Fire Storm

by Nancy Mehl

  Tuck cleared his throat. “I’m going to tell you something you need to keep to yourself.”

  Kaely started to stop him. He shouldn’t give out information about an unsolved case to anyone—not even to Marvin. Although it was against her better judgment Kaely clamped her lips together. She hoped this wasn’t a terrible mistake. What if Marvin spread the word around town that they were accusing a ghost of setting fires?

  “You know we’ve had several house fires in Darkwater,” Tuck continued, “and we’re trying to figure out who’s behind it.”

  “Wait a minute,” Marvin said. “Do you think Jack Lucas is still alive?”

  “I’m not saying that,” Tuck replied. “We’re just following up on every lead.”

  Marvin looked at Tuck like he’d lost his mind. “First of all, the body we accidentally released was most likely Jack. I wouldn’t have signed the death certificate if I wasn’t pretty confident about that. Secondly, if he is alive, why in heaven’s name would he suddenly show up in Darkwater and start burning down houses? He lost his family in a fire. That would be the last thing he’d want to do.”

  “I’m not saying it’s Jack,” Tuck said. “Like I said, we’re just eliminating all possibilities. You remember how it works.” He stood to his feet. “Thanks for seeing us, Marvin. And thank you for being honest with me.” He nodded at Kaely. “We need to be going.” He turned his attention back to Marvin. “Is there anything you need?” he asked softly. “All you gotta do is ask, you know.”

  “Well, I’d like to walk again, but that’s not gonna happen.” He peered at Kaely. “So what did you learn by looking at my pictures, young lady?”

  Kaely started to deny she’d been studying them, but instead she decided to be straight with him. He’d done the same for them.

  “Well, you loved your wife very much,” she said, standing up. “You’re estranged from your son. And I think you’re very lonely. But it doesn’t take any special training to see that.”

  “It’s that obvious, huh?”

  “Yes,” Kaely said. “Maybe you’re afraid to reach out to your friends because of the wheelchair. Perhaps you think it makes you seem weak or that you’ll be seen as an object of pity. But it’s not true. Your real friends don’t care about that chair. They care about you.” She walked over to a small side table. She picked up a brochure from a local animal shelter. “You’re thinking about adopting a pet. Probably a dog. But you’re worried. Can you take care of it properly? Is it fair to the dog?” She came over and handed him the brochure. “I think it’s a marvelous idea. Not only for you but for the dog you rescue. You’ll be a great dog owner. No doubt about it.”

  Marvin’s eyes grew wet, and he reached out and took Kaely’s hand. “Thank you, young lady. I appreciate that.” He stroked the brochure with one hand. “I will call.” Then he looked over at Tuck. “And I’ll call my friends more often. Maybe you can pick me up one night and we can go to Gannon’s for a beer. Like we used to.”

  “You got it,” Tuck said. “I know the other guys would love to see you.”

  For the first time since they’d entered the house, Marvin smiled. “Thanks, Tuck. I appreciate it.”

  “We’d better get going, but I’ll call you,” Tuck said. “We’ll give old Gannon a run for his money.”

  “Sounds wonderful.”

  They said good-bye to Marvin and stepped out onto the porch.

  “There’s a good burger joint about a mile from here. We can talk about what Marvin said. And I have something I want to show you.”

  “Okay, but I can’t stay too long. I need to get to the hospital.”

  “You’ll be on your way as soon as you finish your lunch,” Tuck promised. He stepped down off the porch. “Follow me to the burger place.” With that, he got into his car.

  Kaely slid into the front seat of her SUV, started it up, and shivered at the cold air that came out of the vents. After dialing Noah, she clicked the speaker button and slid the phone into the hands-free holder clipped to her dash. He picked up on the first ring. “About time. I’ve been waiting to hear from you.”

  Kaely quickly brought Noah up to speed on her concerns about Jack Lucas and her visit with Marvin. Since it now seemed remotely possible that Jack was alive, she realized she had to tell Noah the truth. He would be furious if she kept something like this from him. As long as it seemed impossible Kaely didn’t have a problem keeping Noah out of the loop. But after talking to Marvin, things had changed.

  “What does that mean?” Noah asked, clearly astonished.

  “It means it’s possible Jack Lucas started the fire that burned down his house and killed his parents. And now he’s back for some reason—hiding in Darkwater, setting fires, and getting away with it.”

  forty-one

  Are you sure about this?” Noah asked.

  “No, but it makes a strange kind of sense,” Kaely said as she wove through the streets of Darkwater, following Tuck’s Jeep. “He got some other kid to stay the night and then took off after the fire.”

  “Or the house just caught fire and Jack Lucas died with his mother and father,” Noah said. “How can you seriously believe this? It’s so farfetched.”

  “I know it sounds ludicrous. But it would explain a lot.”

  “Maybe,” Noah said. Kaely could hear his skepticism. She didn’t blame him.

  “Let’s say you’re right,” Noah said suddenly. “Then why is he back? What does he want?”

  “I’m not sure,” Kaely said. She flashed back to the look of contempt on the face of Marvin’s son. There were kids who despised their parents, blamed them for all the failures in their own lives. What if Jack hated his parents enough to kill them, along with an innocent teenage boy, then left town almost twenty years ago? But, as Noah asked, why would he return now? He certainly couldn’t hurt his parents anymore. Was he really here to exact revenge on his brother? “Look, I need more information before I can give a logical answer to your question. Right now all I can do is guess. Let’s put this idea on the shelf for a while.”

  “We need solid leads,” Noah said, frustration in his tone. “Not fanciful fairy tales.”

  “I’m meeting Tuck for lunch, and we’re going to talk more about it,” she said. She could sense that part of Noah’s annoyance was at being stuck in the hospital instead of being able to help her work the case. “I’ll come to the hospital after that and fill you in, okay?”

  “Sure. Sorry. I guess this situation is starting to get on my nerves.” A heavy sigh came through the phone. “Can I tell you that the food they have in the cafeteria is not what they serve to patients? I want a nice big juicy cheeseburger with fried onions. Can you smuggle one in?”

  Kaely laughed. “Not unless your doctor says it’s okay. I have no intention of causing you any more harm.”

  “I thought you were my friend,” Noah grumbled.

  “I am. That’s why you’re not getting a greasy, artery-clogging cheeseburger.”

  “Traitor.”

  “Sorry,” Kaely said.

  “What’s your read on the medical examiner?” Noah asked.

  “He’s a very lonely man. I like him, but I got the feeling he wasn’t telling us everything.”

  “Is he a suspect?”

  “No. I doubt if a man in a wheelchair is capable of setting these fires, especially in the winter,” Kaely said. “Besides, what’s his motive?”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

  “Hey, how are you feeling this morning?” Kaely asked.

  “Sore. Trying to back off the pain meds, but it’s not as easy as I’d hoped. At least I’m not talking to people who aren’t there anymore. That morphine is something else.”

  Kaely laughed. “Well, I’ll be there in a little while, okay?”

  “Okay. See you soon.”

  Noah had just hung up when Kaely’s phone rang. It was the agent she’d asked to search ViCAP for the MO they were seeing in Darkwater. Unfortunately, it was a dead end
. She hadn’t been able to find anything that seemed connected to the man who called himself Jack.

  Kaely thanked the agent for her help and hung up. She noticed Tuck turning off the road and followed him. She pulled into the parking lot of a plain white building labeled Bucky’s Burgers. This was the place where Noah had picked up cheeseburgers when he first got to town.

  Unfortunately, it seemed Bucky didn’t believe in clearing his parking lot. Tuck parked his car and went inside. It took Kaely a few minutes to find another parking space, and she ended up on the other side of the lot. She had to walk carefully to keep from falling.

  Once she was inside, she gazed around the crowded room until she saw Tuck waving her over. Forgiving Bucky’s parking lot was easy as the aroma of hamburger, fried onions, and cheese wafted through the air. She felt a little guilty since this was exactly the kind of food Noah was currently craving.

  As she tried to make her way toward Tuck, she ran into someone. She started to apologize when she realized it was Aaron Pollard, the man she’d met the night of the Mayfield fire.

  “Fancy running into you,” he said with a smile.

  Kaely laughed. “Sorry. Too many people in a small place.”

  He nodded. “Bucky’s burgers are worth the aggravation, though. I’ve been living on his food. Probably not the healthiest choice.”

  “Probably not. How’s your mom?”

  “Getting better,” he said. “Hopefully she’ll be home soon.”

  “That’s great. Nice to see you again.”

  “You too.”

  Kaely began pushing her way through the crowd waiting to order until she finally was clear and made her way to where Tuck waited.

  “Who’s your friend?” Tuck asked when she sat down.

  “Not a friend. I met him the night of that fire over on Mayfield. Aaron Pollard. He’s staying at his mom’s house while she’s out of town. Nice guy.”

  “I assume you checked him out,” Tuck said.

  “Of course. Yeah, he’s okay.”

  “Well, I hope you’re not one of those healthy eaters,” Tuck said. “If so, maybe they can toss some lettuce and tomato in a bowl for you.”

  “You’re nuts,” Kaely said with a grin. “Double cheeseburger, please.”

  “Good for you. Why don’t you keep our table while I order? If we both get up, we’ll probably lose it.”

  “Sure.” Kaely told him what she wanted on her burger. She also ordered onion rings and a soda.

  As Tuck walked to the counter, she noticed Aaron picking up a bag of food he’d ordered ahead. As he walked toward the front door, he turned and waved at her. Kaely smiled and raised her hand.

  Tuck’s table was in a corner of the restaurant, near a side door. Cold seeped in from the gap underneath the door. Kaely shivered and kept her coat buttoned. Normally she’d suggest they move, but there weren’t any other empty tables.

  Tuck hung around the counter, talking amiably with someone until their order was ready. He brought the food to the table, then fetched napkins and condiments. Once they were situated and had started eating, Tuck picked up a small folder he’d carried with him into the restaurant. He opened it and took out a picture. “This is a blown-up photo from that video Greg gave me. I think you’ll find it interesting.”

  “Josh showed me this yesterday,” Kaely said, carefully wiping her hands.

  “I know, but I have a friend who cleaned it up even more.”

  Kaely took the photo. It was the same picture she’d seen except, as Tuck had said, it was clearer. She stared at the man in the photo, who was wearing a hoodie. Again, it looked like Sam. “The photo is still grainy. I can’t tell for sure who this is. Only part of his face is showing.”

  “Look closer. That’s a scar on his cheek.”

  She peered closer at the picture. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  “You’re being too cautious,” Tuck insisted. He reached into the folder again and took out another photo. “This is a copy of a picture taken of Sam and Jack not long before the fire.”

  Kaely took the photo from Tuck and stared at it. Two teenage boys stood together on a basketball court. They were so alike it was startling—except for one thing. One of them had a scar on his right cheek. The placement and the texture looked remarkably like the photo from the video. Kaely looked down at the caption below the picture. It read “Darkwater High’s Twin Tornados. Sam and Jack Lucas celebrating their state basketball championship.”

  But the thing that really shook her was Jack’s eyes. They looked dead. Like shark eyes.

  forty-two

  Noah woke up around one in the afternoon. He hadn’t meant to fall asleep again. He wanted to be awake when Kaely got there. He was still trying to wean himself off his medication, but his pain level was pretty bad. His doctor was encouraging him to “stay in front of it,” whatever that meant, but Noah wanted out of the hospital as soon as possible. He wasn’t fully convinced the arsonist was done targeting Kaely, and he needed to be by her side. He was wriggling around in the bed, trying to get comfortable, when the door to his room opened and Kaely came in.

  “Hey, you look pretty good. Still talking to your invisible friends?”

  Noah realized the irony of her question but kept a straight face. “No, I seem to be alone now. At least most of the time. There have been a few others in my room, but they claim to be doctors or nurses. I’m pretty sure they’re telling the truth.”

  Kaely laughed. Noah had missed that sound. It did more for him than the morphine they’d given him the first few hours out of surgery.

  “You’re very entertaining.” Kaely walked up next to the bed. “But no more hospital visits for a while, okay? I’ve got better things to do.”

  “Well, stay out of the path of bullets and out of burning houses. Then I’ll do the same.”

  Any amusement in Kaely’s expression melted away. “You saved my life. Twice.”

  “Aren’t you going to chew me out and tell me you don’t need me to protect you?”

  “Would it do any good?”

  “Nah. Probably not.”

  Kaely didn’t say anything. She just stared at him in a way that made him feel uncomfortable. But in a good way. Feeling he needed to interject something to fill the emotionally charged silence, he said, “You know, I may have gotten you out of the house, but Sam pulled us both to safety. If it wasn’t for him . . .”

  “I know. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you. The smoke practically knocked me out.”

  “Not your fault. I’m just glad Sam got you into the yard, away from the danger. We owe him a lot.”

  “Yes, we do.”

  “Is he okay?”

  “Doing fine. He hasn’t come to see you?”

  Noah shook his head. “Not yet. I suspect he will when he can.”

  “I’m sure you’re right.”

  Kaely exhaled softly. She looked frustrated. And tired. “Talking to Marvin confused me.”

  “But you told me on the phone you were almost convinced Jack Lucas was behind everything, that it was listening to Marvin that led you to that conclusion. Did I misunderstand?”

  Kaely walked over to a chair a few feet from Noah’s bed and plopped down. “Are you talking about my fanciful fairy tale?”

  “Sorry,” Noah said. “It’s just frustrating being stuck in here.”

  “I know. It’s okay.” She looked away for a minute before saying, “I had a thought.”

  “Uh-oh.”

  “Uh-oh might be right. There’s one person we haven’t considered.”

  He frowned at her. “Who’s that?”

  She leaned back and crossed her legs. “If Jack died in that fire, who’s missing?”

  Noah had to think for a moment. His mind was still a little fuzzy. “Raymond Berger?”

  Kaely nodded.

  “But what reason would he have to come back to Darkwater and start these fires? And why would he go after you?”

  She sighed. “I have no idea, but
I’m going to meet his family later this afternoon. I doubt our UNSUB is Raymond, but he’s a loose end I need to tie up.”

  “What are you hoping to discover?”

  “I’m not sure,” Kaely said. “But I need to find out if his family or anyone else has heard from him since that night. I’d also like to know if there’s a reason he’d want to leave town. Sounds like he was close to Sam’s family. They cared for him in ways his own parents didn’t. If he didn’t die in the fire, I’m sure losing them devastated him.”

  Noah considered what she’d said. “That makes some sense. I mean, I can see why he’d run away. I just can’t understand why he’d return now. And what he’s so angry about.”

  “Maybe he’s like any other psychopath. Something set him off. Something we don’t understand yet.”

  “Is someone going with you to the Bergers’?”

  She nodded. “I called Josh on the way over here. He knows them and set up our meeting.”

  “Jason was with you last night, right?”

  “Yes. We shared a room, and I’m moving into the room next door this afternoon. It’s got connecting doors. Don’t worry about me. I’m being careful. You have nothing to worry about except getting well.”

  “The doctor says I have to stay here at least two more days—that’s if everything goes well. And when I do get out, he wants me to take it easy.”

  “You’ll obey the doctor’s orders, or I’ll rat you out. I mean it, Noah.”

  “You’d snitch on me?”

  “In a second. Without hesitation.”

  Noah scowled at her, but he was touched by her concern for him.

  Kaely leaned forward. “Noah, please just concentrate on getting well. Our UNSUB is probably scouting out his next target. I don’t think he’s concerned about me. Besides, I keep my gun with me at all times. Seriously, I’ll be fine.”

  “Why do I want to add ‘famous last words’ after that?”

  “Oh, don’t be silly.” She straightened up and pointed at him. “You be good.”

  “Okay,” he said with a sigh. “But call me after you see the Bergers, okay? I’m curious.”