My Deadly Valentine (4 page)

SIX

R
achel wasn’t a bit hungry. Still, she went through the motions of enjoying her meal, seated with Jace in the booth at Hickory Station, rather than disappoint him. He really was good company—for a cop. That mental disqualification made her smile.

“What’s so funny?”

“Me,” she answered, feeling her cheeks flush.

“Is that why you’re blushing?”

“I am not.” But she was, and she knew it. Worse, she didn’t seem to be able to stop. The more time she spent in Jace’s presence, the more she felt like a teenager experiencing her first crush.

“Have another piece of pizza,” Jace urged. “I can’t eat all this by myself.”

“Then take the leftovers home with you. Where do you live, anyway? I never asked.”

“Right now, behind the jail in the old caretaker’s quarters. I haven’t been able to find a decent apartment.”

“I’m not surprised. You’d be better off looking for a house. There aren’t any apartments closer than Hardy, unless you want to live at one of the old motels, and they don’t offer the same facilities as a regular house.”

“I’ve been checking the ads in the local papers but there hasn’t been a thing listed that I’d consider.”

“No wonder,” she said, smiling knowingly. “You’re going about it all wrong. Nobody advertises the good places. They don’t have to. It’s all handled by word of mouth.” The astonished expression on his face made her chuckle.

“Really? No ads, no nothing?”

“Nope. I suppose a real estate broker like Smith Burnett could help you but the best way is to just put out the word that you’re looking and wait.” She grinned across the narrow, Formica-topped table at him. “Want me to ask around for you?”

“Sure. I’m willing to consider almost any kind of place as long as it’s bigger than the caretaker’s rooms. I don’t like hanging out at the jail all the time. I have no real off-duty time when I’m that handy.”

“I understand. Sometimes I feel as if I might as well sleep at the card shop.” She checked her watch. “Which reminds me. Would you mind dropping me off there? I have a few things to do that I didn’t finish on Saturday.”

“Then how would you get home? It’s still too cold to walk and your house is at least a mile from the square.”

“A mile and a quarter,” Rachel said. “I don’t mind walking. I love the exercise and the fresh air.”

Jace shook his head. “No way am I leaving you like that. If you want to go by the shop, fine. I’ll wait for you.”

“Have it your way,” she said, hoping that she didn’t sound too happy about his decision. The last thing she wanted to do was inconvenience him, yet the notion of being the only one in the empty store and then having to walk home, unescorted, gave her the shivers.

That reaction angered and disgusted her. Someone had done this to her, had stolen her peace of mind and left her unsure of everything. It wasn’t fair. It also wasn’t easy to push those feelings aside and ignore them.

Perhaps her strong craving for Jace’s continuing company was the Lord’s way of taking care of her, she thought, slightly amused by the convenient rationalization. Nevertheless, she did want him with her and was well aware that that was the smartest move.

“I would be delighted if you stayed with me,” she finally admitted. “I really don’t relish spending a lot of time alone in the shop. Not when we’re closed, at any rate.”

His resulting grin warmed her cheeks to the point where she knew she could never deny the telling reaction. She averted her gaze and busied herself picking up her purse and grabbing her good coat off the booth bench. “Well, shall we get going?”

“As soon as I get a box for our snack later,” he said.

Later?
Her eyebrows arched as she watched him walk to the counter and speak to the clerk.

Yes, later, she told herself. It was evident that Jace was planning to spend the whole day with her. Why she had not realized it sooner was a tribute to her closed mind. The man had appointed himself her guardian and was not about to leave her to fend for herself.

To Rachel’s surprise, she was not only in total agreement, she was thrilled.

Chalk up another point for my stalker, she thought, sighing and shaking her head.
In less than a week my whole outlook has changed and I don’t like it. I don’t like it one little bit.

Jace wasn’t too concerned about Rachel’s safety as long as they were together but he sure wasn’t looking forward to the moment when he had to bid her goodbye.

One problem at a time, he lectured himself. As the Good Book said, “The cares of the day are sufficient.”

Pulling to a stop in front of the card store, he asked, “Is this okay? I won’t be taking up customer parking on a Sunday.”

“It’s fine.” Her smile warmed his heart. “Being such a recent transplant, I’m surprised you remembered that most places close on the Sabbath.”

“How could I forget? I figure we were fortunate to find a decent place to eat.”

“The grocery mart used to be closed Sunday mornings,” Rachel told him as he escorted her from the truck. “Lately, though, more and more businesses are staying open seven days a week. I’m kind of sorry to see that happening.”

“You have no plans to do it, do you?”

“Absolutely not. I think it sets a bad example. Besides, even store managers need a little time off. I want my day of rest.” She put the key in the lock and turned it.

Jace laughed. “Oh, really? Then why are we here?”

“I’m resting. As long as I don’t have to deal with customers, it’s not stressful.”

“Selling cards and gifts is stressful?” He held the door for her so she could pass through ahead of him.

“It can be.” She stopped in the doorway, almost causing him to bump into her as he followed. “Good grief.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Don’t you feel it? It must be a hundred degrees in here.”

He took a deep breath to test the air. “You’re right. I don’t smell any smoke, though. Maybe your furnace is malfunctioning.”

“Maybe.”

Dogging her steps, he followed her to the control panel. All the electrical fuses were in order but there were exposed wires where the power fed into the thermostat that controlled heating and cooling.

Rachel pointed. “Look.”

“I see it.” Every muscle in Jace’s body was tensed for defense and his hand hovered near his hidden holster. “I want you to go wait outside while I look this place over thoroughly.”

“No way, mister. This store is half mine and I’m not going to let anybody chase me off.”

He figured it was just as well to keep her with him so he relented. “Okay. But stay behind me and don’t argue.”

“Me? I never argue with you.”

“Right.”

“Well, hardly ever. Is there any way we can shut off this heat before we go any farther? I’m roasting and it’s terrible for all my decorative candles. They may already be ruined.”

“I’m no electrician. If we mess with this, we may not only destroy clues, we may trigger something else much worse than a little heat.”

He hated to be so blunt but he didn’t want her taking matters into her own hands and getting hurt. Or worse. Judging by the look on her face she was taking his warnings very seriously.

“You mean like a
bomb?
”

“I don’t know. And neither do you, so I suggest you not touch anything.”

“Yes, sir. You’re the boss.”

Satisfied, he drew his pistol and led her slowly toward the back room, fully expecting to see that that was how the intruder had gained access again. To his shock, the heavy metal rear door was securely in place this time.

As soon as he had poked into every corner and closet, he holstered his gun. “Okay. We’re alone. So, tell me, how many people have keys to this store?”

“Just me and Eloise, as far as I know. I suppose she may have more than one set but I have only the one that she gave me when she made me the manager.”

“What, exactly, is your job here?”

“I run the place,” Rachel said. “Eloise has been having some health problems and she’s really not good at making decisions. Her late husband, Delbert, used to handle the mechanics of the store while she waited on customers. Since he’s been gone, business has really been poor. When she offered me a partnership, I couldn’t refuse.”

“You invested?”

Rachel shook her head. “No. I wanted to. But she insisted that I was like family to her and we became partners without any money changing hands. I didn’t like the idea. Still don’t.”

“She has no blood relatives?”

“There is a nephew. Her sister’s grown son. He pitched a fit when Eloise told him what she planned to do. He actually threatened to file papers alleging she was senile.”

That was the most interesting thing Jace had heard since the beginning of this apparent vendetta. “Really. Hmm. What else do you know about him? Is he local?”

“No. He lives in Tennessee, near Memphis. Why? Surely you don’t think he’d go to all this trouble to scare me off. What would he gain?”

“The business, for starters.” To his chagrin, Rachel laughed.

“If he had any idea how little this store is worth, he’d run for the hills. Considering all the money we still owe our suppliers, we’d be lucky to break even, let alone make a profit, even if we sold out to the bare walls.”

“Then somebody should tell the guy. I will, if you or Mrs. McCafferty don’t want to do it.”

“Eloise has already tried. He didn’t believe her. I get the idea he’s not the most open-minded person.”

“Get me his name and phone number. I’ll take care of it.”

“No.”

He scowled at her. “Why not?”

“Because, the problem is between Mrs. McCafferty and her relative. Neither of us should interfere. It wouldn’t be right.”

“And this kind of harassment
is?
” Swinging his arm in a broad arc, Jace indicated the whole shop.

“If he’s guilty, no. But you’re just guessing. He may be totally innocent and you’d be accusing the wrong man.”

Although he hated to admit it, she did have a valid point. “All right. Just tell me his name and let me look into his background. Surely, that won’t hurt. And in the meantime, you’re not to come here again unless someone is with you.”

“Like who? Like you? What’re you going to do, volunteer to work for me?”

“If necessary.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You have a real job. Harlan would have your hide if you spent all your time over here.”

Nodding, Jace had to agree. “That reminds me. We need to call the sheriff and report this as another break-in.”

“How? Both doors are secure and there’s no other access.”

“Then you need to change the locks. I’ll do that for you today, before we leave.” To his disappointment, Rachel began to laugh. “What’s so funny? This is serious.”

“I know it is. The hilarious part is you, thinking you can buy new hardware on a Sunday. Here we sit, smack-dab in the middle of the Bible Belt, and the guy from California thinks he can actually find a place around here that will sell him anything other than a loaf of bread or a carton of milk on the Sabbath.”

“Then you and I are getting out of here right now,” Jace insisted. “Whether you like it or not.”

“Suppose I don’t want to go?”

In his heart he knew she was bluffing. He also knew that she was prejudiced against the kind of strong-arm tactics and coercion her father had employed.

At this point in their tenuous relationship, Jace figured he could either alienate her by using force or possibly set her against him even more by trying something a lot more drastic. He opted for the latter because it appealed to him on a personal level.

Reaching for her, he swept her into his embrace. The moment she raised her face to protest, he silenced her with a quick kiss.

Because he had expected her to resist, he had not been prepared for what actually happened. Rachel practically melted in his arms. Her eyes grew misty. Her lips trembled. And Jace received the sweetest, most poignant kiss of his lifetime.

If anyone had told him what it would be like to kiss her, he would not have believed them. He was standing there, experiencing it for himself, yet he could barely accept the truth.

Worse, he knew that he had not only overstepped the bounds of propriety, he had just experienced a kiss that he would remember for the rest of his life.

He was in deep, deep trouble.

SEVEN

R
achel could barely breathe, and it wasn’t because the shop was stuffy enough to melt candles. Eyes wide, she managed a soft “Whew!”

To her chagrin, Jace pushed her away. “Yeah. You can say that again.”

“Okay. Whew. What just happened, anyway?”

“I got stupid,” he said with a wry grimace. “Sorry.”

“Me, too.” She giggled. “Sorry, I mean, not stupid. You caught me by surprise.”

“And you handled it very well, if I do say so,” he gibed. “I promise it won’t happen again.”

She wasn’t sure she liked that vow but she was loath to admit it, even to herself. “Okay. In that case, I guess you’re forgiven. What were you trying to do, convince me to leave with you?”

Watching his expression, Rachel was certain he was beginning to look relieved. When he nodded and said, “Yeah, that was it,” she was convinced that he was being at least partially truthful.

“Okay,” she said, chin held high. “You want us to leave, we’ll leave. We can use my cell to call Harlan. But I’m not going home until I get the heat turned off in here. I won’t be responsible for having everything ruined when I could have stopped it. Besides, with the wiring so exposed there might be a fire.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Jace said, agreeing with obvious reluctance. “We’ll have the sheriff contact the fire department, too, and have them standing by.”

Leading the way through the shop to the front door, Rachel asked, “Do you really think there’s a bomb?”

“No. But I’d still like to take proper precautions. I don’t suppose you happen to know a good electrician.”

“I don’t know how good he is, but one of the maintenance men over at the courthouse also works for his father’s electrical contracting business. If he hears about the trouble, he may drop by and solve our problems.”

“You know just about every soul in town, don’t you?”

“Probably. Why?”

“Because it gives us a whopping list of suspects.”

“Like who?”

“Well, that maintenance man for one. And your old flame, Lance, plus the other guy from church—Adam, wasn’t it?”

“No, Alan. Alan Caldwell.”

“Okay. And then there’s Mrs. McCafferty’s nephew, and…”

Reaching the sidewalk she turned and made a face at him. “Do you suspect
everybody?
”

Jace sighed and shrugged. “Afraid so. It goes with the territory. When you’ve seen the worst of people for a long time, you tend to be on guard in every situation.”

“Then you must mistrust me, too,” Rachel said. She could tell from the way he’d flinched at her statement that her supposition was correct. “You think
I’m
responsible for all the crazy things that have been happening?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“No, but you’ve considered it. Don’t bother lying to me. I can see it in your eyes.”

Pacing away from him, she fumbled in her purse for her phone. At that moment she wasn’t sure whether she was miffed or merely disappointed. Maybe she was both. It was inconceivable that anyone would think she was purposely causing trouble. It made no sense. What was there to gain?

A plausible answer came to mind quickly. If the problems regarding the little card and gift store made the news, it was possible that the notoriety would increase business, if only by bringing in the curious.

Still, it hurt to think that Jace distrusted her, even a tiny bit. He was the one person she had thought she could rely upon and there he stood, implying that she might be the real culprit behind the ongoing harassment.

Her hands were shaking as she flipped open her phone and dialed 9-1-1. If she hadn’t felt as if she were suddenly standing alone against her stalker, she might have laughed at the ludicrousness of the idea that she was the cause of all the trouble.

Jace followed the sheriff and several of the firemen back into the building to continue the search and see that the heater was properly disconnected while Rachel waited outside.

He learned that he wasn’t the only one who had begun to wonder if she was behind these so-called attacks when Harlan Allgood pulled him aside.

“It seems mighty strange to me,” the sheriff said. “I mean, look at what’s happened. Nobody was hurt and except for a few dumb notes, there was really no threat.”

Jace had to agree. “I know. I thought of that.”

“Then what do you reckon is goin’ on?” The older man grinned knowingly. “You don’t suppose the little lady is sweet on you and just lookin’ for a reason the keep you comin’ around, do you?”

“I don’t know.” In Jace’s heart there was serious doubt but in his mind the possibility loomed large.

“Well, if I was twenty years younger and not married, I sure wouldn’t mind spendin’ time with Miss Rachel and that’s a fact.” He elbowed Jace in the ribs. “She’s a pretty one.”

“Yes. She is. And she has character, which is why I can’t imagine that she’s threatening herself. Did you get any fingerprints from the last note?”

“Naw. The preacher’s sendin’ it off to his citified friends, though. Maybe their lab can find more clues.” He guffawed. “If there’s any to find.”

“What about this time? I didn’t see any notes by the thermostat. Did the fire department find anything odd?”

“Not on paper,” Harlan said. “C’mon. I’ll show you.”

Following, Jace continued to scan his surroundings. He was becoming familiar enough with the stock in the shop to guess that little or nothing had been disturbed. Perhaps the heater connections had always been poorly installed or maintained. A building as old as this one would have been retrofitted many times and anything was possible.

“There,” Harlan said, pointing. “On that wall.”

Jace’s heart began to race. There was no paper that they could send to a lab this time. The letters had been scrawled directly on the wall.

It said,

Hot as where I’m going to send you soon, sweetheart.

Get ready.

Rachel could tell Jace was upset as soon as he returned to her and she looked into his eyes. “What is it? Was there a bomb?”

“No.” He took her arm and guided her away from the small crowd that had gathered in front of the shop and on the courthouse lawn across the street. “But there was another warning.”

“What—what did it say?”

“Pretty much the same as before,” he told her.

“Where is it? I want to see.”

“Later. There’s no hurry. Let the others get their pictures and pick up their gear first. The message isn’t going anywhere.”

“Why not? Isn’t Harlan going to give it to Pastor Logan?”

“He can’t this time. It’s written right on the wall.”

“How awful.” Studying him so she wouldn’t miss any clues to his mood, she asked, “Do you still think I had something to do with all this?” Because he didn’t answer immediately, she went on. “Because if you do, I can sort of understand why. I’ve been thinking about it and I can see that the shop is getting a lot of free publicity. The problem is, it’s not the kind of image Eloise and I want for our store.”

“I know. And I apologize for doubting you. It just seems incredible that you have no idea who is so mad at you.” He smiled slightly. “Harlan thinks you may be doing this to get my attention.”

“Oh, really?” Her hands fisted on her hips and she stared at him. “Does he honestly believe I can’t get a date without raising a ruckus? He must have been talking to my dad after all.”

“I don’t think so. I imagine somebody will soon, though. The way the gossip is flying there’s no way your father isn’t going to find out sooner or later.”

“Most likely sooner,” Rachel said. “I can hardly wait for the lecture.”

“He cares about you.”

She sighed loudly. “I know. It’s just that he refuses to let me live my own life. He’s tried to fix me up with half the men in town.”

“Including the electrician?” Jace’s eyes narrowed as he looked past her to scan the milling crowd.

“No. Not that I recall.”

He had already been standing close to her side. When he moved even nearer, his presence caused her to notice a lack of oxygen in the crisp air.

“This is becoming more than a job to me,” Jace said softly. “You do know that, don’t you?”

“It shouldn’t be,” Rachel countered, determined to keep her emotional distance even if she did crave the protectiveness of his physical presence. “I told you. I don’t date cops.”

“Never?”

“Never ever. Not in a million years.” She shook her head theatrically, hoping to soften her statements and still make a point. “Nope. No way. Uh-uh.”

“I think I get the idea.” To her relief, he was smiling.

“Good. As long as we understand each other.”

His eyes began to twinkle with mirth and his grin spread. “I take it that also means I should forget the fact that you kissed me.”

“Hey! You started it.”

“Yes,” he said, chuckling softly, “but you certainly surprised me when you finished it so well.”

Blushing, Rachel lowered her gaze and refused to continue to look at him. He was right, of course. She had returned his kiss as instinctively as if they had known each other for ages. He hadn’t been the only one surprised. She’d been totally flabbergasted. And ashamed. What must he think of her? That she made a habit of kissing strange men? Probably. Only nothing could be further from the truth.

In all memory, recent and otherwise, she had never been kissed so perfectly, so thoroughly. And she had never, ever, returned the affection with such sureness and ease. Her reaction to Jace’s simple kiss had not only knocked her socks off, it had left her wondering how such a wonderful experience had escaped her all these years.

She would never let on that she’d been deeply affected, of course. The man was already so sure of himself that he was practically impossible. More flattery was the last thing he needed, especially coming from her. Next thing she knew, he’d start to believe the sheriff’s ridiculous theory that she was causing trouble just to get the new deputy’s attention.

There was, however, one thing she wanted him to know, so she decided to speak her mind. “I’m terribly thankful that you were with me today. I hope nothing I’ve said or done will keep you from continuing to watch over me until this series of attacks stops.”

“Of course not. I said I’d look out for you and I will.”

She had to blink back tears of relief when she saw the concern on his handsome face. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

His nod was matter-of-fact and polite rather than being too personal, yet she could tell he was feeling the same sense of extraordinary closeness that she was battling. Surely it was due to the circumstances, she told herself. After all, they had nothing in common.

Except completely opposing opinions of law enforcement personnel.
Rachel gritted her teeth as she realized that this ongoing harassment was showing her another side of the picture. There were legitimate needs for police intervention. The problem was, she didn’t like feeling out of control or in need of assistance.

She would concentrate on building up her faith, keep her wits about her and get through this, one way or another, she vowed.

When Eloise had led her to the Lord several years back, there had been a change in Rachel. A positive change. It was time she stopped acting as if she were all alone when she knew that Jesus was on her side. She’d pray more and trust more and…

Shivering, she took a step closer to Jace and he slid his arm around her shoulders once again.

Thank You, Father, for putting this man in my life just when I needed him,
she prayed silently. If there was ever a reason to give thanks, it was now. And if there was ever a person for whom she was grateful, it was Jace Morgan.

She’s clever, but not as clever as she thinks she is,
he thought, watching her cozy up to the deputy.
He can’t guard her every minute. She’ll have to go home sometime and then I’ll have her right where I want her.

He laughed to himself as he imagined future scenarios. He had plenty of ideas about how to make her squirm. And as soon as it stopped being fun to issue threats, he’d act.

There was lots of time. He had already branched out and implemented some new surprises. And even if he didn’t get another opportunity to enter the card store in secret, he could simply mail her the special Valentine he’d crafted.

Rachel was going to love his idea of a romantic card. Oh, yes. She was just going to swoon over it.