Blaze: A Firefighter Romance

by Lisa Lace

  “And what do you think?”

  I sat back, and let out a long sigh. “I think that time in my life is over. I love my sister, and I love my niece and nephew. I love my parents. But I was always the third wheel there. After I left Victor, it was even worse than that. I felt like a burden. I came here for a fresh start and to stand on my own two feet, and while it was good, here is really good. Pennsylvania just doesn’t feel like home anymore. Brayford does.”

  “So, you’ll stay?”

  “For as long as I can. I’m just trying to be smart like Nate says. I’m trying to stay vigilant, hoping that one day Victor will slip up and give us what we need to get him put away. I love my life here. If I can just get Victor out the picture again, everything will be perfect.”

  “Hmm,” Carla mused. “It’s a tough one. I trust the police here though. Sam knows a few of them down at the police station. He says they’re genuine people with good hearts. I don’t think they’ll let you down.”

  “I thought they would, but they’ve surprised me. A police car has driven by Kacey’s house at least once every couple of hours for the last week.”

  “Does that put your mind at ease a little?”

  “I’m still on edge, but it helps. It’s good to know that someone is looking out for us.”

  “And is everything okay with Kacey?” Carla looked around, and lowered her voice, heeding my earlier warning.

  I nodded. “She’s just like her brother. So noble. Her and Nate, they do things because they’re right. They’ll do anything for anyone.”

  “Yes, they would, but it’s more than that. You’re important to them.”

  The conversation fell quiet for a moment, and then Carla remembered something, and she gasped. Her hands flew to her purse, and she drew out some mail. I immediately felt my stomach drop.

  “This was the last lot in your PO box,” she told me. “I haven’t looked through it. Do you want it?”

  No, I don’t want it. I didn’t want to take hold of that envelope, knowing that there was a chance that there was another letter from Victor. I was sleeping so uneasily these days. I was so strung out and on edge. I didn’t need any other reminder that Victor was stalking me. Then again, I needed all the clues I could get to finally bring him to justice. I held out my hand.

  Carla handed me the mail, and I slowly began to flip through the letters. I couldn’t say I was surprised when I recognized the writing.

  The moment I saw Victor’s handwriting, I was filled with a sense of dread and despair. Why wouldn’t he leave me alone? I held it up to show Carla the envelope. “That’s Victor’s writing.”

  Carla looked worried. “Are you going to open it?”

  “I guess I should.”

  The letter stayed unopened in my hand for another long moment, until I could find the strength to tear it open. A little note fell out.

  * * *

  You can’t run. You can’t hide.

  * * *

  This time, I didn’t break down in tears or flee from the coffee shop. I’d been expecting another note from Victor. There was no shock, only a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach and the sensation of my blood running cold. I handed the note to Carla.

  She read it and shook her head in disbelief. “The bastard…”

  “I knew he’d never stop. He’s never going to leave me alone. This has to end. The police have to catch him. Otherwise, this is what the rest of my life looks like.”

  “There would have to come a day when he gave up.”

  “I don’t think that day would come. He’s too obsessed. He’ll kill me or die trying.”

  Carla was quiet for a moment and then gave me some advice. “I’d take that note straight to the police. It’s fresh evidence.”

  “You’re right. Maybe it’ll be enough to get them to issue an arrest warrant at last.” I felt disgusted by Victor’s games, and his complete determination to destroy me, but I would not be defeated. I wasn’t the same woman I was when I left Pennsylvania. I wasn’t going to run away; I wasn’t going to back down.

  I tucked the note away into my purse silently, gritting my teeth. I wondered if Victor had watched me read it. I wondered if he was furious that I hadn’t cried, or gasped, or showed any type of fear. I wouldn’t.

  I kept telling myself that he was sending those notes to try and scare me, but they were just words on paper. I already knew he was out there, and I already knew what he was willing to do to make me pay—so what difference did another scribbled threat make? One day, those notes would get him sent down. One day, all these tactics he played to have me trembling and afraid would come back to bite him. I would hold onto those notes until I needed them. One day, Victor’s own games would end him.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Nate

  I agreed to take Jenna to the police as soon as she showed me the note. We’d been cautious ever since the fire, but this was important enough to take my car down to the station. I took her as soon as I finished my shift.

  The police station was quiet. Not much happened in this small town. So little, in fact, that when we entered, the officer behind the desk knew exactly who we were.

  I recognized her, too. Her name was Rachel. We’d been on the same call-out more than once in the line of duty. I gave her a nod when I entered.

  “Hi Rachel, how’s it going?”

  “Nate. Are you here about the fire?”

  “We’ve got new evidence.”

  “I’m not in charge of the investigation, but I’ll get you the man who is.”

  “Thanks.”

  Rachel disappeared into the lobby of the station to find the lead detective on the case.

  I turned to Jenna and smiled at her. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m doing fine.”

  “Still got the note?”

  “Right here.”

  She pulled it out her purse and showed it to me. Even the sight of that little scrap of paper made my hands curl into fists. When I’d read Victor’s latest note, I’d been furious. His other notes had been taunting, but this one was an obvious threat. I didn’t take kindly to men making threats against Jenna.

  “You did the right thing telling me about the note, Jenna. I know it’s hard standing your ground and having to deal with things like this, but something like this might end up being the key to bringing him down.”

  “I hope so.”

  An investigator appeared. He was a tall, serious-looking man in his late forties, with silver sideburns and thin lips set expressionlessly in his face. He wore a pressed gray suit and was carrying the case file in his hands. “Miss Dawson, is it? I’m Detective Billings, and I am the lead on the Walton Apartments case. I’ve been told you may have some new information for us?”

  Jenna looked over at me with fear in her expression, as if she were losing her nerve. The note was clenched tightly in her hands.

  I answered for her, reaching over to shake the detective’s hand. “Yes, Detective. We believe we do.”

  “It is your ex-boyfriend—Victor Malone, isn’t it?—that is one of the prime suspects for this crime. Is that right, Miss Dawson?”

  “It’s Jenna, and yes. That’s correct. He’s been stalking me.”

  “Do you have the police records of any of his past behaviors?”

  “All I have is the restraining order against him.”

  “I see. And has he been harassing you for a long time?”

  “Ever since I left him, about eighteen months ago.”

  Detective Billings leafed through his file, leaning against the counter at the reception of the station. He reminded himself of some of the key details of the case and nodded slowly.

  “You had some notes from him several weeks ago, didn’t you? Ones you found in your PO box that you believed to be from him.”

  “They’re definitely from him. I know his handwriting,” Jenna answered.

  “And what’s the new evidence you have for us?”

  Jenna handed over the
note.

  Detective Billings scanned it and nodded again. His expression had hardly changed from the moment we stepped in the door. He just slowly made another note.

  “I agree that these notes are cause for concern. And you received this today?”

  “My friend collected my mail for me. I don’t know when this was posted.”

  “You already have some officers checking in on you, correct?”

  “They drive by every couple of hours.”

  “I’m going to make that more frequent for you, and I’m going to keep this note as evidence. We’re doing all we can, Jenna.”

  Jenna was nodding, looking downcast. Maybe she had expected more from the police. After all, she was being terrorized. A whole building had been set on fire, and she’d been the target. She was terrified and needed help.

  I stepped in front of her and addressed the detective. “And what exactly is that, Detective Billings? We’ve heard nothing about this case since the investigation began. There’s a maniac out there on the loose, and he’s after Jenna. I appreciate your officers driving by, but considering the danger Jenna is in, it’s not enough. We need to know what is being done to catch this man.”

  Detective Billings nodded again, still without a change in his expression. He beckoned for us to follow him, and began to lead us towards his private office in the building. Once inside, he invited us to sit in front of his desk. He sat down on the other side and began typing into his computer.

  “We haven’t been resting on our laurels. We’ve been looking for the culprit of this crime. We have recovered some traffic camera footage of a vehicle speeding away just after the time it is believed the fire was started.” He turned the screen to face us. “Do you recognize this vehicle?”

  Jenna and I both leaned forward and squinted at the image. It was grainy, and black and white, and hard to make out much. I could tell that the vehicle was a truck.

  “We’ve run the plates, and we have identified the vehicle as a red Chevrolet Colorado truck.”

  I turned towards Jenna and tried to read her face. She looked confused and frustrated. She shook her head. “That’s not the truck he used to have, but I guess he might be driving something new.”

  “It’s registered to a James Norton.”

  “Do you know who that is, Jenna?” I asked her.

  Jenna shook her head again. I could see the tears of frustration beginning to well in her eyes. “I don’t know who that is, but I know it was Victor who set that fire. It has to be.”

  “It could be borrowed,” the detective offered, “or stolen.”

  “I just don’t know,” Jenna said. “It seems like a lot to change his truck and hide the registration when he’s happy to leave notes that point right to him.”

  “He thinks he’s untouchable, that’s why,” I said. “Or maybe he thought you wouldn’t share the notes.”

  “Well, if he’s still watching, he knows now.”

  I shook Detective Billings’ hand again. “Thank you for your time.”

  “If you notice anything suspicious, or receive any more notes, we’ll be right here.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a business card, which he handed to Jenna. “That’s my number if you need to reach me.”

  We left the building and returned to my car. Jenna seemed deflated. She hung her head and walked slowly.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She sighed. “I just don’t understand Victor, that’s all. Whose truck is it?”

  “Maybe it was one that was impounded by the police.”

  Jenna’s eyes lit up, and she nodded quickly. “I bet you’re right. I bet it’s stolen evidence. Easy enough for him to get his hands on.”

  “At least we know that they’re doing something. They found that footage, after all. It’s good to know they’re not just sitting on their hands.”

  “And at least we know what we’re looking out for. A red Chevrolet Colorado truck.”

  Jenna fell silent for a while as I drove back to mine. She was quiet and contemplative, with her arms folded over her chest and her gaze distant. She looked better, but she still wasn’t quite herself.

  When she spoke next, it was with stony determination. “I’m going to call Mrs. Gatsby and tell her I’m coming back to work.”

  I frowned and cast Jenna a sideways glance. She had her jaw set and her eyes forward on the road. She looked about as determined as anyone I’d ever seen. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

  “It’s been a week. I left Victor eighteen months ago. Eighteen months, Nate. I should know that Victor’s not going to give up and go away, so I’ve got to make a choice: stay in hiding forever, or get back out there, knowing that he’s out there too.”

  “I think you should lie low a while longer.”

  The thought of Jenna returning to work filled me with unease. Victor was still out there, and he was probably watching all the places he knew that Jenna frequented. He probably had eyes on the apartment, eyes on my house, and definitely eyes on where Jenna worked. If she went back there, it was too easy for him to follow her.

  “If I stay hidden, he wins. That’s what he wants—for my whole life to stop.”

  “I know what you’re saying, Jenna, but it’s too much of a risk.”

  “Mrs. Gatsby is a lovely woman, but she won’t hold my job open forever. I’ve already lost my peace of mind and my apartment. I refuse to lose my job, too.”

  I admired Jenna’s grit, but I feared for her. For Kacey, too. Yet I knew that Jenna had a point. We had no idea how long Victor would continue to stalk her, or just how long it might be before he got caught by the authorities. Jenna’s life could just slip away while she was waiting for Victor to appear.

  “What if he starts following you again?”

  “At least now I know what vehicle to look out for. If I spot a red truck following me, I’ll drive straight to the police station.”

  It wasn’t enough. I didn’t want Jenna to be on her own. Then again, Kacey had already had to go back to work herself. She couldn’t stay away from her job forever, either. That meant Jenna was alone in Kacey’s townhouse during the days.

  Maybe she was safer at the school with other people around.

  “I want you to call Detective Billings before you make any decisions. See what he thinks about it.”

  “I can’t hide forever, Nate. The reason I didn’t run this time is because I finally have a life that makes me happy. If I’m not living that life, then I should have run away and spared everyone the fire.”

  “Jenna…”

  “Please, Nate. I need to start moving again, or I’ll go crazy. Every little sound is making me jump a mile. I can’t sleep. I’m hiding every time someone knocks at the door or passes by the window. I need some normalcy back in my life, or I’m going to lose my mind.”

  “What does Kacey think?”

  “I spoke to her about it last night. She agrees that I should get back out there. She said if I’m ready, then I should go for it.”

  I could imagine my sister saying that. Kacey wasn’t one for sitting around feeling sorry for herself, and she wasn’t one to back down. She was a survivor, and she encouraged others to fight back too.

  “It’s up to you, Jenna, but you have to be careful. Call Detective Billings and see if he can get some officers to escort you to work. See if some cameras can get set up or something. I just don’t want him to get you on your own.”

  “He’s not just going to go away. One day, I’m going to come face to face with him again, Nate.”

  “Maybe you will, but it’ll be in a court room, where it should be.”

  Jenna didn’t say another word but turned to the window again.

  She was adamant about returning to work, and I couldn’t blame her. If I were in her position, I’d do the same thing. Having a purpose gets you through hard times, and without her work, Jenna didn’t know what her purpose was. She was growing listless and going mad inside four walls. She wanted to enj
oy her life. I couldn’t blame her for that.

  Chapter Thirty

  Jenna

  I’d returned to work. The police hadn’t offered me a work escort, but they’d arranged for officers to drive by the preschool as well. I worried about driving to and from work without the police behind me, but I supposed that they couldn’t permanently have me followed by officers, and I wasn’t about to go into witness protection.

  I drove alone, but with caution. I checked my mirror every few seconds to look out for a red Chevy following me. I scanned every side street I passed as I was driving to search for trucks like the one on the traffic camera footage. Every time I pulled up at the preschool, I checked all the parked vehicles to make sure the red truck wasn’t there.

  So far, nothing. No sign of Victor or his red truck.

  The police were searching for his vehicle too, so it was getting harder for him to hide. I could only hope that the police would find Victor before he found me again. Who knew, though? Maybe Victor had already picked up my trail again and was just biding his time.

  It had been ten days since the fire. I didn’t really think I’d managed to convince Nate that returning to work was the right thing for me to do, but he accepted that my mind was made up.

  Kacey supported me. She’d once been like me; bound to a man who only wanted to hurt her, seeing her life pass her by as she lived in fear of one man. She knew how precious our freedom was, and how hard you had to fight for it.

  My first day back at work had helped me to finally start to feel better. The laughter and antics of the kids had put a smile back on my face, and I’d felt like I was at last able to do something more than just sit around and wait for the worst to happen.

  I was reassured by the police car that I saw on the street outside, checking in on me and the others in the preschool every now and then. I kept my cell on me all the time, ready to call the police if I had to, and all the preschool staff had been briefed on the situation and knew that security needed to be tight.

  The other teachers and assistants were regularly stepping outside and taking a walk around the block to check for a red truck. They were rallying around me and doing everything they could to keep us safe.