Chapter Eleven
Only one bystander had gone out of their way to avoid the photographer.
The arsonist. It had to be him.
And the most logical place to start searching for him was Lava Point campground. Positioned a mere two miles from the epicenter of this morning’s fire, the campground really wasn’t anything special with only six available sites, but this area had obviously held importance to their suspect.
Aslen shouldered out of the pickup, surrounded by flat red dirt, towering trees and multiple campground sites containing picnic benches, firepits, vehicles and RVs.
Crisp air cut through the trees and eased the heavy scent of smoke and ash, but there was no getting rid of that smell permanently.
It would permeate everything in the area for months until summer storms and wind currents cleared it from the valley.
“Registration reported all six campsites are currently occupied, but the evacuation order cleared everyone out this morning. Some may have returned since we lifted the order a few hours ago, but the odds of questioning campers isn’t great. ”
Murray climbed out of the vehicle after her, the entire truck rocking with the slam of his door.
Rounding to the head of the pickup, she was nearly knocked on her ass by the sight of Murray shrugging on his official uniform jacket complete with vest, badge and the pistol at his hip.
She’d always appreciated the way he’d filled out his police uniform back in Salt Lake City, but now…
He was every woman’s fantasy all wrapped up in a tight, uniformed package.
There was something about seeing him like this in the middle of the wilderness—on official business and not just to stick his nose where it didn’t belong—that had her heart thudding hard against her ribs.
Her face heated as Murray’s gaze cut to hers. Because he’d caught her staring.
Crap on a cracker. Sliding slick palms down her slacks, Aslen cleared her throat and put everything she had into focusing on the layout of the campground and not the feeling of his attention dropping from her face, down the front of her body and back.
Did he just…check her out?
No. Not possible. At the very least, not plausible.
That fantasy remained purely in her head.
Not reality. And she definitely wasn’t under any illusion Murray Simpson was saving himself for the right woman to break through the ice around his heart, but he didn’t go out of his way to find company either.
He was just cocky and good-looking enough he didn’t have to.
He had no reason to turn all that smoldering intensity on her. She must have something in her teeth.
“N-nothing.” Aslen swiped her index finger across her teeth to make sure none of the omelet he’d made her caught, then nodded toward a blue SUV angled into one of the camping spots.
Movement on the driver’s side settled her nerves.
Great. Something new to focus on. “It looks like a couple of the campers have returned.”
Aslen took the lead, unwilling to turn back and see if Murray had followed.
Nope. She didn’t care. And she wasn’t clenching her backside because of nerves either.
Her breath shuddered free of her chest as she approached the first campsite ahead.
Red dirt clung to her boots as she came around the back of the vehicle.
She had to get it together. This wasn’t some fellow ranger she thought was cute and might ask out.
Murray didn’t give a damn about what she looked like, what she wore or if she showered.
He was practically her ornery best friend who got on her last nerve at least once a week. She had no reason to be nervous.
Except they’d never had to work together before.
Warmth that had nothing to do with the midday heat charged up her neck then exploded downward. Right between her legs. Uh oh.
Brother. Big brother. Nothing more.
Ha. Right. Normal people didn’t think about what all those muscles might feel like against her hand as she unbuttoned his ranger uniform.
Aslen pasted a smile on her face as she approached the woman hauling two bright backpacks into the back seat of the SUV. “Hi, there. I’m Ranger Woods, and this is Ranger Simpson. We’d like to ask you a few questions if you have the time.”
Exhaustion darkened the circles under the woman’s eyes.
Echoes of children from inside the canvas tent—arguing about something Aslen didn’t catch—bunched the woman’s shoulders closer to her ears as she faced off with the rangers.
Dull blond hair fell from a rushed ponytail as the woman—obviously a mother, a very tired mother—shoved the packs into place.
Sweat collected under her arms and around her T-shirt neckline.
“I’m sorry. We really just need to get packed and get out of here. ”
“I understand, and believe me, we don’t want to keep you any longer than we have to.
This will just take a couple minutes.” Aslen tried to keep her voice even, calm.
The woman looked as if she might bolt and take her chances with the desert instead of trying to break up another sibling argument.
Aslen didn’t even blame her. “If you’re worried about the evacuation order or the fire—”
“Rebecca, where are the damn car keys? I told you not to touch them, and now they’ve up and disappeared.
” The man’s voice preceded him only a couple seconds before he came into view.
Glasses reflected the afternoon sun and accentuated a long, thin—almost gaunt—face.
His frame was swallowed by a long-sleeve shirt complete with hiking vest and jeans as he approached.
Tall, taller than his wife and Aslen. “Oh, I didn’t realize we had visitors. Is there a problem, rangers?”
Two small faces peeked through the opening at the front of the tent, then quickly disappeared. Aslen only caught a glimpse of the kids before their argument picked back up behind the canvas.
A wall of muscle pressed into Aslen’s back, almost unconsciously, but she couldn’t deny the added comfort of having Murray so close. “No problem. I was just speaking with your wife. We’d like to ask you a few questions about this morning before the evacuation order went out.”
The woman—Rebecca—handed off the car keys to her husband then folded her arms across her chest. Making herself look smaller than a moment ago. “I told them we were in a hurry.”
“That’s right.” The man slid his arm around his wife’s shoulders, triggering a flinch in Rebecca’s frame.
Like she’d been physically repelled by the touch.
Sweat built on the man’s receding hairline.
His gaze flickered past Aslen and Murray, somewhere off to his right.
“The fire got a little too close for comfort. I’m sure you can understand.
We’d really like to get out of here as soon as possible. ”
Aslen leaned back into Murray’s chest in silent warning, and his hand settled at the small of her back in response.
They’d been around each other enough over the years to develop their own nonverbal communication.
Just as she’d learned how to read past the stony blankness of his expressions, he’d come to interpret the way she touched others and needed to be touched.
“Of course, and as I explained to your wife, we don’t want to keep you any longer than necessary.
We’d just like to know if you or your family saw or heard anything out of the ordinary this morning around four. Before the fire started.”
“I’m sorry. We were passed out from hiking all day yesterday. Even the kids went straight to bed.” Another cut of the husband’s gaze past her shoulder. Only this time Aslen dared a glimpse in that direction. Toward the RV parked across from this campground site. “Don’t.”
His plea froze Aslen to the core.
Strong fingers pressed into her lower back, grounding her better than any meditation, yoga practice or good book.
“Please. Don’t give us away.” The man—she didn’t know his name—shook his head. His tongue darted across his peeling bottom lip, and it was then Aslen noted the split on one side. “He’ll know we talked.”
“You were threatened.” Murray’s voice vibrated along Aslen’s spine, full of justice and violence and all the things he’d promised to do to those who’d hurt her. “By the camper across from you?”
Rebecca buried her face in her husband’s neck. “Please. We don’t want any trouble. Just let us go.”
“Did he hurt you?” Aslen fought the urge to take that step forward, to offer any kind of comfort she could.
Memories, ones that could only be chased back by climbing through Murray’s bedroom window for years, threatened to superimpose into this moment, but she wouldn’t let them free.
Of pain, betrayal. Of bruises, broken bones and screams from someone who was supposed to care about her.
They had no place in her life now. Not as long as Murray was here.
The thought physically jolted her, and the pressure at her lower back intensified.
How was she supposed to travel the world on her own if she couldn’t even battle those demons alone?
The woman nodded, careful to keep her mouth turned into her husband’s shoulder. “He came into our tent this morning. Took our driver’s licenses and told us he knew where we lived. He said he’d hurt the kids if we told anyone what we saw. Please. We just want to go home.”
“I can’t help you unless you tell us what you saw.” Murray’s body heat countered the ice coursing through Aslen’s veins.
“Rebecca got up to visit the bathroom a little before four this morning.” The man ensured to keep his voice even, free of emotion for fear of alerting their campground neighbor. “She wasn’t gone long, but…”
“I saw him. He was carrying a gas can.” The exhaustion Aslen assumed had come from mothering two small children and surviving a controlling husband etched deeper into her face.
This woman wasn’t tired. She was terrified.
“He must’ve seen me, too, because just before I got back in the tent, someone grabbed me and shoved me through the opening.
I landed on my shoulder. He…he could’ve killed us, but my son was awake. He was crying.”
Sobs cracked through the woman’s strained composure.
A gas can. Aslen craned her gaze to meet Murray’s. Understanding filtered into his expression. “Did you see anything else? A lighter or matches? Did he tell you what he was planning on doing with the gasoline?”
“No, but when we heard about the evacuation order due to the fire, we decided to end our vacation early. He still has our driver’s licenses.
He knows where we live. When you arrest him, please, leave my family out of it.
” The man pulled his wife closer, as though he could protect her with his touch alone.
“Well, if that’s all, rangers, I’d like to finish packing and get my family home.
I don’t want to take any chances with this fire. ”
“Thank you for your time. You all have a safe trip home. If you remember anything unusual from this morning, please call into the visitor’s center and ask for Ranger Simpson.
” Aslen raised her voice with a nod of appreciation.
Walking away to create some distance between them and the family, she angled her back to the RV across from the campsite to give Murray the best vantage point.
She’d agreed to consult about the arsonist’s behaviors and motives.
She wasn’t trained to make an arrest or pursue a suspect, but she couldn’t leave Murray to do this alone either. “What now?”
A door slammed behind her.
Aslen twisted in time to catch a glimpse of a tan coat disappearing around the RV.
“Call it in. He’s on the run.” Murray tossed her out of his way and bolted after the suspect.
There one moment.
And gone the next.