In the Heart's Shadow

by T. L. Haddix

  “Let yourself grieve. Don’t try to pretend it doesn’t hurt when it damn well smarts. And don’t be afraid to lean on Gordon. I can’t imagine what going through a fire without Chase would have been like.”

  The men came out of the kitchen then, and seeing Stacy’s tears, Gordon frowned.

  “What’s wrong? Annie, you weren’t supposed to make her cry.” He pulled Stacy into his arms.

  “She didn’t. We’re just talking,” Stacy assured him, returning the hug. As she thought about everything they had to face that day, she groaned. “Can I go back to bed? Hide under it, perhaps?” She didn’t care that Chase and Annie were there. She was too tired to put up her protective shield.

  “Not today, but you can tomorrow,” Gordon told her softly.

  “Promise?”

  He kissed her head. “You have my word.”

  CHAPTER 22

  STACY AND GORDON MET WITH Russell DeHart from the state police, with the state arson investigator, and with Stacy’s insurance agent, Molly Taylor. By that afternoon, Stacy was exhausted.

  Gordon and Chase went into the garage to change into work clothes after they’d been given the all-clear to try to salvage some of Stacy’s belongings. She was walking Molly to her car when Jason pulled up in his Jeep. To Stacy’s surprise, Maria was with him, and they were both dressed in old clothing.

  “What are you two doing here?”

  Jason held his arms out. “We’re here to help.”

  Maria’s horrified expression as she stared at the ruins of the house matched how Stacy felt inside. When she brought her hand to her mouth and Stacy heard her sniffle, she shook a finger at her.

  “Don’t you dare. If you start, I will. And I won’t be able to stop.”

  “Then I need to take a walk. I’ll be back.” She started across the yard toward the corner of the lot. They watched her go, and when Jason turned back to Stacy, she had her hands on her hips.

  “She’s pregnant. Why did you bring her here?” She knew her tone was a little too sharp, and she tried to ease off, but the stress was getting to her.

  “Because she wants to help. She’s been on pins and needles all day, and it was more stressful for her to be at the office than to be here,” he responded quietly. “We brought boxes, and she can help put those together, sort things. Where’s Gordon?”

  “In the garage, with Chase.”

  Jason scowled. “Chase? What’s he doing back?”

  “Why don’t you go ask him?”

  He took a step back, hands up. “I’ll do that. Hey, Molly.”

  “Jason.”

  Stacy covered her eyes. “I’m going to owe so many people an apology after today. I’ll start with you, Molly. I’m sorry.”

  Molly touched her arm. “Honey, don’t worry about it. You’re under an incredible amount of stress right now. We all know that. Now, while I have you alone, I have a check for you. It’s an advance against the claim, something to help while you transition into temporary housing. Use it for whatever you need—rent, clothing, whatever.” She pulled an envelope out of her portfolio and handed it to Stacy. “It’s five thousand. Will that be enough?”

  Stacy blinked. “I think so. Yes.”

  Her smile was sympathetic. “Believe me, that will go faster than you think. There are so many things you’ll need.”

  “What about the fact that the fire was caused by arson? Won’t that hurt me?”

  “No. Since there was an active investigation into what was going on surrounding the fire, with documented incidents leading up to it, I don’t think we’ll have a problem. Lauren didn’t when the shop was vandalized. You have very similar circumstances to what she went through, so I’m not anticipating any issues.”

  Lauren Clark was Molly’s daughter. The Brown Bag had been almost destroyed a couple of years earlier by a distant relative with a vendetta. Knowing Lauren had been okay, Stacy felt a little lessening of the weight on her shoulders.

  “What do I do now?” she asked as Molly sat her things in her car.

  “Take a few days to breathe. I can get a list of contractors pulled together for you that we work with regularly.”

  “I’d very much appreciate that,” she said as Maria joined them.

  “Am I interrupting?”

  “Not at all. I’m sorry about earlier,” Stacy said.

  Maria shook her head. “You’re fine. Molly, how are you?”

  “Doing well. I hear congratulations are in order.”

  Maria smiled, her hand going to her belly. “They are. Thanks.”

  “It’s a virtual baby fest around here these days. I’m glad those days are behind me, or I’d be afraid to drink the water,” Molly joked. When she and Maria both looked at Stacy, she shook her head.

  “Oh, no. We’re not going there.”

  “Mm-hmm. We’ll see about that.” Maria touched her own neck briefly.

  “Is it showing?” Embarrassed, Stacy’s hand flew to her throat. Her collar didn’t feel like it had slipped, and when she saw Maria’s puzzled expression, she realized her friend’s movement had been merely a casual movement.

  “Ladies, I’ll see both of you soon. Call me if you need to,” Molly told Stacy.

  As soon as Molly had backed out of the driveway, Maria reached out and tugged Stacy’s collar down. Stacy backed away, but not quickly enough. “Stop it.”

  “Oh, my gosh. You’ve got a hickey! Oh, my gosh!” She clapped her hands and did a tiny jig. “How’d that happen?”

  Turning to make sure the men weren’t within earshot, Stacy told her about the previous night. “I’m not going into details, so don’t ask.”

  Maria’s eyes were huge, and their expression was soft. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. More than, at least in that respect. But I’m starting to get a little antsy, what with all the attention. I just about bit your head off, and then Jason’s. Everyone keeps trying to hug me. I’m sorry.”

  “You’ve not had any time to yourself, and that’s what you’re used to. I’m not surprised you’re feeling antsy. I would be, too. I hear you’re heading to Louisville?”

  The men came out of the garage and headed in their direction.

  “Yes. I’m sorry I haven’t called you to talk sooner. It’s been a crazy couple of days.”

  “Take me to lunch next week, or whenever you get a chance, and we’ll call it even. Hey, Counselor. When did you get back?” Maria greeted Chase.

  “Bright and early this morning. Are you cleared to be here?”

  “I am. Light duty only, per the boss’s orders.”

  “Annie just called. She’s with Beth at her house. They’d like us to come by when we’re done here, have dinner,” Gordon told Stacy. “Is that okay with you?”

  Inwardly, she sighed, but she masked her frustration. “Sure.”

  “Then let’s get cracking on one of those windows in the back.” Jason went to his jeep to start taking out boxes. “Gordon said the fire started in the basement.”

  “That’s what William said,” Stacy confirmed, referencing the arson investigator. “That’s why there’s so much more damage on this end of the house, just like we suspected. If the concrete wall hadn’t separated the crawl space from the basement, the whole thing would have gone up.”

  Maria started toward the back of the house with the tarp Jason handed her. “I’ll get this spread out so we have a staging area for your stuff.”

  Chase followed her with a stack of boxes.

  As Jason passed, he paused. “I’ll start grabbing tools from the garage, if that’s okay. I brought a few items, cordless drill, that sort of thing, but we might need a few more.”

  “Just holler if you can’t find what you’re looking for.”

  “Will do. There’s also a bag dumpster in the back. I thought that might come in handy, even though you’ve got this one here,” he said, pointing to the large metal container.

  “Thanks, Jason.”

  Gordon caught her wrist and held
her back while Jason jogged to the garage. Once they were alone, he brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it. “You okay? We don’t have to go to Beth and Ethan’s.”

  “I’m fine. I’m just a little out of sorts today, that’s all. And going to their house is fine.” She squeezed his hand and went to the back of the jeep for more supplies.

  He followed. “You know, I have a huge bathtub at the condo. Very similar to what’s in Chase and Annie’s master bath. It’s perfect for soaking, getting some alone time,” he added casually as he grabbed the last of the boxes and shut the hatch.

  Stacy stopped in her tracks, shocked at his perception. “How’d you know?” He took advantage of her immobility and bent down for a swift kiss.

  “I know you. We won’t stay long at the Moores’, and I’ll take you home. You can stay in the tub the rest of the evening.” Since Chase and Annie were back, they’d decided to go back to Gordon’s condo that night and drive to Louisville first thing the next morning.

  Stacy was having trouble finding words. “You are just…”

  He grinned. “What? Handsome? Funny? Sexy?”

  “All those, yes, but that’s not what I was after. I was thinking more along the lines of amazing.”

  “Oh, yeah. That, too.” Though the words were flippant, his pleasure was easy to see.

  At the back of the house, Jason and Chase were arguing mildly about the best method for opening the window. Maria was putting boxes together, obviously amused at the brothers’ bickering. Stacy walked over and dropped her boxes.

  “Watching those two is better than TV,” Maria told her under her breath.

  Gordon sent them a wicked grin as he set down the supplies. “Watch this. Hey, Jason, don’t you think we could use a board stretcher? Stacy, you have one in the garage, right?”

  Face deadpan, Jason agreed. “Probably wouldn’t hurt.”

  Chase, hands on hips, shot them both a dirty look. “That’s funny. So funny, I can’t tell you how hard I’m laughing on the inside. Board stretcher—let me guess. It’s kept right next to the bucket of Spot Weld? And after I get that, we can go snipe hunting.”

  “Hey, it was worth a shot. Can’t blame a guy for trying.” Gordon’s grin was unrepentant.

  “You know what they say about payback,” Chase warned.

  Gordon walked up to him. “Yeah. It’s you showing up at the crack of dawn this morning. Let’s get this done.”

  With Gordon’s direction, they quickly removed the window. Once it was set aside, Gordon entered first.

  “How bad is it?” Stacy asked.

  “It’s an unholy mess. Feels pretty solid, though. You ready to come up?”

  “Yes.” She started up the ladder, taking the hand he held out when she got near the top. He grabbed her around the waist and swung her inside, setting her down gently.

  “Be careful. There are nails everywhere from where the ceiling came down.”

  Stacy was slow to let go of his arms as she looked around her. Most of the ceiling was on the floor. On top of the ceiling, a thick, wet layer of insulation squished under their feet. The stench of the burned house rose throughout the ruins of the room.

  “I’ll get the pry bar and bring that loose plaster down, then we can try to go to the office.”

  Stacy looked at him blankly. She couldn’t process her thoughts because they were so flooded with emotion.

  “What do we do? How do we get to everything?” All the furniture was covered with debris, and the door to the closet was blocked.

  “Hey, kids, Lauren and Charlie are here.” Jason popped his head over the window sill. “They brought food.”

  “We’ll be out in a minute,” Gordon told him. He touched her shoulder, and she jumped. He made a show of easing his hand back. “Hey. Talk to me.”

  Stacy shook her head. “I can’t. It’s too much.” She stepped to the window and got back on the ladder. Once she was on the ground, she said a quick hello to Lauren and Charlie and then hurried toward the garage. If she didn’t get away from everyone for a few minutes, she was going to scream.

  Gordon wasn’t surprised by her hasty departure. He was amazed she’d lasted as long as she had. When he stepped off the ladder, he was met by several worried stares.

  “Do we need to go after her?” Lauren handed him half a sandwich.

  “No. She needs some space. Thanks for the food.”

  She shook her head. “It’s the least we could do.”

  “How’s she really taking all this?” Maria wanted to know.

  “Hard. It’s all starting to hit her. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to get her out of here for a few days, so she can have someplace safe to fall apart.” He turned to Charlie. “Any word on the background searches yet?”

  “Hopefully tomorrow. If not, then the next day for sure. Will you have computer access in Louisville?”

  “Of course.”

  “Good. Then we can do a conference call when it comes in.”

  They ate quickly and then got to work. The men made good progress on clearing the debris out of the bedroom. Gordon was elated to see that Stacy’s furniture seemed mostly intact.

  “Looks like most of this damage is just smoke and water,” Jason remarked. “She might be able to save some of this furniture.”

  Gordon agreed. “Let’s just hope the office is in as good of shape. She probably has a thousand books in there, if not more. I’m really hoping we can save most of them.”

  “I wouldn’t bet on that,” Chase grimaced. “That was something Annie lost, as well. Books are next to impossible to save, especially paperbacks. What are hers?”

  “Mostly paperbacks, if I remember correctly.” Gordon threw the next shovelful of plaster out the window with a little more force. “When we catch her mother and whoever’s helping her, I hope someone else gets to them first. Otherwise, one of you might have to bail me out of jail.”

  “You sure you don’t want a shot at them?” Chase asked.

  “Hell, yes, I want a shot at them. But I know how the justice system works, no offense. I’d be the one in jail, and they’d be out free.”

  “Not if they didn’t live to see a trial.” Jason’s words shocked them all into silence. “What? Don’t tell me it hasn’t crossed your mind.”

  Gordon scowled. “Of course it’s crossed my mind. But that’s all. I can’t protect Stacy and have a life with her if I’m in jail. Don’t tell me you’re encouraging vigilante justice.”

  “I’m not. But it would solve a lot of problems, if something did happen, I mean. Hey, I’ve sworn to protect and serve. That doesn’t mean I can’t wish Karma would bite these people on the ass so hard they die a slow and painful death.”

  Stacy’s voice came from the other window. “Do I even want to know what you all are discussing?”

  Without missing a beat, Jason loaded up his shovel and answered, “Chase was trying to figure out if he’s going to miss his manicure this week.” The sound of the debris hitting the dumpster muffled Chase’s response. Gordon didn’t think it was complimentary, though.

  “What the heck has gotten into you lately?” Chase asked as the noise died down. “You’re practically begging to get your ass kicked.”

  “By you? I’m not worried.” Jason winked at Stacy’s.

  She shook her head, but she was smiling. “Do you or do you not remember what Ethan looked like by the time Chase got through with him last year? And Ethan has a couple of inches of height on you.”

  “Finally, someone who isn’t trying to emasculate me. Thank you,” Chase said, bowing to her as she came in the window.

  “Are you ladies finished gossiping in there, or do you need someone else to come in and finish the real work?” Charlie called from outside. “No offense, Stacy.”

  In answer, Gordon loaded up his shovel again. Making sure Charlie was well clear of the dumpster, he tossed it out. They were starting to see the carpeted floor beneath the debris, and Jason was able to open the bedroom door.<
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  “Looks like the office is in about the same shape.” He shined his flashlight across the hall. “Maybe better. It’s awfully dark in there.”

  “Think the ceiling’s still up?” Chase asked.

  “Only one way to find out.” Jason carefully stepped into the hall, using his shovel as a probe for the floor. “It’s a little spongy out here, so don’t follow me. Bathroom might be salvageable.”

  “Nice. One room out of how many?” Stacy muttered, arms crossed, as they waited for him to call back about the office.

  “How attached are you to this stuff?” Jason hollered.

  She stepped closer to the door. “Which ‘stuff’ are you talking about?”

  “All of it. The books, the furniture.”

  “I’d like to save some of it, if I could.”

  Gordon heard him coming back across the hall, and then Jason was in the door, grinning. “Good. Because the office is mostly intact, even the books. Ceiling’s sagging like you don’t want to know, so we’d better move over there and hustle.”

  “Are you serious?” Stacy demanded. “You’re not joking?”

  Jason put his hand over his heart. “I promise you. I wouldn’t joke about that.”

  “Thank you!”

  The shocked look on Jason’s face when Stacy burst into tears and threw her arms around him was priceless. He sent Gordon a panicked look. “Uh. You’re welcome?”

  She pulled back, her smile wide, and gave him a little shake. “Let’s get this done.”

  “How’s the floor in the office?” Gordon asked.

  “Pretty solid. The hall, not so much. We should probably figure out some way of shoring that ceiling up, though.”

  “Why don’t we do that and let you start getting your belongings out of here?” Gordon asked Stacy. “Chase, you and Charlie can get started on getting the windows out of the office so we can pass things through.”

  “What are we going to do with everything once it’s boxed up?” Jason asked. “Normally, you could store it in the garage, but this isn’t normal.”