In the kitchen, he found glasses in the sink and plates with brownie crumbs. He helped himself to one from the cookie jar, aimlessly chewing until he spotted their coats on hooks by the back door. They were home. Tension drained from him and J.D. headed for the staircase.
Whenever the two of them were this quiet, they were usually up to something. He mounted the steps, avoiding the two that had a tendency to creak.
Todd’s door gaped open to reveal schoolbooks tossed carelessly and a pile of items scattered across his desk. An empty piggy bank lay discarded on the bed. Behind Heather’s partially closed door, came the distinct babble of childish voices.
“Jackie’s going to be so surprised,” Todd said gleefully. “That came out good, Heather.”
“Yeah, but I should have bought the smaller buttons.”
“Huh-uh. The smaller ones would’ve been too small. Besides, I like these green ones better than the black ones.”
J.D. heard shuffling sounds, then Heather’s voice came clearly. “Oh, no. It doesn’t fit in the box. It’s too big.”
“Here, let me try.”
J.D. nudged the door carefully and peered inside. A sewing kit sat on the floor along with a tube of Christmas wrapping paper, a length of ribbon, scissors and tape. The children huddled over a shoe box on the bed. Todd held something yellow that he kept trying to cram inside the battered box.
“Can I help?” J.D. asked.
The two whirled, guilt stamped across both faces. Todd quickly concealed the yellow object behind his back.
“Daddy, what are you doing home?”
“Yeah, Dad,” Todd seconded. “Is Jackie with you?”
His heart sank a little at their expectant faces. How was he going to explain about Jackie?
“What are you guys doing?” he temporized.
“Nothing, Dad,” Todd was quick to assure him.
Heather knew better. “It’s a surprise for Jackie,” she told him.
“May I see?”
They exchanged glances. “Okay, but you won’t tell Jackie, will you?”
“That all depends,” he answered.
“It’s a surprise, Dad.”
Heather pulled a stuffed yellow teddy bear from her brother’s hands and held it out. Cold and sick, he stared at the ludicrous toy. Two bright green buttons had been sewn with an inexpert hand where the eyes should have been. A matching length of green ribbon had been tied awkwardly around the bear’s neck in a tiny bow.
“Someone tied a teddy bear to the door of my store yesterday morning…A garish yellow teddy bear…Larry won one just like it…except…the eyes had been pulled off this one.”
“Where is this bear now?”
“I don’t know. I can’t find it.”
Breathing became difficult. J.D. struggled to keep the incipient panic from his voice. He hunkered down at eye level with the kids, striving for control. “Where did you get this, Heather?”
The children fidgeted, looking small and a little scared. Heather flushed guiltily as she cast a look at her brother.
“We didn’t steal it, Dad,” Todd said quickly. “We just borrowed it.”
“Yeah, Dad. When we found it the other day, Jackie said it was her old toy. But I could tell she was upset because somebody pulled the eyes off and ruined the ribbon.”
“Yeah. And she said she was gonna throw it out,” Todd put in. “But she looked real funny and she put it in a drawer. We just rescued it, is all.”
“We wanted to get Jackie something special for Christmas,” Heather cut in, “but we didn’t have enough money, so I thought we could fix her bear.”
Two anxious faces peered at him, tearing a hole in his heart.
“And we didn’t go to the shopping center by ourselves. Aunt Dottie took us to the drugstore to get the buttons. She even gave us the wrapping paper,” Todd offered.
“We didn’t want Jackie to be sad any more. Is it okay, Dad?” Heather asked timidly.
J.D. reached out and drew the children against his chest, blinking back the moisture that threatened his eyes. He’d never been so proud of his kids.
“You’re not mad at us?” Heather asked, her voice muffled against his coat.
“No, sweetheart, I’m not mad.” He hugged them tightly then set them back from him and lifted the teddy bear, examining the work Heather had done. “I think Jackie will be very surprised.”
Heather beamed with pleasure.
“I picked out the eyes,” Todd said proudly.
“But the box is too small. Do you have a bigger box we could use?”
“I’ll tell you what—how about if I take you to the mall later on and we’ll buy a bigger box to put this in?”
“We don’t have much money,” Heather warned.
“It’ll be my contribution to your gift.”
Todd beamed. “Great. Can we go now?”
“No, not right now. There’s something I have to do first. I love you guys, you know that?”
“We know, Dad.”
“We love you, too,” Heather agreed.
He knew Jackie would forgive them for taking the bear. He just wondered if she would forgive him.
“Look, guys, I might not get back home in time tonight to put you to bed. I need to run over to Jackie’s and help her with something.”
Heather smiled widely. “That’s okay, Dad.” And he saw her thumbs-up motion to her brother as she turned away.
Were his children playing matchmaker? He couldn’t believe it, but excitement glittered in Todd’s expression.
Never one to let an opportunity slide past, Todd asked, “Can we order pizza for dinner tonight?”
Distracted by the idea that they accepted Jackie and him as a couple, J.D. nodded absently. “That’s fine.”
He’d have to sit the children down and explain his relationship with Jackie—but first, he’d have to work it out for himself.
Remembering the way he’d left her, he amended that thought. At the moment, they didn’t have a relationship. In fact, he’d be lucky if Jackie would let him back inside her house.
JACKIE COULDN’T EVEN CRY. Her eyes burned with unshed tears when J.D. closed the front door. She stood in the doorway between the kitchen and the dining room and watched him cross the lawn to his car.
She’d expected too much of him. But oh, God, it hurt to watch him leave. She’d wanted him to believe her. Needed him to believe her. Couldn’t he have trusted her just a little?
No, of course he couldn’t. Once again, Larry had proved his resourceful intelligence. He’d always hidden his madness so that few ever saw past his friendly, clever mask. Hadn’t it taken her over a year to realize his fixation on her wasn’t love? She’d been a possession, and Larry jealously guarded his possessions.
Jackie entered the dining room, slumping into the nearest chair. She’d never felt so alone in her life.
What should she do? The police weren’t going to help. Not without proof. And J.D…. She took a gulping deep breath, willing herself not to cry. J.D. needed to keep his family safe. He could do nothing to help her now.
Bessie? Jackie visualized the basement key hanging from the hook in her kitchen. It didn’t matter why Bessie had lied about something so trivial. Bessie had been her friend and confidante for years. And Bessie was distraught over her son’s death. She probably—honestly—hadn’t noticed the key on the chain with the other two. Jackie couldn’t put her at risk. She couldn’t put anyone at risk. Larry wanted to torment her, and if he’d killed the elf and left him for her to find, he wouldn’t hesitate to hurt someone close to her.
Run.
Jackie closed her eyes. She refused to give in to the building panic. Run where? There was no one to turn to. And how far was she going to get on crutches? They certainly made her invisible and hard to find, she thought with self-mockery.
She opened her eyes, focusing on the Christmas card from Larry—only inches from her fingertips. With a sweep of her arm, she angrily brushed it to the flo
or. The action disturbed the rest of her mail, which also fluttered to her feet. Brenda’s unopened letter landed on top.
Brenda. Childhood friend, matron of honor at Jackie’s wedding and mother of her only godchild. Jackie reached for the letter. Brenda had always hated Larry. Brenda hated writing letters. And Brenda was the only person left in Indiana who knew where Jackie lived.
Renewed trepidation made Jackie’s hand shake as she ripped open the envelope and removed the short note.
Jackie,
I don’t want to scare you, but something happened you should know about. Someone broke into my house, but nothing appeared to be taken. Much later, I discovered two things missing. That’s when I got worried. The picture of you and me and Billy (the one Brian took at the christening) is gone. So is my address book. The only thing these items have in common is you. Your new address was in that book. What if Larry is the one who broke in here? I tried to call, but your phone’s been disconnected. I’ve got a bad feeling about this. Call me, okay?
Brenda.
The lines of ink blurred. Jackie let the note fall to the tabletop. She picked up the envelope, proud that her hands were now steady. Brenda had sent this to the apartment over a week ago. Jackie wondered what she would have done if she’d received the warning sooner. Would she have given up her life here and run away?
Isn’t that what she contemplated doing right now?
She lifted the letter, skimming the contents again quickly. Her future stretched before her, a series of lonely days and nights as she waited for Larry to find her again. She could not live in fear forever. There was only one way to end this. The police needed proof before they would help her. Somehow, she had to get them something irrefutable. The bear would help, but what she needed was the dead elf.
“Yeah, right,” she muttered.
Okay, failing that, she needed to at least show that the elf existed. A connection between Larry and the elf wouldn’t hurt, either.
Her gaze darted to the dining-room window as a car turned into her driveway. She was on her feet, heart lunging against her chest, when the heavy footsteps reached the porch.
In the early dusk, his features were hard to discern, but Jackie recognized J.D. at once. She entered the hall, even before he began pounding on her front door.
“Jackie!”
She opened the door wide enough to stare at him and shiver at the blast of icy air. “What are you doing here, J.D.? I told you to go home.”
He laid his palm along the door. Now she wouldn’t be able to close it unless he let her.
“I did. I’m back.”
“Why?”
He started to answer and stopped. His solemn expression slowly changed, replaced by something very different. Something subtle and inexplicable.
“You forgot to wash my knees.”
He pressed gently on the door, forcing her back a step.
“What?”
J.D. stepped inside. There was something mildly intimidating in the way he stood there, filling her hall. He was such a large man. So tall and overwhelming.
“I don’t do one-night stands, Jackie,” he said mildly. “Or I guess in our case I should have said one-afternoon stands. And I don’t walk away from someone I care about—even when she throws a temper tantrum.”
He stepped closer. Jackie backed up, bumping into the hall table. She shivered, telling herself it was from the cold air drifting in through the open door. Quickly, she straightened and gave him her best glare. Shaking the hand that still clutched Brenda’s letter, she said, “I did not throw a temper tantrum.”
“Could have fooled me.”
Baffled by his presence and the gentle teasing in his tone, Jackie shook her head. “What are you doing here, J.D.?”
“If you’re done being mad at me, I came to take you home.”
“I am not going to your house. I’m going to a motel.”
He tipped his head as if considering that. “Not a bad idea, actually. If we rent a room, I won’t have to worry about the kids catching me in your bed in the morning.”
Flabbergasted, she gaped at him. “Why, you arrogant—”
She dodged the finger he would have pressed against her lips, but saw the laughter in his eyes. That only confused her further.
“You rile faster than Aunt Dottie when someone interrupts one of her soaps.”
Jackie knocked his hand away, feeling horribly off center and unsure of herself. “I don’t understand you.”
The amusement faded instantly. “I know. I shouldn’t tease you, but sometimes it’s hard to resist.”
He shut the door, giving her a moment to regroup.
“Larry is obviously dangerous, Jackie. We need to find some hard evidence the police can use. Right now, we’re fighting shadows.”
“We?”
“Yeah, you know, like in you and me—together.”
The image that evoked didn’t belong in her mind.
“What do you have there?” he asked.
Brenda’s letter was still in her hand, but she couldn’t focus on that. J.D. was lobbing too many curves her way. “You didn’t believe me.”
“You didn’t give me much of a chance. Are you confused right now?”
“Yes!”
“Good. Then you know exactly how I felt seeing those damn rings sitting next to your bed after we made love. Confused, angry, upset.”
She hadn’t thought about the situation from his perspective. The horror had cloaked itself around her from the moment she saw that picture. It must have been twice as hard for him. After all, he didn’t know the woman wasn’t her.
“Ben’s a cop. He needs proof, Jackie.”
His serious expression soothed something fragile and broken inside her. “And what do you need, J.D.?”
“To help you find that proof.”
“What if I really am crazy?”
His grin came slowly, but it widened to reveal the hidden dimples. “You are at times irritating, sexy, maddening and stubborn. But you are not crazy.”
As her heart took wing, fluttering madly about her chest, he reached out and took the letter from her fingers. “May I?”
She watched him scan the contents quickly, waiting for his reaction. “So that’s how he found you initially. Come on. Let’s get your things together and get out of here. This place isn’t safe any more—even with the new locks.”
“J.D., I told you. I can’t go back to your house. We have to protect the children. He’s dangerous.”
Grim again, J.D. nodded. “I know. Let’s do like you planned. We’ll rent a hotel room for the night. It’s time we start taking the offensive.”
Thoughts of the two of them in a hotel room were pushed aside by his second remark. “How?”
“While you pack a bag, I’ll look up Teller Photography. With a little luck, maybe we can track down one of Santa’s elves before he causes any more mischief.”
Chapter Ten
Outside, the wind began to sweep harshly through the branches of the large maple tree. Jackie finished packing while J.D. located Teller Photography in the phone book. They had an address off Main Street.
J.D. replaced the phone book and a finger of apprehension traced its way up his spine. The windows rattled noisily as the wind gusted. He hoped it didn’t storm again.
“All set?” he asked as Jackie entered the kitchen.
“Yes.” Her gaze whipped to the window. “Listen to that wind.”
J.D. quickly moved forward to rest his hand on her arm. “It’ll be okay. I promise. Let me run up and get your bag.”
She stared at him for a second and then relaxed. “I need to stop by the store for a minute.”
“No problem. I’ll be right back.” The upstairs hall had a dark, almost sinister feel. Spooky damn house. Jackie didn’t belong here. He didn’t like this place one bit.
He lifted the case from her bed and his gaze drifted to the nightstand. The rings still sat where he’d seen them last, an uneasy reminder of
all the weirdness that surrounded Jackie.
He knew it was irrational, but he hated those rings and what they represented. Still, he reasoned more cheerfully, if they’d held any meaning at all for her, Jackie wouldn’t have left them sitting on the nightstand like a discarded tissue.
She’d been telling the truth. All of it. Seeing the bear had convinced him. Of course, Ben would be the first to tell him that Jackie could easily have plucked the eyes off the teddy bear herself, but J.D. shook his head ruefully. Some things you just have to take on faith.
Jackie stood at the bottom of the stairs.
“Wait here while I put this in the trunk and I’ll come back and help you down the steps outside.”
“I’m not helpless, J.D.”
He smiled, thinking she was the least helpless female he knew. “Believe me, I know. But humor me, okay? Aunt Dottie takes me to task unless I’m a perfect gentleman.”
Clouds gathered overhead, pushed by the icy breeze. Sleet or snow again. He could almost feel it in the pregnant air.
At the shopping center, a parking place stood vacant in front of the store, almost where he’d parked the night he first met her. A fat raindrop splattered against his windshield as he turned off the engine.
Wind lashed the cold, stinging rain against his cheek as he helped Jackie from the car. His gaze swept the busy lot, abruptly landing on something that immediately caught his attention.
A lone figure stood at the tree line near the road. His utter stillness drew J.D.’s attention. A hunter, waiting for prey. And from that vantage point, the person had a clear view of the brightly lit shop at J.D.’s back.
Hadn’t Jackie mentioned a watcher?
Adrenaline kick-started his heart. The person could be there for any number of reasons—all of them innocent. But there was something ominous, almost threatening in the quiet way this person stood.
“Is something wrong?” Jackie asked.
He quickly lowered his eyes to stare at the back of his car. There was no sense spooking her. “Yeah. The car felt funny. I need to take a look at the back tire. Why don’t you go on inside while I make sure I didn’t pick up a nail or something.”
Better Watch Out Page 15