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Hayley
Martha seemed surprised when Hayley appeared in the kitchen that morning. She sucked in a quick breath, her hand clasping her chest as she exclaimed, “Hayley Freed, you startled me! Where did you come from?”
“Upstairs,” Hayley answered with a patient smile. “I’m staying here, remember?”
“Of course I remember. But I didn’t think you were here. Your vehicle isn’t in the driveway.”
“I got in late last night, and I was afraid the lights would wake you up, so I parked down the street instead.”
Martha blinked at her. “Oh, well, that’s very thoughtful of you.” Her expression turned to one of distress. “Oh dear. I didn’t make breakfast.”
“That’s okay.”
“But this is a bed-and-breakfast,” Martha told her. “And since you insist on paying for your room, it’s the least I can do.”
Hayley nodded toward the domed glass cake stand and the delicious-looking treats it held. “One of those muffins and a cup of coffee would be perfect.”
Martha didn’t look happy about it, but she bustled around and presented Hayley with both. Hayley hid her smile behind her cup of coffee, wondering how many people Martha would have to call to let them know that, yes, she had actually returned to the B & B the night before.
“How did your reunion with Daryl go yesterday?” Martha asked, sitting down at the kitchen table with her.
“As well as could be expected, I suppose,” Hayley said with a small smile. “I’ve been away a long time.”
“I imagine it’s a bit of an adjustment for him, seeing you all grown up now. He was always so protective of you.”
“That’s one way to put it, I suppose.”
“Be patient with him, Hayley. He’s got a lot on his mind these days. Being the chief of police is a heavy responsibility to bear.”
Hayley nodded sympathetically. “It is. And he was thrust into it so suddenly. Poor Chief Feeney. You knew him, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I knew him. He was a good man.” A cloud passed over Martha’s features, lending credence to old rumors that Martha and Mitch had been an item at one time.
A knock sounded on the front door, ending that conversation.
“Now, who could that be at this hour?” Martha muttered. “Excuse me, dear. I’ll be right back.”
Hayley heard the murmur of voices, one of them very familiar. She smiled, glancing at the clock. She’d been expecting him.
She downed the rest of her coffee and then moved into the foyer to find Lenny towering over Martha, looking every bit the cop he was. Pressed uniform, badge, weapon and cuffs clearly displayed. His eyes lifted, landing squarely on Hayley.
“Hayley Freed, I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to come with me,” he said sternly.
Martha’s sudden intake of breath was audible, but Hayley wasn’t worried. The twinkle in his eye gave him away.
“On what charge, Officer Petraski?”
“Coming home and not reaching out to your favorite nephew.”
She grinned and crossed the room to hug him. “Who says you’re my favorite?”
“Lenny Petraski, shame on you!” Martha said, but she was smiling, too.
“Sorry, Ms. M, I couldn’t resist.”
“Will you come in and have a cup of coffee with us?” Martha offered.
He released Hayley. “Actually, Hayley and I have plans.”
Martha looked questioningly at Hayley. They didn’t have plans, but Hayley played along.
“We do. I’m sorry; it completely slipped my mind.” Hayley offered Martha an apologetic smile before turning back to Lenny. “I’m ready if you are.”
After wishing Martha a good day, Hayley climbed into the passenger side of the police car.
“I should make you ride in the back,” Lenny told her as he pulled away from the curb. “It’d serve you right.”
“You wouldn’t do that to your favorite aunt.”
“You’re my only aunt,” he said, echoing her sentiment from earlier.
“I had to talk to Daryl first. You know that.”
“Yeah, I know. But you’re still buying me breakfast.”
“Deal.” She grinned widely at him. “How’s your mom, by the way? I should probably stop in and see her at some point while I’m in town.”
“I don’t know,” Lenny said evenly, though a shadow passed over his features. “She and my dad got a divorce. She moved away a couple years ago. I don’t hear much from her these days. Just birthdays, holidays, stuff like that.”
Hayley nodded. “No matter what happened between her and your dad, she loves you, Len.”
“I know.”
No, you really don’t, Hayley thought.
Lenny drove to the diner on the outskirts of town. It was the only place in the area to get a decent breakfast, as evidence by the fact that every seat at the counter was taken and nearly all the booths were full. They had to wait a few minutes for a table to be cleared before they were seated.
“It’s a shame Santori’s isn’t around anymore,” Hayley commented, sliding into the booth by the window. “Would’ve been a lot closer.”
“Would have,” Lenny agreed.
“Martha said the place burned down a few years ago, something about suspected arson. You’re still on the volunteer squad, right? Were you on the call?”
He nodded somberly.
“Did you find the guy responsible?”
“No, and we never will.”
“Why not?”
He exhaled. “Because I don’t think it was a guy.”
“A woman arsonist?” She shook her head. “That’s kind of unusual, isn’t it? The vast majority of known firebugs are men.”
“Know a lot about firebugs, do you?” he asked, his mouth twisting into the boyish, teasing grin she knew so well.
She had a soft spot for Lenny. Of all her relatives, he seemed the most redeemable.
She shrugged. “Criminal psychology is fascinating. It was one of my favorite classes.”
“You always were interested in that stuff. You went for a degree in psychology, right?”
“Close enough. I started off studying sociology at first, but ending up switching majors.”
“How’d that work out for you?”
“Pretty well actually. After my undergrad, I went for my master’s.”
He whistled softly. “A master’s, huh? Couldn’t be happy, being the first Freed with a college degree; you had to go and get a master’s. So, what, you’re like a shrink now or something?”
“No, nothing like that.”
“What are you doing these days?” He asked the question innocently enough, but there was more than idle curiosity in his eyes.
“Daryl didn’t fill you in?”
“I haven’t seen him this morning,” Lenny said evasively.
“At the moment, I’m not doing anything,” she said, blowing out a breath. “I’m on personal leave.”
“From what?” he pressed.
She liked Lenny; she really did. He was probably the nicest and most decent member of her family. But he’d also been under Daryl’s thumb for a long time. Hayley had no doubt that Lenny’s breakfast invitation was more than just about catching up; it was a fishing expedition, designed to find out more about her sudden and unexpected arrival in Sumneyville.
That was somewhat disappointing, but she couldn’t fault him for it since she also had an ulterior motive.
Whether or not Daryl had filled Lenny in on the stuff she’d told him the night before, she didn’t know, but it would be in her best interests not to contradict herself. She stuck with a similar, watered-down version of the truth in case Lenny and Daryl compared notes later.
She took her time in answering, choosing her words carefully. “I’m not a shrink, but I do sometimes deal with people who have what you might call behavioral issues. Six months ago, something happened on the job that forced me to take a step back and reevaluate some things.”
Hayley put up her hand to stop him before he could ask for details. “And, no, I’d rather not go into exactly what just yet. It’s hard to talk about. That’s one of the reasons I’m here. To take some time, clear my head, and figure out what’s next. In the meantime, I’m happy to distract myself with other people’s problems.” She grinned. “What better place is there to do that? From what I remember, scandal and hearsay are practically Olympic sports in Sumneyville.”
He nodded. “Fair enough.”
“So, firebugs. You obviously have some theories. Maybe I can offer insight from a behavioral or criminal psychology point of view.”
He thought about that for a minute, then nodded. “Santori’s isn’t the only place that burned down.”
“The Winston resort. I heard. But Winona said that was a faulty gas line or something, not arson.”
“That’s what we thought, but then these other fires happened, and those were obviously purposefully set.”
“What others?”
“Appelhoff’s Bakery. Most recently, Obermacher’s cider mill, just a year or so ago.”
“That many suspicious fires does seem like more than a coincidence,” she admitted. “What makes you think they’re related?”
He grimaced. “Because they all have one thing in common. Samantha Appelhoff.”
“You’re joking.” Hayley remembered Sam. She’d been a couple years younger than Hayley, a quiet girl who definitely didn’t fit the profile of a serial arsonist.
“Not even a little. Her grandparents’ bakery went up in flames shortly after an inspector said the building wasn’t up to code and needed major upgrades. Sam was in college at the time, and they didn’t have the funds, so ...”
“So, naturally, people assumed they’d burned down their own business for the insurance money,” Hayley finished.
“Not them. They died. Sam’s the one who stood to collect,” he said. “But she didn’t because there were too many unanswered questions. So she set her sights on the café and went to work for old man Santori instead. After his wife passed, he went deep into the sauce and let the café—and pretty much everything else—go. Sam claims they had a deal: if she took over managing the place and made it profitable again, Santori would sell her the business for cheap and retire to Florida. But there was nothing in writing. They had an argument over it, and the day after Santori refused to sell to Sam, the place conveniently blew up. It was definitely arson.”
Hayley had to admit, it did sound suspicious. “And the Winston place? How is she connected to that?”
“She used to deliver there, didn’t she? And she had it bad for Matt Winston. Rumor had it, she made a play for him after you left, but he did what he always did. Used her and then tossed her aside.”
Hayley didn’t believe that for a moment and said so.
“He’s not the hero he makes himself out to be, Hayley,” Lenny said darkly. “You haven’t been around. Haven’t seen the things I’ve seen.”
“What things?”
“You want to talk about guys with issues? Well, he’s got a whole team of them up there. Guys who come back with a little less upstairs than what they left with, if you know what I mean. Winston claims it’s some sort of place for military guys to go when they return from serving, but he’s turned the place into a stronghold. Amassing weapons. Luring women up there. It’s like a cult or something.”
It sounded ridiculous. Exactly the kind of conspiracy-theory vitriol Darius would spew to get people riled up back in the day.
“If you really believe that, then why aren’t you doing something about it?” Hayley asked.
“It’s not that easy,” Lenny told her. “They’ve got serious security around the place. You have to ask yourself, why do they need that level of security if nothing’s going on up there, huh?”
Hayley shrugged. “I don’t know. Why did Darius set booby traps all over the place? Maybe they’re just extra cautious.”
Lenny snorted and then narrowed his eyes. “Wait. I know that look. You’re not thinking of going up there, are you?”
“Maybe. I admit, I’m curious. Aberrant psychologically based criminal behavior is my specialty.”
“Listen to me, Hayley. I know you and Winston were a thing once, but do yourself a favor and stay far away from him and that place.”
“I’ll take it under advisement,” she said. She poured them each another cup of coffee from the carafe the server had left and changed the subject. “Enough about that. Tell me about you.”
He shrugged. “Not much to tell. What do you want to know?”
She grinned. “Got a girlfriend?”
A blush stole over his cheeks. “No,” he answered quickly.
“How come?”
He shrugged.
“All work and no play makes Lenny a dull boy,” she teased. “Just haven’t found the right one yet?”
He scoffed. “I don’t see a ring on your finger either.”
That was because she’d already found the right one. No one else would ever do. She wasn’t about to tell him that though.
“Touché. But you know what that means, don’t you?”
“What?”
“You have no excuse not to hang out with me while I’m in town.”
His grin was back. “What about police business? I’m an officer of the law, you know.”
“Right. I’ll take my chances. It’s not like Sumneyville is a hotbed of criminal activity.”
Lenny’s smile faded. He looked down at his plate and then stuffed his mouth with successive bites.
“Hey, I was kidding. I wasn’t putting you down or anything.”
He finished chewing and then drank some coffee. “No, I know.”
“What’s going on, Len?”
He looked like he wanted to tell her and then shook his head.
“Is this about the Luther business?” she prompted, lowering her voice.
His eyes snapped up and then narrowed. “What do you know about that?”
“Martha and the ladies filled me in. They said Luther got himself into financial trouble and tried to cover his tracks using the local business accounts he managed, and then he skipped town. I can’t say I’m surprised. I always did think he was a weasel.”
When Lenny’s lips thinned, she quickly added, “Sorry, I forgot. Luther was a friend of yours, wasn’t he?”
“Not a real close one, but yeah, we hung out sometimes.”
“Please don’t tell me he wiped you out of your savings, too.”
The look of pain on Lenny’s face suggested Luther hadn’t confined his schemes to his clients.
“I’m sorry.”
He shrugged. “I’ll recover. The renovations I was doing are on hold, but I’ve still got the house, and it’s not like I’ve got a wife and kids to take care of.”
“Mona thinks Luther’s hiding out in Vegas with Gunther Obermacher and his wife.”
Lenny laughed, but it wasn’t a happy sound. “Yeah, I doubt it. Gunther’s not too keen on Luther these days. He lost everything.”
“I heard about that, too. I can’t believe it. Obermacher Farms was a staple of this community. They must have been devastated. Although it sounds like Tina’s doing all right.”
“Of course she is,” he said, anger lacing his voice once again. “She’s aligned herself with the devil. Got herself mixed up with one of those Sanctuary guys and forgot all about her family.”
“That doesn’t sound like the Tina I remember.”
“Yeah? Then, how do you explain the fact that she’s the only one who came out of all this smelling like a rose, huh? Rick lost his wife and kids, Gunther’s so far in debt that he’ll never dig his way out, and Kiefer ...” Lenny shook his head instead of finishing what he was going to say.
“What happened to Kiefer?” Hayley prompted.
“He disappeared right after the fire at the mill. No one’s seen or heard from him since.”
“Maybe he’s holing up with Luther,” Hayley said jokingly.
Lenny’s eyes flicked to hers.
“You don’t think that’s actually a possibility, do you?”
“No, of course not,” Lenny said finally, but she could see his mind working.
He picked up the check the server had left on the table, but Hayley snatched it out of his hand. “I’m buying, remember?”
Lenny scowled. “You don’t have to do that. I told you, I’m all right.”
“I know. But you are my favorite nephew. You can get the next one.”
His lips quirked. “Does that mean you’re sticking around?”
“For a little while at least. Long enough for you to pick up a few tabs.”
Hayley left a tip on the table and then went up to the cashier to pay.
Out in the parking lot, Lenny opened the passenger door for her in a gentlemanly gesture and said, “It’s good having you back, Hayley.”
“Good enough to put on the lights and sirens for the ride back into town?”
He laughed and shook his head, but the first thing he did when he pulled out of the lot was switch on both.