Fire Storm

by Nancy Mehl

  They walked down the hall to a door with a sign that read Chief Tuck Reynolds. Sam knocked, and a deep voice said, “Come in.”

  Sam swung the door open, and Kaely found herself being scrutinized by Chief Reynolds. He looked just like his picture in the local paper. His dreadlocks were tied behind his head, and his tight shirtsleeves revealed a man who worked out. Once again, Kaely was surprised by him. In a small town like Darkwater, she’d expected someone older, even if the office of fire chief was voluntary. However, she was struck immediately by his presence. He radiated confidence. His eyes locked on hers, his gaze intense. This man was serious about his job. Kaely suspected he didn’t suffer fools gladly.

  He nodded a dismissal at Sam, who shut the door behind him as he left. The fire chief gestured toward an old leather chair in front of his desk. High-end furniture that had seen better days was stationed throughout his office. Kaely gazed quickly around the room. There were two pictures on the bookshelf behind him. His family—and one that looked like it had been taken in another country. That explained it.

  “You’re the profiler?” he asked. His voice was well modulated.

  “You’re a dentist,” she said matter-of-factly.

  “Are you profiling me?”

  “Not really. And actually, I was trained as a behavioral analyst. Some people call us profilers, but we don’t refer to ourselves that way.”

  The chief’s right eyebrow shot up. “Okay. So how do you know I’m a dentist?”

  Kaely nodded toward the photos on his bookshelf. “First of all, your family photo. Your wife and sons all have perfect teeth. So do you. Then there’s the picture of you with three children. It was obviously taken in another country. I would guess somewhere in Africa? If you were with some kind of charity, you would look concerned. But you’re smiling. Has to be because you know you can help these kids.”

  “That’s pretty good. I’m impressed.”

  Kaely flashed him a grin. “If that wasn’t enough, your lab coat is hanging on the coatrack behind you with your name on it, followed by the initials DDS.”

  For the first time since she’d entered the chief’s office, he seemed to relax. He even laughed, although it was quick and automatic. His serious expression slipped right back into place.

  “You’ve been telling Sam that you think Darkwater has an arsonist.” He stated it directly, not as a question. “Tell me why you believe that.”

  He was focused on her. She didn’t see any signs of defensiveness. He wasn’t challenging her. He was really interested in her responses. She took a deep breath. “The first thing I noticed was a pattern.”

  “What kind of pattern?”

  “Do you have anything showing the locations of the fires?”

  He nodded and reached into his desk. He pulled out a map of Darkwater and pushed it toward her. The location of each fire was marked with a red X. Interesting. Was this standard procedure, or was he curious about the fires as well?

  “Here,” she said, leaning over the chief’s desk and pointing to the trail of X marks. “It’s almost circular. As if someone was trying to stay away from his own home and reach out as far as he felt comfortable. But you’ve already noticed the pattern.”

  “I noticed it, but I wasn’t sure,” he said. “Anything else that led you to your conclusion?”

  “Too many fires. The number and frequency of home fires for a town this size is way out of bounds, statistically speaking. And then with the early Tuesday morning fire, the boy who wasn’t home when his house caught on fire was convinced his father wouldn’t buy a space heater. Of course, all of this is circumstantial—but together it begins to add up.”

  The chief didn’t say anything for a moment. Then he swore quietly. “I should have caught this sooner. I’m a very practical person. I don’t get carried away by conspiracy theories or circumstances that sound . . . fanciful. Can you understand that?”

  “Yes. But in my line of work, what’s hard to believe usually turns out to be reality. Evil isn’t something we’re trained to accept. Facing the truth, realizing that someone actually wants to hurt innocent people, is extremely difficult to understand. Especially by someone like you who lives to protect life, not destroy it.”

  The chief didn’t respond. He just reached into his desk and took out what looked like a letter. He unfolded it and then placed it in front of Kaely. “This came in the mail. It’s the reason I asked you to meet with me.”

  She was surprised he was handling it without gloves. Careful not to pick it up and add her prints to the chief’s, she leaned over and read.

  Jack is nimble, Jack is slick.

  Jack is knocking over the candlesticks.

  Who am I watching? Who will I pick?

  If you hope to catch me, you’d better be quick!

  “It’s . . . silly,” the chief said slowly. “Ridiculous. A twisted child’s nursery rhyme. I have to wonder if it isn’t someone’s idea of a joke. I have a hard time taking it seriously.”

  As Kaely stared at the note, a familiar feeling washed over her. This reminded her of another killer who’d sent letters, yet she sensed this was different. “I don’t think it’s a joke,” she said. She looked up at the chief. “This is your arsonist. And he’s not done. Please send this to the police. They need to check it for fingerprints.” She frowned as she stared at the note.

  “Something else bothering you?” the chief asked.

  “This last call you went on, the one with the elderly woman,” she said slowly, being careful not to let him know Sam had told her anything the chief wanted to keep private. “Did it fit the pattern of the others?”

  The chief shook his head. “A clear accident.”

  “It’s possible the arsonist sent this letter because of that fire.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s difficult to be sure, but he could be upset that someone else rained on his parade. He may be protective of his . . . work. Doesn’t want to share the glory.”

  “That’s nuts.”

  “It might be nuts,” Kaely said, “but he’s been very shrewd. Don’t underestimate him.”

  “All right. So what’s going to happen now?” the chief said. “Is this guy going to send us more notes? Taunt us while he burns down this town?”

  Kaely shook her head. “I’m not sure you’ll get another message.”

  Chief Reynolds frowned at her. “Why do you say that?”

  “It’s just my sense of who he is. He communicates through his fires. Not with paper. Other serials have mailed letters to authorities because it made them feel powerful. Famous. They loved sowing fear. But this guy? He just wants to make sure you know he’s behind them. The accidental fire spooked him. But now that he’s made it clear he’s out there, I think he’s going to concentrate on what he really likes—setting fires. Killing people.” She paused and locked eyes with the chief. “I don’t believe he’ll use space heaters anymore. Too much trouble. From here on out I suspect he’ll revert to the usual gasoline or some other accelerant. Which makes him more dangerous.”

  “Why didn’t he start his fires that way from the beginning? What’s the deal with space heaters?”

  Kaely had been wondering the same thing for a while. Why make it so complicated? She shrugged. “For now, anything I say would be a wild guess. I just can’t be sure of his reasoning at this point.” Sam’s story about the fire that killed his family jumped into her mind. But that happened a long time ago. She couldn’t see a connection.

  Chief Reynolds was quiet, staring at the note. “Can you help us?” he asked finally.

  “There’s nothing wrong with asking my opinions, but unless I get permission from Omaha, I can’t officially get involved. Have you thought about calling in the FBI?”

  The chief shook his head. “No. I don’t want to work with them again. I want you.”

  Kaely sighed. She’d hoped he would change his mind once he realized what they were up against. “Let me make a phone call. I’
ll let you know what I can do. A friend of mine is coming here. Together maybe we can—” At that moment Kaely’s cell phone rang. “Sorry,” she said. “I should have turned it off. I’m not expecting any calls.” She pulled her phone out of her pocket, intending to silence it, when she noticed who was calling. What an odd coincidence. “Chief, I need to take this. Do you mind if I step out for a moment?”

  “No,” he said. “Do what you need to do.”

  Kaely got up and went out into the hall, closing the chief’s door behind her. She quickly answered her phone. “Hey, Boss. Funny you’d call now.”

  She listened as Solomon told her about her temporary assignment. “Noah’s on his way. On Monday afternoon at one o’clock you’ll both check in with Omaha. From there you’ll be sent to North Platte to do surveillance. In your off time, you can work the Darkwater case. Omaha will back you up, but they don’t have a good relationship with the powers-that-be in Darkwater. Rather than trying to mend fences, we all agreed the best thing was to let you and Noah poke around under their jurisdiction. See what you can do to help. Even if Darkwater asks for help, Omaha can’t do much right now. They have their hands full trying to shut down MS-13 and the drugs they’re distributing in the area.”

  “Thanks, Solomon,” Kaely said.

  “What about your mother?” he asked gently. “I’d hate for this case to distract you from what’s important.”

  “My brother is still here. I’m sure he’ll cover for me.” Even as she said it, she wondered how Jason was going to take this news. He’d seemed a little perturbed when she asked him to come over and watch their mother this afternoon.

  “Please be cautious, Kaely. There are some mistakes we can’t fix. Don’t make a decision you’ll regret later.”

  “I’ll be careful. Thanks.”

  Kaely hung up and went back into the chief’s office. As she told him about the assignment in North Platte and what she’d now be able to do in Darkwater, she couldn’t shake Solomon’s warning. Tracking this arsonist could easily consume her. Her mother was seriously ill. Could Kaely give her the attention she needed and still stop this murderer who called himself Jack?

  She wasn’t so sure.

  fifteen

  When Jason came over to fix supper that night, Kaely told him about the assignment with Omaha. “I have to be in North Platte by eight o’clock on the nights we’re called in. I’ll be back in the mornings.”

  “What are you saying?” Jason asked. He was taking a casserole out of the oven. Kaely jumped as he slapped the metal pan down on top of the stove. “Sounds to me like I’m going to have to be here most of the time. Again.”

  “I’m sorry, Jason. People have died. If I can help . . .”

  Jason came over and sat down next to her at the table. “Your job isn’t everything, Kaely,” he said, keeping his voice low. “What about Mom? Me? Does your family warrant any of your precious time?” He clasped his hands together. “Look, I respect what you do. I really do. I realize you’re concerned about these fires, but Mom may be dying. Does she count?”

  “Of course she does,” Kaely snapped. “I drove all the way here just to help her. To help you.”

  “And now you’ve decided to chase an arsonist. And a violent gang. That’s just great.”

  “I’m going to do the best I can to spend time with Marcie,” Kaely said. “And to give you time to get away. I’m not abandoning you. Or Mom. But I have to do this, Jason.”

  “This isn’t going to work, Kaely.”

  “It will work. I’ll make it work.”

  Kaely couldn’t understand Jason’s attitude. Wasn’t he concerned about Darkwater? About innocent people whose lives might be in danger? She wasn’t going to abandon their mother. She would be here when she could. Didn’t that count for something?

  His attitude angered her. Why couldn’t he understand that this was who she was? That she had no choice but to try to help the authorities find this guy before someone else died? He’d encouraged her to pursue this.

  Jason took a deep breath before saying, “You know, when you left home, I felt abandoned. I resented you for that. It’s the reason I didn’t contact you when I finally left home. Didn’t let you know where I was.”

  “I wasn’t trying to be selfish,” Kaely said. “I just needed to get out of there. You seemed to be doing okay.”

  Jason laughed bitterly. “Okay? I was just a kid. Left behind with a woman who couldn’t connect with anyone and didn’t even try. It was awful.”

  Was this the reason he was so upset with her now? Lingering resentment over something that happened so long ago? As she thought about it, she could understand how her leaving had felt like rejection. “I’m sorry, Jason. I really am. I didn’t think. I wish I could take it back.”

  “I didn’t tell you to make you feel bad,” Jason said. “I just needed you to know. You thought I was trying to get away from our messed-up past. But the truth is, I was angry with you.” He blinked away tears that filled his eyes. “I guess I feel kind of that way now.”

  “But this isn’t the same thing.”

  Jason was quiet for a moment. Then he said, “I know. Sorry for getting upset. I can’t pretend I’m happy about this situation, but I guess I understand. Anyway, I’ll try to.”

  Kaely reached over and took his hand. “Forgive me?”

  He gave her a tremulous smile. “I’m trying.”

  Kaely squeezed her brother’s hand and then let it go. Her emotions were jumbled. She felt awful for hurting Jason, yet she was glad he’d been honest with her. It made more sense why he would be upset with her about not being able to stay with Mom as much as she’d planned.

  Kaely and Jason could hear Marcie’s bedroom door open. Jason got up and took plates out of the cabinet. Marcie shuffled in as he scooped helpings of the casserole onto their plates and put them on the table.

  “What’s this?” Marcie asked as she sat down.

  “Chicken and broccoli with rice, Mom,” Jason said. “Try it. It’s good.”

  Marcie rolled her eyes. “You know I don’t like broccoli.”

  Jason’s face turned pink but he stayed silent.

  “Then pick it out, Mom,” Kaely said. “It smells heavenly.”

  They ate dinner in relative silence, Marcie making a big show of putting her broccoli on a small plate she got from the cabinet. After supper, Jason cleaned up the kitchen and left, not saying much to either Kaely or his mother. It was obvious he was still disappointed over Kaely’s change of plans.

  She spent the rest of the weekend with her mother, working the case in her bedroom at night or when Marcie took a nap.

  On Sunday night, when Jason came over to fix supper, he took her aside. “Look, Kaely, I told you I’d do my best to deal with this, but you need to know that it can’t go on forever. I need to get back to my business and to Audrey. She’s very understanding, but I’ve postponed our wedding twice now.”

  “Well, then let’s find someone to come in and help if we need it. No matter how Marcie feels about it.”

  “We may not have a choice, but first let’s see how this week goes. You know Mom will pitch a fit if we try to bring a stranger into the house. Since you’re convinced this will work out, that you can handle your job and care for Mom at the same time, let’s give it a shot. I’m willing to see if you’re right.”

  Kaely started to respond, but he waved her comment away. “I’ll start looking around, see what kind of services are in the area. That way we’ll know what our options are, okay?”

  “I think that’s a good idea.” Kaely reached out and took her brother’s hand. “I’m sorry, Jason. I don’t want you to be angry with me, but I have to—”

  “No, Kaely,” Jason said, shaking his head. “You don’t have to. You want to. You live for your job. It defines you. You need to learn that your job is just something you do. Not who you are.” He gently pulled his hand from hers and walked away.

  Kaely tried to dismiss his comments, but i
t wasn’t easy. Who was she without her job with the FBI? It was a question she couldn’t answer. She pushed away the confusion his comments caused. She had to concentrate on the case. The sooner the arsonist was caught, the happier everyone would be, including Jason. She prayed that God would help her locate the UNSUB and stop the destruction in Darkwater. After her prayer, she felt better.

  Although she had a special way of profiling criminals, she didn’t feel she had enough information to use it yet. She’d done some research on Rick Cramer, the high school history teacher, and ruled him out. He didn’t come close to fitting the profile. Sam knew him and assured her he couldn’t be involved. Besides, he was at a local restaurant celebrating his birthday the night of one of the other fires. She’d looked up his Facebook page, and there were pictures from the party. Devin, the odd young man living with his mother, wasn’t a suspect either. He’d been in jail during the other fires and had been released the day before Kaely met him.

  Kaely also checked with a couple of Aaron Pollard’s neighbors. Sure enough, they confirmed that his mother had suffered a stroke while visiting her daughter. Aaron’s daughter had phoned one of the neighbors who was friendly with his mother, Sally, and let her know Aaron was coming to watch the house. Sally had lived in Darkwater only for six months, and this was Aaron’s first visit. He had no reason to set fires in the small town since he didn’t know anyone and had no history with the people who lived here.

  Kaely was back to square one.

  She’d gone through background information on all the fire victims, wondering if someone might be attempting to cover up a crime by setting additional fires. It had happened before. But she couldn’t find anything that pointed to that.

  Thankfully, Georgie stayed away over the weekend while Kaely worked. She didn’t want to be distracted. She needed to focus on the problem in Darkwater before more people died.

  Kaely said good-bye to her mother on Monday morning after Jason arrived. Kaely had tried to explain the situation to Marcie the night before, but Kaely could tell by her body language that she was angry. Was she concerned about Kaely’s safety? Or was she feeling slighted? It was impossible to know. Even though Kaely was well versed in reading physical clues, they only offered possibilities. There wasn’t any way to actually see into a person’s personal thoughts.