Deadly Christmas Duty Read online

  He sighed then opened his laptop and pulled up a file. He opened it then turned the laptop around so they could see. Melinda gasped. It was a photo of Dawn leaving the office and getting into her car. A man was with her, getting into the passenger’s side.

  “We pulled this image from the security feed from the bank across the street. She doesn’t appear to be afraid of him. He’s on the other side of the vehicle from her. Looks to me like she could have run at any time.”

  Melinda shook her head, the headache she’d been trying to push away since the hospital now morphing into a knife in her head. She didn’t understand this, but it did look like Dawn was leaving with this man of her own volition. She looked closer at the photo. The man’s face was hidden by a hat, but he appeared to be the same build as the man who’d attacked her in her home.

  It appeared Dawn had betrayed her trust after all.

  “Any man who plants a bomb is a killer,” Noah said. “If Dawn is involved with this man, she’s in danger. He wouldn’t leave witnesses.”

  He was right, of course, and she knew it. This photo suggested that Dawn was with the man who was trying to kill her. Whether she was a willing accomplice or a kidnapped victim, she was in danger.

  Melinda shook her head fiercely. She wouldn’t believe this until they found more proof. She’d known Dawn for over a year. She’d trusted her with sensitive information about cases. She’d even trusted Dawn to care for Ramey several times when Melinda needed a babysitter.

  “I don’t believe it. I won’t believe it,” Melinda insisted. “She’s a good person. She wouldn’t be a part of something like this. He must have threatened her, forced her to do it. This photograph isn’t even that clear. For all we know, he’s holding a gun on her.”

  “We’re still investigating all angles,” Chief Peterson told her, but he didn’t sound convincing. He’d made up his mind about Dawn and her role in the bombing.

  He turned to Noah. “On another note, I hope Miss Steele has expressed to you how diligently we’ve been searching for your sister, Mr. Cason.”

  “She’s assured me you all are doing everything you can to find Nikki.”

  “Yes, that’s true. Sadly, though, all our leads have dried up and our searches found nothing. But Nikki Lassiter was one of our own, and we’ll never give up searching for her.”

  Noah rubbed his head then faced him. “I appreciate that, Chief, but what I am troubled by is why her husband isn’t being more thoroughly investigated.”

  “I can assure you he’s being looked at as a person of interest—the spouse always is in cases like this—but there’s no evidence to suggest he was involved in her disappearance. I know Wayne. We’ve been friends for a long while, so believe me when I tell you he’s not capable of this.”

  Noah stood and faced the chief. “I wasn’t here for my sister when she was in trouble, but I’m here now, and I’m determined to find out what happened to her. I won’t stop until I find her and get justice for her.”

  “This is still an open case. I can’t have you jeopardizing it by going rogue.”

  “You have a killer on the loose, and now he’s targeted Melinda, too. Are you really going to tell me to back off?”

  Chief Peterson locked eyes with him again. “There’s only one killer in this town, Mr. Cason, and it’s not Wayne Lassiter.”

  Melinda was about to ask him who he was referring to when she saw Noah’s jaw flinch. Was he really comparing Noah’s service to his country to a cold-blooded killer’s deeds?

  Noah turned to leave but couldn’t resist one last jab before he left. “Looks to me like there isn’t much case here to jeopardize.” He stomped out of the office and through the bullpen without glancing at anyone, then disappeared through the double doors.

  Chief Peterson turned to Melinda. “Be careful around that guy. Wayne says he’s got some screws loose in his head. He’s dangerous. I wouldn’t get too close if I were you.”

  She followed in Noah’s direction, walking through the double doors that led into the hallway. Noah was standing stoically at the window, his arms crossed and his jaw so tight she thought it might break.

  As she approached him, he turned to look at her and his face broke into a big grin. The scowl he’d been wearing while talking with Chief Peterson was instantly gone.

  “I think that went well,” he told her.

  She shook her head. “You think that went well? He clearly doesn’t like you.”

  “I don’t want him to like me. What I want is for him to tell his good friend Wayne that I’m here in town, and I’m determined to find out what happened to my sister.”

  “You were playing him?”

  “Wayne has been given a pass by this department. I wanted to put some pressure on him, get him worried about what I was looking into. The more nervous he is about me snooping around, the more he’s likely to mess up and give something away.” He reached for her hand, his countenance changing. “I’m sorry about your friend, too. I hope you’re right about her.”

  “Either way, she’s in real danger, isn’t she?”

  “I’m afraid so.”

  She thought about Chief Peterson’s warning and realized how crazy backward things in this town were. She was trusting a man she’d never met and only heard about from his sister, over the police, but the truth was that she trusted Noah. Perhaps it was because he’d been there and she’d seen him step into action when she’d found the bomb, but she trusted him more than she’d trusted anyone in a very long time, and it felt good.

  She could easily fall for this man, but that would be a mistake. They could never have a future together once Noah learned about her past and her hand in her husband’s death.

  * * *

  The cell phone salesman couldn’t get her new phone set up fast enough for Melinda’s liking. She nervously tapped her fingers against the counter as she waited, knowing her nerves were on alert and that was making her irritable with the slow process of replacing her phone.

  When he finally handed it over, ready to go, she quickly checked her messages for something from Dawn. Her heart fell when there was nothing.

  Noah must have seen her disappointment because he placed his hand on her shoulder. “No news?”

  “Nothing.”

  “The police will find her.”

  Yes, they were looking for her, but only because they believed she was involved in the bombing of the district attorney’s offices. They were searching for a potential suspect instead of a victim, and Melinda feared they would miss something because of it.

  “They haven’t found Nikki yet.” She hated to allow her thinking to go there, but it was true. One woman she cared about had already vanished without a trace. If Wayne was behind the bombing and Dawn’s disappearance, who was to say he wouldn’t get away with it again?

  “Speaking of Nikki, maybe we could go get a cup of coffee and talk about her disappearance?”

  She saw his hesitancy to bring it up given everything she’d been through and felt bad for how he’d been rerouted from his mission when he’d first come to town. He’d come here to find out what happened to his sister, not protect her, yet he’d been by her side nearly since the moment he’d arrived in town. “Of course. I believe finding Nikki and putting Wayne away may be the answer to ending these attacks against me.”

  “Me, too.”

  She could see he was anxious to get started learning the details about his sister’s disappearance. Her phone dinged and she glanced at the screen, noting a text message from Jay McAllister.

  “What is it?” Noah asked her.

  “It’s a message from my boss, Jay. He’s arranged for the entire office to work out of a conference room in the public library until other arrangements are made.”

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea? You’ve been through a lot. Can’t you take a sick day or two and
rest?”

  “My job is important to me, and I have a lot of cases that need to be taken care of.” She knew it was hard for him to understand, but besides Ramey, her job was the only thing she had. “I promise we’ll talk about Nikki.”

  “I understand.”

  She hated the defeated look he tried to hide, and how he’d been derailed from his investigation into his missing sister. “I need to at least go in and get my new laptop. Plus, I’ve got cases piling up. That two-week postponement won’t be enough to recreate all the cases on our desk.”

  “It’s okay, Melinda,” he assured her. “I’ll drop you off at the library and I’ll pick you up when you’re done. I only ask one thing. Don’t be alone. Make sure you’re always surrounded by people.”

  “I will.”

  Noah parked in the library parking lot and walked her inside. Several others from her office were already hard at work at tables set up along the walls as computer technicians were finishing up installations on their new laptops.

  She saw Noah’s hesitation at leaving her. “I’ll be fine,” she told him. “I promise I won’t be alone.”

  She found a computer already set up and got to work trying to reconstruct her files. She was having a difficult time concentrating after all that had happened to her over the past few days and didn’t really want to be here, but she handled several violent offender cases, and those needed to be prosecuted before violent criminals were placed back on the street for lack of due process.

  She was busy rescheduling court dates when Jay entered and motioned toward her. She quickly got up and headed over to him. “What’s going on?” she asked him.

  “I know you were looking into the Nikki Lassiter missing person’s case.”

  “Yes, she’s my friend.”

  “We’ve been cataloging boxes of evidence, and I’m afraid hers was one that was damaged by the explosion.”

  Melinda’s heart sank. What little evidence they’d collected was gone. That meant no indictment against Wayne without new evidence, and no arrest. It appeared he was going to get away scot-free with killing his wife.

  “I’m sorry,” Jay said. “I know how much that case meant to you.”

  She thanked him then went back to her makeshift desk. She pulled up the reports from their saved files, but with no physical evidence to back them up, they were useless. As devastated as she was by this news, it would rock Noah. From a legal standpoint, they were essentially starting from scratch on her case. Finding her body was going to be paramount in prosecuting Wayne.

  She thought about calling Noah and telling him, but figured she could do so later that evening. She liked the idea of spending time with him, and that surprised her.

  “What’s that smile for?” a female voice asked.

  Melinda glanced up from her computer to see her friend Robin leaning against the table. “Hi. What are you doing here?”

  “Danbar Bakery is providing lunch for all of you. Jay phoned this morning and placed the order.”

  She looked past Robin to see trays of sandwiches and chips being hauled in. “Great, thanks.”

  “I’ve been wanting to talk to you for the past couple of days. I couldn’t believe what happened after you left me Saturday. When I heard about it on the news, I was devastated. I’m so glad you weren’t hurt.”

  “Thank you, Robin. It wasn’t your fault.”

  “And then to find out my van was used to nearly kidnap you!”

  Melinda stopped her. “Wait, what? Your van?”

  “Yes, it was stolen right from the alley behind the bakery. Chief Peterson said it was used in a kidnapping attempt this morning. I was shocked! Anyway, I’ll let you get back to work. I know you’re busy. I’ll call you later, okay?”

  “Okay.” Melinda watched her walk out, but her words had stunned her. She’d thought the van seemed familiar, and now she knew why. The decal that had been removed had been the logo for her friend’s shop, Danbar Bakery. Did that mean whoever was trying to abduct her knew about their friendship...or was it simply a coincidence they’d chosen that van to steal?

  Ann Massey, another assistant district attorney, approached her table. “Was that Robin Danbar you were talking to?” she asked. “Are you two friends?”

  “We are,” Melinda replied. “Do you know her?”

  “Not personally. Only what I’ve heard. Her husband is being investigated for bank fraud.”

  Melinda leaned her elbows against the table. Trey was being investigated? Had Robin failed to mention that? Or was it possible she didn’t know? “Where did you hear that?”

  “I saw the file on Jay’s desk one day when I was turning in a leave request. I know I shouldn’t have peeked, and I’m not one to gossip, but the guy teaches my kid’s Sunday school class. For all I knew, that file could have contained evidence of child pornography. Anyway, it said a bank examiner was being brought in to look at the bank’s records. They suspect he might be laundering money through the bank.”

  Melinda hated to hear about those accusations. She didn’t care for gossip, and Ann wasn’t usually one to run her mouth about such things, so Melinda believed what she said. Was that the real reason Robin had been so insistent on them meeting for lunch? Had she been hoping to spill her troubles to Melinda? She wished she had. Melinda would have assured her she wouldn’t have to go through such a terrible ordeal alone.

  “Have you heard anything from Dawn?” Ann asked her.

  Melinda sighed. “No, still nothing. I filed a missing person’s report, but I don’t think they’re all that worried about her. Chief Peterson believes she was involved in the bombing. Can you believe that?”

  Ann shook her head. “You never know about some people.”

  But Melinda was insistent. “I know Dawn wouldn’t have done that.”

  But Ann wasn’t convinced. “Melinda, you and I both know from our time working here that people often do things you would never expect. I’d better get back to work. I’m sorry about your friend.”

  The conversation with Ann had left Melinda’s head spinning. She didn’t know if she should call Robin and ask her about the charges or not. If she knew and she’d wanted to talk, she’d had the perfect opportunity when they’d met for lunch Saturday.

  Melinda tried to get her mind back on work, but it was spinning with all that had happened.

  She was packing up to leave when Jay appeared in the door to the conference room again and motioned for her. She got up and walked into the foyer where he was waiting. “Is something wrong?”

  “I’m afraid so. Two fishermen just pulled a woman’s body out of Lake Barnett.”

  Melinda gasped. Had they finally found Nikki’s body?

  “Chief Peterson wants you over there.”

  She nodded. “I have to call Noah and let him know. We’ll head out there together.”

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea? He won’t be able to get close, especially since they haven’t confirmed the woman’s identity?”

  “He’ll want to be there, regardless.”

  Jay left her alone and she pulled out her phone. If this was Nikki’s body they’d found, they might finally find enough evidence to charge Wayne with her murder. But a tear slipped from her eye as she made the call because, if it was Nikki’s body, that meant her friend was truly dead.

  * * *

  By the time they arrived on the east bank of Lake Barnett, Noah’s nerves were on full alert. This was the moment everyone had been expecting since the day Nikki had first vanished.

  He spotted the blue lights of the police and the red lights of the ambulance before an officer motioned to him to indicate where to park. He stopped next to the patrol car and rolled down the window as Chief Peterson approached the car and leaned down.

  “What do we have, Chief?” Melinda asked him in her official prosecutorial voice.


  “It’s a woman’s body, but there’s enough damage that it’s going to be difficult to determine her identity right away. Dr. Mitchell, the ME, will have to make that call. However, she does appear to have blond hair.”

  He felt that blow like a punch in the gut. Nikki was a blonde. He put his hands over his face and leaned into the steering wheel as a rush of anger and sadness threatened him.

  “We’re documenting the scene, but I’d like you to come down and have a look, too.”

  Melinda sat back in her seat, and a sheet of pale gray colored her face. It was obvious she didn’t want to do this, but Noah was glad the chief had offered. He preferred her attention to detail to the police department’s, who had botched Nikki’s disappearance. “Will you please go?” he asked her.

  She nodded, got out and walked with Chief Peterson down to the waterfront. He noticed she stopped several feet away, craning her neck to see the scene despite the fact that Peterson was waving her closer.

  The way her body stiffened and the fierceness of her response made him curious, and he wished he could get closer. The condition of the body must be terrible to elicit such a response from her. Surely, she’d seen dead bodies before. Peterson himself had mentioned how she liked to go to crime scenes in order to help prepare for the case to be prosecuted.

  Peterson reached for her arm and pulled her closer to the water’s edge as he tried showing her something that was hidden from Noah’s view. She stiffened again, then slipped and nearly toppled into the water. She dropped to the ground and clawed her way back up the embankment, running back toward the car, her face now flushed and a sickening pallor to her complexion.

  “Are you okay?” Noah asked.

  “I’ll be fine,” she told him, leaning into the car as she steadied herself.

  “Was it that bad?” His nerves were raw and he wanted answers, but she wasn’t giving him any. “Tell me, what did you see?”

  She pushed away from him and stumbled toward the crowd gathering behind the police barricades. “I need some fresh air,” she said as she walked away. “I’ll be fine. I just need a minute.”