“Did you find me a room closer to the main building?” She didn’t want to spend a stormy night alone in that cabin. Between her imagination and the killer’s threats, she wouldn’t get a moment’s peace.
“They’re moving your things into the apartment as we speak,” Jake began.
Alexis bristled and cut him off.
“Hold on, cowboy. I think you misunderstood me. I asked for a room closer to the main inn, not one in your apartment. I’m not that helpless.”
She realized that she might have misunderstood when she saw Jake’s hands tighten on the steering wheel, and his face reddened.
“I know that. I never implied you couldn’t look after yourself,” he said. “As you’ve seen, the apartment is big enough to share. We’ve got an extra bedroom. Minette will set you up in the guest room.”
She looked away, knowing her face was probably as red as his. Moving in with him and his girlfriend was the last thing she wanted to do.
“I’m sorry, Alexis. I know you prefer to maintain your distance, I got that, but the inn’s completely booked for the rest of the week. I had to move one of the Elders and his wife out of their cabin to accommodate the two security men I just hired. He may have threatened you, but my family and guests are in the inn. I’m not taking any chances with their lives or yours.”
“When did you hire private security?” she asked. This was the first time he’d mentioned that.
He looked down at his watch. “About seven this morning when you called me about a dead owl. He may be acting out of character right now, but I’m not going to sit on my hands and wait for him to revert to type.”
He might be staring straight ahead, his hands clenched on the wheel, but she doubted he was concentrating on his driving. When was she going to learn to think before she spoke?
“I was going to tell you that I’d made arrangements for you to eat your meals with me like we did breakfast,” Jake continued, his voice more stiff and formal than it usually was. “Unfortunately, thanks to the owl, I didn’t get the chance. That’s another reason why we had fast food in town last night. Minette’s run off her feet in the kitchen. I didn’t want her to have to worry about feeding us, too. Now, you’ll not only be having your meals with me, you’ll be staying with me as well. Look at it this way, we’ll both be protecting my family.”
“That’s fine,” she said, the word family upsetting the butterflies in her stomach. “But won’t that be extra work for her as well?”
“No. She’ll just bring in some of the daily special from the main kitchen, like we had for breakfast. Mia’s got to eat, and so does she.”
“Thank you. I’ve been looking out for myself for so long, I forget that not everyone is out to get me. And you’re right. The last thing I would want to do is endanger Minette or Mia.”
Or him. Good thing she’d decided that a relationship between them would be a mistake. Imagine how foolish she would’ve felt if she’d said something. He might’ve kissed her—probably an involuntary action on his part—but he was otherwise engaged.
“By the way, the profile I put together last night suggesting he might have Temagami roots might not work now. Not only are owls endangered, they’re important to the tribe, part of their mythology. Most consider them bad omens, symbols of death, perhaps even messengers for the spirits. I don’t see one of them flaunting customs and killing and stuffing one of his own.”
“Maybe,” she admitted and swallowed nervously as the image of several dead mice lying on a window sill flashed through her mind. “But, if it’s meant as a death threat, isn’t an owl with a mouse in his claws the perfect way to emphasize that?”
She might claim she could defend herself, but she hadn’t succeeded last spring. Would she be able to do so now?
Chapter Fourteen
Jake stopped in front of Duffy’s. Two squad cars waited for them. A couple of the officers were putting on Hazmat suits. They would be going inside with her.
He shuddered. The building reminded him of similar scenes in Afghanistan and photographs he’d seen of bombed out structures in other war-torn countries. The shell of the garage with its blackened cement walls stood amidst a parking lot full of debris. It was amazing that the whole area hadn’t gone up in flames.
Even after almost a month, the smell of gasoline and burned rubber still lingered in the air. He watched Alexis take out her yellow coveralls and slip them over her clothing. She covered her shoes with the rubberized booties and pulled on her rubber gloves. The last thing she took out of her kit was a face mask.
“Just in case there are any lingering poisonous fumes. While I’m in there with them, why don’t you check over there in that park, and see if you can find anything that might point to where our guy stood watching? He had to have watched from someplace, and given the blaze you described, I doubt there was a safe place inside this time. That knoll would’ve given him the best, possibly the safest viewing point. I have a feeling something went wrong that night. I’m going to have a look inside.”
He nodded, wishing he could argue the point with her, but that would only make her angry again. He wandered across the street, not pleased with the fact that Alexis was in that dangerous building without him, but the officers outside and those inside would see to her safety. The building had been stabilized, but he cursed himself for not being sturdy enough on his feet to be of any real help. There was so much crap lying around in there, he and his cane were an accident waiting to happen. Better stay out here and see if he could find a cigarette butt, anything to connect this crime scene with yesterday’s.
As expected the area had been picked clean, and he was about to turn back when he noticed a small scrap of fabric caught on a leafless bush. There would still have been leaves on it in October. He walked over the lumpy, frozen ground, the hardness of it jarring his leg, and bent to collect the scrap. He tucked it into the baggie he carried and stared at it. Was that dark brown stain blood? Plaid shirts were as common here as Stetsons in Texas, but if this was blood, then the perp had been injured, and they would have DNA.
He looked down at the ground near the bush which would have provided some cover and found another bit of fabric. Had he torn a cuff from a shirt? Why?
When he picked it up, he saw remnants of paper, the kind used to roll cigarettes or joints. Bagging his new treasures, he scoured the area once more, but couldn’t see anything else. Glancing across the dog park, he noted that the neighboring street formed the southern boundary of this fenced-off area. The killer could easily have parked his car there and walked over to the garage, but how had he incapacitated those inside? Finding nothing else, he turned around and started to walk back to the garage and Alexis. He looked down at his watch and flinched. Was it possible that he had spent half an hour here? He hurried towards the street. Anything could have happened to her—some partner he was.
As he came down the hill, he saw Alexis leaving the garage, the two officers in Hazmat suits walking beside her. That hadn’t taken long at all.
Jake smiled as she approached. Even in baggy coveralls, she was graceful. She had smudges of dirt on her face, and he handed her his handkerchief.
“Thanks.” She took it and wiped her face. He pointed to a spot she’d missed. She gave him the cloth and smiled at him.
“You do it, I don’t have a mirror.”
Jake gently wiped the dirt from her cheek.
“Find anything?” she asked.
He held out the baggies with the evidence he had collected.
“Yes. If these are his, he got hurt this time. If they aren’t, then someone else was, and we may have a reluctant witness. Either way, we’ll have someone’s DNA.” He held up the other baggie, the one with the scrap of paper.
“This could be from a cigarette or a joint, the lab will know which. It looks a lot like the bits I found yesterday. It may be nothing, or it could prove that he watched. On the plus side, I think I know where he may have parked his car.”
Alexi
s smiled. “Well done, partner. I didn’t have as much success as I’d hoped. I’m not used to working with an audience.” She indicated the officers. “Officer Leduc says most of what wasn’t destroyed has been carted away. I do know where the fire started and how it spread. As I suspected, this fire didn’t go as he’d planned. Our friend isn’t as smart as he thought he was. He forgot what a cesspool of flammables a garage is. I’ll know more when I examine the things they removed, like the table and chairs. I’m guessing that he got himself invited to their little poker party and somehow managed to sedate them. You did say four chairs had been found, right?”
He nodded. “But only three had tape on them.”
She peeled off her yellow coveralls and put them on the back seat.
“Unless you have anything pressing, I think we should go to the station. You need to hand in the owl and that note, and I have stuff to examine.”
He chuckled. “Yes, ma’am. Ian should be there by now.”
Jake waved at Pierre Leduc standing next to his squad car and climbed into the SUV. He liked the idea of her at the station far more than he liked her crawling through ruins like these.
He put the car in gear and pulled away, followed by the two cruisers.
* * *
The drive to the station was uneventful. Alexis spent the time thinking over what she’d seen—and not seen—at Duffy’s. Once they arrived, after fifteen minutes of hellos and introductions to some of the people she hadn’t met the previous day, Jake took her to the evidence locker that housed the items removed from the garage. Before entering the room, she covered her clothes with her yellow coveralls. No point in ruining the few garments she’d brought with her by brushing up against oily, greasy, charred remains.
“I meant to ask,” she said, pulling on the booties to cover her feet. “How come this was all moved here when they didn’t touch the stuff in the cabin? That severely compromised the scene.” It had also hampered her ability to get a good reading of what had happened that night. She’d blamed it on the police officers with her, but the truth was, there was nothing left in the garage that he’d touched to let her connect with him. All she got were vague impressions of surprise and fear.
“It was the lesser of two evils,” Jake explained. “The building wasn’t sound, and the fire marshal was afraid the walls were going to collapse onto the scene. The techs worked fast to get their photos, and once they did, the firefighters carted everything outside for transfer here. As it is, the building’s been temporarily stabilized, but it’s also been condemned. It’ll be coming down as soon as the investigation is over. The damn thing’s an environmental disaster. The town’s going to be looking at a healthy price tag to recondition the area for future use.”
“I’ll bet, but I’ll give whoever emptied the place credit. They were thorough. There wasn’t even a foil gum wrapper left in there.”
Jake chuckled. “Well, if there was one left behind, it’s in there.” He pointed at the door. “Funny you should mention gum. The men sent to examine the north slope didn’t find any brass, but they did find four wads of gum. The tech checked it quickly. He says it’s nicotine gum. Ian told me he’s trying to quit.”
“He’s the taxidermist, right?”
“Yeah, and Lynette’s brother. I’ll have to be very careful about how I talk to him. I’m going to call in a couple of others while you’re in there. Anything you want me to ask them other than the obvious questions?”
“Find out if any of them has suffered a recent loss—a child, a family member, maybe a dog? Something started this killing spree, right?”
“You’ve got it. Now, they’ve got a scaled map on the wall with everything listed where it was in the room and the bin numbers are marked on it, so you should be able to find what you need.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ll be in my office. I have to go through the names I have and see if any of them fit the profile. So far, thanks to yesterday, I’m looking for a pyromaniac with an axe to grind against God alone knows how many people in the community who also has inside information about the case. He’s most likely a local since he can travel the back roads, has access to large quantities of Rohypnol, is a crack shot, smokes cigarettes and weed, possibly has Temagami connections, and was at the inn Sunday night after following you. Did I mention he’s invisible since no one ever sees him? As well, thanks to this morning, we know he wants to kill you.”
Alexis laughed and shook her head. “Is that all? You wouldn’t want it to be too easy, would you?” She put her arm on his shoulder. “I know you’re worried about me, and I appreciate your concern, but get that frown off your face. We’re inside the police station, probably the safest place in all of Paradise. I’ll be fine. Now, go and sit. From the way you’re limping, your leg must hurt like hell.”
He reddened and nodded. “Yeah. I wrenched it yesterday when the bullets started flying. Nothing a little time and analgesics won’t fix.”
She was about to ask what had happened when the sound of someone being buzzed in to the station filled the air.
“That’s Frank with this morning’s coffee and baked goods.” He grinned. “His brownies are to die for.”
Alexis chuckled. “Between the meals I’ve eaten and the never-ending stream of goodies, I won’t fit into the clothes I’ve brought with me.” She shook her head. “Go. Get your chocolate treat, then get off that leg. I’ve got this.”
Jake nodded and limped down the hall.
“Analgesics, my ass,” she mumbled under her breath. He was going to need something a hell of a lot stronger than an acetaminophen tablet.
Turning back to the door, she punched in the security code Jake had given her and went inside.
Before beginning her search for clues, Alexis studied the map, memorizing the location of each tagged item. Once she did, she started her examination by looking at the larger pieces first. Reaching for the file she’d brought with her, she stepped over to the table, its surface sealed in plastic. Pulling a blade out of her kit, she slit the barrier between herself and the ashes. According to the report, the ashes were a mixture of money and waxed playing cards. She frowned. What if the waxy residue wasn’t from the cards in their natural state? What if it had landed there when the candle burned?
She scrunched up her face. Why had he let the money burn? He could’ve taken it with him. No one would’ve known. She touched the pile of ashes.
The evidence room vanished. She was back at the garage, inside his head, all of the thoughts he’d had at that moment in time open to her. His senses were hers—seeing with his eyes, touching with his hands, smelling with his nose. She swallowed, the taste of stale cigarette strong in her mouth. The experience was unsettling. Was this because it was the second time she’d joined him through the remnants of his acts?
The aroma of gasoline was strong, decidedly unpleasant, and he wrinkled his nose at it. Maybe he should take some of the money—they didn’t need it. He reached down and picked up a few of the bills but dropped them back in place. How had he gotten gasoline on them? If he tried to pass them, someone was bound to notice the smell. How the hell would he explain that? Besides, this wasn’t a robbery. It was a trial, and he was judge, jury, and executioner all rolled into one.
He moved the money aside and set his shaped candle, another distorted one, on the table. If those assholes had done the job right, the attic would’ve stayed cool and the items stored up there would’ve remained undamaged. Then, he reached for a bottle next to the priest and dropped it back into the case he held. Those would go with him. The last thing he wanted to do was leave anything behind that might make figuring this out easy for Jake. The son of a bitch couldn’t win every game. Not this time.
She yanked her hand away and the scene vanished. This was personal for Fire Angel, not only as his revenge, but he was in a pissing contest of his own choosing with Jake, trying to one-up him whenever he could.
Smiling, she made a quick note. Leroy and Jethro had done work on his house�
�maybe putting on a new roof and insulating it. There would be a record of that somewhere. A job like that might even require a building permit. That could help Jake narrow the search, but how was she to bring it up without explaining everything to him? It wasn’t that she was ashamed of her gift and her abilities, but when people realized what she could get from a fire, they looked at her strangely. She didn’t want to see that look on Jake’s face. While she didn’t know exactly what she did want from him, she knew it wasn’t revulsion.
Breathing heavily from the psychic exertion, she put on her rubber gloves and pushed the ashes to the side to examine the metal table top. It was too charred for her to identify anything specific on it, but there was a seam down its center. Kneeling, she crawled under the table. The crack was wider from under here. Thin blade in one hand and evidence bag in the other, she inserted her tool into the crack and moved it back and forth, hoping to catch shavings of wax into the bag she held under it. When she was finished, she dropped the blade into the bag, sealed it, and set it on top of her kit.
Looking around the room, she found the four metal chairs and went to get each one, knowing instinctively where to put them. She reached for the file of photographs and examined the scene as they’d found it. Two of the men had been bent forward. Were their heads taped to the table, their hands under their faces? It looked that way. The third had been sitting up straight. Tape across his neck forcing his head upright according to the report. Sitting on the chair no one had used, she removed her glove once more and touched the chair next to hers, the one where Duffy had sat.
“He may forgive you,” he shouted at the men whose eyes revealed their terror, “but I won’t. It’s your fault I wasn’t there. You’re fault I was cooling my heels waiting while she died. If I’d been there, I could’ve stopped her. I could’ve prevented it. I’ve waited a long time for this. The two of you will burn in Hell for what you did. I’m just giving you a head start.” He turned to the priest. “And as for you, not everything is the will of God. Think this is?”
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