Page 13 of Colorado Christmas Carol

Dean sat with the others when they went back in for the last few segments of the workshop.

All around him were reminders that Christmas was coming.

Stockings hung on garlands of fir and holly interspersed.

A Christmas tree, highly decorated, in the corner of the room.

Happy things. Reminders of wonderful holidays.

But not for him. His holidays had been filled with fear and apprehension. His poor father, after she’d fooled him into believing she was the perfect woman, became terrified of her. She tortured him.

He’d thought that surely one day his father would stand up to her, divorce her, leave her.

He’d begged him to, especially when he went to college.

He came home on holidays, and those were agonizing.

She laughed as she tormented the older man, called him names, belittled him.

She did the same to her stepson, dared him to do anything about it.

All through college she’d made him feel worthless, despite his high scores on tests and his successes.

She couldn’t even grasp the basics of what he did, so she belittled that, too.

But most of the attacks were personal. He was ugly, she said, he’d never find a woman who wanted him.

He’d be alone forever. He was too stupid, too lacking, too disgusting.

Over and over and over again, almost his whole life, he’d had to listen to such things.

Outside the house there was an unmarked grave.

He knew. She hadn’t realized that he knew who and why it was there.

But when he found the second one, just a few months ago, he’d poured out all his fury and hurt and vengeance on her.

She’d laughed. He was just like his father, she’d taunted.

He wouldn’t do anything except cower in the corner and complain.

She was still laughing when he saw the baseball bat that his father had kept, a souvenir of his childhood.

He was barely aware of picking it up . . .

The lecturer had raised his voice. Dean caught his breath. He’d been lost in the horror of the past. He was almost sweating with the fear. He felt the most intense sense of guilt.

He couldn’t escape the guilt. It was running down his sweating face like tears.

Tears. He couldn’t bear to remember. So many tears.

He wanted to tell someone. He wanted it more than anything.

But it would require a kind of courage he didn’t have.

She had seen to that. She, with her screams and taunts and dares and humiliation over so many bleak years.

He thought of her, saw her face, and was sickened by what she’d done to him. Things so horrible that he could never share them with a single soul. His poor father had suffered as well, every single day until . . .

But he couldn’t think about that. Not yet.

Essa and Mellie made him feel differently.

They gave him hope. They made him feel that he wasn’t worthless.

If he could just have them close for a little while longer, just a few days.

Then, he decided, he’d do what he had to do.

Surely he could work up the nerve by then.

They gathered in the lobby to say goodbye.

“I thought I might detour by the hotel in Benton on my way back to Denver,” Dean said to the others. “Maybe we could go to the dig one more time,” he added with a smile at the females.

“Oh, yes!” Mellie exclaimed.

“That would be very nice!” Essa seconded.

Duke just smiled, as if in agreement.

“Then it’s a date,” Dean said, pleased. “So, I’ll see you in a day or two perhaps?”

“In a day or two,” Essa agreed.

Mellie nodded.

They both smiled.

Dean said his goodbyes and went up to his room to make everything ready for the trip. He hoped he could outrun his guilt for just a little while longer. He phoned his lawyer and made some changes to his will. Just in case.

* * *

“You two did great!” Duke told them on the way back to the hotel.

“Yes, but now what?” Essa asked. “You’ve already told us not to go anywhere with him.”

Mellie nodded.

“I’ll think of something,” he promised.

“Oh, Daddy, you always say that.” Mellie laughed.

He wrinkled his nose and smiled at her. “It gives me time to think up excuses.” He chuckled.

Essa listened to the byplay. She was still in the dark about what Duke wanted them to do and why. He knew things that he wasn’t sharing. She wondered what they were.

* * *

Duke dropped them off at the hotel and went on to Sheriff Jeff Ralston’s office in town.

“Any news?” Jeff asked with a smile.

“Lots. He’s coming back here. He wants to take Essa and my daughter out to the dig site again,” Duke told him.

Jeff grimaced. “Bad idea. Very bad.”

“Yes, I know. But I don’t have any evidence that would hold up—just a sec,” he excused himself as his phone rang.

He answered it and went to the other end of the room. He listened to the arrogant, prideful voice on the other end of the line.

“You’ve spent enough time lazing around that hick town and producing nothing of note,” his boss said. “So you either come back now or you’re fired.”

Duke was barely able to hold his temper. “I’ve been following leads. The man is dangerous. He’s already killed three people . . .”

“You have no proof of that,” came the icy reply. “You have a theory.”

“The same killing method on three corpses and you think it’s a coincidence,” Duke said through his teeth.

“You’re chasing shadows. You’re supposed to be getting evidence in a burglary, not tracking down phantom killers!”

“The man is a serial killer,” Duke said shortly. “I know what I’m talking about. I worked forensics for the FBI.”

“Obviously their recruiter was desperate when they hired you,” came the reply. “As I’ve just told you . . .”

“Fine. Take your job and shove it,” he said. “I’ll send you my new address. You can forward my severance pay.”

“You can’t quit! This case . . . !”

“Is now your problem.” Duke hung up. The phone rang again. He ignored it and went back to Jeff, his face taut, his dark eyes blazing.

Jeff studied him. “Lost your job, I’ll wager.”

“I quit,” he replied. “The damned idiot wouldn’t listen. He wants me to investigate a burglary! There’s a serial killer on the loose, I’m this close to nailing him, and my boss wants me to throw away the investigation for a burglary!”

“Your boss is an idiot. Come work for me. My investigator got married and moved to Denver. I need an investigator, and you need a job. The pay’s probably about the same, except that I’m a dandy boss.

You can have holidays free and even an occasional free meal when we go to meetings at our local gun club—I’ll nominate you for membership. ” He grinned.

Duke laughed. “Well!”

“How about it?” Jeff asked.

“I’m hired,” Duke said.

“You’ll need a place to live,” Jeff continued.

“Got it covered,” Duke replied. He became somber. “Now, let me tell you what I know about this man, and why I want to deal with him right now . . .”

They spoke for several minutes, during which Jeff winced as he realized just how much danger Essa was in. He knew her, having lived in Benton all his life. She was a sweet woman.

“One slip,” he began uneasily.

“There won’t be one,” Duke said firmly.

Fate laughed.

* * *

The next morning, Dean was in the lobby very early when Essa came down with Mellie. It was Essa’s second day off in a week, and she’d already apologized to her boss for having to ask for it. But he, a forensics buff himself, was eager to be a part of the investigation, even on the fringes.

Essa started. She hadn’t expected Dean this early. Nothing was ready. Duke had gone by the sheriff’s office to make sure he had all his support people in place.

“I only have a few minutes,” Dean apologized with an easy smile as he looked from Essa to Mellie. He checked his watch. “I have to be in Denver in two and a half hours, so this will be a very quick trip.”

Essa calmed a little. That didn’t sound like a man with nefarious plans, although she’d never been able to get Duke to tell her exactly why he was investigating Dean. He’d mentioned a burglary case once. That might be it, but why was Mellie involved at all?

“So, can you come with me?” He chuckled. “I’ve already phoned the head of the team to clear it with him. He said they’d made some very interesting finds yesterday.”

Essa relaxed. This wasn’t going to be anything worrisome. She and Mellie could drive out to the dig site and call Duke from there. He could meet them at the excavation.

She glanced at Mellie, who looked a little more concerned than she did.

“Dad said not to leave the hotel,” Mellie said uneasily. “He had someplace he was going to take us first. He said you probably wouldn’t be ready to go until later this morning . . .”

“It’s barely eight thirty,” Dean said easily, concealing his dismay. “I’ll have you back here by no later than nine fifteen. How’s that?” he added, smiling at them.

“Well, that should be okay,” Mellie said. “But if he starts yelling, I’m hiding behind you!” she added to Dean with a chuckle.

“Fair enough,” he said. “Shall we go?”

They ran into one of the two day receptionists on the way out. “Essa, you still off, you lucky devil?” he teased.

She grinned. “Yes, I am! Dean’s taking us to look at old dead things,” she said with mock drama. “Eat your heart out!”

He made a face at her. “I love forensics, you know that. Couldn’t I go instead of her?” he asked Dean, pointing at Essa. “I know how to use a trowel and a toothbrush!” he added hopefully.

Dean forced a laugh. “Sorry. The head archaeologist only gave permission for Essa and Mellie. Maybe another time,” he added.

“Thanks anyway. Have fun!” he called as they went out the door.

* * *

Dean already had the car in the front parking lot. He settled Essa in the front seat and Mellie in the back.

“I should call Daddy,” Mellie said, pulling out her cell phone.

“Not just yet,” Dean said, smiling. “I have a surprise first.”