Neighing with Fire: A Mystery (Colleen McCabe Series) (19 page)

Chip extended the ring to her. “Would you mind putting it on? So I can see how it looks?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Could be bad luck, right?” she asked the saleswoman, hoping the woman would save her.

“I don’t see how. People come in all the time helping others. It’s not an unusual request.”

Didn’t they see that there was something massively inappropriate about her trying on an engagement ring for her employee? Nice try, McCabe, a voice in her head said. You know this has nothing to do with being Chip’s boss and everything to do with … She noticed Chip and the woman staring at her, expectantly. There was no way around it. She was going to have to try on the ring. Otherwise, she’d look like the enemy of love.

“It may not fit,” she said, trying to buy time.

“It doesn’t need to fit
you,
” the woman said.

She took the ring.

“Left hand,” Chip said, eager for her to put on the ring.

“I know what hand an engagement ring goes on.” She hesitated and then slid the ring onto her finger. “There,” she said, holding her hand out for him to examine.

He took her hand and held it so he could see it more clearly. She resisted the urge to jerk it away, closed her eyes, and tried to pretend she was somewhere else. No use. She opened her eyes. The ring was still there. What’s the big deal, McCabe, she asked herself. It’s just a ring. But it wasn’t just a ring. It was what the ring represented—the willingness to take a chance on an unpredictable future, to give up control in order to make room for another, to take a risk and make one’s heart vulnerable. Every day she was willing to put her life on the line, but she wasn’t completely confident she was ready to do the same with her heart. It wasn’t that she was without feeling as Jimmy had suggested, but the exact opposite. She wanted to be sure the person to whom she gave her heart would handle it with care.

After what felt like an eternity of Chip and the saleswoman examining the ring, he finally said, “I’ll take it.”

“Wonderful,” the woman said.

She slid the ring from her finger, relieved that her role as hand model was over. She took a deep breath and smiled at Chip. “Fawn will love it.”

“She will, won’t she?”

“We’re happy to size it for you, if you know what size she wears.”

“Actually, I don’t,” Chip said. “But that’s okay, right? We can come in next week?”

“Absolutely. I’ll wrap it for you and be right back.”

Colleen sighed with relief. Now she could go home.

Chip grinned. “You should have seen your face,” he said once the woman was gone. “I think you were more nervous than I was.”

She threw him a bewildered expression. “I wasn’t nervous.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, right.”

“Yeah, well you should have seen yours.” They shared a laugh.

“Marriage is a big step,” he said thoughtfully.

“Yes, it is.”

The two fell silent. She wondered if he was having second thoughts about marrying Fawn, then rapidly dismissed the notion. Never had she seen two people more in love. Funny how some people know right away and others take years to figure it out. She and Bill were definitely in the latter group. She supposed how long it took to get there wasn’t important, it was the getting there that counted. There was no point in trying to rush or force Cupid’s arrow. She had never seen that turn out well.

“Here we are,” the saleswoman said, returning with a wrapped box. She placed it in a gift bag tied with gold ribbon.

Chip signed the receipt and she handed him a copy. “Congratulations. I look forward to meeting Fawn when you bring the ring in for sizing.”

“Thanks,” he said, holding the bag with the ring like the golden idol in
Raiders of the Lost Ark
.

“And I look forward to seeing you in here soon,” the woman said to Colleen.

“Me?” she said, suddenly panicked, and noticed Chip snickering. “I don’t think so.”

“We’ll see,” the woman said happily, then moved to greet another customer who had entered the store.

“Not a word,” Colleen cautioned the grinning Chip and hurried out the door.

She unlocked the SUV and they slid inside. She stole a look at Chip in the passenger seat. He smiled dopily, truly happy.

“Fawn will be so pleased,” he said, holding the gift in his lap.

“You picked out a beautiful ring.”

“Not about that,” he said. “The owner of Gold-N-Gifts donates items to the Feline Hope Animal Shelter for their fundraising events. By buying Fawn’s ring here, I’m helping save cats.”

She thought about the small animal statues wearing halos of flowers lining Fawn and Chip’s driveway. “She’ll be thrilled.”

“And so will Aunt Autumn.”

She wondered how much Chip knew about Fawn’s relative. He had called her “aunt,” which meant it likely he felt friendly toward her. Would it be appropriate to grill him about Autumn? Colleen still considered her a suspect in Denny’s death and the house and vehicle fires. She would need to handle this delicately. If she pushed too hard or came across as being negative toward Autumn it could not only create an uncomfortable ride back to the station but perhaps put a strain on their professional relationship.

“Autumn seems to be doing a nice job planning your ceremony,” she said.

“I’m sure she is. I don’t really know much. She wants it to be a surprise, but she did tell us about the love quotes everyone will be bringing for us.”

The love quotes. She had almost forgotten about them. She made a mental note to research quotes on the Internet when she got home.

“Have you known Autumn long?” she asked, trying to appear as if making small talk.

“About as long as I’ve known Fawn. She’s pretty cool, stands by her convictions. You know, she even got arrested once.”

“Really?” Colleen’s pulse quickened. So Autumn had a criminal past. She’d be sure to let Bill know if he hadn’t discovered the fact already. “What was she arrested for?”

“Back in the nineties she was protesting the World Trade Organization in Seattle. She chained herself together with other protesters and they arrested her.”

“Sounds like she’s passionate about things she believes in.”

“Oh, she is,” he said as if that was an understatement.

“I understand her passion now is the piping plover.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised. She’s an animal lover like Fawn. You know Fawn and I are thinking of getting a Border collie puppy, like your Sparky,” he said, and that was the end of the conversation about Autumn.

She had expected to get more from Chip, but he, apparently, hadn’t heard about Autumn’s work with the Corolla Piping Plover Foundation or why she had been kicked out. She questioned now if what Rosalinda had told them was true. Had Autumn really been banished from the group? And if she had, was it for the reason that Rosalinda had given?

Chip spent the rest of the trip happily discussing Border collies, how the Baltimore Orioles were doing this season, and his preparation for a national firefighting fitness competition. She was grateful that he seemed to have forgotten about the saleswoman’s comment to her about shopping for an engagement ring and that he hadn’t broached the subject again. She hoped his memory lapse continued when they got to the station.

They pulled in front of the firehouse. It had been a long but productive trip. She had spent much of the day driving up and down Route 12. It would be good to get out and stretch her legs.

“Thanks, Chief,” Chip said with sincerity after she parked.

“I didn’t really do anything,” she said, not wanting him to make a fuss about it.

But he wasn’t having any of that. “I mean it. It was a stand-up thing you did. If you and Mr. Dorman need me to—”

“We don’t,” she said, cutting him off. “But thanks for the offer.”

“Okay then,” he said brightly, and hopped out. “See ya’ inside.”

He crossed the lot, the bag with the ring swinging in his hand. She was happy for him and glad that she had been able to help, but she prayed he didn’t make a big deal of their trip to Gold-N-Gifts to the guys. She’d never hear the end of it.

Sparky hopped from his bed and wagged his tail upon seeing her enter the engine bay. He trotted toward her with his squeaky toy in his mouth. She kneeled and rubbed his ears with both hands. Sparky groaned with contentment, then flopped onto his side, put his paws into the air, and exposed his tummy. She smiled and gave him a belly rub. It was nice to be missed.

The rest of the afternoon was spent catching up on paperwork, reviewing donations with Jimmy from the game day, and playing phone tag with Bill. She even managed to squeeze in a ride around the neighborhood on the engine with the guys, which was a welcome break from the roller coaster of activity that had been occurring over the last few days and gave her confidence that things would soon return to normal. Bill had had to delay questioning the Tour-zilla company owner due to one call for a domestic disturbance and another for disturbing the peace. Worse come to worst, she thought, they could visit the tour company in the morning.

She leaned back in her desk chair. Sparky looked up at her sleepily, then put his head on his paws. They could both use a little rest from the hectic goings-on. Footsteps on the corrugated metal stairs to her office alerted them to a visitor. She prayed it was just one of the guys asking her what she’d like for dinner.

Seconds later, Pinky appeared and knocked on the open door. “I hope I’m not disturbing you,” he said, lingering in the entrance.

“Not at all,” she said, motioning for him to join her.

Sparky leapt up and sniffed at Pinky’s feet before wagging his tail and following Pinky to a vinyl-cushioned chair on the opposite side of the desk.

“Sparky,” she called, not wanting him to bother Pinky.

Sparky resumed his nap at her feet.

“You look tired,” he said.

“So do you.” She had never known him not to appear perfectly refreshed. Even when he had been in the holding area at the Sheriff’s Department he had seemed rested.

“I wanted to apologize,” he said.

“For what?”

“I’m afraid I took a rather cavalier attitude about being brought in the other day. Upon reflection, I realize that that may not have been wise, not to mention disrespectful.”

She leaned forward, almost afraid to hear what Pinky’s answer to her question might be. “Was Autumn really with you Sunday morning?”

He smiled sadly. “I thought we were past that … that we were friends.”

She scrutinized his face, trying to size up whether his answer was a clever way of avoiding the question or whether he was being sincere. What does your gut tell you? “We are friends,” she said, finally. “But you and I both know people do foolish things for love.”

“True. But love founded on deception is an illusion, a dream … and at some point you wake up.”

“You care for her.”

“Do you care for Mr. Dorman?”

She blushed. Okay, she got the message. It wasn’t any more her business how Pinky felt about Autumn than it was his business how she felt about Bill. So he was protecting Autumn … Colleen hoped it wasn’t because the artist had committed any crime.

“Don’t you want to know what we were doing?” he asked, a twinkle in his eye.

No! she wanted to shout. Then she noted his amused expression. He’s teasing me. “Okay,” she said, calling his bluff. “What were you two doing?” The instant she asked, she regretted it. The last thing she wanted to hear about was Pinky’s love life.

“Posing,” he said. “Or at least I was.”

“Do I want to know?”

“For a commissioned statue she’s doing. She says I have the eyes and lips of a young Andy Garc
í
a.” He stared intently at Colleen and gave her his best Andy Garc
í
a stare.

She squinted at him. Of course. The unfinished statue at Autumn’s house. No wonder it had looked familiar. “I guess I see the resemblance.”

“García’s not bad for a guy who isn’t Italian,” he said.

“Why didn’t you tell Bill right away that was what you were doing?”

“I had made a promise not to.”

“Can I ask you a question?” she said, leaning back in her chair.

“Isn’t that what you’ve been doing?”

She smiled. Maybe Myrtle was right. Maybe she could be a little nosey. But when had that ever stopped her. “Do you know what happened with Autumn and the piping plover foundation?”

He rolled his eyes. “I’m afraid Autumn’s passion got the best of her. It frightened Mrs. Hawthorne.”

“She threatened to tar and feather vehicles.”

“Autumn talks a good game, but she’d never do anything that might jeopardize those birds.”

“Given her activist history, you can understand why Mrs. Hawthorne was concerned.”

“That type of behavior is in the past. Haven’t you ever done something because of passion and na
ï
vet
é
? I have.”

She resisted the urge to ask him what. Maybe on another day under different circumstances. It felt good to be chatting with Pinky again, and oddly, despite the serious reasons for the conversation, she felt recent events had shifted their friendship to another level. If he believed in Autumn then shouldn’t that count for something? She had, after all, liked the woman. And didn’t most homes contain alcohol-based cleaning solutions, cooking fuels, and other products—even hers? Was she now going to question Myrtle about the paint they used for the Paint-A-Mustang events or the supplies Nellie used in her go-cart business? If mere possession of such substances was a sign someone was an arsonist, then every citizen of Corolla could be guilty. She recalled what Autumn had said about her estranged husband.

“What about Autumn’s ex? Do you think he could have anything to do with it?”

“I don’t see how,” he said.

“She indicated that he was a jealous type. Maybe he found out about you spending time with her. Burned your property to send you a message.”

“And killing Custis?”

“An accident,” she said. “Or maybe he mistook him for you.”

Pinky raised a brow. “Because Custis and I look so much alike.”

“No,” she said. “I didn’t mean to imply—”