Rainier Drive (Cedar Cove #6)(61)

“I took that money from my mother,” Anson admitted. “I’m not proud of it and I’ll pay back every penny. I promised I would and I will.”

“She let me read your letter,” Allison told him, “and I told her about your phone call.”

“Did Cherry tell you about the fires I started as a kid, too?” he asked.

Allison heard gruff voices in the background. She couldn’t decipher what was being said, but it was clear that Anson needed to get off the phone.

“Yes, she told me.”

“No wonder you don’t believe me,” he said. “Listen. I didn’t nearly burn the house down when I was a kid. My mother was drinking and she left a cigarette burning. She blamed me, but it was her fault. The other incident wasn’t me, either. It was another kid from the neighborhood. I know this looks bad, Allison, but I swear I wasn’t responsible for the fire at The Lighthouse.”

“I want to believe you. With all my heart, Anson.”

“Thank you,” he whispered and then, before she was ready, he disconnected.

Allison’s hand tightened around her phone and she held on for a long moment, trying to maintain the sense of closeness they’d shared.

Anson had told her far more than he had in his previous call or the night of the fire, and it gave her hope that he was telling the truth.

As she drove back to Cedar Cove, Allison’s thoughts whirled in a hundred different directions. On impulse, she stopped at the First National Bank. The last time she’d made a deposit, Allison had seen Justine Gunderson there.

Ms. Gunderson was talking with a client at her desk when she entered the bank. Allison sat in the waiting area until Justine was free. During that time, Allison changed her mind twice before she found the courage to approach the owner of the burned-out restaurant.

“Can I help you?” Ms. Gunderson asked pleasantly as Allison walked toward her.

Her knees felt weak, and Allison sat down in the chair opposite Justine. “I’m Allison Cox,” she said. Because she felt it was important to maintain a businesslike facade, she extended her hand across the desk.

Justine shook it and seemed to take her seriously, which reassured Allison. “I don’t know if you remember me,” she said. They’d met at The Light-house and at a party held by her parents a couple of Christmases ago.

She waited, but Ms. Gunderson gave no indication that she did.

“I’m Zach Cox’s daughter—and Anson Butler’s girlfriend,” she said in as straightforward a manner as she could.

Justine’s eyes flickered with recognition.

“I talked to Anson today. A little more than thirty minutes ago.”

Justine leaned forward, her elbows on the desk. When she spoke, her voice was low and tense. “Does Anson know the sheriff wants to talk to him regarding the fire?” she asked in a conspiratorial whisper.

“Anson knows.”

“Is there a reason he won’t talk to the authorities?”

Allison wasn’t sure how to answer that. “I want him to come back to Cedar Cove more than anything.”

“My husband and I realize he was upset after we laid him off.”

Allison had never seen Anson more distressed than the day last autumn when he’d found her in the mall. He’d been so negative, convinced the world was against him. Convinced that nothing he said or did would ever be good enough.

“He was so hurt and angry when he lost his job. He didn’t take that money, Ms. Gunderson. I know that. He’d tried really hard to do everything right—and then to be falsely accused…You can’t imagine what it did to him.”

Justine sighed. “My husband felt bad about the way he handled the situation. We’d never had anything like that come up before. Seth liked Anson. In fact, he’d recently made him a prep cook.”

Allison nodded vigorously. “Anson thought he was making progress and that he’d be able to pay off the shed and—”

“The shed?” she asked.

Allison lowered her eyes. “He was making restitution for the fire in the city park.”

Ms. Gunderson went very quiet. “I’d forgotten about that,” she said after a moment. She pressed her fingertips to her forehead. “I’ve tried to put as much of this behind me as I can. As you might’ve guessed, this whole episode has been devastating for Seth and me.”

“Your husband knew about Anson’s past. My father talked to him about it and Mr. Gunderson agreed to give him this job.”

“You believe in your friend, don’t you?” Justine said gently.

“Yes!” She wanted to defend Anson, explain that he was a good and honest person and how intelligent he was. None of that made any difference, though, unless there was evidence exonerating him.

“If he’s truly innocent, then your friend’ll return of his own free will and answer the sheriff’s questions.”

“I’ll talk to him about it,” Allison said. The next time Anson phoned, she’d make sure he understood how important it was to contact the authorities if he hoped to clear his name. Otherwise, this fire would hang over his head for the rest of his life. Otherwise, the entire town would lay the blame at his feet. His reputation had cast a shadow of doubt over him, and his disappearance only reinforced people’s suspicions. Refusing to step forward hindered his chances.