The Empire

by C. L. Alden

  Ali scowled, “There’s more to it than that.”

  “Yeah? Like what?”

  “Well —” Ali looked flabbergasted as she tried to put into words what her job entailed, but it was too late and too much to explain so she covered with, “just more.”

  “Okay, I believe you,” Darcy said shrugging it off.

  “And, I’ll get to it,” Ali said still grumbling.

  “Well, you better make it sooner rather than later. Just sayin’…You don’t want ol’ Temperance to get involved do you?”

  “Why would she?”

  “This is her husband’s legacy. I’m sure she wants it run properly.”

  “I can handle Tempe.”

  Darcy shook her head and chuckled.

  “What?”

  “That’s Temperance. You call her Tempe one more time, and I think you’ll get an up close and personal view of just how a big a bitch she can be.”

  TUESDAY

  CHAPTER eighTEEN

  By the time Darcy left the historical society the police had opened the blockades on Main St. There were still several emergency vehicles parked on the street, and she imagined there were still firefighters on site, but the bulk of the fire was out. It was a couple of hours before dawn when she got home.

  Darcy woke not remembering a dream which was the first time in weeks that had happened. She was a little sad that she didn’t get to see her mother now that she knew that her dreams were real. That meant her mother was real too, didn’t it? She looked at her cell phone, it was just a little before seven in the morning. She knew that most likely Eddie would be up by now, if he had slept at all. She was anxious to talk to him, so she sent him a text.

  “Hey, are you alright? Saw the fire last night.”

  He responded almost instantly, “Hi, yes, I’m okay. Thanks for checking.”

  “Where are you?”

  “Just got home and showered. Up all night.”

  “You must be exhausted!”

  “No, still pretty wired.”

  Darcy thought this might be her chance to get some information. “Meet for breakfast?”

  “That would be nice.”

  “Ok. See you in a half hour.”

  Darcy jumped out of bed and got dressed. She had showered when she got home a few hours earlier since she felt like she reeked of smoke. She hadn’t managed to sleep but a couple hours herself but there was too much going on.

  ***

  The cafe was buzzing when Darcy arrived. She went around the counter to grab a cup of coffee. She didn’t see the old guy.

  “Hey Mary,” It looked like Mary had been up all night, and Darcy guessed she had. She lived just a couple of blocks from Main St. “Long night?”

  “Couldn’t sleep. Came in early to get a head start.” She said as she assembled breakfast sandwiches. Josh, Mary’s husband, was manning the grill. Susan was busy filling large cambros with coffee, and Hank was handling the rest of the customers. Boxes of muffins had already been packed in a large box and Murray, former, now retired fire chief was loading the items in his truck. This was one of the great things about a small town, Darcy thought, everyone pitched in where they could. In good times and bad the town always managed to rally around their own.

  Mike Hillstrom was first to meet Eddie at the door when he arrived. Darcy had known him since she was a kid. He owned Hillstrom Sporting Goods a couple blocks down.

  “You’ve got some nerve showing your face after what you’ve done!”

  “What have I done, huh, Mike?”

  “We all know that you set that fire.”

  “That’s ridiculous!” Eddie laughed it off, shaking his head. He got a couple steps in before more people chimed in.

  “That fire weren’t no accident.” a man at a table chimed in followed by other voices agreeing.

  “Yeah, you caught me.”

  “He wouldn’t set fire to his own building!” another man said in Eddie’s defense.

  “Of course he would! That’s prime waterfront property!” The first man responded.

  “The old man would never allow it!” said a new voice.

  “Well, now, he don’t have to worry about it, does he? Seems kinda convenient!” Said the first man.

  Darcy looked around to see if she could spot anyone from the other side. She knew they were there. She wondered if these accusations would make matters worse.

  “Hi,” Eddie said approaching the counter, ignoring the back and forth going on behind him. Darcy poured him a mug of coffee.

  Murray came in just in the nick of time. “Alright folks, pipe down! Let’s not start flinging wild accusations around. There will be a full investigation, but as former fire chief I can tell you there’s a million ways an old building like that could go up without human intervention. So let’s let the experts figure it out before we go indicting anyone, okay?” That shut just about everyone up.

  “You okay?” Darcy asked.

  “Oh yeah. I’m used to being the bad guy for half the town.”

  Darcy leaned around the corner and asked Mary, “Could I get a couple of those, please?”

  “Of course dear.” She said handing her two wrapped breakfast sandwiches.

  “Thank you.” Darcy handed the sandwiches to Eddie and picked up a couple plates and scones. “Come on, let’s go sit down.” They settled into Darcy’s booth, and she passed Eddie a plated scone, along with a napkin. He looked so tired.

  “Was anyone injured?”

  “Luckily, no. The cannery has been vacant for years.”

  “Has the fire marshall figured out what happened?” Darcy tried to be discreet about watching Eddie’s reactions. She wondered if she’d be able to tell if he was lying or not.

  “Not yet. I can’t imagine what could have happened….maybe electrical, or something.”

  “Is it a total loss? I mean the property and buildings.”

  “Pretty much. The main cannery building burned to the ground, a couple of outbuildings are a total loss, but a couple are still intact.”

  “What’s gonna happen to the property now?” Darcy hoped that question wasn’t too blatant. She was feeling kind of scummy and guilty for basically spying on a friend.

  “Well, it’s just been sitting there unused for years. Grandfather didn’t have the heart to do anything with the property since it was a remnant of his family’s first successful venture. That cannery is what began the Barrett legacy, and it held a lot of memories for him. His first job was there, my dad’s first job was there. I even had to work there one summer.”

  “How sad.”

  “Yeah. It’s gone now. Whatever is left standing will have to be torn down, it’s a safety issue. I’ve got to talk to the fire chief and find out when I can get a crew in there to start clean up.” he was talking as if he were talking to himself.

  “Is there a rush?”

  “What? Oh, um… no, not really. It’s unsightly and it is a hazard. I’m sure the sooner we can get it cleaned up the better. So we can all move on.”

  “And then what?”

  “I don’t know… I mean it’s waterfront property. I’ll have to talk to the family, but maybe some good can come out of this, you know? Maybe this is the first step, whatever we use it for, to help revitalize this town. Make it the jewel of the coast like it once was.”

  Was that an admission of guilt, Darcy wondered? Or was he just being pragmatic? “You look like you’re starting to crash. You should go home and get some rest.”

  “No, no, I can’t. Too much to do.” His hand was shaking as he lifted the coffee mug to his lips. He had not taken a bite of his breakfast.

  “No more coffee for you,” Darcy said taking the mug out of his hands. She went to the counter and poured a glass of water. “Drink this, and you need to eat this breakfast then go home and get some rest.”

  Eddie smiled, “Who knew you were such a mother hen?”

  “I’m not kidding. You’re a wreck.”

  “I’m fine
. Mary’s cooking will fix me right up.” he said taking a bite of the breakfast sandwich.

  Darcy watched him as they ate in silence. She couldn’t tell what was going on in his mind. She didn’t want to believe that he had anything to do with setting that fire, but it all just seemed too convenient. She knew which side he fell on. He was a businessman whose family owned half the town. They owned a good chunk of the downtown area; a lot of which could be prime waterfront real estate. A large portion of it was sitting vacant because there were old buildings on the lots in need of repair. She could understand if, from a business perspective, he thought tearing some of them down would be more economical than renovating them.

  Eddie had eaten most of his breakfast. “See? I’m feeling better already!” He turned towards the kitchen and said, “Mary, you’re a miracle worker. Thank you!” Mary acknowledged him with a nod of her head.

  “Great! Now let’s get you home and into bed.”

  “As long as you stay and keep me company.” he said with a devilish twinkle in his eye. “I’m kidding.”

  “So you’ll go home and get some rest?”

  “You are like a dog with a bone.” He chided.

  She could see that he was still antsy. “I’m serious, Eddie,” she said putting her hand on his for emphasis. “Nothing is going to happen today. It’s too soon. I’m sure the fire crews and the investigator still have a lot of work to do. Let them do their job. There’s nothing for you to do until that’s done.”

  “I know you’re right. I just can’t shut off my brain.”

  “Take the opportunity to get some rest. I’m sure there will be busy days ahead.

  “Okay. I’m going to swing by the cannery, and then I’ll go home. I promise.”

  “Can I come with you?”

  “Darcy I promise I’ll go home right after.”

  “It’s not that, I believe you, I don’t want to be in the way, but I’m nosy, I’d like to see the site up close. If you don’t mind.” All of that was true. She’d never been up close to a fire scene. She was curious.

  “Sure, but it’s awfully grubby down there.”

  “That’s okay. A little dirt never hurt anyone.” She insisted.

  The police had cordened off Cannery St. from Fairmont St. to keep down the flow of looky loos. A police officer stood in the middle of Fairmont where it met Main stopping all cars trying to turn and allowing only business owners to pass. Darcy and Eddie walked from the cafe. Eddie nodded to the officer as they approached Cannery St. Even at a distance you could see steam rising from the debris. Teams of fireman were combing through the wreckage looking for hotspots.

  Darcy hid her shock when she noticed several non-firemen walking around the rubble and talking amongst themselves. She was sure they were ‘others’ because the fireman paid no attention to them. They were keeping close to the firemen, probably listening to see if they could pick up on any clues as to how the fire could’ve started. Darcy got the impression they were looking for any excuse to call it arson. She wondered what would happen if that turned out to be true. She looked around for Temperance or the old guy she recognized, but they were nowhere to be found.

  The fire chief spotted Eddie and walked over. The ‘others’ were paying attention too. Several walked within a few yards of them. It seemed to Darcy like they were staring at her. Judging her for fraternizing with someone they perceived as an enemy. Maybe it was just her imagination.

  “Any news?” Eddie asked.

  “Not yet. We’re keeping an eye on some hotspots on those outer buildings. The investigator will be here later this afternoon. We’ll let you know as soon as we find something out.”

  “I’d appreciate that.”

  Darcy was shocked at the devastation. “Oh my god, it could’ve been so much worse! I never realized how close to Main St. this is.”

  “Yeah, not alot down here except for warehouses and the boat yard.”

  “If the wind had picked up, some of the buildings on Fairmont and this side of Main St—”

  “Main St. was safe. It would’ve never spread that far.” Eddie sounded so certain. “I mean if the wind had picked up some of these warehouses could’ve caught too. You’re right, we are lucky. You ready?” He now seemed more than ready to leave.

  Darcy took a last look around and noticed the non-firemen were all looking at them still. She scanned the area around them. Were they listening to her and Eddie too? “Yeah, let’s go.”

  They walked back up Cannery St. to Fairmont and then up to Main St. They had both parked behind the Empire. “Are you sure you don’t wanna come over and take a nap with me?” He asked, flashing her his cheeky grin.

  “You just can’t help yourself, can you?” she said shaking her head. He kissed her on the cheek and got into his car. “You’ll let me know when you hear something?”

  “Sure. I’ll call you later.”

  Darcy headed to the historical society. She found Ali sitting with her feet propped up on her desk talking on the phone.

  “Thanks Tom. We’ll talk soon.” Ali hung up the phone.

  “Any luck?” Darcy asked sitting in one of the chairs..

  “Not really. It’s a mixed bag. Some are sure he’s done it, some think he could’ve done it, but didn’t and others don’t want to even speculate. You?”

  “I just met him for breakfast.”

  “And?”

  “I don’t know...I mean he looked, worried? Tired? Upset?” Darcy shrugged.

  “Worried because he did it?”

  “No. I don’t know. You know, there are ‘others’ everywhere!”

  “Really? How do you know?”

  “Well I’m not certain, but I have a strong suspicion. People jumped on Eddie at the diner as soon as he walked in. The other side knows that’s a prime location for information, and if they suspect Eddie at all, they know he goes there.”

  “Makes sense.”

  “After breakfast Eddie and I went to the cannery, and I saw some there. They were keeping close to the firefighters and were watching Eddie and I, especially when we were talking to the fire chief.”

  “That’s kinda creepy.”

  “Tell me about it. It was such a mess down there. So sad.”

  “Anything salvageable?”

  “Eddie doesn’t think so. After seeing it I don’t think so either. The factory was nothing but rubble. There were a couple of buildings that weren’t touched, but everything else is pretty much a loss.”

  “Hm, some would say that’s convenient.”

  “I know. That’s what I’m afraid of. What if this sparks more trouble?

  “We don’t know for sure they’ve done anything.” Ali reminded her.

  “Those accidents—”

  “Could’ve just been accidents. We don’t know.”

  “But Temperance said—”

  “She said she suspected that some of the accidents could have been caused by them, but she wasn’t sure. Come back from the ledge, “Debbie Downer”. Let’s not borrow trouble.”

  “Since when are you the voice of reason, your Royal Drama Queen?”

  “Somebody’s got to keep a steady hand on the wheel.”

  “If that’s gonna be you, Lord help us!”

  CHAPTER nineTEEN

  Ali spent the morning making calls, while Darcy hung out over at the museum hoping that Ruth and Temperance would show up, or at least one of them, so they could find out the latest from the other side. Ali had instructed the volunteer managing the museum to let Darcy into the Archive Room whenever she wanted to, but the morning ended up being a bust. No one from the other side showed, and Ali didn’t learn anything new from her phone calls. By noon, Darcy was bored and starving. Ali was busy with Society business for the afternoon, so Darcy decided to check out another favorite place of hers growing up, Mo’s Hotdog Stand. It was a Shoreton institution. Darcy couldn’t believe she’d been home four days and had not had at least one Mo’s yet. She was more than ready to remedy that situ
ation. It had been around since her father was a kid. Everyone loved Mo’s. It had become a famous tourist attraction over the years, but it was also still a local favorite. About ten years ago the family that owned Mo’s had opened up another location on the north side of town. It was a popular spot too, but to Darcy, there was nothing like the south side Mo’s. It was located on the park side of the municipal parking lot near Schooners. The waterfront area used to be working docks, but the town cleaned it up and converted it to a municipal park with a public landing that had a dock for small fishing and pleasure boats. There was a large grassy area, with benches and picnic tables, a small play area and dog park. The Shoreton Visitor Center was also located there. In the summer the town held concerts there, and it also served as the grounds for the annual Seafood Festival.

  When she got about a block from the park she could already smell Mo’s. Natural casing hot dogs fried on a griddle with onions, and if you wanted, sauerkraut. When she arrived, there was a line as usual. Mo’s wasn’t much more than a food truck. It was built out of a now vintage Airstream trailer that had been customized with a service window. It no longer had wheels but was raised up on a concrete foundation. Over the trailer a permanent overhang covered the roof, and jutted out about twelve feet to help shelter their patrons year round. Sometime in the seventies, the family had added on a small building behind the trailer that housed an office and served as storeroom.

  Mo’s staff had the process down pat though, and the line moved quickly. When she got to the front of the line she ordered a Mo’s Original and a root beer. They always had homemade goodies packaged up at the window. Today it was rice crispie squares and whoopie pies. She added a whoopie pie to her order and took her neatly packed boxed lunch and looked around for a place to sit and eat. There was an empty bench by the water near the dog park. Perfect she thought. She set the boxed lunch on the bench and settled in.

  She opened her root beer and took a sip. There were two camps of local Mo’s customers, those that always ordered a root beer with their hot dog and those that ordered of all things, a chocolate milk. The thought of chocolate milk and hot dogs did not sound appetizing to Darcy, but it had been a favorite of her mother’s. One day she was going to have to try it.