Yuletide Defender (16 page)

R
achel had attended the annual Christmas party alone ever since she came to the newspaper. This year was different. Matt was beside her as they entered the Stargazer Ballroom. She slipped her arm through his and paused at the door to take in the decorated wonderland before them.

Christmas wreaths hung from every door into the ballroom, and arrangements of red and white carnations with candy canes stuck between the flowers graced the white-draped tables. At one end of the room a round framework with circular shelves held hundreds of potted poinsettias to form a tree of the Christmas blooms that reached toward the ceiling. At the opposite end, white lights, red mercury ornaments and swirls of tinsel graced the branches of a spruce tree she judged to be perhaps twelve feet high. The strains of Christmas carols drifted from the string quartet beside the decorated tree.

Rachel closed her eyes and inhaled the smells of Christmas—the pine from the boughs on the window sills, the scent of vanilla drifting from the lit candles scattered about and the enticing aroma of the hams and turkeys waiting to be carved at the serving stations. The familiar odors evoked memories of past Christmases. She glanced at Matt. This Christmas she had someone new to help her celebrate and share the holiday.

Tonight she wanted to forget gangs and the vigilante who
stalked their streets. There had been no more calls from the killer after the one she'd received on the way home from her mother's house a few nights earlier and she'd begun to breathe a little easier. If his goal had been to scare her, he'd succeeded. But she wasn't going to let it interfere with this night.

Cal Belmont spotted them and came across the dining room to meet them. Cal, who always had his shirt collar unbuttoned and his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, looked very different tonight in his white dinner jacket. Rachel pulled her arm free and waved to Cal's wife, who she was sure was responsible for his transformation, before she leaned closer to Matt. “Here comes my editor. Have you ever met him?”

Before she could answer, Cal stopped in front of them. “Rachel, welcome. And you've brought a guest. I don't think we've met. I'm Cal Belmont.”

Cal stuck out his hand and the two men shook. “I'm Matt Franklin, a friend of Rachel's.”

“Well, glad you could join us tonight, Matt.” He turned to Rachel. “I think your table is near the buffet. The staff tells me they're about ready to begin serving, so you'd better get seated.”

Rachel led the way across the room, sidestepping the tables that dotted the area. She'd almost reached her destination when she glanced to the side and spotted Toby. His hands were shoved in his pockets and he directed a glare at her that sent goose bumps up her spine. Her foot caught on a chair leg, causing her to stumble.

Behind her Matt grasped her arm. “Watch out. You almost fell.”

A nervous laugh tore from her chest. “Silly me.”

Hurrying to the table, she dropped into her chair. Matt eased into the seat next to her and frowned. “What's the matter? Did something upset you?”

She darted a glance toward Toby and whispered in Matt's ear. “Did you see Toby?”

“I did. He didn't look too happy.”

“He looked at me like he hated me.” She clenched her fists in her lap. “He's coming this way.”

Toby weaved between the tables toward Rachel and Matt. When he stopped at their table, he sat down into the chair next to her and turned in the seat. The smell of alcohol overwhelmed her.

“What'd I ever do to you 'cept keep your office clean?” His palm slapped the tabletop as the slurred words rolled from his mouth.

Rachel cast a nervous glance at the people who were staring at them. “Toby, you're drunk. Why don't we talk about this at the office?”

“I wanna talk 'bout it now.”

Matt stood and stepped behind Toby's chair. “If you don't leave, I'm going to have to call Mr. Belmont. You don't want your boss to see you in this shape, do you?”

Toby pointed a shaking finger at Rachel. “It's all her fault. Told the police I shot somebody. I ain't never shot nobody in my life.” His shrill voice echoed in the room.

Matt grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into a standing position. “Rachel didn't tell the police anything like that. After you sober up, you can talk to Rachel and she'll explain it all to you.”

He jerked his arm free of Matt and staggered backward. He grabbed at the table behind him but only succeeded in knocking several plates and cups off as he fell to the floor. The clatter of breaking dishes sliced through the now silent room. A hundred pair of eyes seemed to bore into Rachel.

Cal rushed through the crowd toward their table. He stared at Toby on the floor surrounded by broken dishes, then looked at Matt. “What's going on over here?”

Matt reached down and pulled Toby to his feet but didn't let go of his arm. “I think Toby's had a little too much to
drink.” Toby swayed back and forth as he stared into Cal's angry face.

The muscle in Cal's jaw twitched as he looked down again at the dishes on the floor. When he raised his head, red splotches mottled his face. Rachel had seen that reaction once before from Cal when he had gotten angry at a reporter and fired him. She held her breath to see what Cal would say. When he spoke, his voice sounded calm. “Toby, I think you need to go home and sober up. The party's over for you tonight.”

Toby's face crumpled at the soft words until he glanced at Rachel. Then the anger and hate she'd seen earlier returned. He tried to take a step toward her but Matt held him back. Toby balled his fist and shook it in her direction.

“What kind of Christmas do you think my family's going to have with this hanging over our heads? You can't go around ruining people's lives like that.”

Rachel's heart broke at the anguish she saw in Toby's face. “Toby, please. I never accused you of anything. I'm sure the police questioned a lot of people after the shooting.”

Cal grabbed Toby by the other arm. “Come on. I'm putting you in a cab and sending you home.”

Toby pulled away from Cal and whirled to face Rachel. “She's ruined my Christmas.”

Matt propelled Toby toward the exit with Cal holding him on the other side. Rachel glanced around at the
Beacon
employees who gaped at her. How could she face all these people at work?

It seemed an eternity before Matt came back to the table. He sat down and draped an arm over the back of her chair. “We got him in a cab and your boss paid the fare. He kept mumbling about a trip to Iowa.”

“What was he talking about?”

“I asked Cal and he said Toby visits his brother every
Christmas. They spend their time hunting. It seems that Toby is quite a marksman and has an extensive gun collection.”

Rachel's eyes grew wide. “Oh, Matt, do you think he could be the vigilante?”

Matt shrugged. “I don't know. He said he was supposed to leave tomorrow. I'll keep a check and make sure he's left town. Maybe with him out of the way, we can have some peace on the streets for Christmas.”

“With Christmas just a week away, it would be a great present for the city if we could catch this killer.”

Matt nodded. “I know. Maybe we'll get a break in the case.”

From the front of the room Cal's voice rang out. “The staff tells me that the buffet line is open. Please help yourselves.”

Rachel and Matt rose and joined those headed for the food. As they waited in line, Rachel couldn't tear her thoughts away from Toby. She'd always thought him such a kind man. Tonight he hadn't been the man she'd known since coming to the newspaper. His actions could have been those of an innocent man despondent over being wrongly accused. On the other hand, it could have been a carefully planned performance in an effort to gain sympathy and avoid suspicion.

Until she knew for sure which it was, she would keep a close watch on Toby.

 

The melody of “Silent Night” coming from the car's radio set the perfect mood for the drive home from the party. Matt glanced at Rachel, who was sitting with her eyes closed in the seat next to him, and thought how beautiful she'd been tonight. He'd never been as happy in his life as he was when he escorted her into that ballroom. That is, until Toby's accusations changed his mood. Then his policeman persona had taken over and he wanted to get the man as far away from Rachel as possible.

Even though the incident had put a damper on the beginning
of the evening, it had been perfect after that. He hadn't been able to take his eyes off Rachel the entire time. He wished the night didn't have to end.

He hummed along with the music from the radio and sensed her movement as she straightened. A smile curled his lips. “Did you go to sleep?”

She put her hand to her mouth to suppress a yawn and shook her head. “No, I was just thinking about how wonderful the party was.” She snuggled into the leather seat and sighed. “Although I have to admit, these seats are so comfortable it makes me want to take a nap.”

He cut his eyes toward her. “If you drift off, I'll wake you when we get to your apartment.”

“Don't worry. I'm just enjoying this luxury. I got my car back today, and what I drive is a far cry from yours. I've never been in any vehicle that can come up to this. Your mother has great taste.”

Matt tensed and gripped the steering wheel tighter. “Thanks. I'll tell her that if I ever hear from her. To me, it's just a car to get me somewhere.”

Rachel reached her hand toward the dash and stroked it. “Well, let me know if you get tired of it and want to give it away. I'd be glad to take it off your hands.”

Her voice held a teasing tone but he couldn't be sure if she was serious or not. He turned into the parking lot of her apartment building and stopped at the front door. He turned off the motor and swiveled to face her.

“My mother's good at giving presents. She just doesn't have time to follow up afterward.”

Rachel smiled. “Well, I wish I could give presents like this. I would make Christmas a time to remember for my mother and sister.”

Matt's mood was growing darker by the moment. Rachel had no idea of the warning signals going off in his brain. He needed to change the subject.

“Have you finished Christmas shopping for your family?”

She thought for a moment. “Almost. Cara has her heart set on a bracelet she saw one day when she went with Mama to the mall. She's really expecting to open it on Christmas morning.”

Matt exhaled. So what he'd been praying for had finally happened. He'd wanted to know if Rachel was interested in him or his money. It shouldn't have come as a surprise to him that she was like all the other women he'd dated, only interested in his money, but it did. It always started out the same way—pretend to be interested in him, then suddenly there would be some item they needed but didn't have the money to buy.

He faced her. “So, do you want me to buy it for you?”

The smile on her face vanished and was replaced by a frown. “What?”

“The bracelet. You're asking me to buy it?”

Her forehead furrowed in tiny creases. “Matt, I don't understand.”

He waved his hand in dismissal. “It's a simple question, Rachel. Evidently the bracelet is too expensive for you to buy and you're hinting for me to give you the money.”

Her mouth gaped open and she shook her head slowly. “Matt, you're upsetting me. What are you talking about?”

“From the very beginning you've told me that you have to get a better job, you have to have more money. I tried to ignore the fact that money is so important to you because I wanted you to be different from the other women I've dated.”

She licked her lips. “I've been honest with you about my feelings for Cara. When my mother's gone, I'll be all Cara has. So, yes, I need money to take care of her.”

Now they were getting to the truth. “Well, I have money, Rachel. Lots of it.”

“Th-that's n-nice for you, but I don't see what it has to do with me.”

He ignored the tremor in her voice and leaned closer. “What do you see when you look at me, Rachel? A man you could love or someone who could give you cars and houses and an elegant lifestyle for you and your sister?” He hesitated. “And maybe, for starters, a bracelet?”

Her eyes grew wide. Then her face melted into a mask of anger that caused him to draw back. “Now I understand. You're accusing me of being a gold digger? For your information, I've already bought Cara the bracelet. I put it on layaway and paid it off. As for your money, I never gave it a thought one way or the other because it had nothing to do with me.” She let her gaze travel over his face. “But now that I think about it, maybe I've been wrong to think money can solve my problems about taking care of Cara. It sure hasn't made you happy.”

He frowned. “What are you talking about? I'm happy.”

She shook her head. “I never realized how miserable you are, Matt. You blame your mother for giving you gifts that you obviously love, by the way. Did you ever stop to think that her gifts may be her way of showing you how much she does care? I never even received a card on my birthday from my father. And you gripe about what she gives you. Maybe she's not the only one at fault.”

His heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. Had he been wrong about Rachel? “Rachel, let me—”

She held up her hand. “You've said enough, Matt. I'm sorry you have such a low opinion of me.” Her lips trembled, and he could see tears in the corners of her eyes. “I respected you, but I'll have to tell my mother that she was wrong about you.”

He swallowed. “What did she say?”

“She said that God would send me a man who could see below the surface and know what was really important in
life. I thought you might be that man because you profess to be a Christian. But Christians shouldn't judge others when they have no idea what another person's life has been like. If you're an example of a Christian, maybe I'm better off without God.”