Fire Angel

by Susanne Matthews

  “You’re positive Lynette will pass along all of the information?”

  He nodded. “If she hasn’t already done so, Frank comes by again with sandwiches around noon. Ev will arrive just before that so that Frank can walk in on their conversation. He’ll stretch it if he has to and make sure every detail gets out there.”

  “David and Min are leaving soon because of the weather. They’re calling for snow, so make sure you bundle up,” Uncle Nick said, coming into the room.

  “I’ll be fine, Nick. None of us is going very far. They aren’t calling for any significant accumulation.” Jake turned to her. “Are you sure you don’t want me to come back here tonight? I hate leaving you even for a few hours let alone a few days, but I can’t see him chancing the fact I might know something. Have you got your gun?”

  “I do, but Jake this is dangerous. We know he’s a crack shot.”

  He pulled her into his arms. “He doesn’t want to kill me until he knows what I know. Remember? He’s cocky and is convinced he can beat me at this. You said so yourself. It would be just like him to walk up to me, bold as brass, and ask me what I know. You’re the one I worry about.”

  Alexis smiled at the warmth in his eyes that hinted at more.

  Uncle Nick cleared his throat. “I’ll take care of her, Jake. I may have let her down once, but not again. Since you won’t be going for a couple of hours, I’m just going over to the clinic to see a few patients. It’ll look suspicious if I don’t. Call me when you’re ready to go, and I’ll come back.” He smiled at her. “I’ll bring dinner with me, since Min won’t be here, too.”

  “I see someone told you I can’t cook,” Alexis said and smirked.

  Jake chuckled. “I may have mentioned it.”

  Alexis shook her head. Being away from Jake would be hard, but when the case was over, she had to go back to the States. Uncle Nick had offered to let her stay as long as she wanted, but her job was in California. That job had always been enough to sustain her. Why did she think it wouldn’t be now?

  ***

  They’d just finished dinner when the phone rang. It was after six.

  “That must be Jake with an update,” Alexis said, as her uncle reached for the handset.

  “Nick Pruett,” he answered. He listened a second, nodded, and handed it to her. “It’s for you. It’s Everett.”

  Alexis reached for the phone, her heart pounding in her chest.

  “Yes?” she asked, afraid of what she was about to hear.

  “There’s been an accident just outside of North Bay. I’m sorry, Alexis, but Jake’s hurt, badly hurt. I’m on my way to the hospital,” the chief’s voice was muffled—emotion or a bad connection?

  “I’m coming, too,” she said, tears rolling down her cheeks, her voice rough with emotion. She’d warned him to be careful. “Was it Frank’s fault? Did he attack the Hummer?”

  The line was silent for a second. Had the connection been broken.

  “He did, but he’s no longer a concern. I’ll pick you up shortly. Since I don’t want to attract attention, I’m in a dark blue sedan. I’m not coming inside, but I’ll honk.”

  “How long before you get here?”

  “Ten minutes? Maybe less. The snow’s letting up. Be ready, Alexis, and dress warmly. It’s cold outside.” He hung up.

  “What’s wrong?” her uncle asked, putting his arm on her shoulder.

  She turned into him, sobbing in earnest. “There’s been an accident,” she managed to say. “Ev’s coming to pick me up. Frank was involved, but I think he’s dead. I don’t have much time.”

  “Go and get dressed. I’ll pray for him, Alexis, for both of them. Be careful, my dear. It looks like the resurrection is coming sooner than planned.”

  She sniffled. “I know, but if he dies ... this was all my idea. Pray, Uncle Nick, pray hard.”

  In less than five minutes, Alexis stood in the doorway waiting for the car. When she saw the lights coming along the drive, she kissed her uncle on the cheek and ran down to the car, before it even stopped, pulling open the door as soon as it did. The interior light failed to come on.

  “Any news,” she asked.

  “No,” he answered gruffly. “Buckle up.”

  Alexis did as she was told, surprised a few moments later when he veered right and not left out of the clinic’s driveway. Was the highway blocked? Was this a detour of some sort?

  “Ev, are you sure this is the best way to go?” she asked.

  He didn’t answer, but a sound she’d heard long ago, one that froze the blood in her veins, filled the vehicle. She recognized the eerie tune he whistled.

  “You,” she gasped.

  The driver pulled down the hood on his coat and turned to face her. This close, her eyes used to the darkness, she had no trouble recognizing him.

  “Congratulations on your return from the dead, Alexis,” Frank said in his own voice. “You people are so predictable. Did you really think I wouldn’t see through your little charade? For the record, I didn’t try to kill you at the house, just stop you from going inside, but you know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men...”

  “Your voice,” she whispered, stunned at being so easily duped. “How?”

  “I’m a man of many talents. I have a gift for voices. I had lots of time to practice when my mother allowed them to lock me up after Mack’s death. She blamed me, but it was an accident. He shouldn’t have been following me. I didn’t even know he was in that petroleum shack until he started screaming, but the fire was too hot. I stayed with him, sang the songs Mother did to soothe him ... Listen. Hush little Macky, don’t you cry,” he began to sing and stopped. “That’s my mother’s voice. I’m not as good as Rob Magnotti, but who knows? Maybe I should try out on one of those talent shows. Maybe once I finish my mission here, I’ll consider it.”

  “You don’t have a mission. You’re an insane monster who kills for the fun of it.”

  “Alexis? Sticks and stones from you? From a witch who can enter people’s minds? I’m doing this community a public service, ridding it of vermin and dissidents. Wouldn’t you have liked to see someone teach your uncle a lesson back then? He did have a setback, it’s true, but he’ll feel the fires of Hell sooner than he expects.”

  He laughed and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on edge. The clinic was to be his fifth act? That didn’t fit with the profile.

  “What did my uncle ever do to you?” she asked, swallowing the panic burning in her gut.

  “Why he hurt you, killed James, the only real friend I ever had, and chased you away before we could have fun. But we will now. Did you know he’ll be preaching from his old pulpit on the twenty-seventh? Can you imagine a better place for him to meet his Maker?”

  She shuddered. He was going to burn down a church full of innocent people, something that wasn’t considered public, something that hadn’t been canceled.

  “I do a pretty good Everett Lewis if I do say so myself,” he continued. “I haven’t done voices in years, but it’s like riding a bicycle, you never forget. I’ve won this game. I’ve gotten a new face before, I’ll get another once I’m done.” He signaled and turned down a poorly plowed road.

  She swallowed, fighting to keep the terror at bay. Her fear was what he wanted, but she wouldn’t give it to him.

  “Where are you taking me?”

  “Someplace where we won’t be disturbed. I want to know all about this new power of yours. The only way Jake could have answers is if you found them when you were inside my head that night. A psychic, or rather a fire psychic. I never thought of you as having telepathic abilities, but it only works with fire doesn’t it—rather limiting wouldn’t you say?”

  “No more limiting than your need for a full moon,” she shot back, relying on bravado for courage.

  She needed to remain calm. After all, she wasn’t a defenseless fourteen-year-old at his mercy. She had her gun and her cellphone with its GPS tracker. Sooner or later, Jake would r
ealize what had happened and would come looking for her.

  “Touché. You know, it’s too bad we couldn’t be friends. Can you tell what I’m thinking now?” he teased.

  “Where are you taking me?” she repeated her question, instead of answering his.

  “A quiet little place I know where we can talk about old times and fire, and if we get a little frisky, well, who says we can’t have fun?”

  Terrified, no longer caring if he knew it, she reached for the door, intent on opening it and throwing herself out of the car, but the lock wouldn’t budge.

  “I took the liberty of fixing that lock,” he said, before something sharp pricked the side of her neck and within seconds she fell into nothingness.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  “What the hell do you mean she’s not there?” Jake yelled into the phone, fear beyond anything he’d ever felt filling him. Alexis was gone and Frank hadn’t taken the bait.

  “Calm yourself, Jake,” Nick said. “I’m glad to hear your voice and when Alexis gets to the accident site, she will be, too. She and Everett should be there shortly. They left about half-an-hour ago.”

  Jake forced himself to calm down. He couldn’t help Alexis if he couldn’t control himself. “Nick, what are you talking about? Ev’s right here with me. There’s been no accident. I’m putting you on speaker. Tell me exactly what happened.”

  The old man explained about the call. “I recognized Everett’s voice, Jake. She left with him in a dark blue sedan. I watched them go,” he said, his voice filled with confusion.

  Jake turned to Ev. What was going on here?

  Less than a second later, Ev jumped to his feet. “Son of a bitch. He one-upped us again. Goddamn it! Sorry, Nick, I didn’t call, and I don’t drive a blue sedan. You know that, Jake, but what you don’t know is that Frank Arthur is a very good amateur impressionist. He had us all in stitches at the bowling banquet last Christmas. He actually makes guest appearances at parties.”

  He ran out of the room, and Jake followed him.

  “What color was that car reported stolen this morning?” Ev asked George who’d taken over from Lynette at six.

  “2010 dark blue Ford sedan, Ontario license plate ARYZ 456,” George answered reading from the computer screen. “It belongs to Stacy Watters. There’s an APB out on it, but the plates haven’t turned up anywhere.”

  “What’s going on?” Nick asked, his fear-filled voice coming across the line.

  Jake ignored the man’s voice and focused on the truth. Frank hadn’t fallen into their trap because he’d known Alexis was alive and had gone after her instead. How could he have overlooked that possibility?

  “That’s because the bastard probably stole another set and changed them,” Ev growled. “Put out an update to stop all 2010 dark blue Ford sedans, regardless of plate numbers. Make sure the boys know the driver is Frank Arthur and he’s armed and dangerous. Tell them Frank’s the Fire Angel.”

  “That frigging bastard? I always knew the man was a weasel,” George cursed loud enough to be heard throughout the precinct.

  Nick was still on the line—the man’s voice spoke loudly, clamoring for attention.

  “Calm down, Nick. We’ll find her,” Ev said. “I’ve got every cop—ours, OPP, and RCMP—looking for that car. We’ll get her back safely. You have my word on that.”

  “I should’ve gone with her. I shouldn’t have let her out of my sight,” Nick lamented.

  Jake agreed, but this wasn’t time to assign blame. He’d let Alexis down, too.

  “Nick, it’s not your fault,” he said. “You’ve got my cell. Call if you hear anything.” He hung up.

  Staring into space, he felt as useless and responsible as he had in Afghanistan. Why had he believed this would ever work? The bastard had them by the short hairs from the beginning and was laughing at him, rubbing his nose in his failure once more. He was the one who should never have let her stay after that first note. He’d known she’d been in danger...

  “Jake, whatever’s eating at you right now, you need to shelve it. He outsmarted us again. There, I’ve said it. Now, let’s figure out what he’s done with her and get the bastard. He’s got less than an hour on us. I’ll tear this county apart if I have to, but I’ll find him—we’ll find him. First stop, his place. Come on.”

  Filled with fear and a hatred so profound, it was an acid eating at his gut, Jake followed Ev out to the Hummer. The longer Frank had Alexis, the less likely they were to find her alive, and if they didn’t find her living and breathing, when they found Frank, he would kill him with his bare hands.

  The vehicle’s blue tooth sounded, and Ev answered.

  “Chief, it’s Matt.” The excitement in the man’s voice was palpable. “I’ve got a description of the man witnesses claim was the last one they saw with one of the women. The guy looks a lot like Frank, but the nose is wrong. Maybe he’s a relative?”

  “No. It’s Frank,” Ev answered, the guilt in his voice unmistakable. “That man played me like a cheap fiddle. Five years ago, just before he moved back to Paradise, he told me he’d been in a car accident—nose and jaw broken. He had reconstructive surgery. Rather convenient, wouldn’t you say?” He glanced at Jake.

  “Damn handy,” Jake said, his own guilt wearing a hole in his stomach lining. “It’s why I could never quite remember him and what took Alexis so long to recall what a bastard he was.”

  “Matt, we believe Frank is Fire Angel, and he’s tipped his hand by kidnapping Alexis. Get back here with whatever you have as soon as you can. Lewis out.”

  He ended the call.

  Jake stared out the window. What good would it do to have six more murders to pin on the bastard if they didn’t get to Alexis in time?

  “Do you really think he would take her to his place?” he asked, unable to believe finding her would be that easy.

  “Honestly?” Ev parried, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. “No, but I’m hoping we’ll find something there to tell us where he did.”

  The Hummer pulled into the driveway. The lights were on inside the house, and there was Frank’s dog in the window, just like before. Both the canteen and the truck were in the driveway. To anyone driving by, it would look as if he were home. Could they be wrong? He shook his head. Frank wouldn’t need his truck if he’d stolen a car.

  Jake frowned.

  “Shouldn’t that dog be barking or something?” he asked, getting out of the vehicle.

  “He should,” Ev agreed, leading the way up the veranda. The dog never moved.

  Ev rang the doorbell and then pounded on the door. The dog didn’t budge.

  With all of his strength, Ev used the handheld battering ram he carried to break into the house. Still, the dog didn’t come running or bark.

  “Police,” Everett called, tossing the ram aside and pulling out his weapon. “Frank Arthur, show yourself.”

  Jake stepped into the living room and over to the dog. The animal was stuffed, and from the weight of him, Frank had used sawdust, just like the owl.

  “Jesus H. Christ,” Ev called after stepping into what should’ve been the dining room.

  Jake followed the sound of Ev’s voice and stopped short. The room was full of stuffed animals. There were beaver, martens, raccoons, rabbits, ravens, rats, and mice. Next to them was a pile of tanned hides. Wooden shipping crates lined the wall. He grabbed a crowbar and walked over to the closest packing crate. Inside, bundled in plastic, were at least two dozen raccoon pelts.

  “Looks like Frank had a little side business going. The fur trade got a shot in the arm a few years back when the Chinese started importing the pelts. From the look of this room, I would say he sells fully stuffed animals for display, too. No doubt in my mind as to where that owl came from,” Ev added.

  Jake’s gaze raked the room. “The dog’s stuffed, too.” He picked up a rabbit. “From the weight, I would say this is filled with sawdust. He must’ve learned to do this from his father. Nate Simmons must’ve caught
him trapping—that’s why he killed him. He isn’t tanning the hides and stuffing the animals here, so where’s his workshop?” he asked, hoping that was where he had Alexis.

  “I don’t know. Maybe in one of the other buildings or in the basement? Let me call in reinforcements and we’ll start checking the out buildings.”

  An hour later, after a thorough search of the house and the nearby structures, they hadn’t found anything. Other than the supplies in the dining room, they found a gun safe in the basement and hunting clothes, but nothing to even link Frank with the stuffed animals and hides inside the house. In the bedroom closets upstairs, they’d found a large quantity of women’s clothes, some of it more than ten years out of style, the rest of it, in a much larger size, was newer. Given what he knew about Frank, he couldn’t see him crossdressing, but if either his wife or his mother had left the place voluntarily, then Jake was a monkey’s uncle.

  “I’ll have a team with cadaver dogs here in the morning. I doubt either Mrs. Arthur left this place under her own steam,” Ev said, echoing his thoughts. He turned to Pierre. “Tear this house apart. Find me something. Jake, let’s go talk to Nick. Maybe there’s something he noticed that he didn’t mention.”

  “Wait, Chief,” cried one of the technicians going through the mounds of paperwork they’d found in filing cabinets upstairs. “I might have something.” She held up an invoice. “This is a packing slip for an order for trivalent chromium, vegetable tannins, alum, formaldehyde, and glutaraldehyde. They’re all tanning agents.”

  Jake’s heart skipped a beat. “Is there an address on that receipt?”

  “There is. They were shipped to the Fairmont Tannery on Gleason Road in Lavigne. That’s near Sturgeon Falls.”

  “That’s near the dump where they found parts of Sylvia Sloan,” Pierre said, coming into the room. We found these in a cufflink box.”

  He held up two sets of wedding rings. The odds of ever finding Frank’s wife and mother alive had just nosedived—not that Jake had expected anything else.

  “Let’s get out to that tannery, now,” Ev said, teeth clenched. “That bastard’s killed enough on my watch.”