Christmas Conspiracy

by Susan Sleeman

  No. She wouldn’t let them take over. She didn’t want to be stuffed up for her phone calls. She could let herself cry after her families were taken care of.

  She slowly stood and grabbed a washcloth to scrub the horrible attack from her body. As the cloth ran over her skin, she imagined his touch sliding away. By the time she finished and dressed in yoga pants and a sweatshirt, the bruised areas were clean and aching even more, but she felt refreshed.

  She headed to the foyer table to grab a few aspirin to take the edge off her pain.

  She stepped into the family room and something red on the mirror above the fireplace caught her attention. She focused. Spotted big bold letters scribbled on the glass.

  A message.

  Talk and You Die.

  She took a step back, clasped a hand over her mouth. He gaze shot around the room, looking for the intruder. She spotted her favorite lipstick laying open on the floor.

  Terror stole her breath. Her throat closed down as if hands had come around her neck and squeezed.

  She took another step back. Then another. And another.

  She was aware of screams coming from somewhere.

  They had to be from her, but she could barely breathe. How could she be the one screaming?

  FOUR

  Hair-raising screams greeted Jake when he parked in Rachael’s driveway and opened his car door. Deputy Hill was already out of his car and jogging toward her house, his gun drawn.

  Jake drew his service weapon as adrenaline raced through his veins.

  Thankfully, he’d come back. He’d traveled a short distance but couldn’t forget the forlorn look on Rachael’s face as he departed, so he’d turned around. Looked like he’d done so just in time.

  He charged across the lawn to step in front of Hill.

  “Update me,” Jake demanded as he marched toward the entrance.

  “No movement near the house,” Hill said. “The woman just started screaming from inside.”

  Jake shot a look around the yard. “You’re sure you didn’t just miss someone?”

  “Positive. I didn’t take my eyes off the property.”

  Jake knew nothing about Deputy Hill, so there was no telling if he’d actually been as attentive as he claimed, but if his tone of voice was any indication, he was telling the truth.

  Staying aware of his surroundings, Jake climbed the steps. At the door, he took a quick look through the window. He could see through the foyer, and he spotted Rachael standing in the living room, but he couldn’t tell if she was alone. Her arms were wrapped around her waist, her head thrown back, but her wailing screams were subsiding.

  He had to get into the house, but he couldn’t endanger her more by racing inside without knowing if she was alone. If someone was with her, Jake could force a hostage situation and that was the last thing he wanted.

  He turned the knob and tugged. It didn’t budge.

  Rachael must have heard him, as she suddenly spun around and peered at him for a long moment. Then, like a zombie, she strolled toward the door and her trembling hands hovered over the lock before she turned it. Not saying a word, she stood back. Terror filled her eyes.

  He stepped into the foyer and moved her between him and Deputy Hill for her safety. “What is it?”

  She lifted an arm and pointed into the living room.

  “He...he was...he was here.” The words came out in a strangled whisper.

  He had to assume she was talking about the intruder.

  “Wait here,” he told her and glanced at Hill. “Back me up.”

  Together they eased forward, Jake’s gaze traveling every inch of the space in search of a threat. At the wide doorway to the living room, he glanced back to be sure Rachael was okay. She remained frozen in place, so he ran his gaze over the living room. He saw a message written on the mirror above the fireplace.

  Talk and You Die.

  If the kidnapper left the message, he meant that if she told anyone she’d seen him he would kill her. She was right. The intruder had come here.

  Jake finished his visual search of the room to confirm no threat existed, and spotted a lipstick lying on the floor.

  “You think the mirror’s the thing that scared her?” Hill asked from behind. “I mean, even I’d be a little freaked out if I found a message of any kind written on my mirror, but one that said, ‘Talk and You Die’? That’d freak me out big-time.”

  Jake wouldn’t admit his fear when they had a job to do. “The suspect could still be in the house, and we can’t let Ms. Long out of our sight. You stay with her while I clear the rest of the house again.”

  Jake took his job seriously, and the first rule of law enforcement was to protect life at all costs, so he waited for Hill to return to Rachael.

  “Stay alert,” Jake warned, his gaze connecting with her eyes. He acknowledged her with a quick nod, then turned his attention back to the house and moved through the rooms ending up in the kitchen. The door leading to the yard stood wide open. He checked the door and the frame. He wasn’t surprised to see pry marks, raising his unease.

  Jake continued onto the small back porch, then searched the postage-stamp-sized yard and her garage again. Certain the intruder was gone, he grabbed his phone and dialed Skyler. He told her of the break-in and why he thought it had been the kidnapper who’d left the message.

  “I need forensics here ASAP,” he said.

  “You’re sure Rachael didn’t write this message herself to draw us off track?”

  He didn’t take any offense at Skyler’s question, as it was a logical one, and she wasn’t here to see Rachael’s abject terror declaring her innocence. “I’m sure. The back door has been jimmied.”

  “Our resources are already spread thin today.” Skyler sighed. “But I’ll get someone out as soon as I can. I’ll likely have to pull someone off the center to cover it.”

  The county had limited forensic resources, and he hated that processing Rachael’s house would slow them down, but it couldn’t be helped.

  “How soon before you’ll get here?” he asked.

  “I’m at the center and can be there in five.”

  He wanted to ask if she’d located anything new in her investigation, but he could do that when she arrived, and Rachael needed his attention. He disconnected his call and stepped back into the kitchen, taking the time to look around as he grabbed a glass from an open shelf and filled it with water for Rachael. The bright space had white cabinets and a light swirly granite countertop. Red stools sat at a big island, and she’d also included red items throughout.

  Back in the living room, he ran his gaze over the space, looking for any lead he might have missed. Beyond the message, what he noticed most was the absence of Christmas, which was just a week away. His gaze moved to the message that was written in the plum-colored lipstick lying on the floor. The letters were sloppy and hastily scribbled.

  A worn wood fireplace mantel was mounted below the mirror and held a picture of Rachael and a man looking very much in love. Her deceased husband, Jake suspected. The room was immaculate and spotless, just like the kitchen, but besides the frame there weren’t any personal touches in the room, making the house feel sterile and cold. It was the opposite of his first impression of Rachael.

  Intrigued even more, he joined her in the entryway. She was sitting in a chair in the corner, chewing on a fingernail. She looked up, terror still lingering in her expression. He gave her the glass. She cupped it between both hands but didn’t take a drink.

  Jake faced Hill. “The house is clear. I found the back door open.”

  “He came through the alley, then,” Hill said, sounding relieved that he hadn’t missed seeing the kidnapper. “You need me for anything here, or can I go out to my vehicle and check in with dispatch?”

 
“Go,” Jake replied, then turned his attention to Rachael.

  “He was in here, wasn’t he?” she asked.

  “Yes,” Jake said as calmly as possible when all he wanted to do was slam a fist against the wall.

  “I was in the shower, and he was out here prowling around my house.” She shuddered.

  Anger burned in his gut at the intruder for causing her fear, but it wouldn’t help to let his anger show. Remaining calm and moving forward was the best way to help her deal with her emotions. “I’m assuming he used your lipstick to write the message?”

  She looked up and pointed at her handbag sitting on the entry table. “It was in my purse.”

  At the look of utter violation on her face, he wanted to take her hand, but after Skyler’s comments, he ignored his instinct in favor of keeping things professional. “Once our forensic staff processes your house, I’ll need you to make a thorough inspection to see if anything has been disturbed or is missing.”

  She nodded, but it was wooden.

  “Is there anyone I can call for you?”

  In the ambulance, she’d said she had no one, but he hoped she had a close friend who could come over and help her handle this latest shock.

  “Anyone?” She stared blankly ahead. “No. There’s no one to call.”

  He’d been saddened by her attacks and wanted to help her, but now he felt a need to stay by her side.

  “After my husband died, I was in a bad way for a long time,” she said quietly. “When I finally figured out that I had to move on, I also realized I couldn’t live in the same house, and I bought this place. It’s been a haven to me, but now...” She looked up at him, her eyes watery.

  Skyler’s demands aside, he couldn’t stand by and do nothing. He squatted next to Rachael and took her hands in his. “We’ll find this man. I promise. And then your home can once again be that sanctuary for you.”

  “Do you think it will be that simple?”

  “Finding him?”

  “No, going on with life as if my home hasn’t been violated.”

  “Simple? No. But people do it all the time, and I get the sense that you’re not one to let circumstances get you down.”

  “I did. When Eli died and the...” She shook her head. “But you’re right. That loss challenged me to the extreme, and if I can come through that, I can come through anything.”

  He noted a hint of resolve in her voice, so he let go of her hands and sat back on his heels. “I suspect you haven’t gotten to those calls you need to make.”

  “No.”

  “Perhaps now would be a good time to do that. It will give you something to occupy your mind while the forensic staff does their thing.”

  “Okay.”

  “They’ll be working in all areas of your house, so if you’d like privacy for the calls, I suggest you move out to my truck.”

  “My cell phone is still at the center, so can I use yours to make the calls?”

  “Sure.”

  She got up. “Can I get a jacket from the closet?”

  He nodded, and she retrieved a red wool coat, then picked up her iPad from the table. He escorted her to the truck. Skyler was just pulling up to the curb.

  He handed his keys to Rachael. “I’ll be inside with Detective Hunter. Feel free to run the heater if you get cold.”

  He closed the door and went to meet Skyler. She took a long look at Rachael, then met his gaze.

  “She’s making her calls to the parents,” he explained. “I thought she’d like privacy, and she can’t move around the house until forensics is finished.”

  Skyler nodded. “Show me what we’ve got.”

  Jake led the way to the porch, where Skyler dropped a box of booties by the door and gave a pair to Jake so they didn’t accidentally track substances onto the scene and confuse the evidence. She slipped on a pair herself. Without a word, he led her to the living room mirror.

  She studied the writing from all angles and took several pictures. “Did you ask Ms. Long if this is her lipstick?”

  “She kept it in her purse. She left her purse on the entryway table when she came home and then went straight to the shower.”

  “It had to freak her out that the guy broke in while she was showering.”

  Jake suspected it was a female thing to feel so violated by this, and he was glad Skyler empathized with Rachael, as it might help her believe Rachael hadn’t scrawled the warning.

  “I have to concur with your earlier assessment. The message is clearly meant to keep Ms. Long from telling us that she saw this guy.” Skyler frowned. “Show me the point of entry into the house.”

  Jake took her into the kitchen, and she examined the door. She squatted down and as she came to her feet, she paled as she had at the hospital and looked like she might be sick.

  “You don’t look so good,” he said, his concern for her immediately replacing thoughts of the break-in. “Do you need to sit down?”

  She shook her head, but clamped a hand on the counter and looked even queasier.

  “C’mon.” He took her hand and settled her on a stool at the bar. “I’ll get you some water.”

  He crossed to the sink and filled a glass. As much as he was concerned for Skyler, he also hoped she wasn’t coming down with something, because they needed her to run the investigation so they could find the would-be kidnapper.

  He handed her the glass and watched her carefully to determine if she was fit for duty, or if he should send her home.

  She took a small sip of water. “I got my flu shot, so I doubt it’s the flu.”

  He rested on a stool next to her. “I can get someone else to take over.”

  She started to shake her head, then suddenly stopped.

  He suspected the dizziness had returned. “You should go home.”

  She held up a hand. “I’ve already begun working the case. I can handle it.”

  “So bring me up to speed,” he said, hoping it would give him time to get a true read on her condition.

  She set down the glass and dug out a notepad and pen from a backpack slung over her shoulder. “I’ve started the background check into Pam Baldwin. She’s a grocery store cashier.” Skyler flipped a page in her notebook. “She arrived at work at six fifteen this morning and claims she didn’t leave her register at all.”

  “No breaks?”

  “She says no, but the manager said she took one. It would be a violation of wage and hour if she didn’t get a break, and he could be covering for that. I’ve requested their security video to see who’s telling the truth.”

  “And what about Kelly’s father?”

  “Ms. Baldwin doesn’t know who the father is.”

  “Interesting,” Jake said, letting the surprising news settle in. “Did she have a believable story for that?”

  Skyler nodded. “She had a drug problem for years. Got pregnant when she was still using. She gave me the names of two guys, Sid and Hal, but she said without a DNA test there’d be no proof either of them fathered Kelly. When she found out she was pregnant, she managed to get clean and has been clean since then. She left these guys behind and has no idea where they might be hanging out these days.”

  Jake didn’t like what he was hearing. “Please don’t tell me her drug of choice was Special K.”

  Used as a recreational drug on the street, ketamine had other nicknames, but Special K was most commonly used.

  Skyler shook her head. “Meth.”

  “And you’re sure she’s clean?”

  “Can’t be certain, but yeah, it’s looking good. She got her current job through a prison release program. Employers enrolled in the program agree to hire people with a record for a subsidy of their wages. She’s had the job since she got clean. The store no longer receives wage su
bsidies, but continues to do random drug testing. She’s passed all of them.”

  “When was her last test?”

  “A month ago.”

  “That’s enough time to start using again.”

  Skyler set her notepad on the counter. “Maybe, but she seems like she’s on the up-and-up. I talked to her coworkers and some of the staff at the child care center. They all seem to concur with my assessment.”

  “Rachael told me Ms. Baldwin’s estranged from her parents. Do you know why?”

  “The usual story of parents of an addict. She put them through the wringer and refused to give up the drugs, so they broke off all ties with her.”

  “But didn’t she try to reconnect with them when she got clean?”

  Skyler shook her head. “She didn’t want them to know about Kelly. She said she was afraid they’d try to take her away from her. As far as she knows, they aren’t even aware of the baby’s existence.”

  “She could be right about them trying for custody, which would make them prime suspects for a kidnapping.”

  “Not if they don’t know about Kelly.”

  “True,” Jake said, a sinking feeling hitting his stomach. He’d hoped this attempted kidnapping would turn out to be a simple family custody issue that could be solved easily, but it looked like it was going to be so much more.

  “I’ll follow up with the grandparents to see what they have to say.”

  “And we need to look elsewhere, too,” he said, trying to be positive. “Remember, it’s possible Ms. Baldwin has hit the skids again and could be trying to sell Kelly for drug money.”

  “My gut just says it’s not her at this point.” Skyler settled back on the stool, and Jake noticed that some color had returned to her face. “If she was behind the abduction, I don’t think she’d harm the director. Ms. Baldwin seems to have the utmost respect for what Ms. Long’s done to help her.”

  “How’s that?”

  “Ms. Long used the money from her husband’s life insurance to open the child care center. She keeps a large number of slots available for women at risk. The state pays a flat rate that doesn’t meet the actual cost of care, so she subsidizes the balance of the tuition. Pam Baldwin has one of those slots.”