Firebreak (Josie Gray Mysteries #4)(54)
She nodded.
“The fire was either arson with a specific motive, or it was set by an arsonist who may have a set of motivations that are more complicated than you would first think.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Can you explain the difference?”
“Arson is fire intentionally set to destroy property.”
She nodded.
“An arsonist is the person who commits arson. If the person fits the characteristics of a typical arsonist we’d be looking at a young male, under the age of twenty-five, who comes from a single-parent family with no father figure. Fire becomes a sense of pride and way to control situations.”
Josie nodded. “So you would approach the investigation differently if you thought the fire was set by an arsonist versus someone who burned the house down with a specific motive. Such as covering up a murder.”
“Exactly.”
Josie glanced at Doug and frowned. “Yesterday I would have told you that this fire was set with the sole purpose of covering up the murder of Ferris Sinclair. Today, I’m not so sure. The two suspects we thought might have had a motive for murder have a tight alibi. Ferris wasn’t well liked, but I’ve not found anyone yet with the motive to want to kill him and burn his body. This was brutal.”
Ned squatted down to get eye-level with the couch. He seemed to be surveying the fabric, inch by inch. After several minutes he stood and moved directly in front of the couch, performing the same visual scan.
He stood again. “Have you moved the couch?”
Doug shook his head. “We didn’t want to move anything until you came on scene.”
“Good. Get on the other side and let’s move this couch directly back.”
Doug and Ned lifted the couch up, moved it back about four feet, and set it down. All three looked down at the bare space under the couch, largely untouched by the fire. Sitting about five inches from where the bottom of the couch would have been was a plastic syringe. They all approached it at the same time and bent over to see that the needle was still attached.
Ned looked at Josie. “Were either of the Nixes IV drug users?”
“I don’t think so. Highly unlikely.”
“What about the victim?”
“I can’t answer that.”
“I have some pull with a toxicology lab up north,” Ned said. “I’m sorry you had such a wait getting a fire marshal out here. I’ll put a rush on the toxicology. I have a great lab I work with. They may be able to get us results in forty-eight hours if we’re lucky. We’ll hopefully know whether we’re looking at recreational drug use, or the method of death.”
*
When Josie arrived back at the office she found Otto just about to walk in. “You need a shower, Chief.”
Josie looked down and noticed the black smudges on her uniform pants and shirt. “Think that comes out in the wash?” she asked.
“Call Delores. No doubt she’ll have some vinegar remedy.”
They both stepped into the building and sighed. The air-conditioning felt like heaven. Josie washed her arms and hands as best she could in the bathroom sink upstairs and met Otto at the conference table.
“The fire marshal find anything new?”
Josie summarized the marshal’s confirmation that the fire was set intentionally by a liquid accelerant, and the discovery of the syringe under the couch.
Otto listened to Josie’s account and said, “We have two dead men, an arson, and a suicide that we’re not sure we believe.”
“Brenda claims Billy won’t even take aspirin for a headache. She basically admitted to searching his luggage when they go on trips. She swears he didn’t have any pills with him in the hotel.”
“Here’s another thing. While you were with the fire marshal today I tracked down the clerk at the liquor mart who was working the night Billy drank himself to death. He remembered Billy coming in at about eleven thirty and buying the whiskey.”
“What did he say about Billy’s demeanor that night?” she asked.
Otto shrugged. “He claimed Billy was normal. The clerk told me he was a fan of Billy’s so he asked him about the recording contract. Billy told him they were getting close to a deal. He even told the guy that if they got the deal he’d bring him a signed copy of the CD when it came out.”
Josie frowned. “Doesn’t sound like a guy getting ready to go drink himself to death.”
“I agree. Seems odd a guy would dash off a quick ‘I’ll be back’ note, leave his wife in a hotel room, then go buy enough whiskey and prescription drugs on the street corner to kill himself.”
“Who would want both Ferris and Billy dead? Brenda would want Ferris dead, but not Billy. If you go the jealousy route, other bands might want Billy dead, but couldn’t care less about Ferris,” Josie said.
Lou buzzed Josie on her desk phone. “Cowan’s on his way up to see you.”
Josie grinned at Otto. “Cross your fingers. He wouldn’t drive over here without significant news.”
They listened as Cowan slowly clumped his way up the wooden stairs to the office. He appeared in the doorway and took a deep breath before entering.
“Good morning. I trust I’m not disturbing you too terribly with an unannounced visit?”
“Come on in. Would you like coffee?” Josie asked.