by Ann Mullen
“I don’t believe you just said that, Billy Blackhawk! I can take care of myself,” I said as I pulled out onto the road and into the blinding snow.
“What did the guy look like? How do you know he’s the one?”
“He was small, about my height, and was wearing a toboggan type ski mask. He was dressed in black. He’s the one. I’m sure of it. He said he was. He must’ve been hanging around the hospital, because he knew about Daniel. He said that no one was supposed to die. All he wanted to do was burn down Jonathan’s house. And now that someone died as the result of his actions, he doesn’t care anymore. He was trying to make you pay, Jonathan.”
“Me? What did I do?”
“We didn’t get into the reasons why, but I got the feeling he wasn’t going to quit what he was doing. I really don’t think it would’ve mattered to him if you had gotten killed. The fire was just an avenue for him to vent his anger. Now that someone has died because of his actions, there’s no reason for him to stop. He’s up the creek no matter what. And… he has others he’s going after. He said he was going to make those lying jerks pay. Do you know who he’s talking about?”
“I do have a few enemies. In this kind of work, you make a lot of people mad.”
I stopped at the light on Rt. 29. The snow was making it hard to see, but at least the traffic was slow. It was ten minutes to one.
“Are we going home or to Jonathan’s house? Not that it makes any difference. I know you two won’t quit until you’ve come up with something. I just need to know which driveway to pull into.”
“We will go home and drop you off,” Billy said. “I need to get my truck.”
“I don’t think so, Tonto. Remember, I’m the other half of Blackhawk and Blackhawk.”
“You got that from your mother. She’s always saying that.”
“I know. She’s wonderful, isn’t she?”
“I do love her,” Billy replied. “And she has a point.”
“Let’s go to my house so you can get your truck, and I want to have another look around before the evidence is washed away. Lu Ann should be there by now.”
“You called Lu Ann?”
“I sure did. You don’t think the Charlottesville Police or the Albemarle County Sheriff’s Office are going to come up with anything, do you? I couldn’t take any chances. Besides, she’s the best there is.”
“Who’s Lu Ann?” I asked.
“Lu Ann Knots is a profiler. She’s the one to call if you want to know anything about a criminal’s behavior,” Jonathan replied.
“They used to date,” Billy added, smiling. “They were hot and heavy for a long time, but then she got tired of his ways and dumped him.”
“That’s not true,” Jonathan snapped. “Our parting was mutual. She wanted to settle down and have children, but I wasn’t ready.”
“Are you ready now?” I asked, cynically.
“I could be.”
“I’m stunned,” Billy said. “I didn’t think anyone could get you to settle down.”
“I’m getting older and it wouldn’t hurt to have a little structure in my life. Mom said it was about time, and she might be right. There are two problems though. She has her career, and I don’t have a home… anymore.”
I felt a choking feeling in my throat as a tear rose. It slipped out before I had a chance to stop it.
“That’s so sad, Jonathan,” I cried. “I’m so sorry about your house. I’m even more sorry about Daniel. At least, you can rebuild your house.”
“That’s true,” Jonathan agreed. “But I can’t bring my brother back.”
“No, but you can find the guy who did this and see that he gets punished.”
“You can count on it. He will be punished.”
“Severely!” Billy promised. “He’ll regret the day he ever crossed a Blackhawk.”
I turned onto Bear Mountain Road, pulled over to the side, and then put the car in park.
“What are you stopping for, Jesse?”
“Let’s lay it all out on the table,” I demanded. “Just what are we going to do when we catch this guy? I keep getting these vibes, and I don’t know what to think. Are you going to hand him over to the police, or are we talking about elimination here? Do you want to capture the guy and torture him until he dies? Now what is it? I mean, I need to know where we stand.”
Billy and Jonathan looked at each other, but didn’t speak.
That said it all.
We sat there in the dark for a few minutes, until I finally said, “Okay. I can see that you haven’t made up your minds, but that doesn’t matter. I’m in. What do you want me to do?”
“Picture the guy, Jesse. Is there anything about him that stood out? Anything at all?”
I closed my eyes and tried to picture the scene in the garage. A shiver ran up my spine as I thought about that exact moment. It wasn’t one I wanted to relive, but I had to for Daniel’s sake. Someone had to be held accountable for his death. The person who caused his death had to be brought to justice.
It was clear to me that the Cherokee way of justice might not necessarily be my way of justice, but I was going to refrain from forming an opinion until the time presented itself. When I had to make a choice, I knew I’d make the right one. I have a good heart and a sense for what’s right and what’s wrong. I would stand by my man and his family. They are honorable people. They wouldn’t commit murder, but they would get revenge. I’m sure. I wanted to be a part of their revenge.
“Jesse, are you listening?” Billy asked.
“Yes. Sorry. I was thinking about something. I need an answer to my question from you and Jonathan.”
There was another long silence.
“I think we’ve been down this road before. Don’t ask your question unless you are prepared to hear the answer,” Jonathan said. “It might not be the one you want to hear. Think about it for a second.”
Billy reached over, put his arm around my neck, and pulled me close to him. He kissed me aggressively on the lips.
“Wow! That was hot!” I said as I pulled back. “Literally. Are you running a fever?” I reached up and touched his forehead. “You’re burning up! Here, take one of these.”
I grabbed my purse, reached in and pulled out a bottle of pills. It was the wrong bottle. I threw it back into my purse and dug down for a different one. I pulled out two separate bottles—a bottle of aspirin and a bottle of Tylenol.
“Let’s see, should you take aspirin or Tylenol?”
“Give him the Tylenol. Aspirin is for aches and pains.”
“That’s correct. You shouldn’t take aspirin for a fever… only Tylenol.”
“Here, just give me the pills.”
Billy took the bottle of Tylenol, shook out three pills, and threw them into his mouth. He chewed up the pills and then swallowed them.
I was shocked. “I’m surprised that you didn’t choke. They’re so dry, and you took three!” I exclaimed. “That’s too many!”
“I’m a big boy. I need more than most people.”
“Then here, chew this.” I handed him a stick of gum. “Your breath smells like a chimney. The kiss was nice, but the breath has to go. It wouldn’t hurt for you to take a shower either.”
Billy and Jonathan chuckled at me again as Billy took the gum from the wrapper and stuck it into his mouth.
“Are you happy now?” He leaned over and kissed me again.
“Very much so. Jonathan, get out of the car.”
After that comment, all three of us broke out into laughter.
“Jesse, you’re such a refreshing breath of fresh air. No wonder my brother loves you so much. Dump him and marry me! I’m a much better catch than he is!”
“I can’t. I love him. Besides, I thought you were going to hook up with L-u A-n-n.” I dragged out the syllables of her name.
“You never know,” Jonathan admitted. “I just might. She could be the one. I’ve always had a thing for her, but you know how that goes.”
&nbs
p; “Wow! That would be a surprise.” I had to smile.
“No more putting it off,” Jonathan said, the tone in his voice becoming serious. “This situation is different than the countless others we’ve been involved in. This is family.”
Jonathan and Billy looked at each other.
“Here’s the answer to your question, `ge ya. We’re going to do the same thing you said you’d do if anyone ever hurt your mother,” Billy stated. “If I catch him, I’ll shoot him dead in the street.”
“And I wouldn’t think twice about it,” Jonathan added. “Like I said, this is family.”
Chapter 6
The driveway to Jonathan’s place was empty. The police that were stationed there earlier were gone, and so were the press. But after the drive on the winding road came to an end and Jonathan’s burned-out place came into view thanks to the headlights of the vehicles on the scene, we saw a fire vehicle, one police cruiser, and another unknown vehicle. Two men walked about with flashlights. I pulled over to the side so that the exit would be clear.
“Whose SUV is that?” I asked as we got out of the car. “Could that be L-u A-n-n?”
A black Suburban with dark tinted windows was parked off to the right. A dome light inside the SUV was on.
“Yes, that’s her,” Jonathan replied, walking toward the remains of his home.
“What a mess,” I said, looking around.
The air had a harsh, burnt smell.
A policeman walked over to us and held out his hand to Jonathan. The two men greeted each other. “Sorry about your brother, old buddy,” he said. “We’re going to catch whoever did this. I promise you.” He looked around and sighed. “What an explosion. If this had happened in the city, we’d have one heck of a problem. This could’ve gotten out of control. Fortunately, the fire department contained the fire quickly. I’d hate to think what would’ve happened if it had been summer. We’d have a wildfire for sure.”
I recognized the policeman right away—it was Captain Waverly.
“How’re you doing?” he asked as he shook Billy’s hand. “I was real sorry to hear about Daniel. He was a good man. We’re going to catch the person who did this.”
“Thank you,” Billy replied, his sorrow evident.
“Hello, Mrs. Blackhawk,” the captain said. “I hope you’re not mad about earlier. My guys told me they sent you away. Frankly, I was a little surprised you didn’t slug one of them.”
“I thought about it, but jail isn’t my idea of a good time.”
The captain laughed. “I see that your wit is still in rare form.”
“As always,” I agreed and then got serious. “Can we have a look around, or will we be disturbing evidence?”
“Go ahead and help yourself,” Captain Waverly replied. “We’re finished here. The Fire Marshal is having one last look around and then we’re leaving. I’m sure he will want to talk with each one of you at some point.” The captain looked at Jonathan. “Lu Ann Knots is over there in her car. I don’t know if she’s finished with the scene or not, but I can sure tell you that she’s finished with us. My guys almost arrested her, until she showed them her credentials. I didn’t know she was coming. Are the two of you still dating?”
“No, we’re not.”
“Whew! She’s a spitfire! I don’t want her mad at me.” He laughed and then looked back at me. “She’s almost as bad as you are!”
“You know I’m a nice person, captain,” I said sheepishly. “I ask a lot of questions, but I don’t cause any trouble.”
“No, you don’t. That’s true. Am I going to have to lecture you about staying out of police business on this one?”
“This is my business, Captain Waverly. This incident involves a family member, so I have every right to stick my nose in.” I turned and walked away, leaving him standing there with his mouth agape.
I scanned the scene before getting too close to what was left of the structure. Shards of glass, metal, and other debris littered the ground. Jonathan’s house was now one big pile of rubble. One lone brick chimney remained where there used to be a fireplace. Occasional puffs of smoke rose as I tread through the snow-covered ashes. The surrounding trees were scorched. Only tree trunks remained standing as far as the eye could see, some burnt so badly that the bark was gone. What was once a metal shed now lay bent and tangled into a hunk of twisted, melted steel. The concrete foundation was all that was visible of the wood shed that once stood next to it.
“There’s not much left,” I said as Billy walked up to me. “It’s sad. I’ve never been to a scene like this. I don’t even know what to look for.”
“Yes, it is sad,” Billy agreed. “We’re not going to be able to tell anything in the dark. We need to come back in the morning when it’s light so we can pick through the ashes. I just hope we don’t get a lot of snow tonight, because that could hinder our investigation. If the snow settles in, it might be a while before we come up with anything.”
All of a sudden, and as if on cue, the snow stopped.
I looked over in Jonathan’s direction. He was talking with the lady in the SUV. “I guess Jonathan will have to stay with us for a while. He needs a place to live until he rebuilds his house. He can use the room upstairs across from Mom’s.”
“I will talk with him.”
Jonathan walked over and introduced the woman. “This is Lu Ann Knots,” he said to me, and then looked back at Lu Ann. “And this is Jesse Watson Blackhawk.”
“It’s very nice to meet you,” I said as I held out my hand.
She extended her hand and replied, “Nice to meet you, too. I’m sorry the conditions aren’t more favorable.” Her handshake was firm, but not hurtful. “I read about you in the papers a few months ago. Your mother was almost killed. I hope she’s recovered from her ordeal.” Not waiting for an answer, she looked over at Billy and said, “I’m sorry for your loss. Daniel was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“Thank you, Lu Ann,” Billy responded, softly. “We will hurt for a long time. The pain will be hard. That’s for certain.”
“I’m sure you will,” she agreed. “I’m positive that I will be able to analyze the arsonist’s behavior and give you enough clues so that you can catch him before he does this again.”
Lu Ann appeared to be close to my age, or possibly a few years older. Her blond hair was cut short to her face, and she was a tall, muscular woman. I could tell from her broad shoulders that she probably exercised on a regular basis. At first glance, I understood why Jonathan had been attracted to her. She was just right for him. She was almost his height, lean and probably could hold her own against any man. She’s one of those women you meet who exude physical strength. I wouldn’t want to meet her alone in a dark alley… and have her be mad at me. I’d never survive.
“I’m finished for now,” Lu Ann said. “I’ll be back in the morning.”
“Fluvanna is a long way to drive this late at night,” Jonathan said. “I’m sure we can find you a place to sleep if you want to avoid the drive. Mom and Dad would love to see you again. You know how they feel about you. It might actually make them forget about this horrible mess for two minutes.”
“You’re more than welcome to stay with us,” I added. “We have plenty of room.”
Billy softly elbowed me in the side.
“That’s very nice of you, Jesse. Thanks for the offer, but my fiancé will be waiting for me. I can handle the drive.” She turned back to Jonathan. “I’ll make it a point to see your folks tomorrow and express my condolences. I’ll call you. Is your cell phone number still the same?”
“Yes… yes, it is,” Jonathan stammered. He was obviously stunned by the announcement of her engagement.
She said good-bye, walked over and got in her SUV. She tooted the horn as she headed out. We watched her taillights disappear into the darkness.
“She has a fiancé, huh? I guess you’re a day late and a dollar short. Sorry, Jonathan. I think she would’ve been perfect for you. Next ti
me you find someone you’re attracted to and think there might be a future there, don’t wait so long to snag her. Women won’t wait forever. You have to jump in with both feet… ready or not. What have you got to lose? Now it’s too late.”
“Don’t count me out just yet, Jesse.”
“Wow, she’s so big. Her size alone is intimidating. I bet she can kick some butt. That’s probably why you like her. She can keep up with you. “
Jonathan grunted.
Captain Waverly walked over and said, “I’m going to put up a strip of crime scene tape across the driveway, not that it’s going to do much good. Anyone who can pull off something like this surely won’t hesitate to let a little piece of tape stop him from entering the property again if he wants to. It isn’t as if he has any respect for the law.”
“Do you have any idea who did this?” I asked.
“At the moment, we have a few in mind.”
“A few? You mean more than one? Oh, my,” I gasped. “Do you think he might come back? Could others in our family be in danger?”
“Anything’s possible,” Captain Waverly said. “I’d lock it up tight if I was you. We got an arsonist on the loose. They’re scary and unpredictable, and I’m willing to bet he has more targets. We need to find him soon.”
“You called him an arsonist. So you think he’s done this before?” I asked.
“Anyone who deliberately sets a fire is an arsonist,” he said. “And I don’t want to speculate on his past this early. Let’s just say I don’t think we’ve seen the last of him.”
“Captain Waverly…” I started to say.
“We’re going to call it a night, captain,” Billy butted in. “We’ll get out of your way so you can put up the tape. Come on, Jesse. I need a shower and a meal.”
“Wait a minute,” Captain Waverly said as he held up his hand. “Mrs. Blackhawk has something to say and I want to hear it.”
I looked at Billy and saw that look in his eyes. It was a look I’d seen many times. I was just about ready to hand over the information about the man in the garage to captain Waverly, but Billy didn’t want me to. We have a code—when one of us gives the other the eye, it’s time to zip it up.
