Fire Angel

by Susanne Matthews

He’d collected the urn and had gone home, staying only long enough to get what he needed. He’d changed vehicles and had gone back to the station, waiting for them to come out. He’d only been there a short while when the techs had removed the shattered mirror from the SUV and replaced it. He’d been impressed that she’d thought of that. The standard slug from a hunting rifle wouldn’t tell her much, but it would emphasize the fact that she was now being hunted.

  After freezing his buns for a couple of hours, not wanting to run the engine and attract attention, his nerves had been frayed. Harry had shown up at six and Lynette had left with him, but still no Jake and Alexis. It had been almost seven when Jake had come out with Maya and secured her in the car. Ten minutes later, he and Alexis had come out of the station, walking arm in arm like lovers. Jake’s limp was more pronounced than ever.

  Careful not to be noticed, he’d followed them—first to Louis where the aroma of burgers and fries had made his stomach growl and then finally to the inn. When Jake had turned into the inn’s parking lot, he stopped just inside the opening, turning off the car. Getting out of the vehicle, hoping to move close enough to eavesdrop, he’d been frozen in place by the kiss. How sweet. His mouth had filled with distaste and he’d spit on the ground. While they’d spoken, he’d been too far away to hear.

  He’d scurried back to his truck when Jake got back into his SUV, reversed and moved the vehicle to the parking space in front of the inn instead of going around back to the garage. Flustered, he’d cursed when he started the car and the automatic lights came on. He flipped the switch quickly and waited, hoping no one had seen. When Jake had gotten out, he’d let the dog do her business before going inside.

  Now, he waited once more, cold, hungry and needing a joint worse than ever. It was after ten before some of the lights went out in Alexis’s cabin, including the one out front. Finally!

  He got out of his vehicle, collected the package from the seat beside him, and moved to her front door, placing his gift on the mat there. His tokens of affection always used to scare her. Would she remember them? He hoped so.

  When she saw his special gift this time, would she realize how close she’d come to dying this morning? She was his prey. He was the predator. He had a few things to take care of for tomorrow’s show, but once that was over, she would have his undivided attention. He would have to find a new way to keep abreast of things and he had a good idea who might be able to keep him in the loop.

  Whistling “The Hearse Song,” he headed back to his vehicle. The next time, he would leave worms.

  * * *

  Alexis awoke with a slight headache, probably a remnant from the nightmares she’d had during the night and the half-bottle of wine she’d consumed before bed, hoping it would relax her. Getting shot at didn’t make for a restful night any more than being inside Fire Angel’s mind did. She would have to climb in there again today. The thought of doing it gave her the creepy-crawlies, but that was how the gift worked. It was just that some minds were more deranged than others.

  Still tired, she showered, then opted for acetaminophen, a banana, and a bracing cup of coffee before getting dressed. Within twenty minutes, she felt better and peeked outside to see what the day was like. The sky was overcast, but it was surprisingly bright. Frost covered her car windshield. It was going to be a cold one.

  Glancing at the alarm clock, she saw it was almost seven. Jake would be waiting for her for breakfast. Choosing her skinny jeans and a deep blue sweater, she put on her shoulder holster, slipped her gun in place, and grabbed her corduroy jacket to keep it covered while she ate. Feeling somewhat better, she put on her flat shoe boots once more, since the terrain at the garage might be a little rough and grabbed her jacket. She would have to see about that hat and gloves today.

  Opening the door to leave the cabin, she squawked and stopped short, one foot in the air. Lying across the doorstep was an owl with soft beige and white plumage. The creature was dead despite the big black eyes staring at her from a white heart-shaped face. In its talon was a mouse covered in dried blood.

  Her stomach heaved. Off balance, she fell backward into the room and shimmied away from the predator. There was a square tag around the bird’s neck. Reluctantly, she inched closer once more, stopping as soon as she could read it.

  Alexis,

  Bang! Once there was a mouse who wasn’t as wise as he thought he was. Be careful, little mouse. I warned you what would happen if you didn’t mind your own business. You’ve had your last warning. The next time you’re in my sights, I won’t miss.

  Fire Angel

  Trembling, Alexis stood and walked over to the desk, reaching for the phone. Death threats didn’t get much more specific than that one. She pressed the button for the front desk and asked for Jake.

  “Good morning,” he said. “I’m almost ready. Give me five minutes.”

  “Breakfast might have to wait,” she answered, unable to suppress the quiver in her voice. “I hate to bother you so early in the morning, but my admirer left me a present as a token of his esteem. He really shouldn’t have.”

  “What the hell are you talking about? Are you okay?” Jake yelled into her ear, and she pulled the handset away.

  “Not really, but I’m better than the dead owl and mouse he left me, along with another note. Can you bring a shovel and a box?”

  “Son of a bitch. I knew I shouldn’t have left you in that cabin after the first note. It’s too isolated. You won’t be staying there tonight.”

  “You’ll get no argument from me this time. I’ll be packed and ready by the time you get here.”

  “Lock yourself in and stay put. I’m on my way.”

  “You can rest assured of that. I’m not going anywhere until you get here.”

  She hung up and opened the curtains just enough to see outside but not to be seen. Moving quickly, she repacked her clothes and toiletries, as well as her computer. She hadn’t completely emptied her car, and it was just as well.

  Within ten minutes, Jake’s SUV pulled up as close to her door as it could get. He got out. Randy, the bus boy from Sunday night, was with him. The boy jerked to a halt when he saw the bird. She went to the door and opened it.

  “Shovel it into the box and put it in the back of the SUV. I’ll be taking it into the station with me. After you finish, park my vehicle in front of the inn where it was.” He turned to her. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded, not because she was, but because she preferred Randy not know how upset she truly was. If Fire Angel were watching, she couldn’t let him see she was rattled. She watched Randy scoop up the owl, surprised to see how stiff it was.

  “He’s stuffed,” Randy said. “But the mouse isn’t. I’ll get someone to clean the mess off the sidewalk. Why would anybody kill and stuff an owl?”

  Jake shook his head. The muscle in his jaw jumped. He was furious as if this action on Fire Angel’s part was as heinous as any of the other murders he’d committed.

  She reached out and touched his arm, amazed by the sorrow in his eyes when he turned to her.

  “Do you want me to move my things now?” she asked. “Then we can go get breakfast.”

  Eating was the last thing she wanted to do, but she would down the whole meal even if it killed her. What she didn’t want to do was come back here.

  Jake smiled, and although the sorrow was still there, she read the “atta girl” admiration in his eyes.

  “Leave it. Give me the keys to your car. I’ll have housekeeping move everything as soon as I know where you’ll be going. As far as breakfast goes, Leon has it all ready for us. We’ll be eating in the apartment this morning.”

  “I’ve got stuff in the backseat and in the trunk I’ll need, too. I’m starving,” she said more loudly. “Let’s not keep Leon waiting.”

  She didn’t know who the hell Leon was, but she was more than ready to leave here. She grabbed her kit and coat, locked the door, and followed him.

  “The parking lot’s rather full
this morning,” she noted, wanting to walk faster, since her fingers were freezing, but Jake’s limp seemed more pronounced, and he leaned more heavily on his walnut cane.

  “Yeah. Remember I told you about the conference? They have a breakfast meeting which is why we’re eating at my place.”

  As soon as they entered the lobby, more crowded than she’d ever seen it, Jake led her to the door he’d used before and ushered her inside. The small foyer had a series of hooks along one wall and a closet inset. There was a second glass door at the end of the hall.

  “The double entry keeps Maya from wandering into the main inn and bothering the guests,” he said. “She can be quite the little beggar when she puts her mind to it.” He reached for her kit. “You need to loosen your grip.”

  She nodded and did as he asked.

  He put it on a recessed shelf she hadn’t noticed earlier.

  “Leave your boots and coat here.”

  Alexis nodded and removed her jacket and boots. “I really neat to get a hat and some gloves.” She blew on her fingers. “They’ll freeze solid unless I do.”

  “They will. I would offer to hold them but mine are just as cold. No gloves either.”

  “Was this always part of the inn?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “No. Mom and Dad had the apartment built onto the main building when they first bought it. Now, tell the truth,” he said, grabbing her shoulders and turning her to look at him. “How are you?”

  “Scared shitless,” she snapped back, suddenly angry and not knowing why. “How the hell do you think I am?”

  “I’m sorry,” he said, pulling his hands away. “It was a stupid question. Who wouldn’t be? Min’s gone to take Mia to Daycare, but Leon’s going to bring breakfast in for us. You may not feel like eating, but you have to.”

  “I know. I woke up hungry. I’ve always been a breakfast kind of girl. Sorry I snapped. This just hasn’t been my day, and it’s barely started.” And she didn’t think that was going to improve.

  “Don’t worry about it. Things will get better, you’ll see. Now, go on in. I’ll tell Leon we’re ready. I want to call Everett and tell him about this, too. I’ll have him call Lynette’s brother and get him to come to the station. Randy said the owl’s stuffed. Ian’s a taxidermist and can tell us whether it’s a professional job or not.”

  “That makes sense, but that poor little mouse...” Knowing the damn thing was stuffed didn’t make her feel any better, but it did explain those eyes. She would probably be seeing those in her sleep for months to come.

  Jake turned and went back out into the inn while she opened the glass door and walked into a combined living room and dining room. The far wall was devoted to a massive fieldstone fireplace that had been converted to gas, which was cleaner and more efficient. With Jake’s limp, carting wood up and down the stairs wouldn’t be feasible. She’d forgotten to ask him how he’d hurt it. Given the fact he was limping more today, it must be a recent injury.

  An archway to the left of the fireplace led to the kitchen. From here she could see the construction paper frame with the winter scene inside it, remembering Jake’s comment about only one masterpiece on the fridge at a time. That didn’t seem to apply to the windows, since each one sported a couple of paper snowflakes.

  Next to the kitchen was a door, no doubt a storage closet. On the opposite side of the room was a hallway leading to what she assumed were bedrooms.

  A flat screen television had been mounted above the mantel. In front of the fireplace, a couch and a pair of matching recliners made a comfortable seating area. A fuzzy pink blanket sat on a child-sized recliner.

  Minette and Mia lived with him?

  “I called Everett and let him know about your little gift,” he said, coming back into the room and making her jump, heat rising in her cheeks.

  What difference did it make to her who lived where?

  “I’m not sure what makes me madder,” he continued. “The fact he killed that beautiful bird or that he was able to get to you so easily. Maybe you need to step away from this.”

  She clenched her fists. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I will do my job. No one is going to bully me out of it.” She fought to relax her hands and let go of her annoyance. “I’ll be happy to have a room a little closer to the main building. The cabin is beautiful, perfect for honeymooners who want to be alone, but with the second note and all, I’m not feeling particularly brave right now.”

  Jake’s smile turned into a full-blown grin. “I’m glad we’re on the same page. I’ll have Minette take care of that as soon as she gets back. Do you need anything from the cabin now?”

  “No. I’ve got my kit. What I do want, believe it or not, is breakfast.”

  What she wanted was normalcy, but she had a feeling it would be a long time before anything felt normal again.

  “Leon should be here shortly,” Jake said as she paced the room, now firmly in control of her nerves once more. He’d startled her, but that bastard wasn’t going to scare her off by leaving notes and dead things. People had done far worse to try to stop her, and they’d failed, too.

  Within seconds, there was a knock at the door. “That must be him.” He opened the inner hallway door and a young man dressed in a white shirt and black pants wheeled in a room service cart covered with dishes and a steaming carafe of coffee.

  The aroma of the dark brew he poured into her cup calmed her even more. That damn owl had disturbed her far more than she cared to admit, but it was the poor little mouse that seemed familiar. A memory of a similar incident teased at the periphery of her mind. If she could just grab it, everything would be explained, but like a wisp of fog, it vanished.

  Leon placed plates of French toast and sausage on the table next to a carafe of real maple syrup. She inhaled the sweet aroma.

  “Smells good.” She reached for the syrup and covered her plate with it. “Did you recognize the owl?” she asked. She didn’t know much about owls, but this one had been fifteen to eighteen inches long. It must’ve been beautiful when it was alive.

  “Yes, it’s an adult barn owl. You don’t usually find them this far north—it’s too cold for them. Sadly, it’s on the endangered list, so that makes this a criminal offense. I’m hoping Ian can tell me more, but if it comes from Southern Ontario where they’re more common, we may never know. We’ll know if it was a professional or amateur job, but that’s about it. Try not to think about it.”

  She shook her head. “I have to think about it. Don’t you see? This shows that the sadistic bastard is scared. Why else would he do something like this? Did you find any evidence of notes or threats aimed at the other victims?”

  “No, we haven’t, but we don’t know for certain that he didn’t send one. I don’t like this.”

  “We’ve upset him, Jake,” she said punctuating the air with her fork. “Yesterday at the cabin ... he wasn’t expecting me to find anything and he knows I have, but he doesn’t know what. I’ve messed with his perfect order, with his planning, and he’s floundering to get control again by trying to scare me off. He’s cast himself in the role of the hunter, the predator—like that owl—and I’m the poor little mouse, but he’s in for a surprise. This mouse fights back and will definitely leave a bad taste in his mouth.”

  “That note is a very specific death threat, and he’s already shot at you,” he argued, his face a worried mask.

  “I’m not naive,” she answered. “I didn’t think it was an invitation to the prom, but he’s not going to scare me off. You’re my partner, remember? You have my back. I trust you.” She reached across the table and gripped his hand briefly, trying to ignore the pleasant sensations that ran along her skin and the memory of last night’s sweet kiss. “And you did say Ev was sending us some backup today. I’ll be fine. Now, let’s finish before it gets cold. We have a lot to do today.”

  They ate in silence while she tried to focus on the memories the owl had brought back, but the harder she tried
to remember, the more distant they seemed. Maybe she was just imagining there was something there to remember.

  Jake stood and carried their plates to the cart.

  “I’ll call Ev and have the officers meet us at the garage. You definitely shouldn’t go in there alone, especially not now, not after this. I’ll do what I did yesterday and have a look outside, see if I can find anything. There were a lot of people there, but I might get lucky.”

  Alexis didn’t argue. She could work around that. While she might be pig-headed at times, she wasn’t irresponsible. Stuffed owls, dead mice, and death threats aside, knowing how vicious the Fire Angel could be was enough to convince her to behave. There was no point in courting danger.

  “If you point me to the washroom, I’ll get cleaned up and ready.” She stood.

  “Down the hall first door on the right.”

  “Thanks.”

  When she came back, Jake was waiting for her near the open glass door. He held out a red and white striped tuque, a scarf, and a pair of matching gloves.

  “I got these from Minette. You mentioned earlier that you didn’t have any. It’s getting colder out. You’re going to need them today.”

  Touched by his thoughtfulness, reminiscent of the kindness he’d shown her years ago, she smiled.

  “Thank you. These are perfect.”

  She pulled on the knitted cap, adjusting it in the mirror, wrapped the scarf around her neck, and headed into the foyer for her coat, shoving the gloves into her pocket. When she turned around, Jake had donned a brown wool hat and his jacket. He wore the same heavy-duty boots as yesterday. Once more he carried the quad cane. She would ask what had happened to his leg the next time they had a moment. If he was in a lot of pain, then maybe she should ask Ev to assign someone else to her for her trips to the crime scenes.

  Grabbing her kit, she followed Jake out to the SUV they’d used yesterday.

  He drove out of the parking lot, turning toward town. The sun tried valiantly to shine, but it seemed to be losing the battle with the clouds. The temperature was colder than it had been. Maybe it would snow this time.