“I don’t know about that,” Keaton replied. “I’ll ask Dr. Lance about that. You are going to have to replace a lot of things – almost everything in the living room is destroyed. The kitchen table is gone and only one chair survived. I’m not sure how much damage your appliances sustained, but it would probably be better to get new ones.”
I was getting a headache as I did a mental count of the cost. Any millionaires out there who want to donate to a good cause? I’m sure you can get a tax write-off for it!
Someone pounded on the front door. Keaton opened it to find Richard Fox, the officer who had been at my house when Cash drove through it, standing there. “What’s the matter?” I said.
“Your house is on fire.”
Chapter 25
While Keaton protested, I changed clothes, got my shoes on and headed for the front door. When he tried to stop me, I gave him a look that would have frozen Medusa. He grabbed a jacket out of the closet, helped me put it on, and off we went.
By the time we got to the house, with Richard escorting us, the firemen were still fighting the blaze. There were five hoses spraying water: three on my house, one on Mr. Crubbs’ house and another on the empty house on the other side. I got out and stood in the Ketchums’ front yard next to Mr. Crubbs. “Are you ok?” I said.
“Oh sure, I’m fine,” he grumbled. “If I find the danged fool that did this, I am going to kick them into next week.” He patted my arm. “You have been through more than enough this week, girl.”
“I’m not much of a neighbor, am I, Mr. Crubbs?” I said sadly.
“Sure you are! This is the most excitement we’ve seen on this block in years!”
I laughed and gave him a hug. “Thanks, Mr. Crubbs, I needed that.” As I watched, the flames got smaller. “Did you see who did it?”
“No, I wasn’t home. I just got here a few minutes ago. Had to ride the bus that damn Navy Seal drives like a maniac. He dropped me off at the corner and the flames were pretty high by then. I did smell gasoline, though.”
“Did you tell the firemen that?”
“Do you think they would listen to the opinion of an old man?” he snorted. “Just told me to get out of the way before I got hurt.”
A rumbling came from the house and I looked over in time to see the roof cave in. I saw Keaton shake hands with the fire chief and walked across the street. “The fire chief said they believe the fire was started by gasoline.”
“I told you,” Mr. Crubbs groused. “They should have listened to me.”
“Let me guess, no one saw anything,” I said.
“Mrs. Rodriguez saw someone dressed in dark clothing run away from your house while she was looking for Blinky,” Keaton replied. “She saw flames coming from the back of the house and called 911. By the time the fire department got here, the whole house was engulfed in flames.”
“Did she get a look at the person who ran away?”
“Not really. The lighting on the street isn’t good.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.”
“I’ve been after the city council to put lights on this street for years,” Mr. Crubbs said.
“That’s because they consider residential street lighting low priority,” Ralph said as he joined us. I saw Scottie Newsome, the staff photographer, taking pictures with his digital camera. “I gotta tell ya, Bannerman, you have been great for our circulation this week. First, your car blows up in our parking lot. The truck parked in your kitchen looked great on the front page this morning. But this, with color pictures, is going to put us over the top for the week.”
“I am so glad that my personal tragedies are putting so much money in your pocket, Ralph,” I said sarcastically.
“Come on, Charlie,” Ralph said, “you have to admit that this is a pretty destructive week even for you.” He did have a point, but I would never admit that to him. “Is it safe to say that someone has it in for you?”
“Are you looking for comments for your story?”
“Of course I am. Why else would I be standing here? This story has gotten big, and since you are an employee and a close friend, I thought it would be best if I interviewed you.”
“Close friend? Since when? You are the one who always tells us not to mix business and personal lives, remember, Ralph? Rather two-faced of you to use our ‘friendship’, if you even want to call it that, to sell your newspaper. What happened to objectivity? What happened to not becoming personally involved with a story?”
“This is news, Charlie. You cannot ignore the fact that in the span of three days, someone has tried to wipe you off the face of the Earth. THAT is a story. And I will tell it with or without your help.” Ralph stormed off toward the fire chief.
“I can’t believe you work for him,” Keaton said.
“It pays some of the bills.”
“He does have a point, though.”
“You’re agreeing with him?” I said incredulously.
“Only about the fact that someone is trying to get rid of you. Ralph doesn’t know about the sabotage to your car the day before it was blown up. That is four incidents this week.”
I hated to admit it, but Keaton was right about Ralph being right. I shook my head. What a scary thought, admitting Ralph was right about something.
“What is she doing here?” Bernie yelled as he got out of his car. Oh joy, this was going to be fun. “I thought I told you to keep her out of sight.”
“Did you really think I was going to stay home while someone burned my house down, Bernie?” I countered. “If it was your house, you’d be standing out here, too. And if someone is going to get mad around here, it is going to be me.” I got in his face and poked my finger in his chest. “Why didn’t you tell me Cash was out on bail?”
He took a couple of steps back. “I don’t have to tell you everything that goes on, Charlie.”
“In this case, you had an obligation to tell the victim that the assailant was on the loose. He drove his truck into my house, for crying out loud! He has said, in front of witnesses, that he wants me dead! I’d say that gives me every right in the world to know when that idiot is let out.”
“You can’t prove that Cash had anything to do with this fire, Charlie,” Bernie said.
“So it is total coincidence that shortly after he is free on bail, my house burns down? What do you think, the house started the fire by itself?”
“Exaggerating a bit, aren’t you?”
“You’re an idiot, Bernie. The only question is, which one of you is the bigger idiot – you or Cash?”
Bernie’s face turned red. “You are just upset because I am not buying your theory about Cash trying to get back at you because you broke up with him. You women always think everything is about you.”
“That’s right, Bernie. It could never be the man’s fault. You just keep up that good ol’ boy mentality. Let’s see if it gets you re-elected when I turn out to be right.”
“I meant what I said, Charlie. Stay out of this investigation. Don’t stick your nose in where it doesn’t belong or something worse could happen to you besides your house burning down.”
“Are you threatening me, Bernie? In front of witnesses even?”
“I am not. I am merely stating fact.”
I made a fist with my right hand. “Bernie, I have always considered you a good friend, but right now, I think it is best if you just walk away before one of your officers has to arrest me for assault.”
He opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it. “Just remember what I said, Charlie. Keep out of my investigation. Keaton, keep her under control.” He hitched up his pants and walked off.
I stared at him, my mouth hanging open. “He has got some nerve! I would have slugged him, but I know it would have upset Mother. I’m not in the mood for one of her lectures.”
“Charlie!” Sydney called as she ran up to us. Giving me a hug, she turned to look at my ruined house. “Oh Charlie, your house! Are you ok?”
&n
bsp; “Oh sure, I’m fine. It’s not like I was in the house when the fire started.”
“There is one bright spot here,” Sydney said.
“Besides the last flickering flames coming from my ruined living room, you mean?”
“You don’t have to worry about packing up your stuff. There’s nothing left to pack.”
“Gee, I feel so much better now, Syd.”
Chapter 26
By now, we had quite a crowd standing around us and all along the block. I saw Aspen and her friend Nikki standing a couple of houses down from us, and the Conway brothers, Harry and Larry, were standing behind them. Ralph and Scottie were still there, taking pictures and interviewing the people standing around. Knowing Ralph, he was probably working on some conspiracy theory.
Richard Fox came over, carrying a plastic freezer bag. “This was found taped your mailbox, Charlie. Do you know who might have written it?”
I took the bag from him. It was cut out letters, like the previous one. “MY FLAME FOR HIM BURNS BRIGHT, BUT NOT AS HOT AS THE FLAMES AROUND YOU. TAKE THE HINT AND WALK AWAY BEFORE THE FLAMES DESTROY YOU!”
“Do you have any idea what it means, Ms. Bannerman?” he asked me.
“I have absolutely no idea. Wish I could help you.”
He looked at me a moment, as if he were trying to determine if I was telling the truth or not. I think he decided I was, because he thanked me and walked away.
Ten minutes later, the fire was completely out and my house was nothing but a smoldering mess. People started to leave since the show was over, but no one stopped to talk to me. They acted like I had some kind of disease, and they didn’t want to get too close for fear of catching it. Just as well. I wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone.
Mr. Crubbs went back to his house, grumbling about the mess the firemen had made of his yard. Sydney and the girls left a few minutes later. She promised to call me the next day. I just stood there, my hands shoved into my jacket pockets, staring at my blackened home. “How long before you can start rebuilding, Keaton?”
“Well, the police and fire department will have to conduct their investigation first. It shouldn’t take too long. It’s pretty obvious this was arson.”
“Obviously.”
“We can check with them in two or three days to see how things are going.”
“Ok.”
I stood there, my head tilted to one side, staring at the house. “What are you thinking about, Charlie?”
“Why someone would bother to burn the place down when it was already ruined? Granted, no one knew it was going to have to be torn down, but it was pretty obvious that was what was going to happen. So why burn it down?”
Keaton shrugged. “I have no idea. We should go. There’s no reason to keep standing here. I’ll go get the truck. You stay right here.”
I nodded absentmindedly, too lost in my own thoughts to answer.
“Darn shame about your house, Charlie,” Cash said, coming up behind me. I jumped and spun around. “We had a lot of good times in that house. It held a lot of fond memories for me.”
“You have got a lot of nerve coming here,” I hissed at him.
He laughed. “You think I burned it down? Don’t be ridiculous.”
“You drove your truck through it last night, Cash. It’s not that far of a leap to finger you for arson.”
“I have an alibi.”
“How convenient for you, but I don’t think they will take your mother’s word for it.”
“I didn’t say it was my mother. You just assumed it was her.”
“What do you want, Cash?”
“Watch your back, Charlie. Someone besides me has put a target on your back.”
“No one besides you wants me dead.”
“I don’t really want you dead. I just want you to suffer a bit. And considering what you’ve been through this week, I’d say you’ve suffered quite a lot.”
“No thanks to you.”
“I’m not responsible for all of it, Charlie,” Cash said. “The only thing I did was drive my truck into your house. The rest of it wasn’t me.”
“Why should I believe you?”
Cash sighed. “The day your car blew up, I was in court in Dallas. Check if you don’t believe me.” Keaton pulled up to the curb. “Watch your back, Charlie,” he warned me before he disappeared into the dark.
“Was that Cash?” Keaton said as he helped me to the car.
“Yep.”
“Are you ok? Did he hurt you?”
“He just wanted to talk. He said that someone besides him has put a target on my back and I should be careful.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope,” I said, shaking my head. “He said driving the truck into my house was the only thing he has done. He even provided an alibi for the time my car blew up: he was in court in Dallas.”
“Are you going to tell Bernie?”
“What for? It’s not like he’ll do anything about it.”
“I think I know someone who will,” Keaton said. “We’ll talk to Braden.”
“Braden can’t do anything to help right now. He’s laid up in bed.”
“Which is where you should be. But we can still get his opinion on this situation. There’s no harm in asking him.”
I grudgingly admitted that was true, but I didn’t really want to involve any more members of my family or my immediate friends. And I couldn’t help but wonder about what Cash had said.
Who had declared open season on Charlie Bannerman?
Chapter 27
When we got back to the condo, I took a shower to get rid of the smoky smell that had woven its way into my clothes and hair. Unfortunately, the depression I had felt come over me while I watched my house burn down had not dissipated.
I put on a clean pair of pajama bottoms and t-shirt and headed out for the living room. Keaton was sitting on the couch, watching some ball game. “Hey,” he said when I sat down.
“Hey.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Like I’m wandering around in a maze with no way out. Just when I think I am close to a breakthrough, another wall is put up and the maze changes. Throw in the fact that I have lost everything I own except for what is in my bags in the other room, I’d say it’s been just a yippie-skippie week.”
“Sarcasm does not become you, Charlie.”
“You want me to do a happy dance?” I shook my head. “I’m pretty sure that is frowned upon by Dr. Lance right now.”
“So was leaving the house, but you did it anyway.”
“Touché.”
“So what are you going to do now?”
“I have no idea.” I dug around in the yarn bag Sydney brought me and pulled out the purple variegated yarn.
“I don’t think you should go outside for a while,” Keaton said, “not until we find out who is making these threats against you.”
“They aren’t just making threats, Keaton. They’ve destroyed my house and my car. If Cash didn’t set the house on fire, then who did? Certainly not Deja; she’s dead.” I fingered the yarn. “I can’t stay here. It is putting you in too much danger.”
“It’s a risk I’m willing to take,” he said.
“But I’m not sure it is one I want you to take.”
“Have you ever gotten any threats from stories or articles that you have written?”
“Not that I am aware of.”
“I think it is safe to say that whoever left the note on the mailbox tonight is a woman. ‘My flame for him burns bright’ would indicate unrequited love. Do you think they are talking about Cash?”
I pulled a needle out of the bag and started crocheting. “If the object of their affection, God help them, is Cash, then why target me? Cash and I have been over for nine months now, and he moved on to Deja.
Keaton grabbed my notepad off the table. “Let’s start with what we do know. Four different incidents: the sabotage to the car, the car explosion, driving the truck through the hou
se, and the burning down the house.”
“Good grief, my life has turned into a soundtrack!” I said as the words to The Talking Heads’ “Burnin’ Down the House” went through my head.
Keaton laughed. “You’re getting your sense of humor back. That’s good.”
“It’s the only thing that keeps me sane sometimes.”
“We know that Cash is the one that drove the truck into the house. Let’s assume, for argument’s sake, that it was Deja that sabotaged the car. That takes care of two on the list.”
“Cash says he was in court in Dallas at the time of the car explosion, so that gives him an alibi. Deja was in the car, already dead at that point.”
“Which means we are dealing with a third person,” Keaton said.
“Three people coming after me? That is one giant target on my backside!”
“So the third person has to be someone that knows Cash.”
“Probably some woman he has flirted with at a bar,” I guessed.
“Whoever it is, she has it in her head that you are standing in the way of her hooking up with Cash.”
“We can’t go to Bernie with this,” I said. “He thinks I’m a royal pain in the bum right now.”
“What about Braden? He’s probably just as bored as you are right now.”
“He’s the only one we can trust right now, but he’s been through enough.”
“Look, Charlie,” Keaton said, placing his hand on top of mine, “if your family and friends can’t stand behind you when you are in trouble, then you are truly alone in the world. I, for one, am not going to let you go through this alone. It is not open for debate or discussion. We are in this together. Is that understood?”
“Ok.”
“I mean it, Charlie. I won’t take no for an answer.”
“I said ok.”
“Oh.” He looked a bit lost. “I was expecting a big argument from you.”
“I know. But you’re right. I’m in no shape to do this by myself.”
“Alright then. Tomorrow morning, we put on our detective hats and start figuring this thing out. For tonight, let’s give ourselves a break. I think we’ve earned it.”
Good Night Sleep Tight Don't Let the Stalkers Bite (Charlie Bannerman Mysteries) Page 11
