Deadly Christmas Duty. Virginia Vaughan
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been an incident at the office. I found a bomb beneath my desk and it went off. I’m fine and no one else was hurt, but I wanted you to know before you arrived back here.”
She disconnected the call, then realized she should have suggested Dawn not even return to the office. What was the point? They certainly wouldn’t be doing any work today. She didn’t know when they would be able to work again. The prosecutor’s office in Daytonville had essentially been shut down.
As she watched the fires still burning, she realized all her files were lost, including Nikki’s. She could reorder the reports, but the physical evidence that had been stored in the prosecutor’s office was now certainly destroyed or at least compromised. Had that been the bomber’s intention all along? From the moment she’d seen the mass of wires and canisters, her first thought, her only thought, was that Sean had finally found her and her son. She was tired of running, tired of looking over her shoulder, and beyond ready to put her past behind her. Lord, when will this end? When will I finally be free of him?
But she had to admit it was possible this bombing had nothing to do with her except in a prosecutorial role. Had someone tried to blow up the office in order to destroy evidence in their case? Latching on to that scenario comforted her. This had nothing to do with her past. She was certain of it. However, that didn’t stop the sudden desire she had to see her son, Ramey, and make sure he was okay. She wasn’t scheduled to pick him up until after 4:00 p.m., but she wasn’t certain she could wait that long.
She pushed through the crowd and saw Chief Lyle Peterson. “I’d like to go home now,” she told him. She didn’t want Ramey to see her with dirt and soot all over her, and she’d have just enough time to shower and change first if she left now.
“This is a crime scene, Melinda. You know that. I need you to stay put until we get your statement. I’ve already spoken to your friend over there. Now I need to hear your side of events.”
“If you spoke to Noah, then you already know everything I do. Please, Chief. I need to clean up before I pick up Ramey at the Campbells’. I don’t want him to see me this way.”
She and the chief weren’t always on the best of terms, but he wasn’t heartless, and she saw his compassion for her situation. He nodded, agreeing to let her go. “Fine, but I want you in my office ready to give a statement after you get Ramey.”
She thanked him then headed for her car. Noah stopped her. “What are you doing?”
She looked up at him. He was also covered in soot and dirt, but it looked surprisingly good on him, especially with his green eyes sparkling. “I need to get my son. I don’t want him to see me this way so I’m going home to change.”
“That’s not a good idea. Someone just tried to kill you, Melinda.”
“I’m sure he just wanted to delay or destroy the case, and he succeeded. I doubt I’m still in danger.”
“You’ve got it all worked out in your head, don’t you, that it isn’t about you?”
“Why would it be? I’m just a small-town prosecutor. I’m nobody.” She hated the hysterical sound of her voice, but she couldn’t stop it.
His gaze was so intense as he stared at her that she was certain he knew that wasn’t the truth. He knew all about her husband and her secret past. “I don’t like to hear a woman, any woman, say they’re nobody. You are somebody, Melinda. You’re an important person to your son.”
“Which is why I really want to get to him.”
“Fine. I’ll go with you. Let’s take my car.” He turned and started walking away as she stared after him. Who was he to make decisions for her?
“I don’t need a chaperone,” she insisted.
“I think you just might. Besides, am I right in thinking my sister’s file was in that office, as well?” When she nodded, he continued. “All the information on her case is gone. You were her friend as well as the prosecuting attorney, and I’d stake my life that you know everything that was in that file. You’ve been over it time and time again, looking for some new piece of information that could break her case. That makes you my new best friend and my partner in finding her. Besides, your car isn’t actually operational.”
She looked at her car, the blown-out windows and the water raining down on it from the fire hoses. He was right. She couldn’t drive it, and she didn’t have time to wait around for a cab if she wanted to clean up before she picked up Ramey.
He opened the passenger’s door to his car, which she noticed he’d parked across the street. She reluctantly slipped inside. He was right. Despite her bravado, she was still scared. She’d convinced herself this bomb had nothing to do with her, but protecting Ramey still had to be her number-one priority. She would help Noah with his sister’s case and, in exchange, he would make sure her son was safe from harm. They needed one another. But as he got into the car and headed for her house, she blushed at how easily she’d given in to spending time with this handsome stranger.
He liked the look of Melinda’s house. It was a cottage-style home on a quiet cul-de-sac. The cozy porch and Christmas decorations on the lawn welcomed him, and as she unlocked the door, a large Labrador greeted her. She patted the dog’s head then motioned Noah inside. He grabbed his overnight bag from the trunk of his car and followed her. The dog seemed friendly, but he knew from experience that dogs were unpredictable. Thankfully, the Lab began rubbing on his leg. He scratched the dog’s ear then bent down and petted him, prompting a lick in the face.
Melinda laughed then called off the dog. “Ranger, get down.”
The dog did as he was told and hurried across the room to curl up in a doggie bed.
She motioned toward the bathroom down the hall. “You can use this one. I’ll use the one in the master bedroom.” She disappeared into a back room and closed the door behind her.
It felt good to wash the soot and grime from himself and change into clean clothes. It was like a renewing after the battle, and it always made him feel better. He only wished he could wash off the guilt and shame he felt over his sister’s disappearance the same way. His heart had broken when he’d received the news. He should have been here watching out for her instead of halfway around the world.
Again, the sting of failure pinched at him. Why, God? Why do You keep allowing such terrible things to happen? He’d been asking that question for most of his life and he still hadn’t received an answer.
Once he was finished cleaning up, he waited for Melinda in the living room. A small Christmas tree stood in the corner, decorated with mostly handmade craft ornaments and strings of popcorn. Photographs lined the room of a little boy in different stages of growth, some taken with Melinda and many more without. This must be her son, Ramey. He couldn’t help noticing there were no pictures of a husband or father in any of these.
“That’s Ramey when he was four years old,” she stated from behind him, referring to the photo he was staring at of her son with a soccer ball.
“He’s a handsome boy. How old is he?”
“Thank you. He’s six now.”
“I notice there are no pictures of his father. Are you divorced?” That was the most likely reason a woman didn’t display photos.
“Actually, I’m a widow. My husband died in a boating accident before Ramey was born.”
That seemed odd. Widows generally had photographs of their husbands displayed, but Melinda didn’t have even one picture that he could see. Still, it wasn’t his business. “My condolences.”
“Thank you. It was a long time ago.” She tugged a strand of hair behind her ear then glanced at the clock. “I told Susan Campbell I would pick up Ramey by four o’clock.”
“We should go, then.” He led her outside and opened the passenger door for her. She directed him toward the Campbells’ home, where he parked at the curb. As