Chapter 4
“ D id you find my sleigh?” Russ stood in Nick's office doorway, wringing his hands.
“Yes.” The relief on his father’s face had him biting back his next words. The odds of having the sleigh back by festival weekend weren’t looking good. But he couldn’t lie to his old man. Never could. “The police have it. They have to finish up a few things before we can have it back. Don’t worry, I’m working with them.”
Dad shoved his hands in his front pockets and slouched against the door frame. “I’m glad to hear that. Can I help with anything?”
“Actually, I will be chasing down leads today. Can you pick up Ava and have her hang out with you for a while?”
“Sure, she can help me at the store.”
“Thanks, Dad.” He was the only other person authorized to pick up his daughter for those rare occasions that Nick worked late.
Russ popped a mint in his mouth and turned to go.
“And Dad. No candy.”
His father placed a hand on his chest and gave him an innocent look. Total bullshit.
Nick’s words fell on deaf ears and he knew it. The odds were better of his daughter having a sugar high when he picked her up than getting the sleigh back by the festival. The man who didn’t let Nick and his brother have soda until they were in high school caved to a little blue-eyed girl.
“You better get to work, so I have my sleigh. Don’t worry about Ava. I’ll take good care of her.” Russ sauntered down the hall.
Nick had no doubt his dad would take care of her. Ava loved spending time with her grandpa. But would her dentist agree when it came time for her check-up? His dad’s Santa role carried into his real life just a little too much for Nick’s liking, and growing up, the kids at school never let him forget it.
He scooped back his hair, pushing away the memories of schoolboy taunts with it. He hoped Ava wouldn’t be let down when she saw her grandpa riding in on a sleigh. Hopefully, the beard, glasses, and extra padding would camouflage the fact it was him.
“If I don’t get to work, he would be walking the reindeer in,” He muttered to himself.
Dropping his hands to the keyboard, he pulled up the video feed. Being the head of security, he had full access to the video files. He had pulled up the first clip when he heard the soft scuff of shoes on the linoleum floor outside his office. Mickey. A few seconds later, she knocked on the doorframe.
“Hey, did you start yet?” She strolled in and grabbed the chair in front of his desk. Sliding it around to his side, she dropped to the seat and leaned in.
Nick forgot how comfortable the two used to be. Since seeing her again yesterday, a tension coiled around his chest, slithering up the back of his neck when she got close.
But now, she was closer than an arms-length and the smell of her shampoo loosened the snake of uncertainty. It allowed memories to flow. Memories he didn’t have time for. He had a sleigh to find, a mall to save, and a daughter’s belief in Santa to secure. It was bad enough his mind strolled down memory lane, but other parts of his anatomy were remembering as well.
He angled the monitor screen closer to her to distract from the shifting in his chair. He clicked play and focused all his attention on the screen.
The storage room didn’t have a security camera, but on the side of the hall, fifty-feet down, was a camera at the corner of the main thoroughfare. Also, there was a camera positioned at the parking and drop-off lanes. They started with the hallway.
“There. That’s our guy. Who’s the other guy?” Michelle pointed to the two men moving the sleigh from storage.
“That’s Cliff. He’s one of the maintenance guys.” Not sure why Silver had these two take the sleigh. Could be Junior made that call. He’d have to check on that.
“I’ll be having a chat with their boss soon.”
So would he. He watched determination cross her beautiful face. He had to admit, cop looked good on her. “We should watch the rest of the files, in case they brought it back and someone else took it.”
“Agreed.” She turned to the screen, and he hit play.
Forty minutes and four more videos, they had tracked the men’s journey with the sleigh to a truck in the drop-off zone. It was one of those big box vans.
“Is that a mall vehicle?”
“No.”
“Can you zoom in? I want to see if I can pick up a plate number.” Michelle pulled out her tablet and started making notes.
Nick enlarged the image but couldn’t make out the license number. He made a mental note to call Abe. He was a whiz at this stuff and owed him a favor. “I’ll make you a copy of these.”
“Thanks, I’ll have Ryan work his magic on it.” Her grin spread .
“Ryan?” A prick itched at the back of his neck. He couldn’t say why, but he didn’t like the way she smiled when the guy’s name left her lips.
“Detective Ryan Daniels, he’s our computer whiz.”
That should make him feel better. It didn’t. He relaxed his jaw before saying. “I have a guy if Daniels can’t make it out.”
“Good to know. We have them taking it now to find if it came back.” She kept her eyes on the monitor. Leaning in, she clicked the mouse.
Long, slim fingers brushed his. Heat washed over his hand briefly before she pulled back.
“I, uh, you, you can start the next video.” She rubbed her hand on her thigh.
Yeah, he felt the zip of awareness, too. Nick hit play, then fast forward. Cars scrolled by. Day after day, file after file, no sleigh returned.
“I think we found our guy.” Nick leaned back in his chair.
“Looks like it, but…” Michelle stared at the image of the empty loading zone.
“What are you thinking?”
Her gaze slid to his. “Other than I needing to talk to this Cliff guy?”
He nodded.
“I need to check the businesses neighboring Billie Dee’s and see if any of them had cameras that picked up this truck.”
“Okay.”
“If I can track the vehicle through cameras, maybe I can find the location of the murder. The alley wasn’t the drop point. Not enough blood.”
Shit. He would need to clean the sleigh before they used it. “I really need the sleigh back sooner than later.”
She nodded but didn’t say a word. Mickey was smart not to make any promises .
Nick’s stomach grumbled. “Let’s grab a burger on the way. Then we can come back and talk to maintenance.”
“What about Cliff?”
Nick typed out a quick email to HR. “We should have his information by the time we return.”
“Okay, but I get to pick the restaurant. No greasy fast food.”
He motioned with a swipe of his arm. “Lead the way.”
She pulled out her key fob as they entered the parking lot. Nick smirked. “Do I have to ride in the back?”
“Only if I cuff you.” She smirked.
Well, now. He could think of a few scenarios where cuffs came into play, and none of them involved him being arrested.
***
It’s just lunch. A couple of coworkers eating food. We all need sustenance, right? Sure… except Nick wasn’t her coworker, not in the slightest. Yes, he insinuated himself into her case, but he wasn’t a cop. Even if he did have one of the best intimidating stares and a presence that had people talking. True, he was big and scary when he wanted to be, but when he turned on that boyish smile… mmm , people melted.
Okay, it might have only been her.
Just then, the waitress flipped her hair and ran a hand over her hip as she passed by their table again.
Nope. It wasn’t just her.
“We can take five minutes to eat here. You didn’t have to tell her we were taking it to go.” Michelle leaned back in her chair.
“I need the sleigh back. ”
“I get this is a tradition, but what’s got your undies in a bunch? The police can handle it.” Didn’t he have any faith in her abilities? He hadn’t wanted her to go into law enforcement. Well, too bad. She had and was dang good at it.
Nick stared up at the ceiling tiles. She could see the gears in his head working. Probably working on an answer that wouldn’t piss her off.
“It’s not that I don’t trust you or Jim. Heck, or the rest of the force. My mom was an officer, remember?”
Her head dropped—a single nod. How could she forget? Officer Jolley died in the line of duty when Nick and Michelle were sixteen. After that, he tried for over a year to talk her out of becoming an officer. Michelle gave an internal snort. Like going into the military was any safer.
He sighed, as if he was about to expose something soul-deep. “I have to get it back for the festival, or… all the kids will be let down.”
“Why do I get the feeling that isn’t the only reason?” She cocked a brow and waited for him to cave. Communication had always been tough for him, but she knew how to wear him down.
He took a drink of his water and moved his stare back to the ceiling tile, then to the door.
Michelle ignored his gaze and kept hers focused on him. She caught the way his forehead creased and his mouth turned down. His grip tightened on the glass.
There was more than the town children’s merriment at risk.
Looking over her shoulder, he finally spoke. “My boss made it clear that the mall is in danger if the festival doesn’t go off as planned. All of us could be out of a job.”
It still didn’t make sense to Michelle. He’d been here less than a year. Who made him the savior of the mall ?
Maybe there was more to Nick’s job than she realized. Wouldn’t he have his pension from the military? That should give him a cushion. Didn’t his wife work? She almost asked the question, but bit her cheek before the words slipped out. It was none of her business. Just because the Nick she knew years ago had been a miser, that didn’t mean he was now. She hadn’t seen him in twenty years. A lot could have changed. She sure did.
Before she could speak, the waitress appeared with a large bag and two drinks in a carrier. When Nick pulled out his wallet, the woman waved him off. “It’s on the house.” She turned to Michelle and smiled. “Thank you for your service.”
They thanked her and headed out.
“Does that happen often?” Nick asked.
Michelle shrugged. “Most of the local restaurants have a policy to comp meals for police and military in uniform.”
“I’m not in uniform. She didn’t know I was military.”
“I’m sure it’s because you were with me. She probably assumed you were a plain-clothed officer.” Or, she wrote her number on a napkin in the bag. Michelle would put money on it, but she didn’t need to boost Nick’s ego, so she kept quiet.
He dug into the bag as she drove. Nick pulled out the napkins and handed her one, along with a burger. He looked at the one in his hand, then crumbled it up and threw it back into the bag as he pulled out the fries.
Michelle bit back a grin.
“I didn’t see any cameras outside the welding repair place earlier.” Nick said around a bite of burger.
“Me neither. So, let’s cruise down that street, starting with the direction of the mall.” She turned and headed toward Billie Dee’s.
Nick’s phone pinged. He glanced at the screen and grimaced .
Michelle cut her gaze to him before focusing on her driving. “What?”
“It’s from HR. Cliff Garmen missed his last three shifts.”
“Do they have an address? We can swing by and see if he’s there.”
“Yeah, but I don’t think it will help us.” The creases between his brows deepened.
“Why?”
“It’s Trudy’s Bar.”
“Wait, what? Does it say that?”
“No, but unless they tore it down and put up housing since I was gone, that’s the address.”
No doubt he was right. They’d snuck into the local dive bar more than once in high school. It was the only building on that block.
At the stop sign, she glanced at his phone. Yup, that’s it. She’d been called to the establishment for drunk and disorderlies over the years.
“Feel like a little day drinking?” Nick asked.
“To the bar.”
His cheek flexed.
Stupid inside joke. It slipped out before her brain could engage. Locking her lips, she watched the road.
This is work, girl. Not a stroll down memory lane. She cut a quick glance his way, and her internal scolding flew out the window.
His mouth had spread into a full smile.
Crap, she was so screwed.
They parked in the fire lane ten feet from the front door, just in case they needed a quick getaway. Trudy’s wasn’t the most cop-friendly place. She ran a hand over the edge of her vest, then opened the door.
The bright sun and crisp air faded away as the door closed behind Nick and Michelle. A haze of cigarette smoke clung to the stained ceiling tiles .
Nick’s large body shadowed hers as he filled the void at her back. That one simple movement sent warmth rolling through her, calming her. Yes, she could handle herself, and the bar was fairly empty this time of day, but knowing he had her six unknotted something inside her.
It tugged at other things, too… memories… of them in a tight embrace, slow dancing in a crowded bar. This bar.
Some things change, but not Trudy’s.
The bartender glanced up—the man himself. Trudy had a little less hair and a lot more gut since she’d seen him last, but it was definitely him.
He ran his gaze over them before dropping his attention back to the rag he swiped over the bar.
“I see this place hasn’t changed.” Nick slipped his hands into his pockets as he turned to survey the decades-old building and its patrons.
“Some things never do.” Michelle slipped off her gloves as they walked toward the bar. She’d been there a few times over the years, always in a work capacity, breaking up fights the owner and his Louisville slugger couldn’t handle.
The man in question kept his eyes on the pint he was pouring. He set it down in front of a skinny man pushing sixty. A regular, no doubt. If his glossy eyes and red nose with a roadmap of blood vessels didn’t give it way, the way his posture molded to the bar stool as if permanently affixed did.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t Cliff. This guy was too tall and thin to be the man from the video.
“Do you see him?” she whispered to Nick.
He shook his head and slapped a twenty on the bar. “I’ll have a beer. In the bottle. ”
Trudy popped the cap off the top of a Budweiser and set it on the bar before turning to her.
“I’m looking for someone. Maybe you can help me?” She hooked her thumbs into her belt.
“Have you tried a dating app?” Trudy’s face didn’t flinch.
“Funny. Do you know Cliff Garmen?”
“Nope. Never heard of him.” He clammed up and wiped a damp spot on the bar.
“Really? He put this down as his primary residence.” Nick stood still as a mountain, his beer untouched.
“The only person who lives here is me. I have an apartment in the back.”
“Mind if we check it out?” Michelle asked.
“Got a warrant?”
“I can get one.” With a little more cause. She wouldn’t tell him that.
Trudy’s brows flattened.
Time for a different tactic. “I’ll have a coffee. Black.”
He grabbed a mug, set it in front of her, and filled it.
“We just have a few questions for Mr. Garmen. He’s a person of interest in a case.” She picked up the coffee and blew on it.
Nick stood sentinel next to her. Trudy cut his gaze to him before he spoke.
“Cliff comes in once in a while. I haven’t seen him since the hockey game against Philly. That was a week ago.”
“Do you know where he lives?” This from Nick.
“No. I don’t ask questions.”
“But you do hear things. What did he talk about the last time he was in?” She chanced a sip of the black liquid. Smooth. Surprise crossed her face .
“What, you thought I’d serve shitty coffee? What do you think I drink all day?” He had a point.
“Sorry. This is good.”
“I may look the other way when kids use questionable IDs.” He’s brows rose. Yeah, he remembered them. “But… I don’t snitch.”
“Were any of these guys here the last time Cliff was?”
Michelle startled at Nick’s question.
Trudy huffed out a breath and tipped his head. “Yeah, the two on the end.”
“Thank you.” She set down her coffee and followed Nick to the two men with the mountain of pull tabs in front of them.
“Hey guys, winning any today?” Michelle asked.
“Bill won a hundred.” The guy on the end stool said as he pointed to his buddy.
Early happy hour? Like at lunch, she’d guessed by his uniform shirt sporting the name Ernie in red letters. “Awesome. Do you know Cliff Garmen? I believe he’s a regular.”
“What did he do?” Bill asked.
“Nothing that we know of. We just have some questions.” Michelle leaned on the stool.
“Cliff works for me. I haven’t seen him in a few days. I just want to make sure he’s alright.” Nick slipped to the other stool and signaled Trudy to get the men another round on him.
“Maybe he finally took his old lady on that trip she’s been bugging him about.” Bill peeled back another pull tab. Not a winner.
“His wife?” Nick asked.
“No, they just shack up.” He didn’t look up from checking his pile.
“Would you have her name and address?” Michelle asked .
Bill glanced over his shoulder. No doubt having guilt over sharing a fellow bar patron’s personal business. “Don’t know the address of his song bird.”
“Her name is Margarita, but song bird is what he called her.” Ernie said. No such worries about spilling the beans.
“Do you remember anything else he might have talked about? His job or a project?” Nick flipped a bill on the bar when Trudy set the drinks down.
“I think he was working at the mall. That’s where he met his song bird.”
Bill threw a sharp glare at his friend.
“She works there?”
“Not sure.” Ernie must have got the hint. The two took a drink of their fresh beers and clammed up.
“One more question. Do you know Jonny Staniski?” Michelle watched the two guys’ faces for any sign of awareness. Nothing. Time to move on.
“Thanks, guys. If you think of anything else, please let me know.” Michelle wrote down their names, then handed them one of her cards.
Nick and Michelle stepped out into the cold air. She breathed deep.
Once they were both in the vehicle, Nick spoke. “Same old Trudy’s.”
She laughed. “Yeah. What do you think about this Margarita? Could she work in the mall?”
“We only deal with the overall mall security. I don’t have a list of every store employee, but I will make some calls. I know the store managers.”
“It’s a lead. I’ll drive by Billie Dee’s. Maybe we’ll get lucky and find some video of our guy’s van.” Michelle put the patrol car in drive and pulled out into traffic .
Nick scanned the street as they drove. His scent mixed with the heat from the vents. It was a potent cocktail.
She sucked in a quick breath, taking as much of his yummy smell as possible. With one finger, she tugged at her collar. All he was doing was sitting there and her mind was envisioning how he looked under that coat… and shirt.
Get a grip, girl. She rolled the window down an inch.
Nick glanced at her, then turned the heat down. “You, okay?”
“Yeah, my gear can get a little warm when I’m in the vehicle.” True, but it had nothing to do with tactical vests and belts today.
She turned onto the block. “You take the right side, and I’ll take the left.”
The businesses were industrial, with a few shops between. The buildings were concrete, and the yards were fenced—six-foot chain link. The auto repair shop had open bay doors, but no cameras on the outside.
“I got one. The plumbing supply on the corner.” Nick sat up.
Fingers crossed, this would give them answers. She pulled into the lot and parked.
As they walked to the door, Nick held it open for her.
“Thank you.” She slipped by him. The brush of her arm against his chest shouldn’t have sent sparks zipping up her arm. They were wearing coats, for goodness’ sake.
Nick placed his hand on her lower back and ushered them to the front desk.
Michelle shot him a stern look over her shoulder. A listen-buddy look to remind him she was a cop and she could handle herself, as if the uniform wasn’t enough of a hint. The reminder might have been for her as well. Her insides swooned like they did when she was seventeen.
He just smiled. The bastard .
Enough. She shook off his hand and stepped to the desk.
A woman around the age of her mother sat behind the counter, short red curls and green glasses. “May I help you?”
“I hope so. I see you have a surveillance camera on the outside of your building. How far back does it record?” Michelle pointed to the front door.
“You’d have to ask Gary. Hang on.” She glanced from Michelle to Nick, then back as she picked up the phone. “Hey, have Gary come up front… Yeah, now.” She set the receiver down. “He’ll be here in a minute.”
The door to her left opened and a tall, broad man with a bushy beard and bald head stepped into the room. The name on his overalls said Smalls.
“Can I help you, Officer?”
“I’m Officer Swenson. I see you have a camera out front. Do you have the recordings from last week?”
“That thing? It hasn’t worked in ten years. I just keep it up there to deter thieves.”
This was a common practice. Michelle had seen more than one business with cameras that didn’t record. Sadly, it didn’t help her case. “Did you by chance notice a white van leaving Billie Dee’s last Friday?”
“Can’t say that I did.” He shook his head.
The likelihood of a witness was slim. People didn’t have the doors open or hang around outside in the winter. “Thank you for your time.”
Her anticipation nosedived. She hoped Jim had something new. She’d check with him when she got done with Silver. In the car, she turned to Nick. “That’s the only camera on the street.”
“Let’s go back to the office. I will check on this Margarita and you can talk to maintenance. ”
She nodded and pulled out into traffic. It was better than being incapsulated in this vehicle with his pheromones.
Michelle cracked the window.
Nick smirked. The bastard knew what he was doing to her.