Chapter 19
Grace
The man was a control freak.
I’d come to that conclusion after Viper had left.
Dominating. Demanding.
Determined to command aspects of my life.
If I’d told him that I had the lighter, he would have taken it from me.
I fingered the offensive piece, rubbing my thumb across the emblem in the center, wondering if I was doing nothing more than frustrating the hell out of myself.
Maybe, but since my parents hadn’t smoked and I doubted they’d ever been to Mack’s Bar given it appeared to be a dive, and since the lighter wasn’t rusted, I had a feeling someone had dropped it recently.
Maybe I was asking questions for no other reason than to soothe my usual curiosity. I only hoped curiosity didn’t kill the cat.
Laughing, I had to wait until an older man had finally opened the doors at four on the dot, my mind creating several scenarios of how the lighter had ended up on the ranch. None of them good.
At least with Viper on some fire, I wasn’t worried about being caught. What I was mildly fearful of was feeling as if I needed to confess my sins. The man had an uncanny ability to know when I was tossing out a little fib or yanking his chain.
One thing I knew for certain; prison life hadn’t altered his need for control.
I’d done the unthinkable, finally searching the internet for any article on his situation. I’d refused to do so before. Why I’d decided to delve into his personal life after he’d left for work was more about curiosity. Yeah, at some point my inquisitive nature could just kill the cat.
What I’d discovered had been heartbreaking. He was telling the truth, although the reporter who’d provided a short series of articles about him had been one-sided.
And not in favor of Viper.
I wanted to kill the senator’s son myself. The bastard had been one of those guys who’d thought his shit didn’t stink. A type I knew well.
But I digressed.
My sudden appearance at a seedy-looking bar had to do with another crime. Maybe I’d switch to making the senator’s life miserable when I was finished here.
Grinning, I finally stepped from the truck, now hating that I hadn’t changed clothes before heading out. I looked rough with bandages on my knees and my palms scuffed up, but I wasn’t here for a date.
By the time I reached the door, two more vehicles were pulling in. When I walked inside, I was struck by the stench, a thick layer of stale cigarette smoke, alcohol, and piss soaked into the old wood. The place reminded me of a neighborhood bar, but it had seen much better days.
With several dartboards and two pool tables that were in desperate need of new felt, I could tell the joint didn’t bring in much money.
The old guy was already behind the bar, stacking glasses on a smoky shelf while peering at me with the same level of curiosity I felt.
As I approached the bar, a group of rowdy men came in, immediately heading to one of the tables near the group of dartboards.
“Hey, Sam. Bring us our usuals, please,” one of the men barked, giving me the look before pulling out a chair.
“You know the magic words, Mark.”
“Purdy please. You can toss in a side of the pretty lady if she’s for sale.”
“She’s not,” I snapped, offering a sweet but don’t-fuck-with-me smile.
Sam chuckled and grabbed a remote for the ancient television over his head. “What can I do for you? I’m not sure I can make them fancy drinks, but I do make a mean dirty martini.”
Another two guys walked in and I could feel the heat of their stares. “Just a little information.” I placed the lighter on the bar. “This from here?”
He looked at me for two seconds before glancing down. I could see a hint of recognition. “We haven’t given those out in years.”
“Looks brand new.”
“Then somebody kept it in a little box. Why?”
“Found it at my place. Just wondered who it belonged to.”
“And where do you live?”
It was my turn to smile. “Somewhere. You don’t have any of your… customers who regularly use them?” All I had to do was turn around and smoke billowed from across the room. I lifted an eyebrow when he stared at the piece again.
When he reached out to touch it, I swear it was like his fingers were going to catch fire by the way he reacted. “Do you mind?”
“Go ahead,” I told him.
As he picked it up, the hint of recognition continued. He flicked open the lid, studying it. “Nah. It could be one of a thousand that were made.” With a shrug, Sam pushed it toward me.
He wasn’t telling me the entire truth. That was easy to see. I sighed, then a flash on the television dragged my attention.
The reporter was talking about a fire. There were some aerial views from one of their helicopters.
“Where is that?” I pointed, my stomach already in knots.
“A fire displaced a lot of kids at the university. Zullies are working it.”
Exhaling, I tried to keep my wits together. Viper was going to be just fine. He knew exactly what he was doing. I needed faith. And I needed to get out of here.
Fuck it. I knew what made people talk. I dug in my purse, pulling out a twenty, keeping my hand on the bill as I slid it across the bar.
“Look, I really need to know if there’s any way you can help me.
This might be the lighter used to start a fire that killed my parents.
It’s the only thing I’ve found that might lead me to finding out who killed them.
Anything you might know, no matter how small might be helpful. ”
His sigh wasn’t what I expected. Neither was the softening in his eyes.
“Let me see it again.” He took more time, examining the piece, even leaning over before he answered.
“These were given out by the owner one year for spring break. He was trying to draw the kids in from the university. Only the college kids picked them up. A few were won in contests, but I wasn’t a part of that. ”
“What year?”
When he told me, I realized it was the spring after I’d left for college. It wasn’t much, but worth the trip. I released my hold on the money, nodding. “Thank you very much.”
Before I started to walk away, he said something under his breath. “Be careful, miss. If it’s the fire I think you’re talking about, he ain’t done yet.”
“How do you know?”
His shrug meant he wasn’t going to tell me anything. “Just a feeling.”
I knew even if I offered more money, he wasn’t going to talk. At least I had a motive. Sounded like revenge to me. For what? Now all I had to do was make a connection to the sporting goods store, which seemed like a longshot, but what other choice did I have?
Frustrated, I was almost to my truck when my phone rang. Seeing Darlene’s number for the third time, the first two with her leaving messages, I felt guilty for shutting her out.
Especially since she’d also sent a few texts. She’d only been looking out for me. Even if I was still angry at her father, I missed her too. “Hey, bestie.”
“You’re alive. I was worried about you.”
“There’s nothing to worry about. I’m fine.
I’m sorry I haven’t called.” As soon as I climbed in, I noticed one of the guys from the bar had come outside.
With dark sunglasses covering his face and with a ballcap on, I couldn’t see much of his face.
While he was smoking a cigarette, since he could do so inside, I was on edge.
“Look, I’m so sorry. I know it was none of my business. Who you date is entirely up to you.”
“But…” I started the engine and I could swear the guy was studying what I was doing. He didn’t give off the same vibes as what I’d felt before, but he was definitely not the kind of man I’d want to meet in a dark alley.
“But I’m still going to worry. Is your houseguest working out?”
Chuckling, I put the gear into reverse and by the time I’d pulled out of the space and turned to check out what the stranger was doing, he’d disappeared. Breathing out, I made sure the doors were locked. “Yes, he’s just… incredible.”
“Then you need to tell me all about it. Tomorrow night. Ziggy’s. A couple girls from the office are going to be there.”
I thought about her offer as images of Viper moved to the very front of my brain. “It depends on when Viper gets home from the fire.”
“Girl, you cannot tell me you two are tied at the hip already. Come on. Just one night.”
“Maybe.” I could pick her brain and see if there’d been any other fires considered arson that she’d heard about. I knew she heard all the scuttlebutt. And she owed me. “A definite maybe.”
“Excellent. Fire. Oh, Viper is at the big fire on Mount Sentinel.”
“What do you know about it?”
“Don’t get all worked up. They sent a lot of Zullies there and my father is helping coordinate evacuating the students who live on campus. Just a precaution given the proximity.”
“Shit. Shit. There were still some things I needed to share with him.”
Darlene chuckled. “You make it sound as if the man isn’t coming back. Not a single smokejumper has lost his life in an actual fire in years. Only one in a helicopter malfunction. But he won’t be in a helicopter today with the wind picking up. There might be a storm rolling in.”
“You’re not making me feel any better.”
“Oh, come on. Your man knows what he’s doing.”
“My man?” I checked the rearview mirror to ensure I wasn’t being followed, sighing when I didn’t see any suspicious vehicle. “Yes, he is my man.”
“You really do owe me some stories, girlfriend. You better show up. If he’s back, you can show him. Wear a sexy dress and make him all hot and bothered.”
“You know what? I think I just might.”
“That’s the spirit.”
It felt good to be talking with her again. “I need to grab a bottle of wine and I’m heading home.”
“Tomorrow. I will hound you if you dare deny me sexy stories. I need to live vicariously through your escapades.”
“Oh, please.”
In a much better mood, I grabbed the wine and headed home. To pack. I’d made a promise to myself and damn it, I was going to keep that promise come hell or high water.
I walked the dogs, locked the doors like my man asked, turned on the music, and poured myself a tall glass of wine.