by Jenna Brandt
Christian, I hope this is still your number.
I thought I should warn you,
My dad is getting antsy and plans to call the fire chief tomorrow.
He thinks you should have results by now.
Is there any news I can give him?
“Who texted you?” Jesse sat up and asked out of curiosity.
“Just the daughter of the billionaire who owns the properties that burned down.”
“How’d she get your number? Tell me you weren’t stupid enough to get involved with the daughter of one of your victims?”
“No, it’s nothing like that. We knew each other from a long time ago,” Christian explained with a frown. He didn’t want to admit to himself, let alone Jesse, he was actually thinking about Megan in a way that was far from a victim. “I’ve had the same number for years, so she reached out to see what’s going on with the case.”
“What are you going to tell her?”
“I’m not sure. Like I said, failing on this one isn’t an option. I’ve got to come up with something.”
“Buy yourself some time; just put her off with something vague,” Jesse suggested.
Christian didn’t like the way that sounded, but he didn’t really have another option. He sent the following response:
Working on the case as we speak.
Just going over all of the information
And looking for leads to chase down.
Three dots popped up and then a message right after:
If you need someone to sound ideas off of,
I’m free any time.
Two heads are better than one.
Christian considered taking her up on her offer for several seconds before Jesse interrupted his internal debate. “What did she text back?” Jesse reached out and grabbed the phone. “Never mind, just let me see the text.” He read the correspondence then let out a whistle. “From the sound of it, she’s still got it bad for you, Christian. She’s all but asking you to call her up. That’ll lead to you going over to her place, because according to her, ‘two heads are better than one.’ You shouldn’t do it, though. It’ll only get you into trouble.”
Christian knew his friend was right. He reminded himself that this was business and he needed to keep his mind strictly on the job. He couldn’t do that if he let Megan get involved any more than she already was.
Thanks for the offer,
But I’m about to call it a night.
I’ll let you know when I have more info.
Three dots appeared on the screen, then disappeared. A few seconds later, they reappeared and a new message showed up a few moments after that.
Goodnight, Christian
“See there, you did it. She’s out of your hair,” Jesse encouraged.
At least for the time being, Christian moaned to himself. There was always tomorrow and the day after, until he got this case solved. He wasn’t sure how long he was going to be able to keep Megan at arm’s-length, but it was getting harder every time he talked to her.
Of all the places to be targeted, the last place Megan expected was the Birch Heights Community Center. When she arrived for her tutoring session, she was shocked to find the entire place had been razed to the ground.
Sandra Blanchard, the brunette, older director of the center, was standing outside the burned remains, talking with the firefighters. She gestured for Megan to come over. Obediently, she complied, taking a spot next to the woman who had become a mentor to her.
“Due to the burn patterns, we’re going to have to label this as a crime scene and send out an arson investigator,” the fire captain explained. “I’m sorry to say, until the investigation is complete, you won’t have access to the building.”
“I understand, Captain Lenox. I appreciate your taking the time to explain what happens next,” Sandra said before the captain returned to his fire truck and crew.
“I can’t believe this happened,” Megan stated in shock as she tried to wrap her mind around the fact that the place was gone.
“Me, either. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to do this to the center,” Sandra lamented. “All we’ve ever done is try to support the families around here.”
Guilt washed over Megan, prompting her to blurt out. “I’m so sorry, Sandra.”
“Why? You didn’t have anything to do with this!”
Megan knew that wasn’t true. Up until the moment she saw the community center, she believed whoever was doing this was getting back at her father, but he didn’t have any personal connection to the tutoring center. She’d heard about the volunteer opportunities from a few church members when she started attending services after Heidi’s death. Megan decided it would be a good way for her to pay penance for what happened to her friend. As time progressed, however, she came to care for the kids she tutored at the center twice a week, as well as the staff with whom she worked. It became the best part of her week, and now, that had been taken away from her, not to mention, the safe place for a lot of the people in the area. The loss of the place was going to be devastating.
“I want to help; tell me what I can do,” Megan said, the need to help fix the situation pushing her to do just about anything Sandra asked.
“Right now, as you heard the fire captain say, there isn’t much any of us can do. Besides, you’ve already planned the gala to provide the needed resources for the water levee. If it raises enough money, perhaps it will make up the difference for what the insurance doesn’t cover for the rebuilding.”
“I’m sure when everyone hears what happened, there will be an outpouring of support,” Megan said, pulling out her phone and snapping pictures so she had something to show potential donors. “That’s not what I mean, though. I want to do something right now.”
“It’s sweet of you to offer, but until the arson investigator releases the scene, it’s just a waiting game.”
Megan knew if the case was connected to the ones involving her, it would be better if Christian was in charge of the case from the beginning. She needed to let him know what was going on and hope he would be willing to listen to her hunch. “There actually might be something I can do besides getting ready for the gala. I need to make a phone call.”
Once Megan stepped away so she could have some privacy, she pushed the button to call Christian. She sucked in a deep breath and held it, hoping that he wouldn’t ignore her call. She’d been texting him all week, asking him questions about her own case, but his replies were always courteous and short. It reminded her of how bartenders were in nightclubs during busy nights.
After two rings, he picked up. “Hello, Megan, what can I do for you?”
His monotone auto-response caused flashes of busy bartenders to pop into her head. She repressed the desire to make a drink order as a joke. Since she needed a favor from him, it would be better to refrain from starting the conversation off on the wrong foot.
“Something has happened, and I think it’s connected to the fires set at my family’s properties.”
“What’s going on?” Christian probed.
Megan swallowed several times, hating to admit what happened, and how it was all her fault. Why did bad things keep happening around her? Would he blame her once he heard the truth?
“There was a fire at the Birch Heights Community Center last night and the whole place was destroyed.”
“That’s awful, but I’m not sure why you think that it’s connected to what’s going on with your case,” Christian pointed out in a confused tone.
“Because I volunteer there twice a week and I was just elected to the board of trustees. I’m also hosting a gala for the center this weekend.”
“Oh, I wasn’t aware of that,” Christian responded. She could swear she heard a bit of respect in his voice. “That doesn’t mean the fires are connected, though. Have they even ruled it arson?”
“The fire captain at the scene believes it is, and he’s sending out an arson investigator later today. I think, though, it would be better
if you were the one who conducts the investigation,” she said as she bit her lip, hoping he would take her suggestion better than her father tended to do.
“It usually doesn’t work like that; we can’t just assign ourselves to cases, and I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes at the Dallas fire department.”
“Oh, I didn’t know,” Megan admitted as she tried to hide the disappointment in her voice.
She must have done a poor job because Christian immediately followed up by saying, “This is really important to you, isn’t it?”
“Yes, even if the fires aren’t related, I want the center to get the best help possible, and that’s you. With it being in Birch Heights, I’m worried that won’t happen. A lot of people in this city couldn’t care less what happens to the people here.”
“I’m aware of the conditions there. When I transferred from Los Angeles to Dallas FD five years ago, I was assigned to Station 9 which covers that area. Back when I worked there, the guys referred to Birch Heights as the ‘forgotten neighborhood,’ because of how many residents live on social security and disability in the area. Crime, especially fires set in abandoned buildings, were common.”
“But the center wasn’t abandoned. It was loved by everyone who lives here. It’s why I think it was by an outsider, and given my connection to the place, I’m worried it happened because of me. If it did, I need to help fix it,” she pleaded, not caring that she was basically begging him, at this point, to step in.
There was a long pause before he finally spoke again. “Let me make a call. I still know a few people up in the arson division. I’ll relay what you told me and ask to have access to the potential crime scene.”
“Thank you, thank you,” Megan exclaimed with relief. “I’m so glad you’re going to help the community center. I can’t wait to go tell Sandra, the director, right now.”
“You’re at the center currently?” Christian asked with audible surprise.
“Yes, I tutor on Thursdays. Even with the gala in two days, I didn’t want to cancel. I’ll wait here until you arrive.”
“I’ll text you when I’m on my way.”
Two hours later, Christian arrived with Cinder. He helped his K9 partner out of her kennel from the back of his DCSR SUV. They made their way inside and searched the area for clues.
Anxiously, Megan and Sandra waited outside. When he emerged thirty minutes later with a worried look on his face, Megan immediately knew her hunch had been right. Whoever set the fires at her family’s businesses had set this one, and she was the root of all of them. Other people kept paying the price for her selfishness, and it was threatening to be more than Megan could bear.
“Let me guess, you found acetone residue,” Megan stated, trying to hold back the tears that were forming at the corners of her eyes.
“I won’t be a hundred percent positive until we get the forensics back from the lab, but from how Cinder reacted, I’m almost certain it is,” Christian confirmed with a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry, Megan. I know it’s not what you wanted to hear.”
“What do we do now?” Megan asked, her voice hitching on the lump in her throat.
“I’ll report my findings, but before I do, I want to go around the building one more time. I want to make sure I didn’t miss anything,” Christian explained. “In the meantime, I want you to be careful. Someone is targeting the places that are important to you. I would suggest more security at that gala you were talking about.”
“Why? They wouldn’t be brazen enough to do something there, would they?”
“I don’t want to worry you anymore than you already are, but whoever is behind this, knows a lot about your life—far more than what you could learn about from the internet or social media. I suspect that the arsonist has a personal connection with your family, and more specifically, you. The fires are escalating, targeting places that are bigger and more personal. The gala would be the perfect place to strike next.”
Both Sandra and Megan gasped at the same time, their eyes rounding with fear.
“Perhaps we should cancel the event,” Sandra suggested, looking from Megan to Christian and back again. “I would hate for something bad to happen.”
Megan shook her head. “I refuse to let whoever is doing this ruin something so important, especially now when the community center could use the support the most. I’ll do what Christian said and double the security at the event.”
Sandra’s phone started to ring. She glanced down at the screen. “I need to take this. It’s one of the other board members. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” The older woman stepped away, leaving Megan and Christian alone.
“Are you all right?”
Megan could feel her chin trembling, and the tears that she had been holding back started to rapidly fall down her cheeks. They were hot and salty, and though she hated the fact she was crying in front of Christian, she couldn’t help it. “No, I’m not all right. I wanted to help the people around here, not be the reason the one place they could get help burned down.” She started to shake, her body crumbling in on itself. Cinder came up and placed her nose under her hand, a gesture meant to comfort her. Instead, it only made her cry harder.
To her surprise, Christian reached out and pulled her into his arms. His strong embrace was exactly what she needed, and she melted into his arms. She cried into his shoulder, letting his warmth surround her. For a few moments, she forgot where she was and the painful past she shared with the man who was holding her.
“I promise you, Megan, I’m going to find out who’s behind this and stop them.”
His promise comforted her, making her feel like the world wasn’t burning down around her, despite all the evidence to the contrary. Once the tears subsided, she pulled back and let out a nervous laugh. “I must look like a mess.”
“That’s not possible,” he said with a smile forming on his enticing, full lips. He reached out and gently wiped away the remaining tears. “You always look beautiful.”
For a moment, she thought Christian might kiss her. If he tried, she wasn’t sure how she would react. Before she had to make a decision, her father arrived and interrupted the moment between them.
As he approached, he had a puzzled look on his face. She realized that without knowing about her history with Christian, he wouldn’t understand why the arson investigator was holding his daughter in his arms. Christian must have recognized the same thing, because he quickly stepped back and away from Megan.
“I heard what happened from the fire chief and decided to come check things out for myself.”
For the first time, she noticed that there was an unfamiliar man next to her father. He was a tall, thick man with a serious face and equally serious black suit.
“This is Dimitri. He’s going to be your new bodyguard,” her father explained, gesturing to the stranger. “He comes highly recommended. He used to be Russian special forces before he decided to immigrate to America.”
“America is good. Lots of opportunities,” Dimitri said in a thick, Russian accent.
“He’s going to be your shadow until Investigator Perez figures out who’s behind this. How’s that coming, by the way?” her father asked, turning his attention to Christian.
“I’m doing everything I can to figure out what is going on, Mr. Williams, as quickly as I can.”
“Good, because now that I know my daughter is the target of whatever is going on, there’s nothing more important than stopping this maniac from hurting her.”
“I can’t agree more,” Christian said with a nod. “It’s my highest priority.”
Megan’s eyes darted to Christian. The way he said that made her wonder if there was still a part of him that cared about her as more than just a victim of one of his fire investigations. Could it be possible that he still had feelings for her, buried deep down inside?
“You look worn out, Megan. Why don’t I have Dimitri drive you home so you can get some rest?” her father said in a way that made it more of a com
mand than a suggestion.
Though she didn’t like that her father was trying to take charge of her life again, a hot shower and a warm bed sounded perfect right about now. She nodded her head, but before she turned to leave, she realized there was one more thing she needed to do.
“Thank you, Christian. I really appreciate your coming here and helping the community center. If anyone can solve this case and catch whoever is doing this, it’s you.”
“I won’t rest until I do.” As he made the promise, Megan could hear the passion behind the words, and she secretly hoped part of it was because of her. She wasn’t sure what was going to happen next, but as long as she had Christian in her corner, she had a peace that it was all going to work out.
4
Christian was going over his notes from the three fires when he got an unexpected phone call from Ronald Williams.
“Good, I’m glad you answered my call, Investigator Perez.”
“I almost didn’t. Usually blocked numbers are telemarketers.”
“True, but I learned years ago, it’s easier for me to block my number than have to change my personal cell number once too many people get a hold of it. You’d be surprised how many phone calls a day I get asking for favors, investments, and donations.”
He knew that Mr. Williams didn’t mean to come off sounding pompous, but the man sure did have an ego the size of Texas. Choosing to ignore his comment, Christian decided to figure out why the billionaire was calling him. “What’s this call regarding, Mr. Williams?”
“I want to invite you to this evening’s gala that my daughter is hosting. Well I should say, my money is hosting in her name.”
Pretentious and full of himself, Christian thought with an internal sigh. He really must not know how he sounds.
“I’m not really sure there’s a reason for me to attend. It’s not really a part of my job duties.”