Chapter 25 #2
“Wouldn’t miss it. You know how news travels.”
“In this town, like wildfire.” The thought brought another shiver. What in the hell was this asshole up to? “I’m so sorry, Roxie.”
“It’s alright. However, whenever you have the time to paint a few more, I’ll take everything you can get.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” I held a smile until I walked out, scanning the street and half expecting to see some guy standing like a statue watching me. There wasn’t.
Just as I made it to my car, I called Darlene. “Hey, girl.” It was time I took the bull by the horns.
“Hey, you. You’re not calling to cancel tonight. Right? Like everybody in town is coming. A real hero celebration.”
“I think even Viper is looking forward to it. That’s not why I’m calling. Did you find anything about the lighter yet?”
“Well, what the guy at the bar told you was true. Now, I mentioned the discovery to my father and he did seem interested, taking it to check for fingerprints.”
“Was he interested in the stalker?”
Now she laughed. “My father is a pragmatist, girlfriend. He was silent.”
As I figured. I rolled my eyes. Like that was going to work. “What about Sam?”
She sighed. “Well, you aren’t going to believe this, but Sam is on vacation.
I stopped by myself just last night to have a nice, long chat with him.
The female bartender was eager to provide me with the news.
But I do have Sam’s full name, which my father now has.
Not that he was keen on my sleuthing abilities. ”
“Just like Viper. What is it about men?”
“Do you want me to tell you?” Darlene huffed.
“Uh, no. Did your father say anything else?”
“No, but he couldn’t given the active investigation.
Now, I’m doing some crosschecks on cases from around the timeframe, but unless a death is involved, I might not find anything.
The best bet is to talk to the fire marshal, Jane Province.
She doubles as the forensic inspector and she has the memory of an elephant. ”
“Maybe I’ll try and talk to her.”
“I am not telling you to call her. Why not mention it to that handsome man of yours?”
As soon as I shifted and the material of my shorts rubbed across my butt, I was reminded of how he’d handled that conversation. Not that I had any real discomfort left, but the memory of the spanking was ripe and raw.
And I would get him back one day.
“I did and I’ve heard nothing since.”
Darlene sighed. “I’ll let you know if I find anything.”
“There’s something else. My paintings are being taken, and were stolen from Holden’s pet store.”
“What?”
“Ask your dad about what happened. There’s an active investigation on Holden’s, although the officer wasn’t taking the disappearance of a few paintings very seriously.
Supposedly, there was camera footage sent so I hope his detectives take the time to watch it.
” A little white lie, but maybe their keen eyes would see something I couldn’t.
“That is… weird, but I’ll figure out a way of telling my dad.”
“We’re missing something, a connection with my parents. The university. The sporting goods store.”
“Just try not to think about it. I’ll mention what happened at the pet store to the chief, but you know how my dad is.” Her tone was full of ire.
I climbed into my car. “Yes, I do.”
“Maybe I’ll have something by tonight.”
“I hope so. See you later.” As I ended the call, I noticed a slow-moving truck and my mind just about got the best of me. Why had I become an object of fixation?
* * *
Viper
The entire crew was standing inside the base, waiting for an address from the fire marshal and Captain Daughtry. We’d all heard the rumors, alongside confirmation of the arson on the mountain. And we were pissed.
The fire marshal was late in arriving and that was making things worse. While she had a damn good excuse, the fact a city monument had been scorched, hundreds of acres destroyed, and lives almost lost had pushed everyone’s anger to the breaking point.
Besides, there was a celebration to get to.
As a kid, celebrations had meant little.
Usually not even a day off. Our little family hadn’t been able to afford much.
My thoughts drifted to the first year I’d had a job, including lying about my age.
I’d gotten away with it since I was a big boy.
I’d been so excited to take the burden off my mother for purchasing the one thing Aimee had wanted from Santa Claus.
My mother had driven me nuts, reminding me not to forget or else.
Come Christmas morning, Aimee had gone from elation to despair in less than three seconds.
Until Santa had made an appearance. She hadn’t been fooled, but she’d squealed with delight anyway, the present making her holiday. We’d laughed and for once, we’d had a great time together as a family.
After that, everything had gone to shit.
Fuck.
Why the hell was I continuing to go down memory lane?
The answer was fairly clear. I was already thinking about Grace as my family. That was both amazing and terrifying. Not that I’d admit it to anyone.
Axe headed toward me, popping me on the arm.
“You’re in good spirits,” I told him, shaking my head.
“Yeah, I am. We checked for a microchip and asked around, including talking to animal control and all the other rescues. If no one claims Frosty, we’re keeping him. Kenzie is so excited. Bringing the little monster home made her forget I almost died. Almost.”
“Frosty. You named him Frosty?”
“Hey,” he huffed, throwing up his arms. “Her idea, not mine.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re keeping him.” And I truly was.
“I had no idea how a dog could bring such joy. Thank you for helping keep him safe. That little tyke had already been through a lot.”
“Yeah? Maybe he was injured in trying to get away.”
“I don’t know. I think he had recent surgery. It’s crazy that someone would just dump him.”
“Yeah,” I said, my thoughts drifting away. Something was off about that.
Axe looked away. “I also wanted to say thank you, man, for saving my life, for not walking away. You’re a stand-up guy.”
When he threw out his arm for a shake, we both heard applause and whistles.
To which we both threw up our middle finger.
“If there’s anything you need, you let me know,” Axe continued.
“Hold him to that,” his brother yelled.
Half the crew laughed.
“The pup needs his shots though and he’s limping. Do you happen to know any good veterinarians in town?”
I rolled my eyes.
“You’re allowed to go see her, but not a word. Not a single word about anything I said.”
“Hey, what happens in Vegas. Right?” He backed away, throwing up his hands.
The captain walked in, clapping his hands, the fire marshal following.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I need your full attention.” The captain made eye contact with several jumpers.
“I’m not going to mince words, guys. What you did was heroic and the city council, the university, and the entire town owe you a debt of gratitude.
However, we still have what appears to be an arsonist on the loose.
The police and the fire department are on close watch, the police building an investigation, but I thought you’d want to hear from our fire marshal as to the findings. Jane, the floor is yours.”
Jane was a no-nonsense woman, an older lady who could crawl in the trenches without hesitation yet had no issue sliding into a suit and heels to tackle the council members. That much I’d heard from the guys, a glowing representation if you ask me.
She sighed as she moved closer to the group, who surrounded her in a semi-circle. She did the same thing as the captain, purposely making eye contact. She landed her gaze on me and Axe, nodding when she did.
“You all deserve a round of applause.” She put her hands together, clapping enthusiastically.
We all did. This was what it felt like to be a team.
When the applause died down, she took a deep breath.
“There is no doubt what happened was arson. From the reports of the first group of firefighters, they detected a stench that could only be kerosene, which is what I suspected was used in several other fires.”
“Including at the Monroe ranch?” I asked.
The marshal seemed surprised. “Yes. Which is why the city remains on alert. While you might not believe this, the wind actually did us a favor. We believe the school was the intended target. There were several crude explosives found surrounding the campus that were thankfully defused. They were only found by luck. And a suspicious person was run off by campus security.”
“They matched the explosives on the Monroe property. Right?”
Jane seemed… irritated. “I’m not making that conclusion as of right now. Several more tests need to be run.”
“But you believe they are the same.”
Her sigh was heavy. “Yes, Viper. I do.”
A quiet murmur flowed through the jumpers.
“Any idea about the person’s identity?” Rock asked.
She shook her head. “Other than from what the guard told the police, which was that it appeared to be a man in a ballcap.”
“A green ballcap with a picture of a dog?”
My question startled her. “I don’t know, Mr. Locke. Why? Do you have some information that might prove helpful? It appears you’re very close to this case.” She glanced at the captain and I could tell they’d had a ‘chat.’
I felt all eyes on me, but Rock nodded as if standing behind my crazy ideas.
“Maybe. I’m new to the area, but from what I’ve seen, since kerosene is used by many campers, the product could have been purchased at the sporting goods store that was burned down.
Correct? My guess is the explosives weren’t mentioned in the press so as to try and trap the arsonist.”
“Yes, but that connection has already been checked, the police going through purchases around the date of all recent fires,” she countered, but her smile was meant for me alone.
“Then there’s another connection that the police are missing.” While I hadn’t intended on taking over the conversation, I needed the information.
“Alright. What are you thinking?”
“The arsonist feels he or she is a victim of something that happened in his or her past.”
She looked at the captain, who seemed surprised. The fire marshal smiled, only wider this time. “Now, I’m very curious. Go on.”
I shifted from foot to foot, uncertain what I was suggesting made a lot of sense, but I’d come to certain conclusions based on two nights of limited sleep while holding Grace in my arms. The fires were definitely a revenge situation.
Sure, amateurs used kerosene because it was easy to purchase without raising eyebrows.
But it also fueled a burning need deep within so that when the rage exploded, the person responsible could easily satisfy and calm the beast inside.
No pun intended.
And I knew the hunger better than most.
“Whoever this person is, my thought is that he has a list he’s going down of people who wronged him. Likely from years ago.”
“This man in a ballcap,” the captain offered.
Shrugging, I wasn’t certain if they were taking me seriously. “Yeah, maybe.”
“Then why did he wait so long?” She placed her hand on her hip, studying me intently.
“I don’t know. Maybe he left town. Maybe something else sparked his fury,” I answered.
She lifted her eyebrows, nodding again. “Excellent observation skills.”
While she continued with her presentation, providing tips of what we as basic citizens could look for in our off time, I was thinking about everything I’d discovered so far.
Which wasn’t much.
“That’s it,” the captain said several minutes later.
“Now, go have some fun tonight at Ziggy’s.
The celebration being held there is for everyone.
All of you, because you’re a team and you worked together.
That’s how we save lives. Just don’t have too much fun.
And you never know, I might join you for a drink or two.
” He grinned and a couple of jumpers whistled.
As I turned away, a hand was placed on my arm. “Viper. Do you mind stepping into the captain’s office with us?” Jane had a smile on her face.
“Sure.” I followed them in, the captain closing the door.
Jane turned to face me, taking a few seconds before she spoke. “You have someone in mind. Don’t you? This guy in a ballcap.”
“I don’t know if it’s my place to say.”
“If you have any information, you need to share. I’ll be frank with you. The police are at a dead end. Now, I haven’t provided my full report on what happened on Friday, but I doubt they’ll be able to make any real headway. If you have anything to add, it’s worth looking at.” Her face was hopeful.
Exhaling, I yanked out my phone. “Grace Monroe, the Monroes’ daughter, believes she’s been followed for weeks after returning home.
Including the other day. I ran after the people and to the road leading from her property.
I didn’t see the vehicle, but I did get a picture of fresh tracks made by their tires. ”
I showed them the picture.
“There’s more. I also have a photo of a license plate of a guy I have a bad feeling about.
I know. He was wearing a green ballcap with an emblem of a dog.
That might be a coincidence, but he was hanging around Grace and there’s just something about him that bothers me.
He also wasn’t thrilled I was there either.
Maybe the photographs will help solve a puzzle.
The arsonist has a beef with people. This isn’t just about torching buildings. He is enraged about something.”
She looked me in the eyes. “Send those pictures to me. I don’t know if they’ll make a difference to Chief Taylor, but at this point, any lead might provide another.”
I debated something else. “I also have a name.”
“Now, you have me curious.”
When I mentioned the person that my gut was telling me had something to do with the fires, I noticed two seconds of a shared look.
The kind of look indicating prior knowledge.
Or something even more dangerous.