Chapter 14
FOURTEEN
“ I ’m trying not to freak out here.” Naya spoke to Ingram on the phone. She opened her closet in search of a professional yet comfy outfit. “He kissed me on the cheek yesterday, then told me no matter what happened, he wasn’t going to leave.” Naya pulled a patterned blue-and-yellow blouse from a hanger and tossed it on her bed with a pair of dark-wash jeans.
Ingram squealed. “Girl, he likes you.”
“Yeah, well, he broke my heart once. The thought of it happening again is terrifying.”
“I don’t want to negate your feelings, but do you know that for a fact?” Ingram asked.
After several long minutes, thanks to the sling, Naya finished changing and sighed. “We were best friends one day, and the next he was gone. No goodbye. Even his grandma’s house went up for sale.” Naya plopped down on the edge of her bed. The clock reminded her she only had forty-five minutes until she’d told Zack she would pick him up. She’d crashed and slept for ten hours thanks to the events of yesterday.
“Has he done anything to make you question his character?”
Naya slid her hand through her hair. “Nothing that I can think of.” Zack had protected her yesterday. “He didn’t leave me in the car. Or on the mountain either. If that’s not enough,” Naya laughed, “he’s even reminded me of the truth of God’s word.” A smile parted her lips. “He’s not only shown interest in what matters to me; he cares about what Jesus is doing in me.”
“Girl, he’s a keeper. I wish Will reminded me more of the truth.”
“Zack seems to always have a desire to do what is right.” The ways Zack had matured from a boy into a man reeled her heart in faster than the tips that came in on a reporter’s hotline. “I just don’t know what to do.” Naya stood up and grabbed a ponytail from her dresser and attempted to secure her hair in an updo with one hand. It was messy but it would do.
“I think you know what to do, but your mind is telling you a different story.”
Naya propped her hands on the dresser and stared at her reflection in the mirror. “It’s just a far cry from what I’ve experienced with other guys. Including Tucker.”
“Ask Zack what happened when you were teens. When he left. It’ll give your heart closure. It might even help you both move on in the right direction. Together.”
Together.
“The thought of partnering on anything with anyone makes my stomach hurt. I know Zack is different, but it doesn’t fit with the reality I’ve known for years, of others looking out for themselves, leaving me in the dust.” Hurt and alone.
Before Naya could come up with another excuse, Ingram said, “I’ll be praying the Lord gives you courage to have that conversation. Sooner rather than later.”
Naya chuckled. She could picture her friend, head cocked, eyebrows raised. “Thanks, Grams.”
Her phone pinged with another message.
“Looks like someone else is seeking a heart change.” Naya scrolled through the words. “Tucker texted. An apology about how he handled things when we saw him at Ethos and when I saw him at Callahan’s.”
“Good. That boy needed to be put in his place.”
“Except he didn’t apologize for writing the note.”
“That’s some serious downplaying of what happened.”
“You don’t say.” Naya sighed. “Drew told me he followed through and spoke with Tucker about professional etiquette.”
“Well, Tucker still has some manning up to do then,” Ingram said.
“It’s a matter of getting through that big head of his, which might take a while.” So were Tucker’s words sincere? It seemed more plausible that he would continue with his sarcastic comments and prideful attitude. “Words on a screen only hold so much weight. I’ll have to talk to him myself. Get a better read on his demeanor.” Which reminded her to follow up with Zack about Tucker’s whereabouts the other day. “I have to get going.” Naya grabbed a pair of flats from her shoe rack and headed to the kitchen. “Zack and I are meeting with one of his dad’s former friends.”
“Give Zack the benefit of the doubt. The truth may surprise you.”
“Maybe.” Naya chewed her lip. “It often does surprise me, and usually not in a good way.”
Help me see Zack’s heart, Lord. Bring the truth into the light.
Naya wanted Zack to be a man she could trust. Dare she say love? But she couldn’t get ahead of herself. There was still investigating to do. And unearthing the truth of the past and letting her heart catch up would take time.
All the turmoil and stress made Naya want to curl up and veg out on some pain patate , a sweet potato bread pudding dessert her family used to make. She could almost taste the warm, fluffy center. The vanilla and cinnamon wrapping her in a comforting embrace.
Instead, she opted for a protein granola bar. The recent events hadn’t allowed for much time in the kitchen.
Fifteen minutes later, Naya pulled up to Zack’s house. He jogged down the drive and slid into the passenger seat. “Thanks for not making me call a cab.”
Naya feigned a gasp. “That would be cruel of me.” After yesterday’s events, the lighthearted banter eased the tightness in her shoulders.
As if she had someone else to carry her burdens with her.
Like real friends.
Still, the cuts and bandages on Zack’s face reminded her why they were even taking this trip.
Zack provided navigation while they drove, and eventually the houses grew farther apart and traffic waned. They wouldn’t have to worry about parallel parking out here. Former fire chief Ricky Powells lived on the other side of town and had agreed to meet with them.
“Thanks for coming along.”
“It’s the least I can do after all you’ve done to help me.” Naya kept her gaze on the road, one hand on the wheel. A glance at Zack would risk a greater collision than the one in her heart. His car was already totaled. She didn’t need to add hers to the tally.
“Powells told us to park around back and use the deck door. Said there’s an old gas station parking lot we can pull into.”
“I hope this turns out to be worthwhile.” Naya glanced in the rearview mirror before making a left-hand turn, to ensure no one was following them.
The gas station was closed down, and the building was falling apart. A few shingles littered the pavement, and a dumpster sat to the side.
Naya took a deep breath. “You ready?” She studied Zack’s face. This meeting might be difficult for him. Dredging up memories of the past. Reminders of what no longer existed.
“Ready or not.” Zack shrugged.
Naya didn’t believe this was no big deal to him. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it—a gesture she’d started back when they’d been next-door neighbors. A simple reminder that he wasn’t alone.
This moment was important for Zack. For his own sake, she wanted him to find the truth and get closure. He had to realize that he wasn’t to blame for his parents’ deaths.
“Well, partner, let’s get this show on the road.” Naya opened the door.
Powells’s backyard stood three hundred feet from the gas station. Six other houses lined the area. Each property had enough space to warrant a riding lawn mower.
Arborvitaes lined the perimeter of Powells’s house.
“He seems to like his privacy.” Zack brushed back a few branches and followed the stone path to Powells’s deck.
“It’s quite a nice house for a single guy too. It must be lonely living out here by himself.”
“If that’s how he wants to live, that’s his choice.” Zack surveyed the area around them before stepping up to the back door.
Naya’s shoulders relaxed. They were both on alert. No one had followed them out here, and with the tree covering, it would be easy to spot something—or rather, someone—who shouldn’t be in the backyard.
Zack pressed the doorbell. It sounded deep into the house.
A middle-aged man opened the door a crack. He peered out from the corner. “You Stephens?”
“Yes, sir. Thanks for agreeing to meet with us.” Zack motioned to Naya. “This is my friend, Naya Michél.”
Powells ushered them inside, then locked the door. “Have a seat.” He showed them to the dining room table. The space was void of any personal touches. Minimal light peeked through the closed curtains. A damp, musty smell filtered through the air, and Naya shivered.
The man was sturdy, a guy who’d been built for his job, but his face was hard. Stoic. Gray peppered his brown locks, and he bore wrinkles that showed the toll his work had taken on him over the years. He wore a flannel and whitewashed jeans that were well past their prime.
Zack cleared his throat.
Naya didn’t want to overstep boundaries, so she waited for one of the men to speak up. This was Zack’s battle. Often the best information came from being silent and observing body language.
Powells’s shoulders remained rigid, and his eyes fixated on everything around the house but his guests.
“All these years I believed my parents’ deaths were an accident that I was to blame for.” Zack scooted closer to the table. “That’s what you told me. The report tells a different story. Arson. You want to help me understand what that means? Why I was told a different narrative?”
This man had been a friend to Zack’s dad and a witness to his parents’ deaths. He should have known better than to instill a lie in a child—the lie that Zack was responsible for what had happened to his mom and dad.
She couldn’t imagine how hard it had been for him. Losing them. Believing he was at fault. Not knowing the truth told a different story. And now, he was so close to finding out what had happened.
Give him the benefit of the doubt. The truth might surprise you. Ingram’s response echoed in her mind. What if the truth of Zack’s disappearance was different than what she’d believed all these years? She tucked the thought away for later. Right now, she needed to focus on the situation in front of her.
Lord, is he going to find answers, or will all this be for nothing?
Naya wanted to help him find closure and move on. No matter what it took.
She owed their friendship that, at least.
“There wasn’t much. Not much for good reason.” Powells swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “I’d have put my life in jeopardy by sharing anything.”
“So you kept quiet and made sure I believed it was all my fault.” Zack gripped the edge of the table.
The man licked his lips. His eyes blinked fast.
Naya said, “You’re still scared?” It had been years since that incident.
Zack just stared at the former fire chief.
“So I’m supposed to tell you what I know, then read about a fire in the paper that took your life?” Powells stared at them. “Same as your parents?”
“That fire was arson. Something my dad used to stay has stuck with me all these years. ‘R, son. It’s so important I had to tell other people.’ I thought it was a way to help me learn to enunciate my r ’s. But now I’d beg to differ. Did he tell you what’s so important about the R?” Zack’s gaze never wavered from Powells.
The man blinked and averted his eyes to the ground. If it wasn’t for the dimly lit area, Naya guessed she’d see sweat breaking out on the guy’s brow.
“You have no idea what you’re asking for.” Powells swallowed.
“To have a chance to find the truth and not live with misplaced guilt. That’s what I’m asking for.” Zack steeled his jaw.
Naya wasn’t going to let Zack fight this alone. “The truth is beautiful because it sheds light on darkness and exposes it.”
Powells’s attention bored into her. “The truth gets good people killed.”
“I’m not afraid of it.” Naya lifted her chin.
“You should be.”
Zack laid a hand over hers. “You know what happened to them.” He let out a breath. “Tell me what it was that got them killed.”
Naya nodded. “Then we can figure out who is behind it, and they can finally get justice.”
“You don’t give up, do you, girlie?”
No, I don’t. Naya just wasn’t sure if this was about the truth or the fact that it would help Zack.
Powells leaned back in his chair and sighed. “Douglas—your dad—he was a great guy. No matter what it was, his conscience wouldn’t let him rest until he did the right thing.” He glanced at Naya. “Like someone else you know.”
“Doesn’t sound like a bad thing.” She shrugged.
He shook his head. “It is when you get killed over it. He paid the price.”
“What do you mean?” Zack narrowed his eyes and leaned into the table. “What did he know?”
Naya held her breath. The truth of what had happened to Zack’s parents could cost him more than he’d bargained for. What if this was a mistake? What if her quest for truth came with consequences neither of them could reverse?
“Your dad was supposed to sign off on a product to go to distribution that had high toxicity levels and would have a negative, long-lasting impact on the community.”
Naya pulled out a pen and scribbled down some notes.
“Your dad came to me and asked for my help. He was convinced it was poison. In the testing stages it was effective. But the cost was the death of all the mice in the lab. Your dad couldn’t just let the higher-ups make such a detrimental call.” Powells grimaced. “When execs found out that your dad talked to me, they threatened me. Told me I would regret it if I said anything.” Powells rubbed his jaw. “I couldn’t afford to lose my job so I told Douglas to let it go. He didn’t have the power to change anything.”
“But he didn’t give it up,” Zack whispered.
Powells shook his head. “Your dad told me if the product went to the market, my firehouse would be first in line to use it. And suddenly my own ethics were put in the hot seat.”
“What was the product?” Naya looked up from her paper.
“Firefighting foam. Basically a commercial grade fire extinguisher.”
Naya and Zack both looked at each other. He said, “How was that bad?”
“More fluorine was added to the foam because of its performance-boosting effects. But the chemical also contains high levels of PFAS. Any runoff from the use of one would contaminate the ground and water supply long term.”
Naya’s breath hitched. “How’d he figure it out?”
“He was in charge of all the safety data sheets. Including what chemicals were used in each product creation.” Powells rubbed a hand down his face. “He showed me the list. Did some research. Confirmed the toxicity levels of the fluorine in the products were way too high for human exposure.”
“Have you been following the news lately?”
“Why would I?” The man’s brow furrowed. “There’s more than enough for me to worry about for myself without getting entangled in other people’s drama. I learned that the hard way with Douglas.”
Naya blinked. “So you’d rather save your own skin?”
“I warned you, didn’t I?” Powells stood up. “I really hope this doesn’t bring more trouble on you, but I can’t be part of it.”
“Your friend was killed by people determined to bury the truth.” Naya stood up, though with her smaller height, it didn’t put them on an equal footing. “All you’re going to do is hide? People are getting sick from water contamination. More people will lose their lives if you don’t say something.”
“I’ve already said more than enough. It’s time for the two of you to leave.” He ushered them toward the door.
Zack crossed his arms. “I think you need?—”
Glass shattered next to them, and the window broke inward, spraying across the room. Something rolled across the floor, spewing out flames.
Naya screamed.
A pop followed. A whoosh filled the space, and the curtains caught fire.