Free The Christmas Clue by Delores Fossen

Ronald asked.
    “No good whatsoever.” Matt turned on the infrared to test it. It worked. He could see Cass’s “hot” image in the bathroom.
    “This is about the baby that Dominic adopted,” Ronald continued. He cocked his head to the side. “Yours and Vanessa’s baby.”
    Because Ronald had risked a lot by coming here, Matt felt he owed him an explanation, even if it was a partial one. “I have to get my daughter out. And please save your breath about going through official channels.”
    “Wouldn’t dream of it.” There was more than a touch of sarcasm in Ronald’s voice. “Nor will I dwell on the fact that this could cost you everything.”
    Matt met his gaze head-on. “My daughter is everything now.”
    Ronald flashed one of his infamous smiles. “I wouldn’t respect you if you’d said otherwise.” The smile was short-lived. “Gideon is already suspicious. He called me on the way over here.”
    Their boss. Gideon Tate. And, yeah, Gideon would be suspicious. He was no dummy. Gideon would probably be on Matt’s side in this issue, too, if he learned the whole story, but Matt didn’t want to drag him into this. The fewer people who knew, the better. That might prevent Dominic from learning what Matt planned to do.
    “If you’re going to Dominic’s estate,” Ronald continued, “and if you get in a tight spot, there’s a local sheriff nearby that you can trust. Only one. His name is Mike Medina, and he’s over in a little town called Rim Rock.”
    “The department knows this guy is clean and not working for Dominic?”
    Ronald nodded. “He’s a straight arrow.” He glanced around. “What about transportation—how do you plan to get to West Texas?”
    “I came here in the truck,” Matt volunteered.
    Ronald groaned, extracted his keys from his pocket and shoved them into the equipment bag. “You won’t get far in that truck. Take my car—the plates are clean. I switched them before I came over. Do you need me to go with you?”
    “No. You’ve already risked enough.”
    And speaking of risks, the infrared monitor detected some motion. A vehicle moving in the parking lot. Matt went to the window, looked out and saw Libby. She parked, got out and was headed straight for the apartment.
    “Libby,” Matt relayed to Ronald. “You need to leave so she doesn’t see you.”
    “I have a better idea.” Ronald returned to the door. “Since I no longer have the equipment on me, I’ll run interference for you and talk Libby into going home. Good luck finding your daughter.”
    Matt thanked him, locked the door again and hoped like the devil that he wouldn’t have to go another round with Libby or the assassins tonight. But he did have to find out what was going on with Cass. She’d been on that phone a long time.
    She opened the bathroom door the moment he reached for the knob. “You have the equipment?” Cass asked, glancing at the large black leather bag.
    Matt nodded and was about to ask about the call, but the knock at the door stopped him.
    “It’s Libby,” she called out. “I don’t care what Ronald says, I can help you.”
    “We don’t have time for another conversation,” Cass informed him.
    Matt agreed. He opened the bathroom window and tossed out the chain fire escape ladder. It was well past time they got out of there, and leaving the back way was not only safe, it would prevent another encounter with Libby.
    “That call was from Hollis Becker, my insider at Dominic’s estate,” Cass continued. “There’s a problem.”
    He cursed, not just with Cass’s news, but the fact that Libby was still pounding his door.
    Matt slipped the equipment bag over his shoulder so he could climb down. “What’s wrong?” he asked, dreading what he was about to hear.
    “Hollis overheard Dominic’s sister, Annette, talking to someone on the phone.”
    Matt’s heart dropped to his knees. “Did something happen to Molly?”
    “Not like you think. But according to what Hollis