Watching the last smoldering board collapse onto the darkened, scorched earth, Brody Boudreau felt a growing weariness deep in his bones. This fire had burned hotter than an inferno. Hotter than a normal fire. His suspicion? It had been intentionally set. He’d wait until things cooled down enough to start a formal investigation, but his gut told him an accelerant aided in the destruction of the deserted old barn.
The only bright spot in an otherwise hellish night was the building had been abandoned years ago. Once a decent-sized working barn, now it was little more than a large empty structure. The aged and dry wood would have sparked like a rocket under normal circumstances. But this? Surveying the path of destruction leading away from the barn more than likely would prove to be gasoline, maybe kerosene.
Were there spontaneous fires in Shiloh Springs? Of course, especially when it had been hot and dry throughout a good chunk of the past couple of years. There’d been little rain this summer, and while they weren’t in official drought conditions, the whole county was pretty darn close. Add in Texas’ one hundred plus degree days and you had the makings of a perfect storm.
He might have chalked this up to local teens, sneaking around, smoking and getting high, if this was the first building to go up in flames. Nope, it was the fourth in as many months, a distinct pattern as far as he was concerned. They’d been lucky so far, nobody got hurt, but it was only a matter of time before somebody got careless.
Time to nip it in the bud before things got worse.
“What do ya think, Brody?” Dwayne, one of the volunteer firefighters who’d shown up to help, stood beside him, sweat pouring down his face. Streaks of black soot covered his skin and hair, and he swiped a sweaty forearm across his brow. “Personally, I think we’ve got a firebug on our hands.”
“Hate to say it, but you might be right.” Brody pointed to the charred path leading toward the collapsed structure. “My guess? Looks like somebody used an accelerant. We’ll know more once we can get inside and check things out.”
“You gonna tell the sheriff?”
Brody nodded, shoulders slumped. “Don’t see I’ve got much choice. Too much of a coincidence having this many spontaneous fires break out. All at unoccupied properties or abandoned sites like this one.”
“I think we’re about ready to head back to the station. Need a lift?”
“Thanks, I’ve got my truck. I’m going to head over to the sheriff’s office, then try to grab a couple hours’ shut eye. Tell the guys I’ll talk to them later. Appreciate their hard work. They did a great job.”
“Sure thing, Chief.”
Dwayne walked away, helmet under his arm, to the fire truck where the others were checking the equipment and reloading it for the return trip. Brody was proud of his guys, men and women who worked tirelessly when called upon. Tonight had been no exception. They’d worked and trained, making sure they maintained a ready status for nights like this, and they’d done an exceptional job, and he’d make sure they knew how much they were valued and appreciated.
With a weary sigh, he climbed behind the wheel of his pickup and headed into Shiloh Springs proper, pulling up in front of the sheriff’s station. It was early, but he spotted his brother’s car parked a few yards up the street. Though barely light outside, he wasn’t surprised his big brother was already in the office. In his opinion, Rafe was the finest sheriff Shiloh Springs ever had, and he worked harder than anybody to make sure the folks in his county felt safe. Too bad the news Brody brought might chuck a spanner in the works.
He jumped at the loud knock on his window. His brother Chance stood outside. Rolling the window down, he scrubbed a hand over his face, noting the smoky, charred scent. Probably should have showered before heading here.
“Anything wrong?”
“Another fire, this time at the abandoned Summers’ place. It’s out now, but the barn is a total loss.”
“That’s what, the fourth one?”
Brody nodded and climbed out of the car. “Yeah. Decided to stop off and talk with Rafe, update him on what’s happening, before I head home and try and grab a couple hours’ shut eye. Probably could have slept at the station, but I need some time to clear my head.”
“I’m heading in to see Rafe too. Mind if I sit in?”
“Sure, I’d welcome your input, Mr. District Attorney. You’re gonna hear all about it anyway, might as well update you both on what we’ve found.”
Chance held the door open, and they headed back toward Rafe’s office. The rest of the office seemed empty, though it wouldn’t be for long. Soon there’d be deputies dealing with the daily grind of small-town crimes. Sally Anne covered dispatch, along with most of the clerical work, because dispatch for the Shiloh Springs sheriff’s department wasn’t a high demand occupation. Most times, folks’ problems got solved without anybody ever leaving the office.
Rafe sat behind his desk, a stack of folders hovering near the edge, a tricky balancing act. One good gust of wind and the leaning tower would topple over, spilling papers everywhere. He glanced up as Brody and Chance walked in, and tossed his pen onto the desk. “Morning. Why didn’t you bring coffee?”
“Good morning to you too, grouch. I’d planned on inviting you to breakfast at Daisy’s, but since you’re in a foul mood…”
“Sorry, Chance. I hate paperwork, and these new state requirements are making things worse. Nowadays, if somebody sneezes inside a cell, we have to write up a report and send it to half a dozen agencies. It’s beginning to look like I can’t get anything done except deal with bureaucracy. I didn’t sign up for this. But, that’s my headache. What brings you guys by this early?”
“Let Brody go first. He’s been up all night.”
Rafe’s eyes narrowed, taking in everything with that perceptive cop stare he’d perfected, and Brody rolled his eyes. Great, now big brother was going to go into protective mode, like he’d always done even when they were kids. Rafe’s protective streak was a mile wide, and he had the compassionate heart to match. There wasn’t anything wrong with him a shower and some uninterrupted sleep wouldn’t fix. At least nothing physical.
“We had another fire last night.” Brody ease onto the chair across from Rafe’s desk, and Chance slid onto the other. “I hate to say this, but I think we’ve got a problem.”
“You suspect arson?”
Brody nodded, and ran a hand through his hair. He felt filthy, coated in layers of grime and soot. He was used to it, a part of the job he loved, yet even the thought of somebody deliberately starting fires in his county, close to the people he cared about, made him feel dirty. And pissed off.
“Wasn’t hard to spot. I found what I believe is clear evidence of an accelerant. I’ve collected a ton of evidence at the scene, and once things cool off, and it’s not pitch dark outside, I’ll take a closer look. But with three other fires this close together, there’s a definitive pattern.”
“That’s what now, four?”
“In the last few months, yeah. Another part of the pattern I’m seeing is the fires have all been in abandoned or vacant properties. This one was at the old Summers’ barn. It’s been empty for years, it’s outside of town, the wood is old and dried out, making it a firebug’s dream spot.”
“Plus, it’s off the beaten path. Unless you know it’s there, it’s not visible from the road. Add in the use of an accelerant, you’re right, sounds suspicious.” Rafe scratched at his chin while he watched Brody closely. Brody was used to his big brother’s scrutiny. He really should have stopped and showered first, because knowing Rafe, he wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to rib him about trailing smoke into the sanctity of his office.
“Unofficially, I wanted to give you a head’s up. I’ll send you an official report once I’ve had a chance to do a more thorough investigation. Collect more samples for ILRs and send then for testing.”
“I probably know this, but I’m drawing a blank. What’s ILRs?” Chance shook his head after asking the question. “Guess Rafe’s not the only one needing some coffee.”
“ILRs is an ignitable liquid residue. Not necessarily an accelerant, but burns hot. Most likely I’ll find gasoline or kerosene. Maybe propane, but I doubt it. I’ll also check for pour patterns, if an accelerant was used. Thought I spotted some after the fire was out.”
“I’ll have my deputies keep their eyes peeled for anybody acting weird. I haven’t heard of any strangers passing through. I’ll keep you posted if I hear anything.”
Brody stood up and stretched. “Appreciate it. I’m heading to the Big House. I’ll crash there for a few hours and then head back to the scene. Call me if anything comes up.”
“Will do. Get some rest, you’ve earned it.”
Chance also stood and headed for the door. “I’m going to head out too, since you’ve got your hands full, bro. Might as well head in to the office and get some work done. I’ll update you later on a couple of cases.”
“Before you go, have you heard anything more about the Berkley case? Antonio’s swamped between moving back from Dallas, and getting situated at his new digs with the Austin FBI office. I didn’t want to bring it up with Serena; she’s been through enough already.”
Brody paused halfway to the door, because he wanted to hear the answer too, since that particular case had hit a little too close to home. Although it did have a bright side. His brother, Antonio, found the love of his life during the whole fiasco. A few weeks prior, Big Jim Berkley, homegrown terrorist and the mastermind behind several bombings across the southern United States, had been granted an appeal of his conviction. The one person who could keep him behind bars was the man’s niece, who’d been living in Shiloh Springs under an assumed identity. Fortunately, things turned out the way they should, and Antonio and Serena got their happily ever after. Brody suspected there’d be wedding bells in the near future for his brother. The thought made him smile.
“The Department of Justice quietly steamrollered him into taking an Alford plea on all the new charges. There won’t be another trial. Big Jim Berkley’s new attorneys agreed to withdraw their case for appeal. Big Jim’s never gonna see the outside of a penitentiary for the rest of his natural life.” Chance shrugged. “Couldn’t have happened to a better person. With everything he put Serena through, they should bury him beneath the jail. That’s my personal opinion. As the district attorney for the county of Shiloh Springs, I cannot quote anything on the record, since there are still charges pending against Jonathan and Corinne Drury for the auto accident and attempted kidnapping of Serena.”
“Are you prosecuting their case?”
“I can’t, Brody. I’ve recused myself, since my brothers were involved and will be called as witnesses for the prosecution. Don’t want anything smacking of nepotism or impropriety to taint the case. Off the record, they’ll probably plead it out, since both Drury and his wife have charges pending in an ongoing investigation with the Justice Department. Shiloh Springs is small potatoes in their ongoing case.”
“I’m glad Antonio’s moving back. I think Shiloh Springs is good for his soul. In the short time he’s been back, he seems, I don’t know, happier.”
Rafe chuckled. “Well, part of that might be because he’s in love. I know I’m certainly happier now I’ve got Tessa in my life.”
“And with that, I’m out of here, in case all this new love stuff is contagious. I am not ready to settle down.” With a grin, Chance walked out of Rafe’s office, whistling as he headed toward the front. Brody heard him greet Sally Anne, who must’ve come in while they’d been talking.
“I’m out too.”
As he turned to go, Rafe placed a hand on his arm. “Bro, are you alright? I don’t want to pry, but you haven’t been yourself for a while. Anything I can do to help?”
Brody drew in a deep breath. He thought they hadn’t noticed, but trust his big brother to strike right at the heart of the matter. How was he supposed to tell Rafe he’d fallen for his fiancée’s sister? The one who’d be Rafe’s sister-in-law before too long?
“Everything’s fine. I’m just tired. Burning the candle at both ends; guess it’s caught up to me. I’ve finished up the latest classes for TCFP, so I’ll get some rest. Promise.” It wasn’t a total lie. He had been taking some recertification with the Texas Commission on Fire Prevention as part of his fire investigator certification.
“Alright. If there’s anything you need, I’m here. Got it?”
“Yep. Now, go back to work. I’ll have Sally Anne bring you some coffee, you grouch.” He smiled at his brother’s “jerk” comment, and strode toward the front. After a couple minutes of chatting with Sally Anne, he headed for home.
Beth stared at the large courier envelope she’d tossed onto the middle of her bed. Her neighbors in North Carolina, the Findlay’s, had collected her mail for the last few weeks and forwarded everything to her. The growing knot in her stomach seemed to twist and turn, churning inside like a rattlesnake. She knew what the envelope contained. Bills. Letters from collection agencies trying to scare her into sending them money. Money she didn’t have. More people trying to squeeze money from a stone, because she didn’t have a clue how she was going to pay them.
“Evan, I swear if you weren’t already in jail, I’d strangle you with my bare hands. How could you do this to me and Jamie?”
She flopped down onto the bed, and pulled her knees up to her chest. After the whole disaster with her now ex-husband and the Crowley County bond, both she and Tessa had donated all the bond money back to the county. What once had been a prized family possession became tainted and twisted in her duplicitous ex’s hands. He’d turned something honorable and historic into nothing more than blood money, and Tessa had agreed when Beth suggested donating it back to the county. Who would have thought her ex-husband would figure out the bond was worth millions of dollars, and hatch an insane plan to kill Tessa and then her?
If he’d succeeded with his maniacal scheme, all the money would have gone to Beth’s daughter, Jamie. Evan, as her father, would have gained full control of all that money, and he’d planned to play the poor, widowed father to the hilt.
Weeks after obtaining a divorce, and all the paperwork signed and filed with the court system, Beth found out the true duplicity of her ex-husband’s deceit. Bills began showing up, tons of them, addressed to Evan and mailed to her parents’ old address. Statements for credit cards she’d never seen. Ones he’d opened by forging her signature. The two additional mortgages on their home—the one they’d bought together in the early days of their marriage—those had been a total shock. She’d only found out about the mortgages when she’d tried to put the house on the market, after she and Jamie had relocated to Shiloh Springs.
That hadn’t been the end of his nasty tricks, though. He’d also taken out life insurance policies on Beth and Jamie, worth over two million dollars. And he’d made darn sure he’d kept up the payments on those policies.
She shifted to sit with her legs crossed, and placed the envelope on her lap, closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Treat it like ripping off a Band-Aid. Yank the sucker off and get it over with, because it’s not going away, no matter how hard you ignore it.
She pulled the cardboard zipper and opened the package, upending it and pouring out the contents. They spilled across her lap, the pile getting bigger and bigger. Envelopes with final notice in big red letters, or past due stamps, tumbled out. How could there be so many? How could she have been so blind? Like a gullible fool, she’d believed all his lies. All his sweet promises. Never again. She’d been a naïve idiot, believing a smooth-talking con artist who’d offered words of love and commitment. Now, what remained of her dreams of happily ever after lay in a pile of past due bills and threats of foreclosure.
“Mommy? Why’re you crying?”
Beth wiped at her eyes, feeling the wetness against her fingertips. She hadn’t even realized she was crying, lost so deep in her thoughts. Worse, she hadn’t noticed her precious baby girl come into the room. Jamie was the one good thing Evan had ever given her, and she’d do it all again if it meant she’d have her sweet baby girl.
“Everything’s okay, sweetie. Mommy was thinking about something sad, but it’s gone now.” She pasted on a smile, and patted the bed beside her. “Wanna come up here and snuggle with me?”
Jamie raced across the room, her blonde curls floating behind her, and raised her arms up when she reached the edge of the mattress. Leaning toward her, Beth lifted her daughter onto the bed, and snuggled her against her side, inhaling the scent of her daughter’s baby shampoo. She kept her arms wrapped around her daughter, thankful Jamie was too little to understand what her father had done. Sometimes she’d ask about her daddy, and Beth explained he was out of town, and wouldn’t be home for a long time. She knew eventually she’d have to tell Jamie the truth, but that was a long time from the here and now. Today, she simply held her daughter close, and wished she could press pause, and keep the rest of the world at bay.
“Can we have faffles for breakfast?”
“You want waffles, huh? Sounds good to me, kiddo. Let’s go.”
Beth scooted off the bed, picking up Jamie and swirling around with her, holding her up high. She smiled as Jamie giggled, reaching her arms up toward the ceiling.
“Higher, Mommy! Higher!”
“I can’t lift you higher, baby girl. You’re getting too big. Pretty soon, you’re going to have to lift me up instead.”
Her words caused Jamie to laugh even more. “I can’t pick you up, Mommy. You’re a grow’d up. You’re too big.”
“I’m too big? I’m not too big to tickle you, you little monster!”
Jamie screeched and wrestled playfully in her arms, and Beth let her go, chuckling as Jamie headed toward the kitchen. Time to make her breakfast. She’d developed a fascination with frozen waffles, and wanted them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. While they were time savers, Beth didn’t want them to be the only thing her daughter ate. But today, she didn’t have the heart to say no.
A knock at the front door had her detouring in that direction, Jamie on her heels. Looking through the peep hole in the apartment’s door, she spotted Tessa on the other side.
“Morning.” She quickly moved out of the way as Jamie barreled toward her aunt.
“Aunt Tessa! Aunt Tessa! We are having faffles! You want some?” Jamie wrapped herself around Tessa’s legs, her little arms barely reaching all the way around. “Mommy makes good faffles.”
“Faffles?”
“Waffles,” Beth motioned toward the kitchen. “Frozen toaster waffles. Jamie has become addicted to them.”
“Ah, gotcha.” Tessa reached down and smoothed a hand over Jamie’s head. “I would love some waffles, but I already ate breakfast. I’ll sit with you while you eat yours, though.”
Jamie took Tessa’s hand and led her into the apartment’s miniscule kitchen, Beth trailing behind. She’d rented the place after her last trip to Shiloh Springs, thinking after she sold the house, she’d have enough money to get a better place, maybe even buy a home here. With the disaster Evan had made of her financial life, not only was she in debt up to her eyeballs, her credit was ruined. Tessa didn’t know yet, and she wasn’t sure how much longer she could expect Serena and Ms. Patti to keep her financial woes a secret. Ms. Patti was the sweetest, kindest woman she’d met in this town, but she was also Tessa’s future mother-in-law, which put Beth in a precarious situation. Time to bite the bullet and tell her sister the truth—she was dead broke and drowning in debts she’d had no hand in creating. But, according to the divorce decree, because these debts hadn’t been disclosed at the time of the settlement, and all the debt was in both hers and Evan’s names, she was responsible for any debt incurred during their marriage. She’d have to go to court, and get a ruling to change that, which she fully intended to do, but the court date was months away. In the meantime, she had a tiny nest egg of savings, one she was using to put a roof over Jamie’s head.
“How’s everything?”
“We’re doing okay.” Beth watched Jamie open the freezer drawer and pull out the package of frozen waffles. Her little girl grew more independent with each passing day. With the move from North Carolina to Texas, Beth had pulled her out of pre-kindergarten. She needed to get her enrolled in class in Shiloh Springs, because she didn’t want Jamie falling behind all the other kids.
Tessa glanced toward Jamie. “Is you know who still bothering you?”
Beth shook her head. “I haven’t heard from him in several weeks. Hopefully he got the message, because I’ve got nothing to say to him. Can you believe he wants me to come visit him in prison?”
“He’s got some nerve. Pleading to lesser charges was the smartest thing he could’ve done. Jamie doesn’t need to know what her father intended for us.”
“The last time he called, he wanted me to bring her to visit him.” Beth pulled butter and syrup from the refrigerator, and pulled the toaster to the edge of the counter. Jamie carried her footstool over and climbed up. With the ease of familiarity, she put one waffle and then a second into the slots and pushed down on the button of the toaster.
“Unbelievable.”
“What’s unbelievable, Aunt Tessa?”
Tessa knelt down until she was eye level with Jamie. “It’s unbelievable you are such a big girl, you’re making your own breakfast.”
“Course I make breakfast. I’m four years old.”
“Well, can you stop growing for a little while?”
Jamie giggled. “That’s silly.”
Tessa glanced at Beth. “Can I ask her?”
Beth nodded. “Sure.”
The waffles popped up, and Beth placed them on Jamie’s plastic yellow plate. It was her favorite. She quickly added the butter and syrup, and cut the waffles into bite-size pieces before placing the plate on the table, and poured a glass of apple juice for her daughter.
Beth watched Tessa slide onto the seat across from Jamie at the battle-scarred table that came with the furnished apartment. None of it was things she’d pick, but under the circumstances, it’d do until she could figure out her next move.
“Jamie, I’ve got an important question I want to ask you.”
Jamie put down her fork, and folded her hands in her lap. She looked so cute and serious, Beth wanted to grab her phone and snap a picture. But this was Tessa’s moment, and she didn’t want to spoil the mood.
“Okay, Aunt Tessa.”
“You know Uncle Rafe and I are getting married, right?” Jamie’s hair bobbed around her shoulders at her vigorous nod.
“I like Uncle Rafe. He’s funny.”
“Uncle Rafe likes you too, sweetheart. We want to ask if you’ll be the flower girl in our wedding. Being a flower girl is a very important job. Maybe one of the most important ones in the whole wedding.”
Jaime’s forehead scrunched in concern, looking so serious Beth had to hide her smile. “What does a flower girl do?”
“You have to walk down the long row in the church, all the way from the back to the front. You get to wear a pretty new dress, carry a basket of flower petals, and you throw the flowers on the ground while you walk to the front of the church. You come out before the bride—me—so everybody will see how beautiful you look. Do you think you could do that?”
Jamie looked at her mother. “Do you think I can, Mommy?”
“I think you will be a wonderful flower girl, baby.” Beth’s heart swelled, the pride in her daughter almost overwhelming her. She was growing up so fast, too fast sometimes. While she’d love to freeze time and keep her exactly like she was at this moment, she knew Jamie was going to be an amazing person in her own right someday, and she couldn’t wait to see what she’d accomplish.
“Alright, Aunt Tessa, I can be your flower girl.” Jamie tapped her finger on the table. “Do I have to grow the flowers? I don’t know how.”
“No, we’ll get you all the flowers you need. Rafe and I are happy to have you be a part of our wedding. Now, come give me a hug, because I’m supposed to meet Ms. Patti to discuss wedding details.”
Jamie raced around the table, throwing her arms around Tessa’s neck. Beth wrapped her arms across her middle, so proud of her girl.
“I need to talk to your mommy for a minute. Go ahead and finish your waffles.” Tessa stood and motioned toward the door. Beth followed her, wondering what Tessa needed to say.
“Ms. Patti and I were talking, and we think you should consider renting the cottage where I’m staying. She’s already talked to Old Man Johnson, he’s the owner, and he doesn’t have any problem with changing the lease over to your name. I’m going to move to the Big House anyway, so Ms. Patti and I have more time to plan the wedding. You won’t have to come up with a security deposit or first and last months’ rent either. Simply take over my lease and move in.”
“Tessa, I don’t—”
“Don’t even start with me, Sis. You don’t need to be living in this apartment, where there’s barely enough room for you to turn around. There’re two bedrooms in the cottage. It’s furnished. Easy enough to turn the second bedroom from an office back into a bedroom. It’ll give me peace of mind, and give you time to look around and find a place you really like. Once Rafe and I are married, I’ll be moving into his house, which is right down the street. We’ll be neighbors. Please, do this. Not just for me, but for Jamie.”
“I don’t know what to say. Thank you.”
“You’re doing me a favor. I didn’t want to break my lease or have the place sitting empty. It’s a win-win.”
Beth hugged Tessa tight. “Thank you. And tell Ms. Patti thanks from me.”
Tessa laughed. “I swear, she’s got her pulse on everything happening in Shiloh Springs. Sometimes I’d swear she’s psychic. She’d already talked with Mr. Johnson and made all the arrangements before I even broached the subject. Honestly, all I had to do was ask you to move in.”
“Well, I’m grateful, and I know Jamie already loves it.”
“Then it’s settled. Get your stuff packed, and I’ll have Rafe and a couple of the Boudreaus move it over to the cottage.”
“What, today?” Beth stared at her sister.
“Why wait? You don’t have that much stuff. Shouldn’t take them long.”
With another hug, Tessa left, and Beth leaned against the closed door. The rent on the cottage wasn’t much more than what she was paying for this postage stamp-sized apartment, and would mean a better space for Jamie. Maybe, just maybe, things were looking up.
Smiling, she headed into the kitchen to help her daughter finish breakfast, and start packing their few belongings.
For the first time in months, Beth felt lighter, as if the giant boulder weighing her down had been tossed aside. Evan might have colored her past, mired her in a pit of quicksand financially and emotionally, but she finally felt like she was moving forward again. Moving to Texas to be near Tessa had been the right decision, she knew it in her gut. Fingers crossed, Shiloh Springs would be a new beginning for her and Jamie.
“Come on, kiddo. We’ve got some packing to do.”