No Good Deed: A Small-Town Romantic Suspense Novel

17. Phail Better

Troy took Piper’s hand, relieved when she squeezed it and held on rather than pulling back. He was also relieved that he could now ignore the fact that he’d said he’d loved her. It had been in jest like he would say to anyone.

But it had also been the truth.

She’d reacted to his words. Not much, but enough to know that she’d registered them. Had her reaction been surprise? Unease? Happiness?

He didn’t have a clue, and wasn’t quite brave enough to tell Marcus he needed a minute to find out what she thought.

Instead, they walked into Marcus’s office and closed the door once Oreo trotted through. They sat on the couch, and Marcus took the chair, bringing his laptop with him. Piper released Troy’s hand to scoop up her dog and hold him in her lap. The dog licked everything he could reach, making her relax and smile.

Marcus set the laptop on the table where they could all see. “We weren’t lucky enough to get a hit on the fingerprint yet and it will take time to get DNA results from the gum. Westerlake doesn’t have a record, nor was he in the military. Some systems take time to run prints, but I’m not counting on him showing up in any of them. Once he’s in custody, the prints and the gum will be good evidence, though.”

Troy had hoped for better news on that front. “So, what did you find?”

Marcus grinned. “Your security cameras aren’t the only ones in town.”

Excitement rippled through him. “You’re right. There are some at Doc’s, and at the Firehall. Did someone catch something useful?”

“Maybe. I’ve put in a request to find out what kind of car Westerlake drives. If this one isn’t a match, I’ll reach out to some car rental agencies near where he lives. But both sets of cameras got pictures of an unfamiliar car driving through.”

Piper looked at Marcus. “You know all the cars in town?”

They both laughed. “Small town. It’s a big deal when someone gets a new ride. At this time of year, we don’t get many visitors, so unusual vehicles stand out.”

She shook her head. “I can’t tell you what kind of vehicle any of my colleagues drive.”

Marcus frowned a little. “Didn’t you park beside the same people every day? Do you know those people?”

Another laugh. “I didn’t own a car until after I got laid off and needed to come here. I used transit to get to my job.”

Marcus nodded. “Another way small towns are different. No transit. If you don’t have a vehicle here, you walk everywhere. Which is great until you need something we can’t provide.”

Troy agreed. “Which is another reason we’re hoping to grow the town. Keep people here and keep them spending their money here, too. More services and more options equals more people.” He shook his head. “And I’m preaching to the choir. We didn’t get a chance to show Marcus your presentation before everything went sideways.”

She shrugged, and the sadness returned to her eyes. “This is more important. I’m so sorry about your garage.”

He lifted her hand and kissed her fingers. “Stop apologizing. It’s still not your fault. We need to get home soon so I can cover up that window once Bella and Mitch are done with the scene.”

Marcus nodded. “Let me show you the videos first. This car has driven through town multiple times over the last few days. Joe and Mitch rewatched their footage to see what they could find.”

A silver Honda Accord drove through the videos. The driver wore a ball cap in every video. “Were you able to catch the plate on any of them?”

“No. But Joe is adding another camera at a different angle to try to do exactly that. It will be less obvious than one at your place, but maybe you could change up some of your angles, too.”

“I’ll do that. I’ll also check my own feeds once I’ve boarded the window up. The arsonist might have been doing reconnaissance on the street, either walking or driving.”

They wrapped up things with Marcus and headed out. Troy took Piper’s hand again. She’d been very quiet since they’d entered Marcus’s office, and he wasn’t sure how to convince her that it wasn’t her fault, and that even if it was, it would be worth it to have her here.

Oreo made it about two steps out of Phail General before he shoved his face into a snowbank, making them both laugh. “I wonder if he’ll like summer or if he’s happier in the winter.”

Piper smiled. “I have a feeling he’s pretty easy to please.”

Troy had to agree as Oreo popped out of the snowbank and jumped along beside them. When they arrived at his home, Mitch and Bella were the only two left. They were screwing a piece of plywood into place over his broken window.

“Thanks. I didn’t expect you to do that.”

Bella grinned. “No problem. All part of our full-service arson investigation team.”

Troy hugged her and shook Mitch’s hand. “I appreciate it. And Marcus showed me the video you have of that silver Honda. I’m going to zip through mine and see if I’ve got him on this street. Maybe we’ll get lucky and find a partial plate.”

Finally, they were inside the house with the locks set and the security system armed. Piper blew out a breath before unleashing Oreo and wiping his feet dry with the towel he’d set out for him.

Troy headed into the kitchen. “Want a beer? Or a glass of wine. I think I have wine.”

Piper smiled. “A beer would be great.”

After he’d grabbed two from the fridge, he found her slumped on the couch. He sat beside her, clinked his beer with hers, and then leaned back. “It’s been a weird day.”

She huffed out a laugh. “Understatement of the century. I’m so sorry I’ve dragged all this to your town.”

He tried hard not to roll his eyes, but didn’t quite make it. “No more apologies. Please. Now that we have a possible name to think about, why don’t we focus on catching the jackass?”

Her lips curved upward. “Fine. But if he starts doing more damage to Phail before we can catch him, I think I should take off for a couple of days to lure him away from here.”

Panic roared through him. “Not without me.”

She grinned and patted his thigh. “Deal.”

He grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “Good.”

* * *

Piper leaned up to kiss Troy lightly. Sincerity rang through his words. He didn’t want her to leave.

He leaned back to study her, eyes still serious. “And please don’t second guess the decision. I want you to stay. I want to see where this is going between us.”

Heart full, Piper nodded again. She forced the words she really wanted to say down because it was still too early. “I want to see where this can go, too. I’ve never felt like this before and I don’t want to lose that or you.”

Troy’s smile lit up everything inside of her. “Perfect.” Then he kissed her again.

When his phone rang, he groaned and pulled away. “Damn it. Hold that thought.” He picked it up and chuckled at the number. Holding her hand, he answered. “Hey Stan. How’s it going?”

Piper watched Troy’s face soften as he smiled. Whoever Stan was, Troy was fond of him. Then he closed his eyes briefly and gave her an apologetic smile. “Sure thing, but I’m going to bring a friend and a terrifying beast of a dog. Prepare yourself.”

Then he hung up and grinned. “That was a cousin of my grandmother’s. He lives in an old farmhouse north of town. He gets lonely and finds reasons to call on one of us when what he really wants is a visit. You up for a ride along?”

“Of course.” She wasn’t great at presenting to groups, but she enjoyed meeting new people. Especially if this was a relative Troy obviously cared about. It would also be great to do something normal like a regular couple.

Soon, they were back in the car with Oreo, heading north. Troy had packed some muffins, cheese, and fruit to take as well. “Stan doesn’t always eat when there’s no one to bug him. This will tide him over for the next few mornings.”

Troy seemed to take care of everyone in his community, leaving her to wonder who took care of him. And if she could apply for that job.

It was early evening as they passed open fields and farms. “This is like a movie set. These farmhouses are amazing.”

Troy nodded. “They are. Sadly, no one lives in a lot of them. More examples of the difficulties of small-town living. It’s tough to compete against the huge farms with all their automated equipment.”

Interesting. She’d have to study up on small farms. This might be something they could advertise. Hobby farms. Self-sustaining properties or maybe seasonal rentals. “Maybe we can use those as selling points. Lots of land. I assume it’s good for both animal and food farming?”

He nodded and smiled. “I like the way you turn what might be a negative into a possibility. There’s Kimi’s place. And these next few farms are empty, which means they’re available.”

She smiled as they moved. “The farmhouses are gorgeous. I bet a lot of people would love to own those. And I can see people wanting to fix and flip them. The houses are large, and most of them appear to be in decent shape. I’m sure we can create another page on the website for available properties. Keep people interested by rotating them out every week or so.”

Troy nodded. “Another great idea. In fact, you’ve got me thinking about my other project.”

“Can you tell me?”

He chuckled. “It involves my brothers in arms. In the Army, Marcus and I were part of a six-man team for almost a decade. The other guys are drifting. They haven’t found their spots. Part of the reason I want to grow the town is for them. If we have more opportunities, I think I can talk them into moving here.”

His voice was wistful, and it was easy to hear how much he missed them. It had her doubling down on her determination to help him and Phail succeed.

Which could be another slogan. “Come to Phail to succeed.”

He grinned and tapped the steering wheel. “I like that. I don’t understand how your brain puts all these things together, but I’m glad as hell that it does.”

He pulled into a driveway that had been recently plowed and parked beside a small farmhouse that was full of charm. Wide porch with room for rocking chairs or a swing in the summer. Bright blue siding with neat white trim.

The front door opened as soon as they were out of the vehicle, and a man waved them in. “Come in out of the cold.”

Stan Phail was probably in his eighties. Pure white hair and bright eyes that looked her over with curiosity. When he spotted Oreo in her arms, he boomed a laugh that warmed her.

“Fearsome beast indeed. How are you, little fellow?”

Oreo wiggled his butt and licked Stan’s hand before the man reached out and took him from her grip. “Take your things off and I’ll get to know my new friend here. What’s his name?”

“Oreo.”

That brought another laugh and they disappeared down the hall. Troy helped her off with her coat and then kissed her. “You’re going to like Stan.”

“I already do.”

They found Stan in the kitchen playing fetch with Oreo. Troy held out a chair for her at the table, a chrome piece that probably had been made sixty years before.

Instead of sitting, Troy patted Stan on the back. “I’d like to introduce you to Piper Keenan. Piper, this is Stan Phail.”

Stan smiled and reached out to shake her hand. “Nice to meet you, Piper. Are you new in town?”

Which implied that she might be staying. Which she wanted more with every hour that passed. “I’ve been here for about a week.”

Stan raised his eyebrow at Troy. “You work fast, boy. Always knew you were smart.”

Piper’s cheeks flamed, but she laughed along with the men. It had been fast. It had also been right.

Troy opened the fridge, and put the food he’d brought away. He also grabbed some glasses and filled them with filtered water from a container in the fridge. He brought them back to the table and set out a plate with muffins, grapes and cheese. “When was the last time you ate, Stan?”

Stan waved away the question and threw the ball for Oreo again. “I had some of those enchiladas from your cousin’s place earlier. I’m good.” But he picked up a muffin and took off the wrapper.

Oreo curled up in a ball beside Stan’s chair to take a nap. Troy offered the plate to Piper, and she took some grapes and cheese.

It was only a few minutes before they chatted like they’d known each other for years. Stan was quick-witted, charming, and stubborn. He didn’t want to leave the home he’d lived in for decades, even though he couldn’t do the upkeep himself.

“Brody does a good job with the plowing, but I can handle the steps and the porch by myself. Young pup should know better than to try to do them for me.”

Piper watched Troy roll his eyes. “Brody is trying to be helpful. Let him.”

“Not a chance. Although I suppose I could send him into the woods to see what’s making those lights at night. Then I’d probably never see him again.”

Troy laughed. “You don’t have aliens living in the back of the property, Stan. Marcus checked it out last week. It’s probably someone exploring those old cabins or some trash picking up reflections.”

This time it was Stan who did the eye roll, making Piper laugh. She was getting an insight into how Troy would be in a few decades. It was a good look.