The Christmas Presence by Carol Kinnee

Author:Carol Kinnee
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Carol Kinnee
Published: 2018-11-16T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 22

The officer in the rear hung back, watching, his hand lingering at his side, then slowly dropping to his hip. He exchanged a quick glance with his partner.

“Ryerson’s on route,” he said, stepping forward to take the proffered identification from Jake’s hand.

“Toronto? You’re a little out of your jurisdiction, aren’t you?” he asked, looking from Jake to the picture. He passed the wallet back to him.

“Yeah, a little. Hand me your zips,” Jake said.

He took the zip ties, slipped them onto Sid’s bony wrists, and pulled the smaller man to his feet. An unmarked police cruiser slid to a stop. Dan Ryerson climbed out, frowning in irritation at the sight of Jake.

“I heard you’re supposed to be on holidays. Don’t you think you’re a little off your beat?” he asked.

“You checked?” Jake asked. “I’m flattered.” Why wouldn’t Ryerson do his due diligence and check him out? It was what he would do. He looked at the detective with new respect.

“Sure you are,” Ryerson said. “What’s this?”

“This is how your Cobra is keeping tabs on Noelle. There’s a cell phone on the front seat, along with a number to call. This guy’s a hired goon, an addict. Careful with his right front pocket.”

At a nod from Ryerson, the patrolman gingerly patted down Sid’s jacket. He extracted a baggy of dirty gray crystals and a syringe.

“Get him out of here. Book him on possession. I’ll see him later.” Ryerson turned back to Jake. “What’s your part in all of this? You seem pretty involved, considering she’s an ex.”

Jake met the detective’s gaze. Ryerson had done his homework. He missed little. In some ways, he and Jake were a lot alike. If times were different, they’d probably go grab a beer. No, Jake’s problem wasn’t with the guy’s work, it was with the interest he was showing in Noelle.

“Come on,” Jake said. “Let’s take a walk. I’ll tell you what happened this afternoon. You can have a chat with my ex-wife, and she can tell you she’s invincible and doesn’t need help.”

Ryerson fell into step beside him and listened to Jake’s rundown of the afternoon’s events. For a moment, he said nothing, and then, “I talked to your partner. She said to tell you that holiday means relaxing, not getting involved in an ongoing investigation.”

“Is that all she said?”

“That, and that you’re a pain in the ass when you think you’re right.”

Jake laughed.

They neared the Hamilton house and found a knot of people gathered on the front lawn, watching the activity down the road.

“Looks like a party,” Ryerson observed.

“A yearly special. Noelle’s annual birthday/Christmas tree decorating party. Big family event.” So what if Ryerson interpreted Jake’s words to mean he was part of the celebration?

At least Noelle wasn’t in the crowd. For once, she was showing common sense and staying out of the action.

The crowd shifted. Noelle’s brothers hovered at the edge of the front lawn like aggressive bulldogs. None of them looked happy to see Jake.

“What the hell is going on?” Ray demanded.

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