Burned (Cunningham Security Book 5)

by A. K. Evans

  “I know this hits close to home for you with Theo, so I understand if you want to pass on this case. I can get—” he got out before I cut him off.

  “Get whoever you want on the case, but I’m not sitting this one out,” I stressed.

  With barely a moment’s hesitation, Levi replied, “Michaels was asking for some time in the field. Get him and Locke. You let them know and I’ll get whatever Baines sends over to you immediately.”

  Trent Michaels was a good choice for this particular case. While we all knew our way around a computer and Trent could hold his own out in the field, he was our computer guru. If we needed access to camera footage or a security database, Trent could easily get that for us. Given that the majority of the fires were being started at night, I thought it might make it easy for us to get ahold of some camera footage and possibly get the suspect, or suspects, on camera.

  Holden Locke, like me and most of the rest of our team, worked out in the field regularly. While none of us were stupid by any means, Locke was an extremely brilliant guy…much more so than the rest of us. His thought process was unique and he generally made sense of a case before anyone else he was working with would. He would be valuable to have working on the case with me.

  Before I could say anything, Levi broke into my thoughts and suggested, “Once I’ve got everything from Baines and you’ve had a chance to look through all of it with Michaels and Locke, it might make sense to get started at the most recent location. It was from this morning, so it’ll be your best chance for collecting evidence.”

  I dipped my chin in acknowledgment and asked, “Where was it?”

  “The hardware store on Pine,” he answered.

  “Down the street from Tasha’s Café?”

  “Yep.”

  I shook my head, still in disbelief over the whole situation.

  I’d grown up in Windsor. It was my home. Not only did I know and respect a lot of people in town, but I also patronized the businesses. A small town filled with family-owned businesses and good people, Windsor would always be home for me.

  I wasn’t about to sit back and do nothing while one person, or possibly several people, set the town ablaze.

  For that reason, I snapped out of my thoughts and looked to Levi. “I’m going to talk to the guys. Get that stuff from Baines over to me right away.”

  “Will do, Reynolds.”

  At that, I stepped out of Levi’s office and walked down the hall toward Trent’s office. As I did that, I was met by Lorenzo De Luca’s French bulldog, Ollie. Lorenzo and I had been working at Cunningham Security nearly the same length of time. For years, he’d been quiet and closed off. He came in, did his job, and left. Beyond that, he wasn’t overly social. He was loyal, to a fault, but he didn’t have it in him to get real close with all of us. That all seemed to change when he started dating Dom’s sister, Jolie. Dom worked at the firm just as long as we did, and having just recently found love himself, he didn’t lose his shit when he’d learned that Lorenzo and Jolie were together. Jolie worked her way into Lorenzo’s heart, softened him up, and now he had a twenty-five-pound dog that came to work with him nearly every day.

  Being a dog lover myself, I couldn’t walk by without acknowledging him, so I bent down and scratched behind Ollie’s ears and down his back. Once he was satisfied with the attention I’d given him, he trotted off and went back to Lorenzo’s office while I continued to Trent’s.

  When I entered, he looked up and greeted, “Hey, man. How’s Theo and Alex?”

  Any anger I had been feeling over the case melted away as I thought of the little boy that had just entered my life.

  “Theo’s perfect,” I started. “Alex is tired.”

  He let out a laugh. “I can imagine. What’s going on?”

  “Levi just got a call from Detective Baines. They’re looking to have us help on the arson cases. There was another one set this morning. While they haven’t confirmed yet whether or not it’s officially part of this case, it’d be foolish to assume otherwise. Regardless, Levi’s waiting for the case file from Baines. Then, he wants you, Locke, and me to work on this one.”

  “Another one this morning?” he asked.

  Nodding, I replied, “Yeah, the hardware store on Pine.”

  “Was anybody hurt?”

  “I’m not sure,” I answered honestly. Then, I went on, “But the fire set at the restaurant prior to this one took the lives of a single mother and her eight-month-old baby boy.”

  Trent’s face got hard and he pressed his lips together. Hearing that news made him about as happy as it made me, which really meant not at all.

  Understanding his frustration and likely the inability to respond right away without losing it, I stated, “I’m going to find Locke and let him know what he’s up for before I go back and check on the case file with Levi. You want to head over to the hardware store with us then? There are a lot of businesses on that road. It could be beneficial to talk to the other owners and see if they’ve witnessed anything.”

  “Let me know when you’re ready and I’ll be there.”

  Satisfied, I left Trent’s office and went in search of Holden. I found him walking out of the break room and brought him up to speed. As I suspected, he was on board and ready to rock-and-roll the moment we had the files in our hands.

  An hour later, the three of us had scoured over all the evidence collected from the three most recent cases, except for the one from that morning since they hadn’t processed any paperwork from that one yet. It was then that the guys and I decided we needed to get to the hardware store so we could assess the situation and perhaps look at it from a different angle. We were all at a point where we just wanted to stop sitting at desks and get out in the field where we’d have much better luck accomplishing something.

  Fortunately, we arrived at the scene of the fire before Detective Baines left. He was there, along with the fire chief, and granted us access beyond the barriers that had been put up.

  Holding his hand out to me, Detective Baines said, “Hey, Pierce. I spoke with Levi earlier and he mentioned you were going to be the lead on this case.” He shook my hand before pointing to Fire Chief Flint, whose name couldn’t have been more fitting. “Chief Flint can bring you up to speed on what they know about the fires. As you know, they’ve got an arson investigator who will be handling that. We’re interested in having your help with locating the criminal.”

  Nodding, I looked to Chief Flint and introduced my team before I asked, “What are the initial thoughts about this one?”

  “Off the record, this is our guy doing it. He left his calling card.”

  My brows pulled together. “He has one?”

  “The Molotov cocktail. Except for one that started on the ground, all of them started on the roof. Most of the buildings, like this hardware store, are either brick, concrete, stone, or steel siding, so they aren’t going to burn easily unless he’s doing it from the roof. The restaurant was wood construction, so he didn’t need to start up in the air.”

  “He?” I repeated, wanting confirmation.

  Baines chimed in. “Yes, we’ve managed to pull video footage from the street or surrounding businesses in a few cases. It’s only ever been one guy, acting alone. We haven’t been able to get a good shot of him yet, though.”

  “Obviously, we don’t know his motive at this point, but he’s definitely seeking more gratification,” Chief Flint interrupted.

  “What do you mean?” Trent asked.

  He sighed before he explained, “All of the other businesses were single, free-standing structures. This is the first one that has been like this. Apart from the flower shop on one end and the café at the other, the rest of these businesses are all connected. If we hadn’t gotten the call when we did, the damage here would have been catastrophic.”

  “Who called it in?” Holden inquired.

  Detective Baines pointed down the street and answered, “The woman who owns the flower shop at the end of the block ca
lled it in at six-thirty this morning.”

  I didn’t even know there was a flower shop on the block. Realizing this wasn’t important to the issue at hand, I asked, “A flower shop was open at six-thirty in the morning?”

  He shook his head and clarified, “She owns the shop, but lives in the loft above it.”

  “Are the business owners up for questions?”

  Detective Baines gave me a non-committal look. “Nobody was overly eager to discuss much of anything this morning. Even still, I’m sure they’ll be open to answering questions. Their livelihoods are at stake.”

  “Got it. We’ll get on that then,” I returned. Directing my attention to the fire chief, I wondered, “Before we do that, though, can you run us through the scene of the fire itself?”

  He nodded and turned on his boot. The guys and I followed behind him.

  A little while later, after we’d finished up with Chief Flint, Trent and Holden took off to speak with the owners of the businesses at the opposite end of the block. I was starting at the flower shop.

  I opened the front door, heard a bell chime indicating my presence, and walked inside. Standing there scanning the room, I didn’t see anyone.

  “Hello?” I called.

  I heard footsteps coming from the back of the store and a voice call out, “Yes, I’m coming.”

  Finally, a woman, whose torso and face were hidden by the huge box cradled in her arms, came into the room.

  “I’m so sorry,” she started, maneuvering through the doorway and up to the counter.

  She set the box down and stepped out from behind it. When her eyes locked with mine, she stumbled back, but quickly caught her footing.

  “Are you okay?” I managed to ask, even though I was completely mesmerized by just how beautiful she was.

  She blinked up at me with gorgeous brown eyes, a little bit stunned and a little bit of something else I couldn’t read, but said nothing. While she remained silent, I took the time to take her in.

  She reminded me of a porcelain doll with her flawless, creamy white skin and curly, dark brown hair. I had a good five inches on her, but she wasn’t what I’d consider short either.

  Before I could look down and really take in the rest of her, she spoke. “Um, can I help you?”

  I returned my attention to her eyes and introduced myself. “Yes, I’m sorry. My name is Pierce Reynolds. I’m a private investigator for Cunningham Security and I’m working with Detective Baines of the WPD and Fire Chief Flint on this case with the fire.”

  She seemed unsure of me, so I reached into my back pocket and pulled out my wallet. Sliding out one of my business cards, I handed it over to her. She took it from me as I said, “I don’t want to take up too much of your time, but I wanted to ask you a few questions about what happened today if you don’t mind.”

  “Oh, well, I’m not sure I can offer any more help,” she replied. “I’ve already told Detective Baines everything that happened.”

  I nodded. “I understand, but I’d appreciate it if you’d humor me and give those answers to me as well.”

  “What…what did you need to know?” she stammered.

  My brows drew together. I couldn’t understand why she seemed so nervous.

  “First, what’s your name?”

  “Zara,” she stated. “Zara Brooks.”

  Smiling at her, I said, “It’s nice to meet you, Zara. I didn’t know this flower shop was here.” I figured small talk might help ease any anxiety she might have had.

  “I just opened it at the end of last year,” she informed me.

  “Ah, I see. At least I’m not crazy. I thought I knew every place in town and it was beginning to bother me that I hadn’t realized this place was here.”

  I looked around at the space. I didn’t know what it looked like before she moved in, but it certainly looked great now. Clearly, she was in the right business because she had floral arrangements already in vases that were stunning. Flowers weren’t exactly my thing, but I couldn’t deny she had an eye for what she did.

  Zara pulled me out of my inspection of her shop when she asked, “I’m sorry, did you have questions about the fire?”

  “Yes, sorry. Detective Baines stated that you were the one who called it in. What exactly happened?”

  She took in a deep breath and recounted, “I got up earlier than usual this morning. My cat usually wakes me, but she didn’t today, which was even more unusual. Regardless, I went to the kitchen and got her breakfast ready. After I did that, I put my teapot on the stove and waited for it to boil. As I was sitting there waiting, I looked out the window and that’s when I saw the flames. I immediately called 911.”

  “Did you see anything else? Was anyone in the area?”

  She shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t really pay attention to anything else at that point. I saw the fire, knew what has been happening in the town, and didn’t want to waste time in reporting it.”

  I felt the frustration wash over me. Zara must have realized it because she lamented, “I’m sorry I can’t help more. I probably should have looked to see if anyone was hanging around or in the area, but I was so focused on making sure I called to report it and get help here.”

  “You did the right thing,” I assured her. “That hardware store has been here for years. It would have been an absolute shame if you hadn’t noticed and that store, along with all the others connected to it went up in flames. Thankfully, it appears you caught what was happening early enough, and the damage is minimal there.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Do you have any surveillance set up here?” I asked.

  Her eyes rounded before she answered with worry, “No. Do you think I need it?”

  I dropped my head to the side and shared, “Well, I was asking merely in case you had some video footage outside that we could look at. That said, if this is not only your place of business but also your home, I’d highly recommend it. No woman, especially one as beautiful as you, should be left vulnerable and unprotected.”

  Zara narrowed her eyes at me before she stated, “Right. Well, if you don’t have any other questions for me, I really should be getting back to work.”

  Her change in demeanor caught me off guard.

  “Sure,” I quickly responded. “Sorry to disturb you. If anything comes to mind or if you happen to see anything unusual happening, you’ve got my card. Please don’t hesitate to call.”

  With a curt nod, she agreed, “I will. Thank you for stopping by, Detective.”

  “The pleasure was mine, Zara. It was nice meeting you.”

  At that, even though I didn’t want to, I turned toward the door and saw myself out. Stepping outside, I looked back at Zara’s flower shop curiously. I’d lived in Windsor my entire life and never saw or heard of her before now. Even when I tried wracking my brain over her last name, wondering if perhaps I knew or had heard of her family, I couldn’t come up with anything.

  Looking down the block, I saw Trent and Holden walking toward me. I snapped myself out of my thoughts and moved in their direction.

  But I only did this after I promised myself I’d find a way to get to know Zara Brooks.

  Spring was in full swing and I was feeling the pressure as the season’s biggest holiday was just over a week away.

  The last few weeks had gotten progressively busier as the weather warmed and the spring holidays approached.

  I loved it.

  To say I’d been feeling on edge lately was an understatement. The truth was, I had a lot of thoughts running through my mind.

  One thing that had been weighing heavily on me was the outbreak of intentional fires being set in Windsor. I wasn’t sure I’d ever forget how I felt when I sat on my kitchen countertop that morning nearly three weeks ago and saw the flames coming from Harvey’s Toolbox, the hardware store just a couple doors down from my shop. I felt panicked and worried but somehow managed to keep it together long enough to make a call and report it.

  Since
that day, I’d been checking the local news for updates regarding the arson. Sadly, there was still no suspect and there had been quite a few more fires set to businesses in town. The only upside, as it seemed, was that the arson spree appeared to be bringing members of the community together. The businesses were reporting increased profits because residents of the community were patronizing local businesses as a show of support.

  Seeing it, I felt something warm settle inside me. It had restored a bit of my faith in humanity. No matter what I’d been through and dealt with, there were still genuinely good, caring people in the world. Or, at least, in Windsor there were.

  Of course, I had no idea if I was seeing what would have been considered higher-than-normal patronage at my shop since I was not here at this time last year. Even still, things had picked up substantially for me over the last few weeks and I was no longer worried that I might not be able to make a living doing something I loved.

  So many of the clients who walked through my doors had returned to me after they’d first come through at Valentine’s Day. I received online orders and phone orders from clients who were so happy with the arrangements they’d previously purchased from me that they refused to go anywhere else. Most of those clients were men, considering they were the ones who had been purchasing the Valentine’s Day bouquets to begin with.

  I had to admit that I had put in just a touch more effort on those. Not only was I trying to make a good first impression, but I was also working out some of my own personal issues. I loved seeing a good man walk through the door just so he could order something beautiful for the woman in his life. Even though it was a little upsetting for me on a deeper level, it was heartwarming to see. If I could have watched those men come in, and in some cases, be meticulous about what they wanted and not feel anything, I would have seriously considered whether or not I actually had a heart.

  Aside from the fires, though, there was one other thing that had been on my mind.

  Love.

  Or a lack thereof.

  Ever since the day I sat at Tasha’s Café for lunch and I saw Pierce, there’d been something nagging at me. Something about seeing him and then seeing him with his pregnant wife unsettled me. I thought I’d moved past it, whatever it was, but when he stood before me in my shop the day Harvey’s hardware store was set on fire, I knew I hadn’t.