Fire & Ice

by Jerri Drennen

  “My pants weren’t down, Mel, and you know that. She’s an ex-girlfriend. She came by to talk to me.”

  “Don’t call me that. Only my friends can call me Mel. Now. I’m going back into the house to get some sleep. You all can stay and have a party for all I care.” She turned and stalked into the house, slamming the door behind her. She was steamed, an emotion that was hard to deny.

  He glanced at the two left standing around him. Kay grimaced. “I guess you must feel foolish.”

  “I bet you can relate,” he said, scratching his head.

  Paul shook his head. “Goodnight.” He turned and stormed to the door.

  Once he’d gone inside, Knox brushed off his slacks. “I’d better get going.”

  Kay’s eyebrows drew up. “You mean you’re just going to leave these two alone together. Are you crazy?”

  “Unless you’ve got a better idea?”

  “I do. I suggest we stay right and make sure no hank-panky goes on.”

  “And how do we do that?”

  She smiled slyly. “Have a party like Mel suggested, of course.”

  “A party. No. I have to work tomorrow.”

  “Okay, go home, and when you’re all tucked into bed, picture good old protective Paul watching over Melanie. He’ll do a good job believe me. I’ve been the recipient of his cover tucking ability. He knows how to do a thorough job.”

  Knox cursed under his breath. The thought of another man touching Melanie drove him crazy, yet he couldn’t brand her to him—not with his life in such turmoil—it wouldn’t be fair to her or to Sandra.

  Nope, it was best to go home. If Melanie fell into Nadar’s arms, at least the man was free to act on it. Knox wasn’t.

  * * *

  Melanie woke to the smell of bacon and coffee filling the air around her. Paul was up and fixing breakfast.

  She smiled. The man was a saint. Kay had been stupid to let him get away.

  Oh God, Kay. What had her friend thought was going to happen last night? Did she really think Melanie would sleep with her ex? True, Paul was a handsome devil, but he was off-limits to her—always had been. If she had her way, he and Kay would be back together before the week’s end.

  Melanie had never seen Kay jealous before last night. Her actions spoke of the green-eyed monster. The whole debacle would have been funny if Knox hadn’t been the one to pounce on her.

  No, Melanie wasn’t going to go there. She’d spent half the night thinking about Knox and why he’d shown up at her house. To rehash it again wasn’t worth the heartache.

  Jumping out of bed, Melanie grabbed her robe and raced down the hallway. She found herself suddenly ravenous. “Good morning,” she said as she entered the kitchen.

  Paul turned from the stove and smiled. “Morning. Hungry?”

  Melanie rubbed her stomach. “Starved.”

  His smile grew. What Melanie wouldn’t give for this man to be Knox, his smile welcoming her after a long, exhausting night in bed. That would never happen. Knox was seeing someone else, no matter what he’d said last night. Sure he’d told her it was his ex, but perhaps they’d been trying to work things out. She didn’t want to get hurt and in that type situation someone always did. And she had no doubt she would be the one left with the hole in her heart. She’d never been lucky in love.

  Jason, her last steady boyfriend had turned out to be gay. “I didn’t know, Mel,” he’d said. Come on. A person knew those things, didn’t they? She’d dated him for two years and never once thought he was attracted to men—so why the sudden turnabout? Hell, maybe he’d lied to spare her feelings. Maybe he thought telling her he was gay would hurt less than admitting he’d met another woman.

  That was water under the bridge. She hadn’t loved him anyway. She’d just been killing time until the right man came along. He had. Knox had something special, a charm and charisma that had Melanie yearning for him. She wanted Knox so bad she ached inside. That hurt could turn to real heartbreak if she allowed him into her bed. That much she did know.

  The plate being placed in front of her brought her back to reality, on it rested a fluffy yellow omelet that looked mouth-wateringly delicious. “Looks great,” she said to Paul and picked up her fork to take a bite, her taste buds going crazy. “Perfect.” She dug in.

  He smiled and took a bite of his own. “Do you think we should invite Kay in?” he asked. Melanie almost choked on a mouthful of egg. “What?” she managed after swallowing.

  “She spent the night in your lounge chair outside. I saw her out the back window.”

  Melanie found it painful that her friend would do such a thing. Thought she’d actually have sex with Paul.

  She shook her head. “Leave her out there to stew awhile. She deserves it.”

  Paul laughed. “Yes, she does. Why do you think she was worried about us?”

  “I don’t know. It hurts that she has no trust in me.”

  “Why would she care anyway?” he asked. “It’s not like she loves me. She proved that the day of our wedding.”

  Melanie wasn’t sure if she should tell Paul the conclusion she’d come to about them. Would he believe her—trust that Kay did indeed love him? That she’d regretted her decision not to marry him?

  “I don’t know what Kay’s thinking, Paul. Maybe you two should talk.”

  He cleared his throat. “I’m not ready to face her yet. When I am, I’ll let you know.” He shoveled the last of his omelet into his mouth and washed it down with coffee. “Mind if I use your shower? There’s more omelet in the pan if you want to offer some to her. She always did have a hearty breakfast appetite.”

  Melanie smiled at Paul. The man was a gem. Thinking of Kay even after what she’d done to him.

  “Go ahead on the shower. Towels are in the cabinet next to the sink.”

  “Thanks.”

  Paul turned and headed down the hall.

  Once he’d entered the bathroom, Melanie rose and walked to the window. Kay lay on her side on the chaise, her mouth agape, her hair a tangled, ratty mess.

  Melanie snorted. Paul had seen her like this and still wanted to take care of her. He had to be in love with Kay—had to be, and Melanie was going to get these two back together, even if they killed her for it.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Knox gathered the last of his samples from the Grainger house and placed them into his evidence bag.

  He headed for the exit. He’d given up on Melanie and Nadar showing when a loud knock sounded on the sheet of plywood covering the door.

  He tipped up the wood to see who’d arrived, though he assumed it had to be Melanie and her boyfriend.

  Indeed, standing just outside, looking as fresh as sunshine in her bright yellow t-shirt and white Capri’s was Melanie, with Paul Nadar towering behind her.

  “Hello. Come on in. I’ve been looking around. Haven’t come across anything suspicious. Almost everything in the living room was gutted.”

  They both ducked inside and Knox dropped the sheet of plywood to the ground.

  Light streamed through holes in the ceiling and exterior wall that had taken the brunt of the flames. It allowed enough light inside for them to move around without flashlights.

  “Watch your step. If you get hurt, I’ll lose my job,” Knox said, moving over to the spot near the interior wall. “This is where I found your art flier.”

  Paul and Melanie joined him. “Question?” Paul asked. “Is there anyway to prove that the flier burned during the actual fire?”

  Knox shook his head. That very question had tormented him. “That’s hard. We don’t have the resources to even attempt to find that out.”

  “So what now?” Melanie asked, sounding defeated.

  Knox’s first instinct was to pull her into his arms and tell her it would all work out. He thought better of it. He was sure she wouldn’t appreciate it, not after his stunt from the night before. Talk about feeling like an idiot.

  The last thing he’d wanted was for her to be disma
yed by his actions, wonder why he was spying on her. The look on her face would be permanently engrained in his memory. The whole thing had been stupid. At least he’d had enough sense to leave after he’d been discovered, hadn’t stuck around like Kay had suggested.

  “Later today I have to drive over to the warehouse fire and investigate. Maybe something there can shed some light on who’s setting these fires. Right now, I think it’s best if you two go home and wait to hear from me. I have to get these accelerant samples over to the lab. They’re waiting for them. I’ll let you know if I find out anything.”

  Paul put out his hand. Knox hesitated, measuring the man, and then gripped it tightly. Jealous or not, he had to admit the guy seemed pretty decent. He obviously cared for Melanie and didn’t want to see her go down for something she didn’t do.

  Hell, he didn’t want that either. After she’d told him she hadn’t set the fire in her youth, he knew she wasn’t the person who started this one. Now he just had to find out who did.

  Knox lifted the board up again to let them out. His eyes caught a glimpse of something shiny lodged at the bottom of the half charred doorframe.

  He reached down and picked it up. An earring. Cheap, from the looks of it. Not blackened by fire like everything else around it. The piece of jewelry couldn’t have been there during the fire.

  “Mel, did you lose an earring?”

  She shook her head. “I’m not wearing any.”

  He rolled the earring around, noticing it was a clip-on.

  He glanced at Melanie’s earlobes, the small holes in hers apparent. She had pierced ears.

  Knox wasn’t an expert on women and their earring habits, yet most women who went to the trouble of piercing their ears wore pierced earrings. Maybe the earring was a clue. Was the torch a woman? One who wore clip-ons?

  “What’s going on?” Paul asked, his gaze questioning.

  “I’m not sure yet. It might be nothing.”

  “What? Why would an earring mean anything? Mrs. Grainger lived here. It’s probably hers.”

  “I’d say that’s true, except the earring isn’t black or melted in any way. If it were here at the time of the fire it wouldn’t be in this kind of shape. I’d say it fell off a woman’s ear after the fire had been extinguished.”

  “Do you think this woman placed the flier here?”

  Knox shrugged. “I can’t say. We can’t dismiss the possibility either. Is there any lady you know of who would want to set you up?”

  “The only woman I know who’s angry with me is Mrs. Grainger.”

  Knox contemplated what Melanie had said. The woman might have a vendetta against her—he’d heard the anger in the woman’s voice when she’d confronted Mel. There was a motive for framing her. Her sneaking into the house may have gone unnoticed by their neighbors. Yet was that enough to make her a suspect? He didn’t know, though if the woman wore clip-on earrings it might. He’d have to have a talk with Dean’s wife, get a glance at her ears, and go from there.

  * * *

  “Kay, open up.” Melanie pounded on the door again.

  “Go away, traitor.” Her friend glanced out one of the sidelights of the door and scowled. “I don’t want to talk to you.”

  “Come on, Kay. Please let me in.”

  “Why should I? You went behind my back to put the moves on Paul.”

  Melanie inhaled and mentally counted to ten. “I didn’t make any moves on Paul. I asked for his help. I needed to find evidence to exclude me from this fire. Besides, the day I told you about Knox’s accusation, you suggested we ask Paul for help.”

  “Exactly, we ask, not you,” Kay spat. “Where is Sherlock Nadar anyway?”

  “He went back to his place to pack a bag. Surely you know I have no interest in your ex.”

  Kay said nothing, actually disappeared from the window.

  Feeling defeated, Melanie turned and was headed down the driveway when the chain rattled. The door eased open. Kay smiled in the archway. “Okay. I believe you. Though the next time you do something crazy, I want to be included.”

  Melanie laughed. “Deal.”

  “You can come in. I’ll warn you now, though, you will be interrogated.”

  “Interrogated?” An image of Kay shining a bright light in Melanie’s eyes, asking in a bad German accent “is it safe” popped into her head. Obviously, she'd seen The Marathon Man one too many times.

  “I want to know everything Paul said.”

  “Can I have a cup of coffee first?”

  Kay stood back to allow her inside. “I think I could arrange that.”

  Melanie entered the house, waited for Kay to lock the door and followed her down the hallway to the kitchen.

  While Kay made coffee, Melanie sat at the table, tearing at a paper napkin. She had to find a way to clear herself. Even if Lori Grainger did plant the flier, how could they prove it?

  Kay placed a steaming cup of coffee in front of her and sat down.

  “So tell me,” Kay said, her attention riveted on Melanie.

  “I think Paul still loves you.”

  Her friend’s eyes lit up. “Really? Why do you say that?”

  “Because he was the one to tell me you were outside on the lawn chair this morning and thought I should offer you breakfast.”

  Her friend grimaced. “You mean he saw me? With my hair in ruins?”

  “And your mouth hanging open,” Melanie added.

  Kay’s cheeks flushed.

  “How do you feel, Kay? Do you still love him?”

  She sighed. “I do.”

  Melanie reached out, draped her hand over Kay’s and squeezed it tight. “Tell him. Why live in misery when you could be happy with him?”

  “Because, I’m afraid. What if he laughed in my face? Told me he never wanted to see me again? I’d be devastated.”

  “Without him you’ll be miserable anyway. Why not take the chance?” Melanie related to her friends misgivings. She, in a way, was in the same boat, rowing toward uncharted territory with Knox. Afraid of what lay ahead. He’d crushed her, made her feel like she was just another warm body to satisfy his needs. The last thing she wanted to be. She’d been that to every other man in her life. She never wanted to feel that vulnerable again. Though here she was—open and defenseless with him.

  Tears clouded Kay’s amber eyes. “Are you sure he still loves me?”

  Melanie had never seen her best friend cry and was taken aback. Kay was a tough bird, but from the emotion glowing in her eyes, she was having a hard time handling this.

  “I do believe he does.” Somehow Melanie had to fix this. She hated to see her friend so unhappy—so heart broken.

  Kay wiped at her eyes, and took a deep breath. “So did you and Paul find anything at the Grainger’s house?”

  Melanie nodded. “Knox found an earring he thought might be evidence.”

  Kay’s eyebrows drew together. “How so?”

  “It wasn’t burned. He assumed it wasn’t there during the actual fire, that it might have fallen off a woman’s ear after the blaze had been put out.”

  Her friend shrugged. “What does that mean?”

  “That my flier might have been planted.”

  “Oh, I have a gut feeling Lori Grainger did it,” Kay said, reiterating Melanie’s exact thoughts.

  “How do we prove it?”

  “Well, Nancy. It sounds like we have a mystery to solve.” Kay grinned like a Cheshire cat.

  Melanie could only guess what her friend was scheming. “Okay, Beth. Where do we start?”

  “How about we start with her jewelry box, see if she has an earring missing.”

  “Wouldn’t that have been burned in the fire?”

  “If indeed she set it, she made sure to take the things she wanted to keep. Women love their jewelry. I’d say there is an earring missing its mate. We just have to find it.”

  * * *

  With evidence collected, Knox left the warehouse and hiked up the hill to his truck. S
ome type of accelerant was present, which meant it was another arson.

  Someone was definitely trying to make it look like Melanie was involved. Why else burn the building she kept her sculpting supplies in?

  He unclipped his cell phone and punched through his address list until he found Dean Grainger’s cell phone number. Knox pressed dial, and on the third ring, Grainger picked up. “Hello.”

  “Mr. Grainger. Knox Manning. I’d like to get together with you and your wife. Go over what we’ve found.”

  “What do you mean?” Dean asked, his voice sounding strained.

  Knox wasn’t sure why, but it sounded as if the man was worried about something. If he hadn’t done anything, why be nervous about meeting with him? “It’s just routine, Mr. Grainger. We like to keep the homeowners informed of our progress.”

  “When would you like to meet?”

  “Later this afternoon, if that’s possible.”

  “I’ll have to check with my wife and get back to you.”

  “That’d be fine.” Knox closed his phone and jumped into the truck to head to the firehouse. He hadn’t called Sandra yet and wasn’t looking forward to doing so. Between the arson cases and dealing with her, he was about to come undone.

  Melanie’s beautiful face popped into his head. He yearned to be with her, but that was no longer a possibility. The prospect of living without her made him feel strange—almost sick inside.

  Maybe it was time to talk to Tara. Get another person’s perspective on the situation. Get her advice on what to do, maybe give him some options.

  Marriage wasn’t something one jumped into, especially when you didn’t love the other person.

  Knox heaved a sigh. Love. He barely tolerated Sandra, no way could he live with her day in and day out for the rest of his life. Both he and the child would be destroyed. But he planned to be a father to his child. That much he had in his power to do without reservations. He loved children—cherished his time with his nephews.

  Clearly a visit to his mother’s would be on the agenda after he finished his paperwork on the warehouse fire and met with the Graingers—work that would keep his mind off Melanie for a few hours at least.