Santa's Posse
Authors: Rosemarie Naramore
Santa’s Posse
By
Rosemarie
Naramore
All the characters in
this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or
dead, is purely coincidental.
SANTA’S POSSE
©
Copyright 2012 by Rosemarie Naramore
All
rights reserved.
Chapter One
Kellie Sanders walked
along the upper tier of the mall. Like a queen surveying her kingdom, and
pleased by what she saw, she broke into a wide smile. It was hers. All hers.
As one of the youngest mall managers on the West Coast, she’d finally arrived.
Technically, she’d arrived two days before.
She shot a glance
at her watch. It was a few minutes after noon and she was headed to the upstairs
food court to grab a quick lunch. The mall’s large food court with its diverse
offerings of fare made grabbing lunch so convenient. She knew she could try a
different meal every day for several weeks before she would ever have to duplicate
a meal. She would never need to drive off site for lunch again.
It was what she
liked about the mall—the convenience, as well as the hustle and bustle of
activity, the diversity of shops—everything from small boutiques to national
chains—and all offering everything a shopper could ever want. In a short span
of time, she could pick up a pair of boots, a new outfit, and a big screen TV.
She could even indulge in a plate-sized, frosted cinnamon roll, an oatmeal
cookie, or a box of hand-selected chocolates—without leaving her workplace.
Did it get any better than that? she wondered.
As she strode
along, taking in the sights and sounds around her, Kellie’s eyes lit on an
empty retail space. When she spied a second, and then a third, the smile on
her face vanished. She knew she would have to get busy and assure those
storefronts boasted occupants sooner than later. In the current economy, that
might be easier said than done.
Preoccupied by her
plans to lease the spaces, she was suddenly pulled from her thoughts. She saw
a young teen, perhaps fourteen years old, walking along the mall corridor. Suddenly,
a group of boys charged up behind him. To her horror, the gang of boys circled
him. Before she or the boy could register what was happening, the tallest of
the group snaked out an arm and hit him hard in the face. Kellie gasped in
horror as he clutched his jaw and braced for another punch.
“Not in my mall,” she
muttered, and then strode angrily toward them. She reached them just as the teenager
was about to hit the lone boy again.
“Don’t even think
about it!” she shouted, pushing her way through the kids and planting herself
firmly in front of the injured child. She blocked him, her arms splayed out
protectively.
“Hey, lady,” one
of the boys said, “this ain’t any of your business.”
“It just so happens
it is,” she said firmly. “If any of you even
think
about harming this
boy again, I’ll see to it you’re never allowed inside this mall again. In
fact,” she declared, glancing around her to imprint their faces in her memory,
“none of you are allowed inside this mall again—ever.”
The
tallest—clearly the leader of the pack—laughed menacingly. “Oh, yeah, you
think you can keep us out?” He puffed out his muscular chest and his cohorts
laughed. One sauntered close to him and gave him a high five, while another
let out a low, approving whistle.
“Oh, I can stop
you all right,” she said, standing to her full five-foot-two-inch height—plus
two inches courtesy of her pumps. “I can definitely stop you.”
He only laughed
derisively and swiped at the long bangs that hung in his eyes. Kellie wondered
how he managed to see with all that hair in his face. Suddenly, he tugged a
cap from his jacket pocket and settled it on his head. He followed by adjusting
his bangs so they still hung in his eyes, and then took a step toward her,
glaring at her from behind his hair.
She refused to be
intimated by him. She held her ground, still maintaining a protective stance
in front of the injured boy.
When the teens
began to hoot with laughter, she glanced around furtively. Maybe this hadn’t
been her smartest move. She knew what could happen courtesy of a
mob-mentality. She should have called mall security, or the police, before she
put herself squarely into a dangerous situation.
She cleared her
throat, attempting to sound calm and authoritative when she spoke. “We’re
leaving…” She reached behind her and gently took the boy’s arm, simultaneously
meeting the gaze of the biggest kid. “And … you’re leaving,” she said in
measured tones.
She intended to lead
the injured boy to safety, but he didn’t budge. She turned and caught his eye,
and realized with a jolt of surprise that he watched her hostilely. She didn’t
have time to contemplate why, since he yanked his arm away from her and shoved
his way out of the circle. She watched after him, stunned, but was more
surprised that the others allowed him to leave.
With as much courage
as she could muster, she turned her attention back to the others. “I’ll tell
you one more time, it’s time for you to leave this mall.”
“Oh, yeah?” The
biggest kid took a step closer to her, his voice low and threatening when he
spoke. “And what are you gonna do about it if we don’t…?”
She gulped. This
kid was older than the others, probably seventeen. With his cohorts nearby
him, what
did
she think she was going to do?
He gave a sinister
chuckle. “Well, lady, what are you gonna…?”
Suddenly, his
words trailed off as a large form penetrated the circle. Kellie barely had
time to register what was happening as a man grabbed hold of him and hauled him
away from her. She watched as the man—a cop, she realized from his brown
uniform—not-too-gently shoved the teen toward a waiting sheriff’s deputy.
“Tag!” the waiting
cop said in a saccharin tone, “up to your old tricks, I see.”
She watched as he
was cuffed and escorted away. A third deputy stared down the long mall
corridor, spotted the injured boy, and took off in a jog to retrieve him. When
the same man walked past her a moment or so later with a hand on his arm, the boy
shot her an angry look. Why was he angry at her? Numbly, she turned back to
the first cop, and watched him turn slowly within the circle of boys.
“Anybody want to
follow Tag to the precinct?” he asked, his mouth set in a grim line. When none
of them spoke up, he continued, “What is this? Eight against one.” He caught Kellie’s
eye. “Make that eight against one kid and one very brave young woman.” He
severed eye contact with her and scoffed loudly in the direction of the kids,
who now stood huddled together. “You think that’s fair?”
They remained
silent, most now studiously staring at the floor.
The cop raked a
hand through his sandy blond hair. “You think Tag’s your friend? Hang with
him and kiss your futures goodbye,” he declared with an angry shake of his
head.
Suddenly, his eyes
lit on one of the boys—the smallest of the group. Kellie saw his blue eyes
narrow in recognition. The deputy shook his head in obvious frustration. “Daniel!”
he said in a stunned tone. “Why aren’t you in school? And what the heck are
you doing hanging out with these guys? You think your dad would approve?”
She eyed the
little boy curiously. She hadn’t noticed him before. He was shorter than the
others by several inches, and with his shock of red hair and freckles, he seemed
sorely out of place among the group of older teens. She didn’t miss the
visible wince that marred the little boy’s face. The guilty expression was
short-lived, however, and was soon replaced by an unaffected scowl. His hazel
eyes narrowed and he glowered at the deputy, who barely bit back a smirk.
“Oh, you’re a real
tough guy, aren’t you, Daniel?” He aimed an angry finger at the boy. “Don’t
move!”
When he turned to Kellie
with the same command, briefly laying a warm hand on her arm, she was so
startled, she didn’t move, nor did she speak. She realized he probably needed
her to stick around to give a statement, but he could have asked her more
politely.
She stood back as
he began talking to the kids again, warning them about the repercussions of a
future encounter. “I don’t want to see you back in this mall for a month,” he
said. “Do you understand me? All of you?”
She almost spoke
up then.
A month!
They were juvenile delinquents! They didn’t belong
in her mall—ever.
One by one, each
boy skulked off toward a mall exit. When the smallest started off, the cop’s
deep voice boomed, “Not you, Daniel!” The little guy met his angry eyes,
albeit briefly, and then dropped his gaze to his feet. “Wait for me at the
precinct. You and I need to talk.” The boy nodded almost imperceptibly and
slowly walked away.
Kellie glanced at
her watch, and then up in time to meet the deputy’s gaze. Before her green eyes,
his angry blue eyes appeared to morph from a piercing ice blue to a kinder,
gentler sea blue. He smiled winningly. “And now it’s time for me to have a
chat with our Good Samaritan here.”
Was he being
sarcastic? she wondered. She couldn’t tell by his tone. Surely he wasn’t
being sarcastic. Was he?
He took a hold of
her arm and began leading her through the mall. Where was he taking her? she
wondered. She really didn’t have a lot of time right now, and came to a stop
to tell him so. She realized she should have spoken up before coming to an
abrupt halt, since her quick stop nearly resulted in her taking an undignified face
plant. Fortunately, he kept her upright by tightening his grip on her arm. He
paused to steady her, and then gave a questioning glance, which she returned
equally questioningly. “Was there something you needed?” he asked.
“Well, yes. I
have to get back to work soon. Not to mention, I’m missing my lunch hour.
I’ll be … happy to write up a statement and drop it by…” She shook her head.
“Wherever … you want me to.”
He smiled. “We
can talk in the food court. Didn’t you say you’re hungry?”
She frowned. She
didn’t say she was hungry, did she? No. She’d mentioned missing her lunch
hour but…
He began leading
her along the crowded mall corridor again. She practically had to run to keep
up with him, which wasn’t easy in her pumps. When they reached the busy food
court, he paused. “What sounds good to you?”
She shot him another
questioning glance.
“I need to take
your statement, but I’d hate for you to miss lunch.”
“Oh.”
“Oh,” he said with
a grin. “What looks good to you?”
She glanced around
the assorted restaurants, deciding a turkey sandwich sounded appetizing. She
nodded toward a nearby deli and moved to place an order. Once done, she
reached for her purse.
“I’ll have the
same,” the deputy told the cashier. “I’ll get hers.”
She eyed him
curiously then, wondering why he was buying her lunch. “No, that’s all right,”
she told him. “I’ve got it.”
The cashier
glanced past her and to him, ignoring the bill in her outstretched hand. She
took a twenty from him instead, prompting Kellie to give him a quizzical
glance. He only arched his brows, confusing her further.
Her eyes lit on
his face then. It was a handsome face—chiseled, rugged, but it was his eyes that
gave her pause. She saw a sparkle of humor in them, but there was something
deeper there—something she couldn’t readily identify. As compelling as those
eyes were, she realized she couldn’t stare at him any longer without being too
conspicuous. She turned away. The last thing she wanted was to appear
flirtatious. She was a professional, also in a position of authority, and she didn’t
want to give him the wrong idea.
