“The first search turned up a missing item that was identified as Samantha’s. The item was found about a half mile from here. Again, because of the criminal nature of this crime, we can not specify what was found. We will be initiating a second canvas of the area where the item was found and will be searching an additional twenty miles around this area.
“Our detectives and searchers are continuing to follow-up on many leads, including the activities of Samantha prior to her disappearance. We would like to encourage anyone to call in any tips you may have. It is oftentimes the smallest detail - something that may seem inconsequential to you -that is the piece of the puzzle we need to crack a case wide open. If you saw or heard something unusual or know anything about Samantha, no matter how insignificant it may seem to you, give our investigators a call or send us an email.
“We want to remind all citizens that a reward of $25,000 has been established for information leading us to Samantha. Anyone with information regarding Samantha Collins whereabouts is urged to call our tip line or to dial 911.
“Thank you. I will now turn over the podium to Rachel Scott with Florida Omni Search.”
Rachel pushed down the nerves in her stomach as she stepped up. This part was always the hardest. She hated press conferences, but viewed them as a necessary evil.
“As of this afternoon, our search-and-rescue crews will have searched every location of interest. It includes an extremely wide area of land around the warehouse and everywhere between. This was possibly the largest search operation of its kind in this county. In addition, we have used the best equipment available for searching this terrain.
“It is very important to us that family and friends of Samantha -- as well as the public -- know our commitment and resources are unwavering. We will not give up until Samantha is found. Thank you.”
Rachel stepped aside as Nora walked up. She was dressed in a flowery sundress with her blonde hair hanging loosely around her face. She looked like she had aged considerably since Rachel had first met her. The pain of losing a husband and a son and now a daughter had taken its toll on her. She looked older than her fifty-five years, but Rachel could still see a hint of the former beauty queen’s looks. Samantha’s two girls, Bella and Gracie, were standing beside Nora while she pleaded for the safe return of her daughter.
“If anyone out there knows anything about where Samantha is, I am asking you, as her mother, to please call the tip line. Her daughters miss her and need her. I miss her so much. Please call. Even if you think it’s nothing, we need your help finding her. And Samantha, if you can hear me, there is nothing we can’t handle together. Please come home.” Nora wiped the tears away from her eyes.
“We are so grateful for the support and work of the police department, as well as the hundreds of searchers, volunteers and firefighters. Thank you to everyone for your support in trying to find Samantha.”
The media shouted out to Nora and Rachel, despite the Chief’s request for no questions. One of the officers ushered them safely to a private area which was set up for the conference. Someone had thoughtfully put out some water and snacks for everyone.
Stacy made her way through the throngs of the media and found Rachel. She pulled her aside and whispered in her ear. “I heard that one of the investigators found something interesting at the site the other day.”
Rachel’s stomach dropped. “What?”
“Pieces of training mannequin dressed in firefighting gear.”
Rachel’s tried to look indifferent, but Stacy didn’t buy it.
“You knew?” Stacy’s voice filled with hurt.
“It was supposed to be confidential. I was asked not to disclose it yet.”
“Then why am I here helping you? I thought we were friends. That you trusted me.”
“I do trust you. You know that, Stacy. I gave my word. It has nothing to do with us being friends.”
“I think it does. You have given me stuff off the record. This is no different.”
“Yes, it is. You aren’t listening. I gave my word I wouldn’t say anything. I would have told you as soon as I could.”
“It would’ve been too late. Obviously. Someone has already beaten me to the punch.”
“I’m sorry, but I will not go back on my word.”
Stacy checked her watch. “I have to go. My plane leaves in one hour.”
“Ok. Please don’t be upset with me.”
“I’ll see you when I get back.” Stacy turned around and made her way through the dwindling media crowd. Rachel let out a long sigh. She knew there was a risk in being friends with a reporter, but she thought Stacy understood there were some things she couldn’t discuss when there was an ongoing investigation. Rachel walked back to her truck where Mike was waiting for her. She tried to put it out of her head.
“Is everything okay?” he asked. “You look upset.”
“No, I’m fine. It’ll work itself out.”
“Are you ready to go drive by some of these rental properties?”
“Yes. I want to see for myself if Flores is hiding something.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Santa Rosa Beach, Saturday 11:34pm
Rachel was vaguely aware she had the dream again. She is watching her little girl Mallory playing in the front yard. One minute she is playing with her dolls and the next minute she vanishes in front of her eyes. She runs around the yard yelling her name over and over. However, this dream is a little different than the one she usually has. Her throat starts to burn every time she screams Mallory’s name. Her lungs feel like they are on fire. The coughing and choking sensations wake her up.
She struggled to open her eyes. The room was filled with smoke. She was so stunned by this, she thought she was still dreaming. Then she noticed a flickering of bright orange all around her room and realized it was not a dream. Panic seeped through her body and for a moment she was entranced by the fire.
I have to do something to get out of here. She looked around, but could see no way out. The room was quickly engulfed in flames and the smoke was making it hard for her to breath. It felt like a knife was slicing through her lungs.
Rachel kicked off the covers and thought about her dwindling options. It would be impossible to go through the bedroom door. The doorway was blocked by a wall of flames. She glanced at the window where the fire was starting to eat away at the curtains. Her bedroom was on the second floor and faced the beach. It would be a long drop down, but hopefully the sand would cushion her fall. Choking on the smothering smoke, Rachel started wrapping her hands around the sheets to protect them from the glass. At most, she thought she may get some burns and a broken bone by jumping. The only other option was to stay and be burned alive.
Just as she started to brace herself, glass shattered and rained down on her face. At first, she thought the intensity of the heat blew out the window. Then a dark figure entered through the window and reached out for her.
Chapter Twenty-Four
She instinctively backed away. “Rachel. It’s Mack.” A hand reached out to hers. Relief flooded through her body. She quickly grabbed Mack’s hand and he guided her to a ladder leaning against the house. As they were climbing down, a blast of fire came out from the downstairs and propelled the ladder away from the house. They hit the sand hard about twenty feet away. Rachel was stunned for a few seconds.
“Are you okay?” he asked her.
She nodded yes while gulping fresh air.
“Easy. Take it slow,” Mack said, rubbing her back.
“What…happened?” Rachel asked confused. She could hear sirens in the distance.
“I’m not sure. Something downstairs must have exploded. Stay here while I go get the paramedics. I’ll be right back.”
An ambulance and a fire truck pulled up the gravel drive just as Mack walked around front. He took the paramedics around to the back where Rachel was still lying on the beach. Mack stayed with her as they loaded her up on a gurney and strapped an oxygen mask across her
face.
Mack rubbed her arm. “You are going to be okay. I’m going to ride in the truck with you to the hospital.” She smiled weakly at him and then everything went black.
***
At the hospital, she awoke to whispered voices.
“Hello?” she croaked out. Her mouth was parched and her throat felt like it was on fire. She looked around and saw an IV taped to her left arm and her right hand was covered in bandages.
Mack’s face suddenly appeared in front of her.
“Hey. Looks who’s awake.” He smiled at her.
“What happened?”
“There was a fire at the beach house.”
The pain medication was making her thoughts fuzzy. She was struggling to remember the fire. “I saw you in the window.”
Mack nodded his head. “That’s right. I was driving by and saw the flames from the road. I tried the front door, but the fire was too intense. So, I found a ladder in the storage area underneath the house and climbed up to the second story. I got lucky and found you. You got a mouthful of smoke, but the doctor says you will be okay.” He pushed the button for the nurse and alerted her that Rachel was awake.
“Water?” Rachel pointed to a carafe on the nightstand next to her bed.
“Ice chips.” Mack took a spoonful and fed it to her.
“Thanks.”
“Everyone is worried about you. Mike is down at the cafeteria getting some coffee,” Mack said as the doctor walked in. “I’ll go get him for you while the doctor talks to you.”
“Thank you,” Rachel said gratefully.
Dr. Schmitz told her she was a lucky girl. No lung damage that they could tell. She had second degree burns on her right hand, lacerations on her face and hands, and a sprained ankle. He said she would stay overnight and if everything went well, she could leave in the morning. The nurse came in to give her a mild sedative and something for the pain.
Mike walked into the room as the doctor left. He kissed her on the forehead. “I was worried about you.”
“Thanks for being here. The doctor said I’m fine and will be out of here tomorrow.”
“Do you want me to stay with you tonight?” Mike pointed to the sofa couch in the room.
“No, I’m okay.”
“I hope you don’t mind. I called Stacy. She is headed back up here tomorrow morning.”
“Thanks.” Rachel ate a few more ice chips. She thought her voice was coming back stronger. “Any idea on how the fire started?” she asked as Mack walked back into the room.
Mack cleared his throat. “No. I talked to Jeff Stanton and he was heading out to the scene. I’m sure we will know something soon.”
“This was the work of the arsonist, wasn’t it?” Rachel asked.
Mack and Mike exchanged glances.
“We don’t know that yet, but it is a strong possibility,” Mack said.
“Apparently you have gotten the attention of someone who doesn’t like you poking around in Sam’s disappearance,” Mike said. “I would feel comfortable if you stayed with me for a while.”
“I guess that’s not a bad idea.” Rachel felt her eyelids getting heavy.
“The nurse must have given you some strong drugs for you to be so agreeable so quickly.” Mike laughed.
“Ok. I’m going to get out of here. Let you get some rest.” Mack said his goodbyes and left the room.
Mike grabbed a blanket and pillow and settled down on the couch by Rachel’s bed. He was going to stay whether Rachel liked it or not. Within a couple of minutes, he was asleep.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Santa Rosa Beach, Monday 7:30am
When she awoke the next morning, the first thing she saw was Mike stretched out on the uncomfortable couch.
She vaguely remembered the fire, but couldn’t understand what Mike was doing on the couch. She cleared her throat.
Mike shot straight up. “Hey. You’re awake. How do you feel?”
“Ready to get out of here. What are you doing?”
“I wanted to stay and make sure you were okay.”
The nurse walked in and said she was going to check her vital signs. She told Rachel the doctor would be in soon and would probably release her this morning.
“I’m going to head down to the cafeteria and get some coffee. Need anything?”
Rachel looked down at her gown. “I guess I’m going to need some clothes. I’m guess most of my stuff was destroyed in the fire.”
“Yeah, I talked with Stacy this morning. She was able to catch an early flight and will be here soon. She said she was bringing you some stuff.”
“Thanks for everything. I’ll be okay if you need to go.”
“Ok. I’ll be back soon.”
Rachel let the nurse do her thing while she thought about what her next move was going be. Someone must think she was a threat. She wondered if Flores had gotten wind of her poking around his rental properties. The afternoon before the fire, she and Mike drove by all his rentals, but they didn’t find anything that was out of place. Three of the four rentals had tenants. The other one was vacant with a for rent sign in front. Well, one thing is for sure, she thought. She wasn’t going to let someone run her out of town. First thing first. Her things needed to be replaced and she needed to find another place to stay.
The door opening interrupted her thoughts.
Jeff Stanton poked his head around the corner.
“How are you?”
“Good. I think I’m going to be able to leave today.”
The nurse took off her blood pressure cuff and told her everything looked good. “The doctor will be by shortly,” the nurse said as she walked out the door.
Jeff pulled up a chair next to her bed. “I wanted to come by and see you. I went to the beach house earlier. Not a pretty sight.”
“What do you think happened?”
“Possibly arson,” Jeff said.
“Really?”
“I won’t know for sure until tests come back, but I would guess gas accelerant. Plus, the tool marks on the side door look familiar.”
Rachel’s face paled.
“You’re lucky Mack drove by when he did. Another couple of minutes…” He let the thought go on.
Stacy walked into the room carrying a cheerful balloon and flower bouquet. “Hey, girl.” She looked tentatively at Rachel.
“Hey, thanks.” Rachel sat up straighter in bed.
Stacy looked over at Jeff. “Sorry to interrupt.”
“It’s okay. Looks like she needs some cheering up.”
“I brought a few things for you.” Stacy held up a bag with her other hand. “Change of clothes, makeup bag, toothbrush….and voila! Trashy magazines for your guilty reading pleasure.” She put the copies of Life & Style, Star, and OK! magazines on her nightstand.
“You got a mirror in there?” Rachel asked.
Stacy hesitated. “Are you sure?”
“Is it that bad?”
Stacy reached in the bag and pulled out the makeup case. There was a small mirror on the flap. She handed it to her.
The first thing she noticed was her eyebrows were singed. Rachel ran her finger over what was left of her right eyebrow. She also had several small cuts around her mouth and forehead.
“I guess it could be worse.” A tear slid down her cheek.
Stacy walked over and gave her a gentle hug. “Oh honey, it could have been a lot worse. You’re alive and we will get you back to normal in no time.”
“Anyone see anything?” Rachel started to get angry.
“No, unfortunately not. But trust me when I tell you this…we will get this guy,” Jeff said.
“I know we will. Thanks for stopping by.”
“Call me when you get to feeling better. We’ll get together with Chief Gladstone and come up with a plan.” Jeff got up and left the room.
Stacy took his side by Rachel’s bed.
“Hey, I’m really sorry with the way we left things. I shouldn’t have given you any heat ab
out the tip.”
“I’m sorry, too. I wish I could tell you everything Stacy. You are one of my dearest friends. You know that.”
“I promise not to get hotheaded again. I know we have to draw the line between business and friendship sometimes.”
“If you would just know when to keep your big mouth shut,” Rachel said.
“I know sometimes it gets me in trouble.” Stacy laughed. “Now let’s get you dressed and out of here.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Lake Juniper, Monday late afternoon
Sam sat at the table staring at the meal “the asshole” had fixed for her. The steak and potatoes had grown cold, which was just as well because she had no appetite.
“What’s wrong? You need to keep up your strength.”
“I told you I’m not hungry. Being kept locked in a dark cell does that to you.”
“I said I was sorry. I couldn’t help it. I had things to do.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“To keep you safe.”
“I was doing fine without your help.” Sam poked at her salad. The lettuce was drowning in the ranch dressing and the tomatoes were mushy.
“No, not really. You have no idea what was going on around you.” He smiled at her. “Did you know Pedro Gonzalez had someone following you?”
“What?” Her fork hit the plate with a loud clang.
“Yeah. One of Gonzalez’s goons was hanging out around the fire station watching you. Following you on calls. Biding his time.”
“Is that what you called to talk to me about the night of the fire?”
“Yes. And to offer you a safe place until I could handle the matter.”
Sam took a deep breath to control her anger.
“My welfare is none of your concern. I can take care of things myself. Now, if we can quit this whole charade, I need to get back to my girls. My life.”
Burn Out Page 10
