Читать книгу Yuletide Peril - Irene Brand - Страница 12

The one-story, rambling elementary school, with a redbrick and stone exterior, was a relatively new structure. Janice halted the car beside a man who was sweeping the sidewalk in front of the school, and rolled down the car’s window.

“Are any of the school officials in today?” she asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said. “The principal and the guidance counselor are here, and a secretary.”

“Good. Where should I park?”

He motioned to the front of the building. “Right here beside the school is okay,” he said. “There ain’t much traffic today.” With a chuckle, he added, “But wait ’til school starts—we’ll have plenty of cars around here then.”

“Thanks.”

The man waved a friendly hand and continued sweeping as she and Brooke got out of the car and entered the building through a set of double doors. They faced a long hallway with other corridors to the left and right. An arrow on the wall, labeled “Office,” pointed to the right.

“I’m scared,” Brooke said, her steps lagging.

Janice was uneasy about their situation, too, and she muttered, “‘God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power.’”

She straightened her back, took Brooke’s hand and headed resolutely toward the office. Her shaky self-assurance suffered an immediate setback when she turned the corner and narrowly missed colliding with the same man she’d bumped into at the convenience store earlier in the day.

Lance Gordon couldn’t believe his eyes. He couldn’t be encountering this young woman twice in the same day! Normally, he wouldn’t have given the previous incident a second thought, but this woman’s long-lashed green eyes and stubborn chin had flashed frequently into his mind as he’d continued his daily schedule. Assuming that she was just a stranger passing through town, he was surprised at his low spirits when he thought he wouldn’t see her again.

“So we meet again,” he said, a wide grin spreading across his face.

“But at least this meeting wasn’t as dramatic as the one this morning,” Janice said, trying to match his light tone.

Lance glanced from Janice to Brooke, noticing the resemblance in their features.

“What can I do for you?” he asked.

“I want to enroll my sister in school.”

Lance’s heart skipped a beat and he sensed a rush of pleasure to know that meeting this woman hadn’t been transitory. His eagerness to get acquainted with her surprised him.

“The guidance counselor is the one to see, but she’s busy with another family right now,” he said. “Come into my office. I’ll take down some of your personal information, and she’ll schedule your classes later on in the week.”

He motioned them to the door tagged with a principal’s sign.

“You’re the principal?” Janice asked as she walked through the door he held open for them. He seemed very young to be the administrator of a school.

“Yes. I’m Lance Gordon.”

“My name is Janice Reid, and this is my sister, Brooke. She’ll be entering the sixth grade.”

Janice apparently wasn’t married since she had the same name as her sister, Lance thought as he pulled out two chairs from a conference table in his office. And what difference does that make? he demanded of his inner self, looking surreptitiously at her left hand, which didn’t have a ring of any kind. After Brooke and Janice were seated, he took a chair opposite them and picked up a yellow pad that was on the table.

“Are you living in Stanton or in the rural area of the county?”

“Does it matter?”

He looked at her questioningly. “Not at all, as far as attending school here. We serve the whole county, but I wanted to know if she’d travel by bus.”

“I don’t know. When I bumped into you this morning, literally speaking, that was the first time I’d ever set foot in Stanton. I don’t know anything about the area.”

“Where are you going to live?”

“I don’t know that, either,” she said, with a glance at Brooke.

Momentarily, Lance wondered if he had a homeless family on his hands. But, with the spirit of independence that hovered around Janice Reid like an aura, she didn’t resemble any homeless person he’d ever known. Besides, both Janice and her sister were well-dressed, and if he remembered correctly, the sedan she’d been driving this morning was only two or three years old.

A slight tap on the door interrupted them, and a child peeped into the room. “I wanted to see if you were busy, Uncle Lance. I guess you are.”

“Come on in, Taylor,” he said, “and meet a new student, who’ll be in your grade this term.”

The sandy-haired girl with blue eyes stepped to her uncle’s side.

“Brooke, this is my niece, Taylor Mallory. She’s entering the sixth grade, too. Brooke Reid and her sister Janice are moving to Stanton. How about giving Brooke a tour of the building while her sister and I complete her enrollment?”

Taylor clapped her hands, and it was evident that she was an enthusiastic child, a perfect foil for Brooke’s quiet, meek nature. “That will be big fun. Come on, Brooke. This is a great school, but we’re going to have a tough teacher.”

Taylor’s chattering continued as the two children left. Janice was pleased to have the opportunity to talk without Brooke in the room.

“Why are you reluctant to tell me where you’re living?” Lance asked, interrupting her musings.

“I don’t know where I’ll live,” she said. “And if I tell you where I thought I’d be living, you’ll laugh.”

“Try me,” he said, a compelling expression in his piercing blue eyes.

“I’ve inherited the Reid property on the outskirts of town. I’d intended to live there until I saw it for the first time today.”

Instead of being amused, Lance was momentarily appalled that Janice was related to the local—and infamous—Reid family. He could understand why Janice was disappointed about the house’s condition, because after John Reid’s death, the house had deteriorated rapidly. It seemed strange that no one had informed Janice about the condition of her property.

“So you’re John Reid’s niece?”

“Yes, but it was a surprise when he remembered me in his will. My father is the black sheep of the family, and he’s had nothing to do with the Reids for years. I haven’t seen any of them since I was a child.”

John Reid was a respectable member of the community, but most of the Reid family did have a poor reputation. John had prospered, but Lance supposed that his long illness had depleted his finances. Janice’s inheritance probably wasn’t a large one.

“I couldn’t inherit until I was twenty-one,” Janice continued. “I’ve only had a car for a few weeks, so I hadn’t looked over my legacy until an hour ago. As you can imagine, I had quite a surprise.”

“When I was a child, it was a nice house, but I don’t suppose it’s fit to live in now.”

“I’m not giving up on that idea until I see the inside of the place. I had an appointment to see Mr. Santrock, the lawyer, this morning, but he won’t be in his office today. His secretary wouldn’t let me have the key to the house.”

“But I…” Lance started and paused. On his way to work this morning, he’d seen Santrock walking along Main Street. But perhaps he shouldn’t tell Janice—the lawyer may have had a good reason for not keeping the appointment. Maybe something unexpected had come up after he’d seen him.

Janice looked at him curiously, but when he didn’t continue, she said, “I’ve quit my job, and I intend to live somewhere in Stanton. What do you need to know about Brooke? I’ll have her school records transferred as soon as we go back home.”

“Her age?” Lance asked

“Eleven.”

“Where has she attended school?”

“The elementary school in Willow Creek. I’m Brooke’s guardian.”

Janice seemed young to be the guardian of her sister. Lance wondered if their parents were dead.

“We can probably find everything we need to know from her records when they arrive.”

“I’ll have them transferred right away. When does school start?”

“August twenty-fifth.”

“That will give me more than a week to finish my work and move. I noticed there’s a motel where we can stay for a few days until I settle on something.”

Glancing through the window behind Lance, Janice saw Brooke and Taylor shooting baskets on the playground, and she felt compelled to confide in him. She wouldn’t start a new life by concealing the ugly things in her past.

“Thanks for not asking questions, but there are things about us that you should know, things you won’t find in Brooke’s records.”

Janice’s mouth was tight and grim and her long-lashed green eyes smoldered with bitterness. Still staring out the window, she explained. “The reason I’m Brooke’s guardian is because our parents are in prison. They’ve been alcoholics and drug addicts as long as I can remember. They illegally traded their welfare benefits for money whenever they could. When their welfare payments stopped because they wouldn’t work, they started stealing to support their addictions.”

Janice paused and closed her eyes. Those days were a nightmare she wished she could forget.

“They were caught robbing a convenience store and sent to prison. Brooke was placed in a foster home and I was sent to the Valley of Hope.” She looked directly at him. “Do you know what kind of place that is?”

Lance had heard of the Valley of Hope, a reputable institution that ministered to at-risk children and teenagers. He couldn’t envision Janice Reid as an at-risk teenager. At a loss to know how to comment, Lance said, “Yes.”

“I was fourteen and Brooke was four when that happened. I left VOH when I graduated from high school, got a job and saved enough money to prove I can support my sister. Uncle John’s legacy also helped to convince the Department of Health and Human Services that I’m a fit guardian.”

Janice’s hands moved restlessly and she clenched them in her lap.

“I’ve prayed that this inheritance was the end of our troubles and that Brooke and I could have a home together here.” She looked at Lance quickly, hopefully. “How will people in Stanton react to us when they learn that our parents are in prison?”

Lance leaned forward in his chair and placed his elbows on the table. The compassion in his dark blue eyes lessened the tension Janice experienced when she talked about her parents.

“Stanton residents are no different from people the world over. Most of them will accept you, believing you shouldn’t be blamed for your parents’ actions. Others will mistrust you.”

“It doesn’t matter for me, but Brooke is a timid, trusting child. I don’t want her hurt.”

“I can understand that all too well,” he said. “Taylor’s father served three years in prison, and it’s been rough for her. Dale was sent to prison because he’d embezzled funds from the local bank, although he’s always asserted his innocence. Linda, my sister, had divorced Dale before this happened, and she and Taylor moved in with me.”

“Then Brooke and Taylor should get along all right.”

“I’m sure of it. Taylor seems happy-go-lucky, but she loves her father, and she feels sorry for him.”

“When I inherited this house, and a fair amount of money, I thought it would be good for Brooke and me to start a new life. I intended to go to college while Brooke was in school. Now I’m not so sure, but since I’ve put my plans in motion, I’ll give it a try. I’ve been working at SuperMart in Willow Creek, and since they have a store here, I can work part-time if I have to. If the house isn’t worth renovating, I’m sure I can sell the property. Considering that it’s within the city limits, it should bring enough so I can buy another house.”

“Actually, the city limits run through your property, so it’s hard to tell what part is within the city. But it should sell if you put the property in the hands of a reputable real estate agent, and I can recommend one to you. Or Loren Santrock can advise you. He’s the town’s leading attorney.”

Janice heard Brooke’s voice in the hallway, and she took a small notebook from her purse and wrote down her cell phone number. Standing, she said, “We’ll have to leave now, because I want to get back to Willow Creek before dark.”

She tore the sheet from her notebook and handed it to Lance. “I don’t have a phone in my apartment, but you can reach me on my cell if you need to contact me.”

Lance walked to the car with Janice and Brooke, and he stood on the sidewalk and waved goodbye. He had observed many things about Janice during their meeting, but he was struck by the fact that she hadn’t once smiled. Had her miserable childhood and the responsibilities she’d had to assume for her sister taken all the gaiety from her life? Janice would be a beautiful woman if laughter erased the grimness around her mouth and pleasure brightened her eyes. Fleetingly he wondered what could bring about such a transformation.

As they left Stanton behind, Brooke immediately voiced her excitement about the school and her new friend.

“I like Taylor,” she said at once. “Her parents are divorced, and Taylor and her mother live with their uncle. Taylor wants her uncle to get married. She thinks if he has a wife, her mother will move out, and they can go back to live with Taylor’s dad. I told her that you weren’t married, either.”

Janice slanted a curious glance at her sister. “Is there a connection between those two statements?”

“Well, it would be neat if you’d get married, Janice. We could have a dad in the house like other people. And Taylor said her uncle is a really nice man.”

“I’m sure he is, but I doubt he’d appreciate having his niece find a wife for him.”

“Did you like him?” Brooke persisted.

Janice felt her face get warm, and she said, “Oh, let Lance Gordon find his own wife. Marriage isn’t in my plans for the future. Tell me about the school.”

“It’s awesome. There’s a great big computer lab, a gym and neat classrooms. The school takes two or three field trips every year. The sixth graders usually go to Washington, D.C. I love it already.”

Janice chatted with her customer and automatically scanned the items the woman placed on the counter. She’d already turned on the closed sign at her SuperMart checkout station. Janice had long ago convinced herself that she could stand anything for five more minutes. She tried to send that message to her back and feet, so they’d hold her erect until she received the customer’s money and sacked her purchases.

“We’re going to miss you, Janice,” the woman said sincerely. “You’re my favorite clerk.”

“Thank you,” Janice murmured with a catch in her voice. She’d made many friends at the store during the past three years. She would miss them, and she hoped she wouldn’t regret her decision to move.

Somewhat apprehensive of the big change a move to Stanton would make in her life, Janice walked quickly to the office to clock out of the store for the last time. She wanted to avoid any last-minute goodbyes to delay her because she still had a few things to do before she could leave Stanton.

Her co-workers had surprised her with a farewell party the night before and had given her a television, complete with DVD and VCR. She appreciated this evidence of their friendship, but the gift meant that she must rent a small U-Haul trailer to move her belongings, because there wasn’t room in her car for a television. She was pleased with the gift though, for it would be enjoyable for Brooke to have a new television to watch.

Her intention to slip out of the store without notice was thwarted, however, when her supervisor called, “Here’s a letter for you—came in today’s mail.”

Janice took the letter, thinking it must be a card from one of the employees who’d missed last night’s party. She stuck the envelope in the pocket of her jeans and waved a general goodbye to her co-workers as she hurried out of the store.

Janice made her first stop at a garage, and she sat in the car while the mechanic attached a trailer hitch to her car. Fidgeting over this inactivity, Janice remembered the letter in her pocket.

The wrinkled envelope had no return address, and the postmark was smudged. Letters containing hazardous materials came to mind. She’d heard warnings on television about opening an envelope or package if it looked suspicious. She discounted the idea that an insignificant person like herself would be targeted for a terrorist’s attack, but she decided to be cautious. She stepped outside the car, held the envelope at arm’s length, and opened it with a nail file. No white substance was evident, and she concluded that the message was harmless.

Unfolding the single sheet of paper, she read it and stared in horror at the words.

If you know what’s good for you, stay away from Stanton.

Stunned by the message, Janice staggered to the car, her rapid pulse thudding in her forehead. Slumping in the seat, fearful images built in her mind and her stomach quivered with terror. What kind of prank was this? What difference could it make to anyone if she moved to Stanton?

After the first wave of fear, anger replaced Janice’s distress and she rationalized the situation. This letter had probably been sent by her father’s relatives still living in the Stanton area. Was this their way of telling her they were angry because the Reid property had passed to her?

Janice’s stubborn streak was stronger than her fear. She set her jaw and muttered, “They can like it or lump it! I’m moving to Stanton.”

Her face flushed when the man working on her car said, “What did you say, ma’am?”

She admitted she was talking to herself, but her embarrassment passed when the mechanic said, “My old daddy talked to himself, too—said he liked to talk to a smart man once in a while.”

The man’s remark amused her and eased the tension, but the note was unsettling. She fretted about it as she drove toward the Valley of Hope to say goodbye to Miss Caroline. When she turned the curve, and had a bird’s-eye view of the place that had once been her home, Janice paused briefly to survey the area with nostalgia. She had found the first security she’d ever known at VOH, and it was wrenching to leave it all behind. She couldn’t use Miss Caroline as her security blanket forever, but she would always be grateful for the care she’d received at VOH.

After she’d lost her fiancé in a coal mine accident, Caroline Renault had established the facility forty years ago in northeastern West Virginia. In anticipation of their marriage, her fiancé had named Miss Caroline the beneficiary of his life insurance. She’d added the insurance money to her own fortune and had started VOH with two buildings and a few children. Gas wells on the property provided an income that had helped VOH become self-supporting. Several of Miss Caroline’s family and friends had also contributed liberally to the growth of the facility.

Through the years VOH had increased to twenty brick buildings, comprising well-equipped elementary and secondary schools. Residents lived in a family atmosphere in several dormitories with adult supervisors. The majority of the teachers lived off-campus.

Janice had enjoyed the independence she’d had during the three years she’d been away from VOH. But as she slowly approached the buildings, she thought of the time she’d come here as a scared and rebellious teenager. She shuddered to think where she might be today if she hadn’t been sent to VOH.

Although her mentor had just turned seventy, Janice always considered Miss Caroline an ageless woman. Yet now Janice saw a myriad of fine lines etched on Miss Caroline’s pearl-like complexion. Her hair was totally white, although when Janice had arrived at VOH, her dark hair had only been streaked with gray. But her generous and tender smile hadn’t changed. Janice thought she’d remember the smile longer than anything else about this woman.

The hand Miss Caroline held out to Janice trembled slightly. “And how did you like Stanton?” she asked, her eyes alight with interest.

Janice explained about the condition of the property, and added, “Since the house is in such bad shape, maybe I should put it on the market and stay in Willow Creek. At least I have friends here, and I don’t know anyone in Stanton. Am I doing the right thing?”

“I don’t know,” Miss Caroline said, the interest in her eyes changing to concern. “I believe this is something you have to do. I was aware that you chafed at the restraints we put on you at VOH.”

Janice stared at her in surprise. “Oh, no, Miss Caroline. You’ll never know how much I appreciate what you’ve done for me.”

“I know that, but still you didn’t like being under obligation to me.”

“That’s true. I don’t want to be obligated to anyone, and I considered it a godsend when I heard my uncle had remembered me in his will. I have a picture of Mountjoy taken years ago, and it was a fine-looking place. I didn’t doubt that I could move in there, take a part-time job to pay living expenses and use the money I inherited for college expenses for Brooke and myself. Now, I don’t know what to do. I’m excited and hesitant at the same time—if that makes any sense. Actually, I suppose I’m afraid to cut my ties with the past.”

Miss Caroline smiled. “But you’ll only be two hundred miles away, and I’m always as near as the telephone.”

“I know. I suppose I’m being foolish. And in spite of all you’ve done for me in the past, I want to ask your advice once again. I assume that you don’t know the contents of the letter my uncle entrusted to your care, which you gave to me when I turned twenty-one.”

A surprised look came into Miss Caroline’s eyes. “No. When he sent your letter, he enclosed a message to me asking me to be the guardian of the letter until you came of age.”

Janice took the letter from her purse and handed it across the table. “Read it, please.”

Adjusting her glasses, Miss Caroline read aloud.

“‘Dear Janice, when you read this letter, I will be gone. I’m sorry I haven’t stayed in touch with you and your sister. My brother and I have been at odds for years, and I’d lost track of you. However, my investigations have proven that you’ve overcome the problems of a difficult childhood and have grown into a fine woman. I hope my legacy will make the rest of your life easier.’”

Caroline read the last paragraph silently. Her eyes expressed alarm, and she glanced quickly at Janice before reading the final words of the letter.

“‘I’ve recently become aware of some mysterious happenings at Mountjoy, but I intend to find out what’s going on. I pray that I haven’t saddled you with more trouble than you needed.’”

Miss Caroline glanced at the date of the letter before she folded the page, put it in the envelope and gave it back to Janice. “Wasn’t this written a few days before his death?”

“Yes. I’m wondering if he solved the problem before he died, or if it’s something I’ll have to contend with.”

Miss Caroline shook her head. “A lot can happen in three years. I wish I could help you, but I don’t know enough about the situation. I’ll pray that when you move to Stanton, God will provide someone to advise you.”

Janice bent forward to kiss Miss Caroline’s cheek. She wanted to cry, but that was a luxury she’d denied herself years ago.

“Thank you. As you know, I have a lot of confidence in your prayers.”

Miss Caroline stood and hugged Janice tightly. “You will never be so far away that my prayers won’t go with you. Be assured that anytime you’re in distress, I’ve talked to God about you that day.”

During her dysfunctional childhood, Janice had become hardened to saying goodbye, so once she left VOH, she didn’t look back. She drove to the home of Brooke’s foster parents to pick up her sister.

The Smiths had given Brooke security and love. They’d grown fond of Brooke, and losing her was heartbreaking for them. Now that the couple was in their mid-sixties, they’d decided to turn their responsibilities over to younger people. Brooke was the last resident they would invite into their home. Brooke cried and clung to the Smiths when they said goodbye. She was still sobbing when they drove into downtown Willow Creek.

“I have all of my dishes and pans packed,” Janice said. “Let’s stop for Chinese food and take it to the apartment to eat.”

“That’s okay,” Brooke said, smothering a sob. “I feel sad because I don’t have a home anymore. You’re giving up your apartment, I’m leaving the Smith home, and that house in Stanton is terrible. Where are we gonna live?”

Was it a mistake to take Brooke away from the only security she’d ever had? Janice hadn’t slept the night before, wondering if she’d made the right choice. She drove into the White Dragon lot, went inside with Brooke and placed their order.

While she waited for the food, Janice said, “I don’t know where we’ll live, little sister, but trust me. If you’re unhappy in Stanton, we’ll come back to Willow Creek. I feel this move is the right one, so let’s put the past behind us. Think about the new school you’ll attend and your new friend, Taylor. And don’t forget I’m planning to turn Mountjoy into a nice home for us.”

“Okay. I’ll try.”

By the time they reached the apartment and started eating sweet and sour chicken, vegetables, rice and fruit, Brooke’s sunny nature had resurfaced. Janice surveyed the efficiency apartment that had been her home for three years. Having lived four years at VOH, where she had no privacy at all, Janice had enjoyed the quietness of the apartment. She’d rented a furnished apartment because she’d had nothing when she’d moved in except two boxes of clothes. Stripped of the knickknacks and pictures Janice had bought at garage sales and the bargain shelves at SuperMart, the apartment looked as vacant now as it had the first week she’d lived there.

All of the possessions she’d accumulated were packed in medium-sized cartons, the contents listed on each box with a permanent black marker. The boxes were stacked near the door ready to be packed in the trailer.

Knowing that tomorrow would be a long, traumatic day, soon after nine o’clock, Janice encouraged Brooke to take a shower in the pint-sized bathroom and get ready for bed. While Janice waited her turn for a shower, she hummed a song she used to sing with Madison, her best friend.

Madison, who liked to be called Maddie, was a sophomore at West Virginia University. They hadn’t see each other often after Maddie had left VOH, but they talked by phone several times each month. She hadn’t heard from Maddie for several days, and when her cell phone rang, Janice figured Maddie was calling.

She was totally surprised when she answered the phone.

“Miss Reid, this is Lance Gordon. We received Brooke’s papers today. Everything was in order. Her grades are excellent.”

“Yes, I’m proud of her,” Janice said. “She’s always been a good student.”

“Are you about ready to leave?”

“Bright and early tomorrow morning. The manager of the apartment building is going to help us load our things. My car is small and it won’t have much speed crossing the mountains, pulling a trailer. But I intend to arrive in Stanton by midafternoon.”

“I took the liberty of checking the Montrose Apartments, and they have a vacancy.”

The warmth and concern in his voice surprised and pleased Janice.

“Thanks for telling me. That will save me the trouble of looking for an apartment if I need one. I’ve made reservations at the motel for a couple of nights. I don’t want to rent an apartment if Mountjoy is livable at all.”

“I’m afraid it would be primitive living.”

“Believe me, Mr. Gordon, I’ve lived in primitive conditions.”

“If there’s anything I can do to help you settle in, let me know.”

“I sure will. Thanks for calling.”

A smile had spread across Janice’s face while they talked, and it refused to leave. She smiled so rarely that she marvelled at the soft creases in her normally sober face visible in the mirror. Was Lance Gordon interested in her as more than a student’s guardian?

Janice didn’t know much about the opposite sex. Her father certainly hadn’t been a role model, and at VOH, the girls had outnumbered boys. Besides, Miss Caroline had discouraged anything beyond casual friendship between the girls and boys at the facility, urging schoolwork over dating.

After Janice had started working, she hadn’t had time to date anyone. She was so desperate to make money that she worked forty hours each week, and all the overtime she was allowed to have. Although Lance Gordon seemed like the answer to any woman’s dream, Janice couldn’t allow herself to consider dating him, even if he was interested in her. She had a house to renovate, a sister to care for and a mystery to solve. Would that leave her any time for romance?