Yuletide Defender

by Sandra Robbins

  “No, but I wanted to tell you because after all that’s happened I’m not sure I want to go to that meeting alone.”

  Matt nodded. “That’s a wise decision. Do you want us to go with you?”

  “I’m afraid we might scare him off if too many people show up. I want you to go with me and stay in the car in case I need help. Will you agree to that?”

  Matt pondered the question and saw the logic of not having two policemen accompany a reporter into the park. “Okay, but I don’t feel right about not telling Philip.”

  “This may be our only chance to get more information from my source. If I go out there with two policemen and he finds out, I may lose him as a source and he’ll lose his chance for a better life. You can explain this to Philip later.”

  Matt sighed. “Okay, Rachel. I’ll do it. And I’ll check on your purse this afternoon.”

  “Thanks, Matt. I had the keys to the rental car in there, so I’ve called for another set.”

  “Do you need me to pick them up for you?”

  “No, thanks, they’ll bring them to me. And thanks for understanding about the source. Can you meet me in the Beacon parking lot about ten o’clock tonight?”

  “I can do that. I’ll see you then.”

  “Bye.”

  Matt hung up the phone and shook his head. Why hadn’t he asked her to have dinner with him first? He’d been thinking about how he wanted to get to know her better right before she called, and he had just passed up an opportunity to spend some time with her.

  Maybe his college buddies had been right about him. He shied away from women because he feared he would learn some things about them he didn’t like. In his heart he knew no one was perfect, and he wasn’t looking for perfection. All he wanted was a woman whose eyes he could stare into and see love shining there for him instead of the flashing dollar signs he’d encountered in every other woman he’d ever known.

  He dreaded telling Rachel about his wealthy family. No matter how hard he’d tried to distance himself from all the trappings of his mother’s jet-set life, it had ruined every relationship he’d ever had. Maybe Rachel would look at him as an ordinary man dedicated to police work instead of the wealthy son from a family who traveled in an elite social circle.

  He wanted to believe it but he didn’t know for sure. Only time would tell.

  Rachel glanced at her watch. She’d been so busy all afternoon that the time had just slipped away. It was nearly five o’clock. She reached to turn off her computer but stopped when someone knocked on her closed office door.

  “Come on in.”

  The door swung open and her eyes grew wide. Matt stood in the doorway holding her purse toward her. A smile curled his lips. “Did you lose something?”

  She jumped up and ran to him. “Where did you find it?”

  He stepped into her office, grinned and held the bag out to her. “As much as I’d like to take credit for some good detective work, I can’t. We received a call at the station this afternoon. The caller said he’d just seen a Santa Claus toss a woman’s purse into the Dumpster in back of Taylor’s Automotives. A patrol officer went over there and found your purse inside.”

  She took the purse from him and clutched it to her body. “Thanks for bringing it over.”

  He inclined his head toward her. “You’d better check it out and see what’s missing.”

  “Okay.” She hurried back to her chair behind her desk and opened the purse.

  Matt slid into the chair across from her. “We kept a list of everything we found inside. We need you to tell us what was stolen.”

  Rachel did a quick inventory and glanced up at Matt. “My cash is gone, but it was only about thirty dollars. My credit card is missing, but I called and reported it stolen this afternoon. Thank goodness my cell phone and driver’s license are here. The only other thing I can’t find is the necklace my mother gave me when I graduated from college. The clasp was broken and I was going to take it to the jeweler on my lunch hour. I sure do hate to lose that.”

  Matt nodded. “What does it look like?”

  “It’s a sterling silver cross set with diamonds and hangs on an eighteen-inch chain. It always reminded me of my mother and sister. I’ll miss not having it around my neck.”

  Sadness flickered in Matt’s eyes. “I’m sorry. I’ll put out a description to all the pawnshops in town. We might get lucky and be able to return it to you.”

  Rachel smiled. “I appreciate that. My sister, Cara, will be so upset when she finds out it was stolen.”

  “Is it an expensive necklace?”

  Rachel shook her head. “Not really. It’s the sentiment behind it that makes it special. Every time Cara saw it she would tell everybody that it was a sign that I went to college. I suppose it was special to her because deep in her heart she realized she could never do that.”

  Matt tilted his head and frowned. “Your sister couldn’t go to college? Why?”

  Rachel took a deep breath and wondered how Matt would respond when she told him. “Well, you see, she couldn’t go because Cara has mental and physical disabilities.”

  Matt’s eyes grew large. “She’s a mentally challenged child?”

  Rachel laughed. “Yes, but she’s not a child anymore. She’s ten years younger than I am, but she’s my best friend.”

  “It must be nice having a sister. I’m an only child.”

  Rachel took a deep breath and stood. “I have to admit, when I was younger I sometimes wished I could be an only child, but I wouldn’t give up Cara for anything.”

  Matt’s solemn stare made her wonder what he thought about the revelation about her sister. If he was anything like the guys she’d known in the past, he would find some excuse to hurry off. She waited for him to rise and tell her something had come up and he wouldn’t be able to take her to the ballet Saturday night.

  Matt stared at her a moment longer before he glanced at his watch. “I didn’t know it was getting so late. Are you hungry? We could go grab something to eat before it’s time to meet your source. How about it?”

  Rachel’s heart soared. “I’d like that.”

  He glanced at his watch. “I need to go back to the station and finish up some loose ends there. How about we meet in an hour?”

  A chime from Rachel’s computer alerted her that an email had just arrived. She frowned. “That’s from my editor. He always finds something else for me to do just before it’s time for me to leave. Let me see what he wants. This may take some time.”

  Matt pulled a notepad and pen from his pocket, scribbled something on it and pushed the paper across her desk. “This is my cell phone number. Call me when you get ready to leave and I’ll meet you in front of the police station.” He hesitated. “That is, unless you’d prefer I drive.”

  She laughed and stood up. “It’s the least I can do. Especially since I’ve protested so much about this being my story.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you later.”

  Her stomach fluttered when he flashed a smile at her, and she clasped her hands in front of her in an effort to stop the trembling. What was the matter with her? She hadn’t been affected like that since she had her first crush in high school.

  When Matt walked from the office, she sank down in her chair, rested her elbows on the desktop and covered her face with her hands. Her skin warmed at the memory of Matt’s smile. She’d told Matt earlier today that she’d learned two things. Now she had to admit she’d made a third discovery. If she didn’t watch out, she could become interested in Matt. She had to make sure that didn’t happen.

  Matt finished the paperwork on a case he and Philip had closed earlier and laid the folder aside. Across the small office, Philip glanced up from his desk where he was studying the reports on the shooting deaths the night before.

  Philip rubbed his eyes and stood up. “I just don’t understand it. How could a good cop like Tom Carr get involved with the gangs?”

  Matt shrugged. “I don’t know, but we’ve see
n it happen before. An officer gets closer to retirement and he begins to think how little he’s going to be drawing. So he decides he has to make some quick money. Unfortunately, taking bribes to look the other way can be mighty tempting.”

  Philip nodded. “I guess so, but it sure didn’t pay off for Tom. He’s dead and his family has to deal with the fact that he died a criminal just like the ones he arrested for years. It’s sad.”

  Matt thought of Tom’s wife, who was a member of his church, and guilt flowed through him. “I need to go see Janine, but I thought I’d give her some time. I heard the funeral is going to be a private one. And there isn’t going to be a wake.”

  “Maybe we can visit her together in a day or two after the funeral.”

  “That sounds good. We’ll plan on that.”

  Philip reached for his jacket that hung on the back of his chair. “I think I’ll go on home. It’s been a long day.”

  Matt thought of the long night ahead and sighed. “Yeah. Have a good night.”

  Philip waved as he headed out the door. “See you tomorrow.”

  Matt glanced at his watch and wondered why Rachel hadn’t called. It had been over an hour since he’d arrived back at the office. He’d no sooner had the thought than his cell phone rang.

  He pulled the phone to his ear. “Hello.”

  “Hi, Matt. This is Rachel. I’m on my way to the newspaper parking lot and should be at the station in about fifteen minutes.”

  “Look, Rachel, are you sure you want to go through with this? I still don’t feel good about you meeting this guy alone. I think I should be the one to talk to him.”

  “Oh, no.” A small groan came over the line and he frowned.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “Nothing. I was having trouble getting the door of the rental car to unlock. I’ll be glad to get my car back, but the garage said it could be several weeks. Anyway, to answer your question, yes, I want to go through with this. We decided that I would talk to him and you would wait in the car. There’s no need to change things now.”

  “All right, but I may try to convince you differently at dinner. Hurry up. I’m starving.”

  She laughed and a thrill raced through him. “See you in a few minutes.”

  He ended the call and stood by his desk thinking how Rachel had looked the first time he’d met her at a murder scene. She hadn’t been wearing a hat that day and the wind had blown her blond hair about her face. When she tucked a strand behind her ear, he gazed into the most beautiful blue eyes he’d ever seen. She had smiled and he hadn’t been able to get her out of his mind since.

  It had been a long time since he’d met a woman that interested him like Rachel did and even longer since he’d had dinner with anyone as beautiful. This might not be a regular date. It was their work that had brought about their meeting. He would try to put the meeting out of his mind during dinner because the thought of gangs and murder wasn’t going to keep him from enjoying her company tonight.

  Matt drained the last drop of coffee from his cup and set it back in the saucer. In spite of his earlier resolve, he couldn’t get his mind off the encounter with her source that would come later.

  “You’re sure you don’t want me to go with you to the park bench to meet your source?”

  Rachel frowned and set her fork down on her plate. “Do we have to go over this again? I’ve explained it to you. We don’t need to scare him off. You’ll be close enough that I’ll call if I need you.”

  Matt pushed his plate out of the way, leaned forward and crossed his arms on the tabletop. “I want to make sure that you’re safe.” He grinned. “I don’t want to read a headline that says a reporter was shot while a policeman hid behind a tree.”

  “You don’t have to worry about that. My source sounds young to me. Of course, I don’t know how young, but he doesn’t strike me as being violent.”

  Matt’s eyebrows arched and he laughed. “He’s in a gang, Rachel. Of course he’s violent.”

  She shook her head. “But he said he’s a believer. He wants to please his mother by getting out of the gang life while he can. He’s asked me to help him get out of the city and I’m going to do it.”

  “And just how are you going to accomplish that?”

  “I’ll talk to David. He has contacts all over the country. Maybe a director of another center can find a temporary home for him away from the streets of Lake City.”

  There was no denying the sincerity in Rachel’s voice. She really did want to help this boy. “So he’s more to you than a story.”

  She settled back in her chair. “Of course he is. I don’t want to see him hurt. But I do want to tell his story.” Her brow wrinkled. “No, it’s more that that. I’ve got to tell his story.”

  A subtle change had come over Rachel and Matt didn’t understand what had happened. “What do you mean?”

  “I realize you don’t know very much about me, Matt, but one thing you need to understand is that my job at the Beacon is temporary.”

  He sat up straight, his eyes wide. “Temporary? Have you taken another job somewhere else?”

  She shook her head. “No, but I plan to. I want to advance to something bigger. An investigative reporter for a big TV station. Something that pays more money than what I make here.”

  Disappointment surged through him. “You said something about that the other night. Now it sounds more like an obsession. Are you saying that money is important to you?”

  Rachel nodded. “A job that pays me a lot is important to me.”

  Matt swallowed and searched for something to say but his mind was blank. He still didn’t understand fully what she’d said. It wasn’t a bad thing to want to advance in your career and be paid for your work, but something in her eyes told him it was more that just getting a better job.

  She’d never struck him as a girl whose head could be swayed by money, but that’s what he’d thought before and had been proven wrong. Their date Saturday night should be an opportunity for his questions about Rachel to be answered. Until then they had other things to worry about, like a confidential source and a vigilante on a killing spree.

  SIX

  Rachel pulled her rental car into the same parking space she’d used two nights before and glanced at the trees behind the picnic area. Her source could be watching from there. Beside her, Matt remained silent as he had done ever since they left the restaurant.

  “It’s almost midnight. I need to get going.”

  Matt turned and grasped her arm. “Be careful, Rachel. If anything goes wrong, you scream as loud as you can and I’ll come running.”

  She nodded and stepped from the car. As she walked toward the bench where she’d sat before, she wondered if tonight the mysterious source would tell her his name.

  Rachel approached the picnic area and eased onto the park bench. The night air chilled her and she huddled in her coat to keep warm. The minutes dragged by but no one appeared. Rachel crossed her legs and scooted back farther on the seat. The low moan of the wind rustling the bare tree branches struck her taut nerves like a hammer against an anvil.

  She gripped the edge of the seat and held on in defiance of the misgivings flowing through her. It was only a few minutes past midnight. A few more minutes. She could wait that long. He’d be here.

  A hand clamped on her shoulder, sending shock waves through her body. “Sorry I’m late.”

  The mellow tones of his voice calmed her racing heart. The need to put a face to the voice overcame her but she didn’t dare budge. She’d come for information and she couldn’t scare him away.

  “I thought you weren’t coming. I was afraid your brothers found out about your meeting with me.”

  “Naw, they don’t know nothin’. Fact is they too busy talkin’ about the killin’ last night.”

  Rachel nodded. “I can imagine.”

  “Yeah, they really upset. They say the Rangers gonna blame us now for what happened to Terrence and that cop. You was there. You th
ink we done it?”

  She closed her eyes and relived the panic she’d felt when a bullet hit the bricks above her head. “No. I believe you’re right. I think there’s a vigilante.”

  “And what makes you think that?”

  “Whoever killed those men had to be an excellent marksman. He was well hidden and he hit his targets with two rapid shots. Since most of the gang members are kids recruited off the streets, I doubt there’s one who could do that. Besides, you said a gang member would want to be up close to show their colors.”

  His hand struck the back of the bench. “Why can’t the popo see that? Why they gotta waste time blaming us when they should be lookin’ for the killer?”

  Rachel shook her head. “I don’t know. I just can’t figure out what to do next.”

  “Maybe I can.” His voice sounded closer. Her insides quaked like gelatin but she didn’t look around. “The Rangers sent us word they read your story and think you may be right about a vigilante. They want to set up a meetin’ to talk ’bout a truce until the popo catch this dude. Some of the brothers believe them, some don’t. Big T, our leader, say we gonna try. So he’s going tomorrow night to talk to Franco from the Rangers.”

  “Do you know where they’re meeting?”

  “Pepper’s Bar on Locust Street.”

  Rachel swallowed back the uneasy feeling pushing its way up from her stomach. “That’s near Randolph, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah. Why?”

  “I was just thinking that’s near where your friend was killed the night you were with him. If the Rangers wanted to meet, why wouldn’t they choose neutral territory? Why come to the Vipers’ turf?”

  The man chuckled. “That’s what I’m thinking. Sounds kind of like a setup, don’t it?”

  Rachel tried to smile but her trembling lips wouldn’t obey. She took a deep breath. “Okay, I guess I’ll have to check this out. What time are they supposed to meet?”

  “Eleven o’clock. The manager’s gonna close up and let them have the place to themselves.”

  Rachel nodded. “Thanks for the information. When will I hear from you again?”