What Echoes Render Page 6

  Even staring at everything in front of her—the glass in the street, the firemen, the police, the bystanders milling about—it was hard to believe what had just happened. Try as she might, she couldn’t remember the last time there had been a fire on Main Street. A couple of times a year there might be a fire at a residence. But mostly, the fire department was used for cleanup during weather emergencies or after auto accidents.

  “You know, for what happened, for how it felt when it happened, the damage out here isn’t all that bad,” Julie commented.

  Jesse took a good look around her, a real look, not one tainted by adrenaline or fear, and saw that Julie was right. The windows had been blown out, but most of what was left of the glass and wooden panes was lying in the street—none of the surrounding buildings seemed to have been damaged.

  “It sure felt like something, though, didn’t it?” Jesse said. It was more of a comment than a question, but Julie nodded, still looking quite dazed.

  “Do you think my quilt will survive?” Jesse was just relieved that all the people nearby had survived, but still the thought had crossed her mind. And then the inanity of the question hit and she started to laugh. After a second, Julie joined her.

  “Jesse!” A voice called to her from down the street. She looked up to see Frank, of Frank’s Café coming toward them. She groaned. Frank wasn’t the most hospitable guy on a good day. And today was most definitely not a good day.

  “Jesse! Julie, you too! Come down to the Café. I’ll get you some coffee, or a mocha, and you can sit down while they finish up out here.”

  Jesse eyed him with suspicion. If it weren’t for his magic egg and bagel sandwiches and heavenly mochas—mochas she was sure came straight from the Mayan gods—everyone in town would stay well clear of the man. But here he was, offering her a free one. She glanced at Julie, who looked just as confused as Jesse felt. She couldn’t figure out what was more bizarre, the fire or the fact that Frank was being nice. But at the moment she didn’t have the energy to debate the issue so she shrugged off the blanket, slid from where she was perched on the back of the ambulance, and headed down the block.

  Within minutes, she and Julie were seated at a table for two—not a table for four because Frank didn’t let two people sit at a table for four, not even in times such as this—sipping their mochas and watching everyone working to put the fire out and control the curious gawkers. She knew that she was more or less stuck in town for the time being—she’d need to answer some witness questions, and even if she didn’t, her car was boxed in by a couple of fire trucks. But even so, when her sons both called and wanted to come down, she strictly forbade it—she was fine, no one else was hurt, and the police needed to keep the streets clear. Instead, she asked James to keep studying for his upcoming biology final and told Matt to get ready for his prom. She promised them both that she’d be home in time to take some pictures of Matt in his tux before he left that evening.

  Ian and Vivi stopped by to check on her and Julie, as did Carly Drummond, a friend of Jesse’s and one of Windsor’s four police officers. But only Vivi pulled up a third chair and stayed to chat with them. Jesse liked to think Vivi was just being a good friend, but she guessed it was probably a little bit of the shrink in her that kept the doctor there, too. Vivi wasn’t exactly subtle about assessing both her and Julie for shock. Still, it was kind of nice that Vivi cared enough to check in on them—not that she would expect anything less.

  By the time she finished her second mocha, the clock tower had struck one, the last of the big fire trucks had driven away, and Julie had left to begin the long process of figuring out how to rebuild her shop. Main Street was cleared for driving and the only remaining evidence of the fire was the foam and water residue on the street, the empty windows of Spin-A-Yarn, two police cars, and an SUV with the Windsor Fire Department logo on it.

  The fire would be investigated, a tidbit of information that, when Jesse heard it, made her think of David. She wondered if she’d see him in town. She’d already given her statement to Carly and the acting Deputy Chief of Police, Marcus Brown, and wasn’t sure she’d have anything more to add if questioned further, but the thought of seeing David again was, well, intriguing.

  As if she had tempted fate, she paused at the driver’s side door of her car and watched as a truck pulled up behind her. Even with the glare of the windshield, she could tell it was David behind the wheel.

  “Jesse?” He was frowning as he climbed out of his truck and strode toward her, his voice laced with concern.

  “Hi, David. We really should try meeting under more pleasant circumstances one of these days.” Of course, she’d tried to go for flippant, but the second the words were out she realized how they might sound, like she was suggesting they should actually plan to meet somewhere else. She opened her mouth to explain but he waved it off.

  “You were here?” he asked as his brows dipped low.

  She nodded.

  “How are you? You weren’t hurt, were you?” He was taking a closer look at her, no doubt checking for injuries.

  “No, I’m fine. A few cuts from the window glass, a little shaken, and now a little tired, but not all that hurt. I was just getting out of my car when it happened. Thankfully, no one else was hurt. Why are you here? Are you investigating this?”

  He nodded, still looking her over, his eyes lingering on the bandages like he didn’t believe she was actually okay. For some reason, his reaction made her smile.

  “David.” His eyes travelled up and met hers. “I’m fine, really.”

  He searched her face for a moment, then nodded and let out a breath. “I’m glad to hear that.”

  He lifted his hand as if he was going to touch her, then let it drop. He was wearing the same thing he’d worn the first time she’d met him: a navy shirt, cargo work pants, and boots. There were a lot of men in Windsor who never saw a suit when working, but none seemed to wear their workman garb as well as he did.

  “So, did Vic call you?” she asked.

  He frowned and shook his head. “I don’t know who Vic is, but MacAllister called me. Or rather he had someone named Marcus Brown call me.”

  She smiled. “Marcus is the Deputy Chief of Police. He took over the position when Ian left to become sheriff. Vic is the Chief of Police. He’s a real . . . well, let’s just say he isn’t the easiest person to deal with. A word of unsolicited advice: work with Marcus and Carly—she’s Marcus’s partner, for the most part. Professionally, not personally. They’re very good at what they do and good people, too.” She realized she’d been rambling and abruptly cut herself off.

  He gave a half smile. “Thanks. Marcus mentioned there were three witnesses. I assume you’re one of them?”

  She nodded. “And Julie Fitzpatrick, who owns the store, and also Jason Henry, who owns the health food store next door. I was here, by my car, and they were outside in front of Jason’s shop when it happened. There were a couple of other people around, too, but they were mostly inside their own shops or inside Frank’s.” She gestured toward the café.

  David turned and assessed the scene, looking up and down the small Main Street. People were still gawking, but some of the shops had reopened. An acrid, bitter smell permeated the street, and Jesse figured it was a mix of the ashes, the burned wood and fabric, and whatever retardant the fire department had used.

  “I’m going to need to interview you and the other witnesses before I leave today, but I need to talk to the fire captain and I want to see if I can get inside first.”

  Jesse opened her mouth to say she’d already given a statement to Carly and as it was, she didn’t have much to say. But she stopped herself. Having him in front of her, knowing he was going to handle the investigation, made her feel something, something good and safe, and on a day like today, she wouldn’t mind taking advantage of that just a little bit.

  She nodded. “I’ve been here all day, though, so if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to go home, shower, and maybe rest a
little bit. You have my cell number. Why don’t you call when you’re ready to talk to me and I’ll drive back down into town?”

  He eyed her for a beat. “Or I could finish up here and drive to you?”

  The thought of him in her house was awkward. She hadn’t really dated anyone since Mark had died, and she wasn’t sure what the boys would think having a man in their home—a man that was, she assumed, judging by his lack of ring, single and not someone they’d known forever. But then again, he wasn’t there for a date. She might find him attractive, and she was pretty certain it was reciprocated, but he also had a job to do. And the idea of talking about the fire over a cup of tea in her own home held a lot more appeal than doing so at the police station or back at Frank’s.

  “That would be great, thank you.” She reached into her purse and pulled out a business card. After scribbling her address on the back, she handed it over.

  “Well,” she said, pulling out her keys. “I guess I’ll talk to you later?”

  He looked at her again and then his hand came up and wrapped around hers. The sudden strength and calm of his touch stilled everything inside her. She hadn’t even realized she’d been shaking.

  She looked down at his large hand covering her much smaller one. His skin was darker than her fair, English coloring. The hair on his forearm was the same gold, flecked brown as that on his head. With her eyes, she followed his arm up to his shoulder then moved her gaze up to his face. The look of concern there was unmistakable.

  “You’re much taller now that I’m not wearing heels.” It was an inane comment but the day seemed to be filled with them. A refuge from the ugliness, she supposed.

  He smiled down at her. “I’m barely five ten.”

  “Eight inches taller than me. But then again, most people are taller than me, so I shouldn’t be surprised.”

  “I put you at five one.”

  “Five two, thank you very much.”

  “Barely,” he prodded with another smile.

  “Okay, fine,” she rolled her eyes. “I’m almost five two.”

  He chuckled and, for a moment, they simply looked at each other.

  “Hathaway.” Ian’s voice interrupted them. David dropped her hand as the man approached.

  “MacAllister.”

  “Ian,” she said in greeting when he stopped in front of them.

  “How are you, Jesse? Are you headed home?” Ian was a worrier, but Jesse knew why so she simply nodded and answered.

  “I am headed home and I’m fine. Did you send Vivi home?” she asked.

  “She went home to walk Rooster. Our dog,” Ian added as an aside to David.

  “You know she probably saw through that request, don’t you?” Jesse teased. Rooster practically lived outside; he didn’t need to be walked. Ian just didn’t want his wife near the scene any longer.

  “No ‘probably’ about it, but she loves me so she humors me,” Ian responded with a self-deprecating shrug.

  Jesse laughed at that. There had been a time, when Ian had just come back from serving as an Army Ranger, that his friends and family had worried about him and his ability to readjust to civilian life after almost fifteen years in the service. Having to recover from both an IED attack that had left him hospitalized for months and bouts with PTSD didn’t help. But then Vivi had come along—a woman who knew how ugly the world could be but was strong enough to spend every day trying to make it better. And now here they were, starting their own family. Ian worried incessantly, but that was part of his makeup. Fortunately, Vivi seemed to take it all in stride and, as he’d suggested, even humored him every now and then.

  “Has Jesse been filling you in on the players?” Ian asked, turning to David, who nodded.

  “Yeah, if the building’s been cleared, I want to get inside and get an idea of what happened. But I need to talk to the fire captain first.”

  “Robbie’s the fire captain,” Ian said with a nod toward a man sitting in the Windsor Fire Department SUV. By the way he was hunched over, the captain looked to be filling out paperwork.

  ”You’ll have to work with Marcus on the rest. I’m pretty sure the building is clear, but he’ll have to give you the go ahead,” Ian added.

  David raised his eyebrows in question.

  Ian wagged his head. “I used to be on the police force but was elected sheriff last summer. We’re in town, so we’re in Windsor police jurisdiction. Anything outside of the town limits is my territory, but inside is all Vic’s.”

  “You don’t strike me as territorial, MacAllister,” he commented.

  Ian shrugged. “I’m not. I don’t care who the hell solves crimes or gets the bad guy or the credit for getting the bad guy, but Vic sure as hell does. So feel free to get in touch with me if you have any questions, but for the most part,” he paused and raised a hand, gesturing someone over, “you’ll be working with Marcus.”

  Marcus came jogging up and Ian made the introductions. After Marcus asked how she was feeling and she’d replied, Jesse used the moment to make her escape. They needed to get down to business and she, well, she really needed a hot bath.

  ***

  David watched Jesse pull away in her car. Twice in one week her car had taken a beating. But it wasn’t the car that occupied his mind. Not that he would admit it, but his heart had just about stopped when he’d pulled up and seen her on the street. She’d just been standing there, staring at the gaping holes of what had been her friend’s shop. That she was there at all, let alone that she was one of the witnesses, didn’t sit well with him.

  He turned back to the deputy and Ian, the latter giving him the kind of look a guy gives another guy when he knows more than he’s going to say.

  “Is the building clear, Deputy Chief Brown?” David asked with nod to the shop.

  “Call me Marcus,” the young deputy chief responded. “And, yes, as far we know. I don’t know how structurally sound it is, but the fire was out pretty quickly and the crews scoured for any hot spots, but you should talk to Robbie.”

  As he spoke, the man himself climbed out of his SUV and came toward them. He was a big, barrel-chested man, with gray hair that brushed his shoulders and a walk that told David he couldn’t wait to leave.

  David understood the captain’s desire. Robbie was probably tired, maybe even a little shaken, but as the investigator, David needed to talk to him about what his men had seen when they’d first come on the scene and entered the building. Also, as the fire captain, Robbie had jurisdiction, and in order to leave, he had to officially hand the investigation over to David.

  Surprised was probably too strong a word, but David was definitely pleased when the captain was able to deliver a clear and succinct account of the fire. His men had arrived within ten minutes and had been inside within fifteen. He reported that the fire had seemed to burn hottest in the middle of the room, though the flames looked to have moved through the area by catching the displays on fire. They had seen no signs of forced entry and had searched the building for people and found it empty.

  When Robbie finished his report, he shook hands with David and handed him his card. A few seconds later, David watched the Windsor Fire Department SUV make a U-turn and head south out of town, then he turned his attention to the building.

  “You’re not going in alone.” Ian’s voice was flat and certain. David had been considering it. Neither of the two men in front of him had fire experience, though he’d bet they’d both seen their fair share of hairy situations. But still, going in alone wasn’t a good idea. It never was. So he’d have to make do.

  “Given MacAllister doesn’t have any jurisdiction in town, are you up for joining me, Marcus?”

  The deputy chief shrugged, “Yeah, I guess I am.”

  “Do you have any equipment?”

  “Hard hat, boots, and a flashlight,” Marcus answered.

  “Here,” David said, reaching over to pull an extra coat from the back of his truck. It was heavy and made of material that would do its best
to protect the wearer from all sorts of fun things like fire, shards of debris, and, of course, water. Marcus slipped the coat on as David grabbed his kit and donned his own gear.

  “You going to hang around?” David asked Ian.

  “Like a good citizen, nothing more,” Ian grinned. It was hard not to like the guy.

  “Here, then, like a good citizen, keep an ear on that, will you?” He tossed the sheriff a two-way radio; he and Marcus would each carry a similar device. David didn’t anticipate any problems, but it was good to have someone on the outside to call for help if they needed it. Not to mention that arsonists, if there was in fact an arsonist, were sometimes known to return to the scene—if that happened, it would be good to have someone who could radio in a warning.

  The three men crossed the street. A couple of people stopped to stare, but no one approached them. When they reached the bottom of the three steps that led into the building, another police officer moved out from the shadows just inside the store. She had curly blonde hair and hazel eyes that were more brown than Jesse’s, which tended more toward green. He figured this was the Carly Jesse had mentioned and Marcus’s introductions confirmed it.

  “Ready?” David turned to Marcus, who gave him a nod. Checking his hard hat, David stepped into the store. The smell of the fire assaulted his senses. He wasn’t sure whether it was good or bad that he never got used to the acrid odor that permeated his nostrils and made them sting. Knowing that overwhelming his senses was the only way to shut them down, David took a few deep breaths and then stepped further inside.

  Flicking on his flashlight, he did a cursory perusal from where he stood. Without electricity, the room was darker than one would expect in the middle of the day and his light only illuminated a small fraction of the space. Still, he moved its beam over the walls and floor, noting that most of the damage was toward the rear of the building.