Silent Night: A Spenser Holiday Novel by Robert B. Parker Page A

wherever he goes. But I don’t think that’s true anymore. I saw his anger that night. I think he is more likely to have me killed than take me with him. He knows I know something. I’m a loose end. If he were to disappear, it would be because he is afraid. And he’s afraid of what I know and what I might say.”
    “So why hasn’t he killed you already?”
    “Because it’s not that simple with Juan. He won’t look like the bad guy. So he won’t do the job himself. The killing must be arranged. He’ll stage some kind of accident, with witnesses, to get himself off the hook. This way he can deny it, even to himself.”
    “In order to put Juan in jail, the authorities will need evidence that can be used in court. Would you be willing to testify against him at a trial?”
    “Yes,” Carmen said. “I would gladly say what I know. Others would as well.”
    “Really? These other people aren’t afraid?”
    “The guards and employees here, they fear Juan, but they aren’t loyal. The guards are friendly and kind when Juan isn’t around. But they would tell what they knew if it meant they could get away from Juan—or avoid prison.”
    “Do you have any idea where Juan keeps his business records?”
    “I assume at his office in Boston? He does have a safe room here. It’s underneath the stable, but the entrance is through a tunnel from the house. I’ve never been in there, but I know it exists.”
    “If something happened to Juan, what would you do?”
    “I would survive,” she said.
    “You have any money saved?”
    “Enough to last me awhile. I can always teach tennis at fancy resorts or tennis camps.”
    “Being independent is good. And what about Slide?” I said.
    “Wherever I go, Slide goes.”
    “From now on, I want you to start checking in with me every couple of hours. I want to know you’re okay,” I said. “Any obvious opportunities for Juan to stage an accident in front of witnesses?”
    “Juan is hosting another big charity Christmas party next week. It’s a tennis-themed event, so I run it. I always get a few top players and other celebrities to come. It raises money for both the USTA and the USWTA, and Juan gets to show off to his rich friends. There’ll be so many high-profile people here that day, I know I’ll be safe.”
    “How do you figure you’ll be safe? Just because it’s a big crowd? Sounds dangerous.”
    “Too many people in a small space. Too many children. Too much publicity. If Juan wanted to stage something, I believe he’d choose a situation where he had more control.”
    “Anything else? Any other events between now and the end of the year?”
    Carmen shook her head. “Not that I know of. Juan was planning to have a small dinner party on Christmas Eve, with just a few couples. That was before I moved out of the house. I assume the dinner has been canceled, or at least that I am no longer invited. Juan hasn’t mentioned it since I left.”
    Carmen stopped and looked at me. “Spenser, I’ve answered all your questions. You’ve provided me with no information, nor have I asked you for any. I hope that you believe that I act on my own and not for Juan Alvarez, and that what I tell you is true.” She waited to see if I’d reassure her. When I didn’t, she went to her duffel bag.
    “Would you do me a favor?” she said, handing me some hundred-dollar bills. “I want to give Slide a Christmas present. I don’t own a car and don’t want to ask Juan or his men to take me in to Boston to shop. I want Slide to have an electric-blue Razor. All the kids have them. You know, those motorized scooters.”
    “Consider it done,” I said. “One last thing.” I took out a small pad and pen and handed them to Carmen. “I need a map of the property. Just give me the general location of each building. And I need a map of the house. What’s in each room, where the doors and windows are.”
    She talked while she drew the maps.
    “Some setup, right?” she said. “The