Praise for Margaret Daley and her novels

“Forsaken Canyon, a sharp, creative story by Margaret Daley, has great suspense from beginning to end.”

-RT Book Reviews

“Margaret Daley keeps readers guessing, developing the suspense gradually in this enticing novel.”

-RT Book Reviews on Vanished

“Buried Secrets, by Margaret Daley, is a fun, adventurous tale with romance blended into each scene. Don’t be deceived, however, because danger nips at Maggie’s and Zach’s feet as they try to solve this well-thought-out mystery.”

-RT Book Reviews

Praise for Debby Giusti and her novels

“Debby Giusti doesn’t pull any punches in this intriguing story that’s like a maze with no end. MIA: Missing in Atlanta is a thrilling story with a superb ending.”

–RT Book Reviews

“Plenty of suspense, a captivating mystery and fast pacing make this a great read.”

-RT Book Reviews on Protecting Her Child

“Inspirational romantic suspense at its best.”

-FreshFiction.com on Scared to Death

MARGARET DALEY

feels she has been blessed. She has been married more than thirty years to her husband, Mike, whom she met in college. He is a terrific support and her best friend. They have one son, Shaun. Margaret has been writing for many years and loves to tell a story. When she was a little girl, she would play with her dolls and make up stories about their lives. Now she writes these stories down. She especially enjoys weaving stories about families and how faith in God can sustain a person when things get tough. When she isn’t writing, she is fortunate to be a teacher for students with special needs. Margaret has taught for over twenty years and loves working with her students. She has also been a Special Olympics coach and has participated in many sports with her students.

DEBBY GIUSTI

is a medical technologist who loves working with test tubes and petri dishes almost as much as she loves to write. Growing up as an army brat, Debby met and married her husband—then a captain in the army—at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Together they traveled the world, raised three wonderful army brats of their own and have now settled in Atlanta, Georgia, where Debby spins tales of suspense that touch the heart and soul. Contact Debby through her Web site, www.DebbyGiusti.com, e-mail debby@debbygiusti.com or write c/o Steeple Hill Books, 233 Broadway, Suite 1001, New York, NY 10279.

CHRISTMAS PERIL
Margaret Daley
Debby Giusti

CONTENTS

MERRY MAYHEM

Margaret Daley

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

EPILOGUE

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

YULE DIE

Debby Giusti

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

MERRY MAYHEM

Margaret Daley

To Aubrey with all my love

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.

—Proverbs 3:5–6

ONE

Annie Coleman almost dropped the phone at her ex-boyfriend’s words, but she couldn’t. She had to keep it together for her daughter. Jayden played nearby, oblivious to the sheer terror Annie was feeling at hearing Bryan’s gasping warning. “Run. Disappear…Don’t trust anyone, especially the police.”

A scuffling noise on the other end of the phone sent her heartbeat slamming against her chest. What was going on? A swishing sound filled her ears, followed by something like a fist hitting flesh and a groan that iced her blood.

“Thought you could get away,” a gruff voice said between punches. “You haven’t finished telling me what I need to know.”

Annie panicked. What was going on? What was happening to Bryan on the other end? Confusion gripped her in a choke hold, her chest tightening with each inhalation.

“I don’t want—” Bryan’s rattling gasp punctuated the brief silence “—any money. Just let me go. I’ll—” a smack interrupted his words “—forget…everything.”

“I’m not worried about you telling a soul.” The menace in the assailant’s tone underscored his deadly intent. “Now all I need is where you hid it exactly. If you tell me now, it will be a lot less painful.”

“I can’t—” Agony laced each word.

“What’s that? A phone?”

The sounds of a struggle then a gunshot blasted her eardrum. Curses roared through the connection.

Fear paralyzed Annie in the middle of her kitchen. Was Bryan shot? Dead? she screamed silently, clutching the receiver until her fingers locked into place.

“Who’s this? Annie? Who are you?”

The assailant’s voice so clear on the phone panicked her. She slammed it down onto its cradle as though that action could sever the memories from her mind. But nothing would. Had she just heard her daughter’s father being killed? What information did Bryan have? How did that man know her name? Question after question bombarded her from all sides, but inertia held her still.

The ringing of the phone jarred her out of a trance. She zoomed in on the lighted panel on the receiver and noted the call was from Bryan’s cell. The assailant now had her home telephone number! He could discover where she lived. He knew what she’d heard.

The last time she’d talked with Bryan early this morning, he was finally paying his father a visit for the first time. What could have gone wrong with that? Why was he warning her? What was Bryan sorry about? What did he do? Why shouldn’t she trust the police? The questions started all over again, slamming one after another into her thoughts.

“Mommy, what’s wrong?”

Looking up at Jayden, Annie schooled her features into what she hoped was a calm expression while her stomach reeled. “You know I’ve been thinking, honey? We need to take a vacation. We’ve been working so hard this year. It’s time for us to have…an adventure.” Her daughter was all into having adventures, since her favorite book series was The Brandon Twins’ Escapades.

“Where?” Jayden came to her and threw her arms around Annie.

She wished she could stay forever holding her child, pretending she hadn’t heard what she had. But she couldn’t.

Annie hugged her daughter to her, then leaned back. “That’s a surprise—a Christmas surprise.” Because she wasn’t sure herself, but she couldn’t get Jayden’s father’s words out of her mind. Run. Disappear. Don’t trust anyone, especially the police. Nor would she forget the gunfire that followed.

Grief and fear swamped her. Although she and Bryan had never married and were only friends for Jayden’s sake, he’d tried to do right by his daughter in his own way. Had that led to him doing something foolish? Deadly?

“When are we going?” Jayden stepped back from Annie.

“Right now is as good a time as any. It’s Saturday. I’ll get some money and then we’ll hit the road.”

Jayden whirled from her and started across the kitchen. “Wait till Mandy hears I’m going on an adventure.”

“We don’t have time for you to call Mandy.” They might not have much time for anything. She didn’t even know where Bryan had been calling her from. “I’ll get our suitcases. Let’s see how fast we can pack. Take only your favorite things.” Although she tried to make it sound like a game, her voice quavered, and Annie curled her trembling hands until her fingernails dug into her palms.

At the door her daughter paused, cocking her head. “When will we be coming back?”

Not until I figure out what’s going on. I can’t take the risk that Bryan has gotten caught up in some scheme and somehow involved us. He’d done some foolish, impulsive things in the past. “I’m not sure. But we’ll probably be gone for a few weeks.” She hoped only that long.

Jayden whirled around. “Then I’ll need my new doll and my treasure chest.”

The memory of when Bryan had given his daughter an antique porcelain doll for her birthday last month jolted Annie as though she’d stuck her finger into a socket. He’d even given them his mother’s family’s Bible, a surprise, since he wasn’t a Christian, but he’d wanted his daughter to have it when she got older. Would Jayden ever see her father again?

Annie passed the sign for Christmas, Oklahoma. After two days on the road, driving long hours and crashing at night, she needed a place to stay for a while to figure out what was going on. She didn’t even know if Bryan was dead or alive or where he’d been when he’d called her.

“I’m tired, Mommy.”

“We’re almost there.”

She prayed that her mother’s cousin, one she hadn’t seen in fifteen years, still lived in Christmas. After racking her brain, she’d finally come up with Sara McLain’s place as a possible refuge until she did some investigating and came up with a plan. Fond memories of a holiday season spent in a town called Christmas kept creeping into her thoughts as she drove toward Oklahoma.

In the motel rooms along the way, she’d spent each night after Jayden had gone to sleep reading Bryan’s mother’s family Bible, looking for guidance on what to do. But the Lord hadn’t answered her prayers in years. So why had she thought He would now?

On the outskirts of Christmas, Annie stopped at Speedy Mart to get some gas and directions to her cousin’s house. As she filled her tank, Jayden danced around, happy to be out of the car.

“Honey, stay right next to me.” Annie envisioned the unknown assailant on the other end of the phone call suddenly appearing and grabbing her and her daughter. Would she ever feel safe again?

She searched her surroundings, looking for anyone who appeared suspicious. A car pulled in behind her, and a man got out to get gas. Didn’t she see that Chevy behind her on Interstate 40 back a hundred miles? Not sure, she massaged her temples, trying to rid herself of the constant fear that had engrained itself in her.

When she was through filling her tank, she took Jayden’s hand and hurried toward the building to pay. A bell rang as she opened the door. She glanced back at the man finishing up putting gas into his car. He caught her gaze, grinned and got back into his Chevy, then pulled out of Speedy Mart. Relief slumped her shoulders. False alarm—she hoped.

At the counter she started to pull out her credit card out of habit, but she stopped herself and instead withdrew some cash from her quickly dwindling savings. She smiled at the older woman who took her money and gave her change.

“You just passing through?”

“No,” Annie said, stuffing the dollars into her purse, her gaze slanting toward her daughter, who was holding her porcelain doll and exploring the candy rack next to the counter. When she fingered one, Annie said, “Jayden, no candy right now.”

“But I’m hungry.”

“We’ll get something in a little bit.”

“Here visiting?” the attendant asked and slid her cash drawer closed.

“Yes.” Behind Annie the bell over the door jingled, and she automatically turned to see who was entering. For the past two days she’d been constantly looking over her shoulder and checking out all the cars behind her on the highway. She’d never been paranoid before, but fear was taking over her life.

A tall man in a navy-blue police uniform came into the store and grinned at the woman behind the counter. Annie breathed a sigh. Then she remembered Bryan’s warning, and tension whipped through her.

The police officer’s gaze swept the store as though checking to make sure everything was all right before settling first on Jayden then Annie. The sharp, assessing look moved down her length before coming back to her face. A smile crinkled the corners of his cobalt-blue eyes and lit their depths with a glitter. He nodded a greeting toward her.

Uncomfortable with his scrutiny, Annie turned her attention back to the cashier. “I need directions to Sara McLain’s house on Bethlehem Street. Do you know her?” She was over a thousand miles from Crystal Creek. This man had nothing to do with what had happened in Florida.

The older woman glanced behind Annie.

“Maybe I can help you.” The police officer stepped up to the counter a few feet from Annie. “Sara’s a neighbor of mine.”

“Oh, good, you know where she lives. My name is Annie Madison.” Which was true but Madison was her middle name. She’d decided the first night on the road that was the name she would go by as a precaution in case anyone was looking for Annie Coleman.

“I’m Caleb Jackson, the police chief of Christmas.” He offered his hand.

She fit hers in his and shook it. “Nice to meet you. Can you give me directions to Sara’s?” Annie snagged her daughter before she wandered toward another rack with chips. “I’m her cousin.”

“Cousin?” Skepticism sounded in his voice. “She’s always talking about her family. I don’t remember her mentioning you.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen her.” She hated explaining herself to a stranger, but she didn’t need the police chief becoming suspicious.

A grin eased the wariness from his expression. “Sara will be thrilled. She was just talking about how none of her nieces or nephews could come for Christmas. Have you ever been here?”

“Yes, the last time was when I was ten during the holidays, but I don’t remember much about the town, except all the lights downtown and the huge Christmas tree in the park.” She glanced out the large picture window, a blanket of clouds darkening the late afternoon. “I need to talk with Sara this evening and then find a place to stay. My daughter is tired and hungry.” She hoped Sara would let her stay with her, but she hadn’t seen her in years and she might not open her home to her. If that were the case, she didn’t know what she would do. Her money was limited. Fear, always present since she’d last heard from Bryan, wormed its way deeper into her mind.

“Sara fell a few weeks ago. She could use some help around the house, but she hates asking anyone to. Maybe you are an answer to a prayer. I’ll show you where she lives. You can follow me.” He turned to the lady behind the counter. “I just need a cup of your coffee, Marge.”

“Already have it for you.” The woman took the dollar the police chief set on the counter.

“Ready, Mrs. Madison?” He snatched up the cup.

“It’s Ms. Madison. I’m not married.”

She’d never been married. Although Bryan and she had discussed marriage when she discovered she was pregnant in college, she’d decided against it when he was arrested for driving under the influence. Too many red flags kept popping up in their relationship. When she’d met him as a freshman, he was an upperclassman with arresting blue eyes and an easy smile. He’d whisked her off her feet, and she’d given herself to him. She deeply regretted her choice back then, but one good thing had come from it: Jayden.

Taking her daughter’s hand, she started for the door. “I appreciate you showing me where Sara lives. I probably could have wandered around until I stumbled onto Bethlehem. I remember what a big deal the holidays are here in Christmas.”

“Yeah, the town grows at this time of year. We get people from all over Oklahoma and the surrounding states visiting during the season. We go all out.”

“The thing I mainly recall is the festival of lights,” Annie said as she helped Jayden into the back and slipped behind the steering wheel of her ten-year-old Ford Mustang.

“We added fireworks about twelve years ago.” He shut her door and strode toward his police cruiser.

As she followed Caleb Jackson through the town, holiday spirit was evident everywhere she looked. Every street’s name had a Christmas theme: Noel Avenue, Candy Cane Lane, Mistletoe Street, Nativity Road. Usually Christmas had little meaning for her. She only celebrated it for Jayden’s sake.

Although Bryan tried to help as much as he could, it had been a struggle supporting her daughter on an office manager’s salary. She was thankful when she called her employer, Ron Adams, that he’d been understanding about her suddenly taking some time off. She’d been with him for five years, and this was a slow time of the year for his roofing business. She hoped by the first of the year that she could go back to Crystal Creek and her old life. She wanted to believe that Bryan was all right and there had been no reason for her to flee.

Six blocks off the main street through downtown where one store after another dealing with Christmas edged the thoroughfare on both sides, the police chief turned onto Bethlehem. Large houses—some Victorian, all decorated for Christmas—lined the street.

He stopped in front of one of the Victorian homes, painted a powder-blue, with a black wrought-iron fence along the sidewalk. The lot Sara McLain’s place sat on was at least half an acre. In fact, all the houses on the street had sizeable yards. Memories of running and playing on the lawn flashed into her thoughts. She remembered feeling safe here.

Annie stared at the three-story structure with a Christmas tree positioned in the center of a floor-to-ceiling window facing the street. White lights draped the pine with gold bows and white ornaments. “We’re here. Remember, your last name is Madison, honey. It’s important you don’t forget.”

“Why, Mommy?”

She didn’t want to tell her daughter the reason, but she had to say something or she would continue to ask. “That’s our new last name now. We’re on an adventure and in disguise.”

“Oh, great!” Jayden unsnapped her seat belt and hopped from the car, hugging her doll.

As Annie climbed out, she heard Caleb Jackson introduce himself and ask her daughter, “What’s your name?”

Annie stiffened, gripping the door handle.

“Jayden Madison.”

Annie expelled a deep breath and rounded the front of her Mustang. She knew he was a police chief, but the words don’t trust anyone, especially the police had kept her up most of the past two nights, listening to every sound passing her motel room door.

His gaze captured hers. “This is Sara’s.”

“Yeah, I remember playing here, making—” Annie pointed toward a spot in the front yard “—a snowman right there.”

“A snowman. I wanna make one.” Jayden looked up at the sky. “When’s it gonna snow?”

Caleb chuckled. “In Oklahoma, if you don’t like the weather, just stick around a day. It most likely will change. But right now, there isn’t any snow forecasted.”

Jayden’s mouth turned down in a pout. “I was hoping for snow. I’ve never seen any.”

He winked at her little girl. “Maybe while you’re visiting, there will be some.” When he shifted toward Annie, Caleb gestured down the street. “I don’t live far from here. The last house at the end of the block.”

“Thanks for showing us where Sara lived.”

Taking her daughter’s hand, she started to open the gate that led into the front yard, when the police chief reached around her and swung it toward him. His arm brushed up against hers. Jolted by the contact, she stepped back, aware of the man only inches from her. His smile encompassed his whole face and made his eyes gleam.

But she’d learned the hard way to be wary of strangers. Look what happened when she’d given into Bryan and his smooth-talking ways. She would love to trust the police chief with what was going on in her life, but at the moment she didn’t even know what that was. In a tight crunch she would appreciate someone like Caleb Jackson watching out for her. She hoped she never had to find out just how good he would be defending someone. The very thought sent a shiver down her.

“Cold?”

She nodded, although her chill had nothing to do with the weather.

“It’s getting nippy. So, Jayden, you might get that snow after all. I’ve learned not to take the forecasters too seriously.” He mounted the stairs to the porch that wrapped around one side of the house and pressed the bell. “It’ll take Sara a bit to get to the door.” He leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms. “What do you think of our little town?”

“I’ve never seen so many Christmas decorations in one place.”

He quirked a grin. “Yeah, it does take some getting used to for newcomers. We go all out for a good three months a year. Personally, I like what Christmas stands for. We could use it year round.”

“What? Rampant commercialism?”

He laughed, a warm sound that Annie responded to. “A cynic. Before you pass judgment on the town, you need to experience the holidays here.” He straightened as the door opened. “And I wasn’t talking about the commercialism of Christmas but the celebration of Christ’s birth. It all started something awesome.”

All words fled Annie’s mind at his answer. She hadn’t expected it. But the appearance of her cousin in the entrance gave her a reprieve from making any comment.

A small woman, about five feet, her totally white hair pulled back in a bun, pushed open the screen and smiled at the police chief. “Goodness, I didn’t expect you for another hour, Caleb.”

“I’m not here to fix the leak in the sink, but I’ll be back later to take care of it. Right now I brought you Annie and Jayden Madison.” He gestured to each of them when he said their names.

Sara’s gaze took both she and her child in, a puzzled expression on her face.

“I’m your cousin. Alice’s daughter.” Annie held her breath, hoping Sara remembered.

“Ah, it’s been years since I’ve seen you or your mother. How is Alice?”

“She died seven years ago.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. We lost touch when y’all moved to Miami.” Her forehead wrinkled in thought, Sara studied Annie with a sharp alertness in her brown eyes. Then she swept her attention to Annie’s daughter. “What an adorable little girl. You and your mother look a lot alike. I think I’ve got photos from her visit when she was a little girl. If I can find them, I’ll show you. “ She grinned at Jayden and stepped to the side. “Come in. It’s getting cold.” After Annie and Jayden entered, Sara asked Caleb, “Coming in?”

“No, I have to get back to the station.” The police chief peered at Annie, who stood next to Sara in the entrance. “Nice meeting y’all.”

When her cousin closed the door, she faced Annie. “Hon, what brought you to Christmas, Oklahoma?”

Annie’s stomach constricted, her grip on her daughter’s hand tightening. She didn’t know how to answer Sara. The woman’s kind eyes made her long to share what happened, but words refused to take hold in Annie’s mind. How could she explain anything to Sara when she herself didn’t understand? This was her problem, not Sara’s. She’d always managed on her own in the past. This would be no different.

Sara waved her hand. “When you’re ready, you’ll tell me.” Then using her cane, she headed toward the room off to the right of the foyer. “Come in, and make yourself at home.”

Annie remained rooted to the floor.

Finally Jayden tugged on her hand. “Mommy, okay?”

Annie blinked and glanced down at her daughter—her whole life. Everything she did she did for Jayden. If they were in danger, she had to protect her daughter at all costs. “Yes, I’m fine. Let’s go see what Miss Sara has to say.”

“We could tell her we’re on an adventure.”

“Let’s keep that a secret between us.” Annie placed her forefinger over her lips.

Jayden pulled her down so she could whisper, “This house is big.”

“Yeah, it is. I bet there are great hiding places in here.” She just hoped she never had to use them.

TWO

As Annie checked the meat loaf and placed the vegetable casserole in the oven, the doorbell rang. Jayden was so absorbed in her new coloring book she didn’t even notice when Annie hurried from the kitchen.

Earlier she and Sara had talked and the older woman had shown Jayden the photos of Annie as a little girl and then given her one to put in her treasure chest. Annie had volunteered to cook dinner. Although Sara was a relative and had opened her home to her gladly, she wouldn’t freeload off her. She was determined to help her cousin as much as possible in exchange for giving her a place where she could decide about her future.

A few seconds later, she swung the door open to the police chief standing on the porch with a puzzled expression creasing his forehead. His gaze locked on hers.

“Did something happen?” she asked, trying not to react to the man. But for some reason her heartbeat accelerated, and it really had nothing to do with the assessing look he sent her. Although no longer in his uniform, the man commanded a person’s attention even wearing jeans and an Oklahoma University sweatshirt.

His features smoothed into a grin. “No, just surprised to find you here.”

“You are? You brought me here.”

“Yeah, I did,” he said in a thoughtful tone. “Your car isn’t out front.”

“I parked it around back by the detached garage.” No sense leaving it on the street for anyone looking for her to find. Little by little she was trying to learn caution, but she’d never even watched a crime show on TV or read a suspense book.

“When I didn’t see it, I thought maybe you’d left.”

“Nope. Sara insisted Jayden and I stay with her through the holidays. Come in.” Annie opened the door wider and stepped to the side. “Sara’s in the living room resting her eyes, she says, but I think she’s really taking a nap.”

Caleb entered with his toolbox. “Ah, in her lounge chair, which she calls her command post.” He sniffed the air. “You’re cooking dinner?”

“Yes, meat loaf.”

“It smells great.” He followed Annie to the kitchen. “What are you coloring, Jayden?” Stopping next to the table, he peered over her daughter’s shoulder. “You like animals?”

“Yes. We were gonna get a puppy for Christmas. I guess we won’t since we’re on an adven—” Jayden’s gaze flew to Annie, and her daughter snapped her mouth closed.

Caleb glanced from her daughter to Annie. For a few seconds his forehead crinkled as though trying to come up with the right question to ask. Then a smile leaked back into his expression as he turned his attention to Jayden. “I have a dog. Ralph is a mutt and loves children. You’ll have to come visit him. He’s deaf, which doesn’t make him a good watchdog, so I’m glad not much happens around here.”

Jayden twisted around in her chair and looked at Annie. “Can I see Ralph? I can finish coloring later.”

Annie laughed. “Honey, I think Mr. Jackson means some other day. He’s here to fix a leak.”

Her daughter’s pout descended. “We aren’t home now for me to get my puppy.”

“We’ll get a puppy later.” When she knew what was going on and she had a game plan. Tomorrow she needed to go somewhere and use a computer. Maybe if she surfed around, she could discover what had happened to Bryan.

“I’ll bring Ralph down tomorrow for you to meet him.” Caleb put his toolbox on the floor in front of the sink. “Will I interfere with you cooking dinner?”

“No, I just finished preparing the meal right before you came. Great timing.”

“I aim to please. Don’t let me stop you from doing whatever you need to do.” He knelt on the floor and opened the cabinet door, then reached in.

Annie sat next to Jayden, trying her best to ignore the police chief’s presence. Taking up the crayon nearest her, she started to color until her daughter said, “A cat isn’t blue.”

Annie glanced down at the paper and noticed what she’d done. “Oh, you’re right. Sorry, honey.”

A commotion behind her drew her attention to Caleb. He took a wrench to the faucet, his movements a study in economical action. Transfixed for a moment, she watched until he peered back at her. One corner of his mouth tilted up, a gleam in his startlingly dark blue eyes. She’d always had a thing for blue eyes. Bryan’s had been—were—blue.

Over the years her ex-boyfriend had schemed to get rich, tired of being poor, not supporting his daughter as he wanted. Going to meet his wealthy father had been his latest ploy to get rich quick. His mother’s death six weeks ago had affected Bryan. Before she’d passed away from a heart attack, he’d thought his father was dead. Not long afterward, he’d discovered he was very much alive and had lots of money. He’d intended to reintroduce himself and benefit from his father’s wealth. He’d never gotten the chance to tell her what had come of that meeting.

“I’m partial to blue,” Caleb said with a wink, drawing Annie back to the present.

Heat scored her cheeks, and she quickly returned to the paper between her and Jayden. This time she noticed the crayon she selected, making sure it was an appropriate color.

It was only because she was in unfamiliar surroundings with an unknown future stretching before her and Jayden that her nerves were frazzled. Caleb had nothing to do with the fact that her hand quivered as she grasped the crayon and tried to color within the lines and was not succeeding very well.

“I think that should take care of the leak,” Caleb said as he closed the cabinet door under the sink.

Annie knew the exact second he stood behind her and looked over her shoulder. His spicy scent vied with the aromas of the cooking meat loaf and vegetable casserole.

He pointed to the blue kitten left abandoned on the page. “There are some cats with a bluish tint to their fur.”

“There are?” Jayden’s green eyes widened.

“Yeah, Harriet, the receptionist at the station, owns one.”

“Can I see it?”

“I’ll say something to Harriet and see what I can come up with—that is, if it’s okay with your mother.” Caleb moved to sit in the chair next to Annie at the oak table.

“That’s fine.” Annie slid her gaze away from Caleb’s. “So should we finish coloring the kitten blue?”

Her daughter giggled. “I will, Mommy.” After she grabbed the crayon, she bent over the paper and concentrated on finishing the animal, the tip of her tongue peeping out of the corner of her mouth.

The sound of Sara’s cane hitting the hardwood floor in the hallway preceded her entrance into the kitchen. “I heard laughter and wanted to see what was going on.” Slowly she lowered herself in the last chair at the table.

“I took care of the leak. Is there anything else you need fixed?” Caleb leaned toward his toolbox to shut the lid.

“This place is old. There’s always something.”

“Sara, all you have to do is call.” Caleb inhaled a deep breath. “That meat loaf just gets better smelling by the minute.”

“You know you can always stay for dinner. We don’t stand on ceremony around here.” Sara hooked her cane on the back of her chair. “And I agree it smells wonderful.”

“I checked it a while ago. It should be ready shortly.” Annie turned to her daughter. “Which means you need to put your coloring book and crayons in our room, then wash your hands.”

“Do I hafta? I haven’t gotten them dirty.”

Annie took her hand and showed her the black smudges from the pencil she’d used earlier. “Go, young lady.”

Jayden leaped up from the chair and raced from the room.

“Walk. Don’t run.” Annie waited to hear that her daughter had slowed down and then said, “Running is her favorite mode of traveling.”

“Don’t worry about Jayden. It’s nice to have a child in the house again. I used to have nieces and nephews who visited all the time before they moved away and got so busy. I enjoyed watching them grow up. To this old lady—” Sara patted her chest “—seeing the world through a child’s eyes is like being young again.”

“You aren’t old.”

“Goodness me, Caleb. Have you gone blind? I’m feeling every one of my years right now.”

“Age is all up here.” Caleb tapped his temple. “By the way, how many years are we talking about?”

“That said, Annie, by one of the young,” Sara said, then shifted her sharp gaze to Caleb. “And, young man, it’s none of your business. I’m not telling, and you know that.” The stern tone belied the gleam dancing in Sara’s eyes.

“Ah, but age has nothing to do with how you look at life. And yes, ma’am, I know, but I was trying to help the townspeople.” He angled toward Annie. “Her age is a town secret many in Christmas have been trying to figure out.”

Sara’s laughter filled the kitchen. “It will go with me to my grave.”

The humor in Caleb and Sara’s exchange touched a much-neglected part of Annie. Working hard as a single mom, trying to make ends meet, had left her without much hope. And now with the threat looming over her and her daughter, she felt weighted down. If she had to disappear as Bryan had insisted, what did she know about doing that? There had been a time in her life when she would have turned to the Lord for help, but maybe the Lord had really forsaken her when she’d lost her direction as a teen.

A few hours later, after a delicious home-cooked meal, Caleb dried the last dish and put it in Sara’s cabinet. “I keep forgetting Sara doesn’t have the conveniences like a dishwasher for just such an occasion.”

“Now she does. At least for the time being.” Annie wiped her hands on the tea towel hanging on a hook near the sink. “Me.”

“The prettiest dishwasher I’ve seen.” The second he said it he wanted to snatch the words back. His comment produced a pink flush on Annie’s cheeks that highlighted her beauty. Caleb tried not to notice. Annie probably wouldn’t stick around Christmas long, so why become interested in her? He didn’t want his heart broken a second time. Once was enough.

“Thanks.” She ran the wet dishcloth around the sink.

Busywork, as though she were nervous. “I just appreciate a home-cooked dinner I don’t have to make.” Caleb folded the towel and placed it on the counter. “I’ve got a question for you.”

She stopped in mid-rotation, her body tensing. Then as if shaking it off, she completed her turn, throwing a glance over her shoulder.

“Jayden has red hair, but yours is light brown. Was Jayden’s father redheaded?” Great going, Jackson. Why don’t you just ask what happened to her marriage? Is the guy still in the picture?

“Yes.” Lowering her eyelashes, she veiled her expression. “I’d better get Jayden to bed. Can I see you out?”

He deserved that. The subject wasn’t one she wanted to discuss. Which only piqued his interest. “I can find my way to the front door.” He tried to inject humor into his voice, hoping to see Annie’s smile.

Instead, she said in a serious tone, “I know Sara’s been recovering from a fall. Did she break anything? Was she in the hospital?”

“She fell but didn’t break any bones. Her hip is bruised, and she pulled a muscle in her leg. Her doctor forbade her getting up on a ladder anymore. It happened two weeks ago.” Caleb passed the front room and gestured toward the eight-foot tree that could be viewed from the street. “Decorating that.” At the door he faced Annie, rubbing his hand along the stubble of a day’s growth of beard. “Sara tends to want to do everything herself.”

“I can understand that.”

Caleb stepped closer, taking a whiff of her flowery scent. “The dinner tonight was great.”

“Thanks.” A dimple appeared in her cheek, enticing him to touch it.

Caleb curled his hands and kept them at his sides. “Good night, Annie. I’ll bring Ralph down tomorrow for Jayden to see.”

The crisp night air surrounded him as he left Sara’s house and strolled toward his smaller home at the end of the block. He’d enjoyed himself a lot tonight, but something wasn’t right. He felt it in his gut. During the conversation at dinner Annie had revealed little about herself and her life in Florida, as though she wanted to avoid anything having to do with her past. And really, telling them she was from the Sunshine State wasn’t a big secret since her Mustang sported Florida tags.

He would keep an eye on Annie Madison. Even though she was Sara’s cousin and his longtime friend hadn’t had a problem with an unexpected guest appearing right before Christmas, that didn’t mean something wasn’t going on. Sara hadn’t been expecting her to show up today. This evening Annie had been nervous whenever anything remotely personal came up. Sara hadn’t seen Annie in fifteen years. A lot could have changed in that time.

Inserting the key into the lock, he wished he could turn off the cop in him, but it had been drilled into him from his years on the force in Tulsa and now here in Christmas. He would never forgive himself if something happened to Sara.

He was protecting Sara by being vigilant. Or was he really protecting himself? He’d been in a serious relationship in Tulsa, but when he’d asked the woman to marry him and move to Christmas, she’d decided there was no way she could live in a small town, especially one so kitschy. And he’d known better than to date a woman who wasn’t a Christian, but he’d thought it might work out. Wrong! And he’d paid for that assumption.

Caleb had been the police chief for two years, ever since he came back to Christmas to take care of his ailing father, who died last year. His death left a hole in Caleb’s life. His dad had been his best friend, and he was glad he could help ease the last few years of his life.

He tossed his keys on the table in the foyer and set his toolbox down, then made his way to the den. Ralph lay in front of the fireplace and stood when he saw Caleb. His pet wagged his tail so much that his whole back wiggled in his excitement. Greeting his dog was a great way to end his day.

Tonight while Annie had gone to get Jayden for dinner, Sara had told him she had a gut feeling Annie was in need of a good friend. That the Lord had sent Annie to Sara so she could help the young woman with the adorable child. Caleb wasn’t so sure about that. Since her grandniece had moved away last January, Sara had been lonely, even depressed, which definitely could be coloring Sara’s perception of Annie.

It was up to him to make sure she wasn’t taken advantage of.

Annie rolled over and pounded her fist into the pillow. She should have fallen asleep hours ago, but instead she couldn’t shut down her thoughts long enough for sleep to overtake her.

She kept replaying the evening with Caleb. A look he sent her. The touch of his hand. A wink, as though they shared some secret. And then there was his smile. She must have contemplated that for a good thirty minutes. Remembering it bathed her in warmth. She had no business being interested in a man right now. She didn’t even know if she would stay in town long after Christmas. After all the commotion of the holidays passed, she needed to decide what she should do next. She had a life back in Crystal Creek she wanted to return to and didn’t know if she could.

Frustrated, Annie flipped back the covers and slowly stood, making sure she didn’t disturb Jayden sleeping on the other side of the queen-size bed. She paced to the window and pushed the curtain back to peer outside. The blackness of night only reinforced her fear of the dark. She shivered and turned away from the window, letting the drapes fall back into place.

She needed to do something now. Was Bryan alive somehow? How could she find out? Call all the hospitals in that part of Florida? She didn’t know their names, but maybe information could help her.

Her gaze fell on her cell, which she’d finally started charging when she’d unpacked earlier. The green light indicated she could use it. She turned it on for the first time since before she’d fled Crystal Creek. When she’d gotten up Saturday, it had been dead, but she hadn’t gotten around to charging it before everything changed after Bryan’s phone call to her apartment. She’d been too tired to charge it on the road. Annie stiffened. Two messages were on her cell. Afraid of what she might find because few knew her new cell number—one being Bryan—she couldn’t keep her hand from trembling.

“Annie, my meeting with my father went badly. He won’t acknowledge me. I’m coming to see—” A pause of several seconds then, “I’ll call you back. I guess I was going too fast. A cop is behind me and wants me to pull over.”

She punched the next message, hoping it was Bryan to explain further, to help her to make some kind of sense of all that was happening. “Annie, you can’t run forever. I’ll find you, just as I found Bryan.”

Listening to the second message from a gruff-voiced man, the same one she’d heard as Bryan was being beaten, only strengthened the terror that was a constant companion. There was no going back to Crystal Creek.

THREE

The next day at the library computer, Annie stared at the screen, rereading the words of the small article from the Daytona paper: “The body of 28-year-old Bryan Daniels of Daytona was found in a Dumpster behind the McKinney Apartment Complex. The victim was badly beaten and died from a gunshot wound to the stomach. His apartment was later discovered to be ransacked.”

He’s dead. His place robbed. Tears blurred the words on the screen. Her relationship with Bryan had ended six years ago, but he’d tried to do the right thing concerning Jayden, even if he’d totally messed up his life. How was she going to tell Jayden about Bryan? She had to find a way but make sure her daughter didn’t say anything about Bryan to anyone. Maybe when she moved on after the holidays.

Beaten and shot. The facts in the article taunted her. Oh, Bryan, what have you done? What have you gotten Jayden and me into?

A noise behind her prompted her to click off the computer before Sara or Jayden found her looking at it. She watched a lady at the counter cross to a cart and place a stack of books on it. Annie scanned the library’s large room with rows and rows of shelves and found Jayden sitting cross-legged on the carpet flipping through a book with Sara behind her in a chair peering over her daughter’s shoulder.

Shifting back around, she stared at the blank screen. She’d figured after the message last night that Bryan was dead. Reading the news in black and white hammered home that she couldn’t go back to Crystal Creek, only fifty miles from Daytona, until she knew what was going on. Had Bryan’s visit with his father had anything to do with him being killed? She couldn’t go to the cops with what little she knew—not yet, not until she knew whom she could trust. Her life and Jayden’s might depend on her silence. She couldn’t risk it, especially after Bryan’s last message about being pulled over by a cop. That had only been an hour before he called her at her apartment. What had happened in that hour?

What was her next step? Find out more about Bryan’s father, Nick Salvador. It had all started with Bryan’s visit with him. Who was he? What kind of power did he wield? Where did his money come from? How wealthy was he? Was he capable of killing his own son?

Her head pounded with all the unanswered questions that seemed to demand responses immediately. She rubbed her temples, unable to alleviate the tension.

First, she needed to know if whoever had picked up Bryan’s cell and talked to her had found where she lived in Crystal Creek. She dug into her purse and pulled out her cell to call her apartment manager, Trey Johnson.

When he came on the phone, she said, “Trey, this is Annie. I—”

“Where have you been? I’ve been trying to find you. I don’t have your new cell number.”

“What?” Annie gripped the cell tighter, again peering around her to make sure no one was nearby. “Why are you looking for me?”

“Your apartment was broken into a few days ago. It was destroyed.”

The man found our place in Crystal Creek not long after we’d left!

Her nerveless fingers released her cell, and it dropped to the tile floor making a loud sound in the quiet of the library. Several patrons, including Sara and Jayden, looked at Annie. A flush heated her cheeks as she retrieved her cell and said, “Sorry, I dropped my phone.” The rapid thumping of her heartbeat made her voice sound breathless.

“Where are you?”

Light-headed, Annie tried to drag enough air into her lungs, but the room swirled before her. She closed her eyes for a few seconds.

“Annie, are you there?”

“Yes. Do you think anything was taken?” As a friend and manager of the apartment complex, Trey had been in her place several times.

“That’s hard to tell, since it was trashed so badly. Even the stuffing in the couch was torn out. Most of what is left isn’t salvageable. The police have been here. They aren’t saying much, but I haven’t heard of any other robberies like yours in town lately.”

And Trey would have known. Little crime happened in Crystal Creek—until now.

“When are you coming home? Where are you? I thought you might be dead or something when no one could find you, but your boss told the police you left town for a while. They’ve been looking for you.”

The police, looking for her? The thought escalated her fear and panic even more. “Jayden and I,” she began in a voice that quavered, “are okay.” If you don’t count having someone hunting us. “I can’t tell you anything else. I’ll get back to you later. Thanks, Trey.” She clicked off the cell before she told him something that could give her location away. What if the person who had killed Bryan had gotten to Trey?

Don’t trust anyone. That included her friends and the police in Crystal Creek.

She turned off the cell, realizing if she was on it long enough they could trace her through the GPS in it. Half the time she didn’t have it on because she left it off at work and often forgot to switch it back on. Now all she wanted to do was throw it away, as though the assailant had come through the connection to touch her with evil. She shuddered.

“Mommy, I’ve got my books. I’m ready to go. Sara wants to take us by the police station to meet Harriet and her blue cat.”

“Her cat is at the station?” Annie stuffed the cell into her purse and rose, smiling as Sara made her way to her at a slower gait than Jayden.

“Yeah, isn’t that cool? Sara said she’s the station mouser.”

Fifteen minutes later they entered the police station. The instant Annie saw Caleb, her heartbeat increased as though she’d been given a shot of adrenaline. His gaze latched onto hers and didn’t release it.

He disengaged himself from a conversation with an older woman at the back of the station and sauntered toward them, coming around the counter, his eyes sparkling with pleasure. “What brings y’all by here?”

“Jayden said something about wanting to see Harriet’s cat, and I told her Samson stays at the station when she’s here.” Using her cane, Sara moved toward her friend. “Jayden, Samson’s usually in his basket near Harriet’s desk.”

Her daughter trailed behind Sara. The second Jayden saw the cat she stooped next to the large wicker basket and touched the blue-gray animal. Its loud purrs resonated through the room. Jayden grinned and stroked her hand along his back over and over.

“I hope you don’t mind us visiting like this. Are you busy?” Annie swiveled toward Caleb.

“I was just taking a break for lunch.”

“It’s almost two.”

“I was busy this morning. We had some vandalism last night.” He leaned against the counter, placing his elbow on its top.

“Have you found out who did it?”

“I’ve narrowed it down to a specific group of teenage boys. Their antics won’t last much longer.”

“What did they do?”

“Took the ornaments off the town Christmas tree.” One corner of his mouth lifted.

“And broke them?”

“Thankfully not. They left them carefully on the ground all around the tree.”

Annie chuckled. “Where do kids come up with things like that?”

“The mayor wasn’t too happy.” Caleb shoved away from the counter. “C’mon and meet Harriet and Samson.”

“I was thinking I needed to rescue her from my daughter’s endless questions.”

“You kidding? Harriet is loving this.” He gestured toward the woman with short brown hair and a huge smile on her face.

“Yep, every ornament was on the ground. It took me and some others most of the morning to redecorate the tree. I think Caleb should post guards around it.” Harriet peered at Annie as she stopped at the side of the desk near her daughter. “You must be Sara’s cousin, Annie.” The woman took Annie’s hand and pumped her arm.

“I’ll see you tonight,” Caleb whispered close to Annie’s ear. “I have to pay a visit to one of the boys I think is responsible for the mess in the town square. But first I’ll have to deal with the mayor again. He just came in.”

Caleb strode toward the middle-aged, stocky man whose dark gaze lit upon Caleb. The town leader’s beet-red face attested that his anger was still present. But Caleb’s calm demeanor slowly eroded the man’s wrath until he let out a deep breath and followed Caleb into his office.

Maybe she could tell Caleb what happened in Florida. Maybe he could help her figure out what was going on and what to do about it.

But as she, Sara and Jayden left to finish their errands, another police officer entered the station. Annie almost ran into him when she opened the door. She quickly sidled away. Although dressed in the same blue uniform as Caleb, this man brought to mind Bryan’s warning not to trust the police. As much as she wanted to trust Caleb, she couldn’t.

While Sara was reading to Jayden in the living room and the stew was in the Crock-Pot, Annie stepped outside onto the back stoop. Although the temperature was a little above freezing, she relished the crisp air, the perfectly still wind. The sun sank below the tree line, a rosy hue tinting the few clouds in the sky.

The line of fir trees along the back of Sara’s property caught her attention. She strode across the yard to get away from the house. She didn’t want anyone to overhear her as she made a call. She withdrew her cell from her pocket and called information to find out the police department number in Crystal Creek.

When someone answered, she said to the woman on the other end, “I’m calling about a break-in at my apartment a few days ago.”

“Just a moment please.”

“Can I help you?” a deep, baritone voice asked a minute later.

“This is Annie Coleman.”

Before she could continue, the man said, “We’ve been looking for you. Where are you?”

“I’m on vacation. Have you found out who broke in?”

“No. Do you have anyone angry at you? Your valuables seemed to still be there, but they were destroyed. Television smashed to pieces, pearl necklace broken and scattered all over the floor. It was more vandalism than a robbery.”

Because Bryan’s killer was looking for something. “When I return I’ll come see you. Thanks.” She clicked off quickly, praying she hadn’t made a mistake by calling them. She’d kept hoping they might have a clue to who had trashed her apartment. Now she realized that that was wishful thinking.

She turned at the sound of the back door slamming closed and a yelping dog. A big, black mutt bounded toward her with Jayden not far behind. Annie braced herself, but a few feet from her, the dog skidded to a stop.

Her daughter halted next to the animal and threw her arms around him. “Isn’t Ralph great? He can even do tricks. Caleb showed me.”

At a much more leisurely gait, the police chief approached, again dressed in casual jeans, a blue T-shirt and an open sheepskin coat. “Your daughter wanted to show you Ralph.”

“Will you show Mommy how he can roll over?”

“You can get him to by pointing your finger and making a circle in the air,” he said with a grin.

Jayden squared her shoulders and inhaled a deep breath, then drew a circle. Ralph performed the trick while Jayden clapped.

Caleb retrieved a rubber ball from his coat pocket. “He loves to fetch. Do you want to throw the ball for him?”

“Yes!”

As Caleb gave the toy to Jayden, Annie’s throat closed at the excitement that brightened her child’s face. She ran a few yards, winding up her arm, then lobbed the ball as far as she could. Ralph shot after it. It bounced several times and landed by the back door. Her daughter ran after the dog.

“I’m gonna have to get her a dog. This will cinch it.”

“Kids should have a pet. It teaches them responsibility and how to care for something other than themselves.”

“Thanks for bringing Ralph over.” While Jayden continued to throw the ball for Ralph, Annie started across the yard. “I’d forgotten how quiet this town is. A good quiet. Sara says this is a great place to raise children, that it’s so peaceful a lot of people don’t lock their doors.”

“Yeah, I’m trying to convince them to lock them at least at night, but most of the older folks never have.” Caleb paused, his intense gaze skimming her face. “That includes Sara.”

“I know. That’s when we had the discussion last night about not locking the doors. I did. I told her I couldn’t sleep with one eye open.” When she did sleep, which had been little lately. “Are you staying for dinner?”

“Of course. I could smell that stew the second your daughter opened the front door. I didn’t even have to beg Sara. She asked when I set foot in the living room.”

“How did you know it was stew?”

A gleam twinkled in his eyes. “I looked.”

Annie stopped at the bottom of the back steps and swung around to watch her daughter. “Jayden, it’s time to go in.”

Her daughter trudged toward the stoop with the dog bouncing across the yard much like the rubber ball he held in his mouth had.

Five minutes later, Annie entered the living room after checking on the stew in the Crock-Pot and setting the table. Sara sat in her favorite lounge chair while Jayden sprawled on the area rug, busily drawing a picture of Ralph stretched out before the fireplace.

“Caleb, would you be a dear and build a fire?” Sara pulled the edges of her shawl together.

“Sure. I’ll need to move some of the items away from the fireplace.”

Jayden leaped to her feet. “I’ll help.” She headed straight for the figure of the baby Jesus, gently lifting it from the manger and cradling it against her as if she were playing with one of her dolls that she’d had to leave in Crystal Creek. “Miss Sara says I can hold him. But I hafta to be real careful.”

“Are you sure, Sara?” Annie held her breath watching her child handling the eighteen-inch-long figurine, beautifully painted.

“She’s fine.”

“Here, hon, I’ll move the manger for you.” Annie tried not to think about the things they’d left behind in the rented apartment. And according to Trey, all destroyed because someone had searched and trashed her place. Looking for what?

A thoughtful expression slashed her daughter’s face. “What’s a manger?”

“Child, it’s a place where animals eat.” Sara rubbed her hands together.

“Why was baby Jesus put in one?”

“Because there was nowhere else for Mary to give birth to Him. The inn—motels were full, so they stayed in a stable.” Caleb stacked the logs on the grate then turned the gas on and put a match to it. Flames burst about the wood.

Jayden tilted her head to the side, her eyebrows crunched together. “But isn’t Jesus special? He should have a big bed.”

“Yeah, Jesus is special, but He didn’t mind the manger.” Caleb rose and caught Annie’s look.

In that moment she knew she had let her daughter down. She might be upset with the Lord because He wasn’t answering her prayers, but she should have at least given her child a chance to learn about Him so she would be able to make up her own mind when she was older. At breakfast this morning Sara had talked about going to church on Sunday and had asked them to go.

At one time she had believed that all things were possible through God. She’d been active in her youth group at church, had gone on mission trips. Then she’d made wrong choices when her father had walked out on the family. She’d thrust herself into a murky pattern of self-destruction. She was thankful Jayden’s birth stopped that slippery slope downward. But was the Lord mad at her because of her actions?

“Give me about five minutes to get the dinner on the table.” Annie averted her gaze and hurried from the room. She wouldn’t be using that excuse on Sunday; she needed to take her daughter to church.

In the kitchen she had begun spooning the stew into a serving bowl when Caleb came in.

“Here, let me help.” He held the Crock-Pot over the bowl so she could slide the stew into it. “Are you okay?”

“No. I just realized what an injustice I have done to my daughter. I should have taken her to church, but I was angry with God. I still am.”

“Why?”

“My life wasn’t going the way I thought it should. I prayed and prayed for help, but He didn’t answer me. I was basically alone, struggling to pay my bills, raising my daughter with little support…” When she realized what she was telling him, she peered at him to read his expression. Compassion greeted her look.

“What happened to Jayden’s dad?”

“He’s dead.”

“I’m sorry. That makes it tough.”

If you only knew.

Caleb set the Crock-Pot on the counter and took her hands. “Look at coming to Christmas as a fresh start. The Lord hasn’t forgotten you. He doesn’t. He answers in His time, not ours. I’d love for you and Jayden to come to church with me on Sunday.”

For a few seconds Annie couldn’t concentrate enough to form a coherent reply to his invitation. All her senses were centered on the feel of his hands around hers, the rough texture of his thumb rubbing her skin, his spicy scent wafting to her, putting to shame the aromas of the stew and rolls baking.

“Will you come, Annie?”

She stepped back, grabbing for the pot holders to take the bread out of the oven. “Sara said something about it.” She didn’t want to care for Caleb. She would be moving on when she could come up with a plan. She needed to return to the library and begin researching how to get lost and stay hidden.

“That’s okay. We go to the same one. I’ll come by and pick everyone up.”

The next afternoon, late, Caleb rang the bell at Sara’s. He really didn’t have an excuse for visiting, but he was here because he found himself drawn to Annie and Jayden. Since his father’s death last year, he’d been going through the motions of living, but something was missing. He wanted a marriage like his parents had.

Whoa. He’d gone from thinking about Annie to thinking about marriage. He still couldn’t shake the feeling something was wrong with Annie. Had someone hurt her? Her deceased husband?

Annie swung the door open. “Hi.” Her smile encompassed her whole face, pushing away the vulnerability he’d glimpsed for a few seconds. Now he realized why he was here. He wanted to pump Sara about information concerning Annie. The investigator in him couldn’t let go of the fact Annie was harboring pain. He wanted to know what caused it and help.

“What brings you by?”

He pulled his thoughts back to the task at hand. “I came to see Sara.”

“Oh, that sounds serious. Is there a problem?”

He schooled his expression into a neutral one, hoping he hadn’t given anything away. “No.” He should elaborate, but what could he say to Annie? I’ve come to find out all I can about you and what made you visit a relative suddenly right before Christmas. One you haven’t seen in fifteen years.

“Were there any more teenage pranks pulled last night?”

“All’s calm right now. I issued my warning to the one I think is behind it. Hopefully he heeds it. If not, I may sic the mayor on him,” Caleb said with a laugh as he crossed the threshold.

“Is that your secret weapon?”

“No, my art of persuasion is.”

Annie closed the door. “Sara is in the living room in her usual place.”

“Are you going out?” He noticed she had her coat on, her purse sitting on the table in the foyer.

“Yeah, as soon as Jayden washes up. She had some chocolate and managed to get it all over her face and hands.”

Carrying her doll, Jayden bounded down the stairs in her jacket, her hair pulled back in a ponytail that bounced with her lively movement. “Is Ralph here?”

Caleb responded to the little girl’s smile with one of his own. “Sorry. I left him at home. I can bring him by later if you want.”

“Yes!” Jayden pumped her arm. “We’re goin’ to the liberrie.”

“We’ve already read the books we got yesterday. We’re getting some more. And Sara wanted me to pick up one for her.” Annie grabbed her purse. “Ready?”

Jayden hurried across the foyer, snatched up her pile of books and rushed out the door.

Annie shook her head. “I guess she’s ready. See you later.”

“Bye.” He waited until she was gone before proceeding into the living room and taking a seat.

Sara closed the magazine she was reading and placed it in her lap. “I heard you at the door. Did you know Jayden is already reading? She loves books ’bout as much as I do.”

“You really have enjoyed having them here, haven’t you?”

“I didn’t realize how until today. When they first came, I sensed they were lost and looking for something. Well, at least Annie. But so was I. These past few days have brought me back to life. So yes, I’ve enjoyed them being here. I’m so glad she decided to visit me.”

“Did she ever tell you why she suddenly decided to come see you?”

“No, other than she’d always had fond memories of the couple of times she had when she was a child. Especially that last visit, when she and her family came at Christmastime.”

“She told me her husband was dead.”

“Husband? She said that?” Sara’s wrinkles deepened on her forehead.

“Well, not in those words. I asked about Jayden’s father.”

“Annie has never been married.” Sara leaned forward in her chair. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that. I’m concerned about Annie. I think she’s in trouble. Earlier today when I asked why she didn’t wear a wedding ring, she told me she’d never married the man who fathered Jayden. I’d thought that first day she’d come the name you used to introduce her was her married name, so I didn’t say anything. But her real last name is Coleman, at least that was it when she was ten.”

Caleb inhaled a deep breath and held it. This was what he’d come for, to find out what was going on with Annie, but he didn’t want to hear that she was in trouble. He wanted to be wrong about his gut feeling that something was wrong with her. “Did you say anything about it to her?”

“No. Every time I start asking about what she’s been doing she manages to change the subject as quickly as possible. I think my question about the wedding ring threw her, or I’m not sure I would have gotten that much information. Something’s not right.”

“Are you worried about yourself?” He hated asking that question because his gut told him Annie wasn’t someone who would hurt Sara, but he was a cop and Sara was a friend. He had to ask.

Sara chuckled. “Absolutely not. I’m a good judge of people, and I see a woman who is hiding something because she’s afraid. I catch glimpses of fear in her eyes every once and a while. For instance, yesterday in town a car backfired. She went deathly pale, grabbed Jayden and shielded her. It took her several minutes to calm down, although she tried to hide her fright at the sudden sound. And right after that, Annie was talking on her cell in the library. Her face went pale, and she dropped the phone.” Sighing as though relieved she finally shared her concerns, she sat back.

“What do you want me to do?”

“Do some investigating like they do on TV? See if you can find out anything? Most people don’t leave home, drive halfway across the country and show up on someone’s doorstep they’re not even sure is still alive or living where they used to. What made her leave Florida?”

“I’ll see what I can find.” After hearing what Sara had discovered, his concerns spiraled upward and alarm bells pealed loudly in his mind.

“You said something about bringing Ralph down this evening. Come for dinner, too. Annie is planning spaghetti. We’re eating at six.”

“Sold.” He came to his feet. “I best be going. See you later.”

Outside he paused and drew in a deep breath. What kind of trouble could Annie be in? First thing he would do was drive by the library and get her license plate number and find out where she lived in Florida.

He drove to the library, jotted down her number and then left, not wanting to hang around and have her find him there. He went to his office and ran her tag number. After discovering she lived in Crystal Creek, Florida, he placed a call to the police there.

“This is Caleb Jackson, of the police department in Christmas, Oklahoma. Can I speak to your police chief?”

When the man came on the line, Caleb explained who he was and asked, “Are there any outstanding warrants for a Annie Coleman. She lives in Crystal—”

“I’m familiar with who Annie Coleman is.”

Caleb straightened in his chair. “You are? How?”

“Someone broke into her place a few days ago and I’d been trying to locate her ever since. She finally called me yesterday afternoon and told me she would handle it when she got back to town.”

“Do you know who did it?”

“No, but they destroyed just about everything in her apartment. It appears to have happened late Saturday night or the early hours of Sunday morning. Is she in any kind of trouble there in Oklahoma?”

“No, not with the police.” When Caleb hung up, he couldn’t shake the warning bell going off in his mind. What was Annie into?

He decided to make a call to a friend on the police force in Orlando. Maybe he could dig around and find out what kind of trouble Annie was in? Because everything pointed to a woman on the run. Why?

When Don answered, Caleb took a few minutes to catch up with what was going on with him, then Caleb said, “I have a favor. I need you to find out what you can on Annie Coleman. She lives in Crystal Creek. There was a break-in at her apartment, but from what the police say it sounds like someone that is angry with her or looking for something. They tore her place apart.”

“Will do. It may take a few days because I’ve got a tough case I’m working on, but on my first day off, I’ll go to Crystal Creek and do some poking around. Talk with her neighbors. Where she works. I’ll even check in with the local police and see if there are any new developments on the break-in.”

“Thanks. I owe you.” Caleb’s hand lingered on the phone after he returned it to its cradle. Lord, whatever problem Annie is having, let it be one I can help her with.

FOUR

On the computer at the library after searching on the Internet for twenty minutes for information on Nick Salvador, she found an article in a Florida newspaper about him being indicted for murder several years ago. She went through the archives of later issues until she discovered what the verdict in the Salvador trial had been.

She stared at the screen. Terror seized her. He had been acquitted of the murder charge, but the reporter noted that a key witness had never showed up to testify. He’d disappeared. She ran a name search on the witness but didn’t find anything pertaining to him. Was he dead? Or living somewhere else?

She pictured something like that happening to her. For a second, panic gripped her. She quickly looked around the library, her heartbeat rapping a mad staccato against her ribs.

“I’ve got my books,” Jayden said, cradling her doll against her chest.

Annie cleared the screen and turned toward her daughter, forcing a smile to her mouth while inside terror still ruled. All she wanted to do was grab her child, hug her tightly and find a way to vanish. Next time she came she would have to research ways to disappear without a trace. There was no way she would risk going back to Crystal Creek now.

“Ready?” Clutching her five books to her chest, Jayden rocked back on her heels.

“Yep, let’s go check these out. I need to get back to Miss Sara’s and cook dinner.” She’d come back tomorrow and do some more searching. She still didn’t have any idea what was going on. Maybe the thugs who had trashed her apartment had found whatever they were looking for. What if they weren’t looking for an object but for her, because Bryan had called her and she’d overheard some of what happened to him?

On Monday afternoon, Annie grabbed her jacket and hurried into the hall upstairs. She’d promised her daughter she would go for a walk with her today and explore the area. Jayden was taking the idea of being on an adventure seriously, whereas Annie wanted her life back. She’d finished her research today on how to disappear and knew it wouldn’t be easy, especially since she had little money. She didn’t even have a cell phone anymore. She’d thrown it away after receiving another message from Bryan’s killer two days ago. He used Bryan’s cell phone again to call her.

His message, “I’m coming to get you,” echoed through her thoughts, producing beads of sweat on her forehead and upper lip. She swiped her hand across her face. She couldn’t let her daughter see how upset she was. Acting as though nothing was wrong wearied her to the point where she was getting no more than a few hours sleep at night.

Annie descended the staircase, composing her features into a calm countenance for her daughter. Jayden was probably already on the porch waiting, since she wasn’t the most patient child. As Annie emerged from the house, she paused. A sudden sense of being watched crawled up her spine, an unpleasant tingling following in its wake.

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