Chapter Seven
Aftermath
Draven
It’s been four days since the fire. Four long days since I thought I might lose Harmony before I even had a chance. We are happy, living in our own little bubble. The only dark cloud that still hangs over us is the fire investigation.
Harmony’s insurance won’t pay out until they have a definitive answer on the cause of the fire, and it is breaking her heart to see her bakery this way. Which is why I am at the Kidds Beach Police Department, trying to get some answers.
“Fire Chief Black, how can I help you today?” the desk sergeant asks, probably recognizing me from the article the local paper ran after the fire.
“I need to speak to the person in charge of the Lewis fire investigation. The one at Cake My Life.”
“Such a shame about that. Harmony makes the best macarons. I’m just glad she is okay.” I can hear the genuine concern in his voice. He types on his computer for a moment before looking around and pointing. “You’re in luck. There is Detective Conrad.”
“Thank you,” I say sincerely as I make my way over to the other man. “Detective Conrad?” I ask as I approach.
“Yes, how may I help you?”
“I’m Draven Black, with the fire department. I was wondering if you have a moment to discuss an open arson case.”
“You’re the new chief?” At my nod, he gestures to a chair beside his desk. “What can I help you with?”
“My girlfriend Harmony’s bakery burned down—” I start but he cuts me off.
“We have already apprehended the suspect, and she has confessed. Seems like a bit of a troubled soul. I sort of feel sorry for her.”
“Her?” I ask apprehensively. My heart is already breaking for Harmony.
“Yes. One Aurora Daniels.”
“Fuck.” I run my hands through my hair.
“Do you know her?”
“Yeah. She is my ex-wife and Harmony’s older sister.”
“That’s insane,” he says as he rubs his beard. “I wish I had better news for you. Harmony will need to press charges, or the insurance company won’t pay out for the fire damage.”
“What will happen to Aurora if she does?” I need to make sure I have all the right information so Harmony can make an informed decision.
“Well,” the detective says twirling a pen between his fingers. “She is currently getting a psych evaluation, and I would put money on the fact she has some kind of dissociative disorder. Should that be the case, and if she is prosecuted, she will spend time in a mental facility for the criminally insane.”
I knew what he was going to say but hearing the words out loud was like a physical blow. “And if Harmony drops the charges?”
“Then I would recommend her family finds her professional help before she hurts someone.”
“I’ve already found a place for her,” Derick says behind me.
“I’ll leave you two to talk,” the detective says giving us some privacy.
“I know I have no right to ask either of you to do this,” Derick says, his voice tired. “But I would really appreciate it if Harmony could not press charges.”
“And what about her?” I ask. I am angry that he would ask her to give up everything for her sister, who tried to burn her alive.
“I will pay for everything that needs to be done at the bakery. Replace any items she has lost. Hell, she can gold plate the windows for all I care.”
I look at the man I used to call my best friend, and I can see this weighs heavily on him. His face is gaunt, and his skin has a greyish tinge to it.
“Why would she do this?” I ask, needing to know.
My heart breaks for the woman I love, knowing this is going to wreck her world. But I also feel sad for the girl I used to love. The Aurora I knew would never have done anything like this. Clearly, I never really knew her.
“After the divorce, she got pregnant,” Derick says softly. “She lost the baby before we could tell anyone. The doctors had to take her womb to save her life, and she hasn’t been the same since.” He shakes his head as he stares at me with tears in his eyes. “This is my fault. I knew she wasn’t okay, but I didn’t want to pressure her. Look where that got us.”
I stare at him in shock. I feel sorry for them both and I can honestly say it’s not an emotion I ever thought I would feel toward either of them.
“I’ll talk to Harmony,” I say. “But it’s still her choice.”
Turning away from him, I make my way outside where Detective Conrad is sitting on a bench under a tree, smoking a cigarette.
“I doubt Harmony will press charges.”
“Just bring her by to sign the paperwork in the next day or so and it will all be over,” he replies.
“Thanks for the help.” I nod before heading back to work.
****
Harmony
The moment he walks in, I know something is very wrong. He looks like he is carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. I hope nothing bad happened during his shift. Sometimes, the work can take its toll on him. It’s not easy to save lives, but I think it’s harder when you can’t save someone.
“Hey…” I wave from behind the kitchen counter where I am waiting on the stove timer.
The entire house smells like cookies. I bake when I’m bored. Or stressed. Or angry. Or happy. Sue me. And with all the baking I’ve been doing, Draven has been bringing tons of goodies to work with him.
He smiles at me, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. I don’t get the chance to ask what’s wrong before he has me tightly wrapped in his arms. He inhales my scent, holding me for what feels like forever before the oven timer goes off, and he lets me go.
Draven sits at the counter and watches me as I take the tray of cookies out and place them on the cooling rack.
“We need to talk,” he finally says, and I feel like I am dying inside.
“You do know that is the most hated sentence in the English language, right?” I try to lighten the mood before what will surely be a painful conversation.
It takes him a minute but when it finally dawns on him what I meant, he looks horrified.
“No. Babe, come sit. This isn’t a conversation about us. It’s about the fire.”
I want to feel relieved, but he looks so sad that I can’t. I sit in the chair facing him and wait patiently as he tries to figure out a way to give me unwelcome news without hurting me.
“Do we need to have the Band-Aid conversation again?” I ask, only half joking.
“Aurora set the fire.”
Band-Aid ripped off, and it took some skin with it.
“Excuse me?” I ask way too loudly.
“I went down to the station to get an update only to be told she had already confessed.”
“My sister burned down my business and my home with me in it?” My stomach roils with nausea. I feel like I am stuck in the damn twilight zone. “Why would she do that?”
“Derick says she hasn’t been the same since she lost the baby.”
“Baby? What baby?” I’m yelling now.
My entire life has just been thrown off its axis and nothing is making sense anymore. Aurora would have told me if she was pregnant. Wouldn’t she?
“Harmony, I’m so sorry.” He lifts me from the chair and carries me over to the sofa where he holds me tightly while I cry.
“What’s going to happen to her?” I ask when I finally stop sobbing.
“I told the police you don’t want to press charges.” I go to say something, but he kisses me quickly before continuing. “I know you won’t be able to get anything from the insurance, but Derick said he would pay for the repairs. He feels guilty because he didn’t see how sick she was before this happened.”
“And Aurora?”
“She’s going to need more help than any of us can offer. Derick found a suitable place on the south coast that’s willing to take her as soon as she is released. They will help her.”
I rest my head on his shoulder as I work through everything he has said in the last five minutes. It’s a lot to take in but it explains things now that I know the truth.
“I feel sorry for her. If she had just come to me,” my words taper off. “I still love her, even if she is batshit crazy.”
“When she’s better we can all get together. Maybe it’s time for all of us to sit down and mend fences.”
“Yeah,” I agree as I kiss the man I love. “Maybe it’s time to start fresh. We are getting our second chance, maybe they should too.”