Standoff At Christmas. Margaret Daley

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СКАЧАТЬ meeting over with. The earth didn’t shake and swallow him because he’d seen her today. He was a different man than the one who had naively fallen for Celeste eight years ago.

      In the dark of a winter day, Jake turned down the long drive that led to a cluster of several homes, one being his grandfather’s on a few acres. He shouldn’t have stayed in town so long. Although dinner at Linda’s wasn’t for a few hours, he wanted to spend time with Gramps and help him as much as he could around his place. Gramps, at seventy-three, moved slower and wasn’t as energetic as he once was.

      When Jake entered his childhood home, Mitch, his black and brown German shepherd, greeted him at the door, his tail wagging. He hadn’t been sure how his dog would do, flying in a small plane, but he had been great. He would miss working every day with Mitch when he returned to the Anchorage Police Department. Mitch had been retired early because he’d lost one of his legs in the accident at the bomb site they had been searching.

      “Did you miss me?” Jake rubbed him behind his ears.

      Mitch barked.

      The noise brought Gramps into the entry hall. “Every sound sent Mitch to the window to see if you were coming home.”

      “I stayed a little longer than I planned. I’m surprised at how much Port Aurora has grown, changed.”

      “Yes, it’s been a harbor of busyness for the past year. Lots of construction in the summer. The roads still okay?”

      “Yes. Five or six hours from now they might not be.”

      “If the storm blows through quickly, they’ll have the roads plowed by tomorrow afternoon.”

      “All the way out here?” They didn’t when he lived here as a child, but Port Aurora’s population had been only twenty-eight hundred in the winter. With its growth came more needs for the residents.

      “Yep, that’s called progress. They don’t plow the long drive, but I’ll get out there and do that tomorrow morning.”

      “I can.”

      “No, you’re on vacation.”

      “I’ve been on vacation for months, and frankly I can’t wait to get back to work.”

      Gramps turned and ambled toward the great room where he spent a lot of his time. “Then let’s pray your doctor says you’re ready to go back to work at the first of January. Did you see any old friends?”

      “Rachel and Sean.” Since Celeste wasn’t a friend, he left her name out. Whenever she was mentioned, Gramps always got angry.

      “How’s Rachel?”

      “Fine.” Jake sat on the couch while his grandfather took his place in his special lounger. “We really didn’t talk long. Aunt Betty was upset about something, and Rachel was focused on that.”

      “Really? Betty is one lady that goes with the flow. She doesn’t let much of anything get to her. I should learn something from her.”

      The landline rang, and Jake reached toward the end table and snatched up the receiver. “Hello.”

      “Jake, I’m so glad you’re home.” The relief in Rachel’s voice came through loud and clear.

      “What’s wrong?”

      “I stopped by Aunt Betty’s house on the way home, and no one answered the door, but her car is here. I just looked into the living room window and someone has tossed her place. It’s a mess.”

      “Call the police, stay outside and I’ll be right there.”

      “I’m already inside. My cell doesn’t work this far from town. The first thing I did was call you.”

      “Make the call to the police and then get out. Okay?”

      “Yes.” The urgency in Jake’s voice heightened her concern for her aunt.

       TWO

      After reporting to the police about the trashed living room, Rachel hung up her aunt’s phone not far from the front door and started edging back. Her heart pounded against her rib cage, her breathing shallow. She should get out like Jake said, but what if Aunt Betty was knocked out on the floor? She didn’t think an intruder was still there since there was no sign of a vehicle other than Aunt Betty’s. But if someone robbed her, and from the disarray of drawers emptied and cushions tossed on the floor, it was obvious that was what happened, then her aunt could be hurt, tied up or even...

      No, she wouldn’t consider that. She wouldn’t leave until she found her aunt. The least she could do until Jake came was walk through her cabin and search. Rachel had first-aid training because of all the hiking and camping she did in the warmer months. If Aunt Betty was hurt, she might need medical attention right away.

      She moved through the clutter, careful not to step on anything. Maybe this was the only room involved. Maybe her aunt had been looking for something in the living room and...

      When Rachel entered the kitchen, it was worse. Everything was out of the cabinets and refrigerator. If someone had been looking for something, they probably found it, but Aunt Betty had little in the way of money. Rachel noticed the television was still in place as well as the small appliances. There was a walk-in pantry near the arctic entry at the back. The wooden floors were littered with flour, sugar, cereal. She would disturb the kitchen if she walked across it. Instead, she’d check the rest of the house first. By then, she hoped that Jake had arrived, and he would know how to proceed.

      She walked several feet into her aunt’s bedroom before she couldn’t go any farther because of the mess on the floor, but from that point she could look into the open closet. No Aunt Betty.

      A sound from the living room sent a wave of panic through her. It was probably Jake, but just in case, she flattened herself behind the open door.

      “Rachel, where are you?”

      Jake’s deep baritone voice pushed the panic away, and she came out from behind the bedroom door. “I’m in Aunt Betty’s bedroom.”

      “I should have known you wouldn’t listen to me,” Jake mumbled as he came into the short hallway.

      “You brought Mitch.” Rachel knelt next to the leashed German shepherd and petted him. “He looks good.”

      “I thought if we needed to search for your aunt he could help. He loves tracking. Have you found anything?”

      “A mess, as you can see for yourself, but no sign of Aunt Betty. I haven’t looked in the bathroom or the second bedroom, though.”

      “I’ll check them and then we’ll wait for the police. You stay here with Mitch. This will only take a minute.” After handing her the German shepherd’s leash, Jake walked toward the open bathroom door and peered inside. “The same thing here but no Betty.”

      The door to the second bedroom was ajar but not open. Jake shouldered his way into the room but stayed by the entrance. “She must not be here. Could she have gone somewhere СКАЧАТЬ