by Crissy Sharp
An hour later, the boys were asleep. Jason tiptoed down the stairs. He felt guilty for yelling at Lotty. She put the boys to bed most nights and he never thanked her. She was probably right that he didn’t help out enough. Still, she was impossible to talk to. He missed the way they used to talk easily. He rounded the corner and froze. Lotty was leaning against the counter, crying. Big, gut-wrenching tears rolled down her cheeks and her small frame shook. He started to take a step forward, to reach out and comfort her and find out what was wrong, but he stopped. It would only end badly if he said anything and, most likely, lead to another fight. Instead, he turned away without making a sound, picked up his book, and hid himself away in the far corner of the house.
The next morning, he woke early and crept out the garage door. He stared out his window as he drove to the firm. His eyes took in the surroundings, but his mind was back in the kitchen, watching his wife in tears. The picture of her gripping the edge of the counter, tears running down her face, seemed to be permanently etched in his mind.
He couldn’t understand her anymore. Every little thing seemed to upset her. What did she want from him? Part of him wanted to understand what had changed his loving wife into the bitter woman he was married to now, but a larger part of him just wanted to be mad. It was easier that way to at least feel something when it came to his marriage. She’d perfectly played the role of a fun, happy girlfriend, wife, and then mother. The first four years of his marriage were the happiest of his life. Until she left. She packed up and stayed with her parents for several weeks. When she came back, she was angry. She wouldn’t talk to him anymore, wouldn’t come near him. Now they were on the brink of divorce, each seeming to wait for the other to bring it up. He’d almost said the word to her on several occasions, but something stopped him every time. It remained the elephant in the room in every conversation.
Jason pulled into an open spot on the north side of Town Square. His small civil litigation firm was tucked in between The Huckleberry Hive and Wild Wyatt’s Grill. Both businesses targeted the influx of tourists who visited Walden in the summer months to enjoy the lake and the nearby mountains. The square was still relatively quiet in May, but in a couple of weeks he’d have to park in the back alley and walk the half-mile to his office.
He walked to his door and jiggled the key in the lock. His secretary, Gabriella, used to get there first and unlock the door, but he’d been leaving the house earlier and earlier. It was much simpler if he was gone before Lotty woke up.
“Mr. Brooks, wait,” Susan Becker, the owner of The Huckleberry Hive, called. The elderly woman had treated him like a son ever since he’d opened his office in the space next to her shop. She walked toward him with a giant grin and excited eyes. If she were a few years younger, she’d probably be skipping. “I just pulled a batch of cinnamon rolls out and thought you might want to test them for me.”
“I absolutely do,” he said.
“This time the huckleberries are in the frosting.” She watched in anticipation as he took the roll from her. Her eyes held steady, waiting for his reaction.
“Oh, wow, these are delicious, Mrs. Becker. Even better than the last batch.”
She clapped her hands together. “Aren’t they though?”
Jason nodded as she jumped into a description of the changes to the recipe. His mind wandered until she said, “Anyway, I’ll box some up for Lotty and bring them by, so you can take them home for her.”
“That’s very sweet of you.” His stomach twisted.
She waved her hand. “I miss that wife of yours. When she helped out around here, I got to talk to her every day. Now I’m lucky if I see her a couple of times a year.”
Jason wanted to say that he missed that version of Lotty, too. When she had run his office, his days had been a lot more fun. After Ty was born, they’d decided she would stay home and his office had felt empty ever since.
He smiled at Mrs. Becker. “Yeah, she’s pretty busy these days. Thanks for the roll. I’ll see you later.”
She grabbed his hand and squeezed. He grinned before pulling away and walking inside his office. He buried himself in his work before he had time to dwell on how things used to be. Gabriella showed up, commented on the horrible smell of baked goods mixed with burgers that was consuming the office, and shoved her face behind a fashion magazine.
Jason’s phone buzzed and Brent’s name showed across the screen. A flash of panic shot through him. This was exactly like yesterday. He’d been sitting right here, working on the Hall case when Brent called and told him there had been a robbery in the neighborhood and he should rush home. He’d been a mess, picturing Lotty and the boys in trouble.
He took a breath. That was yesterday. Everything was fine. “Hey, Brent.”
“Jason, you might want to come home again.” Brent sounded nervous. Jason’s stomach churned and panic rose into his throat. There were sirens blaring in the background. “There are homes on fire. I don’t know which ones, but I heard there are multiple fires in Strawberry Lake Estates. I called Nikki and I can’t get her, so I called Lotty and she’s not answering either. I’m on my way there right now.”
“Uh, okay, I’ll be there in a minute.” Jason ran out the door as Gabriella watched him with raised eyebrows. “I’ve got to run home,” he said as he shut the door.
He fumbled with his key in the ignition. His hands were too shaky. What in the world was going on? In all the years he’d lived in Walden, he’d never heard about any crime. Now, two days in a row, there were problems in his neighborhood. Could that possibly be a coincidence?
He regretted eating that cinnamon roll. His stomach turned and rumbled as he drove home. Smoke billowed toward the sky, but he wasn’t close enough to see where it was coming from. He sped toward the tip of Strawberry Lake where flames were visible. As he pulled into his cul-de-sac, his eyes burned. Whether it was a result of the stinging smoke or the thought of his family in danger, he wasn’t sure. What used to be a grouping of bushes surrounding the entrance to the cove was now billowing, black smoke.
The smoke assaulted his nose and eyes, and he couldn’t see well enough to drive. He put the car in park and jumped out. A group of people had gathered in the street next to his house. His heartbeat quickened. Where were Lotty and the boys? He followed the gaze of the crowd to the mass of flames that used to be Jocelyn Kross’ home and then to the flames engulfing his garage. Firemen were running in and out, some yelling orders and others scrambling to follow.
“Lotty?” he yelled, frantically searching through the crowd. His eyes burned too much to see clearly so he walked all the way around the group, but she wasn’t there.
“Oh, Jason, are you okay?” Trinity set her hand on his arm and watched him with concern. “What can I do?”
“I can’t find Lotty and the boys.” He continued to scan the crowd frantically. “There aren’t still people inside, are there?”
She pulled him closer and looped her arm into the crook of his elbow. “No, the houses are clear.”
A wave of relief rushed over him. Where could Lotty be that she wasn’t answering her phone? At least she hadn’t been home when this happened. “Your eyes are so red,” Trinity said, her face only inches away. He moved his head to the side, but she continued, “Why don’t we run over to my house and I can get you some drops? It’d be good for you to get out of this smoke anyway.”
“Thanks, but I want to stay here for now.” He shut his eyes and rubbed them. “Have you heard what caused this?”
She glanced around and whispered, “There’s talk that it was arson.”
“How can they know so soon?”
“I don’t know, but Brent says something is up in the cove. He’s already looking into getting a realtor and listing their house.”
“That seems a bit premature.” Jason moved through the crowd, closer to his house, but Trinity stayed right on his heels.
“You know what this reminds me of?” she asked.
Jason did
n’t answer.
“Just guess, Jason. C’mon.”
He shook his head slowly, but still didn’t say anything.
“Big fire, us watching...” She smiled and waited for a response. “The homecoming bonfire our senior year. Remember? Most of the group had gone home, but we stayed for hours.”
He stared at her. Was she actually comparing houses burning with a homecoming bonfire? “Daddy.” Jason could barely hear the tiny voice over all the commotion around him. Ty grabbed his leg and Jason squatted down so he was at Ty’s level. Excitement filled the boy’s face. “Dad, did you see the fire?”
“Yeah, it’s kind of hard to miss, buddy.”
“I asked Mom if we could make s’mores, but she said ‘no.’ Do you want to make s’mores?”
“Hey,” Lotty said. Jason turned toward her. He wanted to reach out and grab her, to hold her and make sure she was okay, but he knew she’d only pull back.
Instead he watched her closely and said, “I hear you’re against making s’mores right now.”
A smile twitched at her lips for the briefest moment. It was beautiful. Her smile had been one of the first things that had caught Jason’s eye when he met her. He loved her bright blue eyes and long, dark hair, but that smile was impossible to resist. Even now, in workout clothes and her hair gathered in a messy bun on her head, she looked stunning. If only he could get her to smile more.
He looked away. He couldn’t be getting caught up in thoughts of Lotty when she obviously wanted nothing to do with their marriage. He felt it crumbling out from under him.
“I’m glad you and the boys weren’t home,” Jason said. “I was terrified when I got the call and Brent couldn’t get ahold of you.”
Lotty stared at him. Had he said something wrong? Would she somehow be offended that he was glad she hadn’t been home? He breathed an audible sigh of relief when her expression remained neutral.
“Yeah. Jocelyn and Nikki convinced me to try their gym,” she said.
“Oh, Lotty, what a great idea,” Trinity cut in. Jason had forgotten she was still next to him and wished she would leave. These were the first words his wife had spoken to him in weeks that weren’t hate-filled. Trinity continued, “I didn’t think running would stick. The gym is a smart alternative. You’ll lose that baby weight in no time.”
Jason stared at Trinity. Trinity gave him an innocent shrug and Lotty changed the subject.
“What do you think is going on?” Lotty asked. “First the robbery, now this.”
“Well at least our van wasn’t in the garage. There wouldn’t be much left of it.”
Trinity laughed at Jason and rubbed his arm. “Oh Jason, I’m sure you’re not happy your van was taken.”
Lotty glanced at Trinity and her hand on Jason’s arm with a raised eyebrow. Then she waved at Brent, who was approaching.
“Looks like the fire at your place is under control. The garage is ruined and probably your mudroom too, but it didn’t spread beyond that. Poor Jocelyn’s house is gone. There’s too much structural damage.”
Lotty shook her head. “Do they know what caused it?”
“There were multiple fires. One started in your garage, one in Jocelyn’s kitchen, and two by the entrance to the cove. Yet, no one in the neighborhood saw anything suspicious. We’ll do everything we can to figure it out.”
“Thanks, Brent,” Jason said, patting his shoulder.
“Several officers are doing a walk-through of your place right now. Oh, and I got a call about your van. A couple of officers are checking it out.”
“Really?” Lotty perked up. She’d always loved that van. Jason had tried to talk her into an SUV, but she insisted on her minivan. He had to smile about her enthusiasm for that old Honda. He’d actually hoped the police wouldn’t find it and they could collect the insurance money.
“Yeah. I’ll let you know as soon as I hear anything. In the meantime, be careful. This neighborhood is getting scarier and scarier.” Brent shook his head as he talked. “I mean, what’s going to be next? A bomb?”
Lotty’s eyes grew wider.
“We’ve just had a little bad luck,” Jason said. “I’m sure the neighborhood is safe.” He shot Brent a scowl.
“Of course it’s safe. Everywhere in Walden is safe,” said Trinity. “The only problems are caused by teenagers trying to have a little fun. Right, Jason?”
Jason sighed as he realized Trinity was about to start rambling on about something they’d done in high school. He didn’t remember ninety percent of the stories she told, which only gave her more reason to talk about them in great detail. She’d always been annoying, but it seemed she got worse with each passing year.
“Remember that time out by Kalispell? Or when Eric bought the fog machine so we could go hot boxing?”
Lotty’s eyebrows drew together. “I’ll let you two reminisce while I take the boys to Nikki’s to get them something to eat,” she said. Jason tried to catch her eye, but she was already walking toward the Grantham’s with her eyes glued forward.
“And then when everyone thought cow-tipping sounded like a great idea?” Trinity laughed as she continued with another memory.
“Trinity, I want to help Lotty get the boys’ lunch. I’ll talk to you later.” Jason walked back to where his car was sitting on the side of the road and drove it into the Grantham’s driveway.
An officer led Lotty across the street toward the burned garage. Jason jumped out and followed. A perimeter of yellow tape surrounded the house. Jason walked across it, but hadn’t made it two feet when a fireman hollered at him to stop.
“This is my house,” Jason said.
As the fireman approached, Jason recognized him from high school. Shane. He’d been a couple of years younger than Jason, but they’d played football together. Shane patted him on the back. “I’m sorry, Jason, but we can’t let anyone in until the Fire Investigator gives the okay.”
“My wife just went inside with an officer. C’mon, just let me see what’s going on.”
Shane seemed to consider it. “Let me run and check, okay? Wait here.”
Jason nodded. “Thanks.”
He watched three firemen pulling down partially scorched two by fours. Several more were busy at work at Jocelyn’s house. Shane appeared, handed Jason a mask, and motioned for him to follow. He walked into what used to be his garage and through a gaping, charred hole into the mudroom. Everything was black, the most dismal black he’d ever seen. There were burn marks on the walls all the way into the kitchen.
He followed Shane through the kitchen and peeked into the dining room, but Lotty wasn’t there. Shane pointed toward the front door before joining two officers in the kitchen. Jason walked down the hall toward where Lotty stood with her back to him, frozen, facing the wall. Someone had scrawled a message there. The letters, written in charcoal, stood out against the white paint. As Jason got closer and the words came into focus, the hairs on the back of his neck prickled. In messy, block letters, were the words We’ll be back, Lotty.
Chapter 4
“Who, Lotty? Who did this?”
Lotty jumped and her heart raced until she realized it was Jason standing behind her. He’d pulled his mask off and she did the same as she shook her head. Her hands quivered by her sides, so she folded them in front of her. “I don’t know.” She wasn’t sure how long she’d been standing there. It could have been thirty seconds. It might have been an hour. The words seemed to have lifted themselves off the wall and shattered any sense of safety and comfort her home had offered. Yesterday, her house had been robbed, but that had seemed random. This, this was targeting her. Someone had entered her home, her safe haven, and written this on her wall. She turned and faced Jason with wide eyes.
Jason stared at her. That stare used to send electric pulses all the way down to her toes. Now it made her feel guilty since she figured it meant he was disappointed in something she’d done.
“I have no idea, Jason. Really.”
“Have you upset anyone lately?”
She raised an eyebrow at the ridiculousness of the question. “No.” Then she rolled her eyes. “Well, actually, yes. You.”
“Lotty.”
“Jason, I don’t usually go around making enemies with people who would rob us or start fires in our home.”
He nodded, and she thought she saw understanding pass through his eyes. He set his hand on her arm, but immediately let it fall. She missed the comfort it offered for the half-second it had been there. A fireman down the hall pointed at their masks so they put them back on.
She wanted to get out of this house. Everything about it felt tainted. Someone had stood right here and written that warning. Someone who knew her and wanted her scared. Why was somebody targeting her? Were they trying to cause her harm? She motioned to Jason that she was going outside before she opened the front door.
She removed her mask and the cool air hit her face. She took a large, refreshing breath. Though there was still smoke and little bits of ash floating around, it was a welcome reprieve from the stagnant, smoky, confining space inside. They headed across the street, worry filling the space between them, but neither said a word. The back of Lotty’s throat burned and the sides of her head throbbed.
As she looked at Jocelyn’s house, her heart ached. Jocelyn was a single mom. As scared as Lotty was, she could only imagine what Jocelyn must be feeling. It seemed odd that Jocelyn’s house was completely burned, while Jason and Lotty’s was mostly intact. Was Jocelyn the actual target? No, the message on Lotty’s walls made that seem unlikely. Maybe Jocelyn had a similar message somewhere. None of it made sense.
“I’m going to check on the boys,” Lotty said. She didn’t want to think about the last couple of days, to talk about the implications. There were too many questions, too much fear. “They’re in Nikki’s basement so I’ll be down there.”