Fire Games

by Lorana Hoopes

  “Like this?” Cassidy held up an envelope. “Isn’t Jeremy Irons an actor?”

  Jordan took it and read the name chuckling as he did. “Yep, I’d say our woman in the hospital was probably not named Jeremy nor a famous British actor.” He set that one to the side and kept digging through the papers. “Here’s another. Robert Bedford.”

  Cassidy gaped at him, her mouth hanging open. “That didn’t raise any red flags?”

  “I’ve seen a lot of weird names in my work,” Jordan said. “People probably figure nothing’s off the table anymore.”

  “What’s the weirdest name you’ve ever come across?” Cassidy asked as she rifled through the pile on her side of the table.

  Jordan thought for a moment. He’d met quite a few people who had the same first and last name – John A John or Charles Charles, but then he remembered the woman from the previous summer and smiled. “It doesn’t sound weird if you say it, so I’ll spell it. The name was spelled ABCDE.”

  The space between Cassidy’s eyes furrowed as she set down her paper to look at him. “ABCDE? As a first name? How was it pronounced?”

  Jordan chuckled as he remembered the lively woman. She’d been a handful. Dressed in bright colors and absolutely adamant she had done nothing wrong; she had tried to reason with Al and himself for five minutes before they managed to get her in the back of the car. “Absidee. Still an interesting name but not nearly as strange as the spelling.”

  Cassidy shook her head. “And I thought my name was weird. Growing up, I could never find it on those keychains or other trinkets that you buy at tourist shops. Not like my brothers who are named Wes and Paul. Pretty easy to find those, but the closest we could ever get was Cathy, which sounded similar but wasn’t my name.”

  Jordan nodded as if he understood, but he’d never been on a vacation. At least not when he was young. When his parents had been together, his father either had drunk the money away or been too drunk to care about taking them somewhere. And after his mother left, she’d been too busy working two jobs to afford a “frivolous” vacation, but he could relate to how important a name was. Too many times, he’d wished his father would use his name instead of calling him boy. “How did you end up with the name Cassidy anyway? I mean it’s pretty but definitely unique.”

  “My dad was a big Butch Cassidy fan, and I guess my mother vetoed naming either son Butch, but she liked that Cassidy was different.” She shrugged. “So, there you go.”

  “Well, I think it’s nice to have a unique name. I thought Jordan was like that until I went to school. Then one year I was in a class with three other Jordans. One boy and two girls.”

  A wide smile formed on Cassidy’s face. “Yeah, I don’t have that issue. Never met a boy with my name though I’m sure there might be some.”

  Jordan returned the smile and marveled at the ease of talking with Cassidy. She was not at all the diva he had first assumed she was and now he was even more curious why she had gone on the show. “Can I ask you something?”

  Her eyes met his and he saw just the slightest hesitation in them. “Sure.”

  “Why did you go on the dating show? You seem so grounded and I can’t imagine you enjoying all the hoopla.”

  “I didn’t enjoy the hoopla, and I’m not, you know?”

  “Not what?” Jordan asked confused. Had he missed something?

  “I’m not a diva, and I didn’t go on the show for fame.”

  His mouth fell open as he struggled to formulate an answer, “I didn’t…”

  “No, you didn’t, but I could see it in your eyes. I didn’t go for fame. In fact, I didn’t want to go at all at first. When my mother suggested it, I thought she was crazy, but I’ve wanted to start a family for a while now, and though I dated, I wasn’t meeting the kind of man I wanted to marry. So, I prayed about it and started to feel like God was leading me in that direction. That must have been my own ego though because it certainly didn’t turn out in my favor.”

  “Maybe God wanted you on the show for another reason. One you haven’t discovered yet.” As he held her gaze, he realized he was suggesting that maybe she had gone on the show so they would meet. He should rephrase, explain himself. He didn’t need Cassidy thinking he was attracted to her even though he was. Dating just wasn’t in his future and definitely not with a woman who reminded him so much of Jasmine.

  She held his gaze and electricity crackled between them. Her eyes had turned from a mirror reflecting her feelings to a microscope discerning his. Oh no, he was in so much trouble. He needed to fix this now. “I’m sorry I meant…”

  She dropped her eyes to the table breaking the connection. “Edward Long.”

  He blinked at her sure he had misunderstood and unsure how the topic had shifted so quickly. “What?”

  She held up an envelope. “It’s addressed to Edward Long.”

  Edward Long? Why did that name sound familiar to him? He ran through the evidence he could remember from the case. His memory was good, and there was something just under the surface, but he couldn’t place it.

  “That’s three aliases. Do you think there are any more?” Cassidy’s nose scrunched sending cute, tiny wrinkles across the bridge as she surveyed the piles. Cute? No, he didn’t need to be putting the word cute with her at all. He needed to rein his emotions in.

  “I think we have to be sure. It shouldn’t take us much longer.”

  “Okay, but then can we celebrate by grabbing a burger after? I’m starving.”

  Was she asking him out on a date? Though he wanted to say yes, dating Cassidy would be a bad idea. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

  “Oh, come on, Detective Graves, surely you have to eat?” The twinkle in her eyes matched the teasing lilt in her voice.

  He should say no. He should tell her they would never work. She was too similar to the one woman who had managed to charm and then destroy his heart, but he was hungry. And he did need to eat. And he appreciated a woman who could enjoy a good burger. “All right. I do know a great burger place just down the road, but it’s not a date.” Maybe if he said it enough times, he could convince her as well as himself.

  She held her hands up in surrender. “Got it. Not a date. To be honest, I think I’m avoiding dating for a while what with Tyler and now the stalker.”

  Right, the stalker. He still hadn’t followed up with that. “Have there been any more notes?”

  A cloud passed over Cassidy’s face momentarily. “No. No more notes but something odd I was going to ask you about. The other day, a guy showed up at the firehouse needing a jump. It’s not that unusual since we’re in a neighborhood but there was something that seemed off about him. Then he showed up again today with flowers to thank me and a dinner invite. It just seemed…” her nose scrunched again as if debating the word she wanted to choose, “pushy, and I didn’t get a warm fuzzy feeling from him. Do you think he could be the stalker?”

  A need to protect her welled up within Jordan. If this guy was the stalker, he was getting brave showing up at her job and engaging with her, which could mean he was escalating. That being said, he didn’t want to alarm her any further. “It’s possible. I’d like to investigate him. Do you think you could describe him just in case?”

  “I could, and I got his name and number. Well, his first name anyway.”

  She gave this guy her number? Was she intentionally stoking the fire?

  “Don’t worry,” she continued as if reading his mind, “I gave him a fake number in return, but is there some database you can run his number through to see if he’s a liar or something?”

  A soft laugh spilled out of his lips at the thought. “Well, there’s no database for that, but I can see if he has a record and if he’s using his real name.” Had he misread her attraction? Would she date this flower guy if he turned out not to be the stalker? Whether she would or not, this was just another sign that he didn’t need to be pursuing Cassidy.

  “All done over here.”

 
He looked down at his pile and realized he was finished as well. “Let’s go get that burger then.” He knew he was probably playing with fire, but right now, he didn’t care.

  Chapter 9

  “This is your favorite burger spot?” Cassidy asked as they walked up to the open window of the burger truck. She hadn’t expected an upscale restaurant but perhaps a sit-down place where they could talk. Nothing was around this truck except one picnic bench. Not even a table. They would have to hold the burgers in their laps.

  “Don’t knock it until you try it. These are the best burgers in Fire Beach. I’m surprised you haven’t been here before.” He approached the open window and quickly surveyed the short menu. “Do you trust me to order for you?”

  Did she? Cassidy generally despised men ordering for her, but maybe that was because they never seemed to know her and always ordered something she wouldn’t like. Somehow, even though she didn’t know him well, she thought Jordan might have an idea what she would like, and if he didn’t, then she would learn something about him too. “Sure, surprise me.”

  “Two peppered bacon burgers, two drinks, and a side of onion rings,” Jordan said to the man in the open window.

  Onion rings? How could he know she loved onion rings? Unless he did too. She’d felt a camaraderie with him both at the hospital and then again at the apartment. No, camaraderie wasn’t the right word. She had felt an attraction growing between them even though he seemed determined to deny it for whatever reason. She wondered why. Was it his job? Hers? Maybe he couldn’t date her because he was working her case. Or maybe he was going off her declaration that she didn’t plan on dating? Why had she said that?

  She shouldn’t care what his reason was. Her heart was still healing after the interaction with Tyler, and a cop was not the kind of man she wanted to marry. Her schedule was already crazy, and though she might have to retire from firefighting if and when she became a mother, she wanted to be with someone who had a more stable schedule. Someone who wouldn’t miss ball games and dance recitals. Someone who would be at church with her every Sunday. She couldn’t see Jordan being that kind of guy, but that didn’t diminish the attraction she felt.

  “Here you go,” he said breaking into her daydream and handing her a drink. Darn it, her daydreaming had distracted her and now he’d paid for the food. Did that make this a date after all? Should she offer to pay for her half?

  “Could you grab some napkins?” he asked indicating the stash near the window with his head. His hands were a little full with the bag of food and his drink. “There’s not much seating here, but there’s a park just around the corner if you don’t mind walking a little.”

  “A walk sounds good,” she said with a smile as she fell into step beside him. She’d let the money slide for now. The evening air was cool as the sun began to set sending brilliant rays of yellow, orange, and red across the sky, but Cassidy’s light jacket kept her warm enough.

  A small park appeared before them, and though it held little more than a slide, a swing set, and a volleyball net, it did have a picnic table. Jordan waited for her to sit before sitting across from her.

  “How did you find this place?” Cassidy asked as she scanned the park and began to unwrap her burger.

  Jordan’s eyes glazed over as he looked out toward the playground. “I used to bring my brother here to escape from life. When my dad started yelling, my mom would usher us out of the house. Partly to keep us safe and partly so we didn’t know how much of a beating she was taking. This park was far enough away that we couldn’t hear them and Graham enjoyed playing at it.”

  Cassidy placed a hand on Jordan’s arm. “I’m so sorry. That’s not the way a father should be.”

  “Don’t I know it,” he said with a derisive snort, “but it made me who I am today, and I think I’m a pretty good detective because of it.”

  While Cassidy knew that hard times and tragedies formed people, she wished stories like Jordan’s didn’t exist. She had been lucky. While her father worked a little too much when she was young, he was still there almost every night for her brothers and her, and forty years later, her parents were still married – not something most of the people she knew could claim.

  “I think you’re an amazing detective.” She enjoyed the slight hint of pink that brushed his cheeks as she held his gaze.

  Suddenly, his eyes widened and he slapped the table. “Edward Long.”

  “What?” Cassidy looked around expecting to see someone approaching them, but there was nothing but the approaching darkness.

  “The name Edward Long sounded familiar to me when you said it, but I couldn’t figure out why. But it was a name we were looking into on the case, and I interviewed him. I can’t believe I didn’t realize…. Would you mind taking the burger to go?”

  Cassidy wrapped up her burger and tossed him a smile. “Nope. If it means you catch this guy, then I’m all for it.” She had hoped to spend more time with him, but if there was a child in danger, their time could wait.

  “Great.” He had already tucked his burger back in the bag and was pulling out his cell phone. “Al? Do me a favor. Look up Edward Long and get me the address. I think he might be our guy.”

  He looked up at Cassidy. “Can you write an address down for me?”

  Cassidy looked around but she had no pen and no paper. What she did have was her phone. She quickly opened the notepad app and hovered her finger over the face as she waited expectantly.

  “I’m with Cassidy.” He rolled his eyes. “It’s not like that. We just came from the apartment fire. Al, we’ll talk about this later. Just give me the address. 452 Wheeler Avenue. Thanks.”

  Cassidy typed the address into her phone as he rattled it off and suppressed the urge to ask him about the odd conversation, especially since it seemed his partner didn’t approve of her. She didn’t think she’d even met his partner, but now did not seem the time to stir the pot.

  “Let’s go. I’ll drop you off on my way.” He was already two steps ahead of her, his toned legs taking long strides. She hurried to catch up with him.

  “Take me with you.”

  He stopped long enough to shake his head. “No, it’s too dangerous. I don’t know what this guy is capable of.”

  “But you said you interviewed him already. He knows you and probably won’t let you in without a warrant. Do you have a warrant?” Cassidy hoped she was right. She watched a lot of the Law and Order type shows with the rest of the guys at the house, but she certainly wasn’t versed in the law.

  Jordan’s eyes shifted as he ran a hand across his chin, and Cassidy knew she had him. “No, I don’t have a warrant. Okay, what are you thinking?”

  “Let’s run back to the station. I’ll grab my gear and show up as a firefighter. Tell him there was a gas leak reported and I just need to check his apartment. You can be waiting outside.”

  “I don’t like it,” Jordan said with a slow shake of his head. “You aren’t trained for operations like this. If something happened to you…”

  Cassidy placed a hand on his arm trying to ignore the emotions that ignited within her at the simple touch. “It won’t, but Jordan, we can’t let the guy get away.”

  He looked down at her hand and then back into her eyes. “Fine, but we do it exactly as I say. You understand?”

  “You bet.”

  Jordan still couldn’t believe she had talked him into this. It was dangerous and if anything went wrong, Stone would have his head. However, Cassidy was right. This guy was sly and this might be their only chance to catch him.

  “Okay, just like we went over, do you understand? You walk the place pretending to check for carbon monoxide and look for any signs of the kid. If you see anything or he appears jumpy, you use the code word.”

  Cassidy issued a swift nod before turning those eyes on him. Though fear flickered in them, determination overshadowed the fear and Jordan’s respect for her grew a little more. She was out of her element and about to do something pote
ntially dangerous, but her shoulders were pulled back in resolution.

  “I’ll be in that doorframe,” he said pointing to one down the hall, “until he lets you in. Then I’ll move to be right outside the door, but you’ll still have to speak up.”

  “Okay, let’s do this.” She adjusted her helmet and then faced the door. Her bulky uniform made her appear larger, but Jordan was very aware of how unprotected she was. He sent up a prayer for her safety and his own as he ducked into the doorway.

  A moment later, he heard the sharp rap of her knuckles and then her words, “Fire Department, open up,” in a clear commanding tone.

  “Yeah, what do you want?” Jordan could tell from the clarity of the voice that the man had opened the door. He wanted to look to see if it was indeed the man he had interviewed earlier, but he didn’t want to chance being seen.

  “Sorry, sir, I need to check your apartment. There’s been a carbon monoxide leak reported in the building and we need to clear all the apartments.” Jordan marveled at how firm her voice sounded. If she was scared, she wasn’t showing it.

  “I’m busy.”

  “It will just take a minute, sir, but you have to let me in. Carbon monoxide can be deadly if you breathe it too long.”

  “Fine, but hurry up. I’ve got things to do.”

  Jordan heard the swish of her pants and knew she had entered the apartment. Now, the only question was whether Edward Long would close the door or not. He forced himself to count to ten just in case the man chanced a glance down the hallway and then he peeked around the doorframe. A sliver of light escaped from the doorway. He had left it ajar.

  Careful to keep his footsteps as quiet as possible, Jordan moved down the hallway until he was outside the door. The conversation inside was muffled, but thankfully he could still hear it.

  “Have you experienced any headaches, sir?”

  “No.”

  “Is there anyone else here in the apartment with you?”

  “Why does that matter?”