Page 27 of Holding Out For A Holiday Hero

“Where the hell is True?” Jake flattened his hands on the security desk at the front of the museum. “She wouldn’t just leave without telling me.”

The guard behind the desk—Robert Moss—frowned at Jake. “I told you already that True and Aliyah left earlier. True was getting her phone, and I think she said that she’d meet you outside.” He made a shooing motion with his hands. “So go look outside. Near the back exit.”

Another guard ambled toward them. Younger, fresh-faced, with close-cropped, dark hair. “The West Hallway is clear,” he said. Braden Wallace. Jake had interviewed both guards earlier. They’d had zero useful intel to give him.

Braden was working his way through college—a psych major. He’d taken the security gig because he liked to study at night when the museum was quiet. And his days were left free to attend classes. Jake had gotten Perry to run a background check on everyone at the museum. Braden had come up clean.

So had Robert. A former Atlanta cop, the guy had retired to Rosewood only to get bored and had signed up for the security gig at the museum three years ago. He’d quickly been promoted to head of security.

The two guards who worked the day shift—Sydney Snow and Marc Chan—had both showed similarly clean records. Actually, all of the staff members at the museum were perfect on paper.

“The West Hallway.” Jake cocked his head. “True’s office is on that hallway.” Her office and the Egyptian exhibit.

Braden nodded. “Yep. And Miss True’s office was all shut down for the night. Lights off. Door closed.” His brows beetled. “Is there a problem?”

Yeah, his gut said there was most definitely a problem. And it wasn’t just the fact that he was still wearing his damn Santa suit. The problem was that True had vanished. “I looked out back. She wasn’t near my ride.” They’d come to the museum together. Not like she could leave without him.

“Maybe she decided to take off with Aliyah. They do that sometimes. Go out for drinks and ladies’ night.” Robert scratched his jaw. “Want me to call Aliyah or True for you?”

He’d already whipped out his phone. “On it.” But he’d tried calling True a few moments before. No answer.

Then or…

Now.

Her voicemail picked up, and her warm voice told him, “This is True. So sorry I can’t take your call. Leave me a message, and I’ll get back with you as soon as I can. Thanks.”

“True, where the hell are you?” Jake demanded as he began to head back toward the West Hallway. “Call me when you get this?—”

The museum plunged into darkness.

Complete and total darkness.

“What in the hell?” he snarled even as he hung up the call.

“It’s the breaker. We’re an old place.” Robert’s voice drifted to him in the darkness.

Old was an understatement. They were in one of the few historic buildings left in town. As in…a building that had been there since the 1800s.

“Wiring is being updated with all the new security bells and whistles that True wants.” The keys jingled from Robert’s waist as he walked. “I’ll reset things. Just took too much power—that happens with the light display outside. The reindeer and sleigh look great on the roof, but they make the power go off and on a few times a week. We’re lucky this didn’t happen when all the kids were here.”

Lucky.

A flashlight turned on and hit Jake in the face. “Why don’t you go wait outside?” Robert advised. “Don’t want you getting lost in the dark.”

Jake tapped on his phone’s screen. The phone’s light turned on instantly. Illumination just as strong as the glow coming from Robert’s flashlight. “I’m good, and I’m not leaving without True.” He turned and headed for the West Hallway.

“Told you, she’s not in her office!” Braden called. He had a flashlight on, too. It shone behind Jake.

Jake kept walking. “I’m just going to check again.”

Keys jingled and clanked behind him as Robert hurried to get the lights turned on. The place loses power two or three times a week? Talk about your security nightmare. No wonder True wants the whole system upgraded ASAP.

Jake kept his phone in his hand and used the light as a guide. Jake also dialed True one more time.

He stilled when he heard the faint hum of a phone ringing nearby.

His head turned to the left. He lifted up his light. Saw the closed double doors that led to the Egyptian display.

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