Austin

by Stone, Piper

  The sheriff took several steps closer. “Austin, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. It’s entirely up to you. I’m just trying to gather information about a destructive fire that occurred at the hotel. Your name came up on the registry. While the office and the computer systems were burned in the fire, the owner was smart enough to keep his records on the cloud. All I need is confirmation if you were there and if you noticed anything suspicious.”

  “I heard it was an accident,” Hawk intervened.

  She slowly shifted her gaze, turning her head. “I like to be thorough, Hawk. You already know that. That’s why I’m asking questions.”

  I took my time answering. “Yeah, I was there that night. I woke up to a room filled with smoke and got the hell out of there.”

  “Interesting, although I can’t say I blame you. Is that how you hurt your hand?”

  “Sheriff. Are you certain this isn’t going anywhere?” Hawk interjected.

  She casually gave him a look. “Hawk, you also know I’m direct when I need to be. Every scrap of information might help me be able to close this case.”

  Hawk didn’t seem to be buying her reasoning.

  “Just a couple more questions, Austin,” she continued. “You didn’t hear anything or maybe witness a strange vehicle?”

  “I was asleep, Sheriff, until I woke up in a coughing fit.”

  “I’m curious. Why didn’t you decide to come into town?”

  I could tell she was fishing, suspicious of my answers. “Because I was exhausted and it was late. That’s why.”

  “Ah. Do you have a vehicle?” she continued.

  “It sounds like you’re accusing him of something, Sheriff. I can’t imagine that would be the case.” Hawk gave her a hard look. “Especially if it was an accident.”

  I could his repetitive words pissed her off.

  She smiled, scanning the area in front of the house. “As I said, I’m trying to gather information. I’m just double checking some findings.”

  “Like if explosives were used and the fires had nothing to do with gas leaks?” I knew the second I made the statement I should have kept my damn mouth shut.

  The sheriff rubbed her forehead. “It’s interesting. You’re the second person who’s insisted the fires might be the result of an arsonist. If I’m not mistaken, explosives were a part of your extensive training while in the Marines. That would make you an expert. Right?”

  “I’m going to ask you one more time. Are you accusing Vader of something, Sheriff? Because if you are, I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” Hawk said gruffly.

  “I’m not accusing anyone of anything, Hawk. As you mentioned, the reports indicate they were accidents. However, your friend brought up the possibility so I’m merely trying to do my job.”

  Fuck. She’d already looked into my military record. “Yeah, I had training, as did the other soldiers from my unit.”

  “Including me. Now, my buddy just got into town, Sheriff. Let’s go under the assumption the fires could have been caused by an arsonist just for a second. If I’m not mistaken, those other fires occurred weeks before the motel burned. Am I right?” Hawk’s voice held clear agitation.

  “That’s true. I’m assuming that you can confirm your arrival into town?”

  I gritted my teeth. Now wasn’t the time to show my anger. Why the hell did I bring up my suspicions? “Absolutely.”

  “Excellent. Well, I think I have everything I need then, although I could have a few additional questions later. I’m certain you won’t mind.” Sheriff Robertson scanned the vehicles as well as the front of the house.

  “That’s just fine, Sheriff,” I said as politely as I could tolerate.

  She took her time before responding. “Well, I’ll leave you both to your day. I appreciate your help.” She moved toward her vehicle then swung around. “Oh, about that vehicle. What do you drive?”

  “A truck,” I said, nodding to the one I’d just purchased hours before, a requirement given the work needed on the house. “I also own a Harley, but this is more practical.”

  There was something about her hesitation that bothered me. “Well, it looks pretty much like the one the owner of the motel mentioned.”

  Franny had parked in front of the office of the motel, the window providing a clear shot of her vehicle. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I remained quiet, every muscle tensing.

  “Anyway, as I said, seems like I have everything. Thank you for your time.”

  “Nice to see you, Sheriff,” Hawk said, offering her a wide grin, which he kept until her car had pulled away.

  “She’s fishing,” I said between clenched teeth.

  “Yeah, she is, but for what? Why in the hell do you think the fires were intentionally set and who else mentioned it to her?” Hawk turned to face me.

  “Because I know, Hawk. You remember I could sniff out a bomb from a mile away.” My guess was that Franny had said something to her. That was the kind of woman Franny was.

  Hardheaded.

  He chuckled. “Yeah, you were damn good at what you did, but don’t jump into the middle of something that doesn’t concern you. You don’t need any additional shit right now.”

  “You mean because of the continued investigation into our unit?” I gave him a harsh look.

  “God damn, Vader. Yeah. Okay? I have a good life and I don’t want it fucked up. I would like to think you’re ready to take on a new life as well.”

  I kicked my boot into the gravel, angry at my stupidity. “Yeah, you’re right. However, I can’t shake the ugly feeling something is going on.”

  “Let’s just hope you are wrong.”

  An awkward silence settled between us.

  “I see you bought yourself a truck as well. And I take it that Senator Montgomery used the one I saw from the other day on the night of your… tryst.”

  “Yeah, she did.” What the hell was he getting at?

  “Then I think you need to warn her that her identity might be exposed. It’s only fair given how… close you two seem to be.”

  Sighing, all I could do was nod. She didn’t deserve this shit any more than I did. And I had a very bad feeling things were going to get messy.

  Francesca

  I had to be out of my mind, yet here I was, standing in front of the ruins of the motel. There was no logical reason other than I couldn’t get the fire out of my mind. There had to be a connection. A freaking gas leak. What a crock of shit.

  As if you’re going to solve the case.

  I rolled my eyes before moving under the caution tape, carefully walking through the debris. I had a full agenda for the entire week given I’d be required back in Washington soon, but this seemed far more important. After checking the land records that were online and finding nothing glaring, I’d placed several calls to the majority of owners of the various burned properties in hopes of figuring out if they had anything in common. As of yet, not one of them had called me back. Why should they? I had no right to ask them anything about their tragedies.

  The light breeze did little to abate the stench, forcing me to keep my hand over my mouth and nose. There was something so haunting about seeing the debris; chunks of charred wood and twisted metal, broken pieces of furniture and mattresses. The total loss had to be devastating. I continued searching, although I wasn’t certain what I was looking for. Maybe a piece of the explosive device.

  Maybe a piece of my wounded heart.

  “Can I help you?”

  I jumped, almost tripping over a portion of the clutter.

  “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  The male voice was gruff, full of exhaustion. I turned around with a jerk, eyeing the older man. “I don’t mean to be trespassing. I just wanted to see the place.” I took a deep breath, finally able to get used to the odor. A shiver shifted down my spine from seeing the carnage. Vader and I had been damn lucky.

  He walked closer, studying me curiously. “Well, if you’re a reporter, I ain’t g
ot nothing to say.”

  “I’m not a reporter. I’m Francesca Montgomery.”

  His eyes opened wide. “You called me, didn’t you?”

  “You must be Charlie.”

  “That’s right.” He inched closer. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you back, Senator, but as you can see, I’ve had a lot on my hands.”

  “I’m just so sorry.” Great, he recognized my name.

  He nodded, his eyes darting back and forth across mine. “You look so familiar to me.”

  “Unfortunately, I’m on the television far too much.”

  “No, that’s not it. I never forget a face.” He rubbed his jaw, lowering his gaze.

  Had he seen me the night of the fire? Not that it mattered, but I was already foolish enough to risk being identified as one of the guests.

  “Anyway, I’ll think of it. I listened to your message, but I don’t think I have anything to tell you that I haven’t told the police. I’m surprised your office is looking into this. It was just a tragic accident.”

  I only hoped my little white lie wouldn’t come back to bite me. “I don’t like hearing about the fires, Charlie. I want to make certain Montana Gas is held responsible if necessary.”

  He shrugged. “The lines were old. We weren’t on the list for replacement for another six months. That’s all I know.”

  I didn’t think he was lying.

  “I heard you were thinking about selling the place before this happened.”

  “Hell, no. That doesn’t mean I didn’t have offers. And threats.”

  “Threats?” The hair on the back of my neck stood up on end. “By whom?”

  “Damned if I know. If I did, I’d come after them with a baseball bat.” He huffed. “I’m guessing some assholes who want the land, not the motel. You know how popular Missoula has gotten over the last couple of years.”

  Bingo. If I took bets, I’d say the others were also threatened.

  “Did you tell the sheriff about the threats?”

  “Come to think of it, I didn’t, although I’m not sure it would matter. Not sure why other than everything is one big blur.”

  “Can you remember any details about it? Was this a call, an email?”

  “A text and I don’t text. I didn’t even know I had my phone set up to do that.” He grinned, the lines in his face becoming more pronounced. “I’m not much good on technology. Even had to get my grandson to help with setting up the computer system for the motel. I guess that doesn’t matter any longer.”

  “Did you happen to notice who sent it?”

  Charlie shrugged. “Unknown. I guess that means the sender didn’t want me to hunt him down, and I would have. Anyway, I wish I could give you more of a reason why this happened, but I can’t. And I am gonna rebuild, at least as long as the insurance money is enough.”

  I gazed behind him, the motel land little more than a few acres carved directly out of the mountain. However, I doubted the arsonist came down the steep slope, which meant either by foot or a vehicle. “No suspicious vehicles?”

  “Nothing out of the ordinary. We don’t get as much traffic as we used to, and it was pretty dead that night. Just heard a loud pop then the entire place seemed to go up in smoke. Real glad everyone got out safely.”

  “I am too. You have my number, Charlie. If you think of anything, would you mind giving me a call?”

  “Sure, Senator, but I really don’t know anything. I just want the nightmare to be over. Now, if you don’t mind, I need to get back to my agent.”

  “I understand.” I watched as he walked around several piles of debris before facing the road. The roar of a vehicle caught my attention and as a motorcycle zoomed by, my thoughts drifted to hearing the same powerful type of engine just outside my house the night before. I hadn’t been able to let go of the feelings someone was watching me.

  Or maybe I just envisioned Vader on the back of a big, fat Harley.

  Chuckling, I moved toward my car.

  As I climbed inside, I realized all I wanted to do was to see Vader. I also had an intense craving for ice cream.

  “Stick to your guns. You have work to do.”

  The entire day had been utter shit or maybe my concentration was just off. Either way, I’d left the office early, feigning a headache, then satisfying at least one craving. Only I hadn’t stopped with just purchasing chocolate ice cream. I’d also snagged cartons of pistachio and rocky road. The worst part was that I’d seen him. Hell, I’d even slowed down to catch a better glimpse as I drove by a local Lowe’s store. The brawny man had been hoisting several 2 x 4s into the bed of a truck.

  While a part of him frustrated the hell out of me, his inability to talk more than a sentence at a time topping the list, I’d found it difficult not to pull into the parking lot. That alone had forced me into a fog for the rest of the workday. Maybe that’s why I’d raced into the grocery store.

  And now hours later, all three containers remained opened in front of me, a glass of wine positioned just behind. Katie would bust out laughing if she found me standing in my PJs in the middle of the kitchen with a spoon in my hand.

  I couldn’t remember the last time I’d indulged in anything other than a small bowl. The worst part was that it was already ten-thirty at night.

  At least I had some work in front of me. Work. Not the kind I needed to be paying attention to. While I’d pieced together a timeline of the fires as well as making several notes, that wasn’t the number one priority any longer. Even the fact one of the other commercial site owners had returned my call wasn’t in the forefront of my mind, although it had been obvious in our conversation they’d been threatened as well.

  What I couldn’t seem to get out of my mind was what Katie had told me about Vader. Whoever her source was had to be a high-ranking official with a direct connection to the military. There was almost nothing on Vader or any of the others with the exception of a photograph from one of the local newspaper years ago. The morning before they’d all left for boot camp. While I’d easily been able to recognize Vader, he appeared so much different than before.

  Taller.

  More muscular.

  Tattoos covering over fifty percent of his body.

  And the kind of sex appeal that would make any woman drop her panties.

  However, it was the haunted look on his face that was most troubling. Vader was hollow inside, incapable of enjoying more than a few carnal needs. I couldn’t shake the ugliness that some top-level brass was insistent on raking their names through the mud. As I leaned against the counter, I thought about the various connections I had in Washington. Hell, yes, I was going to lean on a few; however, I needed some additional information and I certainly couldn’t ask Vader about it.

  I took another large spoonful of chocolate, unable to shove aside the image of Vader with the sliding scoop on his chest. This was getting out of hand. I pushed the cartons away, grabbing my wine instead. The chiming of my phone didn’t surprise me. The time of night did.

  As I pulled it into my hand, I was forced to take a deep breath.

  Leave it alone or else, bitch. You get one final warning.

  The sender of the text? Unknown.

  I clenched the phone with enough force I thought I’d crack the damn case. I was finished with the constant harassment. I stared at it again, trying to think of any of the usual threats had been done by phone. No. They’d either come through a bogus email, the US Postal Service, or by courier.

  An immediate chill turned into white-hot heat. I wasn’t just pissed. I was ready to hunt the asshole down. This had to be about the fires. I would bet my career on it. If my limited investigations had gotten under the perpetrator’s skin, then I must be onto something. I wondered if the sheriff’s office had found the same things.

  I barely managed to put the wine on the counter, my hand was shaking so badly from fury. “Motherfucker.” I typed furiously, hitting send, shocked that it had actually gone through.

  Your threats mean
nothing. I’m coming for you.

  A part of me knew I shouldn’t have responded, but I hadn’t been able to contain myself. I waited a full two minutes, staring at the phone. There was no indication there would be a response, the cell phone obviously not an iPhone. Frustrated, I dialed Katie. Maybe she’d found out more.

  “Franny. I was just getting ready to call you.” Her voice seemed strained.

  “Is there something going on? Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine. It’s not me. You’re not watching television, are you?”

  A cold chill shifted down my spine. I dropped the spoon and grabbed the remote for the television in the kitchen. “What’s going on?”

  “There’s been another fire. This time, someone died.”

  Chapter 10

  Vader

  Another freaking fire.

  I’d heard about it on the radio as well as in the plumbing supply store while picking up a few things. People were starting to get concerned. I certainly couldn’t blame them. A portion of one lumberyard had gone up in flames. While from what I’d heard, the fire hadn’t been as devastating, there were reports that one of the employees had lost their life. My guess was this fire would also be listed as accidental. Idiots.

  Well, it was none of my concern.

  I headed for the house, prepared to spend the day gutting it like I’d done the day before. The hard work gave me an excuse not to think.

  Or hunger.

  Or hate.

  Emotions had continued to boil through me, the dichotomy killing me and the guilt eating me alive. It was just like my buddies had told me would happen. The nightmares had also intensified. Something had to give. I couldn’t continue to live this way.

  After pulling to a stop sign, I found another station on the radio. Almost immediately, the song made me smile. How many times had I heard it? No, how many times had a group of drunken Marines performed karaoke in the middle of some shitty bar?