Winds of Fire

by Kira Chase

  “Some of the fires were set more than once at the same location. Remember, the news alluded to that fact last night. And Becca was at the same strip mall the first night we tailed Thatcher.”

  Frankie was thoughtful. “Okay. I see what you're getting at. We don't know how long Becca has been tailing him, if it was a one-time deal, or if she's still tailing him.” She paused. “I need to give George a call about the barbeque. I'm going to give Alec a call, too, before we head to the office this morning. I'd like to see him today if we can.”

  “Good. I'm curious to see if he contacted Thatcher yet.”

  “If he did, I'm sure Thatcher is excited that Kendall's lawyer turned on her.”

  “This case only gets more complicated by the minute. But I love it.” She began whisking the eggs. “Will Jillian have another car available for us this morning?”

  “She said as long as we need to switch them out she'll make sure there's a different one every day.” She took a swallow of coffee. “Hopefully we'll find everything we need so that Kendall can get a free and clear divorce and move on with her life and her company intact.”

  “I hope so, too. Now on another note, are we still on for the barbeque this weekend or do you think we should postpone?”

  “I don't want to postpone. We can both use a break after this week.” She stretched leisurely. “And we definitely need to have more nights like last night.”

  “I'm always on board for that.”

  “After this case and Kate and Arlan's wedding, we'll hole up alone for an entire weekend with no outside distractions. Just you and me in our own little paradise.”

  “Sounds wonderful,” Johanna agreed. “I'm going to hold you to it.” She set down the whisk, walked over to Frankie and threw her arms around Frankie's neck.

  * * * *

  Frankie looked up from the fire reports she'd been poring over. She rubbed her eyes. “I can't believe we weren't even aware of most of these fires.”

  “I know, but I'm mostly concerned with those from the past couple of weeks before and after we began this case.”

  “It looks like we were near every business that was hit.”

  “It's weird.” Johanna frowned. “When we tail Thatcher again tonight let's be extra observant to anyone else in the parking lot.”

  “Okay, but the person obviously returns to the scene later.”

  “But maybe they come into the parking lot earlier to make sure Thatcher is there before returning later.”

  “It makes no sense either way. I don't see any connection between Thatcher Longman and the fires.” She stretched. “I don't remember the last time we've had a case like this. So much for open and closed after just a little bit of surveillance.”

  Johanna squinted at her over the top of her computer screen. “Sweetie, I don't know what you've been drinking, because very few of our cases are ever open and closed.”

  “I know.” Frankie sighed. “But this case is pissing me off.”

  Johanna's eyebrows knitted together. “That's because Kendall Longman's case involves more than just her husband's infidelity. Look at what that bastard's done to her. We both want him to pay for the hell he's put her through.”

  Frankie nodded. “I just hope Thatcher Longman gets what's coming to him.”

  “He will,” Johanna promised.

  “Well, I want to go through some more of these reports before we meet with Alec this afternoon.” Her eyes drifted back to the open folder, which contained the sheets Johanna had printed out that morning.

  The women looked up when the door suddenly opened. George entered swiftly and stopped at the edge of the space where their two desks faced one another.

  “Good afternoon, ladies.”

  “Nice to see you, George,” Johanna said.

  “Is there something you need us to do for you, George?” Frankie asked noting how uncomfortable he looked as he shifted his weight from one foot to another. “We waited the other day for you to call about some more summonses you wanted delivered. When you didn't call we stopped by the office and Kate said Arlan was delivering them.”

  George pulled on his chin. “There was a change of plans. I should have called. Things were slow, so I had Arlan take care of it.”

  Frankie wanted to say more about it, but caught Johanna's eye and kept her mouth shut. She wished she knew why George was so ill at ease. Even though he was forcing himself to be friendly, she felt the chilliness in his attitude. Something was off.

  “Just thought I'd stop in for a minute.” He craned his neck trying to read the opened file on Frankie's desk. “It's good to see you back at your desk, Johanna,” he said as his eyes moved from the file to her.

  “It's good to be back.” She flashed a bright smile. “You're still coming over on Saturday, I hope.”

  He returned her smile with a weaker version of his own. “I wouldn't miss it.” He cleared his throat. “Well, I'd better get back to the office. We've got our hands full with all of those arson fires.”

  Frankie leaned back in her chair. “Any clues?”

  He rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he studied her for a minute. “We're working on it. Is there anything you'd like to share with me?” He tilted his head toward the folder.

  Frankie closed the folder. “No. We just hope, as does the entire community, that you catch the arsonist soon.”

  “We will.” He turned and walked to the door where he stopped and turned back around to face them. “I'll catch you two later.”

  They watched the door close behind him. Frankie looked pointedly at Johanna. “What the hell was that all about? If I didn't know that was George, I'd say we had an imposter in here.”

  “Something's definitely not right. I wonder what the hell's really going on.” Johanna frowned.

  * * * *

  Alec leaned forward in his chair. “You two have been busy.” He smiled. “I like the interviews you conducted at Bronson Enterprises. It looks like you've gotten some good information. It's a lot to take in.” He peered at them. “I agree with you about your assessment where the baby is concerned, but we need definite proof that the child is actually Thatcher's. And he hasn't made any physical contact with Kristin that we can use to prove infidelity.”

  “Can't you get an order to at least check the financial records?” Frankie asked. “It's obvious that Becca Manning and Thatcher are involved in embezzling money from the company.”

  He frowned. “Not yet. If I order an investigation, he'll know we're on to him. Right now, he believes I'm on his side as far as Kendall's mental health is concerned so he's not going anywhere. I want to bring him and Becca Manning down when he least suspects it.”

  Johanna's brow puckered. “Won't that also give him and Becca Manning time to plan their escape? They could be planning to leave the country.”

  “Not from what you two have learned about the stormy encounters between them. He might be hatching a plan to keep Becca quiet. And then there's the baby to consider.”

  Frankie shrugged. “Maybe Kristin and Thatcher are planning to eventually flee the country and leave Becca holding the bag.”

  “Possibly, but I doubt that's his top priority. He'll want complete control of Bronson Enterprises. If he gets it, then he won't need to go anywhere.”

  “True,” Frankie conceded. “Was he convinced when you let him know you were worried about Kendall's state of mind?”

  “He gave me that impression. I'm hoping that might cause him to let his guard down.” He rubbed his jaw. “Do you know what your next move is?”

  “I want to find the connection between Kristin and the Kramer Insurance Company.” Frankie looked at Johanna and then back at Alec. “We'll continue tailing him, but he never deviates from his schedule, which includes picking Kristin up every night from the insurance company and dropping her off at the Bronson Hotel.” She paused. “I'd also like to make a visit to the Bronson Hotel. I haven't worked out the details, but I thought if Johanna and I can somehow gain Kristin's t
rust, she might open up to us.”

  He stared thoughtfully at her. “Whatever you can do to connect Thatcher to the baby.”

  Johanna's brows drew together. “Even if she admits Thatcher is the baby's father, he can still deny it.”

  “True.” He pulled on his chin. “Kendall could request him to willingly submit to a DNA test to determine if he is indeed the biological father. If he refuses, we could submit a petition through the court seeking the test. But we need to be absolutely certain. If he feels threatened, he could flee with Kristin and the baby. Since I believe he's been filtering funds to a bogus company in an offshore account, he may decide to get out before everything blows up in his face.”

  “So why not just bring charges against him and be done with it?”

  “It's not that easy. We need concrete proof and Becca Manning is good at what she does. I'm sure the phony company or companies are well hidden.” He folded his hands. “I think this has been going on for quite some time, and again, we can't prove it. How would we look if we brought charges and nothing was found? Due to what he's done to Kendall by having her institutionalized, no one would ever believe anything she ever said again. Her life and reputation would be destroyed.”

  “I didn't think of that,” Frankie said.

  “Now with what you've learned about the tension between Thatcher and Becca Manning, she might just turn on him to save her own neck.”

  “Okay, I'm confused.” Frankie pursed her lips. “We know this case was never just about a cheating husband.”

  “No.” He smiled broadly. “I was hoping you two would uncover more than just his cheating. And you have. Just call it my way of seeking justice for Kendall after all he's put her through.”

  “A prison sentence would be too good for him,” Johanna said bitterly. “Could Kristin be forced to submit the baby for DNA testing?”

  “Kendall can bring a suit against Thatcher stating that she has reason to believe that he is the father of Kristin Robbins’ baby. In order to prove he's not, if indeed he isn't, he'd most likely convince Kristin to submit the baby for testing. If she refused, the judge could order the test. Again, as in Thatcher's case, if Kristin refused, it would look as though she's hiding something. Of course, we'd have to have something substantial enough to convince the court to hear the case. By submitting pictures of them together, and anything you can get Kristin to admit to, would be very helpful.”

  “Well, it looks like we have our work cut out for us then,” Frankie stated.

  Chapter 12

  “I'm excited,” Johanna exclaimed rubbing her hands together. “Looks like Thatcher is finally changing his routine.”

  Frankie nodded. “Looks that way. I wonder what he's up to since he's driving to the opposite end of Charlestown. Maybe he's headed to Philly.”

  “Guess not,” Johanna observed as Thatcher abruptly made a sharp left. “Well...well...well, another strip mall. He sure has a thing for strip malls. Only this one is much more upscale.”

  Frankie's jaw tightened. “Only six shops in this one, but look at the fancy construction. Wow!” She scanned the businesses. “What is he doing here? We've never been here before.”

  Johanna craned her neck, taking in the various shops. “I need to check this one out myself. Designer handbags, shoes...oh look, Eastens is here. This must be where Kate said Arlan and she went to pick out her wedding gown.”

  “Yeah.” Frankie exhaled loudly. “Don't you find that just a little bit strange?” she asked as she followed Thatcher's car. She pulled into a space in the huge lot closer to the entrance. She turned off the lights and cut the engine, then leaned back. “Well, don't you?” she asked turning toward Johanna.

  Johanna busily readied her camera as she scanned the lot keeping her eye on Thatcher. “Not really.” She snapped a few pictures of the storefronts.

  “Oh, come on! Kate should have asked us to pick out the gown with her. Whoever heard of bringing your fiancé?”

  “Well, babe, times are changing. No one seems to stick solely to tradition anymore.”

  “Well, they should. I don't like it.”

  Johanna chuckled. “Well, our wedding wasn't exactly traditional.”

  Frankie scrunched up her face. “Point taken.”

  Johanna turned her camera toward Thatcher's car. “He's getting out.”

  “You keep an eye on him and I'll keep my eyes peeled for anyone else pulling in. Wouldn't it be nice if we not only nailed Thatcher, but also caught the elusive arsonist? Imagine what a coup that would be,” she teased. She watched a car enter the lot and begin to slowly drive the length of it. “Probably looking for a close spot,” Frankie said.

  “You never know,” she grinned. “Okay, Thatcher's walking toward the shoe store. He stopped and is looking in the window. Maybe he buys his shoes here.”

  “Keep track of him. I'm keeping tabs on a car that stopped briefly behind his.”

  “Is it Becca's car?”

  “No. Nothing like it. I don't have a clear visual of the license plate from where we're parked.”

  “Let me get a quick picture.” Johanna focused the camera and snapped a couple of pictures. “I don't know if I'll get any of the license plate. It's odd that the car is just sitting there.”

  “I wonder who it is.”

  Johanna turned her attention back to Thatcher. “Where the hell did he go? I only turned away for a minute.”

  “Don't worry. He probably went inside. He has to eventually come back out. Okay, the car is finally moving...going at a snail's pace toward the exit. I'd like to know what that was all about.” Frankie cast her eyes on the storefronts.

  “I'll be damned,” Johanna said snapping a series of pictures as Thatcher and Kristin exited Eastens smiling at one another and oblivious to anyone around them. Kristin's hand was resting in the crook of his arm. He bent and looked at her as he brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. “Kiss her, dammit,” Johanna hissed.

  “Wouldn’t that be nice. But look on the bright side, he's becoming bolder. And they did come out of the bridal shop.”

  “It doesn't make any sense,” Johanna said. “Why were they in the bridal shop?”

  Frankie shrugged. “I have no clue.”

  Johanna stiffened. “Maybe Thatcher is planning to marry her.”

  Frankie shook her head. “Now that is what makes no sense. He's married to Kendall and he can't divorce her unless he's willing to give up everything.”

  Johanna's eyes widened. “Maybe there's something in the pre-nup that cancels that clause if Kendall's deemed permanently mentally unstable.”

  “Not just institutionalized. I see where you're going with this. But I didn't see anything in the pre-nup about that situation. And God knows there were a zillion clauses added,” she said rolling her eyes.

  “What are we missing?”

  “Maybe he's just going to run away with her. Certainly he must have enough money in the offshore accounts.”

  “If the accounts really exist. There's no proof that he even set any up. It's all speculation at this point.”

  “Then how do you explain the strange relationship between Becca and him?”

  “I don't. That's what we need to find out.”

  Johanna's hands slightly trembled. “Wouldn't Thatcher automatically inherit everything in the event of Kendall's death?”

  “That's the way it works from what I read in the pre-nup.”

  Johanna's blood ran cold. “I don't like this, Frankie. I don't think Kendall's safe.”

  “I don't either.”

  Johanna exhaled loudly. “He could poison her.”

  “He would be the first one suspected.”

  She ran a hand through her hair. “I don't know. He could sneak into her bedroom and smother her or something.”

  “Calm down. There is no way in hell Thatcher would do anything to her on his own.”

  “But that wouldn't stop him from hiring someone to do it. That's what you think. Admit it. A
lec even said that he wouldn't put it past him.” An uneasiness seeped into Johanna's bones. “He has to be planning to do something soon. Why else would he blatantly be putting himself in a public place with Kristin where he can be identified? Is he using Kristin as an alibi?”

  “I don't know. So far nothing about this case is making any sense.” She grunted. “If Kendall was to suddenly die and it was proved that Thatcher was having an affair with Kristin, I would think Alec could still stop him from inheriting her estate because it would prove his infidelity. Thatcher surely knows that.”

  “I suppose.” Johanna didn't feel any better. She wished she could figure out what Thatcher Longman was up to. She watched as he helped Kristin into his sports car and then walked to the driver's side. Johanna settled back into her seat as Frankie started the car.

  “Well, we'll see if he makes any more surprise stops tonight,” Frankie said as she followed him. She patted Johanna's knee. “I know you're worried about Kendall's safety. I am too, but we'll get him before he can do any more harm to her. I promise.”

  “That's a promise you have no right to make and can't keep.”

  Frankie didn't respond and they drove in silence to the Bronson Hotel. Kristin exited the car and Thatcher watched as she walked inside. A few minutes later, Thatcher's car door opened.

  “What's he doing?” Johanna asked.

  “Well, he's getting out of the car and now he's walking to the entrance.”

  They watched as he quickly disappeared inside.

  “I wonder if he's planning to spend the night,” Frankie said.

  “Maybe he went to check on something,” Johanna replied. “I doubt he walked in and will follow her to her room.”

  Frankie cocked an eye. “I'm sure he's checking on something, all right.” She leaned back in her seat. “Looks like it could be a long night.”

  “And a long day tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow will be a nice break. Swim, eat, relax with friends.” She stretched her arms. “I can't wait.”

  “Me either,” Johanna said squeezing Frankie's arm. She straightened when she saw Thatcher hurry out of the hotel and walk with long strides to his car. “That wasn't even long enough for a quickie.”