Colton's Christmas Cop Read online

  Then the station phones started ringing. Someone had leaked the story.

  By the time Layla’s attorney arrived, two news vans were parked in front of the police station. Both had come from Sioux Falls. Whoever had tipped them off had wasted no time. Hunter had a hunch it had been Mark Hatton.

  Checking his watch, Hunter swore. Time to go home and let his dog out, plus catch a few hours of shut-eye. But he didn’t want to leave until he saw what happened with Layla. While he thought she was the epitome of everything wrong with the corporate world, she’d always been kind to him. She didn’t deserve this, especially since he felt positive she’d done nothing wrong.

  “What’s going on?” he asked Tim Lakely, one of the officers who’d brought her in. Though Lakely wasn’t on the K9 team, Hunter knew him well.

  “She’s still in with her attorney,” Lakely replied, his expression disgusted. “And they must have called in Judge Kugen, because he just showed up. And he doesn’t look happy. Of course she gets special treatment since she’s a rich Colton.”

  Hunter followed the direction of the other man’s gaze. Judge Roy Kugen sat in one of the uncomfortable metal chairs that dotted the room. Suspect chairs, though occasionally they were used by citizens wishing to file a report. The judge had clearly been roused from bed, at least if his disheveled gray hair was any indication. He also appeared to be wearing plaid pajama pants under his heavy coat, though he’d had enough foresight to put on a pair of boots.

  The lawyer appeared, some hotshot corporate attorney from Sioux Falls, and asked the judge if he’d mind coming with him. Roy pushed to his feet and they vanished inside the conference room.

  Lakely shook his head. “One more example of how rich people get away with everything. If Layla Colton was just a regular person, she’d be spending the night here and be arraigned in the morning. But no, she got Judge Kugen to come to her so she could go home tonight.”

  “I can’t say I blame her,” Hunter said, in the interest of fairness. “You know if you were in the same position, you’d do the same thing.”

  Rolling his eyes, Lakely muttered under his breath and stomped away.

  A few minutes later, Judge Kugen appeared again. He glanced around the virtually empty squad room until his gaze landed on Hunter. “Here,” the judge said, thrusting a sheaf of papers at him. “I’ve waived bail and we’re letting Ms. Colton go on her own recognizance. These will be filed with the court in the morning. Those are your copies.”

  Accepting the papers, Hunter nodded. “I’ll make sure the officers working this case get these.”

  “You do that.” Judge Kugen narrowed his eyes. “I sure as hell hope you’ve got an airtight case. People like the Colton family don’t take kindly to being arrested under false accusations.”

  Since he privately agreed, Hunter simply nodded.

  Once the judge had left, the attorney stuck his head out the door. “Are you Hunter Black?”

  “I am.”

  “Ms. Colton would like a word with you,” the guy said.

  Summoned. Just like she thought he still worked for her. Hunter briefly debated declining, but in the end, he headed for the conference room. Call it curiosity or call it compassion, but he truly wanted to hear what Layla Colton had to say.

  When he entered the room, she raised her gaze to his, her long-lashed blue eyes troubled. Her platinum blond hair swung, settling back into place.

  “I’ll leave you two alone,” the attorney said, grabbing his briefcase from the table. “Ms. Colton, do you need anything else from me?”

  “No, I don’t think so,” she said, her normally cool voice sounding a bit shaky. “Thank you, Anthony.”

  With a brusque nod, the lawyer left, closing the door behind him.

  She tucked a strand of her silky hair behind her ear, clearly waiting for Hunter to speak first. Instead, he studied her. Her tailored suit and silk blouse meant she’d most likely been arrested at work. At this hour of the morning? He’d heard she was a workaholic, but still.

  Suffering his perusal in silence, she finally sighed. “Won’t you please sit down?”

  Instead, he jammed his hands in his pockets. “What’s going on, Layla? It’s late and I really need to get home.”

  At his words, her icy composure crumbled. She covered her face with her hands so he wouldn’t see her weep.

  Damn. He seriously went to pieces when a woman cried.

  “Hey, now,” he said, awkwardly patting her shoulder. “It’s going to be okay.”

  “Is it?” When she raised her face, her perfectly applied mascara had run, sending black streaks down her face. She angrily tried to wipe them away and only succeeded in smearing sooty color all over her face. She looked, he thought, like a bedraggled raccoon. He actually liked this Layla better than the icy tycoon.

  Resigned now, he pulled out a chair. “Tell me exactly what’s going on.”

  She did, replaying what she’d been told—basically what Lakely had told him earlier. “I just don’t understand how anyone could honestly believe I’d sexually harass someone like Mark Hatton.” She shuddered. “Or anyone, for that matter. You know me. You worked with me. I took care to keep my conduct businesslike, above reproach.”

  “Yes, you did.” He leaned forward. “But what about the text messages? The photos?”

  Though she blushed, she didn’t look away. “I never sent them. Those two cops who arrested me confiscated my phone or I’d show you. I’m being set up, though I have no idea why.”

  “Someone with a grudge against Colton Energy?” he gently pointed out. After all, it wasn’t like the company didn’t have enemies.

  Again, her expression went from glum to miserable. “I... I don’t know.”

  He wasn’t sure if she was telling the truth or not. But then, he wasn’t surprised. The entire time he’d worked there, everyone had known Colton Energy was Layla’s life. Whether she turned a blind eye or just didn’t know about her father’s shady business deals, he had no idea. Certainly, few in town even suspected the true nature of Fenwick Colton. After all, they’d elected the man their mayor.

  The uncomfortable thought hit him. If she’d lie about this, then who knew what else she’d do? “Layla,” he asked gently. “Did you proposition and then threaten Mark Hatton? I know it can get lonely at the top.”

  She recoiled, her expression aghast. “No. I most certainly did not. I swear to you on the lives of my family that I didn’t send those texts, emails or photos. I’m being set up.”

  Unimpressed, he continued to study her. “Swear to me on your job, on Colton Energy.” In other words, what truly was the most important thing to her.

  Hurt flashed across her face, but she lifted her chin and swore again, exactly how he’d asked.

  He nodded, satisfied. “Now I know you’re telling the truth.”

  “Why did you quit, Hunter?” she asked, surprising him. “You were well regarded and performed your job duties well. And we paid you an excellent salary. Yet you gave notice without even the prospect of another job offer. When we heard you’d signed up for the police academy, we were surprised, to say the least.”

  How to tell someone that the life they’d chosen for herself was one he found abhorrent? Corporate greed and lies, constantly wondering if the things he was asked to do skirted the border of legality...

  “Working in law enforcement had been a longtime dream of mine,” he said. Then, deciding the time had come to change the subject and wrap things up, he checked his watch. “Do you want to call someone, maybe your fiancé, to come and get you?”

  “No. My engagement is currently on hold, like everyone else’s in this town,” she replied. She had a point. With some crazed serial killer going around murdering grooms right before their wedding day, just about every scheduled wedding had been postponed.

  “And to tell you the tru
th,” she continued, “I’m afraid if Hamlin finds out about these charges, he’ll end the engagement for good.”

  She looked so miserable at the prospect, his heart went out to her.

  “Come on, then,” he said, making an instant decision. “Let me run you home. It’s on my way, so it won’t be any trouble.”

  “What about the news vans?” She pointed toward the front of the police station. “Is there any way we can avoid them?”

  Eyeing her, in her tailored suit and heels, he considered. “We’ll go out the back and take my squad car, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t have someone watching that exit, too. It’d be better if you had a disguise.”

  “I don’t.”

  “I might be able to come up with something,” he replied.

  “Please tell me you’re not planning on raiding the police lost and found.” She shuddered. “No one knows where those things have been.”

  He couldn’t help but laugh. “I wasn’t, but that’s an idea. No, I keep a clean change of clothes here in case I have to spend the night. These uniforms aren’t the most comfortable to sleep in.”

  To his astonishment, she blushed. “Oh. But I don’t think your clothes will fit me. At all.”

  “We’ll figure out a way to make do. Come on, follow me.” He led the way down the hall, toward an area marked Employees Only. They went through the double doors and into a large room filled with lockers. From his locker, he retrieved a flannel shirt, a pair of sweatpants and socks. He’d even stuffed back a pair of old snow boots. “Here.” He handed everything to her. “The bathroom is right there. Put these on.”

  Eyeing the folded bundle dubiously, nevertheless, she did as he asked. When she emerged a few moments later, he felt like he’d just been punched in the stomach. His plaid flannel shirt hung down to her knees. She’d gotten creative and rolled his sweatpants up so they didn’t drag on the floor. She’d gathered the excess waistband to one side and held it in her small hand. And she struggled to walk in snow boots that were clearly several sizes too large for her.

  She looked like misfortune had guided her clothing choice, as if she were a homeless vagabond wearing whatever she could find in order to stay warm.

  And she looked, he thought, while struggling to catch his breath, sexy as hell.

  Dizzy with a sudden rush of desire, he tried to regain his equilibrium.

  This Layla Colton spelled trouble. Not just for him, he figured, not wanting to make of it any more than he had to. Hell, the intriguing contrast between super-sleek, buttoned-up Layla the executive and this one would catch the attention of any man with a lick of sense. He couldn’t gather his scattered thoughts enough to speak a single coherent word. It took every ounce of his willpower to keep from focusing on her lush lips and how badly he wanted to kiss them.

  Luckily, he wasn’t likely to ever see her looking like this ever again.

  “Here.” He handed her a baseball cap and his down parka. “Put these on and we’ll head out. I don’t think anyone would recognize you now.”

  He was right. If there were reporters stationed at the back of the building, he couldn’t tell. Which meant he could get her out of there without any undue attention. She got in his patrol car and they drove away unnoticed.

  Chapter 2

  Sinking down in the passenger seat, Layla started laughing as soon as they exited the police station parking lot. She couldn’t help it, even though she realized her inexplicable mirth bordered on hysteria.

  She laughed until tears ran down her cheeks, until exhaustion made her catch her breath. As she wound down, Hunter handed her a box of tissues. “Here,” he said. “I keep them in the car just in case. You never know when you’ll need them.”

  Grateful, she accepted. After wiping her eyes and what little mascara remained, she blew her nose and took a deep breath. “Sorry about that,” she told him, meaning it. “I really don’t know what came over me.”

  “It’s okay.” He glanced sideways at her. “People do strange things when under stress.”

  Grateful for his easy acceptance, she settled more comfortably in her seat as she rattled off her address. “Though I guess I should have you take me back to Colton Energy to get my car.”

  “I think you’re too upset to drive,” he said.

  After a moment, she agreed. “It’s been pretty crazy lately, even before this,” she admitted. “I mean, who would have thought our town would have a serial killer? And what a strange one, singling out men about to get married.”

  “Yeah. It is bizarre. And in addition to the grim reality of murder, there’s damage to the local economy. With all the weddings that have been placed on hold, lots of our local small businesses are suffering. Your sister’s bridal salon is in danger of going out of business. I’ve heard that returns and outright cancellations have destroyed Bea’s cash flow. And of course the wedding planners and caterers, like Good Eats, are struggling to pay their bills.”

  They reached the downtown area. Due to the hour, the streets were deserted. A light snow had fallen earlier, just enough to dust everything with white, so the sidewalks appeared pristine and untouched. When she’d been younger, Layla had loved to leave the first set of footprints in fresh snow. She knew even now, when they reached her town house, she’d take a private delight in walking from the parking lot to her front door.

  “It would be a shame if all those mom-and-pop stores went under,” he continued. “They’re hardworking people, good folks, and I hate to see that happen to them.”

  Again, her stomach twisted. Though she tried to keep everything bottled up inside, her stress level had her feeling as if something might blow at any moment. “It’s crazy,” she agreed. “We’re so close to Thanksgiving, and we’ve got some murderer running around killing off grooms. Everyone is scared.”

  “Are you?”

  Without hesitation, she nodded. “I am. Colton Energy is in trouble, too.” What had caused her to blurt this truth out, she wasn’t sure. But she felt better having actually said it out loud. “That’s why I agreed to marry Hamlin Harrington. He’s promised my father a fresh influx of money.”

  “An arranged marriage?” He sounded so shocked.

  “He’s wanted me for years.” As if that justified it. While she knew how it appeared, she didn’t see where she had a choice.

  “Layla, he’s twice your age.”

  With a nervous laugh, she discounted that statement. “Not really. He is quite a bit older, though. But it’ll be fine. I’ll do anything to save the family business. Marrying Hamlin will do that, as long as the wedding goes off without a hitch by the end of the year.”

  He signaled a right turn onto her street and shot her a curious glance. “Why the time constraint?”

  Taking a deep breath before answering, she considered swearing him to secrecy. If she told him the truth, she’d be letting him in on something only very few people knew. “Will you keep this between us?” she asked.

  “Of course.”

  For whatever reason, she trusted him to keep his word.

  “If Colton Energy doesn’t get that cash by the end of the year, there’s no help for us. We’ll have to file bankruptcy and most likely close our doors.” She bit her lip before continuing. “Not only will many people be out of work, but we won’t be able to continue to help fund my pet project, the police K9 unit and training center.” All of her father’s wives had been strong supporters of the K9 unit and training center, including Layla’s late mother. Trusts had been left by her and her half sisters’ mothers to keep the unit and center going, and when those trusts ran out, Fenwick had stepped up. Now, unless her marriage to Hamlin went on, the K9 unit and training center would be in as much jeopardy as Colton Energy.

  Her words hung there in the air between them as Hunter pulled into her parking lot and up next to the curb in front of her town house. Turning
in his seat to face her, he scratched his head. “Layla, the K9 training center is now completely self-sufficient, thanks to K9 chief Finn Colton, who came up with a plan. Once the center started training dogs for police departments all over the country, they quickly got out of the red. A fully trained police dog goes for over ten thousand dollars.”

  Stunned, she wasn’t sure how to respond. With the truth, she supposed. “I didn’t know. That entire thing is under my father’s control. He never told me about that.” In fact, he’d led her to believe the opposite. He talked about the K9 training center as if it was a money pit, draining Colton Energy dry. This made her wonder what else he might have misdirected her on.

  “You were the VP of finance and accounting,” she said. “I know it’s been a while since you left, but what—in your opinion—was the biggest drain on Colton Energy’s finances?”

  He only stared at her. “You should already know that. You’re executive VP of everything.”

  Of course, he had no way of knowing how empty her title truly was. “Not really, though that’s a general misconception. While I am in charge of several departments, my primary duties are more in sales and marketing,” she said. “I oversee our sales force and step in when necessary to help get corporate contracts for companies that want to break away from traditional energy and do something more earth friendly and renewable.” She managed her normal professional smile as she recited the spiel she knew by heart. “I also oversee the payroll department and human resources. My father still oversees the accounting department and has the final say on any big decisions.”

  “But you have access to the books, right?”

  Put that way... “No,” she admitted. “I haven’t seen the books. I’m thinking I should take a look.”

  His sideways glance was telling. “Since you’re head of HR, were you the one who hired Mark Hatton?”

  Right to the gut, that question. Her smile slipped. “I was. I regretted that decision within a month. Mark cuts corners and makes sloppy deals, and I have to wonder at his ethics. I’d begun keeping a detailed accounting of his mistakes so I’d have backup when I fired him.”