Irene Brand_Yuletide_01 (13 page)

“If people would stop keeping things from the police, we might not have so much crime in this county. Why didn’t you tell me about these crazy stunts?”

His attitude annoyed Janice. “You knew that my tires had been mutilated. Have you found who did that?”

He looked at her angrily. “No, but I’ve tried.”

“And what can you do about these other incidents?”

“I don’t know. Forbid you to move out there, maybe.”

“Something you don’t have the authority to do,” Lance interjected.

“Do you think she should move into that house?” Goodman demanded of Lance.

“No. I’ve been against it from the first, but it isn’t my decision.”

“Let me ask you both a question,” Janice said. “If you didn’t have a home and you inherited some property that had been in your family for over a hundred years, what would you have done?”

Goodman grinned sheepishly. “Probably the same thing you’re doing. I shouldn’t have lost my temper, but I’m having a rough time. Drugs popping up here and there and freakish things happening to you. If I don’t solve at least one of these crimes in the next few weeks, I figure the town council will appoint a new chief of police. And I wouldn’t blame them if they did,” he added grimly.

“Oh, it’s not as bad as that,” Lance assured him. “Stanton has had crime sprees before.”

“But nothin’ like what’s going on now.”

Janice stood and the chief said, “When you figuring on moving?”

“This week. I can move all my things in two carloads, so it won’t take long.”

“Be careful, and let me know if anything else suspicious happens. Don’t take any chances.”

The next day, not meaning to eavesdrop, Lance overheard Brooke and Taylor talking in the hallway where they waited for Lance to finish his work and take them home.

“Things aren’t going as I’d hoped they would,” Taylor said. “My mother won’t even talk to Dad. My grandmother comes and picks me up when I spend nights with them. And Uncle Lance doesn’t act around your sister the way he ought to if he was gonna fall in love with her.”

Lance started to join them, but stayed in his office. If the two girls planned some outlandish scheme like they’d done before, he’d better learn about it.

“I know,” Brooke said mournfully. “He spent two evenings in our apartment while they planned for the festival. And he never touched her. Not as much as a peck on her cheek as he was leaving.”

“But I haven’t given up yet. Dad admitted to me that he still loves Mama, but I know he’s been out on dates. Why are parents so stubborn?”

“I haven’t seen my parents for a long time—so I don’t know much about how they should act.”

“I’ve thought about it a lot, and the best I can come up with is to see if I can’t trick my mother into having a housewarming for you and Janice after you move. That’ll give a reason for them to be together, now that they won’t be working on the fall festival any longer.”

“What do you do at a housewarming?”

“I’m not sure, but I’ve heard about them.”

Lance shuffled his feet, closed the office window loudly and moved into the hall. He ignored the guilty expressions on the girls’ faces, because he approved of Taylor’s plan and he intended to help it along. Once she had the idea, he knew Taylor wouldn’t waste any time putting her plans in motion. He figured she would broach the subject to her mother that evening.

A
lthough he left his sister and niece to their privacy most of the time, Lance did share dinner with them. He prepared his own breakfast, and ate lunch at school, but he reserved the dinner hour for his family.

“Brooke and Janice are moving this week,” Taylor said as soon as Lance had said grace and the serving dishes were being passed. “They intend to stay at Mountjoy this weekend.”

“Does Brooke like their home any better now?” Lance asked.

“Oh, yes. She thinks it’s cool.”

“I’ll have to stop by and visit,” Linda said.

“That would be really nice, Mom. Why can’t we have a housewarming for them?” Taylor said, her eyes sparkling as if she’d suddenly had the inspiration.

“Well, I don’t know…” Linda hesitated. “I suppose it would be a nice gesture. What do you think, Lance?”

“I think my niece has come up with a super idea. If they’re going to move in this weekend, why don’t we have it on Saturday night?”

“But who would we ask?” Linda asked.

“Why not the members of our Sunday school class?” Lance said, for he’d been planning in advance, too. “Taylor can invite a few of Brooke’s friends from school.”

“That could number up to fifty people,” Linda said, a frown on her face.

“If it’s an open house, everyone wouldn’t be there at once,” Lance said. “But even if they were, there’s a lot of space at Mountjoy. It’s unbelievable the changes Janice has made in that house.”

“I didn’t know you’d been keeping up with the renovations,” Linda said, casting an oblique glance at her brother.

Lance felt his face coloring. Linda was apparently unaware of how much time he
had
spent at Mountjoy. “Yes, I’ve helped Janice and Cecil with some decisions. The four downstairs rooms and the wide hallway look lovely and will accommodate a lot of people. She hasn’t done anything to the upstairs except sweep the floors and dust the furniture.”

“Is this going to be a secret?” Taylor asked, squirming restlessly in her chair.

“I think not,” Linda said. “Surprises often backfire. Isn’t it better to tell them, Lance?”

“Yes. Why not call a few people and ask them to pass the word.”

“Presents?”

“Janice won’t want them,” Lance said, and Linda stared at her brother, a speculative gleam in her eyes. “Just ask everyone to bring something to eat.”

Lance was proud of his manipulation, for he’d dreaded what might happen on Janice’s first night in the house. It did disturb him when Brooke invited Taylor to spend the night with her, and Linda agreed. But perhaps the presence of another person, even a child, would intimidate any would-be harassers.

When Linda first mentioned the party to Janice, she hesitated. “It’s nice of you, but I don’t want anyone to go to so much trouble for me,” she said.

“But your friends want to see what you’ve done with the house,” Linda insisted. “We’ll have a good time visiting and eating.”

“Then Brooke and I will be happy to have you.”

“We’ll bring refreshments with us, so don’t worry about it.”

Janice was relieved that they wouldn’t be alone in the house the first night. She wondered how much Lance had to do with the party. It didn’t enter her mind that Brooke and Taylor were still scheming to bring them together.

Thirty or more guests filtered in and out of the house during a three-hour period, and Janice’s plan to renovate the house was vindicated by the many compliments she received from guests who came to the housewarming.

By ten o’clock, everyone was gone except Lance, who stayed for an extra cup of coffee. He could hardly bear to leave Janice and the two girls. While Janice helped Brooke and Taylor settle in for the night, he tried to think of some way to watch over them. He finally realized that his prayers were all the protection he could furnish.

Reluctantly, he left at midnight, cautioning, “Please don’t take any risks. Keep your phone close beside you, and if anything happens, call me immediately.”

“I’ll be alert,” Janice promised. “I doubt if Brooke and Taylor will sleep at all tonight, so I’ll probably be awake, too. Thanks for helping with such a nice party. I’ve never been the guest of honor before, and I liked it.”

The first night, and the next week, passed peacefully. Now that she was in her own house, Janice started working four
days a week at SuperMart. Because of her experience, she was put to work on the register, and she worked enough hours to continue her health insurance, to which she added Brooke. She earned enough for their weekly expenses and was relieved that she could save her inheritance. She’d made many friends through the church, and Brooke was happy at school. If it wasn’t for the mysterious cloud hanging over Mountjoy, Janice would have been happy.

Hungry adapted to his new home quite well. At night, or when Janice was gone, she kept him in the doghouse on the front porch on a long leash, so he wasn’t too confined. The rest of the time she let him roam at will.

A week after she started working, a state trooper approached Janice as she left the store.

“Are you Janice Reid?” he asked.

She gave him a brief nod.

“I’m Sergeant Baxter, WV state police. Do you mind if I do some checking around your property? We’re not satisfied that the fire a few weeks ago was accidental, but the sheriff isn’t eager to share any of his findings with us. I’d like to look over the site.”

“Certainly,” Janice said, and when he followed her home, she wondered if he wanted to see the site of the fire or if he was looking for something else at Mountjoy. Since she didn’t know how long the cop would stay, Janice called Lance and asked him if he would bring Brooke home.

She watched Sgt. Baxter as he walked slowly around the property for almost an hour. She figured that Baxter was in his early forties. He was a tall, rawboned, clean shaven man. A handsome square face surrounded his intelligent hazel eyes. Janice had immediately sensed the strength and determination of the man, and it pleased her that he was taking an interest in Mountjoy’s mystery.

When Lance brought Brooke home, she invited him in for a cup of coffee. While Janice prepared the coffee, Lance watched the policeman from the window. Brooke took a glass of milk and some cookies and went across the hall to watch television.

“I’m glad the state police are taking an interest in what’s going on at Mountjoy,” Lance said quietly. “Did you tell Baxter about the harassment you’ve had?”

“No, but I’m tempted to.”

“Good idea. Goodman hasn’t done anything to help you.”

When Baxter came to the door to thank her, Janice asked him to come in. She introduced him to Lance, who shook hands, saying, “You must be the new man who joined the local detachment a few weeks ago.”

“Sit down and have some coffee with us,” Janice invited. Baxter accepted, walked to the sink and washed his hands.

Janice stuck some donuts in the microwave to heat while she poured his coffee. When the three of them were seated at the table, she asked, “Have you heard about the strange things that have been happening here?”

“What kind of things?” he asked, and she couldn’t tell from his expression how much he knew.

Janice explained about the threatening notes, the mutilation of her tires, the strange sounds and the items that had been shifted in her home.

He frowned. “Why hasn’t this been reported to us?”

“I didn’t say anything at first because I didn’t want my sister to be scared to live in the house. After the fire, I did report the harassment to the chief of police.”

Sergeant Baxter grinned slightly. “The chief resents us, I think, and he’s tight-lipped about what goes on in Stanton. If you have any more problems, feel free to telephone us. We’re doing a lot of investigating in and around Stanton right now.”

“Sheriff Goodman says that Mountjoy is within the city limits and this is his jurisdiction,” she said. “That’s one reason I didn’t consider contacting you.”

“The parameter of the town isn’t too well-defined,” Baxter said with a smile. “If you have anymore trouble, call me.”

He accepted a warm roll, but before he ate it, he took a large swallow of coffee. “Just the way I like it,” he said. He scanned Janice with piercing hazel eyes that seemed to search her thoughts.

“Do you have any idea who or why anyone would want to drive you away from Stanton?”

“Away from Stanton or only Mountjoy?” Lance asked.

The sergeant threw him a startled glance. “You think if she left here, the harassment would stop?”

“I don’t know, but it’s my opinion that Mountjoy is very valuable to someone.”

“You haven’t answered my question, miss.”

“You asked more than one question.”

“Then answer
all
of them.”

“I suspect who might be trying to drive me away, but I have absolutely no proof and I won’t name them. No, I don’t know why my presence here is a threat to anyone.”

“Well, be careful, Miss Reid and please contact us if you need us.”

The townspeople lost interest in Janice’s affairs when they started gearing up for Christmas. City workers had decorated the town in October. Bethesda Church was planning elaborate Christmas activities, including a cantata. The choir director insisted that Janice should participate in the cantata, but she refused because she couldn’t leave Brooke for evening rehearsals. However, Henrietta, who constantly fretted because
Janice didn’t have any life of her own, insisted that Brooke could stay with her during cantata practice. Janice was hesitant to leave Mountjoy and return after dark, but she knew she couldn’t live in fear all of her life, so she agreed to sing in the musical.

Her life was busier than it had ever been, and Janice realized that she was happier than she’d ever been also. How much Lance had to do with that she wasn’t sure. They saw each other often, but he still seemed to be playing the role of a big brother, rather than showing any romantic tendencies toward her. Of course, they seldom saw each other alone.

Her emotions about Lance were so confused that Janice wished she had a confidant in Stanton. During her years at VOH, she’d had Maddie, and she could confide anything to her. But because Maddie’s college schedule and Janice’s working hours often conflicted, she’d only talked by phone to Maddie a few times since the move to Stanton. And most of those conversations were made with Brooke in the room. She could talk to Henrietta about most things, but not her feelings for Lance.

Linda was the nearest friend she’d made, but lately she’d sensed that Linda wasn’t as friendly as she had been at first. Besides, she couldn’t talk about Lance to his sister. So when Janice answered her phone two days before Thanksgiving and she heard her Maddie’s voice, she said, “Oh, I’m so glad to hear from you. I’d love to see you.”

“Then you won’t mind having me visit you on Thanksgiving Day?” Maddie said in her quiet, lilting voice.

“Mind!” Janice shouted. “That’s the best news I’ve heard for weeks. What time will you get here?”

“A college friend is driving to Virginia to spend Thanksgiving with her grandmother. Her route takes her near Stan
ton, and she’s offered to leave me at your house about noon on Thursday and pick me up the next day. She has to be back in Morgantown to work on Saturday, and so do I.”

“Oh, yes, yes,” Janice said, and gave Maddie directions to Mountjoy. “Don’t expect to get any sleep Thursday night. I have so many things to tell you that we’ll talk all night.”

“I have some news, too,” Maddie said mysteriously. “I can’t wait to see you and your home.”

Henrietta had already invited Janice and Brooke for Thanksgiving dinner, so Janice called immediately to see if they could bring another guest.

“Of course, your friend is welcome. And I’ll hold dinner off until one o’clock, so she’ll have time to get here.”

Looking forward to Maddie’s visit lifted Janice’s spirits, and she hummed as she went about her work. As she dusted the furniture in her bedroom, she picked up the picture of Maddie that had been taken when she graduated from high school at VOH. Thick, curling black lashes framed light blue eyes with an iris of a darker blue. Dark blond, wavy hair swung around her graceful shoulders. Her lips were full and rounded over even white teeth. A dainty, exquisite nose was the focal point of a delicate face with a complexion blend of gold and ivory.

Maddie had a petite, slender, perfectly proportioned body. Because she looked fragile and appealing, many people mistook the tenderness and peace in her eyes to be innocence, so that Maddie was often thought to be much younger than she was. In spite of the death of her parents, Maddie had blossomed into a young woman who looked upon the world with optimism.

When Lance heard that Maddie was coming, he said, “Will I get to meet her?”

“I
want
you to meet her. We’re going to Henrietta’s for the
noon meal, but maybe you can come to my house for a snack about six o’clock. I warn you though that you can’t stay long. Maddie and I have a lot to talk about.”

Maddie and her friend arrived in Stanton by eleven o’clock, and Maddie had time to look over Mountjoy before they went to Henrietta’s.

“I can’t believe you really own this place,” Maddie said, as they walked through the comfortably equipped downstairs rooms. Tears formed in Maddie’s eyes. “I’m so happy for you,” she said and hugged Janice again. “You look happier than I’ve ever seen you.”

They were overjoyed to be together again and the hours flew by fast—too fast, Janice thought as they sat at Henrietta’s table enjoying the bountiful meal that could have fed twenty people instead of four. When they started home, Henrietta insisted that they take some leftovers, which included a pumpkin pie. Janice didn’t argue because she knew the pie would be better than anything she could provide for their evening snack.

In the company of Brooke and Henrietta, Janice and Maddie didn’t have an opportunity for confidences, although Maddie’s questioning eyes caused Janice to blush when she mentioned that a friend was coming to meet her. She was a little fearful, too, that when Lance saw how unbelievably lovely Maddie was, he might not have eyes for Janice Reid any longer.