Christmas Up in Flames

by Lisa Harris

  “No.” Bill shook his head, then looked to his wife. “I don’t think so. Other than the stress. The whole situation has been unsettling.”

  “Wait. There is one thing,” Hazel said. “It’s probably not important, but on the day of the fire, we did realize we couldn’t find the key to the barn.”

  “She’s right.” Bill’s phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket. “I’m sorry, but I need to take this.”

  “No problem.” Claire glanced at her notebook as the man stepped away. “You couldn’t find the key?”

  “That’s right.”

  “We were told there was no sign of forced entry,” Claire said. “That could explain how someone got in. Where did you normally keep the keys?”

  “On a hook in the house, near the back door. Which probably wasn’t the smartest thing because we only keep things locked up at night, but we never worried about things like that.”

  “So someone could have slipped in and taken the key,” Claire said.

  “If they knew where to look, I suppose. Yes.”

  Claire reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a business card. “I need to spend a few more minutes looking around, but if you or your husband think of anything else, feel free to give me a call.”

  “And I have a few more questions I need to ask you both,” Captain Ryder said.

  “Of course,” Hazel said. “We need this investigation finished so we can tear down the structure.”

  Bill walked back to them, a frown on his face.

  “Is everything okay?” Reid asked.

  “We forgot one of Hazel’s prescriptions at the pharmacy.”

  “Listen,” Reid said, “I’ll head back into town and pick it up while Claire and Captain Ryder finish here.”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “It’s not a problem at all,” Reid said.

  “If you’re sure,” Bill said. “Thank you. And we’re happy to answer any questions you have.”

  “I need to grab another camera battery out of your vehicle,” Claire said to Reid.

  Reid turned to her as they walked back to the truck. “You won’t need me for the next thirty minutes, will you?”

  “I pretty sure the captain can handle my security.”

  Claire smiled ignoring the flirtatious tone of his voice. Reid always had been able to bypass any walls around her heart, and apparently nothing had changed.

  * * *

  “By the way,” Reid said, heading for his truck, ignoring her grin that seemed to pierce right through his defenses, “when’s the last time you had something to eat? My mom said you didn’t eat breakfast.”

  “I had some coffee.”

  He pulled out his keys and stopped. “That’s not breakfast. I’m going to bring you back something,” he said. “It hasn’t been so long that I’ve forgotten your favorites. Unless you don’t like Jimmy’s slow-cooked pulled pork, served on a freshly baked brioche roll with homemade BBQ sauce and a side of Jimmy’s slaw anymore.”

  “Reid... Yes, I still love Jimmy’s pulled pork, but you don’t have to do that.”

  “I know, but I would hate for you to suddenly pass out while working a case, because I don’t know if you’ve heard, but there can be serious side effects from going without Jimmy’s pulled pork for too long.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Oh, yeah...and for you we’re not talking days or weeks, we’re talking years. There is no telling what could happen.”

  “You’re impossible.”

  “Maybe, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. I’ve been craving some myself and it’s barely been a week.” He hesitated, realizing how easy it was to flirt with her, to almost forget that they weren’t together anymore.

  “I suppose if you need an excuse to get it for yourself, you could bring me some and I won’t turn it down.”

  “I think I will.”

  “And Reid...”

  He headed toward his truck, but her voice stopped him.

  “Thanks for offering to go into town. They seem like such a sweet couple. I feel sorry for them.”

  “It’s not a problem.”

  She took a step toward him. “Does Jimmy’s still have those banana chocolate shakes?”

  “With added M&Ms?”

  She nodded.

  “I suppose I could manage that, though I don’t want you to get spoiled having a bodyguard/chauffeur catering to your every whim. You know that this is only until we catch whoever’s behind these fires.”

  “Don’t worry. I don’t plan to take advantage of you.”

  Reid jumped into the truck, his eyes still on her as she headed back to the barn. He shouldn’t be flirting with her. He knew better than that. It was only going to get him into trouble, or at the least lead him to another broken heart. Why was it so easy to slip into those old habits? She’d always made him laugh. That was something that had drawn him to her at the beginning. She was the ultimate optimist and saw good in everything and everyone.

  The last few years, though, seemed to have mellowed her. Maybe it was her job that had sobered her. Maybe it was simply a part of growing up. They’d both grown up, changed, and what he used to know about her didn’t necessarily hold true for where either of them were today. That was something he couldn’t forget.

  He pulled out an old strip of photos of them he kept on the back of the visor. They’d gone ice skating that night, then taken a walk through town to see the Christmas lights. Eventually he’d pulled her into the photo booth where they’d taken a string of silly photos. In the last one, he’d pulled her against him and kissed her, capturing both the surprise in her eyes and the smile on her lips.

  He shoved the photos back. He should have thrown them away years ago, because they represented everything he wanted to forget.

  He tapped the brake as he took another turn on the curvy road. He’d eventually decided that the only way to move on with his life was to find someone else who could make him happy, someone who could make him forget. So he’d started dating again, but no matter how many women he went out with, it never covered up the pain of his mistakes with Claire. It was why he’d told her he couldn’t imagine having a family of his own. It wasn’t that he didn’t want one, but no one he’d known had ever managed to compare to Claire.

  The white truck appeared out of nowhere behind him. Reid sped up, then pulled over to let it pass. Instead, it got closer to his bumper. A second later, it rammed into him from behind. Reid felt the sharp jolt from the impact as he fought to keep his truck from flipping as he went around another curve.

  The list of facts from the investigation surfaced. Claire being locked in her room during the fire. The drone in the woods... Nothing made sense. Why would someone come after him?

  The white truck slammed into him again. He fumbled for his phone while trying to keep his vehicle on the road. He needed to call 911. But it was too late. His truck flipped twice, landed upside down, then skidded across the narrow road before slamming into a tree.

  EIGHT

  This fire definitely hadn’t been an accident.

  Claire looked through her notes on her tablet while the captain spoke with the Reynoldses and she waited on a chair on their front porch for Reid to return. There were simply too many signs of arson, including the antique lighter that had been left behind. The damage was extensive with multiple points of origin. The presence of accelerants was also significant, along with the missing key the owners had just reported.

  But she couldn’t completely dismiss the possibility that the Reynoldses had started the fire in order to cash in their insurance policy. It happened far too often to ignore. But while it might be possible, it didn’t seem a real probability, especially since they had no way to know about the antique lighters. As far as she was concerned, everything pointed to this fire being connected with the
Rocky Mountain Arsonist.

  The problem was, they still had no firm leads on who that was, which was frustrating. People committed arson for a number of reasons and figuring out the motive could help investigators track down who was behind them. But in this case, the clues all stopped just short of giving them those answers. While some did it simply to vandalize, situations like this all pointed to something far more complex and planned out. It might be someone seeking thrills or attention, or satisfying some hero complex. It also could be tied into someone suffering from pyromania. But whatever it was, they needed to find the person.

  They’d checked crime scene photos of the crowds to see if there was someone who’d showed up at the different fires. Their only possible suspect was the man wearing the hoodie, but without a clearer photo, they’d been unable to ID him.

  Which left her going back to the one common denominator: the antique lighter.

  It was a definite clue, but so far they hadn’t been able to trace where they’d come from. The work was slow and tedious and, at the moment, frustrating, but sometimes all it took was one small detail that would throw the case open and allow them to solve it.

  A call came in on her phone as she started making a to-do list. “Mom...hey... Is everything okay?”

  “Everything is fine here. You’re the one I was worried about actually. I just wanted to check in on you. How are you feeling? Any symptoms related to the smoke inhalation?”

  Claire set her iPad on the chair and moved to lean against the railing. “I’m fine, Mom. I promise.”

  “How did you sleep?”

  “Pretty well. I suppose I have a lot on my mind, but that’s to be expected.”

  “Of course it is. That fire had to be frightening, no matter how experienced you are.”

  Claire’s fingers gripped the wooden railing and she tried to ignore the tug on her heart. “How’s Owen? I miss him.”

  “He misses you too, but he’s fine. I’m keeping him busy.”

  “I appreciate it. I don’t like being away from him.”

  “He’s content to just hang out with me. We’ve already cleaned up the yard, made chocolate cookies and finished two puzzles.”

  Content just to hang out. Just like his father used to be.

  Claire pushed back the thought.

  “I meant to ask you where you were staying now,” her mom said.

  “I...” She hesitated. She wasn’t going to mention the fact she was staying at the O’Callaghan ranch. “I found another place just outside of town. It’s comfortable and will be fine for a few more days.”

  “So you’re not sure when you’re coming back?” her mom asked.

  “These investigations have to be thorough, and there’ve been a couple complications. But if you need me to come back because of Owen—”

  “No, of course not. He’s not a problem at all. He did struggle to fall asleep last night, but we found his missing favorite pillow, prayed for you, and he was fine.”

  “I’ll be home as soon as I can. I promise.”

  “Please don’t worry. We both miss you, but we’re fine.”

  “Listen, I need to go, but call me when Owen gets back from school and I’ll try to pick up.”

  “Sounds good. Oh, and Claire...before you hang up, you haven’t mentioned Reid. Have you seen him?”

  Claire let out a sharp huff of air. “I have, actually, but everything’s fine between us.”

  “You did the right thing back then,” her mom said. “I know you haven’t always felt like it, but trust me, he didn’t want a family, and telling him would have pushed him away further and made him resent you. Now it’s better just to leave things the way they are.”

  “Maybe.” Claire reached her hand up and rubbed the back of her neck, trying to wish away the tension. “What I do know is that I’m here to do a job, not catch up with Reid. I’ll be home in a couple days. I promise.”

  She hung up the phone, then sat back down on the padded chair. That uncomfortable gnawing feeling was back again, the one she hadn’t been able to shake since she’d returned. Every time she looked at Reid, she saw Owen. And it wasn’t just the facial features. They both stuck their tongue out when concentrating and neither of them liked their food touching.

  But her mother was right. They might have both grown up over the past few years, but he’d made it clear that he was no closer to wanting a family than he’d been back then.

  She shook off the guilt and went back to her list.

  Captain Ryder stepped out of the house and onto the porch.

  “Captain...” She caught the concern in his expression. “Is everything all right?”

  “I got a call from the sheriff’s department.” He stopped in front of her, his phone still in his hand. “There’s been an accident.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t have a lot of details, but Reid’s truck flipped halfway between here and town.”

  “Reid.” A wave of dizziness swept through her. “Is he okay?”

  “I don’t know. It sounds like someone tried to run him off the road.”

  Claire struggled to catch a breath. If anything happened to him...

  “Claire...are you okay?”

  “Yes...no. Not really.”

  “I understand the two of you were friends from way back?”

  “We were. Back in Denver.”

  Serious enough I thought I’d marry him one day.

  The captain motioned her toward his car. “I’ll drive you to the hospital.”

  She slid into the passenger seat, then snapped on her seat belt. He had to be fine. They’d probably just taken him there to make sure he was okay.

  “I don’t mean to be nosy, but I always thought there was a broken heart in his past. Am I guessing right that it was you?”

  She tried unsuccessfully to swallow the lump in her throat. “It was a long time ago. This is the first time we’ve seen each other in years, actually. And the weird thing is, it almost seems like no time has passed in some ways. I mean, we’ve both changed and grown up, but he...he’s still Reid. I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed him.” She clasped her hands in her lap. “I’m sorry. I’m rambling.”

  “You just found out someone you care about—someone we both care about—was in an accident. You don’t owe me any kind of apology. He’s someone I’d trust with my life, which is why I asked him to keep an eye on you.”

  “I appreciate that, though...”

  “What is it?”

  She hesitated, trying to organize her thoughts. “We need to find out who’s behind these attacks.”

  “Yes, we do.”

  “I guess Reid told you I’m convinced now that the door to my room at the B&B was jammed.”

  “He did.”

  “But now...none of this makes sense. I can’t figure out the connection. These attacks...”

  “Griffin has kept me in the loop with everything that’s happened. I promise we’ll sit down and try to figure out what’s going on, but I want to get you both somewhere safe in the meantime.”

  Ten minutes later, they pulled up in front of the Timber Falls Clinic’s emergency entrance and hurried inside.

  “We’re looking for Reid O’Callaghan.”

  “I’m sorry, we can’t give out patient information.”

  Claire was reaching for her badge when she saw Marci hurrying across the white tile toward them. “I can.”

  “Please tell me he’s okay.”

  Marci laid her hand on Claire’s arm. “I’ll do better than that. I’ll take you to him. He’s been worried about you.”

  “So he’s...okay?”

  “He is. The doctor thinks it’s just a sprained wrist. He’s waiting to get it x-rayed, so beyond being irritated over all of this, he’ll be fine.”

  He
was sitting on the edge of a bed in a curtained-off section, a scowl on his face.

  “Reid?” She hurried to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

  “Ouch...”

  “I’m sorry.” She stepped back, realizing what she’d just done. “I... I was worried.”

  “Yeah... I’m okay. Just a sprained wrist.”

  “I know. I just... I just thought it might be something serious after everything that’s happened.”

  He shot her a grin. “The accounts of my death are highly exaggerated.”

  “Funny.”

  “I’m okay. Really.”

  She nodded, but his assurances weren’t enough. Maybe her heart shouldn’t care so much, but what if the next time—if there was a next time—he ended up with something far worse than simply a sprained wrist?

  * * *

  Reid studied Claire’s expression, unsure of how to react to her. When she’d walked into the room with the captain, her hug had thrown him off. And from the look on her face it had surprised her, as well. Of course, it wasn’t the first time he’d failed to understand her.

  “What happened?” the captain asked.

  “I already gave a brief statement to the sheriff. All I can really know is that a truck came out of nowhere and ran into my bumper twice. The second time it ran me off the road and my truck flipped, then hit a tree.”

  “If all you got out of that was a sprained wrist, then we have a lot to be thankful for,” Claire said, perching on the end of the bed.

  “Yes, but we have another problem to deal with,” the captain said. “Claire and I were talking on the way here. Clearly this, like the other incidents, was no accident. And while I don’t know what’s going on, I’m pretty sure our arsonist is here in Timber Falls. And the two of you—for whatever reason—are targets.”

  Claire gripped the bed rail. “We need to come up with a plan. If we don’t stop the attacks, this person’s actions could escalate even further. And we need to figure out the connection. Why might someone be after both of us?”