Guarding Candy Kane (The 12 Mysteries of Christmas Book 3) Read online

  He inspected every inch of the bathroom and her room. She sat in a chair and watched him turn back the bed covers and check under the pillows.

  “Why the inspection tonight? You didn’t do it when I arrived last night.”

  “I did it before you came.”

  There was a soft knock at the door. Sean opened it and let Frank in. The Italian placed a thermos jug on the nightstand. “Your hot chocolate, Miss Candace.” He saluted Sean and left.

  He had to tell her about the poison. He didn’t want to scare her, but she had to know. “Candace, you are not to drink or eat anything that doesn’t come from Frank. He works for me.”

  “I noticed him hovering around me at dinner. What’s this all about, Sean? Has something happened?”

  He knelt by her chair. “A bottle of cyanide was found in one of the bedrooms today.”

  She closed her eyes and leaned back against the chair. “And you think it was meant for me?”

  “I have it now, but there could be more. I can’t be certain it was put there for you, but I’m going to err on the side of caution. As they say, ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.’”

  “There was a thermos of hot cocoa in my room when I arrived last evening. I didn’t drink it, but it could have been poisoned, couldn’t it?”

  He shook his head. “Last night I saw Doyle put it in your room. I poured it out and remade a fresh batch myself.”

  “Did you know about the cyanide last night?”

  “No, it’s just part of what I do. When a client’s life is in danger, I don’t take chances.”

  She stood and paced across the carpet twice and ran her fingers through her hair.

  “Candace . . .”

  She came to him and placed her head against his chest. “I’m scared, Sean.”

  He put his arms around her and rested his chin on her head. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Candace, or I’ll die trying.”

  Candace came to a decision last night before she finally fell asleep. This morning she would tell Nana she didn’t want the money. She would sign it all over to the board of directors and stop the insanity. Money or no money, she couldn’t live like this for the rest of her life, always looking over her shoulder. Her goal was to live to a ripe old age surrounded by her eight children.

  Candace dressed quickly in a thick black hoodie, black skinny pants, and boots then headed down for breakfast. Sean waited for her in the hallway. She gave him a weak smile. He didn’t look like he had slept much either.

  “Good morning,” he said. “After the game with Teddy this morning we are going to the gym and workout. It will relieve some of the stress. I checked out the basement. It has a fully equipped gym, hot tub, and sauna.

  “I’m also going to hire a masseuse for you while you’re here. He or she will work the kinks out of your tight muscles. If they don’t have one in town, we can fly one in from Denver. What’s the good of having money if you can’t use it to stay sane and healthy?”

  She placed her hand on his arm and stopped him. “I’ve decided to give the money back. It’s not worth it. I’m going to tell Nana after breakfast.”

  “Do you want some backup?”

  “Yes, I’d like you to be there.”

  He smiled for the first time. “I couldn’t agree with you more. No amount of wealth is worth your life.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Kane Chalet

  Christmas Tyme, Colorado

  A

  s Candace and Sean entered the dining room, Teddy was lifting the tops off the chafing dishes and putting the lids back down.

  Frank stood guard over the buffet.

  “Can’t find what you want, Teddy?” Candace asked.

  “I want cereal.”

  “Hot or cold?” Frank asked.

  “Frosted Flakes and milk.”

  “Coming right up. Would you like strawberries on top?”

  “Yes, sir, please.”

  Frank returned with Teddy’s cereal and set it on the table. The boy chose the seat beside Candace. “Can we still play hide-and-seek, Candy?”

  “Absolutely, but I have a chore to take care of first. I’ll come find you when I finish. I set out a puzzle in the library for you. Work on that until I come find you. Okay?”

  He grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”

  When Teddy finished and hurried off to the library, Candace turned to Frank. “Have you seen Nana this morning?”

  He nodded. “She’s in the parlor off the living room. I just took in a tea tray for her.”

  She looked over at Sean. “You ready to approach the lion in her den?”

  “I’m ready when you are. I don’t think it will be bad. She loves you, you know.”

  “Yes, I believe she does. Come, let’s get this over with.”

  They made their way to the parlor and Candace knocked softly then stuck her head inside. “Nana, may I speak to you? I have something important to tell you. Sean is with me.”

  “Of course, come on in. Truthfully, I’ve been expecting you. Have a seat and pour tea for yourself and Sean.”

  Candace and Sean declined the tea and sat on a sofa facing her. “You were expecting me?”

  Nana nodded. “Do you not think I wasn’t as panicked by finding the cyanide as you? Good heavens, child. That is so diabolical, it chills my bones. I’m assuming you want to refuse the inheritance, correct?”

  Candace tried to hide her surprise and nodded.

  “I understand and even agree with your reasoning. You didn’t sign up for this. But there is more at stake here than simply walking away from the money.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “There are people inside the firm fighting for control of Kane Industries, who are unethical, unscrupulous, and willing to stoop to the lowest levels to line their own pockets.”

  Nana took a last sip from her cup and placed it on the table beside her chair. “On the other hand, there are loyal, good people who have committed their lives to the success of the firm and depend on Kane Industries for their livelihood and retirement. I don’t want to endanger your life, Candace. You have benefited from not growing up in this family. My three boys were good kids growing up, until they went off to college and lost their moral compass.

  “I know about your life in the orphanage, how you took care of children while just a child yourself. I sense in you an honorable spirit and uncommon moral values. That is what Kane Industries desperately needs right now.”

  Sean cleared his throat. “Then we are going to have to find a way for her to meet the obligations without risking her life. You hired me to protect her, and I will do that to the utmost of my ability. But truthfully if someone is determined to kill a person, they can find a way to accomplish their goal.

  “Presidents supposedly have the best protection available, but four have been killed in office, and a fifth almost died from an assassin’s bullet.”

  Nana stood and walked to the hearth then turned to face them. “I gave that a lot of thought last night, and I’ve asked my attorney to come here today. Candace will need to write out a will covering what she wants done with the inheritance should anything happen to her. Then she should begin putting those things into action.

  “She should immediately appoint good men and women to the board of directors and fire the rest. She’ll need to assign funds to be given annually to charities, grants, or whatever she chooses. Whoever is behind this will see that killing Candace will not gain them anything. That’s what her father should have done. It would have avoided this crisis.

  “He knew about the issues on the board. We talked about making changes but neither of us expected him to die so soon. Alone, I don’t have the power.”

  Candace shook her head and looked across at her grandmother. “Nana, I don’t know any of the board of directors. How can I determine who’s right for the job?”

  “I’ll give Sean the names. He can have his people put together a dossier on each one. Afterwards, you can
do an individual interview and make your decision. I can be of some help. I do know the ringleader. I just don’t know who else is involved.”

  Hilda handed Sean a typed list. “These are the names, addresses, and social security numbers of each board member from their personnel files.”

  Sean stood, folded the list, and placed it in his inside jacket pocket. “What if your sons are placed on the need-to-go list?”

  “I would hate that, but Candace is in charge. She’ll have to make that tough decision. I’m glad it’s not mine to make.”

  Candace left the meeting a little stunned. She had gone in there determined to chuck it all, and with little effort her grandmother brought her back on board.

  Candace found Teddy in the library making good progress with the puzzle.

  Sean said he had to make a phone call to his “people” to get the research started. “Wait for me in the library.”

  Sean texted Bella instructions, sent a photo from his phone of the list, and promised to fax a better copy from the library. Chore finished, he went downstairs to meet Candace and Teddy. He sent off his fax to Bella and asked, “Are we ready for the games to begin? Shall we play rock, paper, scissors, to decide who’s it?”

  Teddy giggled. Candace sent him a mischievous smile. “Teddy and I elected you while you were gone.”

  Mac skidded into the room and sat down in front of Teddy, panting as if someone had summoned him.

  “No, Mac,” Teddy said. “You can’t play. You’ll tell where I’m hiding.”

  Sean narrowed his eyes at her. “That’s not fair.”

  She patted his shoulder. “You and Mac will have to suck it up. You’re the oldest and the biggest. Therefore, you are it, my man. And Teddy is right. Mac will give away his hiding place.”

  No arguing with that.

  She and Teddy hurried away, and she called out. “You have to count to one hundred slowly. No cheating.”

  “Mac, stay with me. I may need your help to find them.”

  Sean felt incredibly stupid, pacing in the library and counting to a hundred. He was sure this wasn’t in his job description. “. . . 99, 100. Ready or not, here I come.” This could take a long time. The chalet was enormous.

  He checked the first floor and got a few quizzical looks from the staff as he opened all the closets and looked under tables.

  Next stop, the second floor full of bedrooms and lots of places to hide. He hurried down the corridor in pursuit of his prey, when an ear-piercing scream filled the hallway.

  It was Candace.

  Mac sprinted down the corridor ahead of him.

  Sean ran and opened the door to a laundry room. Candace leaned against a closed door, her hands over her face.

  He raced to her side. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

  She shook her head and stepped away from the door. “In there.”

  He gently opened the door. The smell hit him before he saw the body. The remains of a young woman, encased in plastic sheeting, lay inside the closet. He looked at Candace. “Do you know who she is?”

  She took a few deep breaths. “I’ve never seen her before, but she’s wearing a maid’s uniform.”

  Teddy rushed into the room and Sean quickly closed the door.

  The boy’s face was white. “What’s wrong, Candy?”

  With obvious effort to get herself under control, she inhaled deeply, looked at Sean, and nodded towards the closet door. “I need to get Teddy out of here.”

  She took the boy’s hand. “We’re going to have to postpone our game.”

  He lowered his head, disappointment written on his small face.

  She knelt beside him. “I’m so sorry I can’t keep my promise today. Would you settle for my reading you a bedtime story tonight?”

  He looked up with a half-smile tinged with fear.

  She took his hand. “I bought two books yesterday, Ferdinand the Bull and Harry the Dirty Dog. Which would you like me to read?”

  As they stepped into the hall, Teddy asked, “Would you read both to me?”

  Sean called to her. “Tell Doyle to contact the authorities. I’m going to stay here and look around.”

  He pulled out his phone and texted Frank.

  Candace headed ur way. Keep an eye on her. Dead body in upstairs laundry room.

  Message finished, he gently opened the door again. A glance didn’t reveal any visible wounds. He couldn’t remove the body until the police arrived. He would have to wait for the autopsy to get the cause of death.

  Sean heard a noise behind him and turned. Doyle stood staring down at the body. “That’s Annie Miller, the kitchen maid that’s been out sick for two days, or so we thought.”

  “What made you think she was out sick?” Sean asked.

  Doyle ran a nervous hand through his grey crewcut. “Cook said a man called and said she had the flu. Cook assumed it was her father.” Doyle shook his head. “She was only twenty-two.”

  “Did you call the authorities?”

  Doyle nodded. “They’re on their way. I’d better tell Mrs. Kane and see to the household staff. There’s going to be a lot of anxiety and questions for which I don’t have the answers.”

  Sean closed the laundry room door and dragged a chair from the nearest bedroom. He set up camp outside since there was no lock on the door and he needed to keep people out until the police arrived.

  He couldn’t imagine what motive anyone would have for killing the maid. Perhaps she knew who the would-be assassin was and threatened to tell. Whatever the reason, it had to be connected to Candace.

  As if the thought of her conjured up her presence, he watched as she walked down the corridor towards him. Frank waved, indicating Sean now had watchdog duty.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  He rose to give her his chair, but she shook her head, sat on the carpeted floor in front of him, and drew up her knees.

  “I’m protecting the crime scene until the authorities get here. Did you get Teddy squared away?”

  “I gave him a coloring book and crayons. He’s happy. Do you think she was killed in there?”

  “No, but it’s the only crime scene we have at the present. Are you sure you want to be here?”

  She folded her arms on her knees and rested her chin on her arms. There was pain in her eyes when she looked up at him. “I don’t want to be here, but I feel responsible for this woman I didn’t even know. She was likely killed because of me.”

  “You’re being irrational, Candace. It certainly couldn’t have been mistaken identity. I believe her killer is the same person responsible for your accidents. I just don’t know how or why.”

  Voices sounded in the stairwell and four people strode towards them with Doyle leading the way. The chalet’s headman introduced Candace and Sean to the officers.

  The lead officer was an attractive woman, blond hair in a ponytail. She looked to be in her early thirties. She didn’t offer to shake hands. “I’m Officer Lottie Bennett.” She glanced at the tall, thin good-looking kid beside her. “This is my partner, Officer Dusty Warren.” She jerked her thumb at the rotund older man in a white jacket. “This is Doc Evans.”

  The doctor offered his hand. “I’m not a coroner, just a general practice physician. Let’s take a look at the body.”

  Sean led the way inside and pointed at the closet door. “She’s in there.”

  The doctor and female officer stood in place while Dusty pulled the door open and stepped back.

  “Want me to take the body out, Doc?”

  The white-haired man shook his head. “No, close the door, Dusty.”

  The doctor turned his gaze on Sean. “Mr. McGregor, Doyle told us on the way upstairs you are a professional bodyguard and former Secret Service Agent so you have some background in police work.

  “This case is above my job grade. We don’t have murders in our little community. The autopsies I do are on people who die of natural causes or by accident. You need a professional forensic tea
m in here.”

  He turned to the female officer. “Lottie, call the Chief and tell him to contact the sheriff’s office. They have the people and equipment to do the job right.”

  “Thank you, doctor, for your honesty. You’re right. We’ll want the investigation handled by a forensic team that knows what they are doing. How long will it take for the county coroner to get here?”

  Doc Evans looked down at his watch. “If the Chief acts right away, about an hour. If not . . .” he shrugged.

  Sean walked over to the lead lady cop. “Officer Bennett, can you and your partner secure the scene until the sheriff’s people arrive?”

  “Of course. That’s what we’re here for. I had some questions for you, but I suppose since the sheriff will be here soon, there’s no need to answer the same questions twice.”

  Sean nodded. “I appreciate that. I’ll see if I can get some coffee up here for you folks.”

  She grinned. “That would be much appreciated.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Kane Chalet

  Christmas Tyme, Colorado

  S

  ean and Candace stepped into the kitchen filled with the smell of yeast, cinnamon, and coffee. The place was deserted except for Frank who stood by a large coffee urn.

  “Where is everyone?” Sean asked.

  “In their rooms, mourning the loss of Annie. She was a favorite with the staff. I just made coffee. I figured it would be a long night. Cook made six loaves of banana nut bread today, if you care to partake. I tried it and it’s great.”

  “Sounds good to me. Can you find someone to take coffee and cake up to the two officers holding down the crime scene?”

  Frank nodded. “I’ll do it myself. I don’t want to disturb the staff. They’re pretty shook up.”

  Candace stood and moved to the kitchen counter. “I’ll serve Sean and myself. Does the rest of the family know about . . .about Annie?”

  Frank filled a tray with two mugs of coffee and two cake slices. “Doyle called them all together and made the announcement. They’ve been sitting in the living room drinking like it’s a wake.”