Chapter 5
“CAN THE fireman stay?” Peter asked after a few seconds.
Chase chuckled as he backed away, feeling like a fool and hoping his forwardness wasn’t out of line. He’d just felt like Jerrod needed some sort of comfort. Chase had wanted to kiss the man into complete mindlessness, but he’d hugged him instead.
“He probably needs to go back to work.”
“But what if this house burns down? We need the fireman here to save us.” Peter was so serious, his eyes filled with fear.
“Your daddy has my phone number, and if that happens, we’ll be here right away,” Chase said, trying to be polite. They didn’t need him butting in. “But everything is going to be okay.” He knelt down. “I know it seems scary after what happened, but your daddy is going to keep you safe.” He lifted his gaze to Jerrod. “And I’m your friend, and I’ll be watching out too. I promise. Okay?”
Peter nodded and then hurried away, back up the stairs.
“I don’t know what to tell him. Whoever set fire to our house is out there, and what if they try something here? I keep wondering what I’m going to do. I put Peter in the back bedroom, and I already know the ways to get him out of the house if something does happen. But living in fear is terrible.”
“Okay, then let’s talk about it,” Chase said. “The best way to end this is to figure out who could have done this.” He lifted one of the kitchen boxes and carried it into the other room.
“You’ve already done enough,” Jerrod said as he grabbed another box. This one said it contained pans. He opened it and began putting the cookware into a lower cupboard near the stove.
“Where do the dishes go?” Chase asked, then began putting them in the cupboard Jerrod picked near the sink. It seemed his plans to leave had been hijacked. Not that he really minded. “Okay. We already have Gizelle on the list. What were the names of the two guys you let go?”
“Steve and Gary. I don’t remember their last names offhand,” Jerrod answered.
Chase pulled out a small tablet from his pocket and took down the information.
“They both live here in Carlisle as far as I know. They could have moved away, but I don’t know for sure. I saw Steve in town a few weeks ago.”
Chase put the tablet back in his pocket. “All right. Who else might wish you ill?”
Jerrod set the empty box in the corner and retrieved another. “I don’t know. I had a client who gave me trouble, but we worked everything out. I’m just an electrician.”
“All right. There is the possibility that the guy who did this is a firebug and likes to watch things burn. That could also be it.” Chase was offering possibilities, but even as he said it, it didn’t seem to fit.
Jerrod pulled open a drawer and paused. “It seems really personal to me. Maybe it’s because it was my house, but….”
“I thought so too.” Someone went to a lot of trouble to try to make it seem like the wiring was the issue. That seemed very personal and close to home. Someone really wanted to hurt Jerrod, and the thought had Chase clenching a fist without even realizing it. “So if that’s the case, then who might have done it? Gizelle doesn’t seem like the type, and arson is overwhelmingly a male crime. Doesn’t mean it couldn’t have been her, though.” He put away the glasses as he continued thinking. “You know, it could be some kind of rival.”
Jerrod reached over the stove to put something away, the hem of his shirt riding up just enough to give Chase a glimpse of a band of golden skin, and he forgot his train of thought for a few seconds. Damn, Jerrod was gorgeous.
“I don’t have rivals, not like that. Sure, I beat guys out of jobs, and sometimes others beat me—it’s the name of the game. I have a large job set to start in a couple weeks that’s going to keep me busy for almost a year. Those new condos out north of town. I got a subcontract to wire them. I have a couple guys I’ve worked with before to do it with me. The three of us formed a partnership to bid on the work. It should be a really good job.”
“Then who did you beat out?” Chase asked, breaking down the empty boxes. “If it’s going to be lucrative for you, then you took that peach job away from someone else.”
Jerrod shrugged. “It was a sealed bid. We put in our bid, and others did the same. It was as simple as that. Because the three of us are nimble and don’t have huge overhead, we were able to come in at a good price.” He paused, blinking a few times.
“And if the fire at your house had been declared electrical in origin…?” Chase posed.
“Then the overall contractor might have wanted to rethink the deal,” Jerrod said before swearing under his breath. “But I have no way of knowing who the other bidders were, and the general contractor can’t reveal them.”
“No. That’s something we can point the police toward, though. Maybe they can gain access.” Chase jotted that down. Hayden would probably have a few contacts with the borough police that they could pass the information on to.
“Okay. That makes sense,” Jerrod said. “And if that’s true, them going after me here makes no sense, because I haven’t worked on this house.” He seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. “Starting a fire here won’t get them anywhere.”
“That’s true.”
“And I always pull permits and have my work inspected. That isn’t foolproof, but it does mean that my work has been gone over by a second set of eyes. If I was trying to work under the table, I’d be a lot more vulnerable.”
“Can’t argue with that,” Chase agreed, returning to the living room. “Let’s get these boxes upstairs where you’re going to need them.” He hefted the first one and headed for the stairs. Jerrod followed him. Chase put the box of towels and stuff in the bathroom and returned for the bags of things he thought were Jerrod’s, which he placed in the largely empty bedroom. “Where had you intended to sleep?”
“I haven’t had a chance to think about it much. Mostly I’ve been worried about Peter. I got him a bed, but I figured I could sleep on the floor for now.” He stood in the center of the room, looking kind of lost. “I guess I should get myself over to one of the mattress stores and figure something out. I’m also going to need a sofa and a few lamps and stuff.”
“And probably a television,” Chase said.
Jerrod shrugged. “Eventually, though that isn’t a really high priority. Peter and I don’t watch a lot. I read to him every night, and we play games together when we’re home. I’m going to need to go out and replace some of the ones he really likes.”
“That’s cool,” Chase said.
“I grew up spending hours in front of the TV watching just about anything that was on. I don’t want Peter to do that. I had an iPad in the house, but I limited Peter’s screen time. I don’t want him to disappear behind one of those. When the evenings were nice, we’d go out for a walk to one of the parks where he could play.”
“I have to give you a lot of credit. It would be so much easier to let the TV act as a babysitter,” Chase said.
“My mom did that a lot. Johnny always said he wanted better for Peter, so I’m trying to live up to his wishes.” Jerrod nodded, almost to himself. “I have no idea why I’m telling you all this. It must be boring as heck.”
Chase actually smiled. “It sounds like you’re trying to give Peter the best childhood you can.” His parents had cared for him, and Chase knew he was loved, but only up to a point. “Was it just you and your brother?”
“Yes. And it was so hard on everyone when he died. He was like the perfect son and older brother. Not that Mom and Dad ever said anything. He was the oldest, and he watched out for me and helped keep me out of trouble.” Jerrod leaned against the door frame. “I was in seventh grade when Johnny caught me behind the garage smoking a cigarette. It was embarrassing how stupid I was. He snatched the cigarette away and glared at me before passing it back, making me smoke the rest of it and then what was left of the pack, one after the other. I got so sick and coughed so much I swore I was going to pass out. To this day, I can’t stand the smell of cigarettes. And as far as I know, he never told Mom or Dad. That was the end of it.” He sighed. “What about you?”
“I have a younger sister. She’s sixteen and still lives with my parents. Mom didn’t think she could have kids after me, and then eight years later, she had Julie.” Chase shrugged. “She’s completely spoiled and gets away with anything she wants. I was glad when Mom and Dad moved away. They bought their retirement home in the Southwest and took Julie with them.”
“You don’t like her?” Jerrod asked.
“I don’t know her all that well. I left for school six years ago when she was ten. When I went to high school, she was six, so we don’t have much in common, and we’re at very different points in our lives. I see her just a few times a year, and lately she’s always been really busy, so I guess what I hear is what Mom and Dad tell me.” He knew that was skewed because Julie was a teenager, and that was a rough time for everyone in the family. He turned to look down the hallway as Peter came out of his room, barreling toward them. The kid seemed to have one speed: zoom.
“Hey, buddy. Do you like your new room?”
“Yes,” he answered. “Daddy, did you forget the pizza? My tummy is really hungry. It’s making noises.”
“I did. I’m sorry. What kind do you want?”
“Cheese and pepperponies,” Peter answered, and Jerrod nodded and placed an order to be delivered. He also got some drinks and asked Chase what he wanted. Chase had never been picky about that sort of thing, so Jerrod got a half pepperoni and half everything pizza before ending the call.
“Can your tummy wait twenty minutes, or does it need a cracker?”
Peter seemed to listen. “It says it needs twooooo crackers.”
“Oh, it does?” Jerrod swept Peter into the air to giggles that filled the largely empty room with happiness. “Let’s go downstairs and get you those crackers.” He flew Peter around the room and then out the door, and carried him down the stairs, leaving laughter in their wake. Chase followed, carted along by the sound and the carefree smile on Jerrod’s face.
“I should get going,” Chase said when he joined the happy family of two in the living room.
“Please stay. I ordered plenty of pizza, and it’s the least I can do after all you’ve done for us.” He handed Peter two crackers from a package out of a Giant grocery bag and carried it to the kitchen.
“Are you sure?” Chase asked. He didn’t want to impose.
Jerrod paused as he put the groceries away, turning back to him. “If it weren’t for you, I’d be fighting for my career, still looking for a place to live, and trying to scrounge up even the most basic things for Peter and me.” He drew closer, and Chase’s heart skipped a beat. “I didn’t even know you before our lives fell apart, and you’ve done more for me than anyone has in a long time.” Those eyes grew deeper by the second. “I can’t thank you enough for any of it.” He leaned against the counter. “Where did you come from?”
“Excuse me?” Chase asked.
“Are you, like, some angel in hot fireman form? Is that what’s happening?” His voice lowered to just above a whisper.
Chase smiled. “You think I’m hot?”
Jerrod rolled his eyes dramatically. “That’s all you took from everything I said?” For a few seconds he looked like a mischievous boy. “I opened up about all the things you’ve done, and all you heard was that I think you’re hot.”
“Every guy likes to think he’s hot,” Chase said with a grin, inordinately pleased that Jerrod thought him attractive. “And you’re welcome. I know it’s hard trying to start a life, but I can’t imagine having to start over from scratch.” Hell, there was so much more than that. Losing your home meant finding a new one, not just rebuilding a life from scratch, but losing pieces of your history, things that couldn’t be replaced. “I’m just glad that I was able to help.”
“You’ve done a great deal.” The bell rang, and Peter hurried over to the door, jumping with excitement as Jerrod retrieved the pizza and soda. He tipped the delivery man and then thanked him before closing the door. “Who’s hungry?”
“Me. I’m starving,” Peter said dramatically as Jerrod set down the box and got a plate, then gave Peter a slice of his pizza. He also got him a glass and settled on the floor at the coffee table to eat. Jerrod took a slice of the everything, with Chase following behind him, his stomach growling at the enticing scent.
“Are you off today?” Jerrod asked between bites.
“Yes,” Chase answered, then took a bite, loving the unctuous sauce and tangy cheese. This was what a pizza should be. “The shift lengths vary, so I’m off for a few days, actually. I don’t have to be back at the station until Thursday. When you’re there, you’re always ready for action. It creates a certain tension that doesn’t go away until you’ve got a few days off. At least that’s what Hayden tells me.”
Jerrod nodded. “Have any of your coworkers given you a tough time?”
Firefighting was a tough profession, with the teams living in close quarters sometimes. “A few of the men have kept their distance. Hayden says not to worry and that they’ll come around in time. I’m not so sure, but there hasn’t been any outright harassment or anything. The captain is pretty vocal about that kind of stuff.” Still, he had expected some pushback. Then again, maybe Hayden having already tested those waters ensured that there would be fewer issues for him. “There is a couple at the fire station downtown. Apparently they’re married now. I haven’t met them yet, but they’re sort of famous around the department for pulling off an effort to save their existing station from being turned into a museum and moved to a new location. They raised a lot of money to upgrade the station, and the borough stepped in to renovate part of it because of the publicity.”
Jerrod nodded and swallowed. “That’s really impressive. So, I was going to take Peter to the park this afternoon and wondered if you might want to come with us. They finally finished the new play area.”
“That would be nice. Thanks.” Chase was about to take another bite when his phone vibrated. He checked it and acknowledged the message. “I have to go. I’m being called in.” He hurried toward the door. “I’ll message you later.” He hated to leave, but whatever was going on was an all-hands-on-deck sort of issue, and he needed to get to the station as fast as possible.
Chase pulled into the station and parked the car before racing inside. All the other units were already responding. He got into his gear as the last of the crew arrived, and less than five minutes later, they pulled out.
“What’s going on?” he asked Ed, who sat in the next rumble seat facing the rear of the truck.
“Big fire at the site of those new condos. Apparently half the places under construction are going up all at once.” He shook his head.
Chase didn’t want to believe the notion that raced into his head, but he was afraid the arsonist had struck again.
Piles of construction materials that had been delivered were burning, as were a number of pieces of heavy equipment. A bulldozer exploded as its gas tank ruptured. Chase joined the team of firefighters spraying foam to try to smother the searing-hot blaze.