Yuletide Protector (Love Inspired Suspense) Read online

  “You’re forgetting Milo Brickster.”

  Kevin glanced up at Jake. “No, I’m not. But except for the fact that Brickster is a purported loan shark that gave George Carlisle quite a sizable loan, we have no other direct connection.”

  “What about an associate of Brickster’s? Someone at the salvage yard? Brickster is part owner of the salvage yard and Carlisle chose that spot for the meeting. Maybe they work through a middleman. Who’s the other owner?”

  “Paul Cross. His record is squeaky-clean. A few parking tickets and an old DUI from about twenty years ago. Nothing since.”

  “I wonder how he partnered up with Brickster.”

  Kevin flipped open the file on the salvage yard. “Seems like Brickster has been a partner from the beginning.”

  “That may or may not rule out strong-arming his way in if Cross needed money.”

  “That doesn’t give us a connection to Carlisle.”

  “What about employees at the salvage yard? Have you checked any of those yet?”

  “There’s a long list. I’ve gotten through about half so far.”

  “Anyone raise any suspicions?”

  “One name that I’m going to look into a little deeper. Again, no connection to Carlisle yet, but he is from Daria’s neighborhood.”

  Jake raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

  “Yeah, a few streets over. Has a long rap sheet, mostly drugs and disorderly conduct. Not exactly the type of guy you’d picture George Carlisle hooking up with. But then, neither is Brickster.”

  With his thumb and finger, Kevin rubbed the bridge of his nose. His eyes stung from looking through paperwork for the last few hours.

  Jake laughed and pulled a chair closer to the desk and sat down. “You signed up for the gig.”

  “Yeah, I did. You don’t have to remind me.”

  “Look, I’ll help you out where I can. But no one would blame you if you pulled out of this. I mean, we’re onto Carlisle. We’ve got him covered. It’s only a matter of time until he trips up. And it’s not like you haven’t warned Daria Carlisle about what her husband is up to. You put it all out on the table for her. She made her decision to stay. There’s nothing more you can do.”

  “I know you’re right.”

  And Kevin did agree with everything Jake said. They were keeping a close watch on Carlisle. He had warned Daria of the danger she was in. Any other time that would have been enough. He would have continued to investigate and build a case against the perpetrator, and if the victim chose to stay and take the risk, well, then it was their call.

  “So what’s holding you back?”

  “This is different. Everything about this is different than before.”

  “Including the woman?”

  Kevin pierced Jake with a stare.

  “Whoa!” Jake said, putting his hands up. “I’m just making an observation. I know where you’re coming from. You’ve told me about your sister’s friend, Lucy, and I’ve seen enough women like her over the years. You’re always looking to rescue them from themselves. I’m just saying, you seem different with this one.”

  Kevin chuckled and rubbed his temples, fatigue getting the best of him. “She hates me being there, yet she brought me hot chocolate and an extra blanket last night. I think she really would leave if she could—she’s an intelligent woman and she knows she’s in danger—but she refuses to let it cow her.”

  “Not to mention she’s pretty.”

  He glared at Jake, which earned him a laugh from his partner.

  “But you hadn’t noticed that, I guess.”

  The growing irritation that rose in Kevin was less from Jake’s ribbing and more because his partner was dead-on right. Yeah, everything about this case was different. Especially the woman.

  Daria was nothing like any other woman he’d known. And everything about her intrigued him, from her beautiful smile to her maddening stubbornness. But nothing had struck him as sharply as the loneliness he’d sensed from her that morning. She seemed truly surprised to hear that faith meant you didn’t have to face the challenges of life alone.

  Kevin knew he could count on the Lord for guidance and strength. And the members of his church community would be there in a heartbeat if someone needed help. His family no longer lived in Providence, but he couldn’t imagine ever feeling as if he was truly alone.

  Sure, Kevin had grown up a few blocks away from the church he still attended. He’d played in Little League with the guys in the congregation and even dated a few of the women who were now married and had families of their own. He knew all he had to do was say the word and half a dozen people would be at his door with help. That was the way he’d been raised, the way it was in his church community. But while he had a special sense of community in Providence, he knew that the faith that truly bound them meant he could never be separated from his spiritual community, no matter where he went.

  Daria knew nothing of that. He wanted to be the one to teach her, to show her how God could heal that emptiness inside her that she’d tried to fill with her house. And maybe she could help him, as well, possibly turning out to be the answer to the problem he’d been talking over lately with God. The problem where he was ready to settle down, start a family, but couldn’t seem to find the right woman to love.

  Although he dated, there’d never been a woman who was special enough for Kevin to think about a permanent future. But he always believed that one day he’d find that special partner in his life. Someone to challenge him, give him comfort and raise a family of his own with. That person would have to have a strong relationship with God, as well. He simply couldn’t imagine getting involved with a woman who didn’t share his Christian faith.

  Although curious about Christianity, Daria wasn’t a believer. At least not now. And until she was, Kevin would ignore any feelings he had that were developing for her.

  Jake slapped a file folder on the desk in front of Kevin, pulling him from his thoughts. “She must be some woman to have a hold on you like this,” he said.

  “What?”

  “You disappeared on me in Daria Carlisle Land. I asked you what you knew about Marla Rickenberg’s relationship with George Carlisle.”

  “Daria’s assistant? As far as I know there isn’t any connection to her ex. Why? What do you have?”

  Jake shrugged. “Not much. Ski just called and said Carlisle was having lunch at Aluvia’s with a woman who strangely resembles Marla. What do you think?”

  A slow burn started in the pit of his stomach. Kevin looked at his partner. “I think Marla Rickenberg’s having lunch with George Carlisle is a little too close for comfort.”

  Daria dropped her purse into the bottom drawer of her desk and fell hard into her desk chair. “That was a total waste of time,” she said to herself. Rubbing her temples, she closed her eyes and willed the throbbing in her head to stop.

  The little knock on the doorjamb had her looking up.

  “Do you have a second?” Marla asked, holding Daria’s coat in her hand.

  Pulling herself together, Daria straightened up at her desk and motioned Marla to come in.

  “You have my coat. Where did you find it?”

  “You draped it over my desk when you stopped by to tell me you were leaving for lunch early.”

  “I thought I left it back at the bank.”

  Marla closed the door behind her, hung the coat up on the coatrack and then sat down. By the look on Marla’s face, Daria knew this conversation wasn’t going to be good.

  “Please tell me you’re not quitting,” she said.

  Marla rolled her eyes and chuckled nervously. “I can’t even dream of quitting with the balances I have on my credit cards. No, it’s nothing like that.”

  Daria drew in a deep breath of relief. “Good. Then what’s up?”

  Marla looked at her hands in her lap and nibbled on her bottom lip.

  Daria laughed. “Come on. It can’t be that bad. What is it?”

  Marla hesitated
a moment. “I had lunch with George today.”

  “George?” When Marla just looked at her as if she was afraid Daria would throw something at her, it clicked. “You mean you had lunch with my ex-husband?”

  Marla nodded and then quickly added, “It was a spur-of-the-moment thing, but as soon as I got back, I started worrying. If it’s going to bother you, I won’t do it again. I mean, I know you’re divorced and all and you said you were over him—”

  “I am.”

  “But I don’t want this to be a problem for us. I really like you and I’d hate to think I was doing something to hurt you. Does it bother you?”

  Daria leaned back in the chair trying to get distance. Did she mind that Marla had lunch with her ex-husband? No. But she did question George’s motives for seeking Marla out. And she did worry about Marla and what she could be stepping into, given what was currently going on.

  “You’re mad. I can tell. I’m so sorry.”

  “No, no.” Daria waved off the comment. “It’s not what you think.”

  “Then what is it?”

  If Daria didn’t choose her words carefully, she’d end up sounding like a jealous ex-spouse. Nothing was further from the truth. Marla was a nice girl and although Daria didn’t always think the guys she went out with were “relationship material,” her personal life was Marla’s choice. Not hers.

  But it was becoming increasingly clear that George Carlisle was steps beyond that. When she wasn’t looking, her ex-husband had become a monster. Maybe he’d always been and she hadn’t seen it. If that was the case, then Marla was an easy target, and Daria couldn’t allow her assistant to walk out of her office without Marla’s being a little on guard about his behavior.

  “Did you call him or did he call you?”

  Marla chuckled. “Does it matter?”

  “Yes.”

  Appearing a little taken aback, Marla hesitated. “He called me and then he came to the office to pick me up after you left for lunch.”

  “I see.”

  “I should have asked you how you felt about it first, but I was afraid you’d be mad.”

  Daria shook her head. “Marla, you’re a big girl. You don’t need my approval to date someone. Even my ex-husband.”

  “But?”

  “George isn’t the person he seems.”

  With a drop of her shoulders, Marla said, “You are mad.”

  “No, really, I’m not. I just don’t want you to fall for all that charm without knowing what’s behind it. He can be very cunning.”

  Marla considered her words. “You were always so closemouthed about why you got divorced. Are those reasons what you’re trying to warn me about?”

  Those reasons seemed mightily irrelevant now. Back then George hadn’t tried to hire a hit man to kill her.

  Marla went on. “I mean, George always seems so sweet. Like he loved you so much. I’d love for a guy to look at me that way. What did he do? Have an affair or something?”

  “Yes,” Daria admitted.

  Marla gasped softly. “Really?”

  “Among other things. He likes to show off money. I’ll bet he took you to some fancy restaurant.”

  “Aluvia’s.”

  Daria chuckled, shaking her head. “That had to set him back some. Money he, no doubt, didn’t have. You see, he likes people to think he has more than he does. He always finds a way to pay for it. But I never knew where that money came from, if you know what I mean.”

  It wasn’t exactly true. At least some of the money had come from a loan shark named Milo Brickster. But did she really need to go into that much detail? Daria liked Marla. She also knew Marla liked to talk, which was why it had always been difficult to confide in her during her divorce. The last thing she needed was people in her office talking about her and her failed marriage at the watercooler.

  “You mean, he’s one of those sleazy guys who takes up with rich widows and steals their money right from under them without them realizing it?”

  She could always count on Marla’s imagination to run wild. This time Daria let her think what she wanted.

  “I really don’t know where he got all his money. But to get the kind of money he needed, he dealt with some business ‘associates’ that may not have been on the right side of the law. Even criminals have stock portfolios, and George meets a lot of people from all walks of life in his business. I didn’t stick around long enough to find out what kind of ‘business’ they had with George.”

  “Wow,” Marla said, nibbling on her thumbnail. “He doesn’t seem like that at all.”

  “No.” Admitting that left a sour taste in Daria’s mouth. “Look, you can do whatever you want. I’m not angry about you having lunch with George. Really, I’m not. I just want you to be careful. Will you promise me you’ll be careful?”

  Marla nodded and quickly got up and left the office. Daria was relieved when she closed the door behind her. Normally, Daria liked her office door open so she could see the movement outside. She spent so much time alone at home that she liked the casual interaction when someone just popped in at her door to say hello.

  But Daria didn’t want the distraction. There was too much on her mind, not the least of which was her protector, Detective Kevin Gordon.

  It amazed her how different Kevin was from her ex-husband. Just this one conversation with Marla put it all in perspective for her. They were opposite ends of a spectrum. It was hard to believe she’d been married to a man like George at all.

  Where George had been all about impressing others with his money, Kevin used what he had unselfishly and didn’t expect anything in return. He was using his own money and his precious time to keep her safe. What kind of man did that?

  A man with a gentle heart. This was a man Daria wanted to know better.

  Regardless of her feelings for Kevin, which she was having an increasingly difficult time ignoring, she needed to sort through her options.

  But she had a lot of thinking to do now that her business at lunch had been a bust. It was on to plan B.

  Kevin was sitting in his car as Daria pulled into the driveway a few hours later. A strange comfort, mixed with apprehension, washed over her. It surprised her how much seeing him lifted her mood after the disappointing day she’d had.

  Reaching across the bench seat, she collected her lunch bag and purse before stepping out of the truck. As she turned toward Kevin’s SUV, she saw him staring at her with the look of a man who’d been faced with a death sentence.

  This can’t be good.

  “What happened?” she finally said, walking the few paces down the driveway to the curb. He hesitated before climbing out of his vehicle, slamming the door behind him.

  He paused for a moment, as if what he was about to say would be uncomfortable for her to hear. “What is Marla Rickenberg’s relationship with your ex?” he asked.

  A strange burning coiled tight in her belly seemed to rise in degrees, squeezing the breath from her lungs. She really didn’t want to talk about Marla and George.

  “So you already know about Marla’s lunch with George?”

  A flash of surprise crossed his face. “Ski saw them at the restaurant together. The questions is why didn’t you call me if you knew?”

  “I didn’t know, not until after the fact. And anyway, what would you have done? There was no crime in the two of them having lunch. Besides, I was busy.” And she had been. Her longer-than-normal lunch meeting with the loans officer, coupled with her talk with Marla right afterward, had left work piling up on her desk. The granola bar she’d had this afternoon had done little to quell her hunger and now she was starving.

  At his questioning stare, Daria added, “Marla and George have known each other in a casual sort of way through me for a couple of years.”

  “There was nothing casual about the way they were snuggling together in that corner table at Aluvia’s during lunch today.”

  “Thankfully, she left that part out when I warned her about him.”
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br />   “You warned her?”

  “I had to. I couldn’t just let her go off with George blindly. I didn’t tell her about your meeting with him though.”

  “You mean, you didn’t tell her he tried to hire me to kill you.”

  She looked around to see if anyone was listening. “No,” she said quietly. “I just warned her that he’s not what he seems.”

  “Why are you whispering? There’s no one out on the street.”

  “Who knows who might be listening to us? I don’t want everyone to know every detail of what’s going on. It’s bad enough I have to know.”

  “Providence may not be small-town America, but neighbors have a way of finding things out whether you want them to or not.”

  “Terrific.”

  Daria glanced at the small scattered pile of garbage at the foot of her driveway where Kevin was standing. Now, that was the cherry on the cake of her bad day. In the next yard, Spot was barking. He must have had a feast in her can before the garbagemen had been by, leaving only this remnant of trash for her to deal with.

  Grabbing the overturned metal garbage can, she walked to where Kevin was standing, plopped the can down and bent to pick up the trash. As if just noticing the debris on the ground, Kevin bent to help her pick up the mess.

  “Let me do that,” he said. “You’ll get dirty.”

  “It’s okay. I can wash up when I change. I do this every week.”

  “Are you always this stubborn when someone tries to help you?”

  “I like to think of it as being independent,” she said. Looking at the trash on the ground, she felt a little foolish arguing about accepting Kevin’s help. But she’d always been independent. It had been an asset when she was married to George. He wasn’t the type to coddle her too much. In his world, it was sink or swim.

  “Did Marla say anything to you about the reason for lunch?”

  Daria sighed. “Marla is an attractive woman. George likes to be noticed. It could be as simple as that.” At least, she hoped that’s all it was. It would make things so much easier if it were.

  “You look like you’re jealous.” His voice was tight and his expression accusing, which irritated her.