Deadly Christmas Duty Read online

  The look of horror on her face was enough to propel him out the door, grabbing her hand and their coats.

  * * *

  Noah pulled up at the Campbells’ house and they got out. She’d phoned Susan on the drive, and she met them at the door with a sleepy Ramey and his bag.

  “Is everything okay?” Susan asked. “It’s so late.”

  “Everything is fine,” she said. “I just wanted Ramey with me. Thank you so much for watching him.”

  “Certainly. He’s no problem.”

  Noah picked up Ramey, carried him to the car and buckled him into his car seat. She loved how gentle he was with him, and Ramey didn’t flinch or open an eye as Noah strapped him in.

  He carried him again once they got back to the hotel and placed him in the bed in Melinda’s room. She covered him up with the blanket, and Ranger hopped on the bed and curled up beside him.

  “Thank you,” she told Noah. “I feel better having him with me.” She turned to him. “But I’m scared. Am I placing him in danger by having him here?”

  He reached for her hand. “If this is your husband after you, he’s in danger regardless. It’s better he’s with us where I can keep an eye on him.” He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it. She was so grateful for Noah being here. What would she do without his strength and assurance?

  But she knew she owed him an explanation about Sean.

  She walked into the adjoining room and pulled the door behind her, leaving it cracked so she could still hear Ramey if he woke. “I told you Sean died in a boating accident, but that wasn’t the whole truth. He was always abusive, but I told myself I deserved what I got. One thing Sean was always adamant about was that he didn’t want children. When I got pregnant with Ramey, I thought he would change his mind about wanting a child, but he didn’t. He pressured me to end the pregnancy, but I stood my ground. I wanted the baby. Then he seemed to change his mind. He said he was happy about the baby and he wanted us to celebrate. He planned a day for us out on his boat, only when we got out on the lake, he—” she choked over the memory of that terrible day “—he threw me overboard and held me under the water.”

  She wiped away tears streaming down her face. “I couldn’t believe it was happening. I was such a fool to ever believe he would change his mind about anything. But I wanted Ramey. I wanted him so badly, and I knew that he was killing not only me but the baby, too. I fought back. I don’t know how I managed it, but I fought him. He must have lost his footing because he slipped and fell overboard. I managed to pull myself back onto the boat, but Sean, he never resurfaced. Not that I stuck around long enough to make sure. I started the boat and got out of there.”

  Noah looked stunned by her revelation. It was a lot to take in, but she hoped he now understood why she’d kept the details private before.

  “Was there a search for him?”

  “Of course. I went right to the police and told them what had happened. They searched the lake. They found blood on the bottom of the boat, so they thought he might have hit his head as he fell and either died from that, or it knocked him out and he drowned. For years I thought he might still be alive. I left town but I couldn’t leave it behind me. I guess I’ve been looking over my shoulder for him to appear ever since. But six months ago he was declared legally deceased. I thought, finally, I was free of him.” She threw up her hands. “Now this.”

  He stood and pulled her to him, and she leaned into his strong embrace as if it might be her last. And it might be. She had no idea how Noah would feel about her now that he knew she’d killed her husband...or thought she had killed her husband.

  It seemed she was right when he gently pushed her away and walked toward the window. “We’ve all done things we regret,” he told her. “Our priority now is to keep you and Ramey safe. If the man who attacked us is your husband, where has he been all these years? Why wait until now to return?”

  She’d been asking herself that same question over and over. Why had he waited seven years to exact his revenge?

  “Do you have any photographs of him we could use to compare to the sketch?”

  “No, I didn’t keep any of his photographs. I didn’t want that reminder.” Even if she had, they would have been destroyed by the fire.

  “I’m sure we can pull up his driver’s license photo.” He sat down and pulled out his laptop. “Don’t worry, Melinda. We’ll find him.”

  She rubbed her head, suddenly remembering the feel of him standing over her as he tried to smother her in her room. Sean was out there, hunting for her and Ramey. She shuddered at the thought.

  Her worst nightmare had finally come true.

  * * *

  Melinda’s revelation about her husband had stunned him. To think of what she’d gone through made him sick, and to think this man might be back in her life, trying to harm her again, angered him.

  He phoned Peterson and asked him to meet him in the hotel lobby. He didn’t want to discuss this matter in front of her or Ramey. When he saw the chief, he noticed he looked as tired as Noah felt. None of them had gotten any sleep except Ramey, who had slept through the night and was now awake and as active as a six-year-old could get.

  “What do you know about Melinda’s husband?” Noah asked Peterson.

  “Nothing much. I know he died before she came to town. Why?”

  “She recognized the man in the sketch. She thinks it’s him.”

  “What do you mean? He’s not dead?”

  “Apparently his body was never recovered.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense. If this is her dead husband, where has he been all these years? She’s been in Daytonville for four years. Why come back now?”

  He’d just hit on the very questions Noah had been asking himself. “I don’t know. Can you do some checking around and find out what exactly happened to him? I’ve been trying to search online, but all I’ve found are news articles that say he went missing.”

  “Sure, I’ll look into it and let you know. We haven’t gotten anywhere with the people she’s prosecuted. I think that’s a dead end. We should start looking into other suspects, especially if this thing with her dead husband doesn’t pan out, which I doubt it will. It’s more likely that whoever is after her only reminds her of her husband. Or looks like him a bit.”

  Noah agreed. “I’ll talk to her about it.”

  He thanked the chief, then watched him get into his cruiser and drive away. Noah hit the gift shop for snacks and headed back upstairs. Passing the indoor pool sign, he got an idea. As he unlocked the door and entered his room, he heard Ramey complaining through the adjoining door that he was bored.

  Melinda tried to appease him. “Why don’t you toss the ball to Ranger and see if he’ll catch it.”

  “I don’t wanna,” the boy whined.

  “I’m feeling a little tired of being cooped up myself,” Noah told them. “Why don’t we go swimming?”

  Ramey’s eyes lit up but Melinda frowned. “It’s December. It’s too cold for swimming.”

  “The hotel has an indoor pool.”

  Ramey jumped up on the bed. “Can we, Mommy? Can we go swimming?”

  “We didn’t pack any swim shorts.”

  “That’s no problem. He can just wear his shorts.”

  “We don’t have any floaties.”

  He folded his arms and looked at her. “They sell them at the hotel gift shop. You’re coming up with a lot of reasons not to go. Is something wrong?”

  She glanced at Ramey and he saw her soften, but it bothered him to think she didn’t trust him enough to keep them safe. “I’ll make sure it’s secure beforehand.”

  She agreed, but he still saw the reluctance in her face even as she grabbed two towels and followed Noah to the elevator.

  Ramey bounced excitedly. Although he was glad to see his mother, it was obvious he was a bundle of
energy and a very active kid.

  He purchased Ramey a pool float, then they headed to the indoor pool. Melinda clung to Ramey’s hand even as the boy pulled to get away and jump in. Thankfully, no one was there so they didn’t have to worry about that. They had the pool to themselves. Noah hopped in, letting the cool water rush over him. He turned to Ramey and held out his arms.

  “I’ll take him.”

  Still, Melinda clung to his hand.

  “Melinda, he’ll be okay. I’m a Navy SEAL. I’ve jumped into oceans. I think I can handle a five-foot-deep swimming pool.”

  “Mommy, let go,” Ramey whined, and she reluctantly released his hand. He ran toward the edge and jumped into Noah’s arms without hesitation. Melinda flinched, but Noah caught him.

  “Now, have you had any swimming lessons?” he asked.

  Ramey shook his head. “No, Mommy won’t take me.”

  “I’ve been meaning to get to it, but there hasn’t been time.” Something about her demeanor told Noah that wasn’t true. She was afraid.

  “Why don’t you come in and join us?” he asked.

  Her eyes widened, and she instinctively took a step backward. She was frightened. He should have known. Her husband had tried to drown her. It made sense she would be fearful of water ever since.

  He couldn’t change her mind, but perhaps if he could show her that water didn’t have to be something to be feared, it would help her.

  He played with Ramey, even teaching him the basics of swimming, and the boy enjoyed the attention and the activity. He felt like Melinda was also starting to relax. She sat on the floor and watched them, and when he heard her laugh, his heart jumped.

  “Look, Mommy, I’m swimming!” Ramey hollered.

  “That’s good, baby! Be careful.”

  She couldn’t help the distress she felt, but she’d allowed Noah to put her son into the water. That was a good sign that she was beginning to trust him.

  He swam to the edge of the pool to talk to her. “Come on in. Join us. It’ll be fun.”

  “No, no. I’ll just watch.”

  He reached out for her. “At least put your feet in the water. It feels good.”

  At his urging, she finally relented. She slipped out of her shoes, walked over and sat on the edge, letting her feet dangle into the pool. He smiled. Another step taken.

  “You don’t have to be afraid,” he told her. “It’s only five feet deep.”

  “I know.” She rubbed her arms, and he noticed the chill bumps spreading at something as simple as sitting on the edge.

  “Have you always been afraid of the water?”

  She looked at him, probably surprised that he’d figured it out. He should have known something was wrong at the lake. She hadn’t been so affected at seeing her friend, but at nearly tumbling into the water.

  She slowly shook her head. “Not always. I used to swim all the time when I was a kid. I was even a lifeguard one summer.” She shivered at a memory. “But now when I get near the water, I just get all panicky. I know it’s irrational—”

  “Fear usually isn’t rational. It doesn’t make it any less terrifying.”

  “I know he can’t remember what happened, and I’ve never talked to him about it. I always made him stay back when his day care or church went swimming, and he always complained that he wanted to go. I kept thinking one day I would get him swimming lessons because I knew I didn’t want him to be afraid of the water the way I am.”

  He turned and looked at Ramey happily splashing in the water. “It doesn’t look like he’s scared at all.”

  “I’m not sure if that makes me feel better or worse.”

  A noise from behind Melinda grabbed his attention, placing him instantly on alert. The ding of the elevator outside the glass-enclosed pool area indicated someone had just gotten off on this floor. He waited, expecting to see a family with a gaggle of kids burst into the pool room and end their private time. But no one came.

  He turned and scooped up Ramey. He hopped out of the pool, dropping him at Melinda’s feet and picking up his weapon.

  “What’s the matter?” Melinda asked, suddenly tense and on alert, as well. She wrapped a towel around Ramey and pulled her to him.

  “I thought I saw something outside the door. Stay here.” He approached the door, gun raised. He pushed it open and glanced down the hallway. It was empty, but the door to the staircase was open.

  He heard a scream and spun around. He’d left her side for only a moment, but it was enough. A figure emerged from a storage room and pulled a gun, firing it several times into the glass surrounding the pool. It shattered, spewing glass. Melinda shielded her and Ramey from the glass. She slipped on water and tumbled backward, falling into the pool. She screamed, a high-pitched, terror-filled cry as she hit the water.

  Noah fired back at the intruder, who took off running up the back staircase. He wanted to follow and capture him, but Melinda needed him. He ran into the pool room, glass shards digging into his feet as he ran. Melinda was panicking and taking in water, and she’d fallen into the deep end. He ignored the pain in his feet as he jumped into the pool and grabbed her.

  She fought him. She jerked, her arms and legs flailing in terror, making it difficult for him to get a good hold on her. She pulled him under with her several times, surprising him. He’d pulled people from the ocean, but every time the struggle was real as they frantically tried to hold on. He pinned her down and dragged her back, but noticed she’d stopped fighting him. He pulled her from the water and onto the concrete, but she’d swallowed a lot of water and wasn’t breathing.

  The water hadn’t even been that deep...but her fear had obviously been.

  No, no, no. Lord, please don’t take her! The prayer came out of nowhere, but in his frantic state he would take all the help he could get.

  He started CPR, his own heart banging against his chest. He couldn’t lose her now, and not in something as simple as a hotel swimming pool.

  He heard sounds around him and saw someone approach from the corner of his eye.

  “What happened?”

  Noah recognized the hotel manager’s voice.

  “Call 911. We need an ambulance and the police here now. Someone was shooting at us.”

  He ran back upstairs and Noah continued working on Melinda.

  Finally, she jerked and coughed up water. Ramey ran to her and Noah sat back on his feet, allowing his heart to slow from the frantic racing it had done.

  Thank You, Lord. Thank You.

  She was okay, but it had been too close of a call. Whoever had shot at them might still be in the hotel, but he wouldn’t take another chance at leaving Melinda and Ramey alone to go look for him.

  But Sean, or whoever was after her, had found them. They couldn’t stay here any longer.

  * * *

  Noah and Ramey rode to the hospital in the ambulance with Melinda. He and Ramey had some glass shard cuts but were otherwise unharmed, and Melinda seemed to be doing better after her near brush with drowning. The doctors were concerned that she’d lost consciousness, given her previous head traumas, and wanted to keep her overnight for observation.

  Noah thought that was a good idea. It would give him time to figure out a place where they could stay without being targets. As she slept, he turned on a cartoon for Ramey, then stepped into the hallway to think. He’d promised her a fun afternoon. Instead, it had turned into a nightmare. He’d let his guard down for only a moment, and she’d nearly paid the price for it.

  It wouldn’t happen again.

  The elevator dinged, and he spotted Peterson heading his way.

  “How is Melinda?”

  “It was a close call, but she’ll be okay. She’s resting now.”

  “We’ve completed a sweep of the hotel. No one saw a man matching the description you gave me. He must have sneake
d out someway.”

  “It doesn’t matter how he got out. He found us. Who did you tell we were staying there?”

  Peterson apparently didn’t care for his accusation, because he balked at that. “I didn’t tell anyone where you were staying.”

  “Then someone followed you to the hotel.”

  “I don’t think so. It’s a small town. People talk.”

  Noah wanted to believe him. He’d proven himself by admitting his mistakes about Wayne and taking measures to correct it. Besides, he was their only ally in this...at least, the only one Noah really trusted. “I’m sorry. I’m just a little rattled.”

  “It’s understandable. Look, Noah, I’m on your side. I want to find whoever is after Melinda and stop him.”

  “Thanks. We appreciate your help. They’re keeping Melinda overnight. Ramey and I can sleep on the pull-out sofa. We’ll be fine for tonight, but we’re going to need somewhere else to go. I don’t know this town like you do, but we need to find someplace no one knows about.”

  “My sister is a Realtor. I’ll call her. She may know of a house to rent where you can lie low.”

  Noah pressed him further. “No one can know. No one.”

  “I won’t tell anyone, Noah.”

  “Not your wife, not your officers, no one.”

  He nodded, understanding completely. “No one else needs to know.” He pulled out his phone. “I’ll make the call.”

  Noah thanked him, then watched him walk away. He stepped back into the room. Melinda was still sleeping on the bed, and Ramey was quietly watching TV. His heart was overwhelmed with the need to protect these two people. They’d become so important to him in such a short time.

  But he felt doubt wiggling its way through him. Did he have what it took to keep them both safe? He’d failed too many times already. He couldn’t let someone he cared about down again.

  * * *

  Noah drove them east of town and turned off onto a lake road. He drove up a hill to the very top, where a large cabin sat overlooking the lake and other houses. It was secluded and very private.