Never Forget The Past (The Men 0f Fire Beach Book 4)

by Lorana Hoopes

  He took a deep breath and then pressed the bell. The familiar melody echoed through the house, and a moment later, a soft shuffling sound carried forth. The lock clicked followed by a creak as the door opened, and then Bubba saw his mother’s face for the first time in five years.

  She did appear older. New lines had sprouted near her eyes and across her forehead, and her hair - once streaked with gray - was now completely devoid of color. But her eyes were the same deep pools of chocolate that he’d grown up seeing - the ones that oozed concern with every skinned knee and exuded love every time she kissed his forehead. They were filled with a resigned sadness now, but the light he remembered emerged as she recognized his face.

  “Matt?” One hand flew to her mouth as the other gripped the door more tightly to keep her steady.

  “Hi, Mom,” he said, hoping she wouldn’t pass out. He wasn’t sure he’d make it through the door in time to catch her.

  “Matt?” She let go of the door and then her hands were on his chest, his arms, his face, patting him as if to make sure he was real and not an apparition. “It’s really you?”

  “It’s really me, Mom.” Emotion choked his voice and tears stung his eyes, but it didn’t matter. His mother threw her arms around him, and he returned the hug, relishing the warmth of family for the first time in half a decade.

  “Margaret, who is it?” His father’s voice carried in from the living room, and the familiar tone sent a flood of memories washing over Bubba.

  “You better come see for yourself.” His mother’s voice was quiet, but it held a note of authority and moments later, his father appeared in the doorway. He too had aged, but the effects were not quite as dramatic. His hair was grayer, but he still stood straight and displayed the confidence in his posture that the military had taught him so long ago.

  “Hi, Dad.” His mother still clung to him, but he stood taller than she did and could see over her head.

  “Matt? Is that you?” His father’s eyes roamed his face as if he couldn’t believe it, and then they turned to Makenna. “What is this? Is this your idea of some sick game?”

  Bubba flinched at the sharp edge in his father’s voice.

  “If you’ll let us come inside, I’ll explain everything,” Makenna said beside him. Though her exterior appeared brave, Bubba could see that his father’s words had shaken her normal stoic face. A slight tremble hovered in her voice.

  “Let’s let them in, Patrick,” his mother said, and though she did not let go of Bubba entirely, she shifted so that her arm remained firmly around him, but she could see his father. His father hesitated, but then he stepped back, and Makenna and Bubba entered the living room.

  Waves of nostalgia washed over him as he took in the faded couch and the well-worn recliner where his father always drank his morning coffee. A painting his brother had made in high school still sat over the couch, and even the color of the walls was the same. It was like time had stood still in this living room, and Bubba wondered if they might be able to pick up where they left off.

  * * *

  “I’m going to call Felicity and see if she wants to come over,” Margaret said as she motioned everyone to sit down. “She’ll be so happy. She’s had a rough week, but this might be just the thing to cheer her up.”

  “What do you mean a rough week?” Makenna asked. Though it was rare for an arsonist to be a woman, she was counting no one out, and as the murders had just started, anyone who’d had anything upsetting in the last month was a suspect in her book.

  “She and her boyfriend broke up. They’d been together for years. She’s pretty torn up about it, but she’ll be so glad to know you’re not dead.” For a moment, she paused as if afraid Bubba might disappear if she wasn’t touching him, but then she pulled out her cell phone and dialed.

  Makenna sized up her options as everyone sat down. Patrick sat on the couch and Bubba took the recliner which left standing or sitting in the other chair. She didn’t want to stay long and interrupt their family reunion, but standing seemed rude.

  “Felicity, Matt is alive. He’s here right now. You must come over and see him.” She paused while she listened to the voice on the other end, and then her smile faltered. “But can’t that wait until later?”

  Makenna watched Margaret’s reaction. Had his sister really declined coming to see the brother she thought was dead? That seemed odd to her. Had it been her brother, she would have dropped everything to come see him.

  “Okay, I’ll tell him. See you later.” Margaret hung up the phone and stared at it a moment. “Um, she said she had some work she couldn’t leave tonight, but she’ll come see you tomorrow, Matt.”

  He flashed her a sympathetic smile. “It’s fine, Mom.”

  She nodded, but she didn’t appear convinced. “I’ll call Jacob and Rachel. I know they don’t live here anymore, but they’ll want to know.”

  Bubba stood and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Mom, why don’t you let Makenna explain first and then we can call anyone you want, okay?”

  She nodded and allowed herself to be led to the couch. Bubba squeezed her shoulder and then returned to the recliner.

  Makenna took a deep breath as she stared at Patrick and Margaret staring back at her. Flashbacks of the night she had come to tell them Matt was dead filled her mind, and she had to blink to dispel them.

  “Five years ago, I sat here and told you that Matt had been killed in a house fire,” she began, “but that wasn’t the truth.”

  “You lied to us?” Patrick exploded, jumping up from the couch. “I’ll have your badge for this.”

  “Please, Dad, hear her out.” Bubba motioned for his father to sit back down.

  She shot him a grateful look and then continued. “When the fires first started, the only clues we had pointed to Matt being involved. He knew all the women, and he had knowledge of how to start fires. But, then the killer went after Matt. He escaped that night and came to me. I realized then that Matt might have been the target all along. The killer chose the women he did in order to hurt Matt, and when that wasn’t working, he went after Matt himself. I asked Matt to continue the charade that he had died. I knew that if the killings stopped, my assumption would be right. It meant Matt would have to stay “dead” to all of us, but it would keep you safe. If the killings had continued, I would have told you his death was a lie, and he could have returned home.”

  “I hated not being able to say goodbye,” Bubba said, “but if it meant keeping you both safe, it was worth it.”

  A tear escaped Margaret’s face, and she crossed the room to where Bubba was sitting. “Oh, my baby! That must have been so hard on you.”

  Makenna looked away from the touching scene. This was her fault. Her decision had torn this family apart five years ago, and those were years they would never get back. She’d have to live with the consequences of that decision for the rest of her life.

  “I assume you’ve brought him back because of the recent murder.” Patrick said from the couch. His crossed arms and passive face hid his emotions, and Makenna wondered what he was thinking.

  “Yes, sir. The other night, a man was killed in a house fire. I believe it is the same guy even though we aren’t sure why he is attacking men now instead of women. My hope is that when the killer finds out he didn’t kill Matt after all that he’ll mess up and give us some clue.”

  “So, you’re using my son as a pawn once again.”

  “Dad,” Bubba cut in, “she’s not using me. She asked and I agreed. Besides, it allowed me to see you guys again.”

  “I don’t like it,” his father said. “She was wrong the first time. What if she’s wrong this time too, but you really do get hurt?”

  “Dad, you know I can’t just sit around knowing people are being killed. I have to at least try to help.”

  “You always were like that,” Margaret said, stroking Bubba’s hair. “I remember you used to always bring home stray animals to save them. Do you remember that?”

 
“I do, Mother.”

  Bubba appeared embarrassed by the hint of his childhood, and Makenna took that as her cue to let them catch up. “Well, it’s getting late, and I have a feeling you’d all like to catch up.” She turned to Bubba. “How about I swing by around nine in the morning and pick you up? I’d like you to go with me to interview some of the friends and employees of our victim.”

  “That sounds great. I’ll see you then, Captain Drake.”

  Makenna stood and walked through the uncomfortable fog that filled the room. She might have reunited the family, but she’d also been the one who tore them apart. Nothing could change that, and she knew it would be a choice that would haunt her forever.

  Was this why she had avoided having a family of her own? Was she so jaded from watching families grieve that she unconsciously pushed men away? Or was it simply her job? Even though they didn’t have a lot of crime, her work load had increased dramatically with each promotion, and now as captain, she spent most of her time at work. Yes, that was probably it. There was no time for a family or even a man in her life as long as she stayed in her current position which left the question, was it time for a change?

  Chapter 6

  Makenna showed up at nine a.m. on the dot the next morning, and though Bubba wasn’t sure what help he would be able to provide, he was glad for the excuse to get out of the house for a few hours. He loved his parents, and he loved catching up with them, but the emotional intensity had been a little much for him to handle. He hadn’t been that close to anyone in the last five years.

  “You ready?” Makenna asked him as he slid into the passenger seat of her cruiser.

  “As I’ll ever be, I guess.”

  “How was the reunion?” Her eyes glanced his way for only a moment, but he could tell his answer was important to her. He couldn’t imagine the weight she must be carrying.

  “It was good. I’d almost forgotten how much I missed having a family. I think I spent half the time just staring at them to prove to myself it was real.”

  Her jaw tightened, and he knew he had just made her feel worse even though that wasn’t his intention. “Makenna, I don’t blame you. You did what you thought was right.” His words probably wouldn’t relieve the guilt she was placing on herself, but he had to try.

  “Thank you, Bubba, but I can’t get back the time you lost, and that’s a little hard to come to grips with.”

  There was nothing he could say at this point to change her mind, so he decided to change the subject instead. “Where are we going?”

  “First stop is coffee and then we’ll hit Peter’s repair shop.”

  “Sounds good.” Bubba stared out the window as Makenna drove through town. Not much had changed. The post office looked the same, and the parking lot still held the flagpole where the faded American flag waved gently in the breeze. Bubba was glad to see it still flying - there had been a debate over whether to take it down shortly before he’d left town. Evidently some new residents found it offensive, something Bubba would never understand.

  A frozen yogurt store with a large neon sign was new as was some sort of gaming center. At least that’s what he assumed it was from the name Creative Consoles. And then there were the new hotels. He had never understood why the town had so many hotels. They had no claim to fame - no big sports team, no prestigious university, not even a famous statue like some of the towns near them. So, what brought people to Woodville? Was it the feeling of peace and tranquility the surrounding woods provided? Was it its location away from big cities? Was it the promise of a simpler life that the downtown buildings seemed to boast with their faded paint and weathered signage?

  The coffee shop she pulled into was not the same one Bubba had frequented when he lived here as they were on the other side of town from the firehouse, but it was bustling nonetheless. He could remember a time when there was only one coffee shop in town, and it was never busy. Now, patrons filled every table, and a line of at least five more stood waiting to order.

  “Busy place,” Bubba remarked as he took in the interior which appeared much like most other coffee shops he had been in. The walls were a soft tan color which was brought out in the tile flooring. Tables capable of sitting four filled the room with a few smaller tables made for two by the windows, and one small couch sat nestled in the corner surrounded by a reading lamp and a glass table. A man immersed in his laptop took up most of the couch, and his books filled the other side. He lifted his mug to sip every few seconds but never seemed to look away from his screen.

  “I know,” Makenna said with a frown as she checked her watch, “but it’s the best coffee in town, I think, so it’s worth the wait.”

  The line moved quickly, and they reached the front in under ten minutes. “Welcome to Love a Latte,” the employee said as she placed the previous payment in the register. “How can I-” Her words cut off as she raised her eyes and met Bubba’s gaze. The color drained from her face as if she’d seen a ghost, which in his case, he guessed she sort of had. “Oh mylanta, as I live and breathe. Matt Fisher, is that you?”

  “It is,” Bubba said quietly, hoping she would do the same, but he should have known better. Daphne Rodgers had been a cheerleader and a prominent thespian in high school. Two things that rarely seemed to go together, but worked for Daphne. Outgoing and bubbly, temerity was not her strong suit.

  “I thought you were dead. Everyone said you died in the house fire five years ago.”

  Heads turned their direction as her words floated over the hum of conversation. “Matt Fisher? I thought he died.” “Who’s Matt Fisher?”

  Bubba felt the eyes of the customers on his back, and he turned and offered a small smile and a wave. Most simply stared at him in confusion, but one pair of eyes seemed to burn with an angry intensity. He stared back at the woman, curious as to why she might have so much hatred toward him, but he didn’t recognize her. At least he didn’t think he did. Perhaps, she was just angry that his entrance had disintegrated her silence. The laptop in front of her might hold her work as it did for the man on the couch or a book.

  “It’s a long story,” Makenna spoke up beside him. “Can we just get our coffees to go?” Her authoritative voice dragged his attention back to Daphne who still stared at him with wide, disbelieving eyes.

  “Sure. Sorry, I didn’t mean to blow your cover. I’m just so glad to know you’re not dead.” She gazed at Bubba a little longer than necessary before taking their orders and payment.

  Bubba still felt as if every eye was on him and every whisper discussed him as they waited at the end of the counter for the drinks. “It’s going to be like this everywhere, isn’t it?”

  “It’s what I was hoping for honestly,” Makenna whispered back. “Word will spread like wildfire, and hopefully the killer will tip his hand.”

  “And if he doesn’t?”

  Makenna’s lips pinched together, and she shook her head. Evidently she didn’t want to think about that possibility either. They stood in silence for a minute, until their drinks were placed on the counter. Then, drinks in hand, they made their way out of the shop.

  Bubba sighed with relief as he slid into the passenger seat. He was not used to being the focus of attention, and it would only get worse when Natasha’s article came out.

  “So, how do you know Daphne Rodgers?” Makenna asked as she pulled her door shut, closing the two of them off from prying eyes and ears. “She seemed mighty interested in you.”

  He took a sip of his coffee as he debated his answer. It was good; the hazelnut just strong enough to add flavor. “We went to high school together. She was the head cheerleader, and I was the captain of the football team, so everyone expected us to be together. I think she wanted to date me, but I was looking for a woman with a little more substance to her.”

  Daphne had been pretty with her auburn hair and bright green eyes, and she certainly was adored by everyone at the school, but Bubba had tried having a few conversations with her, and every time he had left
feeling as if a few intelligence points had trickled out of his brain. So, he’d never been able to date her.

  “Vapid?” Makenna asked as she pulled out of the parking lot.

  Bubba smiled at her. “To say the least. She hounded me all through school, and she would try to stop by the firehouse when she knew I was working.”

  “Do you think she felt slighted by you?”

  “Enough to kill people?” Bubba couldn’t believe they were having this conversation about Daphne Rodgers of all people. She hadn’t even dissected the frog in biology because of her aversion to blood and all things disgusting - her exact words if he remembered correctly.

  Makenna shrugged and, after sipping her own coffee, placed it in the middle cup holder. “Sometimes the visage we see is not the real person underneath.”

  “Visage? I don’t think I’ve heard that word since high school English class.”

  A soft pink colored Makenna’s cheeks, and she averted her gaze from his as she inserted the key into the ignition. “I may be guilty of reading a few classic novels in my free time.”

  Bubba chuckled. He was guilty of the same thing. At the firehouse, he hid his books under the mattress so as not to get razzed by Luca. He’d seen Bubba reading A Tale of Two Cities once and teased him mercilessly for the next week. “I’m guilty too, but I think you’re wrong about Daphne. What you see is pretty much what you get, and I can’t imagine her starting fires.”

  “You’re probably right.” Makenna sighed. “I’m just so focused on finding this guy that I’m seeing connections where there might be nothing.”

  “We’ll find him.” But as Bubba leaned back in the seat, he wasn’t sure if he was trying to reassure Makenna or himself more.