Yuletide Defender (10 page)

W
hen Matt had picked Rachel up earlier for the ballet, she had met him at the door. Now he sat on the couch in her small living room and sipped a steaming cup of coffee. Her hands shook as she raised her cup. Color was beginning to return to her pale face. He winced at the memory of how frightened she'd looked when she ran from the restaurant.

He set his cup on the coffee table and glanced at her. “Are you feeling better?”

She nodded and wrapped her fingers around her cup. “Yes, thanks.”

She smiled at him and his heart did flip-flops. His earlier resolve to end his relationship with Rachel melted. Being with her could get to be an addiction, and Matt had no idea how to overcome it.

He glanced around the apartment in an effort to divert his thoughts. “You've done a great job decorating this place. I had no idea you were a talented interior designer.”

She chuckled and set her cup down. “I'm afraid I can't take credit for most of it. My mother helped me. We searched flea markets and secondhand stores until we came up with enough furniture to get me started.” Her gaze drifted around the room. “But it's home to me, and I love it.”

“Do your mother and sister live nearby?”

She nodded. “Just outside of town.” She reached over to a
table at the end of the couch and picked up a picture frame. She ran her fingers over the glass before she handed it to him. “This is my family.”

Matt gazed at the picture of Rachel, her mother and her younger sister. The mother looked very much like an older version of Rachel. It was the younger sister, however, that drew his attention. The rounded face and almond-shaped eyes made the signs of Down syndrome unmistakable, but the smile on the girl's face radiated joy like none he'd ever seen. Rachel sat next to her, their fingers laced together, and their mother stood behind with a protective hand on each one's shoulder.

Matt glanced up and Rachel was studying him with an intense look. “Three beautiful women. Your family is lovely.”

Rachel bit her lip and reached for the tray on the table. Without a word she hurried from the room. He could hear the rattle of dishes in the kitchen.

Matt's fingers gripped the frame tighter. He closed his eyes and wondered what it would be like to come home in the evenings to a family. Growing up, he'd only known life with his staff, never a real family. There was no telling what country his mother was in tonight.

Rubbing his eyes to erase the hunger for the woman who was like a stranger to him, he rose, shoved his hands in his pockets and stepped to the balcony doors. He pulled the curtain back and stared down. A car drove into the apartment building parking lot. A young man got out and hurried around to the passenger side.

Matt watched the man open the car door and assist a woman from inside. She stepped close to him and he bent to kiss her. The couple pulled away from each other, laughed and headed into the building.

That's what he wanted. A woman who would love him and not be swayed by his family's money. Swallowing back the loneliness he'd felt for years, Matt let the curtain drift from
his hand. He rubbed the back of his neck and turned as Rachel reentered the room.

The light from overhead glimmered in her blond hair and he thought she'd never been more beautiful. He cleared his throat and moved back to the couch.

“We need to talk about your phone call.”

Her eyes clouded. “I know. What do you think I should do, Matt?”

“Well, I'll make a report about it. Until this guy is caught, I think you need to do everything possible to protect yourself.”

“Like what?”

“You don't need to go off by yourself, especially to meet that source. He may be involved in this more than we know. And I think I need to stick close to you.”

She shook her head. “I have a job and so do you. There's no way you can be with me twenty-four hours a day.”

“I know, but Philip will help out. We can pick you up and take you to work.”

Her eyes grew wide. “Matt, there's no need for that. I knew when I became a reporter that I might find myself in some dangerous situations. I know how to be careful.” She swallowed and straightened her shoulders. “Really, you don't have to worry. After all, it's not your problem.”

Matt wanted to pull her into his arms. How he wished he could whisper to her that she'd become his problem since the first time he saw her. Instead he frowned. “It's my job to see that every citizen is safe.”

She nodded. “I understand that, but I can't let you and Philip ignore other duties just for me.”

He realized arguing with her was going to do no good. Perhaps he should take it one day at a time. He exhaled and rubbed the back of his neck. “You are one of the most stubborn women I've ever met, but I see your point. Why don't
we see how things go for the next few days and then decide what we need to do?”

“That sounds good to me.”

“So, how about going to church with me tomorrow? You came with Mindy last Sunday. I'd really like for you to go with me.”

She hesitated for a brief second and he thought she was going to decline. Then she smiled. “I'd love it. Do you want me to meet you there?”

“No, I'll pick you up. Say ten o'clock? Then we can have lunch somewhere afterward.”

She chewed on her lip for a moment. “We could have lunch here if you'd agree to do me a favor.”

“What is it?”

“I'd like to put up my Christmas tree tomorrow afternoon. Would you be willing to help?”

Matt's heart thudded in his chest. When he was a child, he'd always wished he could help decorate the tree in their home but his mother always hired the most expensive floral decorators in New York to turn their home into a showcase. He'd promised himself when he grew up, he'd have a tree like he wanted, but he hadn't decorated for Christmas since leaving home. The fact that Rachel lived alone and still followed tradition thrilled him.

“I'd be honored to help.”

“Good. Then I'll dig out all the boxes tonight and have them ready for us tomorrow.”

Matt tried to reply but his emotions had kicked into gear. His evening with Rachel, his conflict over her determination to get money, the anonymous caller and now a childhood wish remembered converged in his mind to produce helplessness like he'd never known. He had to get out of there. Snatching his coat from the couch where he'd dropped it, he pulled it on. “Guess I'd better be getting home. I'll see you in the morning.”

She walked to the door and opened it for him. “Even with the phone call, I had a wonderful evening. Thank you for the ballet and dinner and for being such a good friend.”

“You're welcome.” He brushed past her, hurried to the elevator and punched the button. As he waited, he heard the patter of footsteps and turned to see her coming toward him.

“One more thing, Matt.”

“What's that?”

“Thank you for what you said about my family. You know, about the three beautiful women. No one has ever told me that Cara is beautiful.”

His eyes widened. “But she is. I could see the beauty of her soul shining in her face.”

Tears filled her eyes. “I've always seen it, and I'm glad you did. Cara is the most beautiful person I know.”

His breath caught in his throat. “Maybe you'll introduce us sometime.”

She smiled. “I'd like that.” She turned back to her apartment but stopped at the doorway and waved. “See you in the morning.”

The elevator door slid open and he stepped inside. He couldn't forget how scared she'd looked when she ran out of the restaurant tonight, but he also remembered the glow in her eyes when she showed him the picture of her family.

He punched the lobby button and shoved his hands in his pocket. He'd pegged Rachel earlier as a gold digger like so many other women he'd known. Now he wasn't so sure. He'd just have to see what the future held. He only hoped his heart didn't get trampled in the process.

 

Rachel watched the elevator close behind Matt before she reentered her apartment. When she closed the door, she leaned against it and smiled. Even with the scare of the phone call at the restaurant she had to admit this had been one of the
best evenings she'd ever had. Closing her eyes, she recalled the images of the ballerinas on stage as they moved to the music. Melodies from
The Nutcracker
played in her head, and she swayed in rhythm to the music. She imagined herself a member of the troupe and began to hum the melody from “Waltz of the Flowers.” Stretching onto her tiptoes, she hummed louder and twirled across the living room, her arms fluttering at her sides.

Her movements grew bigger as she waltzed down the hallway to her bedroom. Grabbing her pajamas and robe from the closet, she directed her steps back into the hall and toward the bathroom. With a flourish she pushed the closed bathroom door open and swept into the room.

Stifling a scream, she fell against the door and clung to it to keep from sinking to her knees. A twitching she couldn't control began in her legs and worked its way up to her head. Her body shook uncontrollably with a fear greater than anything she'd ever known. She couldn't look away from the mirror and the message scrawled on its surface with her red lipstick.

Rachel staggered backward and grabbed the door for support. Her eyes skimmed over the mirror once more before she screamed and bolted from the bathroom.

 

Matt's thoughts centered on the evening he'd spent with Rachel as he drove toward home. Even with his conflicting feelings, he'd enjoyed the time they'd spent at her apartment and he looked forward to taking her to church.

The Christian music station he was listening to on the radio
began to play one of his favorite songs and he leaned over to turn up the volume. His fingers tapped a drumbeat on the steering wheel as he listened.

The ring tone of his cell phone blared, the sound competing with the music from the radio. He pulled it from his pocket and stared at the caller ID. Dispatch? With a sigh he hoped he wasn't being called out on a homicide tonight. With Philip sick, he didn't look forward to working a case alone.

“Hello.”

“Matt, this is Jason at dispatch. We received a call I thought you might be interested in.”

Matt's eyebrows lifted. “What is it?”

“It's that newspaper reporter you and Philip went to see at the
Beacon.
Rachel Long.”

His body stiffened. “Rachel? What about her?”

“She just called hysterical. Said somebody's been in her apartment. We've sent two patrol cars over there, but I thought you might want to follow up with her tomorrow.”

Matt glanced in front and behind him for cars but spotted none. After a U-turn in the middle of the street, he headed in the direction he'd just come. “Thanks for letting me know, Jason.”

He wished he had a siren but he didn't have one in this car. Praying that he wouldn't be stopped for speeding, he accelerated and sped down the street. It seemed forever before Rachel's apartment building came into view.

His tires squealed to a stop at the front door. He was out of the car and into the building in a flash. When the elevator doors didn't open immediately after he pushed the button, he turned and ran to the stairs. Racing up the three flights, he burst through the door onto Rachel's floor and ran down the hallway to her apartment. He banged on the closed door. A uniformed police officer opened it immediately. He pushed past the man and strode inside.

Rachel was hunched on the couch, her elbows on her knees
and her hands covering her eyes. The two officers who stood in front of her turned in his direction as he entered the room. The older of the two frowned. “Detective Franklin, what are you doing here?”

Rachel jerked to attention and shot to her feet. Matt didn't know who took the first step, but suddenly she was in his arms, her body trembling and her arms wrapped around his neck. Her cheek rested on his shoulder and he wrapped her in a protective embrace.

“It's all right,” he whispered. “Tell me what happened.”

She pulled back a little, took him by the hand and led him to the bathroom. “After you left, I started to get ready for bed. This is what I found.”

The breath left his body like he'd been kicked in the stomach when he saw the message scrawled on the bathroom mirror. He glanced at her and she started to shake again.

Taking her hand, he guided her back into the living room to the couch. He turned to the older of the two officers. Larry McDaniel had been one of the first veterans of the force he'd met when he joined the department. “Larry, is there another entrance into the apartment besides the front door?”

“Just through the balcony, and that door was locked from the inside. I don't think anybody could have climbed up the side of the building to get in that way, though.”

Matt glanced back at the entrance. “And the door to the hallway hadn't been forced open.” He pulled Rachel onto the couch beside him and took her hand in his. “When your purse was first stolen, we thought it was a random purse snatching. After the phone call tonight, I think we can assume it wasn't. This guy has the keys to your apartment, Rachel. Have you talked to the superintendent about getting the locks changed?”

She nodded. “I have. He told me he would do it first thing Monday morning.”

Matt's brow furrowed. He chewed on his bottom lip for a
moment. “Well, you can't stay here until that's taken care of. I think you should pack a few things and go to your mother's house until then.”

Rachel shivered. “You're right.” She glanced up at the officers. “Do you need me to answer any more questions?”

Larry looked down at the notes he'd taken. “I think I have everything I need. We'll get the lab guys over here and dust for prints.”