“And I was in the lobby praying for the both of them,” Perla May added.
Marie truly was a hero.
“Have you heard how she’s doing?”
“No, ma’am. But if you’ll give me just a minute, I’ll make a call and find out for you.” Marie did not look destitute when we found her. She had on blue jeans and a pair of tennis shoes that looked new. She might have been a social worker or maybe worked at one of the shelters. I needed to follow up with her anyway and see if she saw anything.
“Oh, yes. That would be so nice.”
I nodded at Robbie and pulled my cell phone out. I had the hospital’s phone number programed in so I clicked on the number and listened for it to be answered. “Yes, this is Fire Investigator Jordyn Stringfellow, badge number 43792. Could you transfer me to Marietta Henson’s room, please?” I listened as the operator typed in the name.
“I’m sorry, but there is no one listed by that name.”
“Are you sure? She was brought in yesterday with second and third-degree burns and smoke inhalation,” I explained.
“Oh, one second please. I’ll put you on hold and check with the ER. She might not have been moved to a room yet.”
I heard a click and then elevator music began to play. It was rare for a patient to stay in the ER overnight, but maybe the hospital didn’t have a bed available. Perhaps she had been discharged already. But the operator would have told me if either had been the case. I didn’t think her burns were that bad, but… I’ve got a bad feeling about this. The music stopped, and the phone clicked again.
The operator cleared her throat. “Investigator Stringfellow, I’m sorry, but the patient didn’t make it.”
Chapter Fourteen
Roberta Witherspoon
I was just about to present Perla May with the boots when I saw Jordy’s face turn ashen. She put her phone in her pocket and looked at me with sad eyes. I put my hand to my lips and mumbled, “Oh, no.”
“I’m sorry, Perla May,” Jordy said quietly. “Your friend didn’t make it.”
Fred wrapped his arm around Perla May, patting her arm, and she began to tear up.
“She was a friend to all of us,” she said, pulling a tissue from her pocket. “She would come down a couple times a week to check on us, bring us blankets and food and water.”
“Where did she work?” Jordy asked.
“She was a teacher at the elementary school,” Perla May said through her sniffles.
“She had a huge heart,” Fred added. “She didn’t have to help us out; she just wanted to.”
“She was a true hero,” Jordy stated, lowering her head.
I couldn’t see her face but her words brought tears to my eyes.
Perla May took Jordy’s hand and placed it between both of hers. “So are you, honey. You risked your life to save her, and I’m just sorry she won’t get to thank you.”
Jordy swallowed hard, and I could tell that she was fighting back her own tears. “Perla May,” she began, placing her other hand on top of hers. “Will you help us catch the bastard who did this?”
Perla May glanced at her husband and he nodded. She looked at Jordy again and said, “Just tell us what we can do to help y’all.”
“There was a man using a cell phone to film the fire. Do either of you remember seeing anyone like that?”
Fred shook his head. “I didn’t see anything like that, but I was on the opposite side of Perla May.”
“I saw a lot of people with cell phones out, but there was one guy who kept blocking my view with his damn head,” Perla May said.
“Did you see his face?” Jordy asked excitedly. “Can you describe him?”
Perla May put her hand to her chin as if trying to conjure up the memory.
“Here,” Jordy said, pulling the folder from her back pocket. “Look through these photos and see if anything jogs your memory.”
She flipped through a few of them and then looked up at Jordy. “He was small, you know. And short, like Robbie.”
“That’s good, Perla May. Keep going,” I urged.
“Wait. I remember he was wearing those funny pants like you had on,” Perla May said excitedly, looking at Jordy.
Jordy glanced at me, her eyes hooded with anger. I could feel her revulsion and wished I could say something to console her. But what could I say that would make it easier for her to accept a traitor in her ranks? Worse, a murderer.
“Oh, look, honey, that’s you,” Perla May said, showing her husband the picture.
“Fred, you said you were standing on the opposite side of Perla May.” Jordy looked around and then between Fred and Perla May. “Would you two mind standing where you were that night? It would help me visualize what you saw.”
“Sure. I was over here,” Fred replied, walking toward the building.
We followed them to the taped-off building, and Jordy watched with interest as they assumed the position they had been in during the fire.
“Okay, so, Perla May, you were standing to the left of the ladder truck, correct?” Jordy asked, making a circle around Perla May and then looking toward the building.
“I reckon so. I had a good view of your butt climbing up the ladder,” she teased.
Jordy chuckled. “You wouldn’t be able to miss it, it’s so big.” She turned to Fred next. “Okay, so, Fred, were you able to see Perla May from where you were standing?”
“No, I couldn’t see her at first. Not until I went looking for her.”
Fred was parallel to the building, and from his position, the fire truck would have blocked his view of Perla May.
“What does this tell you, Jordy?” I asked.
“Perla May, may I have the photos back?”
Jordy took the pictures from Perla May and then walked under the tape and looked around, as if seeing the taped-off section for the first time. She turned to us and looked at the pictures.
“We know the perp was filming from inside the taped area, right.” It wasn’t a question. “The part of the video that was shown on the news was shot from in front of Perla May, standing here.” She pointed at Perla May, and then looked around again. She moved over to where Fred was standing. “And we know he was on this side by Fred because the video…”
“What?” I asked, not seeing what she was getting at.
“Damn, how did I miss that?” Jordy said, searching through the photos.
“Jordy. What?” I repeated.
“Look,” she said, pointing at a picture of a hand. “I remember thinking it was odd when I saw this on the video that Rosie extracted, but I didn’t connect the dots until now.”
Okay, maybe third times the charm. “Um, Jordy…”
“Oh, yeah. Sorry. I think the guy who was filming the fire handed the phone over to someone, or synced it with another phone.”
“Oh, Lordy. What is she talking about?” Perla May asked me.
I shrugged and held up my hands. “Haven’t a clue, Perla May.”
Jordy pulled her cell phone from her back pocket. She tapped on something and then held it up and I saw a flash. “Okay, I just took your picture. Now, there are several ways I can get that photo to you. At first, I thought the perp simply uploaded the video to the Internet, but I’m only getting a bar or two here. It would have taken a long time for the video to upload. I’m betting he didn’t want to wait so he gave his phone to someone else, or he synced it, which means he had a direct connection with someone’s Bluetooth.”
“So, now you think there’s someone else who’s helping him?” I asked incredulously.
“Yeah, it’s a possibility. See these people standing beside Fred?” she asked, pointing at a picture of two men and a woman standing next to Fred. I nodded. “One of them might be helping our arsonist.” She turned to Fred and waved him over. “Fred, did you see anyone on this side of the tape giving his phone to someone next to you?”
“Uh, maybe. I mean, I was looking up at the fire. Marie was screaming… wait, yeah, I yelled
at a guy in turnout gear, telling him to help her. He just walked away.”
“Fred, was that before or after I went up the ladder?” Jordy asked.
“Before. When the backdraft blew out the windows, and I went looking for Perla May to make sure she was safe.”
Jordy tilted her head and gave him a curious stare. “You were a fireman, Fred?”
Fred looked down and shuffled his feet. “Yeah, in another lifetime. I was a volunteer firefighter up in the northern part of the state, until they shut the plant down and I got laid off. Perla May worked there, too. That’s how we first met,” he said proudly, glancing at his wife. “Then I moved down here looking for work and I’ll be damn if she hadn’t done the same thing. It was a sign from heaven. I always had a thing for her,” he said, nuzzling her neck. “Didn’t I, hon?”
“Yes, and it took our being laid off and unemployable, and moving three hours away for you to finally ask me out,” she replied with a laugh. “But I reckon it was worth every bit of it.”
Fred wrapped his arm around Perla May’s neck and pulled her lips to his.
I tapped on Jordy’s shoulder and nodded toward my shoe box. “Would this be a good time?” Jordy shrugged and nodded and I realized I hadn’t had a chance to tell her what was in the box. I was too distracted by the man who pretended to be my father. I creased my forehead at the thought of that confrontation, then pushed the thought to the side when I saw Fred and Perla May looking at me peculiarly.
“Oh, um, this is for you, Perla May,” I proclaimed, handing her the large shoe box.
“For heaven’s sake,” she declared, taking the box I offered.
“I hope they fit.”
She pulled the lid off and her mouth gaped open. “Well, for heaven’s sake,” she repeated, pulling a pink boot out. “For me?”
“Yes, ma’am. You seemed to like mine, and I thought you’d look good in them.”
Jordy leaned close to me and whispered, “Nice.”
Something about her approval of my gesture made my cheeks heat with pride.
Perla May sat down on the curb to take her shoes off and set them to the side. I noticed that her socks were threadbare and had been darned in a couple of places. Damn it. I should have brought her a pair of socks, too. Fred knelt down in front of her and laced up the boots and then help her stand up.
“Oh, these are divine,” she said, taking a couple of steps and then kicking a foot out so she could see the boot.
“You look gorgeous in them,” I announced.
“Thank you, sugar,” she replied. “Honey, what do you think?”
Fred grinned. “I think you look like cotton candy and I want to eat you up.”
Perla May giggled, and I saw Jordy cringe, which made me laugh.
“Perla May. Would it be all right if I took your picture?” I asked, pulling my cell phone from my pocket.
“I reckon it’d be all right, as long as you don’t blame me for breaking your camera.”
Laughing, I tapped on the camera app and focused the camera on her. I snapped several pictures and then asked her to pose with Fred. She placed her arm over his right shoulder and leaned in. Then she hiked up her skirt and bent her leg in the air Cyndi Lauper style. Then Jordy took my phone and I posed with Perla May, both of us showing off our boots.
Jordy and I said goodbye to them with a promise to come see them again. Fred told us they were staying in the area, but wouldn’t say exactly where. I guess they still didn’t trust us completely, which was understandable. I made sure Perla May had my cell phone number before we walked back to the car.
“I’m going back inside,” Jordy said, picking up her hard hat from the backseat. “Just wait for me in the—”
“Are we going to have this argument again?”
She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms defiantly.
“Don’t be a jerk,” I said playfully. “You know you’re going to lose this one, too.”
“Not this time. I’m going up to the second floor, and you absolutely cannot come with me. I’m sorry, but it’s for your own safety.”
“But, I want—”
“I don’t care what you want this time, Robbie. It’s way too dangerous for you—”
“But I’ve already—”
“Nope, no interrupting me this time. I’ll not risk your life again. Stay here. That’s an order.” And with that, she turned and walked in.
I stood there for a second, fuming. “The nerve of her, ordering me around like that.” I looked around for Joe, but didn’t see him. Then the helmet in the backseat caught my eye. “Oh, hell yeah.”
Entering the building again, I had a moment of doubt when tiny pieces of concrete fell on my head, only this time, they were bigger and louder. Why was I really risking being squished like a pancake? For the book? Partly. Because I didn’t want to be left out? Definitely. But it was something more. It was Jordy. She fascinated me in ways that left me feeling intoxicated, giddy, even humbled. As I observed her on the job, I learned she was meticulous in her dedication to learning the truth, something that I admired. Seeing past that, I’d come to see the woman inside. A woman with morals, strength, beauty, caring, and unassuming charm. A fascinating woman who drew me in from the beginning and now compelled me to draw closer. Oh, boy. I’m in trouble.
Quietly climbing the ladder, I poked my head up through the hole in the second floor and immediately saw Jordy standing midway in the room. She was looking at the floor. The oversized helmet on my head slid to the side and I fumbled to catch it, causing the ladder to clatter. Two long strides, and she was towering over me. I hurried up the ladder.
“Damn it, Robbie. I told you not to come up here,” Jordy yelled, holding out her hands to steady me as I stepped off the last rung.
“Sorry,” I smirked, dusting my hands off. “I don’t take orders from anyone, not even my mother… anymore… most of the time.”
“You are so damn stubborn.” She tried to hide it, but I could see the corners of her lips edge up. “It’s too dangerous to move around in here,” she said, pointing to a broken beam tittering like a seesaw on what was left of the third-floor ceiling. “So this time, I want your solemn promise that you won’t move from that spot.”
“Fine, I promise I won’t move.”
“Thank you.” Jordy gave me a stern look and then walked across the room.
“Why did you want to come back up here? Isn’t this where you were trapped?”
“Yeah, I was hunkered down right over there,” she replied, pointing to a pile of rubble under the ledge of the ceiling.
“And you and Scott fell from up there?” I asked, following the rubble up to the ceiling where the third floor used to be. Where Marie had been mortally wounded.
“Luckily, I only had the wind knocked out of me,” she replied, looking down at the same spot on the floor again.
I followed her gaze and saw a smeared trail of blood that led to a pool of blood just a few feet away from me. I put my fingers to my lips. “Oh, no.”
“Scott fell on a piece of wood sticking up from the floor. He died instantly.”
“I’m so sorry,” I muttered, unable to imagine what she must be feeling. I had seen dead people before, even watched an autopsy once. But it was far removed from being trapped with the dead body of a man you worked with and knowing you were about to die, too. That was just unfathomable to me.
“That’s okay. I never really liked him. I mean, I’m sorry he’s dead. Man, am I sorry. No one should go like that. But the only time I saw him sober, and actually act like a firefighter, was right before he died. At least he redeemed himself in the end and came through for us when we needed him… uh… not to speak ill of the dead or anything.”
“No, I understand. And I liked that you didn’t try to make him out to be some kind of saint just because he died tragically. Death can’t erase his life-story; it lives on in his family and coworkers.”
“He will be given a firefighter’s funeral and his fam
ily will know that he was a hero for trying to save lives. He will be a better man in death than he was in life,” she said, a shadow forming under her eyes. “Anyway, we don’t need to stand here talking; let me get some pictures so we can get out of here. Remember, you promised not to move from that spot.”
“I remember and I promise, I won’t move.”
“Good girl,” she chuckled. Carefully testing the floor as she walked deeper into the room, she stopped to take pictures of the ceiling and what was left of the walls. I almost moved when she stumbled on a piece of wood, but she righted herself and kneeled over to take pictures of the wiring jutting out from the wall.
“Jordy, what were you thinking when you thought you were going to die?” I was curious how she viewed her life, whether she regretted anything about it.
“You tell me what you were thinking when you kissed me,” she countered, “and I’ll tell you what I was thinking.”
“Oh, um…” Is it suddenly hot in here? “I was just relieved you were alive, that’s all.”
She stopped and glanced at me. “And I was just thinking that I was going to die, that’s all.”
Point taken. “Fine. I was really glad you were still alive because in the back of my mind, I thought maybe we could… um… be friends.” It was a lot more than that, but I couldn’t admit to it yet. At that exact moment when I’d kissed her, I’d wanted to make love to her in the worst way.
She smiled, but I don’t think she believed me. “Fine. I was thinking about missed opportunities and how I wouldn’t get the chance to do the things I wanted.”
“And now?” I asked.
“And now…” She pointed her camera at me and snapped a picture. “And now I’m going to take those chances.”
Butterflies. My stomach was filled with them as my mouth went dry. Oh, please do!
“Okay, I’ve got what I need,” she said. “Let’s get out of here.”
My excited stomach began to rumble. “Good, because I’m starving. Can we get a bite to eat?”
“Sure, your place or mine?” she asked with a smirk, one long leg slightly bent at the knee in that sexy way she had.
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