“What happened?” she finally asked.
Mark lowered himself into the vinyl chair beside her and turned toward her, watching each of her movements carefully. “Investigators are still trying to figure it out. They’re not sure yet. Maybe an electrical fire.”
She shook her head, his words causing some kind of mental backlash. “This was no accident.”
His eyes narrowed in thought. “You think someone purposely set your house on fire? Just like they threw that bottle bomb earlier? Like someone’s trying to make some kind of statement?”
Laney stared at the people coming and going around her, some rushing toward rooms, others rushing to get home. Others dragged their feet and looked somber. Life was often a reflection of both of those urges: anxious for tomorrow yet hesitant to let go of today.
Mark had asked her a question. Why would someone set her house on fire? “Exactly,” she finally said. “Or someone wants to let me know they’re not done trying to ruin my life.”
He twisted his head, not looking convinced. “That’s pretty dramatic, isn’t it?”
“So is accusing someone of kidnapping.”
Mark let out his breath and leaned into his chair. “I can’t argue with that.”
At least they could both agree on one thing. It was a start. But Laney still had a lot to figure out. The handsome detective seemed to be intent on keeping an eye on her every move. How would she find answers if he was always close?
On the other hand, how was she going to survive another day if he left her?
The conundrum pulled her in two directions and made her feel light-headed.
“How about if we swing you by your house? Do you feel up to it?”
She nodded, though she was feeling utterly weak and at a loss. But she couldn’t give up. She had no choice but to continue pressing forward.
Mark helped her up to her feet. She wanted to reject his assistance, but she knew she might collapse again if she tried to stand on her own. He kept a hand on her elbow as they made their way toward the hospital exit. She couldn’t deny the fact that his touch made her blood feel warm.
The thought caused her cheeks to heat. She couldn’t be attracted to the detective. She was just giving him some kind of hero worship. That had to be it. She hadn’t been attracted to anyone since Nate, and the thought made her feel off balance.
She had more important things to think about.
Everything was lost, she realized as reality continued to sink in. It wasn’t the majority of the material possessions that concerned her. She could replace much of that.
It was the sentimental she mourned for. The photos. Her wedding ring. Mementos from her time with Nate. Those were things she could never get back again.
A little cry escaped.
“I’m sorry, Laney,” Mark murmured as they stepped outside and bright morning sunlight warmed her otherwise frigid skin.
It was then she noticed that a tear had slid down her cheek. “All of my memories of Nate were there. Now they’re...they’re all gone.”
He squeezed her elbow, maneuvering her between cars pulling toward the entrance. “Maybe the damage isn’t as bad as we think.”
“I just don’t understand why someone would do this to me.”
Mark said nothing. She didn’t even care what he was thinking. Maybe he still wondered if she was guilty. Let him think whatever he wanted. She knew the truth. She’d find evidence to prove it.
They made it to Mark’s car, he helped her to the passenger door, and a few minutes later they were headed down the road.
There was no way she could fully comprehend what had happened. If she did, she might go into shock. Instead, she tried to swallow the news piece by piece.
Someone kidnapped Sarah and set Laney up to look guilty.
Someone tried to kill Laney and set it up to look like she killed herself.
Someone set her house on fire... What were they setting it up to look like this time? Obviously, Laney couldn’t be blamed. She’d been in the hospital all night, and Mark had been on guard outside of her room.
Was she in for another whammy when she arrived at her property, though? She didn’t even know how to brace herself for it. Would they find some way to point this all back at her? To make it sound like she’d somehow arranged it all?
She pulled her sweatshirt closer. The day was cold, and even the windows felt like ice and carried waves of coolness all the way to her seat in the car. The glass frosted up in the frigid temperatures, and gray overcast sky only added to the effect.
The weather seemed to perfectly fit her life right now, as if God Himself knew how she was feeling and sympathized.
God, I need someone’s help right now. You’re the God of comfort. Will You give me some peace? Please?
“I thought I’d let you know that we’re running a license plate on a car from the gas station parking lot last night.” Mark’s voice cut into her thoughts.
“What was that?” Why did a car from a gas station matter?
“This was the station located right next to the hotel. We thought maybe someone had parked there, trying to avoid the cameras in the hotel parking lot. We were right.”
“That’s good news.”
“We believe the car may contain the two men who attacked you last night. We’re hoping to get a hit. Right now, we know that it’s a rental, so we’re trying to track down whoever signed the paperwork.”
“Let me guess—John Smith?”
He said nothing.
“I’d also guess that all of the security footage from the car rental company disappeared,” she continued. She had to think like a criminal in her line of work in order to anticipate what they might do next. These guys behind this were smart. Too smart.
“We’re still working on it. At least the gas station footage proves that there were two men. They’ve covered up any other evidence.”
She nodded, wishing she didn’t feel so bleak. “Thank you.”
As soon as the words left her lips, Mark pulled to a stop in front of her house. Her bottom lip dropped open at the scene. Charred timbers remained where the roof once was. The bricks, once red, were now black and crumbling. Windows had busted. The vinyl siding near the pitch of the roof was melted and like a blob.
Puddles remained on the lawn from where, no doubt, firefighters had battled to put out the blaze. Two trucks were still catty-corner on the street, and neighbors had gathered around to observe the destruction. Were they glad to see someone accused of the things she’d been accused of suffering?
Laney knew without talking to the fire chief that everything was destroyed, and grief washed through her at the thought.
She was all alone with no one to care for her and nothing in her name. Everything had been stripped away. The thought momentarily made her want to give up.
But she knew she couldn’t. She had to believe that there was something more out there for her.
God had always provided for her, even in the toughest times. He wouldn’t leave her now in the middle of this battle.
She couldn’t lose hope. But it was going to be an uphill struggle.
* * *
Mark wished he could do something to comfort Laney. He’d prayed for her last night. He’d also prayed for Sarah and for Sol. For this whole situation. He prayed over every case he worked, knowing that leaving it in the Lord’s hands was the best solution to all of his problems.
Still, he wished there weren’t professional boundaries in place because Laney looked like she desperately needed a hug. She stood on what used to be her front lawn, her arms wrapped over her chest, and her face pale with the effects of loss and stress.
He remained at a distance—close enough to keep an eye on her, but far enough away to finish up his conversation with the fire chief.
He hadn’t learned anything new—he knew he wouldn’t. There would have to be an investigation first.
He glanced at Laney again. It was obvious she was trying to be strong, but she gave her emotions away. Occasionally when she looked at her house—at the remains of it—her chin trembled, belying the storm going on inside. Anyone would have that reaction after seeing their house destroyed. A certain form of grief came with losing everything you owned.
He couldn’t just abandon the woman. “How about if I take you to my friend’s house—the one I mentioned earlier?”
She glanced at him, surprise echoing through her gaze, before she sucked in a deep breath. Courage seeming to fill her with the motion and she gave a resolute shake of the head. “No. I need to go to the bank. And then I have a few other stops to make.”
“The bank?”
“I have some money in my safe-deposit box. Cash. It will be enough that I can rent a car and maybe buy some clothes until all of this blows over.”
Something twisted in his gut, an unreasonable sense of loyalty to the woman that included a myriad of worries over her going out on her own. “And then what will do you?”
She blinked several times before meeting his gaze. “You really want to know?”
He nodded. Did he ever. “I do.”
“I’m going to Fro Yo Yo.”
He squinted, uncertain if he’d heard her correctly. “What?”
She let out a sigh and ran a hand through her hair. “Sarah’s friend works at the frozen yogurt shop on weekends. I want to talk to him.”
At least that made more sense, and he knew it wasn’t the drugs still gripping her mind. “I’ll take you.”
She looked up at him, her eyes as round as saucers and utterly apologetic. “I’m sure you need to get rest.”
He was tired, but his adrenaline was keeping him going. There was too much at stake to rest. “I don’t mind. Especially with everything going on. Your life...it’s in danger.”
“I’m sure your captain has other things for you to do besides babysit me.”
She had no idea. “He’ll be fine with it. Besides, I want answers about Sarah just as much as anyone. There’s already been a task force started, and the feds are moving in.”
She crossed her arms, surprisingly calm. Or was it resigned? He wasn’t sure.
“If you insist,” she said. “I gave you an out, though.”
Honestly, he wasn’t sure if Laney could survive out there on her own right now. She looked tired, and the drugs were probably still weaning from her system. If she came face-to-face with a killer again, she might not survive next time.
As she requested, he took her to the bank and then stopped briefly at a department store. She emerged wearing clean clothes and with her hair combed.
“No one will take me seriously looking like I did back there,” she quickly explained. “Looking good isn’t my top priority, but I don’t want to scare anyone away.”
He didn’t think she would have scared anyone away. Even wearing old hospital clothes and with her hair pulled into a sloppy ponytail, she still looked lovely. Not many people could manage that, but Laney had a natural beauty that wasn’t defined by her clothes and makeup. But he didn’t tell her that.
Where had that thought come from? Mark shook his head, trying to push it aside. He needed to stay focused here. She wanted to talk to Sarah’s friend. Mark thought that was a great idea. He was also interested in hearing what this friend had to say. Jim was in the process of interviewing everyone who knew Sarah, but Mark had been absent from those talks.
The frozen yogurt shop wasn’t far away—less than five minutes. Laney rubbed her hands against her pants before opening the car door.
“You ready for this?” he asked.
She sucked in a breath before nodding. “I need answers. Literally. Without them, I could lose everything.”
“Let’s go see what we can find out then.”
They climbed out and skirted around some scaffolding out at the front of the shop—left by the crew painting the header, it appeared—in order to reach the frozen yogurt establishment. They stepped inside the storefront, and a blast of cool air hit their already frigid skin.
The place was painted a bright pink and lime green, and no one was inside except a tall, lanky teenage boy with shaggy dark hair and a thin, barely there mustache. It was so cold outside that most people weren’t flocking to the shop for a cool treat.
The teen offered a welcoming smile as he wiped down the countertop near the register. “Welcome to Fro Yo Yo.”
“Are you Danny?” Laney asked as she approached the counter.
The boy’s smile slipped. “I am. Do I know you?”
Laney shook her head. “No, not really. But I was a friend of Sarah’s. I am a friend of Sarah’s.”
Danny’s eyes noticeably widened with fear and worry. “Is there an update? Did they find her? Is she okay?”
Laney put her hand over his. “No. I’m sorry. I wish I had an update, that I had good news. But I’m still looking for answers.”
He jerked his hand away and pulled back. “Are you...are you her neighbor? The one everyone is accusing of snatching her?”
His gaze went to Mark’s as the boy tried to put everything together.
“I didn’t take Sarah,” Laney insisted, a plea to her voice. “I think of her like a daughter. In fact, I’m trying to find her.”
“I’m Detective Mark James.” Mark flashed his badge, knowing he needed to step in, in order to establish some trust. “We’re just here to ask questions.”
That pronouncement seemed to ease the teen’s anxiety. He sucked in a deep breath and nodded slowly, beginning to wipe the counter again but this time much more methodically. “What do you want to know? I don’t know anything. I wish I did.”
“We’re just trying to find some answers,” Mark said.
“I want to help. I didn’t sleep at all last night. I kept thinking about what Sarah might be going through.” He hung his head as if his burdens were too heavy to bear.
“It’s okay, Danny.” Laney’s voice took on a nurturing tone as she leaned toward the boy. “I just wanted to know if Sarah had been acting strangely in the days before she disappeared. Did she say anything that caused you any alarm?”
Danny shook his head. “No. Nothing. It seemed like usual, I guess. ‘Usual’ being that she was miserable.”
Mark glanced at Laney and saw her eyes twitch with concern and surprise.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
Danny shrugged. “Look, I know a lot of my friends have issues with their parents. We’re teens. We’re rebellious and trying to take the world by storm while our parents want us to stay their babies forever. I get that. But she was counting down the days until she was old enough to move out.”
“I knew she wasn’t happy, but did she tell you why?”
He shrugged and let out a heavy sigh. “I don’t know. She said her dad was acting erratically. I couldn’t tell you how or why. He always acted like that to me. He never liked me, and I wasn’t allowed to go to her house. He said I was a bad influence.”
“She didn’t say how he was acting erratically?” Mark asked.
“Not really. Just that his job was stressful, and she had to always walk on eggshells. She felt smothered by him.”
A theory desperately wanted to emerge from the depths of Mark’s mind. What was it? It floated just below the surface, begging for his attention. And it didn’t have anything to do with this conversation. It was a thought that had been forming in his subconscious all day. Some kind of connection that he needed to make, a theory he needed to explore.
It was Laney’s job, he realized.
Something about it bugged him...or maybe it intrigued him. Someone obviously wanted to d
rag Laney into this. Did what she does for a living have some kind of strange connection between her career and Sarah’s disappearance?
He decided not to bring it up yet. He wanted to chew on the theory for a while first.
“When was the last time you heard from her?” Laney asked.
“The morning she disappeared. Was that just yesterday? It seems like so long ago already. She was at school but then got a text and said she had to leave.”
“Did she say where she was going?” Mark continued.
“To meet you.” He leveled his gaze with Laney.
She froze, her entire body looking tense. “I didn’t send that text.”
“She thought you did,” Danny said. “There are very few people she would have left school for, especially knowing how mad her father would be. Grades and school are very important to him.”
So the person behind all of this knew that Laney had influence in Sarah’s life. Interesting. “Anything else?”
The boy thought for a moment before shrugging. “She did mention something about possibly having to move soon. She was even thinking about trying to get some kind of special legal provision that would let her stay here until she graduated. She didn’t want to move.”
“Move where?” Laney looked and sounded honestly perplexed at the possibility.
“She didn’t say. She only mentioned something about a job possibility for her father that would take them out of this area.”
“Thank you for your help,” Mark said, absorbing the new information.
As they stepped outside, his muscles tightened. He’d finely trained his instincts for danger. And right now, it felt imminent.
He scanned the parking lot.
“What is it?” Laney asked, tensing along with him.
“I don’t know.”
He didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Cars drove past in the distance. A bird squawked overhead. Something scraped against the roof—maybe one of the construction workers above.
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