“I’ll remember that if you ever ask me to dance.” She took a step back. “Seriously, you don’t need to come with me. At least one of us should get some sleep. I’m not going to bed until the second deputy arrives, anyway.”
“I can keep you company if you like.”
She would, but as she stared into his face, a face she’d looked forward to seeing each morning, she knew the danger in him staying up with her. Each day she was around him she liked him more and more. The way he loved his grandmother, handled a crisis—the way he kissed. “No, I’m not going to be long.” She backed up until her heel encountered the edge of the staircase.
Like the first night they met, he moved with a quickness that surprised her, hooked his arm around her and tugged her to him. He planted a kiss on her lips that melted her resolve not to be around him. Then he parted, pivoted and started down the hallway. “Good night, Ellie. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Why did you do that? She wanted to shout the question at him but clamped together her tingling lips that still felt the remnants of his kiss. Coupled with her stomach fluttering and her heart beating rapidly, the sensations from that brief joining left their brand on her. She hurried down the stairs, sure the only reason she was attracted to the man was because it was that time of year when she yearned for a family, for a connectedness she’d never had except with her twin brother, Toby.
As Ellie went from room to room, making sure the house was secured, she forced her mind back to the case. She visualized the picture of the woman
on the computer in her mind. She’d seen her before. By the time she reached her bedroom, she strode to the photos the sheriff had shown them of the possible suspects. She flipped through the pictures until she came upon Mary Ann Witlock. Covering up the woman’s long blond hair, Ellie visualized her in a dark brown wig. And that’s when she knew. Mary Ann was the bogus server at the gala tonight.
* * *
“Hot chocolate for everyone,” Linda announced the next afternoon as she brought in a tray with the drinks and a plate of frosted Christmas sugar cookies.
For the past couple hours Ellie had been decorating a tree with Colt and Winnie and Harold and Christy. Now she climbed the ladder to place the star at the very top. When she descended to the floor, she viewed the ten-foot tree Doug and Colt had cut down that morning. The scent of pine hung in the air.
“This is turning into a party. I love it.” Winnie backed away from the tree in the living room centered in front of the large picture window. “I might not be able to leave, but I appreciate you all coming here to help cheer up an old lady. This is just what I needed.”
Colt slung his arm over his grandmother’s shoulders. “Old? Did I hear you admit you’re old? Who has stolen my grandmother?”
Winnie punched him playfully in the stomach. “I am seventy-three.”
Colt arched a eyebrow. “So?”
“Okay, I admit I’ve let the threats get to me. But not anymore. The sheriff is closing in on the woman who, it looks like, has been behind everything.”
“I can’t believe Mary Ann is behind this. If I’d known what would happen, I’d have turned down the opportunity to be the spokesperson for Endless Youth.” Christy took a mug of hot chocolate and a cookie off the tray. “I didn’t realize she needed the money.”
Winnie frowned. “Neither did I. If she had come to me, I would have loaned her the money.”
“We don’t know for sure it’s her behind the threats,” Harold said as he planted himself in a chair. “All we know is she was disguised last night as a server and then ran from security when approached.”
“That’s the action of a guilty person. And why was she wearing a dark wig if she was innocent?” Linda asked as she left the room.
“What do you think, Ellie?” Winnie removed some tinsel from a box and passed it out.
“She needs money and lost a chance at making a lot. She is missing right now. The police went to her house and haven’t been able to locate her. Maybe the search warrant will produce something more concrete.” Ellie carefully draped a few strands of tinsel on a branch. Probably the person Mary Ann was looking at before fleeing the ballroom was her brother, sitting at the table next to them. When Winnie had identified him this morning on the video, that was at least one mystery taken care of. Sheriff Quinn was investigating Bob Witlock to make sure he had no involvement, but he didn’t think the brother did because he and Mary Ann had been estranged for several years.
Colt came up beside Ellie. “At the rate you’re going, Ellie, it’ll be midnight before we finish decorating the tree. This is the way we do it.” He took some of the tinsel and tossed it onto several limbs. “See? Effective and fast.”
“But it’s not neat.”
“That’s okay. It’s fun, and our tree isn’t what you would find in a magazine. It’s full of our past—not fancy store-bought ornaments.” Colt gave her some more tinsel. “Give it a try.”
Ellie did and laughed when half ended up on the carpet. “There must be an art to it, and clearly I don’t have the toss method down.”
Colt stepped behind her and took her arm. “It’s called losing a little control and just letting go at the right time,” he whispered into her ear.
She was glad no one else could hear him; his words caused her pulse rate to accelerate.
As he brought her arm back then swung it forward, he murmured, “Let go.”
In the second she did and the silvery strands landed on various branches haphazardly, but none on the floor, something inside her did let go. It had nothing to do with the activity. It had to do with the man so close to her his scent engulfed her. The brush of his breath against her neck warmed her.
Quickly she stepped away. “I have no idea when I’ll use this new skill again, but thanks for showing me how to do it properly.” She tore her gaze from his and swept it around the room, taking in the faces of the people, all of whom were watching them.
The chime of the doorbell cut through the silence that fell over the room. Ellie thrust the remaining tinsel into Colt’s hands and hurried to answer the door. She’d let him get to her. Let him give her a little glimpse at what she was missing. And she became all soft.
She opened the door to allow the sheriff inside. “I hope you have good news for us. What did you find at Mary Ann’s house?”
He faced her with a grim expression. “We found a lot of evidence that points to her being the person threatening Winnie—one letter Winnie received was on Mary Ann’s computer, along with pictures of Winnie. There was also a suicide note from Mary Ann. When I turned the computer on, that was the first thing that came up.”
“Suicide? You found her body?”
“No. No one has seen her since last night. The Bakersville police and my office are still searching for her. There were also a couple of large dog crates in her garage and mud-caked boots, size nine men’s shoes,
although that isn’t the size she wears. Also, there was a stack of unpaid bills on her kitchen table. She received a foreclosure notice a week ago.”
“Winnie won’t be safe until Mary Ann is found. I hope alive. But what about the dogs? If she took them, where are they?” Out of the corner of her eye she glimpsed Colt coming across the foyer toward them.
“Good question,” the sheriff replied. “She could have gotten rid of them or sold them perhaps to someone not from around here. She needed money, so that would be my guess.”
“So there’s no telling where the dogs are, then?”
Colt stopped next to her. “Winnie was concerned something has happened.”
“It has. It looks like Mary Ann is the person threatening Winnie, but she’s disappeared.” Ellie tried not to look at Colt directly in the eyes. Something had changed between them earlier in the living room, and she didn’t know what to think or what to do about it.
“Which means Winnie is still in danger.”
“Afraid so,” the sheriff said, removing his hat and sliding the brim through his hands.
Winnie paused in the doorway into the living room. “Bill, why are you all standing out here? Come join us. Harold is here and Christy. Peter is coming after his last patient. We’re getting ready for Christmas finally.”
“I hate to intrude—”
“We’ve got hot chocolate and Christmas cookies.”
“Well, in that case, I’ll stay for a little while.” The sheriff made his way toward Winnie, grinning from ear to ear. “Linda makes great cookies. I bought a box of them at the cookie sale at church.”
“Why, Bill Quinn, I could have made them.”
Both of his eyebrows rose. “Did you?”
Winnie giggled. “No, you’re safe from my cooking. Why do you think I hired Linda in the first place?”
“Your husband insisted.”
As the two entered the living room and their voices faded, Ellie hung back with Colt. “I wanted to let you know what the sheriff told me when they went to Mary Ann’s house.” After she explained what they found, she added, “There was a suicide note on her computer.”
“But she wasn’t there?”
“No. The woman isn’t in her right mind. She’s desperate. What she did last night is an act of a person falling apart. An act of revenge.”
“And the dogs? Any idea where they are?”
“They’re valuable dogs. No telling where they are now. She most likely sold them since she was in debt for thousands of dollars. The police chief is checking with the bank in Bakersville where Mary Ann had an account to see if she was paid a large amount of money lately.”
“If that’s the case, couldn’t she take care of some of her debt, if not all?”
“I did some research on some of the suspects, and I remember she had extensive dental work six months ago. I saw a before and after picture. Her teeth and smile were perfect afterward. It made a big difference in her appearance. I wonder if she did that hoping she would get the spokesperson position for Endless Youth.”
“If that were the case, I can see why Winnie wouldn’t hire her. She wouldn’t want anyone who’d recently had work done to her face, even dental. The press could take it and focus on that rather than on Endless Youth. I’ve seen it before. Where the intended message is sidetracked by something that really had nothing to do with it.”
“She had a huge dental bill and her waitress salary probably barely covered her necessities.”
Winnie appeared in the living room entrance and peered at Colt. “We have guests. You two can talk after they leave. I imagine you’re speculating about Mary Ann, and I would like to hear what you have to say. She needs our prayers, the troubled girl.”
“Sorry, Winnie,” Colt replied. “We didn’t want to say anything in front of the others.”
“It’s only Christy and Harold. They’re family. Oh, that reminds me. I’ve got to let the person monitoring the gate know to let Peter in when he arrives. I thought we’d have an early dinner before sending our guests down the mountain. And the sheriff is staying, too. It seems his office can run without him occasionally.” Winnie hurried toward the monitoring room.
“Are you sure she is really seventy-three?” Ellie asked as she headed for the living room.
“That’s what her birth certificate said. I saw it once before she whisked it away from me. That was when she wouldn’t tell anyone her age.”
“She should be the spokesperson for Endless Youth.”
“You know Harold mentioned that to her, and she laughed in his face. I could never see my grandmother purposely putting herself in the public eye.”
“Because of what happened when she married your grandfather?”
“Partly, and the fact that Winnie is really shy with most people.”
“Shy? I don’t see much evidence of that. Look at last night with the media before everything fell apart.”
“She’s learned to put on a front and can do it for short periods of time, but, believe me, the evening drained her emotionally beyond the threats and what happened with the stink bombs.”
“No wonder I like her so much. She and I have a lot in common.”
“I know. That’s why I like you.”
His words took flight in her heart until she shot them down. They didn’t mean anything. Really.
* * *
Soft strains of Christmas music played in the background. The fire blazed in the hearth in the living room while the hundreds of lights strung around the tree and a lone lamp gave off the only illumination. Colt settled on the couch next to Winnie, with Harold at the other end. Ellie sat directly across from him. Cuddling as two people in love did, Christy and Peter shared an oversize lounge chair. Sheriff Quinn had left hours ago.
Cozy. Warm. Almost as if there had been no threats, no attempts on Winnie. Almost. But the thought had edged its way into Colt’s mind throughout the day, souring a day meant to forget the incident at the gala and to focus on Christmas. Then he would look at Ellie and the outside world wouldn’t mean anything.
Doug came into the room. “Before Linda and I leave, I thought I’d let you know that it has started snowing again. We’re not supposed to get too much.”
“Thank Linda for another wonderful dinner.” Winnie set her coffee on a coaster on the table.
“We enjoyed sharing the celebration tonight with all of you, but I want to check on the dogs,” Doug said. “We both hope they find this Mary Ann Witlock soon so this is all over with.” After saying his goodbyes the caretaker left.
Colt had always felt his grandmother was in good hands with the couple who had become more a part of the family with each year. “I wish the sheriff would call us with some good news. Maybe Mary Ann fled the area.”
“Sheriff Quinn said they checked the airports in the vicinity, but Mary Ann’s car is gone so she might have. They have a multistate search out for the car.” Ellie leaned back and crossed her long legs.
The movement drew Colt’s attention, his eyes slowly making their way up her body to her face. The soft glow of the lighting in the room emphasized her beauty. What was it about Ellie that intrigued him? That she could take care of herself in just about any situation? He knew strong women, even worked with several on the research vessel, but other than respecting their intelligence, there was no draw for him—not like with Ellie.
“We all know there are plenty of places to hide in the mountains around here. Back roads to use.” Peter shifted then circled his arm around Christy.
“Yeah, but it’s winter and snow will make that more difficult,” Harold said.
Peter came right back with, “We haven’t had as much as usual so far this year. She may be long gone by now.”
“True. And when you’re desperate, you sometimes do things you wouldn’t normally do.” Ellie’s gaze fixed on Colt as though there was a secret message behind her words.
“I know she was at Glamour Sensations a lot for the Endless Youth position, but she was always so quiet and reserved. I didn’t really know her at all.” Christy peered over her shoulder at Peter. “You did her dental work. Didn’t you see her for a follow-up a few weeks ago? What do you think her frame of mind was like?”
“She was agitated. She asked me to extend the time she could pay off her bill. I did, but she still was upset when she left. If I’d thought she would commit suicide, I’d have said something, but...”
“Peter, we can’t always tell what someone is thinking or is going to do. I know we all would have said something if we had known. I’m still praying the police will find her alive and hiding.” Winnie’s hand quivered as she brought her cup to her lips.
Colt slid his arm around his grandmother. “You’d be the first one
to help her if you’d known. If she’s found, I wouldn’t be surprised if you pay for a good lawyer to defend her. That’s one of the things I love about you.”
A frown puckered Christy’s forehead. “Can we change the subject? I don’t want to spend any more time on this horrid situation. I feel bad enough about Mary Ann.”
Winnie patted Colt’s thigh, then smiled at Christy. “You’re right. Let’s talk about our plans for Christmas. Only three days away.”
Ellie’s cell rang. She looked at the number then rose, leaving the room. Colt heard her say Sheriff Quinn’s name and followed her into the foyer.
As he neared her, she ended the call and lifted her gaze to his. “They found Mary Ann’s body.”
NINE
Ellie slipped her cell into her pocket. “Her body was found at the bottom of a cliff by cross-country skiers right before dark. Her car, parked near the top of the cliff, was found by a deputy a little later.”
“Suicide?”
“That’s what they think, but Sheriff Quinn will know more tomorrow after the medical examiner looks at the body and they have more time to thoroughly search the scene below and above. The preliminary processing supports a suicide, especially in light of her note and state of mind.”
Colt blew out a long breath. “Then it’s over with.”
“It’s looking that way.”
“Let’s go tell everyone.” Colt held his hand out to her.
She took it, realizing by tomorrow or the following day she could be on her way back to Dallas. Just in time to spend a lonely Christmas at home. At least she’d have a few hours with Kyra and her husband on the twenty-fifth.
When they reentered the living room Colt sat next to Winnie. “Ellie heard from the sheriff. They found Mary Ann’s body at the bottom of a cliff. They think it was suicide but they’ll make a ruling probably tomorrow.”
“It’s over. That’s great.” Standing at the fireplace, Harold dropped another log on the blaze. “The best news I’ve heard in a while.”
“Harold! How can you say that? A young woman killed herself.” Tears glittered on Winnie’s bottom eyelashes.
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