And it was difficult to think of Marcus as a victim after all these years. But Marcus had rushed to help Bram. Hayley leaned back and closed her eyes. Even Eden had tried to help. Had it all been an act so no one would realize Eden had just tried to burn them alive?
“Have you seen Marcus?” Emily asked.
“Not since the fire. I haven’t seen anyone since they brought us here. I assume everyone is still at the house. We need to warn him about the water.”
“I don’t think it will be a problem right away,” George said. “The fire department isn’t going to let anyone back in the house until they complete their investigation.”
“Where will they go?”
“The Inn, more than likely,” Emily replied. “But we’ll check and be sure they have a place to stay. You and Bram will stay with us.”
“Thank you. Both of you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
They returned to the Walken estate late in the afternoon. Dr. Ravens had reluctantly agreed to release Bram after looking over his CT scan.
Stress and a lack of sleep had caught up with Hayley long before they arrived. Her throat was too raw to do more than choke down some soup and sherbet before she stumbled upstairs with Bram and fell into bed in the room they’d shared the night before. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.
As Bram followed her into sleep, he was relieved that the Walkens didn’t seem upset with their sleeping arrangement. When he awoke some time later, the other side of the bed was empty.
Fear brought him to a sitting position. Pain made him wince, and set off a coughing spell, but not before he heard Hayley’s voice in the hall and realized she was talking with Emily. Everything was all right. They both came running to check on him and he sank back down, spent from coughing, and fell back asleep.
Nightmares stalked his dreams. It was almost a relief when Hayley woke him with a tray of food some time later.
“You didn’t need to bring this upstairs. I can go downstairs to eat,” he told her.
“Well, you can, but we already ate.”
His stomach growled as the scent of soup roused it to life. “I need to use the bathroom first.” Every fiber of his body protested his movement and he groaned.
“Exactly,” Hayley said sympathetically. “And I’m not the one who kicked my way through two walls. Want to lean on me?”
“Isn’t that supposed to be the superhero’s line?”
“Maybe later. Right now, I bet even I could take you down.”
“No bets.”
He would have liked to tell her he could manage, but the truth was, he was so stiff and sore it would have been a lie. His head hurt the worst, but every burn and scrape screamed for a share of attention. His throat was raw and his chest felt so tight that each breath was painful.
The food tasted wonderful, but halfway through the meal, his eyes gave up the battle to stay open. Bram mumbled an apology as Hayley removed the tray, and he sank back against the pillows.
Emily roused him the next time. It was full dark and his gaze quickly turned to his side. He relaxed when he saw Hayley curled beside him, sound asleep. He swallowed some water and the medication the doctor had prescribed, thanked Emily and went back to sleep.
Sunlight woke him next. It was morning and Hayley was gone. Bram suffered a moment of panic until he realized she was probably downstairs having breakfast with George and Emily. Getting up, he discovered there wasn’t a spot on his body that didn’t hurt, but his legs no longer felt like rubber. He was reassured when he stepped into the hall and heard voices drifting up from downstairs.
A shower helped the stiffness, but it made his burns and cuts sting like crazy. And it was hard to keep the water away from his bandages. Still, the effort was worth the inconvenience. It felt good not to smell like smoke anymore. He wondered if he would ever get the scent and taste of it out of his nose and mouth. Dressed in the last of his clean clothing, he made his way gingerly down the stairs.
George sat at the oversize kitchen table. A woman he introduced as Nan bustled cheerfully about the kitchen, setting a plate of sausages and eggs in front of Bram on a colorful place mat.
“I hope you’re hungry,” George said ruefully.
“Hungry, yes. Capable of chewing? Only time will tell,” Bram said. “I think my muscles are on strike. Where’s Hayley?”
“You just missed her.”
His heart skipped a beat.
“It’s okay. Emily is with her. They made an appointment to see Emily’s hairdresser. Emily promised not to let Hayley out of her sight. Hayley was fretting over her hair and not having any clothing, which I think you’ll agree is a healthy sign. They’ll be surrounded by people at all times. Don’t worry.”
But Bram did worry. Anxiety left the food tasteless in his mouth.
“The fire marshal and a police officer are on their way over to talk with you. I think it might be best if Hayley isn’t here when we talk to them. Understandably, she doesn’t have a lot of faith in the local authorities, and Officer Crossley is related to the police chief.”
“Is that wise?”
“Maybe not, but we no longer have a choice. I asked Rhea to join us. She’s going to bring the lab results. And for your peace of mind, Emily promised to check in with me every half hour.”
Bram knew he should be reassured, but he wasn’t. Hayley drew trouble worse than a magnet. He wasn’t going to feel secure until they arrested the person who had set the fire.
The doorbell rang as he pushed aside his plate. Stiffly, he rose to face the local authorities. The first time Emily checked in, Bram bit back a demand to talk with Hayley. When the phone rang half an hour later, George suggested he should answer.
“Hi, Bram!” Hayley said cheerfully in his ear. An image of her grinning up at him like some impish pixie made him relax. “How are you feeling?”
“Where are you?”
“Grumpy, huh?”
“Hayley,” he said warningly, and then ruined it by coughing.
“I’m doing better than you. My cough isn’t nearly that bad. Emily and I are walking into Aurora’s Clothes Closet as we speak. I knew you’d be worried, but we’re fine. You can relax.”
“I’ll do that when you get back here.”
He was aware that four sets of interested ears were listening to his every word.
“I love you, too. We’ll be home shortly. Bye.”
Bram sat there listening to the dial tone. What did she mean? I love you, too. It was just an expression, right? He didn’t want her to fall in love with him.
Did he?
“Everything all right, Bram?”
He focused on George. Rhea Levinson and the two officials watched him with interest. “They’re at a clothing store. They’ll be home shortly.”
“Good. Go on with what you were saying, Rhea.”
Bram tried not to brood, but the men had to repeat several questions before they registered. The officers wanted to talk with Hayley, so they said they’d return later.
The policemen had been cordial, even friendly. Wyatt Crossley was a few years younger than Bram and seemed competent and professional. If he felt any animosity toward Hayley and her family, he didn’t let it show.
George took the next two phone calls from his wife. The women had decided to stop and have lunch, since it had gotten so late. Bram decided he would throttle Hayley as soon as he saw her again. If she was trying to show him how much he’d come to care about her, she’d succeeded. He brooded over that as he and George ate lunch in the kitchen.
Bram was pacing the floor when they finally called to say they were on their way home.
“They have one more stop to make,” George said reluctantly. He quickly raised his hands, palms out. “And remember, I’m just the messenger here. Do you play chess?”
“No.”
“Then I’ll teach you.”
The next half hour came and went without a phone call. When another fifteen minutes passed, both men gave up the
pretense that they weren’t worried.
“They probably forgot to keep an eye on the time,” George said, but he picked up the phone and called Emily’s cell phone. No one answered.
“Something’s wrong,” Bram told him, getting stiffly to his feet.
“My car’s out front,” George said.
“Did they say where they were going after lunch?”
“No, but we’ll find them,” George said forcefully. “The town isn’t that big.”
And for no reason at all, Bram suddenly knew exactly where they’d gone. Hayley had been fretting about her purse. “They went to Heartskeep.”
“Emily wouldn’t take her there.”
Bram regarded him wryly. “How well do you know Hayley?”
“Not as well as I know Emily.”
“Uh-huh. Well, I knew better than to take her there yesterday, but you see how well I held out against her. She wants her purse. When she sets her mind to something—”
George swore. “I’ll have us there in five minutes.”
Bram prayed it would be soon enough.
Chapter Thirteen
“I suppose Bram is insisting on meeting us at Heartskeep?” Hayley said as Emily returned from the ladies’ room. She replaced the cell phone in her bag.
“I didn’t tell them where we were going.”
“Smart thinking.” Hayley swung her head, loving the freedom of the new, shorter hairstyle. She hadn’t realized how heavy her long hair had been until it was gone. Spotting her reflection in a shop window as they strolled to Emily’s car, she was surprised to realize how much she now resembled the picture she’d shown Bram. She wondered what his reaction would be.
“Hayley! There you are! I’ve been looking ev—” Jacob stopped dead, surveying her with openmouthed surprise. “Hayley?”
Delighted, she smiled. “It’s me.”
“You cut your hair!”
He sounded appalled. What was it with men and long hair?
“Do you like it? I think it gives me a sophisticated look. I didn’t have much choice, since so much was singed in the fire. What do you think?”
“I, uh, wow. It’ll take a little getting used to.”
“Emily’s beautician says this style’s quite popular again.”
Jacob looked at Emily. “Hi, Mrs. Walken. I didn’t mean to ignore you. I was just, uh, sort of, you know, surprised. I mean, Hayley looks…so different. Good!” he added hastily. “But, uh, different. That’s a new dress, too, isn’t it?”
“Uh-huh. We’ve been shopping this morning.”
“Oh. Well, you look good. Great! So you’re really okay, then?”
“As I told you on the phone yesterday, I’m fine other than a scratchy throat, a cough and a bit of tightness in my chest.”
“I was worried.”
“I appreciate it, Jacob.” She took a step back so he wasn’t standing quite so close.
“Have you been out to see the house yet?”
“No.” Hayley exchanged looks with Emily. She’d just spent their entire lunch hour convincing Emily to drive her past the house. “Is the fire marshal letting us back inside yet?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t been out there today. I don’t see why he wouldn’t. I mean, the fire only damaged the one wing. That’s pretty much totaled, I’m afraid, but you weren’t planning any fancy-dress balls in the near future, were you?” he asked with a disarming grin.
Hayley managed a weak smile in return. The memory of being trapped in that ballroom was one she couldn’t stand thinking about.
“How much damage was done to the ballroom?”
“Mostly smoke and water, I think. Your dad’s office was completely gutted and so was the front parlor. Marcus is wild, but Mom says he hardly ever used it anymore. Not since…well, you know.”
Hayley knew.
“I couldn’t believe it when that alarm when off. Scared the heck out of me. I thought it was a false alarm until I got out in the hall and smelled the smoke. We were really lucky that fire truck was so near. If they’d had to drive all the way out from town, you might have lost the whole house.”
Hayley wasn’t so sure it would have been a loss. She couldn’t imagine ever being comfortable living there again.
“I’m just glad Bram had the foresight to devise an emergency exit through those bars Marcus had him put on all the windows,” Emily said.
“Yeah. That was a lucky break. I’m really glad you’re okay, Hayley,” Jacob said again, laying a hand on her arm.
“Thanks.” She shifted the packages she was carrying so that his hand fell away. “Bram’s going to be okay, too.”
His smile faded slightly. “Good. That’s good.”
“Hayley, Jacob, I hate to interrupt,” Emily said with a meaningful look at Hayley, “but we really need to be running along.”
“You’re right, Emily. I’ll talk with you later, Jacob.”
He frowned. “Okay. Look, I’ll give you a call, all right? Maybe we could have dinner together tonight.”
“I’m sorry, Jacob. I can’t,” Hayley said firmly.
The frown deepened, becoming almost a scowl.
“It was nice to see you again, Jacob,” Emily said, leading a grateful Hayley away.
“Yeah. Uh, you, too, Mrs. Walken. I’ll talk with you later, Hayley.”
Hayley smiled and waved and kept walking. “Thanks,” she said when they were safely out of earshot.
“I know it’s none of my business, Hayley, but if I didn’t know better, I’d say your stepbrother was acting like he’d developed a crush on you.”
“I wish that was all it was. Would you believe he asked me to marry him?”
Emily stopped walking. “He did?”
“The other day, completely out of the blue. I’ve known Jacob forever, and I’m usually fairly savvy when it comes to guys hitting on me, but I swear I didn’t have a clue. I never suspected he had any romantic feelings for me.”
Emily looked thoughtful as she started walking again. “I can see why Bram was worried.”
“Oh, Bram’s not worried about Jacob. At least, not in that way. Bram knows exactly how I feel about Jacob.”
“And does he know how Jacob feels about you?”
“Yes, I told him.”
“Hmm. The male of the species tends to be quite territorial, you know.”
“That’s kid stuff. Bram is no kid. He knows he doesn’t have to worry about Jacob.”
Emily didn’t respond. She had a pensive look on her face.
“What are you thinking?”
“Does Jacob know you inherit Heartskeep?”
They reached the car and began loading their purchases inside.
“Now you even sound like Bram. I don’t know who knows what about my inheritance, but Jacob isn’t the least bit interested in the estate. He told me himself that he doesn’t even like Heartskeep.”
“The estate is only part of it,” Emily said as she unlocked the car and climbed in.
Hayley got in as well. She realized she hadn’t really thought about the money that came with her inheritance. The truth was, she’d always taken money for granted.
But maybe Jacob didn’t.
“You and Bram have a thing about Jacob. I think Eden is the one we should be watching out for,” Hayley said stubbornly. “Jacob wouldn’t have any reason to drug Marcus or destroy his files.” She fastened her seat belt as Emily started the car.
“What would Eden gain by destroying her husband’s files?” Emily asked. “And why set fire to the house?”
“Good point. Jacob told me Eden loves Heartskeep.”
“Hmm. It’s quite a muddle, isn’t it?” Emily frowned, chewing on the inside corner of her lip. “Perhaps we shouldn’t drive past the house, after all, Hayley.”
“We don’t have to get out of the car, especially if they won’t let us inside to get my purse, but I’d still like to see how bad the house looks.”
The last thing Hayley wanted to do was pu
t Emily in danger—or get her in trouble with George and Bram. But she did feel a sort of morbid curiosity about the damage.
“Well, I can’t see how driving past would hurt anything, but we’ll have to make it quick.”
“We will.”
Police tape stretched across the front porch, blocking access to the house. Surprisingly, a cluster of officials were on the scene, probing the rubble. Hayley’s car still sat in front, covered in a fine layer of soot.
“Do you think I could ask one of those men to run inside and get my purse?”
Emily nodded reluctantly and parked. Hayley scooted from the car before she changed her mind. She heard Emily get out, as well. The scent of wood smoke hung in the air, sending a shiver right through Hayley.
“Excuse me. I’m Hayley Thomas. I was wondering if I could trouble someone to go inside and get my purse? I have a bedroom on the opposite side of the house.”
“If you’ll just—” The young man’s gaze traveled past her and his face lit in a smile. “Hey, hi, Mrs. Walken!”
Emily joined her, smiling at the young officer.
“Hello, Jim. How’s the family?”
“Great. The baby’s walking already.”
“Wonderful! You and Carolyn should stop by one day. We’d love to see all of you again.”
“Maybe we’ll do that. You and Ms. Thomas can drive around to the back. The fire department has some men inside. The left wing is roped off, but we’re letting the family in to get personal effects from the safe areas.”
“Thank you, Jim. Say hi to Carolyn for me.”
“Will do.”
Emily did not look happy as they returned to the car.
“We don’t have to go inside, Emily. I can get the purse another time.” Hayley’s gaze riveted on the blackened interior she could see through the empty sockets of the burned out windows.
“We’re here now. The men won’t be happy, but there can’t be any danger with all these people around. We just need to hurry. Your Bram strikes me as the sort who’ll be worried stiff until we get home.”
“You’re right.”
“I like him, Hayley.”
“So do I.”
Emily parked alongside several other cars. Hayley recognized Marcus and Eden’s large Cadillac and her heart sank. She didn’t want a run-in with them right now. She wanted to grab her purse and flee.
The Firstborn Page 20
