Summer Flash Burn

by Unger, Erin;

  Christopher gripped the steering wheel tight. “Is that him two cars ahead of us?”

  I squinted through the windshield and made out Tony’s form and black hair in the small truck ahead. “Don’t get too close. We don’t want him to know we’re following him.”

  “Right.”

  As we wound through town it wasn’t too hard to keep a good distance. But once we drove into the countryside, we were more exposed with less cars on the road.

  Christopher held back even more. “I hope Jillian will stay back. Her SUV is a vehicle that I’m sure Tony wouldn’t forget.”

  “That is if he saw it. Remember we parked outside of the trailer park while we went to visit him? Unless he was following us, which I suspect he did a couple times, then he wouldn’t recognize the vehicle.”

  “Too many times I saw him lurking around you all. I’m sure he knows what vehicle she drives.” Christopher reached over and squeezed my arm. “Can you call her on the cell and let her know?”

  The trees along the road began to thicken to the point that I couldn’t see more than ten feet into the foliage. Rock outcroppings scaled the side of the mountain here and there as the road wound along its edge.

  He’d make for a good detective himself. I kept my concentration on the road ahead and on Tony’s truck.

  When his truck went around a sharp curve, we lost sight of him for two seconds. As we traversed the same corner, he was nowhere to be seen.

  Air hissed out of my mouth. “Please tell me we didn’t lose him.”

  Christopher slowed.

  Up ahead there were two roads. Which way could he have gone?

  A tiny puff of dust began to settle on the road to the left. I gestured toward it. “Right there. Do you see it? He had to go that way. It’s the most likely thing.”

  Turning left, Christopher slowed. The dust trail grew bigger farther down the road even though there was no visual on Tony’s vehicle. The dust settled on some of the lower leaves of the dense forest on either side of the road.

  I took out my cell and called Ava. “Hang back as much as you can. He may recognize our vehicles if we get too close. And we may need to turn off the road.”

  The pounding of my heart ripped through my chest. This is what I lived for. These exciting “grip your seat” moments of the investigations we did. I gave a loud whoop, and Christopher looked at me then laughed.

  “I’m glad you think this is exciting, but I’ll admit any day, I would not want to do this for a living.”

  I could hang my head out the window like an excited dog on a trip. “Well, I live for it.”

  “I think I see his taillights. Do you?”

  I leaned forward and tried to make it out through the dust. Instinctively, I lowered my voice. Must be habit from hunting and getting close to a kill zone. “I do see it. Look, he’s turning right.”

  Christopher held back for a few seconds. “I don’t want him to see us.”

  Looking behind us, I checked how close Jillian drove. The SUV stayed so far back it remained out of sight. Good. They’d listened.

  The dust cloud grew less prominent. “He must be slowing. Be careful, Christopher.”

  Tony’s truck became very visible as it came to a halt. Christopher pulled onto the side of the road lined by trees just around a small curve and on a turnoff. Jillian’s SUV crawled behind his truck, and she killed her engine.

  Christopher also turned off his engine fast. “This is at the edge of the forest fire region. I wonder what he’s doing out here.”

  I closed my door as quietly as possible. “Didn’t he say his grandfather’s property burned? Why would he be out here?”

  I held up my hand for Jillian and Ava to stay back for a minute then gestured for Christopher to follow me into the woods. We crept into its depths far enough not to be noticed if Tony happened to turn around and glimpse in our direction. We could play the same game he had pulled on us. Even if we couldn’t prove it was him, I knew it had to be.

  With each step, I worked to be as quiet as the woods would allow me to be. Christopher did a good job of keeping up with me and minimizing his own noise.

  Five minutes later, Tony’s voice and someone else’s filtered through the thick foliage. I dropped to the ground and pulled Christopher with me. Even though I noticed a place where the forest opened to sloped hills, my sight was limited. “We need to get a little closer, I whispered. “I can’t make out all his words. Can you?”

  In an army crawl, I moved closer and closer. An ant climbed across my ankle, but I ignored it.

  Tony half turned.

  I stopped. Did he hear us?

  He turned back to whoever had been conversing with him. The person was blocked from my view by Tony, but I would never forget the voice. Steve Holmes. “You can’t let these plants get so dry.”

  Connection confirmed.

  What plants? I peered past a fallen branch that wasn’t touching the ground all the way and tried to see what he meant. But we were not close enough. I began to give hand signals to Christopher, but he had never been in the military. He wouldn’t know what they meant. Better just hope he understood what I was doing. I gave him a signal to stay put. With each tiny movement forward, I prayed.

  Two full body lengths later, there was a clear view of the burnt blackened stumps of trees but also new undergrowth that covered the ground. A bunch of potted plants lay in five rows where Tony stood.

  No, it couldn’t be. I pulled out my phone in slow motion and took pictures of the men and the plants, making sure the flash was off. No way could Steve Holmes say he had no involvement now.

  Hooah. I’d solved the case. Me. Not my very smart partners. The map had to be of this property. I beat an imaginary drum set. My chest swelled, and I smiled so big a fly almost made it into my mouth. Now, nothing stood in the way of Christopher and me.

  Christopher had stayed back, and once again I thanked God. No need to take a chance and get caught. After one more hard look, I worked my way back to Christopher. The excruciatingly slow return to the vehicles made me antsy with happy juice running through my veins.

  When we were far enough away, I pulled Christopher so close my lips were touching his warm ear. Could we stay right here for a few moments? He shivered when I breathed. What fun to torment him. “He has five very…long…rows of marijuana plants back there. It’s enough to get him major jail time. Come on.”

  His jaw dropped from more than my comment.

  “You shouldn’t be too surprised. Tony’s been in prison in the past for drug-related convictions.”

  “That’s not why I reacted that way, and you know it.”

  Ha-ha. What fun to be in like. Not love. Yet…

  I gave him one last jibe and a wicked smile then began my army crawl through the brush.

  Once we were a safe distance away, I pulled out my phone and spoke in a hushed tone to the dispatcher then ended the call.

  We made it back to the vehicles. Jillian and Ava sat in the SUV with the windows open. “Tony’s got a boatload of drugs back there. I called the police, but what if he tries to leave right now? I want you both to go back to the B&B. It’s not worth taking a chance if he does, and he sees both of our vehicles here.”

  Ava nodded and gave me a fist bump. “Good call. Be safe.”

  Jillian drove off at a crawl and disappeared around the curve.

  Lights with no sirens shot through the trees.

  And now for a little taste of victory.

  45

  Shauna

  “Looks like I made another enemy.” I ducked out of Tony’s view.

  I waited for one of the police officers to walk away before addressing Christopher. “I hope this whole thing leads to some answers about your father’s murder. The map has to do with this whole drug operation out here.”

  Christopher rubbed his jaw. “I don’t know. Is it possible the original plant operation existed down an old path that Dad found using the map? That meant he had to have fol
lowed Tony one time to even know of its existence. And I can’t see my dad being involved in any way with Tony other than to buy those herbal medications.”

  I froze.

  Tony glared with stony eyes at me as the officer lowered him into a patrol car.

  Christopher moved in front of me. “Don’t worry. I won’t let him get near you if he’s ever even out of jail in the next twenty years.”

  The patrol car sped off while Tony continued to try to watch me until the dust blinded his view.

  “The map had to have directed your father to this location. And it is part of the property where the original fire started. This just creates even more questions. I hope Tony’ll talk.”

  Another officer approached us. “Wasn’t it reported that your father’s jacket had been missing when he disappeared? Was it gray?”

  The color drained out of Christopher’s face. “Yes, it’s still missing. I never found it at his house.” His back stiffened. “Why?”

  With a curt nod in the direction of the open field, the officer took in the landscape. “Right over that hill we discovered a little outbuilding. Looks new. But we think we found items that may be related to your father’s case mixed in with Tony’s belongings. We may have more to arrest Tony on than drug charges.”

  I linked arms with Christopher and gave him a supportive smile. What he must be thinking right now. And I couldn’t wait to get on the phone and let Ava and Jillian know that we had busted the case wide open when we followed Tony to this desolate plot of land. “It had been Tony all along just like you suspected.”

  His arm went slack. “I need a moment.”

  He moved away from me and the officer and strolled to the woods. He may have to work through this on his own, but I wanted to do it for him to save him from the pain. Please let him hold onto the good…the part where we had closed the case. It wouldn’t breathe life back into his father, but answers meant he could let go now.

  And what of Queenie? Would this prove she was not as trustworthy as we had believed? Was it possible she, too, was tied to the murder? The evidence had the potential of exposing more than just Tony.

  I refocused on the officer. “I’m part of Worthington Investigations, and we’ve been working Gary Newen’s murder case. Christopher hired us.” I took out my credentials and showed it to him. “If there’s anything you can share with us, we would very much appreciate it. Confidentiality is very important to us as well, and we are a trusted source.”

  The officer watched Christopher for a moment. “I know his family, and I can only imagine how he feels right now. He’s an orphan now even if he is an adult. And I remember when his mom left—” He stopped short. “About this case, we found a weapon with blood on it. I can’t tell you anymore, but I hope it’s enough for you to go on at the moment. You know all the tests and things that have to happen between now and an indictment, but we’re definitely on the right track this time.”

  When Christopher returned, his face was a little splotchy. I reached up and gave him a big hug, and he wrapped his arms around me. Who cared if the officers saw too much? Christopher was mine now.

  He put his forehead to mine. “Thank you so much for all you’ve done. I wondered if we would ever see this day.”

  I breathed in the scent of woods that clung to him and melded with his cologne. “Well, the police are the ones you should be thanking. I wish we had found that evidence, but it’s better this way. They have their protocol, and it’s very important that it be followed exactly the way it should be. Now let’s go celebrate with Ava and Jillian. They still haven’t heard the news because I haven’t had a chance to call them.” We walked arm in arm to the truck. This morning it seemed like we were finally getting somewhere but never would I have imagined that by the afternoon the case would be solved. What a relief. God was good.

  Before I ended my phone conversation with Ava, I squeezed my eyes shut. “Call Leona and tell her the case has been solved. I’m sure she’s about to get a bunch of evidence to work. Oh, and tell her Christopher is no longer on the market.”

  46

  Shauna

  Bomb number two fell that evening. The first one involved a very surprising break in the case that led to closing it. The next one almost obliterated my world like a mushroom cloud eating up the atmosphere. Ava had invited Leona to join our team.

  “Great. Fantastic.” Not.

  Leona pranced around the room and talked as fast as a New Yorker. “I’m going to knock your socks off on this team. Thank you so much for letting me work with you. I knew you’d see how much you needed me. It’s—”

  “We don’t know how much time you’ll be able to clock, but your expertise will be a huge bonus to Worthington Investigations.” Ava shot me a wide-eyed stare.

  Leona perched on the arm of the couch in the library of the B&B. “I’m so excited I just can’t thank you enough. Thanks again.” She went on and on for another five minutes about how great it would be to work with us, but I only rolled my eyes.

  Tucked under Christopher’s arm, I’d be happy doing anything and working with anyone. As long as Leona didn’t make a play for my man again.

  Christopher tweaked my nose and whispered, “No worries, my personal soldier.”

  So he knew exactly what I was thinking. My attention drew back to Leona when Tony Slaiger’s name rolled off her tongue.

  “Yes, the detective told me he wants to make a plea bargain for a lesser sentence. This stays in this room, OK?” She eyed every one of us, and I held my breath. “He admitted to stealing the keys from Newen’s house and taking files but swears he didn’t start the fire.”

  I sat forward. “Why did he want them?”

  Jillian stopped texting on her phone and studied Leona as hard as Ava and I were.

  “He said he’d accidentally left a few bottles of marijuana in Mr. Newen’s herbal supplement order where he disguised it in shipment from one location to another. They had the labels of St. John’s Wort on them, and he didn’t want anything to tie him to it if they were discovered. See, he couldn’t find the bottles at the shop or anywhere in Gary Newen’s house.”

  More motive. With a glance at Christopher, I turned back to Leona. “So what was the plea deal?”

  “He gave them his distributor list in exchange for a lesser sentence.”

  Christopher’s hand tightened on my shoulder. “He killed my dad over a few bottles of drugs?”

  She shrugged. “He’s not admitting to murder either. It’s going to be a long road to his trial for sure.”

  I sat back and squeezed Christopher’s knee. “We’ll be here for you through this, OK?”

  Something on the floor held his attention. “Uh-huh.”

  Should I say more? I watched him and wished I could keep him from the agony of the next few months. But it was time to go home. I needed to get my belongings together before Ava started getting impatient. “I better get upstairs and make one last phone call about my truck. And then I need to pack.”

  “No, not already.” But he let me go.

  With my hand still on the door, my phone buzzed. “Hello?”

  The tearful voice of a young woman filled the line.

  “Is that you, Isabelle?” The line went silent for a moment or two. “Are you still there?”

  Isabelle breathed heavy into the phone. “It’s me. I have to talk to you. I can’t take it anymore. I have to tell someone what happened.”

  I turned my back to the group in the room and lowered my voice, “Where can we meet?” My hand went to my throat. “At the bookshop where we talked last time?

  A sniffle. “Be there in twenty minutes.”

  Staring at the phone for a couple seconds, I contemplated what to do. As sensitive as the teenager was, I didn’t want to scare her by having the whole team tag along.

  I turned and wriggled my finger at Christopher.

  When he reached me, he put a hand on my shoulder. “You look very worried. What happened?”

 
“Isabelle just called, and she wants to meet at the bookstore. Can you run me over there? She sounded so upset and said she had to tell me something very important.”

  “Sure.”

  I made a beeline for the center of the group. “I’m going to see Isabelle. She was very upset, and I agreed to meet her at the bookstore. Christopher’s going to run me over there, and we’ll talk when I get back. I bet she saw something that will add credence to our case against Tony.”

  Ava gave a fist pump in the air. “Great, something to solidify his role in the murder.”

  Leona pranced over to me and grasped both of my hands. The delicate softness of them had my lip curling in disgust. “Would it help if I went with you?”

  I worked hard to not pull away from Leona too fast. “No. I think she needs me right now. Ava will update you later.” It hadn’t come out too harsh, had it? “That is, I’ll see you when I get back.”

  All the possible things the teen could be ready to tell me ran through my mind. Please let this be what I hoped it was.

  At the bookstore, I waved Christopher off, and he headed a few stores down to park. Once again, the darkness of the store had me squinting to see in every corner. Old habits bite hard. Scanning every corner, I steepled my hands together in thankfulness that nobody was on the bottom level of the store—except the cashier.

  Up the stairs to the loft, I did the same inspection to find the store completely empty. Perhaps we should take a seat in the far corner. It would mean no way to get a visual of the door, but I didn’t want to take a chance of the cashier or anyone else hearing our conversation. As I sat in the furthest corner, I looked out a tiny little window to the alley below that had been turned into an open-air café. Would it be better to go down there and talk? No, Isabelle might get uncomfortable being out in the middle of town where people could see her.

  The next time I looked up, Isabelle stood before me, makeup streaming down her face. The teen wasn’t gonna want a hug from me, was she? That was out of my comfort zone, maybe Ava’s, but Ava wasn’t here to soothe the girl. “Uh…”