Setting Off Sparks (Jupiter Point Book 4)

by Jennifer Bernard

  “A name. Senator—” She swallowed hard. Taking this step, revealing names—after this, she couldn’t go back. “Senator Tom Ruiz. He’s a senator from Texas. I helped his wife get away. He was abusing her but she didn’t want to go to the police. I don’t know where she is, but maybe he thinks I do.”

  “Hm.” He flipped open his notebook and scribbled the name. “So your theory is that this senator hired people to track you down so you can tell him where his wife is?”

  She broke off a piece of muffin and crumbled it between her fingers. “I suppose so. It’s all I can think of.”

  “Why not just hire people to find his wife?”

  Trust a police officer to put his finger on the exact same question that had bothered her. “Maybe he did that too. I really have no idea. I’m not in touch with Maria now.”

  Knight pulled a smartphone from his pocket and tapped at it. He scanned through the results of his search. “It says in Wikipedia that Senator Tom Ruiz is recently divorced. He’s a sponsor of a new bill to help domestic violence victims.”

  “Ugh, what a hypocrite. When did he get divorced?”

  Knight was still staring at his phone. “Back in Houston you worked in an ER, right? Houston Memorial?”

  “Yes.” So he’d done his research. Of course he had.

  “Says here he’s funding a new wing of that hospital.”

  “Wow.” Her mind raced with this new information. “So maybe he made a deal with Maria during the divorce that she wouldn’t bring charges against him if he sponsored this bill and gave money to the hospital.”

  “Sure. That all fits.” He closed his phone and frowned in concentration at his notepad. “The only piece of the puzzle that doesn’t fit here is you. Why the gunman at Breton? Why the fire?”

  “Maybe the fire was an accident.”

  He shrugged his broad shoulders. “It was no accident. It was definitely arson, but it might have had nothing to do with you. I called around and two other campgrounds have had incidents like this over the winter. No injuries, just damage. There’s a chance the perp thought the motorhome was empty and just wanted to make some crazy firebug statement.”

  Lisa’s heart soared with a sudden surge of hope. If Senator Ruiz wasn’t behind the fire, maybe she wasn’t in any danger. If the Breton gunman had reported back that she wasn’t in the area, maybe she wouldn’t have to leave Jupiter Point. Maybe she wouldn’t have to leave Finn. Maybe she could stay in his guesthouse and take care of the turtle and see him when he came back from fighting fires and they could dive back into bed and gorge themselves on more mind-blowing sex…

  Almost as if he’d read her mind—but hopefully not the X-rated bits—Will said, “I’d prefer it if you didn’t leave town. I have a buddy from law school who works in the Houston DA’S office. I want to find out what I can about Ruiz, and the more we know, the safer we can keep you. This is a small town where people watch out for each other. If you’re staying with Finn up at Rollo Wareham’s place, that’s a pretty good setup. The hotshots are good guys and they take care of their own.”

  She felt her face heat. “Their own?” She wasn’t anybody’s “own.”

  “If I stay, I’ll probably try to find another place.”

  He smiled slightly, as if he didn’t quite believe her. Which made sense, since she didn’t quite believe herself either. “Whatever you decide. Just make sure I know where you’re staying.” His gaze drifted past her, and she turned to see Merry stroll into the coffee shop, her laptop under one arm, her other hand covering up a huge yawn. A purple headband held back her curly hair and she wore the kind of sweat suit you wouldn’t dream of getting sweaty.

  She spotted them and came toward their table, bending down to give Lisa a hug. “I heard about the fire, Lisa. If you need anything, you be sure to call me, okay?”

  “Word to the wise, Ms. Peretti.” Will closed his notepad and stuck it back in his pocket. “That’s a ploy. It’s a trap to get a scoop out of you. Merry Warren lives for scoops. She’ll do anything for them.”

  Merry narrowed her eyes at the officer. “I’m not falling for your bait. I have work to do, unlike certain law enforcement types who get to roam around town in sweats.”

  “Matter of fact, I am working,” Will said. “Which means you’re interfering with a police investigation again.”

  Lisa nearly laughed at the outraged expression on her friend’s face. No doubt, Will really knew how to get under Merry’s skin. “Actually, I think we’re pretty much done here, right?” She collected her coffee cup and rose to her feet.

  Will followed suit, unfolding his long body from the little table with impressive grace for a man his size. Merry definitely noticed the same thing—or at least she was looking in the same direction. “If anything comes up, be sure to call. And let’s keep this out of the news for now.”

  “Thank you, Will.” She and Merry watched him stride out of the coffee shop, tossing his muffin wrapper into the trash on the way out.

  “Keep what out of the news?” Merry asked as soon as he was out of earshot.

  Lisa raised an eyebrow at her. “Aren’t you the news?”

  “I don’t have to be. I can just be a friendly ear. I can put you in the Cone of Silence. I’m pretty good at separating my reporter side from my friend side.”

  Her friend side. Warmth bloomed in Lisa’s heart. Having a friend would feel so good right about now. Not a “friend with benefits.” Just a friend. Someone to help her decide what to do. Stay in Jupiter Point? Get into her Mercedes and leave?

  “Maybe I just wanted a few minutes with the hot cop,” she said lightly.

  “He’s not that hot,” Merry grumbled. “Definitely not as hot as he thinks he is.”

  Lisa laughed. “He’s been great, actually. Don’t rope me into your anti-Will club. Team Cynic is one thing. But Will’s a good guy. And he was looking pretty fine in that workout gear.”

  “Didn’t notice.” Merry smirked.

  “Uh huh. Look, I really shouldn’t talk about it right now. But as soon as I can, you’ll be the first, I promise.” She changed the subject. “What are working on today? Anything exciting?”

  Merry’s phone rang, and she fumbled with her laptop to get to it. “I’m doing a big feature on the Star Bright Shelter. Suzanne’s supposed to meet me here for the interview.”

  She finally got her phone to her ear. “Sure thing, girl. Yeah, I totally get it. Hey, can I bring someone with me? Great.”

  She hung up and tucked her arm into Lisa’s elbow. “Suzanne’s feeling too bulky to leave the house. Says she’s afraid she’ll make the sidewalk cave in. Want to come with me and see how a future Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter does her thing?”

  Lisa hesitated. Her Mercedes was right out there, waiting for her to hop in and steer it north. But hanging out with Merry—that would be fun. And she should really thank Suzanne for the clothes. And what about Molly? She should at least say goodbye.

  One more day in Jupiter Point—what harm could it do?

  “Sure. I’ll bring the sticky buns.”

  20

  When Finn woke up to find Lisa gone, with nothing but a note left behind, his thoughts went right to the worst conclusion.

  She was gone. Skipped town. She’d given him the best night of his life, then headed for the hills.

  But at least he now had a turtle.

  He pulled on some boxers and his running shorts, then turned his attention to his new pet. He filled the little guy’s food bowl, gave him fresh water, then cleaned out his cage. “I’m going to have to make you a better home, dude. Maybe a sandbox or something. And you need a name, don’t you? You’re a beauty, you know that?” The tortoise ignored him and toddled right for the bowl of food. His shell really was spectacular, with a deep crimson and olive-green diamond pattern.

  A familiar knock came on his door. He flung it open to find Rollo in his running clothes.

  “Hey bro. I’ll be ready in a second.” He turned to gr
ab a t-shirt, only to realize his big bearded friend was staring at his torso. “What?”

  “Nothing. I’ve never seen them before, that’s all.”

  “Sorry. I forgot.”

  “Fuck, Finn. Don’t worry about it. Leave the shirt off, for all I care. It’s already pretty warm out there. I let you sleep in as long as possible.” Rollo grinned broadly. “Brianna’s idea.”

  Finn hesitated, then decided—why not be comfortable while he ran? If Rollo didn’t care, why should he? He tossed the t-shirt away. “Can you give me a ride to my Tahoe later? I left it at the campground.”

  “Sure, dude. Let’s get moving.” He peered at the tortoise in its cage. “What’s that?”

  “That’s Sparky.” The name came to him out of the blue. “My pet tortoise. He might be my mascot too. I find him inspiring. Do you see him complaining about his injured leg? No, you don’t.”

  “I’m sorry, Sparky the Tortoise?” Rollo’s face wrinkled with mirth. “Did I catch that right?”

  “Yup. Sparky the Tortoise. He may be slow, but you should never count him out.” With that, Finn sprinted past Rollo to get a head start in their race along the cliff-top trail. Rollo thundered after him, yelling about unfair tricks.

  After their run, he had coffee with Rollo and Brianna and fended off two million questions about the status of things between him and Lisa.

  “She’s staying in the guesthouse for now, that’s all I’m saying.”

  “But with you? Or without you?” Brianna was practically dancing with delight, her red hair catching the mid-morning sun. “I vote for ‘with.’ I like Lisa, she’s a cool chick.”

  “No comment. But when I’m at the base today, I’m claiming a spot in the barracks just in case.”

  Brianna’s face fell. “That’s so unromantic. I expect more from you, Finn. She should be head over heels for you by now.”

  “Yeah, no kidding,” he muttered. “Don’t count me out yet.”

  After that, Rollo drove him to his Tahoe and he headed for the base for the crew’s first training drill. When he drove into the parking lot, he got a shock. A movie trailer was parked near the reception area.

  He’d seen similar vehicles his whole life, every time his babysitter took him to visit his father on set. But what was a movie trailer doing here at the Jupiter Point Fire and Rescue compound?

  Inside, he found Josh and Tim Peavy pretending to do stretches while they eavesdropped outside the closed door of the superintendent’s office.

  “What’s up?” Finn whispered, joining them.

  Josh shushed him. Finn focused on the rumble of voices behind the door—a male voice and a female. The male voice was definitely Sean. And the woman’s voice sounded vaguely familiar too. But he couldn’t quite place it.

  “Something about a movie,” Peavy hissed. “Sean’s pissed as hell.”

  Finn got a sinking feeling in his gut. Why would a movie crew come to their base? It couldn’t possibly be—

  The door swung open. They all instantly snapped back into their various stretches. Josh went for a lunge, but he was completely off-balance and toppled over on his side. Tim Peavy did some kind of random yoga tree pose, arms overhead, balancing on one foot. He even hummed “om,” as if that would fool anyone. Sean glared at the entire group of them.

  At the sight of the woman with Sean, Finn dropped the arm stretch he was pretending to do. “Jill?”

  “Finn Abrams, is that you?” Jill was a production coordinator who had worked with his father for years. Even though she was in her forties, her body was thin as a wire and she spoke like a Valley girl, every sentence ending in a question. She came forward and pecked an air kiss near his good cheek. “If any of you boys wants to be an extra, you just say the word. We pay SAG minimum.” She darted past them with the speed of a hummingbird and was gone before they could answer.

  They all looked at Sean’s thunderous expression. “What’s going on?” Josh asked.

  But Sean was focusing all his fire on Finn. “Did you have anything to do with this?”

  “With what? I thought we were doing drills today.”

  Sean studied his face, which always made Finn a little uncomfortable. “You really don’t know?”

  “Swear to God. I know that’s Jill, and that she works for my dad. But that’s all.”

  “Your father has gotten permission to shoot part of the Big Canyon movie here at the Fire and Rescue compound.” From the unhappy way Sean made that announcement, he hated the idea.

  As did Finn. “That’s ridiculous. This is an active base. They’ll be in the way.”

  “They’re only shooting interiors here, whatever that means. And they’re using the empty wing, not ours.”

  Finn sucked in a breath. The compound was a decommissioned Army base and some sections hadn’t been allocated yet. The Fire Ranger had moved in first, then the Jupiter Point Hotshots. The hotshot crew had the use of one wing and its barracks. Finn had heard rumors about a Search and Rescue squad sometime in the future.

  And now, apparently, a frickin’ movie crew was moving in. Along with all the equipment and grips and staff and trailers that entailed. And…oh hell. The talent.

  Annika.

  “When is shooting going to start?” he asked.

  “What’s her name, Jill, is going to send me the schedule. I’m hoping they start soon, so they’ll be done by the time the fire season starts. Here’s what we’re going to do. Our job. We train, we stay out of their way. They shoot their movie, then they leave. Any questions?”

  Finn had lots of questions. But only one man could answer them. His father. Good luck getting answers out of him.

  Instead, he called Jill as soon as training was done and he was back at Rollo’s. No sign of Lisa’s Mercedes, which just added to his rotten mood.

  As he waited for Jill to answer, he paced next to the koi pond Brianna had recently installed.

  “What the fuck is this about?” he asked as soon as she answered.

  “Hi Finn. Somehow I knew you’d be calling.”

  “What’s Stu up to?”

  “It’s so cute how you call him Stu instead of Dad. I’ve always wondered about that.”

  “Don’t change the subject. Why did you change the location of the shoot?” He watched the brightly striped koi weave their way between the strong stalks of lily pads.

  “Why don’t you talk to the man who actually has the answers? I just do what I’m told.”

  “He doesn’t tell me anything.”

  “All I know is our other location fell through, and he got on the phone and voila. Maybe this will be good? Give you a chance to heal the Abrams family rift?”

  He crouched down next to the pond for a better look at the koi. “For us to have a rift, we’d have to actually be a family.”

  “Oh stop that. You have another family lying around somewhere?”

  He didn’t answer that directly, because yes, he did have another one—if he could only find them. “I consider the hotshots to be my true family.”

  “Listen, I’m glad you called because I could use your help.”

  “No. I’m not getting roped into this bullshit. I’ll be working. My real job. Fighting fires.”

  The glint of metal caught his eye. A vehicle was driving up the road to Rollo’s. His heart leaped. Was it Lisa?

  “This won’t interfere with your hero job. I need referrals. Support staff?”

  “I want nothing to do with it. I’d rather live through another actual burnover than the damn movie version.”

  The car came into view—a tan Mercedes. Lisa. The relief made him lightheaded and he lost all track of what Jill was talking about.

  He let her keep talking as he watched Lisa park her car and get out. She spotted him by the koi pond and waved, flashing a smile. He waved back, eating up the sight of her. She wore a white cotton shirt open over a black camisole that revealed the soft tops of her breasts.

  She came close, standing next to him by the
pond. He inhaled her scent—sunshine mixed with the light spice of her skin. She was still here. She hadn’t left as he’d been assuming all day.

  He cupped his hand around her calf, giving her a little squeeze. Her lips parted in an answering smile, and emotion shot through his heart like a dagger. He didn’t want her to leave. It would drive him mad with worry. He wanted her in his bed, his body wrapped around hers. He wanted her safe, somewhere no bad guys could lay their hands on her.

  He cut the coordinator off in mid-sentence. “Jill, I have to go.”

  “But wait—”

  He switched off the phone and rose to his feet. “Hi.”

  “Hi.”

  He didn’t know what to say. Everything or nothing? There didn’t seem to be anything in between.

  “I, uh, talked to Will Knight.”

  “Yes, you said that in your note.”

  A quick expression of guilt fluttered across her face. A-ha. So he was right. She had thought about running away. “He’s not sure what’s going on. The fire might be part of a campground crime spree. But he still wants me to be careful.”

  His gut tightened. Did “being careful” equate to leaving town? “He’s right. You should be careful.”

  “I also went to see Molly. I told her I can’t work with her any longer.”

  He looked away, trying to hide his reaction. If this was her decision, he’d have to respect it. “I know she’ll miss you.”

  “Yes. But I can’t take any chances. I started thinking about it. If someone’s still after me, they might follow me to Molly’s house. I couldn’t stand it if something happened to her.”

  He took her hand and squeezed it. She was absolutely right, and he should have thought of the same thing. There was no reason for Molly and the Dean to be mixed up with whatever was going on. If anything was going on. Maybe the camper fire really was a random attack that had nothing to do with Lisa. “You’re an outstanding person, Lisa Peretti. Molly’s not the only one who’s going to miss you.”

  A flush rose in her cheeks. “Oh, don’t be silly. No one’s going to miss me.”

  He scowled at that very suggestion of that. “Look, leave if you have to. But don’t pretend I don’t care about you. I dreamed about you all night. I woke up humming ‘Love Will Keep Us Together,’ and I haven’t heard that song in decades.”