Fire Storm

by Nancy Mehl

  When she got out of the bathroom, she found Jason sitting in the chair, watching TV. She told him about the towel over the window.

  “Whatever for?” Jason asked. “The glass is frosted. No one can see in.”

  “But a shooter can see a shape in front of a window. A good marksman could take a successful shot.”

  Jason looked at Kaely with his mouth open. “Is this how you live? Worrying about people burning you up? Shooting you?”

  “When they’re not drugging me or trying to get me to shoot myself.”

  Jason sighed. “Suddenly I feel a deep desire to get my own room.”

  Kaely walked over and hugged her brother. “Hey, it’s just like the sleepovers we used to have when we were kids. It will be fun.”

  “Yeah, but you weren’t armed back then,” he said wryly.

  “Look at it this way. You’ve never been as safe as you are right now. You’re sharing a room with a trained and armed FBI agent. You can relax.”

  “Well, when you put it that way . . .”

  Kaely pointed at the door. “Don’t open the door for anyone. Period.”

  “I won’t.”

  For all her bravado, she was secretly grateful that she wasn’t alone, that Jason was with her. Someone wanted her dead, and she really had no idea who it was.

  They talked for a few minutes, but Jason nodded off in the middle of a sentence. She thought about waking him up so he could get a shower and change clothes, but she decided to leave him alone. He was exhausted and could do all of that later. She got a blanket from the closet and covered him. Then she got into bed and rolled over onto her side. Within a few minutes, she was sound asleep.

  Almost immediately she began to dream. She could see a dark figure hidden in the shadows, starting a fire. Kaely watched as he poured gasoline around the foundation of a house. It was as if Kaely was there but invisible. She looked in a window and saw Noah, Jason, and her mother. She tried knocking on the glass to get their attention, warning them to get out. But they couldn’t seem to hear her. She began to pound louder. She screamed their names, but there was still no response. Then she realized that the person setting the fire had heard her. He walked around the side of the house. She looked at him, trying to see his face, but she couldn’t. Then he turned around, and she realized he had another face on the back of his head. She still couldn’t make out his features.

  “Stop doing this,” she yelled to the arsonist.

  “I’m not doing anything,” he said in a low growl. “You have the wrong man.” Then he took a long-handled lighter out of his pocket and leaned down. When he clicked the lighter, the house went up in flames. Kaely ran to the front of the structure, thinking she could get inside and save Noah and her family, but the house didn’t have a front door. As she raced around the building, she realized that all the windows were now gone. There was no way to get inside.

  Terrified, she hurried back toward the man, but he’d disappeared. She was forced to stand and watch the house burn down. Kaely dropped to her knees and cried.

  “Kaely. Kaely, are you all right?”

  At first she wasn’t sure who was talking, but when she opened her eyes she saw Jason leaning over her. “I heard you crying. Are you okay?”

  The look of concern on his face touched her heart. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Just a bad dream. I’m fine.”

  “You’re still having those dreams?”

  Kaely shook her head. “No, not like the ones I had when I was a kid. This was just a standard rotten dream. The kind we all have.”

  Jason straightened up. “Are you sure?”

  “I am.”

  Jason patted her shoulder and stood up. He grabbed some clothes from the closet and went into the bathroom. Kaely lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling. Was she right? Was that really a standard rotten dream? What did it mean? Why did the arsonist have two faces? And why did he say she had the wrong man? Was it confirmation that Sam wasn’t the arsonist? Could the arsonist really be Jack Lucas?

  She fell back into a restless sleep, but thankfully there were no more dreams.

  thirty-eight

  When Kaely woke up, she could see light streaming into the room from under the curtains. She checked her watch, which was lying on the nightstand. A little after seven. She got out of bed and padded softly over to the small coffeepot on top of the dresser. She opened the bag that held the coffee inside a filter and put it in the top of the machine. After getting some water from the sink outside of the bathroom, she poured it into the coffeemaker. A couple of minutes later, she was sitting on the edge of the bed, drinking a cup of hot coffee. She was surprised to find out it was pretty good. She wanted to turn on the TV and check the weather, but she was afraid she’d wake Jason up. As she sipped her coffee, an alarm on his phone went off. It only took a few seconds for him to reach over and turn it off. He flipped over toward Kaely and smiled.

  “Good morning,” he said.

  “Good morning. Wasn’t sure how long you were going to sleep.”

  He sat up and yawned. “Man, I’m still tired, but I need to get to the hospital.” He sighed and pushed himself up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. “I’ve been trying to witness to Mom, but losing her house hasn’t helped. She told me yesterday that she thinks God burned her house down.”

  “You know that’s not true.”

  Jason nodded. “I told her that. Not sure she heard me.”

  Kaely scooted closer to the edge of the bed and took his hand. “You know, Jason, some people find God through adversity. Maybe that will happen to Mom. We need to pray that God will help her through this. Show her how much He loves her. This could actually work out better than you think. I mean, what else can she do but call out for help? We know He’ll respond.”

  Jason exhaled slowly. “I don’t know, Kaely. I have to admit she’s been more laid-back than I thought she’d be. But she still shuts me down when I bring up God.”

  “I think you’re the one to help her. She trusts you, but she doesn’t have much faith in me.” Kaely shrugged. “That will take time, I guess. Trust is something we’ll have to build.” Kaely laughed lightly. “To be honest, I’m not sure Mom even likes me.”

  Jason squeezed her hand. “You might be right about the trust thing. But I know she likes you, Kaely.”

  Kaely shook her head. “I think you’re wrong. She quit liking me when I was a teenager. I was too much trouble. She was relieved when I moved out.”

  “You weren’t that bad. I knew kids who behaved a lot worse than you did.”

  “Maybe so, but I wish I’d been easier on her. She was having her own problems. I certainly didn’t help by acting out.” Kaely sighed. “And now I’m responsible for her house burning down. That should really help her opinion of me.”

  “You didn’t burn down her house,” Jason said, looking surprised.

  “If I hadn’t been here, her house would still be standing. Don’t think she won’t figure that out.”

  “Okay, maybe she will blame you,” Jason said. “But after the fire, her first reaction was relief that you were all right. That doesn’t sound like someone who doesn’t like you. Besides, whether she likes us or not . . . tough. We’re what she has. She needs to get over it. I like who I am . . . now. And I like you too, if it makes any difference.”

  Kaely smiled. “It makes a big difference. I’m so grateful to have you back in my life. I love you, Jason.”

  “And I love you too.” He sniffed a couple of times. Kaely was touched to see his reaction. “Now, let’s talk about what’s really important,” he said, pointing at her cup of coffee. “I want some of that.”

  “I think that can be arranged, but after I make you a cup, we’re out. So I’ll only do it if you’ll go to the office and get more of these packets.”

  Jason’s eyes widened. “That’s blackmail. You’re a federal agent. Is that legal?”

  Kaely stood up. “Yeah, it’s under the Irritating Brother Statute
.”

  Jason burst out laughing. “Okay. You’ve got me. Make me a cup while I get dressed, and I’ll run down and ask for some more.”

  “Deal.” As Kaely made another cup of coffee, she thought about her and Tuck’s meeting with Dr. Roberson later that morning. Would they finally get some answers, or would he only add to their confusion?

  After a quick breakfast in the small community kitchen downstairs, Jason left for the hospital. Kaely hung around for a while, drinking coffee and waiting for their room to be cleaned. A little after nine she went back to the room, and around nine thirty she got dressed to go out. She realized her coat smelled like smoke too, but there wasn’t anything she could do about it. It was too cold to go outside without it. She squared her shoulders and sighed. Hopefully, Tuck and Dr. Roberson wouldn’t notice.

  As she stepped outside, she could almost swear the temperature had dropped even more since they’d gotten back from breakfast. How was that possible? The past few winters had been pretty mild in St. Louis. Adjusting to these Nebraskan temperatures was hard. Kaely loved winter weather but only when she was inside with a book and a cup of coffee. Trying to get around town in this stuff wasn’t her idea of fun. At least it wasn’t snowing. Before getting into the car, she looked up at the sky. The clouds were dark and heavy-looking. They promised more precipitation. Great.

  She walked over to her car. Something else she had the fire department to thank for. They’d protected her vehicle before the fire from the house reached it. It hadn’t occurred to Kaely that her car was in danger, but the firefighters knew that surrounding structures and even vehicles were at risk.

  When she got inside her car, she opened up her text message from Tuck and entered the ME’s address into her GPS. A few minutes later, she was winding her way through the streets of Darkwater. She wondered if media interest in the fires would put Tuck and Josh under more pressure. It was possible public concern would alert the state fire marshal. She was pretty sure Tuck wouldn’t appreciate anyone else stepping in, as Tuck seemed rather possessive when it came to his department.

  It took her about fifteen minutes to reach Dr. Roberson’s house. It reminded Kaely of her mother’s house. Almost all the houses in town were small and boxlike. This place was no different, except it looked as if it hadn’t been updated or painted in quite some time. Also, the pine tree in the front yard was huge and needed a good trimming.

  Would she learn something that would bring her closer to catching the arsonist, or was this going to be a huge waste of time? Kaely felt like she was in a race against time. When would the arsonist strike again?

  thirty-nine

  Tuck’s Jeep was already in the driveway when she pulled in behind him. After she got out of her car, she checked his vehicle to see if he was waiting inside, but it was empty. She walked up the steps leading to the front porch and rang the doorbell.

  A few seconds later, the front door, covered with peeling green paint, swung open. Tuck ushered her in.

  “I just got here,” he said softly. “Haven’t asked him anything yet, but I did tell him we have questions about an old case. He seems willing to talk to us.”

  Kaely nodded. “Good.”

  Tuck led her into a living room that showed the same lack of care that the outside of the house displayed. Although everything was in its place, the area rug that covered most of the floor was frayed and in need of a good cleaning. The furniture, which was dated, could certainly use some attention.

  “Kaely Quinn, this is Dr. Marvin Roberson,” Tuck said, gesturing to a man sitting in a wheelchair.

  Kaely stepped forward to shake Marvin’s hand. The retired medical examiner looked to be in his late fifties or early sixties. His handshake was firm and his hazel eyes clear. Although his body was lean, his face reminded Kaely of a bulldog. When he nodded, his jowls bounced. His hair was cut in a style not many men wore anymore, unless they were in the army. Shaved on the sides, short on the top.

  “I’m glad to meet you,” Kaely said. “Thank you for seeing us.”

  Marvin nodded. “So you’re the profiler,” he said in a gravelly voice.

  Kaely glanced at Tuck, who noticed the look Kaely shot him and gave her a slight shrug. Maybe he’d felt he didn’t have a choice but to tell him.

  “I was trained as a behavioral analyst with the FBI,” Kaely said with an even smile.

  Marvin swept his hand toward a dilapidated couch. “Why don’t you have a seat? Tell me what brings you here today.”

  She and Tuck sat down. The couch dipped down in the middle and wasn’t very comfortable. Kaely slid over to the side, where she felt a little more secure.

  “Marvin, we want to ask you about an autopsy,” Tuck said. “It happened a long time ago. I’m hoping that talking about it might help you remember it, but I did bring copies of the records with me. Do you mind looking at them?”

  Marvin appeared to study Tuck for a moment. Kaely wasn’t sure he was going to take the file, but finally he reached out for it. Marvin was wearing a T-shirt, and Kaely noticed the muscles in his arm. Very well developed for a man his age, which wasn’t surprising since he was in a wheelchair, but his legs looked strong as well.

  Marvin put the file on his lap and then slowly opened it. He scanned it for a few seconds before saying, “What do you want to know? Everything seems pretty clear to me.”

  “Do you remember this autopsy, Marvin?” Tuck asked.

  Marvin sighed and began looking closer at the file. Kaely could tell by the tautness in his face that he was upset. His hands clenched the file as if he were hanging on to it for dear life.

  As she waited, Kaely gazed around the room, trying to get a quick sense of the man. This room had once been lovely. She could tell that the furnishings had originally been selected with care. On the fireplace mantel, she noticed several framed photos of a woman who appeared to be in her early fifties. She had a friendly face and a nice smile. She looked like someone Kaely would like to know. There were more pictures of the same woman with a boy with dark hair and eyes who smiled for the camera. But a later photo of the boy when he was much older, maybe in his early twenties, showed a sneer of contempt. The friendly child was gone, replaced by a discontented young man.

  Kaely assumed Marvin’s wife had passed away. If they’d divorced, the photos wouldn’t be here. She was probably the one who had originally decorated the home. She must have died years ago for the house to be this neglected. Marvin also seemed to be estranged from their son. If not, there would be more recent photos. From the young man’s hairstyle and clothing, she figured the picture must be at least fifteen years old.

  “I know it may sound crazy, Marvin,” Tuck said. “But someone told us that this autopsy might have been pushed through a little too fast. That the body identified as Jack Lucas could have been someone else.” He looked carefully at the retired medical examiner. “Whatever you tell us will stay here,” Tuck said. “It won’t leave this house. You have my word.”

  Kaely was alarmed by Tuck’s reassurance. If Marvin revealed a crime, how could they stay quiet? She had no jurisdiction to arrest anyone unless it was a federal crime or a crime that occurred in their presence. But they could still file a complaint as individuals if they had sufficient probable cause. As a law enforcement officer, Kaely felt it was her duty to expose crime, not cover it up.

  Tuck, who was obviously tired of sitting in the middle of the drooping couch, got up and moved over to a chair next to Marvin. Almost immediately the retired medical examiner’s face turned red. “Don’t sit there,” he barked out. “That’s Essie’s chair.”

  “I’m sorry,” Tuck said, standing up, but Marvin had already motioned for him to sit back down.

  “I . . . I’m sorry,” Marvin choked out. “It’s silly for me to try to keep people out of her chair. It’s not like she’s going to walk back into the house and want to sit there.”

  Kaely felt a surge of compassion for the man. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he probab
ly held out hope that someday his wife would do just that. Facing reality was heartbreaking.

  “Are you sure?” Tuck asked. “I can move.”

  “Nah,” Marvin said, shaking his head. “It’s fine.” He closed the file. His head dropped to his chest, and he stared down at his hands. They were clasped together, and the knuckles were white with pressure. No one said a word. Kaely waited expectantly, hoping he had something helpful to tell them. Finally, Marvin raised his head and fixed his gaze on Tuck. “Do you remember about eighteen years ago when that grain elevator on the edge of town exploded?”

  “Sure. Six men died. Everyone in town who was alive back then remembers.”

  Marvin nodded slowly. “We were a small department with not a lot of experienced help. We did the best we could. The Lucas fire happened the next day. We were still processing bodies from the explosion. Besides another ME, I also had a couple medical students assisting us. One of them . . .” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, as if trying to steady himself. “One of them released Jack Lucas’s body before we’d done the official ID. By the time I found out, Jack had already been cremated.”

  forty

  That was almost exactly the story Turner had told her. Kaely was shocked to hear it confirmed. “You can’t be sure that body belonged to Jack Lucas?” Tuck asked, incredulity in his tone.

  Marvin shifted in his wheelchair. “Even though I knew I should have said something at the time, I let it go. I mean, who else could it be? Jack and his parents lived in that house. We had the remains of two adults and a teenager. The teenager had to be Jack. Oh, and we found a bracelet on the body that belonged to Jack. Made of silver with two snakes intertwined. It was very distinctive. Sam verified it was Jack’s. I was so certain it was him.” He rubbed his forehead. “At the time I felt confident our identification was right. That no harm had been done. But it’s bothered me for all these years. It’s a loose thread, something that wasn’t done quite right.” He scowled at them. “Why are you asking about this now?”