Fire Angel

by Susanne Matthews

  “Relax, Ev. You don’t know he’s right, do you?” Jake asked, trying to calm the man whose blood pressure had to be way up there. “What difference does knowing the exact date make? It doesn’t change the facts any. There was a fire and a man is dead.”

  “I suppose, but you know Willard. Every damn thing he prints has a kernel of truth in it. Other than the son of a bitch who set the fire, who could be his source?”

  “I don’t know,” Jake admitted, puzzled by the idea. “Maybe some Good Samaritan saw the fire, but doesn’t want to get personally involved. Think about it. Why would the arsonist want everyone to know the exact date? What’s the point?”

  “To prove how dangerous he is? To create fear? Panic? You choose. I checked the calendar. If we accept he’s right and that fire occurred on the thirty-first, then two of the previous ones were on the night of the full moon, too,” Ev continued. “If you have an out-of-the-way place, you could be the next target. I sure as hell don’t believe witches and warlocks are involved, but if the moon means something in all this, then we’ve got just over a week to stop him. He’s got everyone in the department on tenterhooks. I don’t want to find another corpse next weekend when the moon shines bright. I need to know who I’m looking for, and I need to know yesterday.”

  Ev’s voice was filled with frustration and anger and Jake understood that. The crime rate around Paradise was usually pretty low and now there’d been two deaths—if you counted Nate Simmons’s hunting accident. Three if you looked farther afield and included the pieces of the unidentified female found in the Sturgeon Falls area last year.

  “What kind of MO are you looking at?”

  “None that we can see. You have to look at the files to understand. The only things they have in common is that the blazes were controlled and contained, and may all have happened when the moon was full. I’m just waiting for Willard to link this to a den of werewolves or one of the monsters from Temagami lore.”

  Jake rubbed his chin. He hadn’t shaved this morning before the flight. His face itched.

  “I don’t think there’s a manidoo or some other mythical monster behind this, so let’s not go off on a tangent. Most arsonists have a specific MO. A pyromaniac will use whatever’s handy, but a controlled blaze? For them, it’s usually, the bigger the better. I’m not promising anything, Ev, but if you can get the files to me, I’ll have a look at them tomorrow,” he offered.

  “I’ll have someone run the box out to you first thing in the morning.” Ev sighed heavily. “I really appreciate this. I’m shorthanded since Eleanor, the closest I had to a profiler, went on maternity leave, so, if you would like to help out, I’ll gladly make space for you.”

  “Let me have a look first. There may not be anything there. It could all be coincidence, but if I think there’s more, I’ll let you know.”

  He hung up the phone.

  “What did he want?” Minette asked, coming over to him and handing him a cup of decaffeinated coffee.

  “Thanks. He’s asked for my help with the recent fire,” he answered.

  “The one at Nate Simmons’s cabin? That’s just down the road. I heard the place was engulfed. It’s a miracle it didn’t spread. Lynette said they found an unidentified body inside. Is that true?” She cocked an eyebrow. “I never know when to believe her. She exaggerates. It could’ve been a raccoon and she would still describe it that way. Always the drama queen when it comes to tasty gossip. She should work for Ralph Willard. Some of the stories she tells are almost as fantastic as what he prints in that rag he calls a newspaper. If I’d been one of those nurses who rented the Ballinger cottage, I would’ve sued him for defamation of character. Witches, my you-know-what.”

  Jake nodded. “I heard he sang that song again this week. Do we have a copy around?”

  Minette nodded. “I’ll get it.”

  “He was lucky those women had a good sense of humor. As far as Lynette Wilson goes, I wouldn’t worry about her. She hasn’t changed in all the years I’ve known her. Loves to be the one people turn to for information, but there isn’t a mean bone in her body. As far as what she told you, there was a human body found after the fire, but that’s all I know.” He frowned and pursed his lips. “I didn’t realize that blaze had been at Nate’s cabin. Ev didn’t mention the location.”

  “We didn’t see anything because of the bend in the river, but I had to close the windows. Thank God it rained that night. We might all have gone up in flames.” She handed him the tabloid and picked up the stuffed unicorn Mia had left on the chair. “Are you going to help?”

  “I’m going to look at the file, then we’ll see.” He smiled to take the sting out of his words. “Is David calling tonight?”

  “Yes. I meant to tell you. He may be home before Christmas. I haven’t said anything because I don’t want Mia to be disappointed if things change. After Luke died, I thought I would never love again, but your brother snuck right in and captured my heart.” She held up her hand. “Don’t get me wrong. Coming home to look after you and Mia was the right thing to do. I missed my baby girl when I went back. I can’t imagine ever leaving her again.” She hugged the stuffy. “I would just like to have my husband here, safe and sound, too. Jake, if you can help catch the person who set those fires, you should. This community is my home now, our home. I don’t want anything bad to happen to it.”

  “That might not be your call,” he said, shaking his head. “If there is a pyromaniac out there, he could just be getting started.”

  Jake settled down to read the editorial Ev had mentioned, shaking his head at the nonsense the man had printed. Devil-spawned monster? Seriously? Willard was definitely out there this time, but he did bring up the date and the fact a human had been found among the ashes. The man was clearly loopy, but Ev had a point. Who other than the one who’d started the fire would know all this? He’d never thought of Ralph as a killer, but the easiest way to report the news was to be the one making it.

  A knock at the door startled him.

  “Were you expecting anyone?” Minette asked.

  “No,” he answered, standing. Why had the desk clerk allowed someone into the hallway leading to the family apartment without calling through?

  Opening the door, he smiled and relaxed. Mystery solved.

  “Andrew? Did we have a game scheduled?”

  He stepped aside to let his doctor and friend enter. Maya, his dog, came over to the man, sniffed him, and then went back to lie on the rug.

  “No, I stopped by for a late dinner and thought I would drop in with this new analgesic cream for you and an update on your biometric leg. I spoke with the designers, and it’ll be ready by Christmas.”

  “That’s great news, Dr. Shillingham. I’ll be speaking with David later. I’ll tell him about it,” Minette said. “He’s been concerned about Jake’s issues. Did you contact Alicia about the puppy I mentioned? She said they were going fast.”

  Andrew nodded. “I did. I picked out a cute little female. Alicia says she’ll be ready to leave the mom by mid-November. Thanks for your help. I wasn’t sure I was ready to replace Rex yet, but when I saw those shelties ... It was love at first sight. Give your husband my best. David’s a lucky man,” he said.

  Minette nodded. “I’ll leave you two to talk. Goodnight.”

  Jake smiled. “Goodnight,” he said as Minette went down the hallway to the door leading to the upstairs rooms. He turned to Andrew.

  “And you’re sure this new leg will solve the problems?” The thought of being able to walk without a cane and pain-free was a dream he’d never expected to become reality.

  “It will. My friend at MIT says you’ll be as good as you ever were, better even. No phantom leg pain, no limping—you’ll be able to run, dance, climb stairs—whatever you want to do. It’ll even look and feel real. But in the meantime, I brought the new cream. How did it go out west?”

  “Satisfying and more than a little exhausting. I relied on the quad cane you suggested for the un
even terrain. I never thought I would be able to work again, at least not effectively, but ... I don’t know how I’ll ever thank you. Would you like a drink?”

  “Actually, I brought your favorite from Ottawa.” He lifted the paper bag and pulled out a six-pack of Millhouse Organic.

  “Well done. I can’t think of anything I would like better than a cold organic.”

  Andrew uncapped the bottles and handed one to Jake before putting the others in the fridge and joining him in the sitting room section of the open-concept room.

  “What are you going to do now? Go back to work with the RCMP?” he asked.

  “Not sure,” Jake answered, shrugging and dropping back onto the sofa. “They offered me a job in Regina, but I need to stay here in Paradise at least until David gets back. Everett Lewis is after me to work with the department.”

  “Doing what?” Andrew asked, his brow furrowed.

  “Chasing witches apparently.” He laughed at the stunned look on his friend’s face. “Just kidding. Profiling. He thinks he might have a pyromaniac on the loose. You must’ve heard about the fire at the Simmons cabin?”

  “Yeah,” he answered, his eyes narrow. “He thinks it was pyromania? That’s a bit of a reach. I collected the body. I figured it was some drifter who’d accidentally started a fire and it got the best of him.”

  Jake frowned. “Since when do you pull coroner’s duty?”

  “I’ve been filling in for Fitz. He’s in Scotland visiting family for a few months. I didn’t do the autopsy on the body. Forensics collected what few insects there were and set the date as late August, early September. As told, I packaged the corpse for transportation to the Centre of Forensic Sciences in Toronto.”

  “I see. Was it badly burned?”

  “Actually, it was in much better shape than I expected. It seems that at one time, the cabin roof was made of tin. When the roof collapsed, the metal smothered the flames, leaving a fair amount of flesh on our John Doe,” Andrew explained, his jaw clenched.

  “You make that sound like it’s personal,” Jake joked. “You’re sure it was a male?”

  “Oh yes. Given the teeth and bone development, I’d put him in his late twenties, early thirties.” He shook his head. “I just find the idea someone could’ve killed the man repulsive.”

  “Who said anything about a killing?”

  The doctor licked his lips. “I just assumed they’d found evidence of foul play. Why else bring you in?”

  “To see if there’s anything to the fires being connected, I guess. I won’t know for sure until I have a look at the files. Once I do, I’ll know who’s right. Since you’re here, you want to play a round? The board’s over there. Want to try to beat me?”

  Andrew chuckled. “One of these days, I will.”

  Jake laughed. “Maybe, but not today. Let’s play chess.”

  Chapter Two

  Jake pulled into the police lot and parked in the spot that already bore his name. Everett wasn’t taking any chances he might change his mind. The sun was shining, adding life to the scarlet maples decorating the outside of the station. Baskets of yellow and rust mums flanked both sides of the entrance. Autumn came early in this area. He didn’t mind the color, but he wasn’t looking forward to the cold followed by the inevitable snow and ice that would only make it harder for him to get around.

  “McKenzie, you need to get your head examined,” he mumbled to himself, pulling the key out of the ignition an opening the door. “What makes you think you can solve this mystery?”

  Getting out of the vehicle, he lifted the SUV’s hatch, removed his laptop and cane, as well as the lunch Minette had insisted on packing for him, and locked it. He would send someone out to collect his personal items and the box of evidence from the cabin fire that Everett had sent over Friday morning. Jake had never been able to turn his back on a puzzle, and this was a doozy.

  He stared at the walnut cane. While he could walk quite well on his own, he still relied on it for stability, especially when he was tired. Maybe it was his own version of a security blanket since the fear of falling flat on his face as he’d done so many times when he’d first learned to walk again just wouldn’t leave him. Perhaps once the biometric leg was in place, but for now, he and the cane were inseparable. Limping toward the main doors, he exhaled heavily. Could he really manage this?

  The electronic doors pinged and swung open into the foyer. Glancing around, he noted nothing much had changed since his last time here, other than new wanted posters and other notices on the corkboard. Even the framed photographs were the same. The black pleather and steel chairs, the ones that made your back and butt ache if you sat there long enough, were unoccupied, and that was probably a good sign for this Monday morning.

  He couldn’t get any farther into the station without being buzzed in by the dispatcher/receptionist on duty at the desk. A Plexiglas partition separated her from the rest of the world, ensuring her safety. It wasn’t as if Paradise was a high crime region, but there was a maximum-security prison in the area, and since they were along the Trans-Canada Highway, a lot of transients came through town. As soon as she saw him, Lynette pressed the buzzer that released the door into the inner sanctum.

  “John Jacob McKenzie! Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes? I’ve missed you, darling.”

  She came around the desk and took him into a bear hug that forced him to put down his packages and stoop his six-foot four-inch body to meet her five-foot two-inch frame.

  “I missed you too, Lynette,” he said, returning the affectionate greeting and relaxing his guard. Maybe this wouldn’t be as hard as he’d thought it would be. He picked up his case and set the lunch bag on the counter, leaning against the barrier for support. “How are Harry and the kids?”

  “They’re growing like weeds. Timmy started high school this year and Thomas will graduate in June. Now that you’re home to stay, when are you going to settle down and start a family of your own?”

  Jake laughed. “I’m still looking for the one who got away.”

  He pictured a slender platinum-blonde with incredible almond-shaped, hazel eyes. His heart ached at the reflection, until another face with black hair and deep brown eyes intruded. No need to dwell on Irena and his marriage or the tragedy it had caused.

  “Do you want to let the chief know I’m here?” he asked.

  “Already did. I called him as soon as you pulled into the parking lot.” She indicated the monitor for the camera facing that area. “Here comes the coffee man. Do you remember Frank Arthur? He was a grade or two behind you at school. Little mousy guy, afraid of his own shadow.” Her face split into a toothy grin. “Had a pretty miserable go of it a few years back, but now he operates the mobile canteen that services this area. Took over the route about four years ago when he returned to Paradise. I ordered those chocolate brownies you used to like so much. Frank brings in an urn full of coffee in the morning that lasts all day. That man sure makes a fine cup of joe, much better than the sludge we used to have when you were here before.” She pushed the buzzer to open the partition for him.

  The man looked familiar, but Jake didn’t think it was from school.

  “Hey, Jake,” Frank said, as if they were old friends. Despite his slim build, he carried the eighty-cup urn as though it were weightless and set it down on the table for someone to haul back to the breakroom. “Minette mentioned you’d decided to give this a try. Since you can’t do much around the inn with only one leg, you might as well make yourself useful here.”

  Jake clutched the edge of the counter hard enough to embed his fingers. No wonder the guy looked familiar. Minette had hired him to do odd jobs around the inn, including hunting and fishing for the game she needed for the meals she prepared. Since he’d stayed pretty much to himself until he’d started profiling again, Jake hadn’t had the opportunity to talk to him.

  “A man’s got to keep busy, or at least as busy as he can,” Frank continued before turning to the dispatcher and winki
ng. “I’ll get those goodies for you. I tossed in a few date squares, too.”

  “You sly devil, you. There goes my diet,” she complained, but her smile said the opposite.

  Frank chuckled. “You and I both know Harry likes you just the way you are.” He went back out to his truck.

  Lynette shook her head. “I would weigh two hundred pounds if that man brought treats every day. He’s not the most tactful person in the world—forget that crack he made about your leg. He’s still ‘a speak before engaging your brain’ kind of guy—the one who didn’t bother lining up for intelligence when God was handing it out—but he’s actually improved since we were all in school together. His bowling team won the trophy last year, and he got MVP.”

  Jake nodded. Bowling was practically a religion in Paradise come the fall. If you wanted to know what was going on in town, all you had to do was hang out at the bowling alley for a couple of hours.

  Now that he knew they’d been to school together, Jake remembered him slightly as a guy always on the fringes, a follower, bullied by some of the others, but for the most part left alone. Winning MVP would’ve been quite an accomplishment for him.

  “Your sister-in-law is doing a fine job managing the inn. Making Sunday prime rib dinner night was a smart move,” Frank said, coming back in with two boxes of baked goods and depositing them next to the urn.

  “Yeah, it’s worked out well for us. I hear you’re a regular now,” Jake said, trying to pretend the man’s crack about his leg hadn’t hurt.

  He nodded. “Since I get a discount for helping out, me and the team decided to move our strategy sessions there during the preseason, and we’ll stay for dinner now, too. You going to join the league?”

  Jake shook his head. “Not this year, but Min’s raring to go. She’ll be bowling with you, Lynette, won’t she?”