Burn (Missoula Smokejumpers Book 2)

by Stone, Piper

  Landen remained quiet, his pulse skipping .

  “Not once did I ever tell anyone what I did, not by choice anyway,” Frederick stated .

  “You think these kids were coerced, even paid ?”

  “Perhaps.” Frederick turned sharply and walked away. “I have my eye on Cory Wright. He’s the local kid involved. His father is high on the Jeffries totem pole. The family could lose their brand new house, two luxurious cars and the hefty bank account if the various deals went south. Just something I’m keeping in the back of my mind .”

  Befuddled, Landen tried to put the pieces together. He jogged toward the investigator, placing his hand on the man’s shoulder .

  Frederick stopped and very slowly looked at the position of Landen’s hand .

  He held up his arms. “I’m telling you that what I saw on that mountain, buried in the rubble could mean a bomb was placed to make certain the hotel was destroyed in the fire .”

  “Then my guess is whatever you found has disappeared. If you’re right, you may have given me the evidence I need. We shall see .”

  “There’s more to this that you’re not telling me .”

  Moving to within an inch of Landen, he chuckled, the tone dark and ominous. “There’s a correlation to the new property I’m not finding but I will. Trust me, I will. The new development is their prize, could all but eradicate the popularity of every other resort within a thousand-mile radius. Everyone is fighting the development and I do mean everyone. I’ll figure this out .”

  “What else?” he could see the smile on the corner of Frederick’s mouth .

  “You’re damn good at this. Might have to recruit you after this is over.” Frederick turned his face toward the mountains. “While no one has made the connection, I believe there have been several questionable deaths in recent months, people disappearing overnight .”

  “What are we talking about, car accidents? People paid to leave town?” His mouth dry, Landen knew the answer .

  “Murder.”

  Chapter 11

  M ontgomery fumed all the way to his father’s office. He was tired of playing anybody’s fool or being considered second in command. Sure, he’d been given the title of President, but his father continued to intervene in every decision. He snickered as his thoughts drifted to the day when the man would be six feet under. Not soon enough. He had a feeling Renfield Jeffries would live to be a hundred, if not longer. Even a recent stroke hadn’t kept him from continuing his golf game .

  He nodded to the receptionist sitting in the marble encased lobby. She was the third in as many months. And every girl seemed to be getting younger. He couldn’t help but admire her low-cut dress as he walked by. Eye candy was never far from his father’s mind or arm for that matter. The elevator ride seemed to take a hell of a long time. Then again, his patience was worn as thin as possible .

  When he finally walked through the front doors, he refused to wait to be announced. He had a very important dinner meeting to attend in less than an hour. Everything was going as planned, at least in his mind. Soon, there would be no stopping the continued success, at least in Missoula. Then onto other states. Wealth beyond imagination .

  “He’s in a meeting. You have to wait!” the girl huffed as she jerked up from her desk .

  He waved her off and headed down the hall, bursting into his father’s office. “You called ?”

  Renfield didn’t acknowledge his son’s presence, nor did he make any exclamation. Instead, he continued his conversation as if Montgomery weren’t in the room .

  “The final numbers look good. I want the transfer paperwork on my desk by tomorrow morning. We’re missing out on tourist activity and we need to at least break ground before winter sets in. We have contractors waiting and they have to be paid whether or not we’re in full production. The rate was determined so no wiggle room. They accepted our deal. Do you understand my concern?” Renfield held a smile on his face but the way his words were stated, as if the man could never dare to fuck up, was chilling to anyone who wasn’t close to the man .

  Montgomery resisted bursting into laughter and walked toward his father’s bar, helping himself to a snifter full of brandy. One positive thing he could say about the brooding old fart, the man had discerning tastes when it came to liquor .

  “Yes, sir. I get it and I’m not worried about the owners trying to walk away from the table. I’ve been working day and night on this. However, we have a few additional obstacles as far as the development of the new site, but we’re working through everything with the city council. We almost have them convinced.” The diminutive man’s tone of voice was raspy, the southern drawl making his comment seem weak. “Just the fire has everyone in a state of concern .”

  His father only employed those he could keep under his thumb. He swirled the drink and walked toward the window, peering down at the hundreds of people almost ready to leave work for the day. He’d never been forced to work a nine to five job, thanks to Daddy-o’s money. Poor pitiful people .

  “What exactly are you insinuating, Bob?” Renfield rose to his feet .

  Bob shot a look in Montgomery’s direction. “I understand how much you want this piece of property to move forward, but the fire at the hotel site is leaving a bad taste in the city council’s mouths .”

  Montgomery strolled closer. “Bob, I wouldn’t worry about the city council. That’s been taken care of. Besides, the contract is very clear. Just do your job and everything will be fine. The sale will go through, the property will soon be ours, then there isn’t a fool in town who will challenge our upcoming development projects any longer.” He noticed his father gripping the desk, using enough force his knuckles were white. The man was never rattled .

  Renfield allowed a slow breath to escape. “My son is right. Do what you were hired to do, and we won’t have a problem. If not, I can find someone else to fit in your shoes in the blink of an eye. Then the benefits you don’t mind bragging about to every two-bit whore will disappear .”

  Bob’s face turned beet red .

  “Yes, Bob, I have eyes and ears everywhere. Keep that in mind. Dismissed.” Renfield clamored out from behind his desk, making a bee line for the bar .

  Montgomery watched in amusement as Bob gathered his things, tripping on his way to the door. He loved the slamming of the door, the emphasis another ugly point. They needed to get rid of the liability. “Nice job, Father. Winning friends again I see .”

  “Cut the crap, son. Bob is a worthless hack. I regret the day I hired him .”

  “Mmm… Much like the majority of the employees .”

  Renfield mumbled under his breath as he grabbed a rock’s glass, plopping two cubes of ice and filling the glass with whiskey, the man’s drink of choice .

  He knew every weakness about his father, every sordid detail hidden in an oversized black box, more like a coffin waiting for the last few nails. He took another sip of his drink, savoring the rich flavor, the smooth consistency as the liquor slid down his throat. Even from where he was standing, he could see a line of sweat beading across his father’s forehead. The man was being pressured. But by whom? This should prove to be fascinating. “Why did you need to see me on such short notice ?”

  “Because we have a problem .”

  “We always have a problem and I take care of every single situation.” The words were laced with venom .

  Renfield turned in his son’s direction. “Son, we may not see eye to eye on business tactics, but we have millions of dollars tied up in our plan, including money keeping you in those fancy sports cars of yours. I don’t think you want to fuck with me right now .”

  The same tone. The same basic words. “What exactly was Bob alluding to ?”

  “We have a fire investigator sniffing around that fire at the hotel .”

  “That was ruled a happy accident.” Laughing, Montgomery held up his drink. “Children. We should give them a prize.” He was more than delighted the investigation had ended. The chanc
e occurrence had taken the pressure off. No fingers could be pointed by members of the town council or the press. He was the luckiest man alive .

  “Don’t be a fool. You and I both know what really occurred.” Renfield shoved his hand into his pocket and walked back to his desk .

  “What are you talking about?” He could tell instantly that his father had some hand in the fire, the old tactics. The old ways. “You set the fire as always .”

  I’m glad it worked out the way it did, but even with the conclusion of the report, the investigator is going to keep snooping. We can’t let that happen.” He held up a file from his desk. “The deal could fall through .”

  “I thought there were no contingencies.” Wait a minute. This was fascinating. A spur kicked into Montgomery’s gut. He thought about the earlier phone call. Now, he knew it had been a threat. The game board was shifting .

  “As you well know, we made certain there was no way we could fail with this purchase. Our terms were tough. In turn, there are two that I agreed to or we wouldn’t have remained on the bid list. Those damn cowboys had one too many friends in politics. If you get what I mean, son .”

  “How interesting you didn’t tell me and I’m just your God. Damn. President!” The words hung in the air. Montgomery yanked in his rage and looked away as his father laughed .

  “Always the impetuous one. Business is business. I did what I had to do. If you want the Presidency, act like one .”

  He would enjoy wrapping his hands around his father’s throat. One day. One delicious fucking day. “What are the contingencies?” This time, the tone of his voice was controlled .

  “One, if any accusations of wrong doing against our firm are proven, we’re out. Two, if the mayor tosses in her vote against the project or the sale, we’re out .”

  “The mayor is a bitch .”

  “Maybe so, but she cares about this town. Why do you think I’ve been spending so much time with her?” Renfield snickered .

  Montgomery walked closer. “I can tell there’s more to this. What aren’t you telling me ?”

  Renfield took a gulp of his whiskey .

  He watched as a string of sweat rolled down the side of his father’s face. “What ?”

  Swallowing, the sound strangled, he looked his son directly in the eyes. “We’re going legit, at least for the time being. The fire gave us a huge win here, as long as it remains ruled an accident. Get rid of the investigator. I know the man well. He will stop at nothing to take down this firm. Nothing. I trust you know what to do .”

  There was more to the deal and of course, he knew the additional terms. No one else seemed to home in on the fact, at least as of yet. His father was right about one thing. The investigator needed to remain silent .

  “Am I clear or do I need to repeat myself?” Renfield snapped .

  “Oh, I get it, Father. Don’t you worry at all.” Montgomery took his time finishing his drink. Yeah, he’d do his father’s dirty work as usual. He left the office and walked out into the hallway without uttering another word. As he stepped into the cold, steel box, he became crystal clear about two things .

  His father was terrified, but by whom or what? Something to use to his advantage. The other sweet and delicious realization was that his plan was working out beautifully. He only needed to tie up a few loose ends. He laughed all the way down on the ride. This was working out much better than anticipated .

  Perhaps he’d start with the lovely Shannon Miller. She had to have more information than she was telling. After all, she was close to a very important contact and women always confided in each other. He realized he’d actually grown fond of the feisty woman and she could make for an excellent slave. That is, if she could be trained. Hmm… Yes, he was going to win her over, in a manner of speaking. Tonight, was going to change the tide .

  Laughing, he climbed into his car. Soon, he was going to have everything he ever wanted .

  * * *

  S hannon remained surprised that Crystal had called, suggesting she stop by. She’d all but pushed the idea of working with Crystal on the memorial out of her mind. Truth be told, she was still pissed at the woman’s reaction. Sharing such a difficult memory had taken a lot for Shannon to do. For the woman to brush it off? Unforgiveable. Maybe she was in a forgiving mood after all .

  A slight nagging remained in the back of her mind and while she was unable to put a finger on why, she had a feeling Crystal had been involved with Montgomery. That would explain the odd behavior. She had no issue telling the woman she could have the asshole on a silver platter .

  As she checked the address of what Crystal called a makeshift office, her thoughts drifted to Landen and his invitation to dinner. Maybe. Yes. She laughed and continued down the road, searching the few addresses she could find. She was getting close. Dinner could work but on her terms. Then again, she couldn’t cook so they’d have to go out. What was wrong with that? Getting dressed up and …

  Montgomery. “Damn it.” Why did the thought about her last dinner attempt interrupt her rather sinful thoughts? She slowed down the truck and craned her neck. Tall trees lined the two lane road, but she could clearly see the scarred mountainside. She drove slowly, peering up at the once beautiful mountain. Snow covered the peaks, picturesque and awe inspiring, but a solid half of the bottom portion was tinged in brown and black. What little remained of the hotel popped out from the side, an ominous reminder of the power of Mother Nature .

  The address jumped out at her and she pulled the truck into a gravel parking lot. She checked her watch as she climbed out. She’d give the woman ten minutes and decide. Friend or no friend, the memorial was very personal, and Jessica now seemed like the logical choice. As she walked toward the small cabin, she continued to glance up at the mountain. She hadn’t really thought about the concept that she lived at the base of another section. A massive fire could easily roll down the mountain, consuming everything in its path .

  The thought disturbing, she dropped her head to avoid another look. When she got near the front porch, she heard loud voices and shrank back .

  “You promised me, Crystal. You laid this out very carefully and I took the bait. Now, you’re going back on your word?” The man’s voice was gruff, full of anger. “My reputation is at stake here and you know that .”

  “Don’t worry, Ralphie, darling, you’re still going to be under my wings, just not with the same deal as before. I would never hurt your incredible reputation. You just get to play by my rules or else .”

  Shannon clearly recognized Crystal’s voice, the sing-songy purr she used when trying to flirt with men. She rolled her eyes, wondering what in the hell the woman had gotten herself into now .

  “You bitch! I’ll ruin you and you know that I can.” Ralphie growled, the tone guttural .

  The hair stood up on the back of Shannon’s neck. She crept closer .

  “Don’t you dare threaten me, Ralph. Ever! Do you hear me? I have enough ammunition on you that your career will be in the dead zone and never resuscitated.” Crystal’s words were clear .

  After a few seconds, Ralph answered. “We’ll see about that. I have other methods. Be careful what you do, Ms. Wallace .”

  Shannon took several jumping steps backward when she heard the sound of heavy feet thudding against a wooden floor. Then she plastered on a smile and walked nonchalantly forward, as if just arriving. “Oh, hello. How are you?” She didn’t lock eyes with Ralph, but she did recognize him. But from where .

  He grumbled as he rushed past her, not bothering to give her a second look .

  She exhaled and clenched her fists, darting a quick look over her shoulder. Whatever was going on gave her the willies. Counting to fifteen, she reapplied the smile and walked inside. “Hey. I don’t have long, but here I am.” She noticed the tic on the corner of Crystal’s mouth, the way her face glistened from perspiration as she quickly covered up a group of papers. Then the mask appeared, the one she’d known the entire time they’d been fr
iends .

  “There you are! Perfect timing. I just got out of a meeting.” Crystal was beaming by the time she walked across the room. “I have some ideas about your fabulous memorial! I think you’ll be happy with me .”

  “That’s wonderful. I thought you hated the idea .”

  “Nonsense! I love a good party. Let’s chat for a few minutes .”

  Shannon darted a glance toward the table and a group of words grabbed her attention .

  Bayhill Mountain Point Resort

  * * *

  L anden strolled into Ziggy’s just before five. He was no longer surprised at the crowd that had already formed and he was close to feeling right at home. The time spent with the investigator left him confused and even more determined to get to the bottom of the fire. The rest, was over his head. He scanned the area for any sign of Shannon, raw disappointment remaining when he didn’t see her .

  He walked straight for the bar. Tonight, the beer would taste damn good .

  “Howdy. What will you have tonight?” The man grinned as he placed a coaster down on the bar .

  “Budweiser.”

  “Comin’ right up .”

  “Hey, is Shannon here by any chance?” Landen asked .

  The bartender gave him a once over. “Not yet, but she will be .”

  Why was he nervous? He’d thought about her comments, her fears. Confiding in her would be the only way he could get any closer. “Thanks .”

  “Didn’t see you around last night.” Riker crowded next to him

  “Unexpected visitors. I was tired .”

  “Understood.” Riker took a sip of beer. “The fire investigator was in today. Heard some kids confessed .”