get the door open. My emotions took over, and I couldn’t stop them.” And she didn’t like the fact that they had. “Are you afraid of anything?”

  Alex waited to answer until after they left the store. “Every time I confront a suspect there’s a tiny part of me that wants to flee. I wonder if I’ll die like my dad when he answered a call about a domestic dispute between a husband and wife. That man opened the door and blasted my father with a shotgun before he even had a chance to draw his gun. That image runs through my mind at odd times.”

  “Why are you a police officer then?” Rebecca slipped into his SUV, releasing some of the tension gripping her as she put distance between her and the store.

  “I loved hearing my dad talk about his job and how he was helping others. He could never talk to Mom about his work, but he did with me. We were close. His death changed my life.”

  Her parents’ deaths had affected her even though she’d never been close to her father in a warm fuzzy way. But she still felt he was watching every move she made, ready to criticize her if she didn’t do it his way. Even after six years being solely in charge of the company, she questioned everything she did. More and more, she was moving in what she thought was the right direction while she fought that little voice telling her she was wrong—her father would want her to do it differently.

  “My dad’s death changed mine, too, but not in the way yours did.” Even from the grave his disapproval weighed her down. In tough situations like today, she wondered when she’d be free to live her life. So many people’s livelihood depended on her decisions and moves. At the moment, in her weariness, she wished otherwise. Tomorrow, she would be ready to fight back.

  “You didn’t want to run Outdoor Sports and Recreation?” Alex drove out of the parking lot.

  “Yes and no.” She slowly relaxed the more distance put between her and the store. “I’ll deny this tomorrow, but tonight I don’t want to make one more decision. I don’t want to be responsible for hundreds of employees. Worry if they will be safe or my customers’ credit information will be protected. I see my friends in their jobs helping people, and in Laura’s case, caring for animals as a veterinarian. Tory runs the search and rescue organization. They see how they affect others’ lives. What I do doesn’t really help others.”

  “Are you feeling sorry for yourself? This is new.” Alex stopped at a red light and peered at her. “You’re always in control, tough.”

  “That’s just it. I don’t want to be—at least until tomorrow. I’ve been working for sixteen hours and dealing with one crisis after another. This is only the beginning.” Rebecca took in the dark, deserted streets at one in the morning. “I have a feeling whoever did this isn’t through.”

  “Yeah, so do I.” He crossed the intersection.

  She angled toward him. “And you didn’t say anything to me about that? Did you find something to make you feel that way?”

  “Not exactly, but I’ve been a police officer for fifteen years, and occasionally, I get a gut feeling about a case that there’s more to it and so far I’ve never been wrong.”

  “I’m hoping in this situation you are.”

  “So am I.”

  “My family doesn’t need any more angst after what happened to Clint, Tory, and me last year when that stalker came after Tory. That’s enough adventure for my lifetime.”

  “I agree. I almost lost three good friends that day.”

  His words warmed her. They reminded her she had people who cared about her and wanted the best for her. Like Clint earlier today. When had she set aside some time for herself? Clint wanted her to take a vacation before the actual Iditarod Race took place. Maybe, for once, she needed to heed his advice. He was certainly capable of running the company while she lay on a beach in Hawaii.
“When did you last take a vacation?”

  “Christmas—last year.”

  “But you stayed here. When was the last time you totally got away from Anchorage for more than a couple of days? You and Clint go camping some, but that’s over the weekend and doesn’t count.”

  “You mean a complete change of scenery?”

  She punched the remote to open the black iron gates to her property. “Yes.”

  “I’d say about ten years ago. My family can be demanding of my time when I’m not working. Two siblings with six kids between them and a mother who constantly needs my help.”

  “How?”

  “The last time she got her bank account in a mess.”

  “Do your brother and sister step in and help her at times?”

  “That’ll be the day. Mark is almost as bad as Mom with finances. Thankfully, Beth’s husband does their checkbook.” Alex parked in front of her large gray stone house. “Math has never been my strong suit, but somehow I ended up doing the job with my family.”

  “Thanks for bringing me home. I need to be at the store by seven,” she checked the clock in the dashboard and groaned, “in five and a half hours.” She dug into her purse and pulled out the remote. “In the morning use this to get in the gate.” She opened the passenger door and climbed out.

  When she straightened, Alex exited the car on his side, scanning the front of the house. “It’s dark. Don’t Martha and Henry stay in the house?”

  The couple took care of her home and property. They had done those tasks for years since she was a child. “No. I’m surprised the front porch light isn’t on though. They always leave it on for me.”

  Alex rounded the hood. “That’s okay. I’ll walk you to the door. The light bulb might be out.”

  Rebecca shone her flashlight on her cell phone as she moved to the porch. The bright glow fell onto the massive wooden door with a white paper, flapping in the breeze, pinned to it.

  Rebecca’s stomach churned as she closed the distance to the sheet. She normally didn’t use this entrance but the one in the garage. When she reached for the note, Alex leaned around and stopped her.

  “Don’t.”

  ***

  Chapter Three

  Alex moved in front of Rebecca. There were two pieces of paper—a vaguely worded note on the top and a database listing on the bottom one—tacked to the door. “Don’t touch it. Let me handle this.”

  She peeked around him and waved her hand toward the sheets. “Who put this here?”

  Alex retrieved a pair of latex gloves from his pocket and carefully unpinned the message while Rebecca came around and shone her light on it. When he shuffled the top page to the bottom, it revealed a database listing.

  Rebecca sucked in a gasp. “That’s credit card information for a list of people I’m not familiar with.”

  Alex looked up and searched the darkness beyond the porch. “Let’s get inside and see if this has anything to do with what was stolen from your network.” The sensation of being watched bore into him as strongly as it had when he came out of the old store earlier.

  Rebecca passed him her cell phone while she rummaged for her keys in a large black leather purse. “Honestly, I need a keeper.”

  “I thought you were always so organized.”

  “I am except for some reason not my handbag. Its size keeps growing bigger each year as I have more to carry around. Remember in high school, I hated having a purse. That feeling hasn’t changed.” She withdrew the key and tried to stick it in upside down.

  Alex returned her cell phone and took over opening her door. “Let’s get inside.”

  Rebecca glanced over her shoulder. “If this wasn’t from Clint, Martha, or Henry, and they wouldn’t put it here, then that means someone most likely climbed over the fence to put this on my door. Why would they go to all that trouble? What’s going on?” Her voice quavered.

  “We’ll talk about it in a minute. Where’s Susie? Where are Martha and Henry?” Alex shoved the door all the way open, the beeping of her alarm filling the air.

  Rebecca hurried into the house. “Susie’s probably in her kennel. When I’m not here at night, Henry puts her in there before he and his wife retire to the cabin out back.”

  “Oh, that’s right.” When Clint and Tory moved to their new house, the Sterns decided to live in the cabin. “Maybe you should ask them to come back until this is over.”

  Rebecca quickly tapped the security code in the box near the front door, and the noise died. “I can’t. For the past year, they’ve had very little alone time. When I suggested they take the cabin after Clint left, they jumped at it.”

  “So you’re here alone?”

  “When I’m here, I have Susie, and she’s great company.”

  “Where’s her kennel?”

  “Off the kitchen.” Rebecca headed for the back of the house. “I’ll let her out. She’d be barking if there was an intruder.”

  “Bring two plastic bags for me to put these papers in.”

  “Okay.”

  While he waited for Rebecca to return, he moved into the formal living room, remembering the times he’d been here in the past, especially when Tory was in danger and Clint watched over her. Rebecca might need protection, but she wouldn’t likely go for it. He held up the first page of the sheets and read it.

  Rebecca, I thought you should know.

  Know what? Although the words weren’t menacing, that was the feeling he got when he read the note.

  He examined the database page. The information on ten people was most likely from the computer system at the store confirming what Neil suspected. Not good news for the company.

  At the sound of footsteps approaching from the back of the house, he swung around and faced the entrance into the living room. Rebecca entered with Susie by her side. Tired eyes and a solemn expression highlighted Rebecca’s weariness. He wished he could keep this from her until she rested, but she’d already seen it and would want answers. She wouldn’t go to sleep until she inspected the information on the sheets more closely.

  Susie made a beeline for him, her tail wagging. Mostly black with tan markings, Susie was a German shepherd that at times he thought understood everything being said around her. He patted her and rubbed his hand down her back. She loved that.

  “She’s missed seeing you.” Rebecca presented him with the large plastic bags. After Alex carefully slipped each page into one, Rebecca held her hand out for them. She studied the database sheet first then the note, her frown lines deepening the longer she looked at them. “I can’t stay here. Neil is at the store working with his IT team. I need to know if this is our customers’ credit card information from the store.”

  “But you should rest first,” he said, even though it would be useless to say.

  “I couldn’t sleep if I wanted. Will you take me back to the store? I don’t expect you to stay, but these people will need to be informed first thing this morning.”

  “Tell you what. I’ll drive back to the store and give this to Neil while you at least try to rest.”

  Rebecca settled her balled hand on her waist. “Alex Kincaid, I’ll call a cab if I have to. I do need to take a shower and change because I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

  He wanted to argue with her, but the stubborn set of her mouth as well as her narrowed gaze told him she wouldn’t listen. She wouldn’t admit that the episode in the elevator drained her emotionally. He still could recall her as a nine-year-old flying out of that refrigerator into his arms, clinging to him, her sweaty body shaking, her tears soaking his shirt. Seeing her in a moment of vulnerability had troubled him, too.

  When he didn’t reply right away, she said, “Okay. After I talk with Neil, I’ll lie down on the couch in my office and try to get some rest. Also, I’ll take Susie with me. No one could get into my office with her guarding me. That’s all I can promise.”

  “Okay, but I’m staying, too.”

  She opened her mouth, but instead
of saying something, she snapped it closed and whirled around. “I’ll be back in fifteen minutes. Then we’ll leave. Susie will keep you company.”

  After the creepy feeling he’d gotten from examining the note in detail, he didn’t want her to be alone even in her house. “No. You take her, and I’ll walk you to your room.”

  She looked back at him, one eyebrow lifted. “If someone was in this house besides us, Susie would let me know. I’m fine.”

  As she and her dog walked from the living room, Alex gritted his teeth. Her father had demanded she be tough, and over the years, under her dad’s tutelage, he’d seen a hard exterior encase what he knew was a tender heart. He remembered every injured animal she needed to help, and if abandoned, she wanted to take it in. Then after Cade died, she withdrew into a shell. She worked all the time, especially after her parents died in the small airplane crash. When Clint came back with his German shepherd, Sitka, it was the first time she’d gotten a pet in years. She and Clint trained their dogs for search and rescue missions, and slowly he’d begun to see glimpses of the young girl he’d known.

  * * *

  A growl penetrated Rebecca’s dream world. She jerked upright on her office couch, blinking rapidly as her eyes adjusted to the overhead light she’d left on. She glanced at the window, and it was still dark outside. This time of year daylight was short.

  A rap at the door awakened her fully, and she swung her feet to the carpeted floor and hurried to answer the second knock, a little louder than the first. Susie padded forward, a low rumble still emitting from her, and planted herself between her and the entrance, as though waiting for it to open so she could attack an intruder. Susie sensed something was wrong. Her dog didn’t usually come to the store with her.

  “Susie, calm down. If it were a bad guy, he wouldn’t knock. Sit.”

  She whined but did what Rebecca commanded. Her dog felt Rebecca’s tension and was ready to defend her.

  Rebecca skirted Susie, saying, “Good girl,” and opened the door.