Yuletide Defender

by Sandra Robbins

  Matt’s eyebrows arched. “That so? You didn’t tell me that before.”

  She shrugged and pointed to a building across the street. “I just now thought of it. The sound seemed to come from that direction.”

  Reaching into his pocket, Philip handed her a card. “If you think of anything else, give us a call.” He shoved the notepad in his pocket and turned to walk back toward the crime scene. Suddenly he stopped and spun around. “One more thing about this anonymous source. Be careful, Miss Long. I’d hate to see you get caught up in something dangerous.”

  Rachel smiled. “Matt’s warned me about that. I thank you for your concern, also.”

  Philip studied her before he and Matt returned to the crime scene.

  Rachel turned her back on the two bodies lying on the sidewalk and tried to direct her attention across the street to the building where she believed the killer had hidden. As she squinted into the distance, two uniformed policemen walked by.

  The one nearer her looked at the other officer and shook his head. “I can’t believe it. Tom Carr taking payoffs. He was almost ready to retire. Why would he get mixed up with a gang?”

  The other man shook his head. “I don’t know. Did you see the wad of money they pulled out of that envelope in his pocket? The press is going to have a field day with this. I can see the headlines now. Corrupt detective killed taking payoff from a gang member.”

  The men glanced at her as if seeing her for the first time, but she gave no indication she noticed them. Her mind raced with the information that confirmed what her source had said. Her stakeout had paid off. She had the headline for tomorrow’s newspaper.

  Rachel straightened as Matt walked back to where she stood. “You can go now.” He stared up the street. “Where’s your car?”

  Rachel pointed in the direction she’d parked. “About two blocks down.”

  Matt took her by the arm. “Mine’s around the corner. Since I’ve got to go to the police station, I’ll drive you to your car. Then I’m going to follow you home. Just want to make sure you get there safely.”

  The thought of walking back to her car, especially with a killer on the loose, had been niggling at the back of her mind ever since the shooting. Matt’s suggestion put her mind at ease.

  “Thanks. I’d appreciate that.”

  With a final wave at the officers, Matt steered her around the corner and down the block to where his police car was parked.

  Several minutes later he stopped beside her vehicle. She turned to thank him but he was staring past her. “Oh, Rachel,” he murmured.

  She twisted in her seat to follow his gaze, and her eyes flared. “Wh-what happened?”

  He shifted the car into Park and reached for the door handle. “It looks like you just got a welcome to the neighborhood.”

  Her legs felt like limp spaghetti as she climbed out and walked over to her car. The window on the driver’s side had been broken, and the door stood slightly ajar. She could see the contents of the glove compartment scattered across the front seat. The case holding all her CDs was missing.

  She glanced at Matt, who knelt beside one of the tires. He pushed to his feet and brushed his hands together. “All four tires are slashed and the hubcaps are gone.”

  Tears flooded her eyes as she gazed across the dented hood and broken windshield. “It looks like they used a baseball bat on it.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, or something like that.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Rachel, but this isn’t unusual for this neighborhood.”

  She blinked the tears away and took a deep breath. “Well, you did warn me.”

  “Yeah, but being right doesn’t make me feel any better.”

  A nearby streetlight lit his face. There was no mistaking the look of concern he directed at her. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket. “I guess I’d better call a tow truck to take my car to a garage.”

  “Would you like me to take care of that for you?”

  Relief flowed through her. “Would you, Matt? I have to admit I don’t have a clue who to call.”

  He laughed. “Then get back in the car and I’ll call the guy we use at the station.”

  She scrambled back inside the police car and watched as Matt placed a call. After speaking for a few minutes, he nodded and ended the call. Opening the driver’s side door, he climbed in and smiled. “No problem. He’ll come get your car right away and take it to his shop on Cedar Street. You can talk to him in the morning.”

  “Thanks, Matt. I really appreciate that.” She hesitated a moment. “And thank you for being concerned about my safety. You’re a good friend.”

  He turned the ignition and cleared his throat. “Would you like for me to pick you up for work in the morning?”

  She shook her head. “No, I’ll call my insurance company and get a rental until my car is fixed. Although I wish I could junk the car.”

  He glanced at her and then back at the road. “What’s wrong with it?”

  “It’s old and about ready to die. The only problem is I can’t afford a new one yet. Maybe these stories will change that.”

  “How so?”

  Rachel settled back in the seat and stared out the window. “My job at the Beacon is just a stopover on my way up the ladder of success. If I do a good job with these stories, maybe I’ll get noticed by a TV station that needs an investigative reporter or a big-city newspaper. I’d settle for anything that pays more money than I’m making now.”

  When Matt didn’t say anything, she glanced at him. His mouth had drawn into a grim line and he appeared to be concentrating on his driving. For the remainder of the trip he didn’t speak except to ask directions. When they stopped at the entrance of her apartment building, she unbuckled her seat belt and turned to him.

  “Thanks for everything tonight, Matt.”

  His fingers gripped the steering wheel. “Glad I could be of help.” He hesitated a moment before he swallowed and licked at his lips. “There is one more thing, though.”

  “Another question about the shooting?”

  “No, something else.”

  Matt turned to face her and his gaze flitted across her face. A ripple of pleasure coursed through her. She noticed for the first time the dark eyes that seemed to bore into her soul. Her cheeks warmed, but she couldn’t break the contact with his gaze. Her breath caught in her throat.

  “What is it?”

  “I wanted to ask if you’d go with me to the Fox Theater Saturday night.”

  Rachel opened her mouth to say no, but she couldn’t find the words. She’d passed the elegant old theater many times, but she’d never been able to afford a ticket for a performance. “The Fox Theater?”

  Matt rubbed his hand around the steering wheel rim. “Well, you see, I have these two tickets to the Christmas production of The Nutcracker that the Lake City Ballet is doing and I don’t want to go alone. It’d be nice if you could join me. We could grab a bite of dinner before and then go to the theater.”

  “Dinner and the ballet?”

  What was the matter with her? She shouldn’t even think about going. She’d promised herself nothing would interfere with her plans. Something warned her Matt could become a distraction. But what harm could one night cause?

  “I’d love to go.”

  A big breath escaped his mouth. “Good. I’ll call you later with a time.”

  “That will be fine.”

  He smiled and reached across her to open the door. “If you change your mind about a ride to work in the morning, let me know.”

  She smiled and stepped from the car. “I will.”

  Rachel watched until the taillights of Matt’s car disappeared in the distance before she walked into the apartment building lobby. She breathed a sigh of relief to be back on familiar ground. When she’d left earlier, she had no idea what awaited her on that dark neighborhood street.

  She’d gone expecting to see a policeman take a bribe or maybe a drug deal going down. Never in her wildest dreams w
ould she have expected to see two men murdered. On top of that, she couldn’t have guessed that Matt Franklin would chase her down an alley.

  The most unbelievable of all, however, might have been her agreeing to a date with Matt. One date didn’t mean anything. It wasn’t like she intended to begin a romantic relationship with him. She had more sense than that. Romance was the last thing on her mind. She’d certainly told herself that enough times.

  Loneliness washed over her and she bit down on her lip. Where did this feeling she didn’t understand come from? No matter how hard she tried to ignore it, at times she couldn’t. She might have trouble understanding her emotions, but tonight had made her positive about one thing—there was a vigilante in Lake City.

  FOUR

  Rachel set her cup of coffee on her office desk, dropped into the chair at her computer and unfolded the newspaper’s morning edition she’d picked up when she entered the Lake City Daily Beacon lobby. Just as she thought, her story had claimed the headline spot this morning. It wasn’t often that a decorated police officer was killed while taking an alleged—as she’d carefully worded it—payoff from a gang member.

  She skimmed the story that she’d filed soon after returning home the night before and smiled. Her presence at the crime scene lent credibility to her hinted allegations. It was the question of whether or not a vigilante was stalking the streets of Lake City that she read with interest. Such a declaration couldn’t help but get her noticed, and according to the messages in her in-box this morning, this was exactly what had happened with her readers. It shouldn’t take long for others in the media to follow.

  Lost in thought about her story, she jumped when a knock sounded at the open door to her office. She glanced up to see Matt and Philip Nolan standing in the hall.

  Even with the tired lines around Matt’s eyes, she had to admit he was just about the best-looking guy she’d met in a long time. There was something different about the image he projected and the other policemen she’d seen at the gang-related murder scenes. Although she knew little about his background, one thing she did know—he was comfortable with who he was. She liked that about him.

  She smiled and stood. “Good morning. Come on in.” They walked into her office and stopped in front of her desk. The serious expressions on their faces told her this wasn’t a social visit. “What are you doing here so early?”

  Matt’s dark eyes flickered across her face before he pointed to the newspaper lying on her desk. “We read your story.”

  The barbed tone of his words told her he was less than pleased. She raised her chin and stared at him. “What did you think?”

  Before Matt could answer, Philip spoke up, “Needless to say, we were a little concerned. Where did you get the idea a police officer was one of the victims at last night’s shooting?”

  She motioned to the chairs across from her desk and sat down. When the two detectives were settled, she leaned forward and crossed her arms on her desk. “I heard two police officers talking. Although they mentioned Detective Carr’s name, I didn’t reveal his identity. I had no idea if his family had been notified of his death. Once we’ve established that they know, I’ll print it. The citizens of Lake City have a right to know if one of our trusted police officers is really a crook who takes bribes.” She looked from Matt to Philip. “It may cause your department some problems, but that’s not my concern.”

  Anger flashed on Matt’s face and he started to speak. Philip laid a restraining hand on his arm. “We understand your position, Miss Long, and we’re not asking you for preferential treatment. However, we’re just now getting to the bottom of this. When we have proof of any wrongdoing, the Chief will hold a press conference.”

  Rachel smiled. “I’ll be in the front row.”

  Matt leaned forward, his elbows on the chair arms and his hands clasped in front of him. “We just want to make sure that you don’t do anything that will hamper our investigation.”

  She stared into his somber eyes. “I have no intention of interfering with the police.”

  He didn’t break eye contact with her. “Then you’ll cooperate with us?”

  “I’ve always done that.”

  Matt’s eyebrow arched. “From the calls the station is getting this morning, I don’t think our captain would agree with that.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Philip leaned forward. His eyebrows pulled down over his hawklike nose. His dark eyes bored into her. “Your story about a vigilante in Lake City has upset a lot of citizens. The phone has rung all morning from people wanting to know what the police are going to do about it.”

  There was no mistaking the annoyance in Matt’s and Philip’s eyes. Rachel bit back the retort hovering on her lips and considered their point of view. They were the ones who risked their lives every day to keep the citizens of Lake City safe.

  She took a deep breath and forced a smile. “There’s no one in this town who respects the police more than I do. But you need to understand that the press has a responsibility to keep the people informed. I hope you catch this guy soon so I can write the ending to this story.”

  Matt smiled. “So does that mean you’ll help us?”

  “Of course.”

  “By telling us what you learn from your source?”

  Rachel glanced from Matt to Philip, a frown on her face. “You know I can’t reveal a confidential source.”

  Philip shook his head. “We have a duty to protect the citizens of this city. If your informant knows something that can help our investigation, we need to know what it is.”

  Matt’s forehead wrinkled and he stared at her. “Don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re capable of dealing with these people. They’re dangerous, Rachel.”

  There was no avoiding the concern she saw in Matt’s eyes. The memory of a bullet striking the bricks above her head the night before sent a tremor through her. Perhaps in her haste to get a story she hadn’t been careful enough.

  She nodded. “I know the gangs pose a threat to everybody around them. If my source calls again and he agrees that I can tell you what he tells me, I’ll let you know.”

  Philip’s mouth crooked into a smile. “Well, until that time, how about not staking out any lonely street corners by yourself?”

  Rachel chuckled. “Okay.”

  Matt stood. “We don’t want anything to happen to you, Rachel.”

  Rachel glanced from Matt to Philip. “I appreciate that.”

  Philip let out a big breath, pushed to his feet and extended his hand. “It was nice to see you again, Miss Long.”

  “Please call me Rachel.” She smiled and grasped his hand but pulled away when his ring pressed into her finger. “Ouch.”

  Philip’s eyes grew wide and he released her hand. “I’m sorry. Did my ring hurt your finger?”

  She rubbed her hand and gaped at the gold ring Philip wore. “I’ve never seen such a beautiful ring. It must be a family heirloom.”

  Philip smiled and held it out for Rachel to get a better look at the unusual design. The gold ring featured two hands that encircled the finger and met in the front to hold a crown perched atop a heart. “It’s been passed down in my family for generations. Originally it was given to my great-great-grandmother when she married. It was a symbol of the love and faithfulness that she was promised. It’s made its way through the family and was given to my father. When he died, it passed to my brother.”

  Rachel frowned. “Then how did you get it?”

  Philip gazed down at the ring for a moment before he replied. “My brother died. Since he wasn’t married, he wanted me to have the ring.”

  The sadness that flickered in his eyes pricked Rachel’s heart. “I’m sorry. That must have been hard for you. I have a sister and I don’t know what I would do if she was taken from me.”

  He smiled and straightened his shoulders. “Then don’t take the time you have with her for granted. You never know what tomorrow will bring.”

  Rachel glanced
at Matt. His eyebrows drew down across his nose, and she wondered what he was thinking. Philip’s smile wavered as he glanced at Matt. He backed away from Rachel and pulled his cell phone from his pocket.

  “If you’ll excuse me, I have a few calls to make. I’ll meet you at the car, Matt.”

  With a nod in Rachel’s direction he turned and headed out the door. When he’d disappeared from view, Rachel tilted her head and crossed her arms. “You look tired this morning, Matt. What time did you get home last night?”

  He exhaled and rubbed the back of his neck. “I was at the station until three o’clock.”

  Rachel stepped closer. “Is there something else wrong? The look you gave me when I was talking with Philip struck me as odd.”

  He hesitated a moment before he spoke. “I’ve known you for several months now and you never told me you have a sister. You only met Philip last night and you felt comfortable talking about your family.”

  Rachel opened her mouth in surprise and then laughed. “I can’t believe you said that. For your information, Mr. All-Business Policeman, I don’t think we’ve had a personal conversation until last night. I know nothing about you or where you grew up.” She let her gaze drift over him. “I can tell from the expensive clothes you wear that there’s something different about you from any detective I’ve ever known.” She inched forward and lowered her voice. “So, tell me, do you have deep, dark secrets you’re keeping? For all I know, yours could be worse than a sister.”

  Matt’s face turned crimson and he stuck his hands in his pockets. “I guess we don’t know much about each other. Maybe we can take care of that when we go out Saturday night.”

  She smiled. “I’d like that.”

  He glanced over his shoulder. “Well, I guess I’d better find Philip. I have a feeling he didn’t have any calls to make and just wanted to give me some time to talk with you. I told him I was taking you out this weekend.”

  “And I need to get back to work. See you later.”