by Terri Reed
Brady looked at Alex with a frown. “What’s happening? Am I in trouble?”
Covering Maya’s hand, Alex said, “Brady, you’re going to stay here, in the office, for the rest of the day.”
And despite what he’d said to Grayson, Alex had no intention of keeping Brady overnight in the office. Alex would take the kid and Maya home to the ranch because Alex knew Brady hadn’t committed this crime.
However, proving so might be difficult.
* * *
After making sure Brady was as comfortable as possible with a jigsaw puzzle that Alex had found in a supply closet, Maya bolted. She needed air. Gulping large lungs full, she blindly headed down the sidewalk, pushing past the dispersing crowds now that the parade was over. Brady was safe in the sheriff’s office. Not in a cell. Thanks to Alex.
I don’t understand, Lord, how can this be happening?
There was too much turmoil going on. So much chaos. Her head spun. How could anybody believe her brother could be capable of murder? She just didn’t understand. There had to be a way to prove that he was innocent.
“Maya, wait!” Alex’s voice punctuated the air.
She halted in front of the Java Bean coffee shop and attempted to cross her arms but her injured shoulder protested, so she settled for holding her fisted hands at her sides.
“You can’t go walking around by yourself,” he stated as he stopped beside her. Concern etched in the creases at the corners of his eyes. “It’s not safe.”
Irritation shimmied down her spine. “Why not? You have the backpack. You have the notebook. There’s no reason anybody would want to hurt me or Brady now.”
“We don’t know that for sure,” he said. “They may think you know how to interpret the notebook. Or made copies. They’ve already made it clear they are determined.”
A sharp shiver of fear jolted through her. She had glanced in the journal, but it was full of undecipherable markings. “Then we need to tell everybody that the sheriff’s department has the notebook.”
“No. We need to lie low and let our forensic analyst process the notebook and the backpack. We will find evidence that will exonerate Brady.”
“But what if there isn’t? What if the evidence points to Brady? What if the masked men return?” Her voice hinged on hysteria. She could feel it bubbling up into her throat and she struggled to contain all the fear and dread threatening to drown her.
After a few calming breaths, she said, “Sorry. I’m just so scared.”
He drew her to him, his arms encircling her like a protective blanket. For a moment, the overriding need to melt into his embrace scattered her thoughts. She wanted to snuggle in, stay wrapped in his embrace and forget all the terror of the past few days. She felt safe within Alex’s arms. He was solid and steady, an anchor in an otherwise turbulent world.
But her brother needed her to be strong. Brady was relying on her. And as much as she admired and respected, and even cared for Alex, letting down her walls for him wasn’t something she could allow. His offer of comfort wouldn’t solve the problems she and Brady faced.
Disengaging from him, she stepped back.
Hurt flashed in Alex’s eyes. “Maya?”
Flustered, she gestured to the coffee shop. “Latte?”
Though his dark eyes remained troubled, his mouth curved at the corners. “Sounds good.”
They entered Java Bean and the scent of rich coffee and chocolate teased her senses. The dark wood paneling of the coffeehouse was in sharp contrast to the light-colored granite countertops. Small round tables with occupied chairs created a cozy atmosphere full of lively conversation. The sounds of grinding coffee and steaming milk filled the space between Maya and Alex while they waited in line to order.
The platinum blonde barista behind the counter gave Maya a friendly welcome. “Hello, Maya, what can I get you?”
Maya liked the newcomer to town and smiled warmly. Jane had appeared behind the counter six months ago and Maya had immediately struck a rapport with the younger woman. “Hi, Jane. How are you today?”
“Busy, which is good,” Jane said cheerily.
“I can imagine. I’ll have a caramel almond milk decaf latte and a hot chocolate for Brady.” Maya stepped aside so Alex could order.
“Deputy, what can I get you?”
“I’ll take a hot chocolate, as well.”
With a nod, Jane went to make their order.
Maya allowed Alex to pay for the bill. With drinks in hand, they walked back toward the sheriff’s station. There were still many people on the sidewalks and in the stores along the main street. Maya was glad to see the shops doing good business and tried not to fret over the loss of profits she might have made today.
“Miss Gallo.” A dark-haired woman stepped into their path.
Maya recognized the short female from the night they brought Brady down from Eagle Crest Mountain. “Oh, hello.”
“Deputy,” the woman nodded to Alex.
Alex returned the nod. “Miss Owens.”
“Call me Claire.” She turned her attention back to Maya. “How’s Brady?”
“My brother...” Maya hesitated. What could she say?
“Brady is well,” Alex answered for her, saving Maya from having to decide.
Grateful, Maya smiled at him.
“Wonderful news,” Miss Owens said. “We’d love to see him.”
“How long are you and your friends staying in town?” Alex asked.
“Oh, we’re leaving tomorrow or Monday,” she replied.
“Good to know. If you’ll excuse us.” Alex nudged Maya forward.
Giving Alex a curious look, Maya kept pace with him, but she could feel Miss Owens’s gaze tracking them. When they reached the doors of the sheriff’s station, she glanced back but the treasure hunter was nowhere in sight, yet she couldn’t shake off the strange feeling of being watched.
* * *
Alex cleared away the remnants of their dinner from the top of the sheriff’s desk. Apparently, cheeseburgers from Max’s Diner was one of the Gallo siblings’ favorite treats. The town was still filled with people celebrating Harvest Festival, so they were waiting until the crowds thinned out before heading back to the ranch for the night. The sheriff had agreed to remand Brady to Alex’s custody.
Maya sat across from the desk, smiling indulgently at her brother. Brady, seated in the sheriff’s captain’s chair, twirled around and around, chatting away about the parade and how much fun he’d had throwing candy and how happy it made everyone.
Alex’s heart swelled. He was grateful for the community of Bristle Township and the acceptance Brady had found among the townspeople.
But Alex also felt for the kid. He remembered the way Brady had lamented that there was nobody in town like him. Alex could imagine how hard it was for Brady to fit in with the other kids in school. Growing up, Alex had bounced back and forth between two households, never feeling like he belonged in either one.
When all this was over, Alex decided he would try to find a way to convince Maya to let Brady go to that camp next summer. Alex knew it was none of his business but he’d grown fond of Brady and his sister.
He met Maya’s gaze across the room. She smiled and his heart thumped, kicking him in the chest.
What he felt for Maya was more than fondness.
If he were being honest with himself, he’d admit that fondness couldn’t begin to describe the affection, admiration and respect welling up inside him. Not to mention attraction.
Yes, she was pretty on the outside, but her beauty was deeper, elemental to the person within. A person he wanted to be around, to cherish and...
He quickly tamped down the soft emotions crowding his heart. It wasn’t professional. He needed to keep his head and his emotions in check. Maya deserved his best and he couldn’t give her what she needed, wh
at she deserved, if he let himself become emotionally involved.
Ha! Like you already haven’t become emotionally involved.
Brady stopped chatting midsentence. “Something stinks.” He wrinkled his nose. Then he pointed. “Who’s that?” He pointed to the window behind Alex.
Alex spun around and caught a glimpse of a masked face, the same type of mask he’d found in the restroom of the park earlier that day. The man quickly disappeared from view.
“Hey!” Alex ran toward the door. The acrid scent of smoke grabbed Alex’s attention and his senses went on the alert. His steps faltered.
“Alex?” Maya was on her feet moving toward him.
Pulse pounding, he held up a hand. “You two stay here.” He opened the office door and a gray cloud of smoke hung in the air, growing thicker by the second. A moment later, the fire alarms sounded a shrill noise that reverberated off the walls.
Brady grabbed his ears. “Make it stop!”
“The station is on fire!” Alex yelled and slammed the door shut. The fire was coming from one of the other rooms in the building. He had to get Maya and Brady out so he could help the others inside the department. “The window.”
He hustled Maya and Brady to the window. He grabbed the edge of the pane and lifted, but it wouldn’t budge. They were trapped.
Why would the masked man want them dead?
Revenge for thwarting their attempts to gain possession of the notebook was the only reason Alex could come up with.
Smoke curled under the door to the sheriff’s office, filling the room. Brady and Maya began coughing.
“Cover your nose and mouth with your shirt,” Alex instructed. “And stay low.”
Alex grabbed the office chair. “Turn away!”
He raised the chair and threw it at the window. Glass splintered, and the sound of it echoed through his ears. Cool air rushed into the room. Using the stapler from the desk, he knocked out the jagged pieces of glass sticking out of the window frame. “Hurry! This way.”
He helped Maya and Brady through the window and followed them out, urging them away from the building. Flames danced at the broken window.
Torn between leaving Maya and Brady unguarded and rushing back inside to help, he sent a prayer heavenward that everyone else inside had made it out alive and unscathed.
Needing to do something, he said to Maya, “I’ll be right back.”
Maya grabbed his arm. “No. You can’t go back in.”
“I have to.” He shook off her hand and hurried toward the front door.
A fire engine roared to a stop a few feet away and firefighters disembarked. One pushed him back, saying, “We’ve got this.”
Reluctantly, he moved away to allow the men and women of the Bristle County Fire Department to do their job. He returned to Maya and Brady. Together, they watched the fire department work to put out the blaze.
Maya’s friend Leslie arrived, taking charge of Maya and Brady.
“I’m going to get these two seen by the paramedics,” Leslie said.
Maya touched his hand. “You better come, too,” Maya said, her brown eyes worried. “You inhaled just as much smoke or more than we did.”
Alex nodded and coughed. “I will. I just have to make sure I’m not needed here.”
The sheriff approached and clapped him on the shoulder. “Alex, get yourself checked out. If the medical guys say you are okay, then you can come back.”
“Did everyone get out okay?” He held his breath waiting for the answer.
“Yes, thankfully. Now, off with you.”
Relieved by the news and seeing the look of concern on Maya’s face, he relented. His job was to keep her and Brady safe. They were his priority at the moment. “Let’s go.”
Leslie linked her arm through Maya’s and led her to the ambulance, leaving Alex and Brady to trail after them.
After Jake, the EMT, cleared Maya, Brady and Alex with mild smoke inhalation, Alex ruffled Brady’s hair. “You have a good sniffer. You smelled the smoke before we did.”
Brady grinned. “Yep. That’s my superpower.”
“What happens now?” asked Maya.
“After I check in with the sheriff, we’ll head home to the ranch.”
Leaving Maya and Brady safe inside his vehicle with Leslie, Alex hustled over to where the sheriff was conversing with the fire department chief, Victor Watson. The chief held a fireman’s jacket in one hand and a helmet in the other. Since he had on his own jacket and helmet, Alex wasn’t sure why he had ahold of another set.
“The blaze is out,” Chief Watson said. “The structure has suffered some damage from the flames and the water.”
Alex hated hearing that. “Chief, any idea where the fire started?”
“There will be a full investigation so I can’t give an official answer, but between us, we found traces of accelerant near the back entrance close to the evidence room.”
Sucking in a sharp breath, Alex, said, “This was arson.”
“It was a huge blessing that no one was hurt,” Sheriff Ryder said in a tone of grim anger. “Hannah Nelson was in the evidence locker running tests. Thankfully, she got out. With the help of a fireman.”
“That’s great.” Alex respected and liked the department’s tech.
“Yes.” Chief Watson held up the items in his hands. “Except we found this discarded fireman’s jacket and helmet in the dumpster behind the next building. They aren’t even from our firehouse.”
“We think the firefighter who helped Hannah out was the one who started the fire,” Sheriff Ryder added.
Reeling from this news, Alex asked, “Was anything taken?”
“Yes. The black leather-bound notebook.”
Alex’s fingers curled into fists. The killer had wanted that book and had started the fire. Thankfully, that person had shown Hannah mercy.
His gaze going to the window of the sheriff’s office, a horrifying thought filled him. He turned to the sheriff. “Sir, just prior to the fire a masked person was at the window. I believe he nailed the pane shut. I had to throw your chair through the glass for us to escape.”
Chief Watson spoke up. “I’ll have the arson investigators check out that window.”
There was no doubt in Alex’s mind—the arsonist might have shown Hannah mercy, but he had meant to trap Maya and Brady inside with the fire.
THIRTEEN
“Here’s Hannah.” Sheriff Ryder gestured toward the tall red-haired woman approaching where they had gathered. Alex assumed she had already been checked by the EMTs. Her white lab coat was smeared with ashes. Her freckled face had smears of soot from the fire she’d clearly been closer to than the rest them.
Behind her stylish framed glasses, her green eyes sparkled with anger. She stopped, put her hands on her hips and surveyed the men. “Do you have any idea who did this?”
“Hannah, the fire investigators will do what they can to find the culprit,” the fire chief assured her.
“Could you identify the fireman who helped you out?” asked Alex.
She shook her head, her long braid swinging with the effort. “No, I couldn’t see his face. He had on a respirator. As soon the alarm went off, he appeared and hustled me out the door. He said he was going back in to look for others.” She clenched her fists at her sides. “Apparently, that was a lie from what I gather. You and the Gallo siblings could have been killed. As well as Daniel and Chase.”
“Where are Daniel and Chase?” The sheriff glanced around.
“They’re doing crowd control,” replied the fire chief.
“The leather-bound notebook?” Alex had already been told that the notebook had been stolen in the chaos. But he needed it confirmed. The journal was their only lead in the case. If they lost that, they’d have a hard time figuring out who was so bent on finding the treasure that th
ey’d kill for it, burn down the sheriff’s station and attempt to kill Maya and Brady.
Hannah smirked. “Whoever it was thought they were smart by creating a diversion, breaking in and taking my evidence. But little do they know, I photographed every page of that notebook and backed it up to the cloud. Not so smart after all.”
The thought that there was still a copy of the journal available sent a burst of reinvigorating energy through Alex. He asked, “Can you email me a copy?”
“Of course. I also dusted the notebook for prints. I found several.”
Remembering the moment Maya had dug out the notebook from the backpack, Alex hoped that her prints weren’t the only ones found on the cover and in the pages. But he also hoped Brady’s fingerprints would not be found.
“Maya Gallo’s prints would have been on the journal.”
“That’s good to know,” Hannah said. “The prints are running through AFIS.”
Alex could only hope the perpetrator’s prints would be found in the country’s automated fingerprint identification system.
“Wasn’t your computer damaged in the fire?” the sheriff asked.
“Yes, the one here at work was destroyed. But again, I upload everything to the cloud and even though this computer was running the prints, my computer at home can also access the data and run the prints.”
“You are a genius,” Alex exclaimed. He’d always respected the woman. She had to be smart to do all she did for the sheriff’s department.
Hannah grinned. She blew on her knuckles and then rubbed them on her coat, smearing the ash onto the fabric. “You know it.”
Chuckling at her antics, Alex said, “I look forward to getting that email.”
“You’ll have it within the hour,” Hannah said. Her expression sobered. “Alex, you have to get this guy.”
He wasn’t sure why Hannah was addressing him with her directive and not the sheriff. Alex sneaked a glance at Sheriff Ryder. Ryder arched an eyebrow and gestured with his chin for Alex to answer. “We will, Hannah.”