Into the Fire

by Margaret Daley

  “Which neither man really has since they both claimed to be asleep when Henry was murdered.”

  “And their wives say they were. Of course, if someone suspected me of murder at that time of night, I’m usually asleep, and there would be no one to give me an alibi.”

  “But how reliable is a wife as an alibi? David isn’t totally convinced. I know my friend well.”

  “I think David suspects everyone at this time.”

  “He’s probably ruled out Edwina.”

  “She has the expertise to pull off a murder. Have you seen her bookshelves? I don’t think there’s a mystery book she hasn’t read,” Maggie said with a chuckle. “But Edwina is one of the kindest women I know.” His hand cupping her to him caressed a leisurely path up and down her arm that caused her skin to tingle where he touched her.

  “So, we’re not exactly at square one but close.”

  Completely relaxing in the shelter of his embrace, she tilted her head back to peer up at him. He combed her hair away from her face, hooking some strands behind her ear. Tenderness glittered in his eyes. The sensation of being cherished flowed through Maggie, and she didn’t want to move. She wanted to capture this moment forever.

  A goose nearby honked, startling her. She gasped and stiffened at the harsh sound.

  “Relax. At least for a few minutes.” He drew her back into the curve of his arm.

  But reality had already returned. What was she doing? Kane still had huge hurdles to overcome and wasn’t any more ready to get serious about anyone. Just like her. Both of their lives were in turmoil. Adding the complications of a relationship didn’t make sense to her.

  “Who else at the university might hold a grudge against Henry?” she asked to get them back on track.

  “It’s not a short list. There’s Thomas Sellman. At the end of last year, Henry messed up his chance for a scholarship. Thomas had to take out a loan to finish his master’s. We’ve talked about Beth dating Henry when he first came here. It didn’t end well. Most of the professors in his department loathe him. He’s made their lives miserable these past two years. Several of his secretaries have left in a huff, declaring he’s too demanding and disrespectful. The latest one mentioned she was having problems and was looking for another position at the university.”

  “Kyra Williams who lives upstairs?” She was so quiet and nice, also a wonderful mother from what Maggie could see when the woman was with her son.

  Kane nodded.

  “Okay, I get the picture. No wonder David looks so tired. This investigation must be running him around in circles, especially since the university is putting pressure on him to solve it fast. Did Henry do anything good?”

  “I didn’t think so until Edwina told me about the Southside Recreational Center. I’m sure his support will be missed.”

  “That’s right. She told me that. Anything else?” Maggie finally let the tension go and totally relaxed against Kane again.

  “He was a great fundraiser for the university. Some of the wealthy alumni gave large sums of money after Henry persuaded them. I have a feeling the board of trustees was happy about that.”

  “Maybe that’s why Dr. Johnson hired Henry.”

  “It’s a possibility. This next weekend at the festivities perhaps we’ll get a chance to corner the president when he doesn’t expect it.” Kane framed her face between his palms. “Now let’s move on to something more—interesting.”

  Suddenly the day turned very warm. A lump formed in her throat as his eyelids slid down to veil the glint in his gaze. He feathered his mouth across hers, then laid claim to it in a kiss that rocked her to her toes.

  When he parted, he laid his forehead against hers, his hands still cupping her. “I think you should leave this apartment.”

  His statement threw her off-kilter after that dynamite kiss. She pulled back. “No! This is my home, and no one is going to run me off.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. You could have died last night.”

  “I don’t think the fire was started deliberately.”

  “How can you say that? You don’t know for sure.”

  Because she was desperate to believe it was true. No one was targeting her personally. No one wanted her dead like Henry. “Someone is after something he believes is in my apartment. If we find it first, then everything will be back to normal again.”

  “Normal! There’s nothing about murder that’s normal.” Kane stood, hovering over her with his hands balled at his sides.

  “Help me search my place. There were two flash drives. Maybe there’s another one hidden somewhere. What’s on the first drives isn’t what the intruder is after?”

  “We don’t know that for sure either. David hasn’t gone around advertising the information on them. Maybe your attacker doesn’t know we found them.”

  She rose, putting some space between them. “I’m going to spend this afternoon going through my apartment until I’m satisfied there’s nothing else there.”

  “The police already did.”

  “But we still found two since they did.”

  Kane threw his hands up in the air. “Fine. I’ll help. Maybe we should rip the furniture apart to see if he managed to hide something in one of the pieces.”

  “It’s possible, but there’s no reason you should destroy your beautiful pieces to search. We’ll have to find another way to check the furniture.”

  “I was kidding, Maggie.” A smile broke through his neutral expression.

  “I knew that.”

  “No, you didn’t.”

  “Okay, I admit that I’m a tad bit focused on this.”

  His laughter vied with the sounds of the fussing geese across the pond. “Only a tad. I’d hate to see you when you’re totally focused.” He took her hand. “Let’s go ‘drive’ hunting.”

  “It could be something other than a flash drive.”

  “Let’s not muddy the water just yet.”

  * * *

  After an uneventful few days, Kane turned onto the street in Lexington on Wednesday afternoon to visit the retired arson investigator. “I hope he has a lead for us.”

  “If he doesn’t, confronting Dr. Maples and Dr. Johnson at the gala Saturday is about all we have left.” Maggie brushed her hair behind her ear, something he noticed she did when she was nervous or worried.

  “It’s getting to you.”

  “What do you mean?” She didn’t look at him.

  “Sunday you were hoping we’d find another flash drive that would give David the killer. We didn’t. On top of that, you have to live out of a suitcase in someone else’s apartment. You’ve had to throw away quite a few of your possessions because of the fire. I don’t think you’ve been sleeping well.”

  “So much for hiding the bags under my eyes with makeup. I probably get about three hours of sleep a night. Anyone involved in this affair who smokes? We never discussed that.”

  “I’ve seen Phillip Johnson and Thomas Sellman. There may be more—probably is. But if the police brought in everyone who smokes, they would have their hands full.”

  “How about smokes and hates Henry?”

  “What if it isn’t obvious the person hates Henry?” Kane parked his car.

  “Good point. People put up facades all the time.”

  Like him. His walls around his heart were so high it would be difficult to climb over. He’d been so busy running from his past he’d forgotten the direction he was headed. Maybe that was his problem—he really didn’t have a direction. Was his reason for quitting his job at the university because he could then hide in his workshop and only come out occasionally for human companionship?

  He could lose himself for hours making a piece of furniture, but perhaps in that process he had lost himself completely. Had he used Ruth’s desertion as an excuse to quit living?

  “Kane, are you all right?”

  He blinked, focusing on Maggie’s worried expression. “What did you say?”

  “You seemed lost in t
hought.”

  Lost is definitely the right word to describe me. Is it too late to find my way back home, Lord? Do you have room in Your heart to forgive me for turning away? “I was just thinking about my job at the school.”

  “Having second thoughts of retiring at the age of thirty-four?”

  He chuckled. “I think you’re mocking me.”

  “Who me?” She splayed her hand over her heart. “I would never do that. Let’s get this interview over with.”

  A minute later Kane and Maggie rang the bell and waited on the porch. “I know of a great little restaurant in Lexington we can eat an early dinner at on the way back to Seven Oaks.”

  “I’ll need to get back for my Wednesday night cooking lesson.”

  When Gil Preston answered, he welcomed both of them with a handshake. “I’ve been looking over my notes on the Johnson fire to refresh my memory. It isn’t what it used to be.” Maneuvering with a cane, he guided them toward his den where he gestured they take a seat on the couch. After easing into a lounge chair, he continued, “When I emailed you, Ms. Ridgeway, I hadn’t remembered this, but a few years back someone else came to see me about that fire.”

  Kane gripped Maggie’s hand and squeezed gently. “Who?”

  “Let me see. What was his name?” The older man scratched his head. “I seem to remember he was tied to the case somehow. I’m awful with names. If I hadn’t written yours down, I wouldn’t have remembered who was coming to see me.”

  Maggie leaned forward. “Do you remember what he looked like? Anything about him?”

  “He was a big man—not fat, but tall, broad shoulders.”

  “Young or old?” Maggie immediately asked.

  “At my age the term young man is relative, but I would guess he was in his early forties. He had dark brown hair and wore wire-rimmed glasses. Not too friendly really. His name was…” The retired arson investigator rubbed a hand across his forehead.

  “Henry Payne,” Kane said because the description fit Henry down to the glasses.

  “Yes, I think so. Do you know him?”

  Kane nodded. “He was killed last month. What did you tell him?”

  “Not much he didn’t already know from the newspaper accounts. Except at first, I didn’t think it was a deliberate act of arson.”

  “Why?” Maggie’s hold on Kane’s hand strengthened, tension pouring off her.

  “The accelerant found in the basement was alcohol. At first, I thought it might be because someone dropped a bottle that somehow caught on fire. But I determined quickly enough there were at least three or four bottles on that floor—too much for just one. Later the coroner told me about the sleeping pills in both Dr. and Mrs. Johnson.”

  “Enough to knock them out?” Kane slid a glance toward Maggie, who had gone still. None of the newspaper articles had talked about the sleeping pills.

  “No, but they had been drinking, and the combination could have put them out, so they wouldn’t have awakened easily when the house was on fire.”

  “Is it possible that they caused the mess in the basement, went up to bed and never woke up?” Kane asked.

  “Possibly, but the pattern I discerned was one of rage, not accidental, as if someone had thrown liquor bottles against the floor and walls in a fit of anger.”

  “What did Henry do after you told him?” Maggie shivered against him.

  “He was very somber, but he thanked me and left after I went through what I knew about the case.”

  “Can you think of anything else? Something you didn’t think of when Henry came to visit you?” Kane fished into his pocket for his business card.

  Gil shook his head. “No. I was sorry I could never close that case, but it wasn’t the only one that went unsolved. That poor child was left without a home. I remember that Henry’s aunt let the Johnson boy stay with them for a while until a family member could be found. I believe he left Seven Oaks after that.”

  Kane rose and handed the older man his card. “If you think of anything else, please call.”

  Mr. Preston slid the card into his shirt pocket and stood, walking them to the door. “You know there was one thing you might be interested in. The fact the accelerant was liquor wasn’t disclosed at the time to the press. I told Mr. Payne about that, and he got excited for a moment.”

  As he and Maggie left Gil Preston’s house, Kane said, “What do you think about what he told us?”

  “I’m not sure. That seems to be the state of mind I’ve been in lately.”

  Join the club, Kane thought and opened the car door for Maggie. As he rounded the front of the vehicle, he remembered what the minister at Maggie’s church had talked about the past Sunday. The prodigal son was always welcomed back into the fold. Maybe he should check into the support group he’d quit a few months after he had returned to Seven Oaks. Perhaps they still met once a week.

  * * *

  Friday night, the wool blanket beneath Maggie warded off the chill of the evening now that the sun had set. Sitting pressed up against Kane also helped.

  “When are the fireworks gonna start? The sun’s gone. Why aren’t they starting?” Ashley’s excited voice floated to Maggie. The child leaned around Kane and added, “The red and green ones are the bestest.”

  “I like the gold ones. When they go off, it’s like stars are raining down on us.” Maggie took a deep breath of the smell of freshly mowed grass.

  “Where’s Mom and Dad? They should be here by now.” Kenny squirmed on the blanket spread over the ground.

  As Maggie scanned all the stately buildings, some a hundred years old, that surrounded the large commons area in the center of Seven Oaks University, she looked for Vicky and John. “They’ll be here as soon as they can.”

  “Mommy’s been gone a lot this week.” Ashley stuck her thumb into her mouth.

  “Your mom is the secretary to the president and has certain details she needs to attend to involving this anniversary party for the university. This is an important occasion for the school.” Their relationship had improved, but Maggie still couldn’t hug Ashley when she was hurting.

  “I’m important, too.”

  Even in the growing darkness, Maggie saw the pout tugging at the little girl’s mouth. “You’re very important.”

  “They’re coming,” Kenny shouted, pointing to a couple strolling across the green.

  “The party can begin.” Kane captured Maggie’s gaze and held it while Vicky and John approached and sat on the edge of the blanket.

  Ashley took her thumb out of her mouth. “What took you so long, Mommy?”

  “Dr. Johnson wanted me to check on the guys who were setting off the fireworks. It should start in a few minutes. They were finishing up when I left.”

  “Do you enjoy working for Dr. Johnson?” Maggie asked, realizing in all the time she had spent with Vicky they had never talked about her birth mother’s work.

  “It’s a job,” Vicky said with a lift of her shoulders. “I’d rather be home with the children.” The last sentence was added in a whisper while Kane and John talked quietly. “It should calm down after this weekend celebration, but I guess it won’t totally until the police solve Henry’s murder. It keeps the school in the spotlight, and Dr. Johnson has to field questions he isn’t pleased about.”

  “I imagine he has,” Maggie said, thinking about what she had discovered on the flash drive.

  Vicky leaned even closer, keeping an eye on her two children. “David came to see him recently, and after that, Dr. Johnson was a bear. I think David was there about the murder. Maybe he was telling Dr. Johnson there was no prime suspect and the case wasn’t going well. I did hear my boss tell David to keep him informed of what was going on with the investigation so he could do damage control where the university is concerned.”

  Dr. Johnson had lost both parents when he was a young teen. That had to be hard on him, and now David’s questions probably had brought back all those memories.

  “They’re starting.�
� Kenny stared at the sky above the Seven Oaks Administration Building.

  Ashley moved over to her mother and sat partially in her lap. “Oh, that’s beautiful.”

  Different colors from red to silver burst open and drizzled toward the ground. The darkness was lit with the display.

  Kane scooted next to Maggie and cradled her against him. “John was telling me about the ranting and raving Phillip was doing at the staging area of the fireworks. According to some of the behind-the-scenes workers, he’s been extra demanding and not pleased with anything being done.”

  “I wonder if David’s little visit upset the man. Vicky said he was hard to be around after David left.”

  “Stirring up bad memories can do that to a person.”

  There was a wealth of meaning in Kane’s words that went beyond Dr. Johnson’s reaction to David’s visit. Maggie slanted a look toward Kane. His features were set in hard lines.

  “I’ve discovered you can’t run from those bad memories. They’ll go wherever you go until you deal with them.”

  “Yeah, I know.” He fell silent for the rest of the fireworks although his arm stayed around her, holding her close.

  Later as she and Kane with the Penningtons in the lead walked back toward Twin Oaks Apartments, he took Maggie’s hand and whispered into her ear, “I went to my support group yesterday evening.”

  The revelation thrilled her. “And?”

  “I’m going back next Thursday. You’re right. I can’t keep running. I need to make a stand and deal with my problems about losing my leg, about Ruth.”

  She grinned. “Haven’t I told you I’m always right?”

  “I’ll keep that in mind when you give me more of that sage advice,” he said with a chuckle.

  At the house the Penningtons said good-night and headed inside while Kane trapped her on the porch with his arms shackling her back against him.

  When silence finally ruled, his breath fanned her neck right before he said, “Don’t forget about the gala tomorrow night.”