Chapter 10
GREGORY WOKE with Fillian wrapped around him. He was warm, but in the best way possible. The window toward the side of the building was open, a breeze blowing through. Carefully, he extricated himself from Fillian’s embrace, pulled on his robe, and went to the bathroom. Once he was done, he got a drink of water and peeked in on each of the kids, who were sound asleep.
On returning, he went back through the living room. Something wasn’t right. He looked around and didn’t see anything, but when he inhaled, something was wrong. The room smelled strange, like the faint scent of an old cigarette. Gregory checked the door, where the scent grew stronger. After unlocking it and pulling it open, he found the hallway outside filled with smoke. He slammed the door closed again and raced back to the bedroom.
“Fillian, there’s a fire.”
“What?” he asked, sitting straight up.
“The hallway to the front door is filled with smoke.”
Fillian jumped out of bed and leaped into his pants. “Fire extinguisher?”
“Under the sink in the kitchen,” Gregory said.
“Good. Call 911 and get the kids out the back way—now.” He raced out of the room, and seconds later the front apartment door slammed. Gregory swung into action, making the call and waking the kids, taking them each by the hand and getting them out the window in Marnie’s room before helping them descend the back fire escape. Chris, the single lady who lived above them, met them along the way, and the four of them made it to the ground, where they stood under one of the parking lot lights as sirens drew closer and stopped out front.
“Should we go around?” Chris asked as they stood together. She held the leash of her poodle mix, which both kids were lavishing with attention.
Gregory was wondering the same thing when a fire department vehicle pulled up to where they waited. “Is everyone out?” the huge firefighter asked as he approached.
“Yes,” Chris answered. “There are only the two apartments and everyone is accounted for, including the kids.”
“Excellent. The fire appears to be out, and it seems it was confined to the entrance just inside the door. Someone set fire to a pile of papers in the trash can, and it was already out when we arrived.”
“Fillian must have gotten to it with the fire extinguisher,” Gregory said with relief. “Is he okay?”
“Yes. He’s fine. The fire was out before we got here, and he had the door open to let the smoke out. We’re checking the rest of the building just to be safe, but you should be able to return in a little while.”
“Did the bad man do this?” Weston asked. “The one who keeps watching Daddy?”
“I don’t know,” Gregory answered. “Fillian and the firemen will figure it out. I’m pretty sure of it.” God, he hoped so. He could already feel his anxiety growing. He had never had issues with nerves, but now it seemed like he was watching around himself wherever he went and having trouble concentrating as his mind spun over possibilities. It got more unsettling by the day.
Gregory held both kids close, an arm around each of them, as he waited with Chris and the firefighter for some sort of word on what was happening. Finally, Fillian strode around the corner and right up to him, still in just his pair of jeans. “Everything is okay. It seems it was a trash fire with more smoke than anything else.”
Weston let go and wrapped his arms around Fillian’s legs. “Are you sure it wasn’t the bad man?” He held Fillian tightly.
“It will be okay. It was an accident,” Fillian said, meeting Gregory’s eyes over Weston, telling Gregory that the truth was something different. “The firefighters are getting the smoke out, and then we can all go back inside and you can go back to bed.”
“But what if more fire comes and we get burned up?” Weston asked, making Marnie cling to Gregory.
“I don’t wanna burn up,” Marnie said.
Gregory squatted down, hugging her tightly. “I’m going to be there, and so is Fillian. Neither of us is going to let anything happen to you. I promise.” He took a deep breath, refusing to let his own worries transfer to the kids. He had to be strong and solid, because that was what they needed him to be.
“You can all go back inside,” the firefighter said after receiving a message.
“Thank you,” Fillian responded. He led them around to the front, where the firefighters were packing up and getting ready to leave. Gregory thanked them as he passed and went inside.
The entrance area still smelled strongly of smoke, though the air itself seemed clear enough. The trash can had been removed, and the paint was charred and blackened near where it had been, with a trail of soot running up the wall. Gregory figured it could have been much worse, and it probably would have been if Fillian hadn’t been so quick to jump into action.
Inside the apartment, the scent had almost totally dissipated. Other than a slight residual odor that open windows would quickly blow away, the smoke didn’t seem to have caused any damage. “Come on, you two, let’s get you back to bed.”
Fillian carried Weston into his room and helped him into bed, and Gregory did the same with Marnie. She settled right down after Gregory promised again that he wasn’t going anywhere. He partially closed her door and returned to the small hallway. Fillian spoke softly to Weston, comforting him, before saying good night. Damn, there were few things as heartwarming as a man taking the time to comfort his son. Gregory gave Weston a kiss on the forehead, and then he and Fillian left the room.
“What do we do now?” Gregory asked, knowing he wasn’t going to be able to go back to sleep right away. He was too wound up. Every noise in the building was going to have him sitting up in bed.
“Come on.” Fillian led him to the sofa. “When I got down there, the papers were burning, and if the trash can had been closer to the wall, it probably would have caught fire. I was able to put the flames out with the fire extinguisher and open the door to let in fresh air. By the time the fire department arrived, it was pretty much over.”
“So you think it was an accident?” Gregory asked.
Fillian shook his head. “I smelled what might have been lighter fluid or something like that. It wasn’t gasoline, I don’t think, but it had a petroleum smell, and there was black smoke along with the rest, so some sort of accelerant was used. The fire department took the can with everything in it, and they’ll see what they can find out.”
“So it looks like someone tried to set our home on fire,” Gregory said.
Fillian pulled him into a tight hug. “Or scare you. Look, they set the trash on fire downstairs. The fire department is going to notify the building owners, and I’ll suggest that they check the main door and make sure it’s better secured. They should install a smoke detector out there as well.”
“Who would want to do something like this?” Gregory asked. He tried to think of people who hated him. “Weston asked about the bad man, which I believe is Lawrence, my stalker and all-around sicko. I can’t help wondering if he could be behind this.” He shook his head. “What could this guy want from me?”
“The fire department will investigate thoroughly, and I’ll make sure Carter knows what happened.” Fillian took Gregory by the hand and led him to the bedroom. “You need to try to get some sleep, because Donald is going to be here in a few hours.”
“I know.” Gregory didn’t know what was worse, the fire or the fact that he was going to look like hammered shit in the morning. Who knew what Donald was going to think. “You know I won’t be able to sleep.”
“I’ll stay up and make sure nothing happens. You try to sleep.” Gregory hung up his robe and got into bed. Fillian slipped out of his pants and joined him, remaining sitting up. “I’ll be here, and I promise not to let anything happen to any of you.” Fillian leaned over and kissed Gregory hard. “I want so much to make love to you right now, but that can wait. Just try to sleep.”
Gregory burrowed under the covers and did his best to quiet his mind. When he rolled over, Fillian placed a hand gently on his hip, letting Gregory know he was there, and eventually he fell into a fitful sleep.
“DONALD IS going to be here soon, and I can hear the kids getting up,” Fillian said what seemed like minutes after Gregory closed his eyes. Gregory climbed out of bed to find Fillian dressed. “I need to go in for my shift, but call me if you need anything and I’ll get over here as quickly as I can.” Fillian kissed him and then quietly left the apartment.
Gregory dressed quickly and met the kids in their PJs, rubbing their eyes. “Is the apartment all burned?” Weston asked as he went through it, looking everywhere as though his toys had spontaneously combusted.
“You’re silly. The fire was out there, and it’s gone now,” Marnie said in her know-it-all voice.
“Everything is fine. But you need to go get dressed, and then I’ll make you breakfast before I take you to day camp.” He had a job this morning and wanted to get there by eight thirty.
Fortunately he had breakfast sandwiches in the freezer, and he put them in to heat. He poured juice and set out plates as the kids joined him. They’d just sat down when the knock came. He answered the door and let Donald inside.
“I understand you’ve been having a few issues,” he said, looking around.
“Yeah. As you saw, we had a bit of excitement last night. The fire department and police are looking into it. But my mother has been creating problems, and I suspect she might make some complaints and cause some trouble.”
“That’s what Carter told me.” Donald wandered through the apartment. “Honestly, if every home visit looked as good as this one, I’d be out of a job.” He peered into the refrigerator and then the freezer before closing the doors again. “Our criteria are pretty basic: food, clothing, shelter that’s safe, and kids that are cared for. I don’t see anything out of line here, and I didn’t expect to.”
“Would you like coffee?” Gregory asked. He poured himself a mug and a second for Donald when he nodded. “My mother is so used to getting her own way that she thinks the rest of the world should bend to her will. I don’t know what bee has gotten into her bonnet all of a sudden, but I have an idea it’s because I’m dating someone.”
“I see,” Donald said. “You know you’re allowed.”
“Yeah, I know. But my mother is another matter. And well, Fillian just seems to get under her skin.” Gregory couldn’t help smiling. “And he stands up for me and the kids so she can’t steamroll over us.” Maybe that was the real key to everything with her. This was a battle of wills, and she was determined to come out on top.
“I can’t help with any of that, but both Weston and Marnie seem to be happy and well cared for. I needed to perform a routine follow-up visit, so this will serve as that, and I will make sure it gets entered in the files today.” He spoke quietly with both Weston and Marnie before heading toward the door. “I wish all my visits were this easy.” He paused at the door. “My only concern is around this fire. Do you know who might have set it?”
“We don’t,” Gregory said. “I’ve been having problems with a stalker that the police are following up on, and I would tend to assume that it was him, but I don’t really know.” And that made him even more nervous. If it was Lawrence, then he was sure the police would figure it out and find him. But what if it was someone else? Then what was he supposed to do?
“I’m sure that all the authorities are looking into it,” Donald said. “But it has to be frightening.”
“It is. The kids were up part of the night, and they keep asking questions and are scared. To top it off, my mother was here making a scene yesterday, and the kids heard part of it. Now they keep asking if Grandma is going to take them away.” He shook his head. “What they need is stability and care, not all this chaos.”
“I agree. And the best you can do is shield them from it. As I said, the kids seem to be happy.” He shook Gregory’s hand.
“Thank you for coming,” Gregory told him.
“You’re welcome. Now I’m off on some appointments that I’m sure are going to be much less pleasant than this one.” He left, and Gregory closed the door and returned to the kitchen.
“Let’s finish up so we can get you both to the Y before I have to go to work,” Gregory said.
Weston looked up from eating, his eyes huge. “What do we do if the man who set the fire tries to burn that down too?”
Gregory knelt between them. “If either of you sees anything, you tell one of the counselors right away, okay? And if you see the man you did before, the one that was watching, you tell them and ask them to call me right away.” He hugged each of them. “Now finish eating and then get your backpacks.” He hated that they had questions like this. Kids shouldn’t have to worry about men setting fires or watching for people who were watching them. They should be able to play and be kids. He sighed and got ready for work before leading the kids down the stairs and around to the truck in the parking lot in back. After getting them inside, he drove to the Y, where he checked them in, said goodbye, and headed off to his job site, wondering if he was doing the right thing by leaving them.
GREGORY’S WORK hadn’t been the same since the attack and subsequent explosion. Gregory liked being an electrician, and he was good at it, fixing issues other people missed. He took pride in his work and strove to always provide value to his customers. But in the past few weeks, he had felt jittery at every job site and kept an eagle eye on everyone around him. He knew it was to be expected and that his mind wasn’t going to just let him go back to the way things were, but he wished it would. The jumpiness was driving him out of his mind.
“Do you need anything to drink?” his elderly client asked him, and Gregory nearly jabbed himself with his pliers.
“No, I’m okay,” he breathed, trying not to act as though she had scared him within an inch of his life. “Thank you.” What he needed to do was get this line of wire rerun so he could finish hanging the ceiling fan. The wiring itself had burned out because of an electrical storm, and Gregory was fixing the damage to the old house. This place had a mishmash of wiring, some modern with other bits dating to the building of the house in the early 1900s. “This should be the last of the really old wiring in the house.”
“That’s a relief. My husband never wanted to do anything with the lighting because he said it was best not to disturb what was there.” She sat in one of the white wicker chairs that had to be as old as she was… and just as well cared for. Mrs. Carthage was a lady who always looked her best.
“He was right. But its time had come.” He pulled the wiring through the wall from the junction box he’d installed, to the ceiling, feeding the wire as he went. This job would be easier with help, but he managed and was pleased once he had the gray wiring where it belonged. Gregory made the connection at the junction and checked that everything was as it should be before turning his attention to the light fixture. He got everything hooked up and the fixture set up. Then he tested everything before putting on the covers. “That should do it.”
He checked everything again and told Mrs. Carthage which switch operated the fan and the light. She took a turn and smiled. “Thank you. I’ve had this fan for a while, but I…. I heard about what happened to you a few weeks ago and I didn’t think….” She paused again.
“I’m okay. He didn’t hurt me, and I was able to get out before anything happened.” That wasn’t totally true, but she didn’t need to hear the unpleasant details, and Gregory didn’t need to go over them again. He’d done that plenty of times, including almost every night when he closed his eyes.
“Well, that’s very good.” She smiled at him. “Because I was wondering if you’d have time in your schedule in the next few weeks for a few more things.” She led him out into the backyard and explained that she wanted to add lighting. She laid out what she wanted.
“It’s quite a job. Would it be okay if I came back in a few days to take some measurements, and then I can give you an estimate?” This would keep him busy for days.
“Of course,” she said with an excited smile. “I’m having a family reunion here toward the end of the summer, and I’d like to have it done by then.”
Gregory was about to tell her that would be no problem when he caught movement at the back of the property toward the alley. He turned to see Lawrence standing in the open gate, staring right at him. Gregory was close enough to see the intensity in his eyes.
“Young man, what are you doing here?” Mrs. Carthage asked. “This is my yard, and that gate should be closed.” She stared daggers right back at him, but Lawrence didn’t move and he didn’t speak. He just stood there, watching. “What do you want?” she asked again, heading toward him.
“It’s all right,” Gregory told her, standing between them to keep her from getting close to him. He had no idea what Lawrence would do to her. He was clearly out of his mind. “What do you want?” Gregory asked him.
“I’m calling the police,” Mrs. Carthage said, and Lawrence stepped back, turned, and walked down the alley, leaving the gate hanging open. “Who was that?”
“The man we were talking about a little while ago,” Gregory told her.
“The blow-up-his-house one?” she asked.
Gregory nodded. “He’s out on bail, and he keeps following me around.” At least this time he had an independent witness. “I’m going to need to report this to the police.” He pulled out his phone and called the number Fillian had given him. He got voicemail but left a message for Carter to return his call. “Thank you,” Gregory said to Mrs. Carthage after he hung up and strode to the back of the property. He checked outside to make sure no one was hanging around and then closed the gate and made sure it was properly secured. Mrs. Carthage was on the phone when he returned.
“That’s right. He was watching us, and I know who he is. Lawrence… something. He’s on bail, and you need to stop this man from scaring people.” Whatever response she got made her smile. “Excellent. Thank you.” She hung up. “Now you have a report from me too. They said they were going to pick him up. That should be enough to revoke his bail.” If Gregory didn’t know better, he would swear she was being smug.
“Well, thank you.” He pulled up his calendar on his phone. “I’ll be here next Tuesday to take measurements, and then I can give you an estimate. It should take about three or four days, and I can get you in my schedule for early August. Does that work?”
“It’s perfect, thank you. I want some lighting with some interest.”
Gregory pulled up her number and texted her a name. “That’s the electrical supply store in Harrisburg. They carry a number of things. Go ahead and pick out what you want before Tuesday, and I can use all of that information in my estimate.”
She was happy as Gregory gathered up his tools and the remainder of his supplies. He made sure everything was clean, took things to the truck, and accepted her check for payment. After thanking her for everything, he headed to his next job, glad he had enough work to keep him busy.
By the end of the day, Gregory was energized, especially when he got a message from Fillian. Carter just informed me that Lawrence Little has been picked up for violating the conditions of his bail and he’s back in the county jail. He will see the judge tomorrow, where we hope his bail will be permanently revoked.
That’s good. Thank you.
The CPD got multiple complaints, and it seems he was located and taken into custody outside your building. Further proof that he’d been harassing you.
That’s really nice to hear. Tension from his shoulders and back slipped away, and he took a deep breath, closing his eyes. He sent Fillian a smiley face. Maybe he could finally leave this incident behind him and get on with his life. He was tired of looking over his shoulder and worrying that Lawrence was spying on his kids.
We have practice tonight, so I’ll see you there. My mother said that if you’d like, she’d be happy to watch the kids tonight so they don’t have to wait on the sidelines. Here’s her number. You can give her a call. He sent his own happy emoji, and Gregory drove to the Y to pick up Marnie and Weston.
“Fillian’s mom offered to watch you tonight so you don’t have to go to practice with me. Is that okay? You can go with me if you want, but she was nice enough to offer, and you wouldn’t have to wait around for me.”
“Yes,” Weston said right away.
Marnie was more circumspect. “Do we have to?”
“No,” Gregory told her before getting in and starting the engine. “You can come to practice with me and sit on the sidelines if you want. But you’ll be alone for most of the time.” He wasn’t going to force her.
“Okay.”
Gregory rolled his eyes as he turned out of the parking lot. “Which do you want to do?”
“I’ll go to Fillian’s mom’s. She was nice, I guess.”
Weston was way more excited. “She knows what kids like to eat.” Typical boy, thinking with his belly. As soon as Gregory got the truck parked, he took a few seconds to message Fillian and then hurried the kids inside, where they got their bags and he changed into practice gear before hurrying back out and over to the neighborhood where he grew up.