Chapter 32 Jake
Jake
Morning light crept through the hospital window, painting everything in soft gold.
Jake still hadn't left—though he'd finally changed out of his smoky uniform when Peterson had brought him fresh clothes.
His hand remained steady around Hannah's, like he couldn't quite bring himself to break the contact.
A knock at the door made them both look up. Chief Miller stood in the doorway, his expression grim.
"Ms. Everett." He nodded to Hannah, then looked at Jake. "We found the gas can behind the pharmacy. Michael Harrison's prints all over it."
Hannah's fingers tightened around Jake's. "You arrested him?"
"About an hour ago." Miller's eyes softened slightly. "He didn't try to deny it. Said something about justice being served."
"Justice?" Jake's voice was dangerous. "He tried to kill her."
Miller cleared his throat. "I'll need both your statements. But it can wait until you're released." He turned to go, then paused. "Cooper?"
Jake looked up.
"The whole crew saw you run into that building against orders." Miller's expression was unreadable. "Could have cost you your job."
"Didn't care." Jake's voice was steady. Certain.
Miller's lips twitched. "Yeah. I noticed that."
Miller pulled up a chair, settling into what Jake recognized as his official reporting stance. "Let me lay out what we've got so you both understand the full scope."
He opened his notebook. "Timeline starts about six weeks ago. That's when we found the first evidence of Harrison's surveillance—security footage from the bank showing him outside Sugar & Spice after hours. Cooper's incident reports documented increased activity over the next month."
Hannah glanced at Jake, but Miller continued.
"Two weeks ago, Harrison cleared out his pharmacy's storage room. That's where we found most of our evidence this morning—a wall of photos, all of Hannah's daily routines mapped out. Security camera angles. Door locks. Building layout." Miller's jaw tightened. "He'd marked all the exit points."
Jake's hand tightened around Hannah's.
"Yesterday at 2:47 PM, Harrison purchased four gallons of accelerant from Morton's Grocery using his credit card.
Security footage shows him loading it into his car.
Receipt matches the chemical analysis from the fire scene.
" Miller flipped a page. "At approximately 8:15 PM, cameras caught him approaching the bakery's back entrance.
He disabled the security system—knowledge he had from when his family's business did maintenance work on the building years ago. "
Hannah's breath caught. She remembered that—Michael's father installing the original system when she was still in high school.
"The fire was strategically set," Miller continued. "Multiple origin points, all near structural supports. He knew what he was doing. Wanted maximum damage, fast spread." His eyes met Hannah's. "The bolt on the back door was installed within the last week. Pre-planned."
"The flowers," Hannah whispered. "The dead bouquet he left..."
"Practice run," Miller confirmed. "Testing response times, seeing if anyone was watching the bakery after hours." His gaze shifted to Jake. "Which someone was."
Jake didn't flinch. "Not close enough."
"You documented seventeen separate incidents of stalking behavior.
Plus the threatening notes, the graffiti, the property damage.
" Miller's voice softened slightly. "That documentation is what let us get a warrant so quickly.
Between that and Peterson's fire investigation expertise marking this as arson. .." He trailed off meaningfully.
"What's the charge?" Jake asked, his voice hard.
"Attempted murder one. Arson. Criminal stalking. Half dozen other felonies." Miller stood. "He's looking at twenty to life, minimum. DA's pushing for the maximum given the premeditation."
Hannah's fingers trembled in Jake's grip. "He really meant to..."
"Kill you? Yes." Miller's bluntness was almost gentle. "The level of planning, the timing, blocking the exits—he wanted to make sure you couldn't get out. If Cooper hadn't been watching..." He shook his head. "Well. He was. And Harrison's going away for a very long time."
"The pharmacy," Hannah started. "His mother's medication—"
"Not your problem," Miller cut in. "Town's already setting up a fund for Mrs. Harrison's medical care. And your father's victims will get their day in court. But what Michael did?" He gestured to Hannah's hospital bed. "That's not justice. That's attempted murder. And he's going to pay for it."
He headed for the door, then paused. "Cooper's incident reports also show someone watching Harrison. Every night for the past month. Parked across the street. Documenting everything." His lips twitched. "Good thing we had an experienced investigator on scene when it all went down."
Then he was gone, leaving Hannah and Jake alone with the weight of everything he'd revealed.