Guarding Candy Kane (The 12 Mysteries of Christmas Book 3)

by V. B. Tenery

  Before she was out of bed, Doyle delivered an eight-foot tree and set it up in the entryway for her and Teddy to decorate. The ever-efficient Doyle had brought down ornaments from the attic and a step-ladder, so she could reach the top.

  She missed breakfast and settled for tea and toast. While she waited for Teddy, she went into the library and used the desktop computer to track Christmas presents she ordered on-line a week ago. If they didn’t arrive today, they would be late. Does Fed-Ex and UPS even deliver on Christmas Eve?

  Teddy skidded into the entryway bubbling with excitement. “Can I hang the ornaments, Candy?”

  “Yep. You can hang them as high as you can reach. I’ll get the ones up higher. And, you can place the angel on top when we finish decorating.”

  He looked up at her with his big beautiful blue eyes. “I’ve never did this before, Candy.”

  Candace didn’t correct him. She was often amazed at his command of the English language at four years old, but occasionally, he slipped into being a kid. “Never? Who usually decorates your trees?”

  “The maids do it here. At home with mommy, she hires people to do it.”

  “Then we’ll have to make this one very special.” She removed the lids from the boxes and discovered all the ornaments were handmade satin angels and balls. At least they wouldn’t have to worry about coordinating the colors.

  Mac watched from the sidelines, barking from time to time, but he was a good boy today. He didn’t steal anything.

  It took most of the afternoon to finish the tree, delayed somewhat by two hot cocoa and cookie breaks.

  When the angel was securely in place, Candace turned on the tree lights. Teddy clapped his tiny hands, his eyes glistening. “It’s beautiful.”

  Candace hugged him close. “Teddy, you are a master Christmas tree decorator! I’ll have to call you to help me every year.”

  “I’ll help you all the time.” His arms slipped around her waist and those blue eyes looked up at her again. “I love you, Candy.”

  “And I love you too, Teddy. You’re a very special little boy.” She was going to miss him terribly when he returned to school.

  Teddy went off for his afternoon nap and Candace decided to walk Mac. “Come on, boy, let’s get you some exercise. From the looks of that snow, this may be your last walk for a while.”

  She kept glancing at her watch. Where was Sean? He should be here by now. He hated driving in snow so he might be stuck in town until he could get transportation up the mountain.

  She bundled up in a coat, gloves, and hat then found a leash for the dog. “Doyle, I’m taking Mac for a short walk.”

  “Stay on the path, Miss Candace. It’s dangerous to stray from it.”

  She laughed. “No worries. Mac’s legs are too short to go off track.”

  Candace stepped into the grey, snowy afternoon. Someone shoveled a clear walking path before the powder began, but it wouldn’t stay clear for long.

  Cedars along the trail were lovely, now covered in white as far as she could see, with the majestic Rocky Mountains as a backdrop.

  Mac pulled Candace along the path, his little legs straining against the leash. The brisk wind and white flakes on her face felt good but it was coming down harder now. She decided to turn back while she could still see the trail.

  Mac barked furiously just before a bag was slipped over Candace’s head and shoulders, pinning her arms to her sides.

  Christmas Tyme Hotel

  Christmas Tyme, Colorado

  Sean went back into the hotel and dialed Bella’s number. “Call the Unique Modeling Agency in New York. Get the contact information on Drake Dawson. Tell them it’s an emergency. Hurry, Bella. Candace may be in serious trouble and I’m stuck in a blizzard.”

  For once, she didn’t give him any grief, apparently accepting the need for urgency.

  Minutes later, she called back with Dawson’s information. Sean disconnected and dialed the number.

  The man answered with a sleepy voice. Probably worked nights and slept days. “Yes?”

  “Mr. Dawson, I’m sorry if I woke you. This is Sean McGregor, Candace Kane’s friend. We met last Friday at the hotel.”

  That seemed to wake him up. “Yes, I remember. What can I do for you, Mr. McGregor?”

  “Call me Sean. You said something at that meeting about Logan Kane not taking any prisoners. Can you tell me what you meant? It’s important.”

  “This isn’t being recorded, is it?” Dawson asked.

  “No, it’s for my ears only.”

  Dawson cleared his throat. “You may remember I also said, I had learned not to compete with him for a part or a photo shoot. That’s because people who do compete are prone to accidents. One guy broke a leg falling down stairs. One almost drowned. Another came down with food poisoning.”

  “Admittedly, three guys injured is against the law of averages,” Sean said. “Is there any reason to believe these weren’t just ordinary bad luck?”

  “Nothing that could be proven. They were competing against Logan for jobs. The only provable connection was that Logan delivered the pizza that gave the guy food poisoning.”

  The phone went silent for a moment, and then Dawson spoke again. “I’m reluctant to mention this as I have absolutely nothing to back up what I’m about to tell you. There was a model at the agency who had a huge crush on Logan. As far as we knew, he never dated her. He’s an arrogant snob and treated women as though they were beneath him. The girl came up missing. She’s never been found.”

  Ice water washed through Sean’s veins.

  He thanked Dawson and hung up.

  Before he could put away the phone, it rang.

  It was Doyle. “Mr. McGregor, Candace left about an hour ago to walk the dog and hasn’t come back. I shouldn’t have let her leave the chalet alone. Frank and I have both been out looking for her. I found the pup, but not Candace. I’m frightened for her.”

  “An hour ago?”

  “Not much more than that.”

  Sean pushed back the panic. He didn’t have time for that now. “Call the police. I’m on my way.”

  “Frank has already notified the authorities.”

  Frank was dependable. He’d take care of things at the chalet until Sean could get there. Sean opened the watch face cover on his arm.

  Thank God!

  She was wearing the tracker watch and the little green dot was moving. “Hold on, Candace. I’m coming.”

  He bolted to his car, brushed accumulated snow from the windshield, and drove to the Ranger Station.

  Sean stepped into the station’s warmth, stomped the snow off his shoes, and looked around. Officers Lottie Bennett and Dusty Warren leaned against the counter talking to the man manning the desk.

  “I’m glad to see you two,” Sean said. “I need to get to the chalet. Candace Kane is missing. I’ll explain on the way.”

  “We just heard,” Officer Bennet said. “We have one ranger in the vicinity whose checking it out.” Officer Bennett turned to the man behind the counter. “Let us take one of the snowcats. Dusty can drive.”

  The man threw a set of keys and Dusty caught them with one hand. “Keep in touch, Lottie. I can put another man on it to help out, but there’s not a lot we can do until the snow stops.”

  Sean had no intention of waiting for better weather. Candace could be dead by then.

  The snow equipment sat just behind the station. He followed the two officers to what looked like a yellow taxi mounted on tank tracks.

  “How fast does this thing go?”

  “Not fast,” Dusty said. “It’s built to cover rough terrain where there are no roads. You want speed, you need a snow mobile, but you couldn’t ride it in this weather. You want to go to the chalet?”

  “Let’s head that way. I have a tracker on her that will give us her location.” He held up his watch and read off the numbers.

  “Wow, how did you manage that?” Lottie Bennet said, impressed.

  Sean
continued to watch the GPS dot. “I was her bodyguard, remember? She’s in a vehicle of some kind. The green dot is moving too fast for her to be on foot.”

  “Was her bodyguard?” Lottie asked.

  “Yes, Mrs. Kane felt there was no longer a threat against her granddaughter. Apparently, the threat still exists. Won’t this thing go any faster?”

  Rough hands wrapped a rope or cord of some kind around the sack and Candace’s body then tied it in back, successfully pinning her arms to her sides.

  He lifted her onto his shoulder, crunched across the snow to a vehicle, and none too gently, tossed her into the back seat.

  Claustrophobia overwhelmed her.

  She couldn’t breathe.

  Panic took hold. She tried to scream and wiggled, fiercely kicking the back of the seat as hard as she could.

  Her abductor grabbed the top of the bag and shook her like a ragdoll. “Stop. Now.” His voice was filled with rage. “I’ll take it off as soon as we reach our destination.”

  Strangely, his anger made her survival instincts kick in. She rested her head against the seat back and took deep breaths until her pounding heart returned to its normal rhythm.

  There was no way to know how long they drove. She couldn’t see her watch. It seemed like hours but was probably less than an hour.

  HER WATCH!

  In her panic she had forgotten about its tracking feature. Sean was coming to the chalet. He would find her.

  Relief flooded over her like a warm blanket. Then reality drew her up short. Depending on what her captor had in mind, Sean might only find her dead body.

  The vehicle stopped, and the driver’s door opened.

  The backdoor jerked open and a cold blast of wind and snow preceded the man who slid into the seat beside her.

  What now?

  Cold steel touched her arm and the cord was cut, setting her arms free.

  The bag was jerked off her head.

  The gray day was bright in her eyes after the darkness inside the bag.

  She brushed her hair out of her face and looked up into the cold, cruel eyes of Logan Kane.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Mountain Trail

  Christmas Tyme, Colorado

  S

  ean watched the green dot stop moving, and his heart shuttered to a halt. What did that mean?

  Had Logan killed Candace and stopped to toss her body out? Or had he pulled over to kill her? Please, God, no.

  Uncertainty was driving him mad. He wanted to beat his fists against the snowcat’s front seat. Dusty was doing his best but Sean could walk faster than this thing was moving.

  “What’s happening?” Lottie asked.

  “She’s stopped moving. That can be a good thing. They were outdistancing us. We would never have caught them. We’re closing the gap now, but there are other scenarios which could explain the vehicle stopping that I don’t want to think about.”

  Lottie nodded but didn’t say anything. She knew the risks as well as he did. She picked up the radio mic. “Base, this is Lottie Bennett.” She read off their GPS location. “We have a victim out in the storm. Hold on a minute. Sean, what’s her location?”

  He read off the coordinates from his watch.

  She repeated them. “Do you have a ranger near this location?”

  “Ranger 24 is two miles from the victim. You’re closer but I’ll have the ranger proceed to that location in case you need help.”

  She looked over the front seat at Sean and nodded. “Thanks, Base. I’m signing off.”

  Sean leaned back. “Thanks, Lottie.” That wasn’t a lot of help but it was better than nothing.

  A silent prayer ran a continuous loop through his mind. Keep her safe, Lord. Keep her safe.

  He was going to need a lot of stars to align to get Candace out of this unharmed. But then, he knew the One who made the stars.

  Snow and icy wind blew inside the car. Logan quickly closed the door behind him. Candace’s heart rate spiked and she moved as close to the opposite door as she could get.

  He casually brushed white flakes from his hair and leaned back against the door. “I suppose you have some questions for me. Like why I am doing this?”

  She wasn’t going to let him see her fear. “I assume it’s for the money, but I don’t think you will inherit more than a share, unless you plan to kill Nana and the rest of the family.”

  His face was a cold mask of disdain. “The money is part of it. Mostly, it’s because you’re not really a Kane. You’re illegitimate, the product of one of your father’s many one-night stands.”

  The longer she kept him talking the greater the chance Sean would find her. “You’re a moralist? You’ve killed two women, framed Clay for the murders, and you think I’m unworthy of being a Kane?”

  “I’m only a moralist, as you call it, where the family is concerned. You’re a nobody, an orphan who came out of nowhere and thinks she can take over the source of the Kane family fortune. I couldn’t let that happen.”

  “Why did you kill Annie and the girl at the lodge?”

  Logan shrugged. “Annie because she was no longer useful to me and was becoming a bore. The girl at the lodge because she would have taken Clay beyond my control.”

  Candace shook her head. Unbelievable. “What about Velma? You seem to care for her, and she’s an orphan.”

  He wore his arrogance like a badge of honor. “Ah, yes. Velma. I do care for her, but I’ll never marry her. When I’m CEO of Kane Industries, I’ll travel Europe and hunt down some minor English duchess to marry. There are a lot of them, and they’re quite pretty. I’ll settle down and raise a family I can be proud of.”

  She cringed at his arrogance and visions of grandeur. “You intend to take over the reins at the firm? That’s your plan?”

  His blue eyes flashed. “You sound skeptical. With you and Clay out of the way, there’s no one to stop me. Nana is quite fond of me.”

  “Don’t you think there will be questions about my disappearance?”

  He held her in a deep blue stare. “Not really. The authorities will assume you wandered off the trail, got lost, and froze to death. It happens all the time.”

  Realization struck her and she gasped.

  “What?” he asked.

  “You’re Teddy’s father.”

  “You’re smarter than I thought. Clay guessed from the very beginning, and I’m pretty sure Nana figured it out. Alas, another illegitimate child.”

  She stared at him in disgust. “It wasn’t rocket science. I should have figured it out earlier. Teddy has the Kane family blue eyes. Velma is adopted so they couldn’t have come from her. Teddy is a son any man would be proud of. You’re blaming him because you didn’t marry his mother?”

  “There was never a question of marriage between Velma and me. She knew that. But, enough sharing.

  “I’m giving you more of a chance to live than I gave any of the others.”

  He emitted a high pitch laugh with more than a touch of insanity. “All you have to do is find your way back to the chalet in this blizzard. It’s only about ten miles due east.”

  He reached out and cupped her chin in his hand. “It’s really a shame we don’t have more time to get to know each other, but I have to get back to set up my alibi.”

  With one quick forceful move his other hand stretched across the distance between them, opened the door, and shoved her out into a snow bank.

  She wiped the white powder from her eyes and nose then scrambled to her feet. Logan closed the car doors and drove away, leaving her lost and alone with night approaching.

  In shock, Candace watched the car’s red tail-lights disappear into the whiteout. She glanced down at her super watch. It had a compass and indicated Logan’s vehicle was headed east. That was all well and good to know. She could keep trudging east, but in this storm, she could walk over a cliff and never know until it was too late.

  Then a chance, slim though it might be, occurred to her. She could follow
the tire tracks until either the blizzard filled them in, or the snow or darkness became too dense to see them. She took a deep breath, stepped onto the road, and followed the tracks.

  Soon, light began to fade and she could no longer see the tracks. Where was Sean? What was taking him so long?

  According to her watch, she had been walking for thirty-five minutes. If moving at a snail’s pace through deep snow could be called walking.

  How much of the ten miles had she traveled? Probably no more than a quarter mile, if that much.

  Exhaustion claimed her every step, and icy winds were so strong they shoved her sideways and seeped through her coat into her bones. The insulated jacket she wore had been fine for a short walk on a snowy afternoon but was never designed for a hike in a blizzard.

  She longed to just sit down and rest for a while, but she knew if she did, she would never get up again. Too tired and numb to put together a proper prayer, she could only ask, Lord, help me.

  She trudged around a bend in the road and stumbled on a rock concealed in the powder. She fell face-first into the cold mass.

  Tempted to just lie there, she finally lifted her head. What appeared to be the outline of a cabin came into view off to the right about twenty feet.

  Was it possible to see a mirage in a snowstorm? At this point she had nothing to lose. She struggled to her feet and stumbled toward the vision.

  As she drew closer, the cabin outline became a full-fledged wooden shack.

  With frozen fingers inside the stiff leather gloves, she tried the door. Praise God, it wasn’t locked.

  She scrambled inside and slammed the door behind her. It was bitterly cold and dark, but it gave her shelter from the unrelenting wind and snow. The cabin was a sparsely furnished two-room structure with a small sofa and one chair.

  A stone fireplace rested in the corner, but no firewood in sight. Two kerosene lamps and matches sat on top of the mantel, half full of fuel. With trembling hands she managed to light both lamps. Holding her hands over the glass chimney, she welcomed the warmth that thawed her frozen fingers.

  One lamp in hand she explored the bedroom and found two thick, wool blankets.