Yuletide Peril

“Now about the rest of your inheritance—your uncle had some government bonds, as well as several accounts in the local bank worth about fifty thousand dollars. Add the property to that, and you’ve come into a tidy fortune. Of course, the house and land aren’t worth a great deal.”

“I thought the land might be valuable even if the house isn’t much good.”

He shook his head. “Except for the spot where the house stands, the rest of your property consists of a few acres of hilly land that isn’t fit for development. At one time the Reids owned several hundred acres in this county, but most of it was sold years ago. I’ll be glad to help you find a real estate agent if you decide to sell, but don’t expect it to bring a high price.”

“I’ll appreciate any help you can give me,” Janice said.

“Let’s call Miss Banner in to notarize your signature on some documents and I’ll send copies to the local bank. I’m chairman of the bank’s board of directors, so come to my office either Monday or Tuesday, and I’ll take you to the bank and introduce you. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“No, thank you,” Janice said as she stood. “I’ll see you Monday morning.”

“I’ll have Miss Banner put you on my appointment list for ten o’clock. It’s my pleasure to serve you as I did your uncle.”

Frustrated at the delay in exploring her inheritance, Janice wondered when she could go to Mountjoy. She didn’t intend to wait a week to see her property even if she had to go alone. But she didn’t want to take Brooke to the property until she’d checked out the place, so she’d have to wait until Monday when Brooke was in school.

As they went down the stairs from the lawyer’s office, Janice said, “Let’s walk to the school now, and see if there’s anything you need before Monday. I’ll find out from the guidance counselor if there are any rules about clothing, and then we’ll go to the mall outside of town and buy some clothes for you.”

A smile brightened Brooke’s small features, and she said, “I have enough clothes, but it would be great to have one or two new outfits.”

Janice’s pulse quickened as they entered the school. Would Lance be in his office? The secretary in the reception room took them to the guidance counselor’s office. Janice was pleased with the efficiency of the school staff. The counselor was sensitive to Brooke’s position as a new student and when they left the building, Brooke had no fear of starting to school on Monday. Janice wished she was as confident of the future.

After dinner they went to the motel and carried their suitcases to their spacious room. Brooke was fascinated by the large pictures, the spacious bathroom, the two phones, the entertainment center and the advertising brochures on the desk. She hadn’t stayed in a motel, although Janice had been in motels a few times when she was a child before her father had squandered all of his inheritance. Brooke was intrigued by the many channels available on the cable station and she quickly scanned all of the available programs.

The past two weeks had been traumatic for Janice, and she felt as if she’d reached the end of her tether. The responsibility of making decisions about her sister’s future weighed heavily on her mind. While Brooke watched the Disney Channel, Janice stretched out on the bed and dozed until the ringing phone awakened her.

Startled, she reached for the phone receiver.

“Turn the volume down, Brooke.” Hoping Mr. Santrock was calling to say he’d take her on a tour of Mountjoy, she said, “Hello.”

“Miss Reid, this is Lance Gordon. I’m sorry I missed you at school today. Did the staff take care of you?”

She sat up in bed and shoved a couple of pillows behind her back. Pleased by his call, Janice said, “Yes, very well. Brooke is excited about starting school.”

“What time did you get to Stanton?”

“About two o’clock.”

“So you’ve cut the ties with your former home.”

“Yes. For better or for worse, I’ve moved to Stanton. I saw Mr. Santrock today and signed the papers to transfer the ownership of my uncle’s property to me. He didn’t have a key to Mountjoy and questioned whether there was one. I’m going to explore the place as soon as I can.”

Lance hesitated before he asked, “Alone?”

“Yes. Mr. Santrock couldn’t go with me for several days, and I don’t want to wait that long. I won’t take Brooke with me until I see what the place is like, so I’ll have to wait until Monday.”

He didn’t say anything for a minute or two, and Janice asked, “Mr. Gordon, are you still on the line?”

“Yes. I shouldn’t give you unsolicited advice,” he said hesitantly, “but you shouldn’t go out there at all—especially alone.”

Why was Lance Gordon so determined that she shouldn’t see her property? She didn’t want to suspect him of trying to keep her away from Stanton, but it did seem strange that he was taking such an interest in her affairs. Was he the one who’d sent the warning note to stay away from Stanton?

“I don’t have much choice. My sister and I are homeless until I see the condition of the house.”

“Then I’ll go with you.”

It crossed Janice’s mind that she didn’t know much about Lance Gordon, even if he was a school principal. But she did dread exploring the place by herself. And though she couldn’t understand why he was befriending her, she thought she’d have to accept his help.

Perhaps Lance sensed that she was considering his offer for he remained silent.

“I am afraid to go alone,” she admitted. “I’d like to have your company.”

“Good! And let me make a suggestion about Brooke. My sister is taking Taylor to the movies tomorrow afternoon, and Brooke can go with them. If she’s with Linda, we can go to Mountjoy and take all the time we need to look at your property. I’ll come by the motel about one o’clock to get you and Brooke.”

“That’s all right with me, but maybe you’d better check it out with Taylor and your sister.”

“Taylor has talked about Brooke most of the time since she met her. She’ll be excited to have her along.” He gave Janice his phone number, saying, “Call if you need to, but if not, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Janice replaced the phone and a warm tenderness caressed a place in her heart that had been cold for years. She was accustomed to standing on her own two feet, not relying on anyone else. She’d thought she preferred it that way, but she suddenly realized how much simpler a problem seemed when someone shared it with her.

She bounded off the bed, saying, “You’re in for a fun day tomorrow, Brooke.”

When she explained about the planned visit with the Mallorys, Brooke grinned widely. “It’s nice to have friends.”

“Sure is,” Janice said, and she picked up a brush and started combing Brooke’s long silken brown hair, a bedtime ritual they’d started when Brooke was a toddler.

Lance wasn’t coming until one o’clock, and Janice had anticipated a leisurely morning, but the telephone beside her bed rang before seven. She pushed aside the covers and swung her feet to the floor when the motel clerk answered her hello.

“Miss Reid, something terrible happened last night. I just arrived for work, and when I walked across the parking lot, I noticed that the tires are flat on your car. Looks like they’ve been slashed. Since the damage occurred on our property, I’ve called the police.”

Janice’s hand shook as she replaced the phone. Stunned for a moment, she fell backward on the bed. This had to be another deliberate effort to drive her away from Stanton. Was it worth all of this drama to move to this town? She was tempted to return to Willow Creek as soon as her tires were repaired. Rallying, she hurried out of bed.

The ringing phone hadn’t awakened Brooke, but after Janice hurried into jeans and a T-shirt and strapped on a pair of sandals, she shook Brooke’s shoulder gently. When she thought her sister was awake, Janice said, “I’m going downstairs for a while. Stay in bed until I come back. I’ll bring breakfast.”

A police cruiser was parked behind her blue car when Janice rushed through the double doors of the motel and ran across the parking lot. The tires had been new when she’d bought the vehicle, but long punctures, presumably made with a knife, had destroyed them. As she viewed the vandalism, a myriad of emotions coursed through Janice’s mind.

At first she was incredulous that such a thing had happened. Disbelief faded into fury. Fear replaced anger when she considered the ramifications of what had happened to her car. Would her enemies attempt physical attacks on Brooke or her now that she had moved to Stanton?

Janice became aware that the chief of police stood beside her and she transferred her gaze to him.

He tipped the brim of his gray felt hat. “Bill Goodman at your service, ma’am. The hotel clerk says this is your car.”

She nodded, without speaking. Her throat was numb, and she swallowed with effort.

“Who are you, ma’am?”

“Janice Reid,” she stammered.

The chief of police’s brows shot up in surprise. “Any relation to the Reids in this county?”