Fire Storm

by Nancy Mehl

  But Kaely wasn’t really concerned about them. They appeared to be neighbors who knew each other. Nor was she interested in the women and children. She was looking for a lone man. Someone who stood off from the rest of the crowd. Someone trying to stay in the shadows.

  She walked the perimeter until she saw him. He wore dark pants and a baggy black coat with the hood pulled up.

  Kaely slipped behind the trunk of a large tree in the front yard of a nearby house so she could observe him. The man didn’t seem to notice her. She waited until he moved a little closer to the police line. He appeared to be entranced by the frantic flames. Being as quiet as possible, Kaely moved nearer. Still no response. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and snapped a few pictures. She was having a tough time getting a shot of his face, so she took another step toward him. When he seemed to sense her presence, she lowered her phone and tucked it behind her folded arms, praying it was still pointed toward him. Finally, he turned her way, a questioning look on his face. She quickly snapped several more pictures, coughing to cover the clicks of her camera.

  “Awful fire,” she said to the man, trying to act like just another neighbor out to see the excitement.

  “Yeah,” he said. “Looks like it’s spreading to the house next door. Hope everyone got out okay.”

  “Me too.” Kaely slipped the phone into her pocket so he wouldn’t get suspicious. “You live around here?”

  He shook his head. “A few blocks away. Just came to see what was going on.”

  Kaely guessed he was in his late twenties or early thirties. He fit the profile. She stuck her hand out. “Kaely Quinn. I’m from St. Louis. Staying with my mom for a while.”

  He stared at her hand for a moment but then took it, although he seemed a little reluctant. “Rick Cramer.”

  He had a firm handshake. A sign of confidence. Not something she would have expected from a serial arsonist.

  “Sure have been a lot of these lately,” she said after letting go of his gloved hand. “Darkwater seems like a rather unlucky town.”

  He nodded. “We’re near the Niobrara River. The name means Running Water. This town was founded in 1872 after a local man’s children drowned in the river. That’s why it’s named Darkwater.”

  “Wow. Are you some kind of expert on the area?”

  He finally smiled. “No. I teach history at the high school.”

  Even though he was outside the preferred profile, it didn’t mean he wasn’t the one behind the fires. Kaely intended to look him up. Make sure he was who he said he was.

  She excused herself and walked back toward her car, her eyes darting around, looking for someone else. Another loner who could be the arsonist. But no one else sparked her interest.

  As she approached her car, she heard people talking. She put her car keys back in her pocket and walked over to where they stood. A man and a woman stood near three kids with matching hats and wide eyes. They all stared at the houses being consumed. Next to them she noticed an older woman and a man who looked to be in his thirties. She could tell they were related by their similar features. The man seemed uncomfortable. Wouldn’t meet her eyes.

  “You folks know the people who live in that house?” Kaely asked. She quickly flashed her credentials, hoping they wouldn’t look too closely. They didn’t.

  “Yeah, the Andersons,” the man said. “Two parents and three kids. We’re really concerned about them.”

  Kaely’s heart fell. Although the firefighters were giving it everything they had, the blaze was still raging out of control.

  “Do you know if they got out?” Kaely asked, afraid to hear the answer.

  The older woman shook her head. “We were just talking about that. We have no idea.” She looked at a young man standing next to her. “My son Devin tried to ask about them, but the police wouldn’t give him any information. Just told him to stay back.”

  A vehicle roared up the street. As it approached the police line, its brakes screeched loudly. Kaely turned to see an old pickup truck pull up next to the police car blocking traffic. A teenager got out of the pickup and ran toward the police car.

  “That’s Brant Anderson,” the younger woman with the children said. She called out, “Brant! Brant!” but the teenager ignored her. A police officer hurried over and pulled the boy back. Brant began to talk frantically to the officer, who listened and nodded. He took the young man’s arm and led him inside the cordoned area. Kaely could only pray he wasn’t going to get the worst news of his life. Hopefully, the rest of his family had made it out safely.

  As the neighbors began to talk among themselves, Kaely decided to walk down the sidewalk, farther away from the action. She noticed a man focused on the growing inferno. He was tall with longish dark hair and a beard. Thick glasses magnified his brown eyes.

  “Do you know the people who live in that house?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “No. I don’t know anyone around here. Just staying at my mom’s place for a while. She lives down the street. She had a stroke and can’t get back to town for a few weeks. She was worried about leaving her home unprotected and asked me to stay until she makes it back. Thankfully, my sister’s with her.”

  “That’s nice of you. I’d get fired if I took off work that long.”

  He smiled. “I’m a graphic designer, so I can work from anywhere. All I really need is my computer. The sacrifice isn’t as much as you might think.” He held out his hand. “I’m Aaron Pollard. My mom’s name is Sally. Do you know her?”

  Kaely noticed his solid handshake and the way he gazed right into her eyes. Again, not what she would expect from an arsonist. He spoke with a soft southern twang, confirming his assertion that he didn’t live in Nebraska. “No,” she said. “I don’t. I’m a couple miles south. Just checking out the fire.”

  He nodded. “Hard to stay away. I’m praying everyone made it out.”

  “Me too.” She smiled at him. “Nice to meet you, Aaron.”

  “Same here.”

  She said good-bye and walked back to her car. Before she took off, she wrote down the names of Rick Cramer, Devin, and Aaron Pollard’s mom. She also wrote down the address of the houses near the spot where the neighbors had gathered. She should be able to figure out where Devin lived and discover his last name. Kaely would look up the other addresses later. They all lived pretty close to the fire. Usually arsonists kept a more comfortable distance from their crimes, but she’d seen it before. A firebug who wanted to watch the neighbors burn. It could mean he was evolving. Getting braver.

  She’d been gone longer than she planned, so she quickly drove back to her mother’s house. As she passed a large oak tree in the middle of a nearby yard, she thought she saw some movement behind the tree. She backed up but couldn’t see anyone. Just in case, she made a note of the address and then drove off.

  The massive beast grows and grows, its eyes of flame searching for its creator. For him. When they finally find him, he smiles to himself. The creature knows him. Appreciates him. As it sucks life into its belly, it swells. It will take a while for firefighters to kill it. And when they finally do, it will only be temporary. His creation will rise again until its destiny is fulfilled.

  He continues to appreciate his handiwork.

  He and the beast are one.

  When Kaely pulled into her mother’s driveway, she noticed the light on in the kitchen. Had she left it on? She didn’t think so. Her stomach clenched. Her mother was up. Had she needed help and found Kaely gone?

  Worried, Kaely jumped out of the car and jogged up to the front door. She quickly slid the key into the lock and stepped inside the house. Then she gasped when she saw her mother’s body lying on the living room floor.

  nine

  Kaely felt as if all the air had been sucked out of the room as she struggled to catch her breath. She was an FBI agent. She’d seen bodies before. But not her mother’s.

  She dropped her purse on the floor and ran to Marcie’s side. She put her f
ingers on her mother’s neck and found a slight but steady pulse. Kaely gently cradled Marcie’s head in her lap. Then she realized she should have brought her purse with her so she could call for an ambulance. She knew better. She wasn’t thinking clearly. It was as if all her training had sprouted wings and flown away.

  She breathed deeply several times in an effort to calm her trembling body. She’d decided to gently lower her mother’s head and get her phone when Marcie’s eyes fluttered open. Her eyes appeared to have problems focusing for a few seconds, then she looked up into Kaely’s face.

  “Jessie?” she mumbled. “Is that you?”

  “Yeah, it’s me, Mom. I’m here. I’m going to call for an ambulance.”

  “Oh, for crying out loud,” her mother said, her voice shaky. “I don’t need an ambulance. It’s the chemo. It makes me dizzy sometimes. Just help me to my feet.”

  “Are you sure, Mom?” Kaely asked. “We need to make certain you didn’t break anything.”

  Her mother struggled to sit up. “I didn’t actually fall. I felt the dizziness coming on and lay down on the floor so I wouldn’t fall. I’ve gone through this before.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Would you please quit talking and help me to the couch?”

  “Okay, Mom.” Kaely wasn’t sure she was doing the right thing, but there was something convincing about a parent telling you what to do. Maybe the automatic kid response never really went away.

  Kaely slowly lifted her mother until she was on her feet. She couldn’t believe how light Marcie felt. They walked slowly over to the large flowered couch, and Kaely helped her sit down. She could feel her mother’s body tremble beneath her robe. Once Marcie was seated, she tried to push herself back against a pillow positioned against the arm of the couch. Kaely gently lifted her mother’s legs until she could lean back on the pillow. Marcie collapsed into it with a deep sigh.

  “Could you get me that throw?” Marcie asked, pointing a bony finger at the other end of the couch.

  Kaely picked up the colorful afghan her mother indicated. She unfolded it and gently covered her mother’s body.

  “Can I get you anything, Mom?” Kaely asked. “Are you hungry? Thirsty?”

  “You realize you’re calling me Mom, right?”

  Kaely hadn’t been aware of it, and the revelation shook her. It also made her feel ashamed for making a big deal out of calling her mother by her first name. She suddenly felt incredibly childish.

  “I . . . I’m going to make you a cup of that chamomile tea you like. I’ll be right back.” She fled into the kitchen. She’d seen the tea in the cabinet during supper, and Jason had mentioned their mother liked a cup now and then. As she found the cups and took one down, she noticed her hands were shaking.

  What was wrong with her? She’d helped bring down psychopaths and some of the most evil people on the planet. She understood them as much as they could be understood. But here she was with her mother and her emotions were jumping all over the place.

  Kaely recognized the cup and saucer she’d pulled from the cabinet. She’d given them to her mother one Christmas many years ago. Her father had taken her to a popular Des Moines department store, and Kaely had picked out a beautiful tea set. Although it cost too much, her father didn’t say a word. Just took out his wallet. She could still remember her mother’s face when she opened it on Christmas.

  “Oh, Jessie,” she’d said. “It’s so beautiful. Thank you.” And she’d smiled at her husband because she knew he’d actually paid for it.

  Even though Kaely understood her father and could explain why he’d done the things he did, it was still difficult for her to accept the dichotomy of his thoughtful gestures while he was filled with so much malevolence. Her head understood him, but in her heart, a fourteen-year-old girl was still bewildered by his horrific actions.

  Her mother had a water dispenser with hot water so Kaely used it to make the tea. After adding a little sweetener, she carried the cup into the living room.

  “Thank you,” her mother said.

  Kaely put the cup down on the coffee table near Marcie. Then she sat down on a chair next to the couch. She wanted to escape to the bedroom so she could make notes about the fire and the men she’d talked to, but she couldn’t leave Marcie alone until she was certain she was okay.

  “Where did you go, Jessie?”

  Kaely was relieved to hear her voice had grown stronger. “I went to check out a fire a few miles away, Mom.”

  Her mother sighed loudly and picked up her cup of tea. She took a sip and then set it down. The china made a ringing sound as it touched the surface of the saucer. “So you think these fires are suspicious?”

  Kaely was surprised by her mother’s question. “I’m not sure. But there’s a pattern. And there shouldn’t be.”

  Her mother appeared to study her. “You believe someone is purposely trying to kill people? Someone like your father?”

  Although arsonists were a different kind of animal than the beast her father was, she nodded. Men like her father lived to enjoy the kill up close, while arsonists watched their destruction from a safe distance. But in the end, murderers were murderers.

  “What can you do to stop this?”

  “Not much. I’m out of my jurisdiction. The Omaha field office is in charge of the state. I might try to talk to the fire chief. Maybe I can get him to look a little more closely at these fires.” She gazed at her mother, who actually appeared interested in what she was saying. “If there are many more incidences, the mayor or city council might become concerned. The chief answers to them.”

  “I haven’t lived here long, Jessie, but I don’t think the city council is very proactive. They seem to spend more time arguing with each other than doing anything constructive. I wouldn’t count on them for help.”

  Marcie stared at her for several seconds, making Kaely feel uneasy. She got to her feet. “I think I need to get some sleep. I’m exhausted.”

  “Maybe you’d be more rested if you weren’t running around town in the middle of the night.”

  There it was. Her mother’s attempt at a normal conversation flew out the window.

  “Let’s get you to bed, Mom.”

  “I’d like to stay out here for now.”

  “But what if you need to get up during the night? If I’m asleep—”

  “Thank you, Jessie, but I’m a grown woman. If I decide to sleep out here on my couch in my own home, I’ll do it. Now go to bed.”

  Kaely stood there, not knowing what to do. If her mother got dizzy and really fell this time . . .

  “If it’s going to upset you this much,” Marcie spat out, “help me back to the bedroom.”

  Kaely silently removed the afghan and waited for her mother to sit up before helping her back to bed. She noticed pictures of herself and Jason on her mother’s dresser and realized there wasn’t a single picture of her family in her condo. In fact, there weren’t any pictures at all. It was a place to work and to sleep. Except for Mr. Hoover and what she called her “war room”—a special room full of files, pictures, and newspaper clippings about open or cold cases—there wasn’t anything there she cared about. When she was home, she worked. She’d finally canceled her cable because she never watched TV. Her whole life revolved around chasing monsters. She’d pushed her family out of her mind completely.

  Until Jason came back into her life, that is. At least she’d reconnected with her brother. But she wondered if she would ever have a good relationship with her mother again. Frankly, it was beginning to look like Marcie might die before that happened.

  Kaely helped Marcie get into bed and made sure she was comfortable. Then she went back to her own room. After closing the door, she slid down to the floor, put her head in her hands, and began to cry.

  ten

  Kaely was surprised when Jason came over the next morning to fix breakfast. She wasn’t expecting to see him until that evening. He looked refreshed. Obviously even a single night away had helped h
im. Kaely felt badly. Dealing with Marcie wasn’t easy. He’d been shouldering the load alone for too long.

  Jason made Denver omelets for the three of them. When they sat down to eat, Jason said, “There was another fire last night. I thought you should know.”

  “Is that why you came over?”

  Jason nodded. “I wasn’t sure you’d heard about it.”

  Kaely glanced over at her mother, who had her head down and was picking at her omelet.

  “Actually, I drove over there last night,” Kaely told him.

  “You left Mom alone?” he said, frowning.

  “She wasn’t gone very long,” Marcie said. “I was just fine.”

  Kaely was surprised to hear her mother cover for her. She thought about telling Jason the truth, but if Marcie wanted to keep it between them, maybe it was best to leave it alone.

  Jason stared at Kaely for a moment, but then went back to eating his breakfast.

  “It looked really bad,” Kaely said. “Do you know if anyone was hurt?”

  Jason nodded. “Two of the family members are in the hospital. Not sure which ones. I guess a teenage son was staying the night at a friend’s.” He took a long sip of coffee before saying, “The house next door was a total loss too, along with a car in the garage. Thankfully, the family got out in plenty of time. Got their two dogs out safely as well.”

  “Thank God for that,” Kaely said. “Where did you learn about this? In the paper?”

  Jason snorted. “No, this isn’t St. Louis. The newspaper here only comes out once a week. I saw it on the news last night.” He took another sip of his coffee. “And I saw Sam outside his house on the way over here. He was just getting into his car.”

  “Sam?”

  “Yeah. Sam Lucas. The firefighter I told you about.”

  “Was he there last night?”

  Jason nodded as he chewed. “This is a volunteer fire department, sis. Most towns this size have them. But don’t make the mistake of thinking they’re not professional. They go through as much training as career firefighters.”