Backburn

by Brandy L Rivers

  “Yes. Jeanette was my only reason to be in New York. Ashton is a good reason to come back.”

  “Hey, you made sure I got to see my son and talk to him. You know you’re welcome here.”

  “As soon as we have the details, I’ll make sure you know. But if Ashton doesn’t want to come out, don’t force him.”

  “I won’t. I’ll talk to you soon.” He hung up and stared at the phone.

  Normally, he’d call Gavin. He was laid up. The rest of the guys would listen, but he didn’t want to give Isandro the wrong idea. Trent didn’t have a kid. Maybe Kyle could give him some perspective?

  * * * *

  Marissa walked into the interrogation room and sat across from Josh. She pushed away all her feelings and went to work. “Morning, Josh. Now that you’re sober, do you mind explaining what you were talking about at the bar? You kept saying everything would burn.”

  He ducked his gaze and let out a heavy sigh. “You think I started those fires, don’t you?”

  “Honestly, no. But only because I believe you when you say you were in bed with your sister-in-law, and she backs that up.”

  He snorted. “April hates me, and is trying to make my life a living hell. December wants me as is, and as much as I’m falling for her, I’m too big of a mess. I’ll only ruin her like I ruined April.”

  “Whatever is going on with April isn’t your fault. No matter what she says. And maybe December is exactly what you need.” She tried to ignore the fact it sounded like he was losing one woman only to wind up with the sister, but if it worked for them, who was she to judge.

  “Why are you questioning me if you don’t think I did it?”

  “Because you were in the bar talking about burning everything down. And to me it sounded like you were talking about war but to others it sounded like homes and businesses. I wasn’t there, so I don’t know. So, we’re going to talk, and I’m going to try to figure out what happened.”

  He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Most of the night is a blur. I know I said shit, but I was in Granger’s drinking. April showed up with Chuck. I lost my cool, but I didn’t start any of the fires.”

  “I hope you didn’t. But last night didn’t look good.”

  “I haven’t gone to Lakeridge Tavern since I caught April there making out with that fucker two months after I got back from war.”

  Marissa nodded. “Which gives you motive.”

  “Why the fuck would I blow up a bar? I may be pissed my wife is a cheating whore, but I’m no better now. I should have waited to touch her sister until after the divorce. But shit, I wouldn’t kill anyone because she betrayed me. I’d just leave, like I’m trying to do.”

  Marissa pulled him back on track. “If you were to start a fire, how would you do it?”

  He put his hands on the table and pressed. “The only thing I burn is yard debris in the backyard. Some lighter fluid and a match. I make sure it’s out before I walk away from it.”

  “I got that,” Marissa replied. “But I need you to tell me what you would do to burn down a building. I don’t care if you haven’t. I want to know how you would do it.”

  He scrubbed his hands over his face. “Molotov cocktail. Wouldn’t want to get close to the building. Would have to find a place outside that would have a chance of catching and spreading fast. Maybe through a window, if you could find one open.”

  “Good.”

  “Good?”

  “Yeah, because that’s definitely not what our arsonist did. Look, be careful, try to stay out of trouble. And if I find anything suspicious that leads me back to you, you can bet your ass you’ll be back here.”

  He snorted. “You don’t seem convinced I’m innocent.”

  Marissa chose her words carefully. “The problem is, you’re on the list of suspects for a couple reasons. If you go out, get drunk, and throw another fit, you may incriminate yourself, even if you weren’t there.”

  His brow arched. “Now what?”

  “Stay out of trouble.” She stood and walked out of the room.

  Bridges stopped her. “And?”

  “He’s not our arsonist. He’s smart enough he wouldn’t have tried to bash in a gas line. I need to talk to Mr. Tombs. See if there is anything he can tell us. His antics yesterday…I don’t know.”

  “What about your other suspect? Chelsea?”

  “She’s still on my list. And I think she may actually be Tombs’ granddaughter. If she is our arsonist, I doubt she burned down the PI’s home. I ran into her the same night. She would have had to catch a plane to do it.” Another thought entered her head, but until she had proof she wasn’t willing to spill.

  Her head tipped. “She called in the hit and run. She was the one who called about the first fire. Isn’t that enough to take her off the list?”

  Marissa sighed, and even though she had started to agree, she played devil’s advocate. “Unless she felt guilty when things didn’t go as planned.”

  “You have a point, Cortez.”

  One corner of her mouth pulled up. “Thanks. Hey, have you found anything?”

  “No. Not anything more than you did.”

  “You think Josh did it?”

  “No. He’s got issues, but war will do that to you. Not to mention his prosthetic leg may give him a limp, but he doesn’t wear normal tennis shoes because of it.”

  “Good point.” Marissa nodded to her desk. “I need to get going. I told Metcalf I would meet him for lunch.”

  “Hey, I’m sorry about what I said before.”

  “Don’t sweat it. I made sure I wasn’t breaking any rules.” She winked and headed out.

  * * * *

  Metcalf sat at his dining room table, writing out every way he could think of telling his kid about his mother’s death. Nothing came to him.

  The knock on the door pulled him out of his head. He hopped up and answered.

  Marissa stood there with a bag of food. “Everything okay?”

  He shook his head. “No. Come in. Not sure I can eat.”

  “Bad time?” she asked, still standing on the welcome mat.

  He took her arm and brought her inside. “Sit, please.”

  “Sure.” She took a seat at the table and glanced at the notebook before looking up at him. “What’s going on?”

  “Jeanette passed away. Funeral is next Friday. It’s going to be here.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said automatically. The sincerity nailed him in the stomach.

  He sank onto the chair. “I don’t miss her. I’m worried about Ashton and how he’s going to take it.”

  She nodded.

  He took her hand. “I don’t even know how to tell him. He had a nightmare last night. Thought she was dead. I stayed in with him after that. He wasn’t going to come in with us because he wanted me to be with you.”

  “You needed to be with him.”

  He smiled sadly. “I knew you’d understand.”

  She squeezed his hand between hers. “So, what’s going on? What do you need me to do? If it’s in my power, I’ll do it.”

  “I don’t have the details yet. I know Mara is moving back out here. She’s doing the funeral. I’m willing to bet Brett doesn’t show. Bastard.”

  “What did he do?”

  “He called. Said some horrible shit. I’ve never wanted to punch him so damned bad in my life. Not even when I walked in on him drilling my wife.”

  “When was that?”

  “After the shooting. The divorce was already in the works. Look, it doesn’t matter, because I was done long before that point.”

  “I hear ya. What do you need me to do?”

  “You have experience telling a kid their parents are dead, right?”

  She nodded.

  “Can you be here?”

  “Of course. But he may not want me here when we’re done.”

  “What would you do if that’s the case?”

  “Give him space until he doesn’t want it. Shit, even Estevan, my sweet lit
tle brother, was mad at me when Mommy couldn’t snuggle him to sleep. Ashton will be mad at me, for a little while at least. Maybe not tonight, but soon. It’s normal. I’m going to be the easiest for him to take it out on. And maybe it will prevent him from taking it out on you.”

  “Me?”

  She nodded. “Grief does funny things to us. It’s going to put him through the motions. But if you want me, I’ll be here.”

  “Thank you. I’m trying to write out what I want to say. Want to look?”

  Marissa pulled the book over and read through the pages.

  “Last one is your best. Tell him the truth, the facts, and that you’re here for him. That’s what he needs to hear. And when I come back, I’ll bring a brochure about the Rainbow Program. Group counseling, not your normal session, but it helped my brothers when my parents died.”

  “Not you?”

  “I was a bit too old by then. I managed to get through.”

  “You did.” He pulled the bag open and unpacked their lunch. “If you ever want to talk, I’m here for you.”

  She leaned over and placed a sweet kiss. “Right now, you need to talk. Ashton too.”

  “I mentioned I love you, right?”

  She laughed. “Mmm, you did.”

  Chapter 27

  Marissa walked into the precinct after lunch. Zerr popped her head out of her office on her way past.

  “Can I have a word, Cortez?”

  Nodding, she stepped into the office.

  “Have a seat,” Zerr directed.

  Marissa didn’t know if she should be relieved or disappointed. “Is this case finally being taken seriously?”

  Zerr shook her head. “No. However, I wanted to warn you that Madison Charles has filed a complaint against you.”

  “Let me guess. Because I wouldn’t arrest Chelsea Bauer without actual proof?”

  Laughing, she nodded. “Don’t worry, I’m not taking the complaint seriously. I read the file. I saw your notes. We don’t have enough for an arrest. We need something more.”

  “I’ve been looking for the van involved in the robbery. I have a feeling it hasn’t moved. I’ve been scouring for any information about a white van, but there hasn’t been anything.”

  “I think you’re right. How are the guys doing at the firehouse?”

  “It’s going to be hard on them for a while. They lost two of their firefighters.”

  “Only one died.”

  She nodded. “Yeah, but Gavin’s injuries are serious enough they won’t let him go back.”

  “Let’s catch this person before they harm someone else.”

  “I’m doing all I can.”

  Chief Zerr tapped the desk. “Never questioned that for a moment.”

  * * * *

  Metcalf sat in the car at Ashton’s school. After talking with Marissa and a little research, he decided he needed to be the one to tell him, without anyone else there.

  Two hours before school ended and he sat there, trying to figure out what to say when he pulled Ashton out of class. This was harder than he’d ever imagined. He’d never given the conversation much thought and he should have.

  Janet greeted him when he stepped into the office. “Afternoon, Mr. Metcalf. Are you taking Ashton out early?”

  “Yeah.” He picked up the pen and filled out the information on the sign out sheet.

  Janet made the call. “Everything okay?”

  Dave rubbed his neck and shook his head. “His mother passed away. I need to tell him.”

  “The counselor is free if you’d like her help.”

  He shifted his weight. “I’ve been going over this. I think I have it covered, but tell her Ashton may need some extra support. My girlfriend is getting me the information for the Rainbow Program. Her family went through losing their parents early.”

  She nodded. “Here’s Mrs. Dalton’s card. She’d be willing to talk if you want.”

  “Thank you. I’ll have a better idea what he’ll need later on.”

  Janet picked up the phone and asked for an early release. “He should be here soon.”

  “Thank you,” Metcalf said and went to sit down. He blocked out all of his thoughts, hoping to keep the anxiety at an all-time low.

  Ashton stepped into the office. Concern pulled at his features. “Everything okay?”

  “We need to talk. Ready to go home?”

  He nodded. “Sure. I have my homework.”

  Metcalf hopped up and put his hand on Ashton’s shoulder.

  Like he knew, Ashton leaned into him and put his arm around his waist. He didn’t say a word as they made their way to the car.

  Once they were both buckled, and the car started, he asked, “How was your day?”

  He lifted a shoulder. “Sad. She’s not here anymore, is she?”

  Metcalf drew a slow breath and let it out. “No. She passed away early this morning. Brett called me today.”

  Tears filled his eyes. “I knew it. I just knew it.”

  “Sometimes we do. Look, whatever you need, we’ll do it.”

  “Don’t know what I need. I’m sad. But I knew it was coming.”

  Metcalf took his hand. “Want to talk?”

  Ashton pulled his glasses off and wiped a tear away. “Mom told me about grief, about loss, about how I needed to be good because this might be hard for you.”

  “For me?” Metcalf asked.

  “Sometimes she’d talk about going back to you.”

  “Ashton, as much as I love you, I wouldn’t have been with your mother again.”

  He nodded and squeezed his hand. “Yeah, but she thought maybe. She knew you were better for me. She couldn’t help herself.”

  Metcalf shuddered. “And that was the problem. But I never wanted her to suffer. I never wanted her to hurt.”

  “She knew you were a good man. She wished she could be like you.”

  Metcalf squeezed his shoulder. “Wow, Ashton, you need to stop being so mature. You’re ten, dude.”

  A sad smile graced his lips. “Mom always told me to stop growing.” He sniffled.

  “Yeah, well, that would be nice, but then you wouldn’t grow up. And there are some really good things about being an adult.”

  Ashton rolled his head Metcalf’s way. “Is Marissa coming over tonight?”

  “If you want her to. She’s worried that with your mom gone, you won’t want her there.”

  He frowned. “Why?”

  “Sometimes, when you lose someone, you do and say things you don’t mean. And she really does love you, so she doesn’t want to upset you.”

  “Which is why she’s awesome. And I want her with us.”

  “I’ll let her know. And maybe you can help me make dinner for the three of us.”

  “You got it, Dad.”

  * * * *

  Marissa was nervous going back to Metcalf’s, but she wouldn’t deny either of them if she could help it. She walked to the door and smiled when Ashton opened it, then hugged her tight. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  “Me too, especially if I get hugs like this.”

  He leaned back with a smile. “We made you dinner.”

  “Why, thank you.” She ruffled his hair. “How are you doing with the news?”

  “I’m okay.” His eyes were red and puffy. He’d been crying recently, but she squeezed his shoulder, then stepped inside.

  Metcalf leaned out of the kitchen and offered her a smile. “Hey, darling.”

  “Hey, Dave.” She winked and sat down on the couch. Ashton joined her.

  Marissa jumped right in. “How would you feel about talking to a group of kids your age who went through a death in the family?”

  “Other kids? I’m not the only one?”

  “You aren’t. And sometimes talking with other people with similar experiences helps. I found a group who meets weekly. Sometimes they do fun things together. When my parents died, Enrique and Estevan got a lot of help from it.”

  “Your parents died?”
<
br />   “Yeah. I was almost twenty. Isandro was sixteen. The twins were six.”

  “What happened?”

  “It’s a sad story, Ashton. A bad man killed them. That’s all you really need to know.”

  “Were you sad?”

  “Some. And angry. And hurt.” A sad smile drifted across her lips. “It’s different for everyone. Talking with someone helps. And if you ever want to talk to me, I’ll listen.”

  “What about those other kids?”

  She smiled. “Well, tomorrow evening they are having a get-together. I could take you. I would go right across the street to the coffee shop and let you talk to them. That is if you want.”

  “Is it scary?”

  “My brothers said it was a little scary at first, but they made friends who understood what they were going through really fast.”

  He smiled. “I’d like to go.”

  Metcalf stepped into the living room. “Dinner’s ready. Want to set the table, Ashton?”

  He nodded and hurried into the kitchen.

  Metcalf made his way to her as she stood. “Thank you. He’s handling this so much better than I imagined.”

  Marissa watched Ashton from where she stood. “He’s going to be okay. He has us.”

  “Seems like Jeanette explained it pretty well to him. I hate seeing him cry, but that changed when you walked in.”

  “I’m glad I can help.”

  “Don’t think he’ll push you away.”

  She leaned against him. “Hope not. And if he does, I’ll make sure he knows it’s okay.”

  “God, you’re amazing.”

  She shook her head.

  “It’s ready,” Ashton called.

  Metcalf squeezed her hand. “Dinner was Ashton’s choice.”

  “I’m sure it’s good, whatever he chose.” She leaned in for a quick kiss, then moved to the dining area and found spaghetti and Italian sausage with cheesy garlic bread. “Now this looks amazing.”

  “Thank you. Mom taught me. It was her favorite.”

  “Then it’s a perfect choice.”