Christmas Stalking

by Margaret Daley

  “We need to get out of here,” she told them. “This would be a great time to strike in the midst of this chaos.”

  Colt wound his arm about his grandmother. Winnie faltered at the bottom of the stairs. He caught her at the same time Ellie turned and grabbed her, too. Their gazes met.

  “We can get out this way.” Ellie nodded toward a door behind the staging area. “It leads to an exit. All we have to do is get to the helicopter.”

  “But the announcement and celebration are ruined,” Winnie mumbled, glancing back once before being ushered through the door and down a long hall.

  His grandmother looked as if she were shell-shocked. He couldn’t blame her. He, too, had hoped they could make it through the evening without incident.

  “Once I get you home, I’ll check to see what happened. Knowing the police chief and the sheriff, they are already on it.” Ellie removed her gun from her purse.

  The sight of the lethal weapon widened his grandmother’s eyes at the same time the color drained from her face. He tightened his arms about her. She was a remarkable woman, but anyone could hit a wall and fall apart. He was afraid she was there.

  At the door that led outside, Ellie held up her hand to stop them. “Wait. Let me check the area out.” She searched the long hallway. “Be right back.”

  He looked over his shoulder at a few people rushing down the corridor toward the exit.

  * * *

  A couple of seconds later, Ellie returned. “Let’s go. The helicopter is around the corner. People are pouring out of the hotel, but it’s clear on this side.”

  “Not for long.” Colt tossed his head toward the people coming down the hall.

  With her hand on Winnie’s right arm, Ellie led the way. She’d seen the pilot in the chopper and his instructions earlier were to start the engine the second he saw them approaching. Colt flanked his grandmother on the left and slightly behind her as though shielding her from anyone behind. Ellie did this as a job. He did it because he loved his grandmother enough to protect her with his life.

  As she neared the front lawn of the hotel, Ellie slowed, panning the terrain for any sign of someone lying in wait. The woman who could have been behind what occurred in the ballroom might have planned the chaos so she could get to Winnie easier outside in the open. Ellie wouldn’t allow that to happen.

  Peering around the corner of the hotel, Ellie scoped out the crowd emerging from the front entrance, many with no coats on, who stood hugging themselves. The biting cold penetrated the thin layer of her lamé jacket. The people behind them in the hallway burst from the exit, their loud voices charged with fear and speculation.

  “Let’s go.” Ellie started across the snow-covered ground.

  A man hurried toward the helicopter as the blades began to whir.

  Her gaze glued to the exchange between the pilot and the stranger, Ellie shortened her strides, waiting to see what transpired. When the man ran back toward the crowd, she increased her speed again. The sound of sirens blasted the chilly air.

  At the chopper Colt assisted Winnie up into it while Ellie kept watch on the surroundings. After Colt followed his grandmother into the helicopter, Ellie climbed in and the pilot lifted off.

  Over the whirring noise, Ellie spoke into her headset. “Who was that man?”

  “Hotel security letting me know what happened in the ballroom. I figured you’d be outside soon.” The pilot made a wide arc and headed toward the estate.

  Ten minutes more. Ellie didn’t let down her guard. Sitting forward, she scanned the terrain below. A blanket of white carpeted the ground, lighting the landscape. A helicopter ride she’d taken during one of her missions in the army flashed into her mind. Insurgents on the ground had fired on it, wounding one person in the backseat.

  “Winnie, move as far over toward Colt as you can.”

  As her client did, Colt wrapped his arms around her. Again trying to shield her as much as he could.

  Nine minutes later the pilot brought the chopper down as close to the main house as possible. Ellie scrambled out and hurried to Winnie’s side to help her. The second she placed her feet on the drive, Ellie shepherded the woman toward her front door while the dogs barked at the helicopter.

  Colt gave a command, and they quieted. He came up behind Ellie as they mounted the steps to the deck. Doug threw open the front door, and Ellie whisked Winnie inside.

  “The sheriff called and said he’s on his way,” the caretaker said. “He briefly told me what happened so I came over. I figured you’d be back soon.”

  Through the fear that marked Winnie’s face, she smiled. “I can always count on you and Linda.”

  “She’s in the kitchen preparing some coffee. She’ll bring it into the den. I’ll let the sheriff in when he’s at the gate.”

  On the way to the den, Ellie paused in the doorway of the small control room. “Have you seen anything unusual?” she asked the ex-police chief who monitored the security feed.

  “Nope. Quiet.”

  Ellie caught up with Winnie and Colt as they entered the den. While Ellie walked from window to window, drawing the drapes, her client collapsed onto the couch, sagging back, her eyes sliding closed.

  “Winnie, are you all right?” Colt sat beside her.

  “No. This has got to stop. Everything was ruined tonight. Poor Christy. This was her big debut, and some mean, vicious person destroyed her moment.”

  Ellie positioned herself in front of the fireplace close to Winnie but facing the only entrance into the room. She still clutched her gun as though it were welded to her hand.

  “I want to thank you for getting me out of there, Ellie. I’d still be standing on stage, stunned by the lengths a person will go to hurt another.”

  Ellie moved to the couch and sat on the other side of Winnie. Not until she took a seat did she relax her tightly bunched muscles. “I was only doing my job.”

  “You’ve done much more than that for me. The Lord sent you to me at this time.” Winnie patted Colt’s leg. “And you were there for me, too. I have truly been blessed having two people like you seeing to my welfare.” Tears shone in her eyes.

  Ellie thanked her. “I got a look at someone I suspect may be the one causing the trouble. Hopefully this might be over before Christmas. I’m still not sure from where I know that woman at the gala tonight, but when security approached, she ran. That’s not the action of an innocent person.” The sound of footsteps returned Ellie’s attention to the door, her hand tensing again on her gun.

  Linda entered with a tray of four mugs and a coffeepot. “Doug let the sheriff in the front gate. He should be here any minute. After he arrives, we’ll leave unless you need me for anything, Winnie.”

  She shook her head, a few strands escaping her usual neatly styled silver-gray bun at her nape. “You two are up late as it is. I’m glad you didn’t go to the Christmas Gala. Not after what happened.”

  “Doug and I felt we needed to stay here and make sure nothing went wrong from this end. He patrolled the grounds with the dogs. You know how he is when it starts snowing. He’d rather be outside than in the house.” Linda placed the tray on the table in front of the couch. “Do you want me to pour the coffee?”

  Colt scooted forward. “I’ll do it. Tell Doug thanks.”

  Doug appeared in the entrance with the sheriff. Linda crossed to them and left with her husband.

  Sheriff Quinn grabbed the mug Colt held out to him. “It’s getting cold outside.”

  Winnie didn’t hesitate to ask her questions. “Bill, what happened? Is everyone all right? I’m assuming since I don’t feel sick that what was released into the air wasn’t poisonous.”

  “You’re right, Winnie. Thankfully they were only stink bombs. The police are still trying to determine how many. There were five confetti guns, and it l
ooks like each one shot at least one vial out of it. Maybe more.”

  “Any injuries with the stampede for the doors?” Ellie cradled her hot mug between her palms. She’d been caught up in a riot once and knew how easily people could get hurt when everyone was trying to flee a place.

  “Right before I arrived, the police chief called to let me know he has access to the security feed at the hotel. He said so far it looks like ten injuries, mostly minor stuff. One woman is being sent to the hospital, but I don’t think she will stay long.”

  “It could have been a lot worse.” The firm line of Colt’s jaw and the extra-precise way he set his mug down attested to his tightly controlled anger.

  The sheriff looked at Ellie. “The police chief wants you to look at the tapes of the event. He understands from Glamour Sensations’ security head that you think you recognized someone who fled out the staff door. We need to ID that person.”

  “Sure. I’ll do anything I can, but I don’t want to leave the estate. Not when Winnie is in danger.”

  “I thought you would say that. We’ll have access to the tapes by computer. It’ll be a good time for you all to look over the footage and see if anyone is out of place.”

  “Anything, even watching hours of tape,” Colt said. “I want this to end. My grandmother has been through enough. All I can say is that I’m glad her last product development has been concluded.”

  “Hon, I’m fine, especially with you and Ellie here.” She patted Colt’s hand. “Dear, get my laptop from my lab downstairs, will you please?”

  Right before he disappeared down the hall, Colt threw a look at Ellie while Winnie and the sheriff talked. In that moment Ellie saw how worried Colt was for his grandmother. Again, she found herself wishing she had that bond with someone.

  Sheriff Quinn interrupted her thoughts. “The police are rounding up the staff to question them. If we could have a picture to show them, that will help.”

  Ellie closed her eyes and imagined the woman from across the ballroom. “She’s about five feet six inches with long dark hair. I couldn’t tell her eye color specifically, but I think a light color. She was dressed as a server—even had a name tag on like the others.”

  “I’ll let the police chief know that. See if anyone is missing a uniform. If not, it could be one of their staff even if the person wasn’t supposed to work that event. Did you see who Ellie is talking about?” he asked Winnie.

  “No, sorry. I was trying to keep the conversation at the table going in the right direction. As I suspected, a few rumors have been flying around. The AP reporter wanted confirmation the position of the stolen car indicated it was probably left deliberately, possibly to block our way home.”

  “Sheriff, did you find any fingerprints on the stalled car the other night?” Ellie leaned over, refilled her mug and poured some more coffee into Winnie’s.

  “The report came in. No fingerprints the owner couldn’t verify weren’t someone’s who has been in the car lately. So no help there.”

  Colt came back into the den and handed the laptop to the sheriff to pull up the site with the security footage on it. When he had it, he turned it around and set it on the coffee table, then walked behind the couch to watch.

  Sheriff Quinn pointed to a link. “Click on that.”

  Colt did and a scene from inside the ballroom popped up on the screen. They watched that angle, but Ellie couldn’t find the woman or anyone else that appeared suspicious. Colt went to the next link and brought it up.

  Ten minutes into it, Winnie yawned. “I’m sorry. I don’t know if I can stay awake.”

  As her own adrenaline rush had subsided, obviously Winnie’s had, too. Ellie was used to the ups and downs, but her client wasn’t. “Sheriff, can she review it tomorrow morning? I may want to see them again, too.”

  “Sure.” He turned to Winnie. “I can escort you to your room.”

  Colt paused the tape while Winnie struggled to her feet, sighed and stepped around her grandson. “No, you should stay. At least this person hasn’t come into my home and threatened me. If I couldn’t walk freely in my own house, I don’t know what I would do.”

  When Winnie left, Ellie murmured, “I didn’t have the heart to tell her there is no place one hundred percent secure.”

  Colt scooted over so the sheriff could sit on the couch. “You don’t think it’s safe here?”

  “Basically it is, as much as it can be. Or I wouldn’t let Winnie walk around by herself without me right there. But in any situation I’ve learned to be wary.”

  “On the research vessel we’ve had two run-ins with pirates in different locales, which keeps us on the watch wherever we go, but nothing like this.” Colt clicked to continue viewing the security footage.

  “It’s sad,” Ellie said, focusing again on the tape. “These kinds of things are what keep me in business.”

  * * *

  “Pause it. That’s her!” About an hour into the footage Ellie bolted forward, pointing at a dark-haired woman on the screen who was carrying a tray with coffeepots and a water pitcher. “The same height, hairstyle. Can we zoom in on her?”

  Colt clicked several keys and moved in closer.

  “That’s who ran out of the ballroom when the security head made his way toward her. We need a still of that, and see if someone can make the photo clearer.” Her image teased Ellie’s thoughts.

  “I’ll see what I can do and bring it back to you tomorrow.” Sheriff Quinn wrote down how far into that tape they were while Colt started the footage again.

  On closer examination, Ellie saw surprise on the woman’s face when she spied the two security men coming toward her. She glanced toward a table near the head table, then hurried toward the exit. “Back up. Who was she looking at?”

  Colt found the spot and zeroed in on the table next to the one where they’d been sitting. “Take your pick who she’s staring at.”

  “Maybe no one.” The sheriff rose.

  “Or maybe one of the people whose back isn’t to the woman,” Ellie said. “There are four men and three women. Is there any way we can find out who was sitting at the table? There were only a few tables reserved and that wasn’t one of them.”

  “I’ll see what I can find out tomorrow morning when I meet with the police chief. In the meantime, I’m leaving two deputies with you again. One is in the foyer. The other is driving up the mountain as we speak. Rod will let him in. We’ll have a long day tomorrow so get some sleep. That’s what I’m gonna do. I’m determined we’ll find out who it is. We have a picture now. That’s better than before.”

  “Sheriff, I love your optimism. I hope you’re right. I could be home in time for Christmas.” She walked with him out to the foyer where Rod stood.

  “Where is home?”

  “Dallas, when I’m between jobs.”

  “Family there?”

  “No. It’ll just be me, but my boss hosts Christmas dinner for anyone who’s in town.” Which was the closest she came to having a family during the holidays.

  “I have a son coming in for Christmas with his three children. I can’t wait to see them. It’s been six months, and they grow up fast.”

  When Ellie returned to the den, Colt gathered up the closed laptop and bridged the distance between them. “I heard what you said about Christmas. Do you think this will be over by then? That we’ll have a peaceful Christmas?”

  “I’m hoping. Winnie has been great dealing with what’s been happening to her, but it’s taking its toll.”

  “I’m glad she’s finished in the lab. She doesn’t have to worry about that at least.”

  “But that will mean she’ll focus totally on what’s happening. That may be worse.”

  “Then we’ll have to create things for her to do. We haven’t decorated the house like it has been in the past. T
ons of decorations are still in storage in the basement.”

  Ellie couldn’t remember decorating for Christmas in years, and even as a child, they often didn’t have a tree. Her mother didn’t care about the holiday, but Toby and she had tried to make their apartment festive. Then Toby had died and Ellie hadn’t cared, either. “Sure, if it will help take Winnie’s mind off the threats.”

  “Christmas is her favorite time of year. She’s been so busy she’s not had the time to do what she usually does. This will be perfect.” Colt strode to the staircase with Ellie.

  As she mounted the steps to the second floor, she wondered what a family Christmas was really like. At the top of the stairs, she looked around and started laughing. “I can’t believe I walked all the way up here when I haven’t checked the house yet.”

  “It must have been my charm and wit that rattled you.”

  “I hate to burst your bubble, Colt, but it’s exhaustion.” The sound of his chuckles sent a wave of warmth down her length.

  “I’ll put this laptop in my room and come with you. I wouldn’t want you to fall asleep while making your rounds.” He turned toward the right.

  Ellie clasped his arm. “I’ll be okay. I may be exhausted, but that doesn’t mean I’ll fall asleep.”

  He swung around. His gaze intent, he grazed his fingertips down her jaw. “What keeps you from sleeping?”

  She shrugged one shoulder. “The usual. Worries.”

  “Winnie would tell you to turn them over to the Lord.”

  “What would you say?”

  “Winnie is right, but I’ve always had trouble doing that. I still want to control things.”

  “Me, too. I know worrying is a waste of time and energy, but I’ve been doing it for so long, trying to control all aspects of my life, that I don’t know how to give it totally to God.”

  “Practice.”

  “Have you ever practiced and practiced and never accomplished what you set out to do?”

  “Not usually.” He snapped his finger. “Except ballroom dancing. I have two left feet.”