Fire Storm

by Nancy Mehl

  Josh knew there was an arsonist, but he was trying not to scare the town. Kaely felt even more pressure to figure out what was going on. Unfortunately, Josh himself was one of her suspects. He’d recently lost his bid for sheriff. Even though he said he didn’t care, what if he was lying? What if he’d decided to pay the town back for rejecting him? He could have been the man in the video. And he could be the person she saw walk past the window before the fire started at her mother’s house.

  And then there was Jack. If he was alive and angry at Darkwater for the fire that cost his parents’ lives, then the body found in the remains of the house was probably that of Raymond Berger. Kaely sighed with frustration. It was true the boy had disappeared, but it was a stretch to believe something so implausible. Kaely got up, grabbed her notebook, and wrote Find out if Raymond’s family still lives in Darkwater. Talk to them. Although she wasn’t certain what they could tell her, she needed to cover all the bases.

  Then, of course, there was Sam, who had an alibi for the first fire that happened after she arrived—and who had saved people, including herself, from two different fires. She wanted to rule him out, but she wasn’t ready to do that yet. She’d never picked up one hint of deception from him. It was almost impossible for someone not trained in body language to fool her.

  She had to consider the note sent to the fire chief. Of course, Tuck, Josh, and Sam all knew the nursery rhyme had been used to tease Jack when he was a kid. Was it a joke most people would know? Would anyone else connect it to Jack?

  Did that put the three men at the top of her list of suspects?

  thirty-six

  Kaely ran her hand through her hair, trying to sort out her thoughts. It was difficult because everything was so jumbled. Her mother’s illness and Noah’s injuries weren’t helping her ability to concentrate.

  “You’re having trouble with this one, aren’t you?”

  Kaely looked up. Georgie was sitting on the edge of the bed, watching her.

  “Yes. It’s driving me nuts.” Kaely could hear the impatience in her voice, but she couldn’t help it. There were too many possibilities and not enough evidence. Her frustration was beginning to bubble over. “I’ve gone through all of Josh’s files, but I haven’t found anyone I’d call a good suspect. Well, a couple of them could fit, but one’s dead and the other’s in prison.”

  Georgie nodded. “Was the guy in prison an arsonist?”

  Kaely sighed. “Yeah, but not the kind I’m looking for. He set his fires in fields and ditches, places void of people.”

  “He could have changed. Maybe he has an accomplice.”

  “I thought of that,” Kaely said, “but I can’t find a motive.” Her conversation with Georgie had been so natural, so fluid, that Kaely hadn’t realized she’d shown up on her own again. “What are you doing here?”

  Georgie’s brown eyes narrowed. “You need me.”

  Kaely took another bite of her lasagna and washed it down with a quick drink of soda. Georgie was right. Kaely was alone and needed someone to bounce ideas off. It helped her to think.

  “Nothing makes any sense,” she said with a sigh.

  “Talk it out. What doesn’t make sense?”

  “I put Sam at the top of the list of suspects but . . .” Kaely turned to look at Georgie, who was listening intently.

  “But you have a hard time believing he’s behind these fires?”

  “A very hard time. Everything I know about evaluating people tells me it’s not him.”

  “Then why not rule him out?”

  “Because logically it has to be him. I saw someone who looked just like him before the fire started at Mom’s house.”

  “Wasn’t it dark out? How could you see him?”

  Kaely turned the question over in her mind. The answer came to her suddenly. “You’re a genius, Georgie. You know that?”

  Georgie laughed. “I think you’re congratulating yourself, but thanks.”

  “I noticed my first night at Mom’s that the next-door neighbor had an automatic light on their side porch. Whoever it was trigged the light.”

  “Well, that proves it wasn’t your imagination. It came on because someone really was out there.”

  “Right,” Kaely said slowly. “But that doesn’t mean it was Sam. Or Sheriff Brotton.”

  “Did it look like him?”

  Kaely started to say yes, but then she stopped. “You know what? I don’t know. It was so fast. I got the impression it was a tall man with blond hair who was wearing a hoodie.”

  “How could you see his hair?”

  Kaely chewed her lip as she thought about it. The truth was, she wasn’t sure she saw the guy’s hair. “I think I saw what I expected to see.”

  “You expected to see Sam?”

  Kaely looked at Georgie and nodded. “I guess it could have been anyone. Even the next-door neighbor. I expected to see Sam because I can’t rule him out. Even though I want to.”

  “But deep down inside you know it’s not him, right?”

  Kaely rubbed her temples. She could feel a stress headache coming on. “I can’t prove it’s Sam. I can’t prove it’s not Sam. I can’t prove it’s anyone. Maybe it’s someone not even on my radar. Someone I don’t know.”

  “Now, you know that can’t be true. Whoever set the fire at your mother’s house knew you—was targeting you.”

  Of course Kaely was aware of that, but exhaustion had caused her to forget. She was grateful that Georgie had reminded her.

  Georgie leaned back, her arms behind her, her legs dangling off the edge of the bed. Georgie always wore a short, colorful patchwork dress with black Keds and a purple ribbon in her curly hair. It was the real Georgie’s favorite outfit when they were kids. Even though Kaely’s Georgie was grown up and Kaely’s age, that’s still how Kaely saw her, and she had no intention of changing the image she had—no, needed—of Georgie.

  “What else is bothering you?”

  Kaely took a sip of her soda as she thought. When she put the cup down she said, “I keep going back to the studies that say arsonists cause destruction from a distance. They like to watch what they’ve done, but that they usually don’t like close contact with their victims.”

  “You’re thinking about Jack?”

  Kaely nodded. “Let’s just say for a minute that our arsonist is Jack.”

  “Okay.”

  “Jack doesn’t fit the profile. He wasn’t afraid to confront the people he didn’t like.” She gazed at Georgie. “That’s what bothers me about this case. I can’t find anyone who fits the profile perfectly.” Kaely rubbed her eyes. She needed sleep. Being so tired wasn’t helping her powers of deduction. “And you’re right. The person who set Mom’s house on fire knows me. But why go after me? No one here has a reason to want me dead.”

  “Say Jack is alive. Why would he come back after all these years and set fires?” Georgie asked suddenly.

  Kaely pointed her finger at Georgie. “That’s the big question, isn’t it? What’s his motivation? And why go after families? It doesn’t seem like he was mistreated. There’s no reason for him to hate his family enough to kill innocent people.” She frowned. “Okay, let’s say Jack set the fire at his house. Left Raymond inside to take his place. Made sure he was wearing his bracelet. What about that night connects him to today? Makes him want to burn down homes? A lot of kids hate their parents. They don’t burn down their houses. And wanting your twin dead? Twins usually have a strong bond. Something’s missing, and I can’t seem to get a handle on it.”

  “But Jack’s a psychopath,” Georgie added. “He didn’t react like everyone else. Let’s say for a moment he is the one setting the fires. Forget everything you just said. What’s his motive?”

  Kaely took a deep breath. “Sam escaped. Jack’s back to finish what he started. He wants to destroy Sam.”

  “First he wants to ruin his reputation,” Georgie said softly. “And then . . .”

  “The end game is to kill him.”
r />   Kaely sat up straight in her chair. The Jack angle finally made sense. Except . . .

  “Why now?” Georgie asked, putting into words exactly what Kaely was wondering.

  “Something stressed him. Pushed him over the edge. I won’t know what that was unless I can talk to him. Interview him.” Kaely slapped her hands on the table. “I’m talking like Jack is really here. Like he’s alive. But that’s ludicrous.”

  “Perhaps what you’re missing is right in front of you. You’ve got to eliminate the impossible. Once you do that . . .”

  “‘Whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.’” Kaely shrugged. “I’m well aware of that quote from Sherlock Holmes. But it doesn’t apply here . . . does it?”

  “Does it?”

  “I’m going to talk to Dr. Roberson tomorrow. I’ll see if there’s any reason to think the body found in the fire isn’t Jack’s.” Kaely rubbed her eyes again. “I’ve got to shower and get some sleep.” She smiled at Georgie. “Thanks. I really appreciate your help.”

  “Just be careful,” Georgie said. “Noah’s not with you. I feel . . . something.”

  “Yeah, I know. ‘By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.’ That was a little overly dramatic, wasn’t it?”

  “Hey, blame yourself for that. You’re the one who loves Shakespeare. But you feel it, Kaely. I know you do. Pay attention. Your instincts are always right.”

  “Not always, but thanks. Now let me get some sleep.”

  Georgie faded away.

  Kaely picked up the remnants of her meal and put them in the trash. She kept the soda since she had a lot left and was really thirsty.

  She was gathering some clothes together for her shower when she decided maybe it was time to see their unknown subject.

  She got up and grabbed the file she’d put together, along with what she’d gotten from Sam and Josh. Then she sat back down at the table and began to review her information. She stared at the chair across from her and said, “You’re not the average arsonist. You’re organized, skilled at what you do. You began with space heaters. Then, when the authorities started getting suspicious and a fire happened that wasn’t your creation, you came out of hiding. You only wrote one letter. You felt it was enough. You’re not getting all of your excitement through public attention. Your real thrill comes from feeling like you have control over this town.” She scooted forward in her chair. “Some arsonists get their jollies from burning things, but I don’t think that’s you. No, this isn’t just vandalism. You’re too sophisticated.”

  Finally, a dark shape appeared. No features. Nothing to indicate his identity.

  Kaely just stared at him. Was it Sam? Josh? Was the return of Jack the impossible thing Georgie mentioned? Or was it just improbable? She couldn’t be sure. “Okay,” she said. “Let’s say you’re Jack Lucas, and you’ve come back from the great beyond. Why? What’s your motive? Why would you run away, change your name and your identity, and then years later come back here to kill people you don’t even know? Try to kill me? I don’t get it.”

  “You won’t catch me,” a raspy voice said. “You’re going to fail. More people will die. You will die.”

  Kaely scowled at the shadowy figure. “Stick to the script. You can’t just say anything you want. So, what are you trying to achieve? You’re angry. At who? And why? Josh would have a reason if he really wants to stay in his position at the sheriff’s department. Sam has no reason at all. And Jack?”

  “‘Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jump over the candlestick. Jack jump high, Jack jump low, Jack jumped over and burned his toe.’”

  Kaely shook her head. “I know that old nursery rhyme. Why is it important to you? Are you Jack . . . or are you pretending to be him?”

  A thought suddenly occurred to her. Something she should have seen. A jolt of something akin to electricity caused a quick intake of breath. “Raymond? Did Jack actually die that night? Are you back to exact some kind of revenge? Because he betrayed you? Tried to take your life?”

  The shape in the chair grew denser and darker, making a growling sound. But there was no face. No features to tell her who it was.

  “‘By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes. Open, locks, whoever knocks!’”

  “Okay, you’re good at quotes. Now stop it and answer my questions.”

  “You’re going to die,” the shape said. “It will not happen here, in Darkwater, but it will happen. And soon.”

  “Stop it!” Kaely said, her voice trembling. This wasn’t how this was supposed to go. The images she conjured had no way to take control like this. “I’m commanding you to leave. Now!”

  A deep laugh came from the darkness in the chair across from her. “You need to be careful, Kaely Quinn. Very careful.”

  The image suddenly disappeared. Kaely sat looking at the empty chair, her confidence shaken. What had just happened? She’d been having trouble with her procedure for a while, but it was her greatest weapon against the monsters. Against evil.

  She shook this off as an aberration. Something that wouldn’t happen again. She couldn’t stop using the method she’d created. She just wouldn’t. Yet she felt a heaviness in her spirit. A warning she couldn’t deny. She had to fight to push back the feelings that tried to invade her mind. She had work to do.

  She went back to the files, searching for something, anything that could help her find this guy. She found a note about Raymond Berger, and something she hadn’t considered before popped into her head. Kaely pushed her chair back. Had he left town because he’d lost the only family that cared about him? Because he lost Jack? But why wait almost twenty years to come back?

  Kaely rocked back and forth as she thought. She needed to talk to Raymond’s family. First thing in the morning she intended to call Josh and ask him to go with her to visit the Bergers. It was a long shot, but Raymond was the one person they’d ignored. If Jack Lucas died in that fire, where was Raymond Berger? Maybe she was grasping at straws at this point, but she just couldn’t admit that their UNSUB was Jack Lucas.

  She stared once again at the chair across from her. Had all of Georgie’s warnings put something in her head that caused her process to deviate so wildly? Or was there something else going on? Something she really had no way to influence? The idea frightened her, but she had no intention to stop. She was a monster-fighter, and she wouldn’t let the monsters win.

  thirty-seven

  Kaely was rethinking her profile when Jason knocked on the door. He opened it slowly. “It’s me,” he said. “Don’t shoot.”

  Kaely laughed. “Why do you think I’d shoot you?”

  “I meant to call you and let you know I was coming, but I forgot. I didn’t want to spook you.”

  “I expected you. But you probably should call next time. Just to be safe.”

  Jason came in and sat down in the chair across from his sister. “I will. I’m so tired right now, it might be better if you did shoot me. I could go to the hospital, sleep, and have food served to me. Sounds pretty good right now.”

  “I’ll bet Mom would trade places with you in a heartbeat.”

  Jason nodded. “Good point.” He sniffed the air. “You smell like smoke.”

  “I know. I’ve been smelling myself all day.” She got up and found her bag, which she then realized also smelled strongly of smoke. She removed the books she’d saved from the fire. Sherlock Holmes. Father Brown. Two novels by Charles Dickens. Kaely stacked them on top of the nightstand between the beds. Although she was glad she’d saved them, she still felt guilty. They weren’t worth Noah’s life. He was lying in that hospital bed because of her.

  “If you’re planning to take a shower, I have a pair of clean sweat pants and a T-shirt you can sleep in,” Jason said.

  “Thanks. I stopped by a department store on the way here and picked up a few things. I’m good.”

  “I saw Noah before I left the hospital,” Jason said. “He’s really concer
ned about you.”

  “I know. I tried to tell him I’d be okay, but I don’t think he believed me.”

  “So you admit this guy tried to kill you?”

  “I think that might be what he hoped would happen, but he’s a firebug, Jason. I honestly don’t think he’ll come after me again as long as I’m not somewhere he can burn down. Houses are one thing. Motels and hospitals are something else.”

  “I . . . I guess that makes sense.” His eyebrows knit together. “Why does he want you dead?”

  “Hard to say. Maybe I’m getting too close. Maybe he doesn’t like anyone who challenges him.”

  “Do you have any idea who this guy might be?”

  “A few suspects, but no evidence to prove anything.”

  “But how would he know who you are, sis? I don’t get it.”

  “Maybe he’s met me. Or seen me with someone he knows like Tuck or Josh. At this point all I can do is guess. But don’t worry. We’ll get him.”

  Kaely had included Noah in her promise to bring the UNSUB to justice. But he wasn’t here. She didn’t like feeling as if she was less without him. She wasn’t. She was fully capable of finding this guy and turning him over to the police.

  “Look, we can talk about this later,” Kaely said. “I’m headed to the bathroom unless you need to get in there.”

  “I’m not as stinky as you are. You go first.”

  “Very funny.”

  She went into the bathroom. Thankfully, there was just a small window. Not large enough for someone to get through. She covered it with a towel. Then she took off her clothes and got into the shower. Although finding the arsonist was her immediate concern, she couldn’t get Noah out of her mind. He’d risked his life for her. And for what? It was more than her notes about the case. Kaely had been putting her work first for years—but she’d also gone back for her books. Surprisingly, she still cared about the little girl she’d once been. About the family she’d been a part of.

  As the water from the shower washed over her body, it was mixed with Kaely’s tears.