Up in Flames (Carlisle Fire)

Chapter 8

JERROD SET aside the last of his tax records and leaned back, stretching his arms. Chase sat in the chair across from him, the coffee table strewn with papers and items of interest.

“What do you have?” Jerrod asked.

Chase set down another partially crumpled pink invoice. “I’m not sure.” He picked up the pile and handed it to him. “These are all payment slips from West Electric, and they’re fairly consistent. But then three months ago, they took a jump.” He leaned closer, his sweat and musk making it difficult for Jerrod to think.

“I have an account set up. It’s paid automatically, and they send me the invoices, which I file.” He sighed, feeling kind of stupid. “I probably should have looked more closely, but with work and Peter, I don’t have a lot of time.”

“Okay. Just take a look at them now.” He flipped through and tapped the point that they changed. “You were spending about a thousand a month, and suddenly it’s three or so.” He pointed again, and Jerrod returned to the other files to grab the detailed invoices. “I didn’t order this stuff.” He set the detailed listing on the table and went through it, marking things. “This isn’t right.” His hand shook as he continued going through all the items.

Once he’d gone through one month, he went through the others and found the same sort of items on the subsequent reports. It looked as though he was either being cheated by West or someone was putting stuff on his account. “There’s, like, six thousand dollars here. No wonder I’ve been working like a dog and scraping the bottom of the barrel each month.”

“This would explain it. Not that it gets us any closer to who might want to hurt you.”

Jerrod put the pages aside. “I’m not so sure. How far is it from theft to arson? Someone was willing to steal from me for months….” He was so angry he could barely see straight. West Electric was closed at the moment, but he knew the number of the agent he always worked with.

“What are you doing?”

His hand shook as he found the number in his contacts. “Kurt,” he said when the call answered.

“Hey, Jerrod. How is it going? I’m so sorry to hear about the house. Are you and Peter okay? What do you need? I talked to the boss, and he said to make sure you had everything you needed to get you through the next few months.”

“Well, I’m calling about the last few months. There are a number of items on my invoice that I didn’t order. Thousands of dollars’ worth. I know you aren’t always there, but maybe you could ask around to figure out what’s happening.”

“I check your invoice every month before it’s sent for payment. Everything on there was added by you or one of your guys. They should have given you the order slips.”

Jerrod paused. “Kurt, I don’t have any guys who come in for me.”

Kurt was silent. “Steve Wilson came in a few months ago and said he was working for you now and needed some things.”

Jerrod thought he was going to be sick. “I fired his ass after a week. The guy did shoddy work. I never sent him in for supplies. I never trusted him enough.” Holy shit. “I thought I….” He stood and started pacing. “Goddammit.”

“Hold on a minute,” Kurt said. “I can log in to work from home.” He set the phone aside, and Jerrod heard him typing. “Yes, I always make a note of who picks up the orders.” He typed for a while. “I can see all of the ones he placed.” He groaned. “This is as much our fault as anything. We should have checked. He told us he was working for you in April.”

“I canned him at the end of March. I can give you a copy of the paperwork to prove it.”

“Then give me a minute.” Kurt worked, and Jerrod brought Chase up to date.

“He was stealing from me. Putting stuff on my account.”

“Steve was in today and placed an order. I changed the account to his on that one and the others that haven’t been paid yet.” Kurt continued working while Jerrod fumed. Chase placed a hand on Jerrod’s shoulder. “Okay, I have them all. They have Steve’s name on them but were charged to you. I’m going to call Rosemary to let her know what happened and find out how she wants to handle this. Let me call you back.” Kurt hung up.

Jerrod wanted to throw the phone against the wall, he was so frustrated. And as busy as he was, he might not have noticed the issue for months—until he was completely broke—if Chase hadn’t spotted it.

“I take it you know him—Kurt,” Chase said.

“There have been times when a client needed some help right away and I didn’t have something I needed. He always came in to help. Kurt is a really good guy, and the guy using my account was Steve Wilson—one of the two men I fired.” He smiled as his phone rang.

“Jerrod, it’s Kurt again. Rosemary said to transfer all the purchases to Steve’s account and to issue you a refund to the card we have on file. She said she wants to see Steve the next time he comes in, and he can either make the account right or she’ll report him for theft.” One thing was for sure, you did not want to get on the bad side of Rosemary West. She was hell on wheels, and if she dropped Steve as a customer for something like this, she would make sure everyone knew why.

“Thanks, Kurt, and tell Rosemary that I appreciate her support and help as well.”

“No problem at all.” Kurt hung up, and Jerrod flopped back down in his chair just as Peter came downstairs and climbed into his lap, like he knew Jerrod needed a hug. Jerrod put his arms around his son and leaned back in his chair, taking comfort from his unusually quiet son.

“Are you okay, Daddy?” Peter asked.

“I am now,” he answered softly, holding Peter. Hearing Peter call him Daddy never got old. He had always called Johnny Papa, but it was about three months after Johnny’s death before Peter started calling him that.

“I’m going to wish both of you a good night, and I’ll see you after my shift tomorrow.” Chase gave him a smile and took his hand, squeezing it a few times before letting go. Then he left, closing the door behind him.

Peter rested his head against Jerrod’s chest, and Jerrod closed his eyes, trying to hold the tension and anxiety that always seemed to show up whenever he was alone at bay. For now, holding Peter kept him calm, but he knew that wouldn’t last.

“Come on. Let’s get you a snack before going to bed,” Jerrod whispered, and Peter slipped off his lap. Jerrod got Peter a plate of cheese and crackers, which he ate at the coffee table. Then they went upstairs, and Jerrod helped Peter get ready for bed and tucked him in. After reading Peter a story, he went back downstairs and sat in one of the chairs. If he had a television, he might have turned it on to try to find something mind-numbing. But instead he grabbed a light blanket and leaned back, pulling it up over him. What he really needed to do was get a mattress and have it delivered so he could have a proper bed, but it wasn’t like he was going to be able to sleep anyway. He hadn’t since the fire. Every time he closed his eyes, he began to worry about what would happen if the person who set the fire returned. So for the past week, he’d slept in fits and starts. With a sigh, he settled in, turning off the lights, hoping he might get some rest, but knowing it was going to be a long night.

“IS MR. CHASE coming?” Peter asked the following afternoon, peering out the front window. “He said he would be here.” He turned away and hurried out of the room and back up the stairs, then came down with a crayon picture that he put on the coffee table.

“Did you make that for him?” Jerrod asked from his chair. It felt like he hadn’t moved since last night, but somehow he’d made it through his workday. Now he hoped he’d get a chance to rest. The truth was that he was exhausted and seemed to be getting more so all the time.

“Yes.” He brought it over to show Jerrod, but sounds outside drew him back to the window. “He’s here.” Peter rushed to the door and pulled it open before Jerrod could get up.

“Hey, buddy,” Chase said in his rich voice.

“I made this for you.” Peter was in top energetic form, which made Jerrod feel even more lethargic. Peter handed Chase the drawing, and he ooohed and aahed over it, to Peter’s delight.

“I’m going to put this where I can see it every day,” Chase told him.

Peter ran upstairs, probably to make more pictures, while Chase greeted Jerrod with a dark look and a gentle kiss that Jerrod felt to his toes.

A knock made Jerrod jump slightly. Chase answered the door. “I take it this is the right place. I’m Red with the borough police. Hayden asked me to stop by. But if I’m interrupting something…. Terry is always telling me that I have the worst timing.”

Jerrod stood and greeted Red with a handshake. “I think we’ve met, but I can’t remember where.”

“The bookstore downtown,” Red said.

Jerrod nodded. “That’s it. You were doing one of their reading programs. It’s good to see you again, and I really appreciate your help with whatever is going on.”

Red nodded as another knock sounded, and Chase let Hayden inside. Then Red took charge. “What do you have?” he asked.

Jerrod led them to the kitchen table with the mismatched chairs he’d found at a charity store in town. “Okay. If I’m speaking out of turn, let me know. But so far there have been two fires that seem similar. One took Peter’s and my home, and another burned the building site north of town. I was supposed to start work there in a few weeks. Not that I’m trying to be narcissistic, but that’s a possible connection.”

“We’re looking into that,” Hayden said.

“Chase and I went through records he was able to get from the house, and we found that one of the men I fired a few months ago has been putting supplies on my account at West Electric. I don’t know if he bid on the job at the complex that burned, but it’s likely.” Everything seemed to be spilling out all at once.

“Okay. Let’s take this one step at a time,” Red said before having Jerrod and Chase walk him through the issue with Steve. “And you can prove that he tried to steal from you?”

“Kurt at West Electric can back me up. They have the detailed records, and he said that Steve told him he was working for me after I let him go.” God, this was starting to sound like the plot from a bad movie. “They are handling the issue, and either Steve will pay what he owes or they will get the police involved. But….”

“Let me guess. You made a list of suspects, and he was on it,” Red said.

“We tried to figure out who might have a grudge against Jerrod and who might want to hurt him. Someone set fire to his home and did the same at the construction site.” Chase stood next to Hayden, his gaze hard. “We thought you might want to know all the information we have.”

“I do. Don’t get me wrong,” Red explained. “Who else was on your list of suspects?”

“A second person I had to let go—Gary Lutz. He was worse than Steve. And then my ex-sister-in-law, Gizelle. She’s Peter’s mother, but her rights were terminated because she abandoned Peter years ago. Now she’s back in town and has been causing trouble.”

“Are those the only people on your list?” Red asked.

Jerrod looked at Chase and shrugged. “It isn’t like I go around trying to make enemies. I’m an electrician, and I’m trying to make a living so I can support myself and Peter. I don’t have grand plans about trying to take on the world or shake up the electrical contracting industry. I usually do residential work, but lately I’ve been bidding on some of the larger projects, and some of those have been accepted.”

Red leaned closer. “Who have been the other bidders? Do you know?”

“I don’t,” Jerrod said, but Red wrote something down anyway.

“Give me a list of the bids that you’ve won and who the general contractor is. I have some contacts, and I can do some digging to see whose side you might have become a thorn in. Maybe someone decided to hit back.”

Jerrod thought for a few minutes and provided Red with the information. It wasn’t like he bid on a ton of jobs, so the list wasn’t huge. “The biggest one was the condo complex they’re building. That was the largest job I ever tried to go for, and I’ve got good people lined up to work with me. But now with the fire, who knows what’s going to happen? Then there’s the fire at my house. The insurance company is dragging its feet because I haven’t been ruled out as a suspect. So I’m stuck with my business threatened, and I lost my home.” His hand shook, and Chase took it.

“That’s part of why everyone is here. We have to try to get things on track.”

“You have never been an arson suspect. You weren’t home when the fire started, but your son was. And there is no indication that you benefited from the fire in any way.” Red made more notes. “Let me go through the files so I can make a few things clear, and then I’ll let you know that the updates have been made so you can contact the insurance company again. That should free up some resources for you.” He continued making notes. “I’m also going to speak to the captain to see if I can have this case transferred to me. Then maybe I can take a closer look and get to the bottom of it.”

“Thank you.” Jerrod didn’t know what else to say as the conversation swirled around him.

Hayden gave an account what they found at both locations, and Chase listened, but didn’t seem to have too much to add. It seemed that both locations had the same type of debris, which led to the conclusion that it was the same person behind both fires.

“Has there been a fire like this in the past?” Jerrod asked. Everyone turned toward him. “Maybe there’s something in the records to shed light on this. What if these aren’t the first fires set this way, just the first ones we know about?” That seemed to stop everyone in their tracks.

“That’s a great idea,” Hayden said. “I can try to search through the department records and see what I come up with.”

“I can help,” Chase offered. “One of the captains might remember something as well.”

“I can check at the department too, but arson investigations usually start with the fire department, so you might have more information than we do.” Red made a few more notes and closed his book. “Is there anything else you can think of?”

“Not really,” Jerrod said. “But if I think of anything, I’ll be sure to let everyone know.” He stood, and the others did the same. Then Red and Hayden left the house.

“Are they all going?” Peter asked as Jerrod lifted him into his arms.

“Where have you been?”

“Making pictures,” Peter answered and smiled.

“Are they upstairs?” He set Peter down. “I’d like to see them, okay?”

Peter hurried upstairs and came down with a stack of drawings. “This is you.” He flipped the page. “And this one is Mr. Chase.” He showed them yet another drawing. “This is a dinosaur. Rrrrrrr.”

“They’re really good,” Chase told him. “Maybe you’ll be an artist when you grow up.”

Peter shook his head. “Nope. Gonna be a fireman so I can save kids like you did.” He smiled and then put the drawings on the coffee table.

“What do you want for dinner?”

“Cheesy pasta,” Peter said. “The box kind.”

Jerrod made a face. Peter loved the stuff, but the thought made Jerrod’s stomach rebel. There was nothing worse as far as he was concerned. “Okay. I’ll make you some.”

“I should probably go. I know you and Peter have things you need to do….”

“Well, I can make us something more grown-up if you can wait a little while. I need to get Peter fed and in bed, but then I have something I can make for us.” Jerrod went into the kitchen to get things together, while Chase followed. He pulled out a bottle of wine and a couple glasses, then poured one for each of them.

“This is pretty good.”

“I got it at the state store. It isn’t too bad. They had it on sale, so I picked up a couple bottles. They must have overbought.” He took a sip and put water on to boil as Chase leaned against the doorway just inside Jerrod’s line of sight, sipping from his glass. Jerrod nearly forgot to remove the cheese packet from the box before dumping the macaroni in the water. Chase slowly drew closer as he stirred the pot, trying to pay attention to the water rather than the real heat washing off Chase.

“You know you need to let me finish this.” He swallowed hard as Chase moved him away from the stove before pressing him against the counter next to the sink. “Chase….”

“Do you have any idea how hot you are?” His voice was rough.

Jerrod rolled his eyes. “What I am is a mess. I can’t seem to get anything together or figure out what the hell is going on. It feels like my life is falling apart, and yet….” He found it difficult to continue talking. “God, I just want to make it all go away.”

Chase nestled closer. “I know how we can do that.”

“Yeah, I bet you do. But there’s just one problem… well, more than one. Peter is just upstairs, and as much as I would love you to help me forget everything for just a little while, he definitely needs to be in bed. And speaking of beds, I don’t have one yet.”

Chase paused his lips right behind Jerrod’s ear, little tingles of desire washing through him with every gentle touch. Jerrod closed his eyes, whimpering and wishing he could hold the sound inside. Every cell in his body cried out for Chase, wishing he could hold him the whole night long. He wanted to know what it felt like to have that intense, hard body pressed to him and feel the energy that Chase exuded wash over him. But practicality combined with footsteps on the stairs forced them apart and poured the cold water of reality over them both.

Jerrod had so much upheaval in his life right now, and as he returned his attention to Peter’s dinner, he couldn’t help wondering if this was the best timing for what seemed to be happening between him and Chase. What if this was just an infatuation brought on by the fact that he felt so untethered at the moment? Chase was strong and a real leader. Maybe Jerrod was simply latching on to him because those characteristics were what he needed right now. And he couldn’t help wondering if this was the time to start a relationship. He shook his head slightly, pulling himself out of his musings as he stirred the pasta to give himself something to do.

“Is it almost ready?” Peter asked. “I’m hungry.”

“Me too,” Chase said, meeting Jerrod’s gaze with enough fire in his eyes for Jerrod to spill water over the top of the stove.

“Okay. This needs just a couple more minutes.” He got a bowl out of the cupboard and set it on the counter, giving himself a chance to catch his breath. Then, purposely not looking at Chase, he drained the pasta and added some butter and milk before stirring in the cheese powder.

“Thank you, Daddy,” Peter said when Jerrod handed him his bowl.

“You’re welcome,” he told Peter, who hurried to the secondhand table in the corner of the kitchen to eat.

“How about I order us something for dinner? You seem worn out, and there’s no need to cook for me,” Chase offered.

“It’s okay. I’m not really hungry anyway. I can make you something, though.”

“That isn’t necessary. I’ll go and let you and Peter get some rest.”

Fatigue bloomed in him, and Jerrod nodded. “Thanks. I’ll see you later.” He led Chase to the door and kissed him goodbye before closing and locking it behind him. He hated to see Chase go, and yet maybe without him here, he would have a chance to think.

He ate a few bites of Peter’s mac and cheese, which did nothing to stoke his appetite. Then he got Peter into bed before settling in his chair, hoping he might get a little sleep and wishing he could stop the roller coaster of fear and anxiety he spent nearly every night riding.