CHAPTER FIVE
Lizzie ran into the ER and immediately found her family huddled together. Just as they’d done five months ago when her Uncle Pete had been rushed to the hospital for this very same reason. She forced aside thoughts of how that ended, unable to imagine a world without her father in it.
Pushing past a puking baby and a teenager moaning in pain, she made her way to her twin sister.
“Where have you been?” Lucy asked, hugging her. “I got worried.”
“Some jackass from the fire department took my phone this morning. I didn’t hear anything about it until he came to get me.”
“What? Why?” Kate said from behind her.
“Doesn’t matter,” Lizzie said. “What’s up with Dad?”
“He was in a meeting at work and just slumped over. They called nine-one-one,” Emma said. “And someone started CPR right away, so that’s good.”
“They’ve stabilized him and will move him upstairs soon,” Lizzie’s mom said. “He might need surgery, but he’s okay for now.” The relief in her voice was palpable.
“Thank goodness,” Lizzie said. Every muscle in her body relaxed a fraction. Between the worry for her dad and the fury for that stupid fire inspector, she was tighter than shoes three sizes too small.
Once they moved her father upstairs, the whole family migrated with him to the tiny waiting room outside the ICU. A doctor finally came in to give them an update.
“His arteries are about seventy-five percent blocked. We’ve scheduled him for surgery in a few hours. Barring any complications, he’ll be better than new when we’re done.”
They all heaved a collective sigh of relief. Lizzie went to her mother, who was as distraught as she’d ever seen her. “Everything will be okay, Mom,” Lizzie said.
“I know. I know. Where’s Audrey?”
“Anyone seen Nana?” Lizzie asked.
“She’s in the chapel,” Emma said. “I’ll go tell her the news.”
Only her mom was allowed to visit her dad. Maybe if Lizzie had been an only child, they’d have let her see him, but the horde of people in the waiting room was too much for the doctor. If it was everyone or no one, he cautiously chose no one.
Lizzie’s family overwhelmed the small ICU waiting room. At the doctor’s suggestion, they moved to a bigger one on the surgical floor and made themselves comfortable.
Her mom returned from her dad’s room and announced that he was determined as ever—said he’d be good as new after the surgery and begged everyone not to worry. Fat chance of that.
Once the initial scare passed and they were settled in to wait, Lucy brought up the fire again, and Lizzie told them what had gone down that morning.
“They think you did it?” Adam said. “That’s crazy.”
“If I’m being objective, I can see why they would,” Lizzie conceded. “From their point of view, I have motive, no alibi, insurance money to gain…I think I might be in real trouble.”
“Obviously, you didn’t do it. Any idea who would have?” Dirk asked. “Maybe the best defense is a strong offense. Can you give them someone else to look at?”
“I haven’t really thought about it,” Lizzie said. “At first, I assumed it was an accident. Then, when they said it was arson, I figured it was just random crime. I certainly had no idea they intended to pin it on me! That reminds me, anyone know a good attorney?”
“Dad would be the one to ask,” Daisy said. “He knows everybody.”
“I want the best,” Lizzie said. “Even if that means looking in a bigger town.”
“I’ll ask around,” Lucy’s husband Jack said. He was from Wilmington, where his family ran a multimillion-dollar hotel enterprise. “And have my dad do the same.”
Before they took her father into surgery, Lizzie had Daisy drive her home so she could let Charlie out and get her car. Her brothers-in-law made quick trips to replenish diaper bag necessities. All of them had raced to the hospital, unprepared to be there all evening.
Even though it would be hours before they heard anything, no one would stray too far. They took turns running downstairs for dinner but didn’t stay long.
At one point, Lizzie sat by herself, thumbing mindlessly through a magazine. Nothing on the pages registered, but it gave her hands something to do. Bella came and sat beside her.
“Hey,” Lizzie said, closing the magazine. “This must be hard. How you doin’?” It had only been a few months ago that Bella lost her dad under the same circumstances. Lizzie was sure the pain was still raw.
“I’m okay,” Bella said. “Uncle Edward will pull through.”
Lizzie admired her bravery.
“I wanted to ask you,” she started. “The fire was the night Maya and I spent the night, right?” At Lizzie’s nod, she continued. “I heard you tell the others you didn’t have an alibi. Wouldn’t picking us up count?”
“Well, yes. Probably.”
“Did you tell the fire guy about coming to get us?”
“No.”
“Why not? I hope it wasn’t to protect me. I told Uncle Edward and Aunt Sophie what happened. They were disappointed, and I’m grounded for a month, but they know.”
“It wasn’t that,” Lizzie said. “Honestly, his question came out of the blue and caught me off guard. I was so irritated, I just said I was home alone, sleeping. At that point, it didn’t seem important. After realizing I was a suspect, I decided to shut up and let a lawyer handle things.” She shrugged. “Really, I just stormed off before I thought it through.”
Bella huffed out a laugh.
“He has my phone though,” Lizzie continued. “So he’ll find out you called. I’m sure he’s gonna wanna talk to you. I intended to warn you about that.”
“That’s fine. I’ll tell him exactly what happened. Then he’ll know it couldn’t have been you.”
“Thanks, Bella. That will help.”
Later, while waiting with her sisters, they circled back to her predicament.
“I’m assuming the insurance won’t pay out until the arson thing is resolved?” Noah said.
“That is correct,” Lizzie said. “I confirmed it after my talk with the fire dude.”
“So, what are you going to do?” Emma asked.
“Well, I actually do have an alibi. I was just too mad to give it to the guy when he first asked. But I’ll come clean, and hopefully, that will clear me so I can collect the insurance. The sooner I get repairs going on the bar, the better. I also want my phone back.”
“Until then, you’re welcome to borrow the one I have for real estate business,” Kate offered. “I use my personal cell for everything now, so the work one is just sitting at my office.”
“I appreciate that,” Lizzie said. “It’s crazy how dependent I am on that damn little box. It’s like I’m missing a limb. I don’t even know y’all’s phone numbers.”
Everyone mumbled their agreement.
A few hours later, the scrub-clad, haggard-looking doctor came in with an update. Lizzie’s mom jumped up and practically ran to him.
“Everything went as planned,” he said. “Edward is one tough cookie, and he should be back on his feet in no time. He’ll be groggy for a while. If all of you are intent on seeing him, I’m going to be strict on two minutes each. He needs rest.”
Nana cried with joy, and Lizzie hugged her. Happy tears leaked from just about everyone. But even after this news, no one would leave until they had a chance to visit him.
Lizzie took her turn with Bella. They stayed their allotted time, but her dad fluttered in and out of alertness and probably wouldn’t remember they’d been there. And that was fine. It was Lizzie who needed to see him. Verify with her own eyes that he would be okay. Today had given her quite a scare.
She said goodbye to her sisters, drove home, and took Charlie out right away. It had been several hours, and he relieved himself immediately after leaving the building.
“You’re such a good boy,” Lizzie said. “I’m sorry I bailed on you so abruptly and left you alone for so long.”
They walked out to the pier, and since it was empty, she let him off the leash. She stopped by the dog park and threw the ball for him a few times. Those long legs needed stretching. It was dark and cold, but she braved the brisk air until he tired himself out. When they returned home, she made a cup of lemon tea. Cupping the mug to warm her hands, she started to plan.
After visiting the bar remains yesterday, she’d texted all her employees to tell them The Drop was closed until further notice. Many of them relied on the income for food and rent, so she planned to talk to Emma about whether she could afford to keep paying them their hourly wage. It might have to come out of her savings until the insurance paid out, but she wouldn’t leave them hanging.
Tomorrow, she would stop by The Drop to get her employees’ contact information—their numbers were trapped in her phone alongside her family’s—then go to the new bar to make a list of what needed to be done before the opening. She would also bite the bullet and call the a?ejo-loving fire inspector, give him the passcode to her phone, and tell him about Bella. If he could confirm she wasn’t the arsonist, maybe she could have her cell back by noon.
After a fitful night of sleep, she rolled out of bed to start her list of errands. She fed Charlie, took him on a short walk, and then loaded him into the Jeep. Her first stop was The Drop. It surprised her to find ash on the file folders. How had it gotten into the closed cabinet? At least they hadn’t burned. Thank goodness. She was notoriously horrible for not backing up files, and losing all the invoices and records would have been a real inconvenience.
Her once happy, cozy second home was cold, dark, and dirty. Wading through the remains of her soot-covered dreams hurt her heart, so she grabbed what she needed and bailed.
Next, she headed to Parker Place and parked in the middle of the complex. She intended to hit all five storefronts and started at the far left—The Drip 2.0.
Since Connor was born, Lucy only worked one day a week, and it wasn’t today. Lizzie ordered coffee and a muffin.
While she waited, she wandered over to greet the Three Musketeers, a trio of retirees who came into the coffee shop every day to gossip over their morning brew. They were known for betting on the lives of anyone and everyone in New Bern. If something happened in this town, they knew about it.
“Heard what happened over the weekend,” Walter said. “Terrible thing.”
“Agreed,” Lizzie said. “Hey, you guys know everything. Any idea who did it?”
“Fire department thinks it’s you,” Gene said. “But obviously, they don’t know their head from their ass. No way you’d do such a thing.”
“Gonna try to clear my name today. But I also want to help catch whoever did do it. Keep your ears open?”
“We’re hurt you have to ask,” Archie said with a grin.
She gave them a smart salute goodbye, picked up her coffee, and headed next door to Kate’s real estate office. Adam and Kate both had flexible jobs, so whether or not Kate was in would be hit or miss too.
“Hey, Brooke,” Lizzie said to Kate’s assistant. “Kate in today?”
“Not till later,” Brooke said. “She did say you’d be by for a phone. I charged it for you.” She handed Lizzie the phone and a Post-it containing the passcode.
“You’re a lifesaver,” Lizzie said, pocketing the phone. “Can you tell Kate I want to pick her brain about the bar sale? I’m thinking I might have better luck rebuilding a generic space and leasing it rather than selling.”
Brooke made a note. “Will do. I’m sure she’ll call you later today.”
“Sounds good. Thanks.”
From there, Lizzie went down one more door to Emma’s accounting firm. Dirk was an author and wrote from home, but Emma had still gone part time after Hannah was born. She worked in the mornings though and should be in.
“Hey, Paige,” Lizzie greeted. “Emma busy?”
Before Paige could answer, Emma poked her head around the corner of her office. “Hey, Lizzie. Come on in. Thought you might call or stop by. I even pulled your file already.”
“You’re the best, you know that?”
Lizzie ate her muffin and sipped her coffee while she and Emma reviewed her finances. “It’s a good thing the insurance company forced me to up the policy limit, otherwise, I wouldn’t have enough to rebuild. Assuming they pay out, that is.”
“You’ll get your name cleared soon,” Emma said. “They’ll have to settle after that.”
“I hope it’s that easy,” Lizzie said.
They worked out that she’d be okay to pay her employees even if they didn’t work their regular full schedules.
“Finally, some good news,” Lizzie said. “Although, without tips, it will still seem like a pay cut. And with the holidays approaching…”
“You might have some quitters,” Emma finished.
Lizzie nodded. “I’ll cross that bridge if I come to it. Good thing I haven’t actually hired anyone new yet.” She had planned to hire more people, move half of her staff to the new place, and have a mixture of new and old employees at each location. “I’ll move everyone to The Tipsy Twist and be done with it.”
“Adam said they’re close to finishing the construction work. You can use them to help get ready for the grand opening.”
“That’s the plan. It will be a lean three weeks until then though. I hope they can stick it out.”
“You’re doing all you can for them. I’m sure they’ll see that.”
Lizzie stood. “Thanks, Emma. Kiss Hannah for me.”
Before hitting Daisy and Noah’s place, she freed Charlie from the car. They shared a space, rarely had in-office clients, and didn’t mind him coming in with her. Noah ran his security business from the front, and Daisy used the back to make her videos.
“Morning, Lizzie,” Noah’s assistant, Janet, said. “You looking for Daisy?”
“Actually, I need to see Noah.”
Hearing his name, Noah came out of his office.
“Hey, Lizzie,” he said. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”
“That the new bar, and maybe this whole strip mall, needs security?”
Noah laughed. “Way ahead of you. Come into my office, and I’ll show you what I’ve worked up.” He used an intercom to call Daisy to see if she wanted to come listen in.
Lizzie took a seat, and Charlie laid down next to her. Lizzie scratched his head while she talked. “Could be nothing. But if The Drop really was targeted, who’s to say whoever did it won’t come after The Tipsy Twist next?”
“Yes. That crossed my mind. And as your neighbor…”
Lizzie chuckled. “You think Adam’s gonna want in on this conversation?”
“He’s already brought it up. That’s why I’ve been making a plan. He’s insured, of course, but, you know, an ounce of prevention and all that.”
“Hey, Daisy,” Lizzie greeted when her sister walked in. “We’re just talkin’ about security options for the building.”
“Well, you came to the right place,” Daisy said, smiling at her husband.
“We already have surveillance cameras, and while they can act as a deterrent and maybe help catch someone after the fact, they’re easy to get around and don’t do anything to prohibit the actual crime. I’m looking at a twenty-four-hour armed guard. At least until they catch the arsonist.”
“Geez, that seems crazy,” Lizzie said. “But better safe than sorry, I guess. Would I pay for that? It sounds expensive.”
“I’ll figure out the cost and work that out with Adam. He’ll probably have to charge you something, but I couldn’t say what for sure.”
“All right, well, thanks.” Lizzie stood. “I’ve got Kate’s work cell if you need to reach me.”
“Stay safe,” Daisy said, hugging her. “Bye, Charlie.”
She and Charlie walked a couple of yards to The Tipsy Twist. The door was propped open, and men were working on what looked like finishing touches. Everything was pretty and new. The theme was rustic yet hip. One coffee-colored brick wall matched the dark hardwood floors. The other walls were a deep red, but would eventually be covered with large framed pictures. Behind the bar were lighted shelves that would hold the liquor bottles once they arrived. Lizzie was still waiting for the pool tables and bar stools to be delivered.
“Hey, Ms. Parker,” one of the men said. “Got your office pretty much done. Wanna see it?”
“We’d love to,” Lizzie said, following the man to the back. She entered her office and let out a low whistle. It was beautiful. One wall was white shiplap, one was a dark wood that gave the place a log cabiny feel, and the other two were a soothing shade of blue. Her desk had arrived and sat in the center of the room. Off to the side was a massive bed for Charlie and an elevated food and water dish in the corner. The pictures she’d ordered hung perfectly spaced and leveled.
“It looks sooo good,” Lizzie said. “I might just move in.”
“Glad you like it. Hang out if you want.” The burly man left with a wave.
Lizzie walked to her chair and sat. It enveloped her like a soft hug. She pulled out the borrowed phone and the card from Investigator Mansfield. Sighing, she dialed.
“You found a new phone,” he said after she identified herself. “Didn’t think I’d hear from you so soon.”
“Yeah, well. I gotta get this moving along. I don’t have time to waste while you mess around trying to blame me for something I didn’t do.”
“Giving me your phone passcode could speed things up.”
“That’s why I’m calling. It’s two-four-six-eight,” Lizzie said. “Also, to tell you I was with my cousin that night. Before the fire, I mean. She called at about two-thirty am. You’ll see it when you check my recent calls.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that yesterday?” Ben asked, words laced with skepticism.
“I didn’t know you were looking at me as a suspect, so I didn’t think it was any of your business. Look, she’s only seventeen and had nothing to do with the fire, so don’t hassle her, all right?”
His irritated sigh came through the phone. “Can I reach you at this number?”
“Until you give me mine back.”
“I’ll be in touch.”
She got into the employee files and began making calls to update them on her plans, saying she’d get a new schedule out soon. After that, she started a list of projects they could do here. The heat wasn’t on yet, and after her coffee ran out, she decided to finish up at home.
Hopefully, Mr. Ben Mansfield would work quickly to figure out who torched her bar. Once he cleared her of wrongdoing and she had the insurance money, she could get things moving at the old bar. Until then, she would consider herself more or less on vacation.