Christmas Past

by Mary Burton

  Richard’s flashing white teeth reminded her of a hungry wolf. “If you’re watching this, Christina…”

  Christina. That had been her given name—the name Richard knew her by. But when she’d fled Richard and moved east she’d changed her name. At first the name Nicole Piper had been a temporary name. But after Richard’s death, she’d discovered she had no desire to take back her old name. It had too much sadness attached to it. So she’d changed it legally.

  “If you’re watching this, Christina, then it means things didn’t end between us as I planned.” His smooth, cultured voice was maddeningly calm. Clearly he still believed that he was going to win their cat and mouse game. “But I couldn’t leave you without a parting gift as a token of my love. Because, Christina, I do love you so very much.” He smiled and absently adjusted the gold signet ring on his right pinky. “You remember Vincent, don’t you?”

  Nicole hit PAUSE. “Vincent was his assistant. He was a very nasty man who often did Richard’s dirty work.”

  Lindsay frowned as she dug her cell out of her pocket. “I should call Zack.” Zack Kier was Lindsay’s husband. He was a homicide detective with Henrico County Police. “This is a police matter.”

  Nicole nodded. “As soon as I’ve seen it.” She hit PLAY.

  Richard continued. “Vincent killed that friend of yours, Claire Carmichael, that woman that helped you escape San Francisco.”

  Nicole could barely breathe. Claire had lent Nicole money and even found a beat-up car for her to drive. Later, Nicole learned that Claire had been horribly tortured. Her shop had been burned and all the evidence that could be used against her attacker destroyed. Her killer had never been caught, though police had believed it was Richard. But if Vincent had killed her that meant he’d gotten away with murder.

  Lindsay pulled in a shocked breath. “My God. Claire’s family was devastated by her death. They never had closure and still pray the murder will be solved.”

  Losing a daughter would be a fate worse than death.

  Richard had paused for effect on the tape. Smiling wider, he continued. “If you want the evidence that proves Vincent killed Claire, go see my attorney. Her name is Charlotte Wellington of Alexandria, Virginia. Ms. Wellington is authorized to give the information only to you. Go to her and get the evidence if you want to prove Vincent killed Claire.”

  Nicole’s eyes narrowed. “Why would he do this?”

  And then as if to answer the question Richard never heard he said, “My hope is to prove to you that I didn’t hurt Claire. I love you. I just want you back in my life, Christina.”

  Lindsay shook her head. “The man doesn’t know the meaning of the word.”

  Nicole felt sick as she shut off the TV.

  “Do you think he’s telling the truth?” Lindsay asked.

  Nicole’s head was spinning. “I don’t know.”

  “He was a pro at playing games.”

  Nicole sighed. “I know. But I owe it to Claire to find out.” Anger overrode her fear.

  Lindsay set her jaw. “You can’t do this alone. I’ll come with you.”

  Nicole shook her head. “No. But I’d appreciate it if you could watch Beth.”

  “Of course, I’ll watch her. But you can’t go alone. Let me come.”

  “No, Lindsay.” Her friend’s concern touched her deeply. “Richard is my mess and I plan to clean it up once and for all.”

  “Dad, I feel kinda like a creep for leaving you here alone at Christmas.” David Ayden smiled at his oldest son, Zane. The boy had his mother’s eyes. Caleb was behind him, kneeling and zipping up a ski bag.

  They were at the train station standing on the platform. The boys were taking the train to a ski resort in the West Virginia mountains. He was going to miss them like hell but knew they needed to get away and have a good time. And his in-laws had been lobbying for months for this trip. “I want you two to go and have a good time. Your grandparents can’t wait to have you.”

  Caleb rose. “Why don’t you ditch work and come?”

  “It’s my turn to work the holiday. I’ve had the last couple of Christmases off.” The department had given him the time after his wife’s death. He and Julie had been married for sixteen years. She’d died of cancer. “But my number has come up. And your grandparents are so excited about the ski trip and I want you to have a good time.” He could make it through a few days alone.

  “Hey, why don’t you call Nicole,” Caleb asked. “I bet she doesn’t have plans.”

  Zane glared at his brother. “They broke up, doofus.”

  A subtle tension settled in Ayden’s lower back. “We were never together. We were just friends.”

  Zane stared at his father an extra beat. The kid had spotted the attraction his father had had for Nicole. Wisely Zane now decided not to share his thoughts.

  The train engine released a whoosh of steam.

  Ayden was grateful for the distraction. “You boys better get on the train. I don’t want you missing it.”

  “So are you working the whole time?” Zane asked.

  “Most of it. I’ve got the Kier party on Christmas afternoon.”

  “Ah, man,” Caleb said. “We’re gonna miss that. I love that party.”

  “I’ll eat your share of pasta,” Ayden joked. He refused to let his boys see that he was going to miss them. He hugged Zane close and then Caleb. “Don’t eat too much crap in the dining car. Your grandmother is going to feed you lunch.”

  Zane grimaced at his brother. “Tell that to the human garbage can.”

  Caleb shot his brother a murderous glare. “Who’s got the mega bag of M&M’s in his backpack?”

  They would go round and round like this for hours if Ayden let it continue. Just put them on the train. That’s what Julie would have said. Let the kids eat some junk. It’s Christmas. “Go.”

  The boys hugged their dad one more time and then climbed the three steps to the train. Ayden waited on the cold platform until he saw the two settled into their seats. The boys waved, trying to shoo him away, but he remained until the train engine roared to life and the cars started down the tracks. When the caboose finally faded from sight, he turned and headed to his car.

  He crossed the parking lot and slid behind the wheel of his Crown Vic. He started the engine and waited until the heater had defrosted the already chilled windshield.

  The boys were going to have a great Christmas. This was a good thing for them all. He didn’t mind the work, and how many times had he wished for a little quiet in his own house? Only now he suspected the quiet wouldn’t be a peaceful one.

  Why don’t you call Nicole?

  The words rattled in his head as he put the car in DRIVE. He’d not seen her since April. Since the day he’d kissed her. He’d thought they had something. Hell, he was even thinking marriage. But she’d pulled away from him. She’d had tears in her eyes when she’d told him she wasn’t ready. She wanted to be friends.

  Friends. He wanted to be her friend. And her lover and her husband. He’d wanted to help her raise her daughter. He’d wanted the whole damn package. But he’d not been able to say all that. Instead he’d nodded, shoved his hands in his pockets, and kept his tone cordial. She’d said she’d needed space. And he’d been willing to give it to her. Only he couldn’t just be friends. It was all or nothing.

  Through mutual friends, he’d kept up with Nicole over the last six months. He’d not asked about her but listened when friends talked. Nicole’s two closest friends, Lindsay and Kendall, were married to homicide detectives in his department, so he caught bits and snatches of information from time to time. Business was doing well. An upcoming art show in January. Beth was crawling.

  Ayden had managed a few dates over the summer and fall. They’d been nice diversions but nothing had made him want a second or third date. None of the women had compared to Nicole.

  “Shit.” All or nothing had gotten him a fat load of nothing.

  His phone rang. “David Ayden.”
>
  “Ayden, it’s Lindsay.” Her voice sounded like a whisper.

  “Everything all right?”

  “Yeah. I just don’t want Nicole to hear me. She’s in the bathroom.”

  He gripped the phone. “What is it?”

  “It’s not good.”

  Ayden’s mood darkened as he listened to the details. “Send her to my office. And tell her if she doesn’t come I’m sending a squad car for her.”

  Chapter Two

  Tuesday, December 23, 10:15 A.M.

  Nicole gripped the DVD in her hand as she climbed the staircase to the second-floor offices of the county’s homicide department. Today, there weren’t many people on the floor, which usually buzzed with ringing phones and chatter. The silence gave the place an eerie quality that underscored the tension radiating from every muscle in her body.

  As she moved down the carpeted hallway her mind slipped back to the day she’d met Claire Carmichael.

  The breeze of the San Francisco Bay had left her skin chilled as she’d pushed through the front door of the new age shop. Bells above her head jingled and the delicate scent of lavender hung in the air. Her hands trembled.

  Her body ached inside and out and bruises darkened her arms. Last night with Richard had been the worst ever. Unprovoked, he’d hit her. She’d tried to calm him, but he’d been inconsolable. He’d pinned her on the floor of his office and savagely raped her. He’d told her over and over that she was his until he decided he was finished with her. She knew then if she didn’t leave he would kill her.

  As the shop’s scents enveloped her, her heart was hammering in her chest as she clutched her designer bag close to her. She glanced out the picture window half expecting to see Richard striding toward her. She wouldn’t have long before he realized she was gone. And if he found her…God, she didn’t want to think how he’d punish her for this rebellion.

  “Hello?”

  “Be right out.” The woman’s voice was strong and cheerful and Christina remembered when her own voice sounded like that.

  Christina drew in a deep breath. Everything was going to be fine. She repeated the mantra several times before beaded curtains behind a display case full of crystals and unicorns fluttered open.

  A smiling woman with kind eyes moved toward her. She wore a loose-fitting dress and had tied her hair up in a bun. She wasn’t much older than Christina but possessed a grace and wisdom that stretched far beyond her years.

  “Can I help you?”

  Christina moistened her lips. “I saw you speak at the community center a few months ago.”

  The woman’s eyes sharpened. “On domestic violence.”

  “Yes.”

  “I remember you. You stood in the back of the room.”

  “Yes.” It was all she could do to speak without breaking down into tears.

  “You’re in trouble.”

  Tears welled in her eyes. “Yes.”

  The woman moved past her, flipped the OPEN sign to CLOSED and locked the front door. “My name is Claire.”

  “I remember. Claire Carmichael.”

  She smiled. “Good memory. Come in the back and we can talk.”

  “I’ve got to get out of town. I don’t have much time.”

  “Does your husband know you’ve left?”

  “It’s just a matter of time.”

  “Then we’ve got a few minutes.”

  “I have to warn you, my husband is Richard Braxton. He’s a violent, evil man. If he finds out you helped me, he’ll be angry.”

  Claire didn’t hesitate. Bracelets jangled on her wrist as she wrapped her arm around Christina’s shoulders. “Don’t you worry about me, honey. I can take care of myself. Now let’s figure out how we’re going to get you out of San Francisco.”

  Nicole paused and closed her eyes. I can take care of myself. Claire’s words haunted her. Nicole brought evil into Claire’s life and she’d died horribly because of it.

  She moved toward Ayden’s office, knowing she’d do whatever she could to avenge the woman who had been so kind to her.

  Nicole stopped at the office in the corner. On the wall rested a placard that read SERGEANT DAVID AYDEN. The door was ajar. She couldn’t see Ayden but she could hear his deep, rich voice. It sounded like he was on the phone. Nicole drew in a breath and knocked.

  “Yeah, come in.” He sounded gruff, annoyed.

  Feeling like an interloper, she pushed open the door. Ayden stood with his back to her, the phone pressed to his ear. He wore a white button-down shirt and khakis. Clipped on the left side of his dark belt was a cell phone and on the other side his gun. A lean waist accentuated broad shoulders and military straight posture.

  When the door hinges creaked he turned. His expression was dark until he saw Nicole. For a brief instant there was a softening in his blue eyes and then it was gone. “Let me call you back.” He hung up the phone. “Nicole.”

  “Hi.” Her voice sounded hoarse and full of emotion.

  “Lindsay called me and told me about the DVD.” He moved around the desk. There was an edge about him as he moved and he radiated an energy that suggested that he knew how to fight if need be. He was a good father who had been a good husband. But under the calm facade lurked a warrior.

  Suddenly she felt awkward. She held out the DVD. “This is what I received.”

  Frowning, he nodded. He took the DVD from her, careful not to touch her. Behind his desk was a small television equipped with a DVD player. He popped it in. “Can you handle this?”

  She hated the idea of seeing Richard’s face again. “Yes.”

  Ayden nodded and hit PLAY. His expression grew savage as Richard spoke. After the recording ended he shut it off. “I’ve heard enough about Braxton but have never seen a video of him.”

  Nicole swallowed. “He had quite a presence in person. He could silence a room when he entered.” She remembered all the parties they attended and the strained expressions of the people he did business with as he spoke to them.

  Ayden’s jaw tightened and released. “I’ve already placed calls to the lawyer’s office in Alexandria. Charlotte Wellington is not being cooperative. She’s pledged to protect her client and has told me she won’t release information to anyone but you. If I want the information, I’ll have to get a search warrant.”

  She frowned. “It’s almost Christmas.”

  “And there’s not a judge to be found to sign a search warrant under these circumstances. None will be back until Friday at the earliest.”

  Nicole felt boxed into a corner. “I can’t let Claire’s parents go another Christmas without closure.” She shoved her hands into the pockets of her black leather jacket. “This is so like Richard.”

  Ayden’s jaw tightened but he didn’t say anything.

  She didn’t want to drive up I-95. The roads would be jammed with holiday travelers and the weather forecasters called for snow. And then there was Beth. She couldn’t drag the child along with her. Lindsay would watch her, but her friend already had a hectic schedule. Despite all the reasons not to go Nicole heard herself saying, “I’ll drive up there now. If I hurry I can be back by this afternoon. Lindsay said she’d watch the baby.”

  Ayden’s frown deepened. “You don’t have to do this. We’ll have a court order by the weekend.”

  “Claire went out on a limb for me and it cost her her life. This is the least I can do for her.”

  “The traffic and weather are going to be a nightmare.”

  She managed a shrug just to show him she could handle it all. “It won’t be that bad.” She checked her watch. “I’ll call you when I get back to town.”

  No way in hell was Nicole going to the Washington, D.C., metro area by herself today. He wasn’t going to let scum like Braxton jerk her chain like this. “I’m coming with you.”

  She shook her head. “No. I can do this alone.”

  Nicole had to be one of the strongest women he knew. And one of the most beautiful. Even now, standing this close to h
er made his heart tighten.

  “I’m going.” His statement had force behind it. “Let me make a couple of calls.”

  “Ayden, you don’t have to do this.”

  He reached for his phone and dialed a number. “Yes, I do. Besides, I wouldn’t trust that car of yours to get around the block let alone up and back to D.C. today.”

  She straightened. “It’s a good car.” Claire had given it to her.

  He grinned. “We’ll take my car.”

  She started to pace back and forth. He could see that this whole mess with her late husband was tying her into knots. If he had his way, he’d dig the guy up from his grave and knock the crap out of him.

  Detective C. C. Ricker picked up her line. “Ricker.”

  Ayden filled Ricker in on the details. “You can cover the fort today?”

  “No sweat. Do what you need to.”

  “Thanks.”

  He hung up and moved across the room to get his coat off the back of his door. As he passed he caught Nicole’s scent. Soft. Delicate. Like her. She wore faded jeans and a loose sweater but neither hid the curves of her figure. Her hips had rounded a little since her pregnancy but it suited her. He much preferred this look to the images he’d seen of her when she’d lived with her husband. The one picture that stuck in his mind had been taken at a charity ball. Her too-thin frame was clad in a red designer gown and her long, ebony hair and makeup had been professionally done. As stunning as she was, she’d reminded him of a plastic doll not a woman.

  Now thick hair hung in a loose shag around her face and she wore only a hint of makeup. The combined effect made it hard for him not to stare. He’d hoped maybe these last few months would have tempered his response to her but they hadn’t. If anything, it had magnified.

  He shrugged on a gray overcoat. “Let’s get going.”

  “Ayden, please stay. You don’t have to do this.”

  “My boys are out of town and there is nothing happening here. And, like you said, we’ll be back by dinner.”

  A crease knotted her forehead. “I don’t like taking help.”

  “There is pride and then there is foolishness. Besides, we both know Braxton was a sneaky bastard. Who the hell knows what is waiting for you up there?”