In Safe Hands (Search and Rescue #4)(42)
“Rory,” Lou said, “could you ask Ian if there were any unusual fires last fall or winter, around the time that Willard was killed?”
“Sure. There’ve been some intentionally set fires since I started volunteering with the department,” Rory said. “Just small structures, like tool sheds. Plus, there were those wildland fires last fall.”
“Oh!” Ellie sat up straight. “I saw those burned areas when we were hiking to the cabin. George said those were probably arson, too.”
“Derek told me that he and Artie found accelerants and other suspicious fire-starting stuff in a forest service cabin,” Lou added as she wrote nearly illegible notes under the “Fires” heading. “Did Rob and the fire chief think they were used to start those wildland fires?”
“I don’t know, but Ian will.” She pulled out her cell phone. “As long as he’s not on a call, he’ll answer.”
No one spoke as they waited, but Rory eventually shook her head as she ended the call. “Voice mail,” she explained. “I’ll try him a little later.”
“Lou,” Daisy said a little tentatively. As the newcomer to the group, she didn’t want to bring up a suggestion that had already been discussed or, even worse, was so illogical that it didn’t need to be discussed. “Wasn’t your cabin intentionally set on fire?”
“Yes.” Lou’s jaw tightened at the memory. “But that was my nutso stalker. He was in Connecticut when Willard was killed.”
“Oh.” Something didn’t seem right, though. “Isn’t it strange that your stalker burned down your house at the same time there was an arsonist loose in Simpson?”
The other three women went quiet, staring at Daisy.
“I did wonder why Clay went from thinking he loved me to full-on homicidal,” Lou said, finally breaking the silence. “He—or whoever it was—actually kicked me back into a burning building. That doesn’t really say ‘come back East with me and be my wife.’”
“But Rory said all the other fires have been small buildings,” Ellie said.
Lou winced. “My cabin wasn’t very big.”
“‘Shack-like’ was the word someone used to describe it,” Rory said.
“Hey! Watch the cabin smack-talk, bunker dweller.” Despite her words, Lou was laughing. “Wait…did that ‘someone’ happen to be Callum?”
Rory’s phone rang, saving her from having to answer Lou.
“Hi.” Just in the short time Daisy had known her, she’d noticed how much Rory’s voice softened when she was talking to Ian. “You’re at Letty’s? She okay? Well, as okay as she gets?” Daisy watched Rory’s face with interest. Her expression was open and happy—very unlike the Rory Daisy was familiar with. “Good. Who took over my dog-tending duties?” She laughed. “Poor guy. Is my favorite paramedic there this time?”
Her laughter faded into a teasing smile. “Yeah, I know. That’s why I said it. Listen, we have a question for you.” She broke off as if Ian had interrupted her. “Yep, I’m still at Daisy’s. No, no sausage biscuits this time. The meatballs and wontons were just as good, though.” Her grin widened, and Daisy found herself smiling as well. Rory’s happiness was contagious. “Can’t. We ate them all. Can I ask my question now? Thanks. How long have the arsons been going on?” At Ian’s response, her expression grew serious. “That often? And all small structures, right? Any chance Lou’s cabin could’ve been considered a small structure?”
There was a long pause as Rory listened intently, her frown deepening. “Do you know anything about those accelerants Derek found in the forest service cabin? Okay. Let me know what the chief says. See you tomorrow morning.” Rory tipped her head away from the others, as if trying to hide her returning smile. “No, I don’t think I’ll be hungry for breakfast after eating all of these delicious snacks of Daisy’s.” Her laugh was soft. “Fine. See you then. Be safe.”
By the time she’d ended the call, her poker face was back in place. “Ian said these fires have been happening about every month or two for over a year. He’ll look up when the first report was when he gets back to the station. Once Chief Early arrives tomorrow morning, Ian will talk to him about whether Lou’s house could’ve been the work of the arsonist, rather than her stalker, and Ian will check on what they found out about the accelerants. In return for the information, Ian requested that I bring home a doggie bag of snacks for him.”
Lou winced. “So good to know it could’ve been two homicidal crazy people gunning for me.”
“At least one’s dead now,” Rory said, making Daisy cover her eyes and groan. “What?”
Luckily, Lou just laughed. “Thanks, Rory. That does help.”
After another hour of brainstorming possible links between the arsons and Willard Gray’s murder, they called it a night.
“Should we meet again in a couple of days?” Lou asked as the group headed for the front doors. “We made so much progress—and you three don’t shut down my wild theories like Callum does.”
As the others agreed enthusiastically to a second meeting and exchanged phone numbers, Daisy was positively giddy with excitement. Once everyone had exited and silence returned to her world, Daisy slid down to sit with her back against the door and pulled out her phone. Her thumb automatically found the tiny dent in the back where it had connected with the granite counter a few months back. Smiling, she scrolled through her contact list. So what if there might have been a dead-body removal across the street or that the sheriff had a strange obsession with making her think she was delusional? He was just one man, and her group of friends had expanded to the point that everyone couldn’t fit on the screen anymore. The sight of the lengthened list of names made her…not content, but closer to it than she’d been since her mom’s murder.