Page 124 of Noel Secrets
Jason’s tone softened. “We’ll pray for you and this situation. I’m glad to hear God sent you someone to help.”
She thanked him then ended the call. He’d bring David to the phone later. Darby dreaded this conversation, wanting nothing but to hold David and assure him everything would be okay. But those fears were hers, and she didn’t want to transfer them to her son. He was safer away at camp than he was at home. She’d have to stay strong, even though he’d beg her to pick him up.
Later, as she’d expected, her son cried to come home. Her heart broke as she said no. Tears streamed down her face, and she nearly buckled. But soon the back door swung open, and Clay strode in. His presence strengthened her reserve, reminding her of the danger she would bring her son into.
She ended the call with David with a promise to see him on Christmas Eve and the assurance that she loved him. Once it wasover, Darby hurried into her bedroom and closed the door. She needed time alone to compose herself.
Clay seemed to understand. He didn’t bother her, and she appreciated that.
She leaned against the door and finally allowed the sobs to overtake her. Later, with her tears spent, she shrugged out of Clay’s coat to change her clothes. He’d want the coat back. Besides, during the struggle with her kidnappers, she’d torn the sleeve of her shirt. Darby changed into another then discarded the torn garment. She wanted no reminders of this terrible day.
Her Bible sat on the nightstand, so she pulled it to her and opened it to Deuteronomy 31:6.Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
She’d clung to this verse during the ups and downs of her marriage and then her divorce. So many times, she’d feared she couldn’t pay the bills or buy David’s school clothes. But today, this verse hit her differently, because she realized she’d never truly been afraid before. She prayed for the strength and courage in this verse. She would need it to survive.
Clay listened as Darby disappeared behind the door. He didn’t go to her. She didn’t need his hollow sympathy. She needed space to work through this alone.
His gaze scanned the living room, noting it was neat and tidy but not cold. The oversized sofa, rugs, and photographs placed around the room gave it a very lived-in feel. It reminded him of the little apartment he and his wife Jackie had shared their first year of marriage in its simplicity. A photo of her son tookprominence on the mantle. He was obviously important to her based on the photographs of him on the wall and the homemade drawings he’d seen on the refrigerator door. And that made him all the more determined to ferret out this threat against her before David returned home.
He stepped into the kitchen, dialed Sheriff Malone, and lifted his phone to his ear.
“My deputies haven’t located Brent Foster yet. They went to his apartment and his dealership. His employees claimed they hadn’t seen him in days.”
Clay had been afraid of that. Once this plot had failed, he might be on the run. However, addicts don’t always think rationally. “Check the casino, the track, any gambling facility he frequents.”
“You think we haven’t?” Malone retorted. “One of his employees discovered that Brent’s involved with some dangerous people. I’m sending you information about a gambling ring operating in Sheraton and surrounding counties. Lazlo Parker is the ringleader. If Foster owes him money and can’t pay, there’s no telling what they’ll do to collect.”
That didn’t sound good for Darby. “Okay, let me know if you find him.” Clay ended the call then hit the button to phone Cooper.
“I confirmed what Darby said about her grandmother and uncle. Looks as if he convinced her to make him a signer on her accounts then dumped her into a nursing home as soon as he could and tore through her fortune. He lost her house and all her assets through bad investments and get-rich schemes. It’s not easy to track his accounts because he has a history of using shell companies to make transactions. But it looks as if he’s running out of money fast. He inherited everything she had except an account she’d placed in a trust for Darby and changed her will to name Darby as the recipient. When the uncle discoveredthe money left to Darby, he contested the will, claiming his mother was too incompetent to make changes to it. However, the nursing home staff refuted that, insisting she was competent until her dying day. The judge dismissed the case, but Darby’s uncle is still trying to use every legal means he can to try to reclaim the money.”
And possibly illegal means? “He knows how to hide his money. I’d say that makes him a suspect. But how does killing Darby help him to get his money back?”
Cooper sighed. “That’s a good question. I’ll keep digging into him.”
“What about the police chief? Have you found anything on him?”
“People have filed complaints, but nothing has come of it. And her former employee, Suzanne, has a string of misdemeanor arrests but only one conviction for shoplifting. I emailed the local prosecutor’s office and asked about that video Darby claimed the homeowners turned in. They also suspected the chief made it disappear, but they can’t prove it.”
Clay exhaled slowly, glancing down the hallway at the closed bedroom door. “She has a lot stacked against her,” he said, more to himself than Cooper.
“More than anyone should have to face,” Cooper agreed.
Clay recalled how embarrassed she’d been to realize so many people held grudges against her. Maybe they resented her because Darby had firm boundaries in her life. Probably had to, just to survive life with an addict. And to make it as a business owner.
“Strict boundaries can create enemies.”
“There’s something else,” Cooper explained. “The neighbor you mentioned has a grandson with a record. Might be nothing, but he’s caught up in the drug life. He might have known someone who’d do the job. Could be she sicced him on Darby.”
So he couldn’t rule out Mrs. Buford just yet. He needed to ask Darby what she knew about her neighbor’s grandson.
He placed a delivery order for pasta and sandwiches, and it arrived as Darby finally emerged from her bedroom. She had changed clothes but her cheeks were splotchy from crying.
He’d been using the table as a desk so he put his laptop away and spread out the food then grabbed them each a bottle of water.
“Help yourself,” he said as she pulled out a chair and sat down.
She flashed him a grateful smile. “Thank you for this. I hadn’t even thought about food.”
