Chapter 4
Suzanne Blakely had been at a conference for a few days, but now sat in her office tapping her foot lightly. She wore her uniform today. Still, her stunning blond hair, expert makeup and knock-out body made Tess feel, well, dowdy.
“So, I studied up on everything you sent me and did some research. I have a profile, but truthfully, there wasn’t much to go on.”
“Give me what you have.” Tess took this meeting alone as David was out of the office on a lead.
“The arsonist is a he, like most of them. Sending flowers is male. So is the arrogance associated with that. Also, the card read, Your Firestarter. Again, a male thing.”
“A woman wouldn’t want to taunt us?”
“I’m not saying that. I think she’d pick a different way. That’s conjecture based on type, though. Since he did taunt, he’s probably confident and has had a lot of success in his life. Maybe even accolades.”
“Why would somebody like that commit arson?”
She glanced down at her tablet. “The research gives some reasons. Successful people are often insecure. Setting fires would boost his faith in his ability to do pretty much anything. Or he has a grudge against the fire department.”
Tess shook her head. “I hope no smoke eaters were involved. I’ve had cases like that.”
“There’s no reason to think that he’s in the CCFD, Tess, at least not at this point. When we get more information, I can narrow this,” she tapped on the tablet, “even more.”
“You mean when he strikes again?”
“Unfortunately, yes. Sorry I can’t be more help.”
“Not your fault. He covers his tracks well.”
“I’ll send you and David my word doc.”
Distracted, Tess left the psychologist’s office and headed through a quiet common room. David had told the squad to go home early today, get some rest and come back tomorrow at ten. They’d worked from early morning to late at night for three days since the soccer game. And there was no bustle from a recruit class in the outer rooms. Since David had left, too, Tess decided to head home and arrived home by six, made dinner for the kids then her mother took them out to a movie to celebrate their summer vacation.
At eight, the doorbell rang. That would be David. He didn’t say he’d come tonight, but there had been little opportunity to talk at work. Smiling, she pulled open the door.
“Hey.”
Her smile died like the setting sun behind her visitor.
Once, Vince DiMarco was a handsome man. But age hadn’t been easy on him. At forty-two, his hair was graying fast and permanent lines formed around his mouth and on his forehead.
She leaned against the door. “Hello, Vince. What can I do for you?”
He stepped closer, and she could smell his overused cologne. “I need to talk.”
In the past, those words led to hours of venting on his part: work was a bitch and he hated his boss at the car dealership; why couldn’t he get a break from the kids when he came home; and sometimes, a litany of grievances against her. Briefly, Tess wondered why she’d put up with it.
“Then find someone else, Vince. Listening to you is not my job anymore.”
A bit of a sneer turned up one corner of his mouth, making him even less attractive. “Not even if it’s about your kids?”
He knew her vulnerabilities. “Come in, then.”
She accompanied him inside. Before he sat, he walked around the living room and out to the dining nook and porch. Vince hadn’t really been inside her home since the divorce, only in the foyer to pick the kids up.
“Wow. How’d you afford all this?”
“I did a lot myself with help from the fire department if I couldn’t do something. For the rest, I hired a contractor.”
“What about our house? You never did nothing to fix it up.”
She had. She’d pulled down wallpaper, repainted, hired other contractors to remodel the kitchen and paid for it out of her salary. But she crossed her arms over her chest, unwilling to be distracted. “Sit. What about our kids?”
He dropped down on the blue, soft-clothed couch and she took a chair across from him. “Izzy and Maria aren’t good when they come. They whine.”
“Why? What do they do there?”
“Watch TV mostly. They won’t do nothin’ else. Izzy was a brat when I told her to clean the bathroom.”
“I heard about that. She said it’s so disgusting from two boys peeing in there that she refused.”
“Tough shit. She should do what I say.”
“When it’s reasonable.”
A dark scowl. One she used to do anything to avoid. “You always take their side.”
“There are no sides now, Vince. Just my girls and me.”
“What about your son?”
“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about him. You dropped him off one night unannounced. That’s not part of the custody agreement.”
“Yeah, I had a girl come by. He was in the way so I sent him over. I didn’t have time to call you.”
Fury roiled her stomach. “You know, you were always a pretty good father. What happened?”
“I got Vinny too much.”
“You wanted him to live with you.” So he didn’t have to pay child support for all three kids, Tess suspected. “In fact, I think you poisoned his mind so he wouldn’t stay here.”
“Fucking shit. I did not.”
“What did you tell him about us divorcing?”
“That you kicked me out. You did.”
“After years of putting up with your shit. When you slept with somebody else, I did indeed tell you we were through.”
“Hell, you’re still nagging me.”
“Then get out of my house.”
He stayed seated. “No.”
She strode to the front door and opened it. “I said get out, Vince!”
Suddenly, he was there, too close, in her face. “Yeah? What you gonna do about it if I don’t leave?”
She slid the phone out of her pocket. “Call the police.”
A rustle outside. Then someone in the shadows said, “The police are already here.”
They both turned to find a big man come into the light.
“Who’re you?” Vince snapped.
He stepped closer. “Captain Lance Manwaring of the CCPD.”
“She didn’t have time to call you.”
“Luckily, I just stopped by.”
Vince turned to her. “You screwing him?”
“None of your fucking business. Get the hell out of my house.”
Vince stomped off. When he was safely away, she turned to Lance. “Sorry about the scene.”
“Your ex?”
“Uh-huh.” She cocked her head. Contrary to Vince, he looked handsome in his white shirt, rolled up at the sleeves. “Lance, what are you doing here?”
“Some things came to me today. I’d like to run them by you.” He held up a bottle. “I brought a good merlot.” He gave her a devastating smile. “I’d like to get to know you better.”
That was the last thing she wanted. But could she turn him away?
Of course she could. “I’m sorry, I can’t meet with you now. I have a migraine, and need to lie down.” She put her hands to her temples for effect.
Shock suffused his chiseled face. And a little bit of annoyance. Men! “Oh, sure.” He shoved the bottle into her hands. “Keep it for another time.”
Before she could give the wine back, he turned, said, “I’ll see you tomorrow” and jogged into the darkness.
* * *
David woke up in his bed and laid there for a few minutes. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so tired. Working off a few hours of sleep three nights in a row, they’d processed the scene of the last arson and released the building yesterday. He’d come home and fallen into bed, into a comatose state.
He checked his Fitbit. 5:04 a.m. He had a while before work. Maybe he could get in a run. After making coffee, he sat for a few minutes and sipped. Through the screen, he saw the birds coming up to the feeder. Hope could look down at it from her bedroom and hear them chirp good morning to her. They were out now, making their beautiful racket. A sigh escaped him. No more dwelling on his past.
He should have called Tess. A blinding image of her naked and entwined with him flashed through his mind. He would have called, had he been able to keep his eyes open.
Liar.
All right, he could have phoned. But the conversation they needed to have shouldn’t be had when they were both tired. He took out his phone, but it was too early to call her. He hoped she slept in.
This case plagued him. The fire had been declared incendiary, after finding a myriad of evidence. Today, they’d work on evaluating what they’d collected and piecing everything together.
At six, David went for a run, taking it easy for a bit, then working up to a pace that made him sweat. He came back all grimy and called Tess.
“Hello.”
The sound of her voice soothed him. And aroused him. He shifted on his feet. “Good morning.”
“To you, too.”
“Sorry I didn’t come over last night. Or call. I practically dropped into bed and zonked.”
“I’m sure you needed that.”
“Did you get some sleep?”
A hesitation. Then, “After a while.”
“Want to grab breakfast before we go in?” He’d given the whole squad a later start date.
“I had some toast, but yeah, I’ll meet you. The Crystal City Diner?”
“Yep. Forty-five minutes?”
“Sure.”
He disconnected, unnerved. Was something wrong? She hadn’t been very friendly. Did he make a big mistake by not seeing her last night? Well, he’d find out soon.
* * *
He watched them again through the window. He caught a glimpse of her as she walked inside, wearing a long pink raincoat, as it started to drizzle. She looked pretty today. He’d wanted them to know what he was doing, and he had them buzzing with his actions. And the flowers had upset them. So, he planned to send Tess something else. The pink coat reminded him of candy. Maybe he’d stop at the fancy place at the end of Main Street and get some. Chocolate. With raspberry filling. He’d just have to make sure he didn’t touch the package. He’d let the sales clerk wrap and send it. No note, either. He’d risked too much with the last message. This time he’d be more careful.
* * *
Tess walked into the diner trying not to be miffed at David. Apparently, in her heart, she didn’t understand him not coming over last night. So much had happened between them. He sat at a window table, staring down at his phone. His shoulders spanned the width and sinew of his chest in his white captain’s shirt, making her remember…things. As she got closer, she saw his blond hair was still damp.
He looked up. And absolute pleasure dawned on his face. “Hello, there.” He stood and helped her out of her coat, then they dropped down opposite each other. He held up a pot. “Want some?”
“Yeah.”
When she’d had a chance to sip the brew, he asked, “Eat or talk first?”
“Do you have something to say to me?”
He lowered his voice. “Yes. First, I’m sorry I didn’t call last night or come over.”
“I’m sorry, too.”
“I did fall into bed, but I could have phoned before that.”
“Why didn’t you?”
He glanced out the window. “I honestly don’t know. What happened between us is so big, I guess I haven’t had time to digest it.”
“Digest it. As in…?”
He frowned. “What to do about us.”
She blanked for a few seconds. “Ah, so there’s a choice. We can go further or forget what happened?”
His face flashed with annoyance. “No, Tess, we can analyze what happened. Decide what’s best for both of us.”
“You sound so rational. So cold. God, didn’t we have the same experience a few nights ago?”
“We need to be rational.”
She thought about wanting David for a long time and stifling her feelings. She thought about what a good man he was, how much she admired him. Couldn’t she do what he asked?
“I—”
“Hello there. Great minds think alike.” Lance Manwaring had come to the table. He wore his uniform, looked big and…dangerous…today. He smiled down at Tess. “You’re no worse for wear.”
“What does that mean?” David asked.
Surprise arched his dark brows. “Didn’t she tell you?”
“I didn’t have—”
“No, what should she have told me?”
“I don’t know about should, but she had quite a scene with her ex in her foyer last night.”
His gaze swung to hers. “Vince?”
Tess nodded.
David glared at Lance. “And how do you know about that?”
“I went over to see her. I had a couple of questions.”
“Why didn’t you come to me?”
He shrugged boyishly.
They were having a pissing contest.
“First off,” Tess said, coldly. “I don’t have to answer to either of you.”
Both men frowned.
The scowl David gave recruits when they’d misbehaved was directed at her. “I’m your boss.”
“Being my boss has nothing to do with last night.” She raised her chin. “Or any night.”
Lance held up his hands. “Whoa, I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.”
“No trouble here.” David threw down his napkin and scraped his chair back. “I’ll see you both at the office.” He walked away. From her!
Lance said, “Huh. Mind if I sit?”
“I do.” She rose too, grabbed her coat and crossed the diner. She went to open the door just as someone else did. Todd Jeffries smiled from under an umbrella. “Hi, Tess. How was your breakfast?”
“Non-existent.” She circled around him and headed to her car.
* * *
He’d barely gotten back into his office when his door flew open. Then closed. Hard.
Tess’s dark eyes flared. Her face was flaming. Despite what had happened, her demeanor reminded him of another reason she’d looked so flushed. “What the hell was that all about?”
He folded his arms over his chest and leaned against his desk. “I felt like a third wheel.”
“What is wrong with you?”
“You had two visitors last night.”
“I should have had three.”
“Is that what this is all about?”
“Fuck, David. I had no control over Vince storming inside or Lance coming to my door.”
“What happened in your foyer?”
“Vince wouldn’t leave. I opened the door to hurry up the process, and Lance was walking up to the porch.”
“Why the hell was he there?”
She stared at David. Like she was deciding whether or not to tell the truth. Finally, she said, “He gave a paltry excuse about the case but then said he wanted to get to know me better.”
“Christ.” He asked, “What did you say?”
“Nothing. I don’t date people I work with.”
“You had some meals with Chet Carson. And what about me?”
“What about you? I love you, damn it. I have for years.”
“I love you, too. I have for years. That doesn’t mean the other night doesn’t have to be talked through before we fall headfirst into an affair.”
“An affair?” Her eyes widened and jaw dropped. “You think of me as an affair?”
“Bad choice of words.”
“For clarity’s sake, then, I don’t want an affair with you David. If that’s what you’re thinking, I’m done with this.”
She stalked out.
After a minute, he went to the doorway to the common room. She was nowhere in sight.
David fumed.