Christmas Bodyguard

by Margaret Daley

  At the top of the staircase, Slade surged around Elizabeth, determined to get to Abbey. Thoughts of what could be happening raced through his mind, threatening to paralyze him. He silenced them and kept going down the long hallway to Abbey’s room at the end—the longest fifteen yards he’d ever covered.

  Nearing his daughter’s bedroom, Elizabeth clamped her hand on his elbow. “Let me go in first.”

  Common sense told him to agree, but the father in him couldn’t. Shaking off her grasp, he increased his speed and shoved open the door, charging inside. He came to a halt a few feet in. Abbey stood in front of her computer, the chair toppled over behind her. Her face bleached of color, she twisted toward him. Her mouth opened but no sound came from it.

  Ignoring Joshua and Elizabeth behind him, he crossed the room and clasped his daughter’s arms. “What’s wrong?”

  Tears flooded her wide eyes. “My computer.” She launched herself at him and clung to him, her whole body trembling.

  Slade swung his gaze to the computer. The sight on it curdled his gut. The screen was totally black except for Abbey’s name written across it in a font that looked like blood that dripped and pooled at the bottom. The horror of what he saw and its implication took over, erasing all thoughts.

  Abbey’s sobs against his chest finally brought him out of his daze. He tried to move her away, but she remained rooted to the floor, clutching him as though he were her life preserver. “Honey, what happened?” he whispered against her hair.

  For a long moment she continued to cry. Then, slowly she quieted, gulping in shallow breaths that finally deepened. Her body still quaking, she drew back, her eyes glistening with her tears. “I turned on my computer, and that is what popped up on the screen. How? Why?”

  He glanced again at the computer, chilled at what he saw. When Abbey started to look at it, he blocked her view. “I don’t know, but I intend to find out.”

  “Slade? Abbey? What’s going on?” Mary stood in the entrance to his daughter’s bedroom, her forehead creased with worry.

  “We’ll look into this,” Elizabeth said, stepping forward.

  “Why don’t you take Abbey out of here?”

  Slade peered at her, hearing the words but not registering them for a few seconds. She’d holstered her gun, as had Joshua, but that didn’t lessen the implication that someone had possibly been in Abbey’s room and that the maniac, as Abbey called him, was involved in what happened earlier. Elizabeth was right. Abbey needed to leave.

  “Come on, Abbey. Let’s go downstairs and let Elizabeth and Joshua check this out.”

  “Daddy?”

  Her tears welled up and ran down her cheeks. Seeing them and feeling so helpless broke Slade’s heart. He wound his arm around her shoulder and walked her toward Mary. His mother-in-law’s expression grew more concerned when she caught sight of Abbey’s face, her shaking body.

  As he left with them, Slade threw a glance at Elizabeth. “I want answers.” Because no matter what, he would find the maniac and make him pay for what he was doing to Abbey.

  “I want answers, too,” Elizabeth said to Joshua after the trio left them alone in Abbey’s bedroom. “Was this the point of the break-in earlier? To put something on her computer?”

  “A scare tactic? Could be.”

  “It worked. Abbey was scared.” And the expression in Slade’s eyes spoke of his fear but also his fury, barely contained. The urge to comfort him stunned Elizabeth. She didn’t get emotionally involved in her assignments, and yet she couldn’t get his earlier expression of fear and fury out of her mind.

  “I have a tech consultant I use. I’ll call him out here to see if it was loaded in from here or if somehow the person hacked into Abbey’s computer.” Joshua dug into his pocket for his cell.

  “So let’s leave this alone and get him out here.”

  “Then I need to secure this place. Slade’s security system isn’t state-of-the art. I’ve found a lot of things that need beefing up, and I’m not even done with the assessment.” He punched a number into the phone, but hadn’t yet placed the call when Slade returned.

  “I can find out how it got on Abbey’s computer. I’m pretty sure it had to be placed there physically, because my firewall on the computer system we use here is top-notch, but I know how to find out for sure.”

  “Okay, then I’ll leave you here to check it out. I have work to do on the rest of the house.” Joshua left the bedroom.

  “Where’s Abbey?”

  “She’s lying down in Mary’s suite. I explained to Mary what happened and that I would be in here.” Slade righted the chair and sat in front of the computer.

  As his fingers flew over the keys, the black screen with Abbey’s name disappeared to be replaced with an entry box. Listening to him mumble to himself, as though he were coaxing the computer to give him the right answers, Elizabeth couldn’t help admiring his skills—ones she lacked.

  After a minute of watching him go from one area to another, she began to walk around the room, trying to imagine the intruder in the room. Although she’d checked the area out earlier, she did again, praying she hadn’t missed anything obvious. If the person had come in here to put that on the computer, why had he risked doing it? What was his objective? Was there anything else he did in the house? One question after another tumbled through her mind, each leaving her with a bad feeling about the situation.

  So far, it wasn’t motivated by the need for money. Malice seemed to lay behind the person’s actions. A score to settle? Very possibly.

  Stepping out on the balcony again, Elizabeth swept her gaze over the landscape. In the distance she glimpsed a black barn. A woman with curly blonde hair exited it. A man wearing a black cowboy hat, boots and jeans led a horse from the barn. The woman whirled around and kissed the wrangler on the mouth before she headed away in the opposite direction. Seeing the two reinforced Elizabeth’s need to meet each person who worked at the ranch. She didn’t know who belonged and who didn’t.

  Going back inside, she left Slade inputting on the computer while she went to Mary’s suite to check on Abbey. Mary’s living quarters were next to her room. She knocked on its door and waited.

  When Slade’s mother-in-law let her into the sitting room, Elizabeth surveyed the beautifully decorated area, noting the entrance to the bedroom off to the left. “Is Abbey in there?”

  Mary nodded.

  Elizabeth strode to the open doorway and peeked in. The teenager lay on a huge king size sleigh bed, curled up in a ball, her eyes closed.

  “She’s exhausted,” Mary whispered behind Elizabeth and pulled the door closed before facing her. “I’m so worried about her. First the wreck and now this. What could make a person so vile that he’d want to harm my family? I feel helpless. I’m so glad Slade hired you to watch out for Abbey. If Kyra recommends you, then that’s all I need to know. You’ll do your best. My daughter and Kyra were best friends in high school. Inseparable.”

  Elizabeth journeyed back to her days in high school and couldn’t remember having a friend like that. Her father didn’t like her bringing friends home, and he didn’t allow her to participate in many activities because her studies were too important. She had to be at the top of her class, and if she wasn’t, he let her know how disappointed he was in her. A mental shake rid her mind of those memories. She couldn’t afford to get sidetracked on this job.

  “I’ll do my best, Mrs. Bradley.”

  “Mary. We’ve never stood on formality at this ranch.”

  She recalled the cowboy and the blonde earlier. “I haven’t had a chance to ask Slade yet, but who besides Hilda works in the house?”

  “Hilda’s daughter comes in three times a week to help her mother clean.”

  “Does Hilda live here?”

  “Yes, and she’s been a dear friend since I came here.” Mary frowned. “She doesn’t have anything to do with this. You’re wasting your time going down that trail.”

  “I have to consider everything, ev
en what seems unlikely, if for no other reason than to rule it out.” She didn’t tell Mary that she hadn’t ruled out Hilda yet. It was safer to suspect everyone.

  “I know, dear, but she’s been with the family since Abbey was born.”

  “Who left first today, you or Hilda?”

  “She did. This is her day to go into town and run all her errands. Most times she is gone for hours.”

  “Does she do it every Tuesday?”

  Mary tilted her head. “Why, yes, she does.”

  “Do you usually go to church on Tuesday?”

  “No, I usually work at home putting together the church bulletin. I hole myself up in Slade’s office, but the secretary needed help at church today so I put it off. Her husband fell and needed to go to the doctor.”

  “So Hilda expected you to be here?”

  Mary nodded.

  “When you left, you turned the alarm on?”

  Her eyebrows crunched together as Mary peered over Elizabeth’s shoulder. “I’m sure I did. I know I was in a hurry to get to church, but I don’t think I forgot.” Her gaze returned to Elizabeth’s face. “Do you think I left the house open?”

  “I don’t know, but the door was open and the alarm didn’t go off.”

  Mary’s eyes widened. She brought her hand up to cover her mouth. “Oh, no.”

  Elizabeth hated seeing the woman’s look of regret and patted her arm. “That’s only one possible explanation.”

  “What else could explain it?”

  “Someone knows the alarm code and has a key to the house. Or someone was already in the house when you left and turned the alarm off.”

  “They would have to know the code.”

  “True. How many people know it?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “Have you changed it lately?”

  “No, I haven’t.” Slade’s deep voice sounded from the doorway.

  Elizabeth spun around to face him, her heart reacting to his commanding presence. “When was the last time you did?”

  “Not since I moved in.”

  “Then I would change it right away and not give it out.”

  “Certain people need to have it.”

  “Who?”

  “Hilda, Abbey, Mary and Jake.”

  “Isn’t Jake your foreman? Why him?”

  “My office here is also the office for the ranch. He comes up here to work several days a week. I suppose we’ll have to make different arrangements since I’ll be working from home for the time being.” He looked toward Mary.

  “Is Abbey still lying down?”

  His mother-in-law eased the door into the bedroom open, then closed it quietly. “Yes.”

  “Good. Elizabeth and I need to talk. Can you keep an eye on Abbey? I don’t want her to wake up alone.”

  “She won’t.” Mary bent over and grabbed a knitting bag, then ambled into the other room.

  “What did you find on the computer?” Elizabeth asked as they left Mary’s suite.

  “Someone physically put it on the computer, which means he was in the house.” He strode to the staircase and descended. “We need to finish our strategy meeting from earlier. Can you find your uncle and meet me in my office while I go change the alarm code?”

  “Yes.” Elizabeth parted from him in the foyer in search of Uncle Joshua.

  She found him in the kitchen talking with Hilda. “Slade wants to meet with us in his office.”

  “Okay,” he said before turning his focus back to Hilda.

  “Jones Cartwright and his men will be here soon to replace the doors and locks. I’d appreciate it if you would let them in and then let me know.”

  Hilda nodded. “I can do that. Anything else I can do just tell me.”

  When they left the kitchen, Elizabeth chuckled. “What have you been telling her? Stories of your days on the police force?”

  Joshua grunted. “I don’t have time for that, but it’s important to get the cooperation of the members of the staff and family. We don’t know what’s going on here.”

  “Slade discovered someone was in Abbey’s bedroom. That’s how that image got on her computer.”

  “I was hoping that wasn’t the case.”

  “Yeah, we’ve got to shut down this person’s access to the house.”

  “And check the people who work for Slade.”

  “And have been here in the past month or two, especially anyone new.”

  “Which means all his employees here at the ranch.” Joshua pushed open the door to Slade’s office, and Elizabeth entered first to find Slade staring out the large window behind his desk.

  “I’m thinking of moving my desk away from the window.” Slade rotated toward them.

  “Wouldn’t hurt.” Joshua took the chair he’d occupied an hour ago. “I’d keep exposure limited, if possible. We can look at using bullet-resistant glass where necessary if you want.”

  “I’m already beginning to feel like my daughter. That we’re living in a prison.” Slade skirted his desk and took a seat on the couch, leaning back. But there was nothing casual or at ease about his posture. Rigidity locked his muscles in place. Even his hands were fisted. “I need this place secure as soon as possible, so whatever you think is best, do it.”

  “The good thing is, we can do a lot to enhance your present system, such as a control panel that handles your downstairs needs and one for your upstairs.” Joshua looked down at the pad he held. “Add laser beams, put more sensors around to cover every door and window, new locks and sturdier doors. I’m taking care of that today. For the alarm system, change your code weekly. Don’t give it out to anyone but the people who live in the house or need to know. Keep that list short.”

  Slade winced. “It’s obvious my security wasn’t that good. It’s never been an issue. This is the first time I’ve ever had any trouble.”

  Still standing, Elizabeth clasped the back of the chair in front of her. “Have you thought about sending Abbey away? Mary, too?”

  Slade bent forward, his elbows on his thighs, his hands gripped together. “What would stop the stalker from going after Abbey wherever she went? He could find out where I sent her.”

  “I’d be with her.”

  “No. At least here, we can control things more. If someone wants to do the most harm to me, coming after my daughter is the way. And I think this person knows that.” Slade turned to Joshua. “I want you to bring in some non-uniformed security personnel to patrol the grounds so this place won’t feel so much like a prison.” He waved his hand toward the large picture window. “I don’t want my family being afraid to walk in front of a window. And living in a dark, closed-up house isn’t the answer either, so whatever you think is necessary to let us move around the house freely is fine with me. Whatever it takes to have as normal a life as possible. I’m leaving it in your hands.”

  “I’ll do what is needed,” Joshua said, jotting something down on the pad. “I’d also suggest adding a panic room in case someone does breach the security.”

  “Okay.” He flexed his balled hands slowly. “I read once that having a dog was a good deterrent. What do you think?”

  “It wouldn’t hurt. I have a friend who used to be on the force who trains guard dogs. Do you want me to have him bring over a couple for you to look at?” Joshua stood.

  “Yes.”

  “I’ve got some calls to make to get this in motion. You’ll have new doors and locks today. The rest can be in place by the end of the weekend, except the panic room. That might take longer since it’s Thanksgiving in two days.”

  As her uncle headed toward the door, Elizabeth took a seat in the chair. Slade’s haggard look matched the expressions of a lot parents she had dealt with, and they always touched her. But in this case something else wheedled its way into her heart, knocking down her defenses.

  Slade dropped his head into his palms and scrubbed them down his face. When his gaze reconnected with hers, a stark bleakness peered back at her. For a long moment it
robbed her of her voice. The yearning to sit next to him and clasp his hands almost overwhelmed her.

  “Tell me about Abbey. Help me to understand her. The faster I can get to know her, the better job I can do protecting her,” Elizabeth finally said to take his mind off his thoughts.

  “What do you think so far?”

  “I don’t think she likes the idea of having a bodyguard. Of having someone invade her privacy.”

  “I figured that. She used to share everything with me. Now I can hardly find out how her day has gone. I know that can be pretty typical of a teenager, but I want my daughter back, the one who came to me with every little problem and asked my opinion. The one who…” His voice melted into a raw huskiness.

  If only her father had felt that kind of love for her, what would her childhood have been like? Would they still be strangers today? Emotions swelled into her throat, and she cleared it in order to continue. “She likes drama, basketball and cheerleading. Anything else?”

  “Animals, especially horses. For a while she was showing horses but got away from that when she hit high school and became more involved with the other activities. But she does like to ride, especially on the weekend when she has more time.”

  “Maybe she would like a little dog. The kind that makes a lot of noise when people come around. The guard dogs could be for the grounds, but the little one for inside the house.”

  He rolled his shoulders and eased against the back cushion. “I’ll see what she says. Her dog of thirteen years died last year, and she hasn’t been ready for a new one. She might like one now.”

  “Or better yet, I have a terrier mix named Bosco. I could bring him here. The boy next door to my uncle watches him when we can’t. Bosco is well trained but also barks at anything out of the ordinary. One of the best little watch-dogs. It might be hard finding one that will do what we need. I know Bosco will.”

  “Great, that would be better. Then if Abbey enjoys having Bosco around, I’ll get her a dog of her own when all this is over with.”