Burning Down the House (31 page)

Feeling my cell phone vibrate, I pulled it out and read the text sent from
Dana.
Still at ballet? Call me after, k?

I quickly replied:
Omw home, call u in a bit.

“What about the baby?” I asked Dad. “
Will they be able to find out if Riley’s the father?”

“Yes, but it
might take a little time. Riley’s parents are being very uncooperative. They’re threatening defamation lawsuits left and right. No wonder that kid turned out to be such a piece of work, coming from a gene pool like that. This poor girl’s been slaughtered, her parents have lost not only their child but their home as well, and now they’re being threatened with a goddamn lawsuit!” He pulled the Prius into the driveway and shut off the engine. “Makes me embarrassed to be part of the human race.”

I wondered
…if the baby really wasn’t his, would that help his case or hurt it? Didn’t he kind of have a motive either way? It was all such a supreme clusterfuck.

As soon as I was inside I noticed something new - a keypad on the wall next to the front door. “What’s this - a burglar alarm?”

“I had a security system installed today. It’s not armed right now. Soon as Rob gets home I’ll show you both how to set it.” He patted me on the shoulder. “I’m not trying to make you nervous or paranoid or anything. It’s just a precaution. With you being here alone so much, it’s probably something I should have already done.”

But I have
Rob now,
I thought. I wouldn’t be afraid with him here to protect me. Pulling out my phone again, I tapped Dana’s number.

“Think I’ll order some wings and salad for dinner
,” Dad was saying. “Sound okay to you?”

“Sure
. Ranch this time, no blue cheese.”

“But I like blue cheese,”
Dana argued cheerfully in my ear.

“Oh, shut up. I wasn’t talking to you.”

“Are you getting takeout again? I think all the restaurants in town would go out of business if you guys moved away.”

“
What
-ever!”

“Have you heard the latest?”

“You mean about Jordan already being dead before the fire was set? Yeah, I just heard it on the news.”

“Hey, at least she didn’t suffer. Well…what I mean is, at least she didn’t get burned alive. What freaks me out is that
now we don’t know who did it.”

“It could still be
Riley. Couldn’t it?”

“I don’t think it is. Okay, don’t tell anybody this - promise?”

“I promise. What?”

“I was listening in on one of my dad’s conversations. Yes, I’m nosy - don’t judge me. Anyway, they did manage to get a fingerprint sample from
Riley and guess what - it didn’t match the prints on the lighter.”

I frowned.
“Lighter?”

“
The one they found lying in the front yard. They think it was used to start the fire. Must’ve fallen out of the guy’s pocket when he was hauling ass.”

A lighter. Well,
it was only logical. The arsonist probably didn’t have time to sit around rubbing two sticks together scout style, now did he? “What - um, what kind of lighter?” I hated myself for even asking.

“I dunno - cigarette lighter, I guess. How many kinds are there?
”

There are plenty of kinds. Lots of people carry lighters around with them.
“Your dad doesn’t have any other suspects?”

“Not as far as I know.
Not like he’d tell me if he did. I ask you, what’s the use of being the police chief’s daughter if you can’t get inside information?”

“Free donuts?” I suggested sarcastically.

“Right - I wish. I could use a donut right about now. My mother’s on this health food kick. Know what we’re having for dinner? Broiled fish and steamed broccoli. Just because she thinks she needs to lose ten pounds, she’s making the rest of us suffer.”

“You can always come over here and eat
chicken wings with us.”

“Tempting. Actually,
Trent’s on his way over to pick me up. We’re going to get a nice greasy burger. I hate broccoli. Who wants to eat something that looks like a shrub?”

“
Weren’t you just making fun of me for eating takeout, like two seconds ago?”

“No
pe, that had to be somebody else. Trent’s here - gotta go. Smoochies!”

Since Dad had to leave for
Johnstown early in the morning, he went straight to bed after giving us a brief tutorial on the new security system. Rob thought it was a great idea. I was on the fence myself. I didn’t appreciate feeling like a prisoner in my own home.

We snuggled up
on the couch together afterwards to watch, appropriately enough,
Home Alone
. “See, we don’t need an alarm system,” I reasoned. “We can just ice up the front steps and rig a blowtorch to the door.”

Rob
’s lips curved into a wry smile. “I think that only works in the movies.”

“Have you ever slipped on ice? It can be very dangerous.”

“I can be much more dangerous.” Sliding his arms around my waist, he pulled me onto his lap. “Anybody even thinks about breaking into this house, they’ll have more to worry about than booby traps.”

I melted into his embrace
, nuzzling my head against his neck. “I don’t know why anyone would. I think the thing with Jordan was an isolated incident. Someone who had it in for her.”

“
I think so too. I’m still not a hundred percent convinced it wasn’t Riley, alibi or not.”

I thought about what
Dana told me, about the fingerprints. But I didn’t mention it. I guess for the same reason I’d never grilled him about where he was that night, or why he came home smelling like smoke. I didn’t want him to get the wrong idea, to think that I harbored any doubts about him. Because I didn’t. I couldn’t. I loved him too much.

“
How would you feel about coming to Greenville with me for Christmas?” I redirected the discussion.

He seemed pleased that I’d asked.
“If that’s where you’re going, then that’s where I’d like to be. If you don’t think your mom and stepdad will mind.”

“I’ll call her tomorrow and make sure.
They shouldn’t though. The house is pretty big, and Stanley doesn’t have any kids so there ought to be plenty of room. When’s your last day at work supposed to be?”

“Twenty-
second.”

“
Perfect! We leave on the twenty-third. If my dad can get you a seat, that is.”

“And if he can’t?”

“Then I stay here with you.”

“Uh-uh. No.”
Rob shook his head. “I don’t want you changing your plans for me. You need to spend some time with your family.”

“If you don’t go
, I don’t go.”

“Listen
, it’s not like I’ve never been by myself during the holidays before…”

“You’re not spending Christmas alone. End of story.” I lifted my chin and stared him down stubbornly.

“You’re used to getting your own way, aren’t you?” he noted with amusement.

Smirking, I nodded innocently.

“Spoiled little brat. While you’re on my lap, why don’t you tell Santa what you want for Christmas?”

“
Oh, I think Santa already knows what I want.”

“Refresh his memory.”

“I want my boyfriend to come to Greenville with me.”

“
Ah…well, let’s see now. Have you been naughty or nice?”

“Depends on who you ask.”

“Mm. You know, the funny thing about that is, sometimes it’s hard to distinguish between naughty and nice. So I guess I’ll just have to put you on both lists. Either way, I’d say you’re in the clear as far as getting what you want.”

“
Now why don’t you give me some idea what
you’d
like?”

“Sitting where you are, I would think it would be
abundantly obvious what I want for Christmas.” Grazing my ear lightly with his lips, he whispered his request.

“I want you to be naughty.”

26

With the new security system installed, it wasn’t really necessary for me to tag along with Rob to the tree farm on Tuesday afternoon. But I did anyway. I thought it would be interesting to watch him work. As it turned out, the temperature had been dropping steadily throughout the day and the weather was cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey. I spent most of my time in the small portable office, sipping hot chocolate and cramming for a sociology exam.

I did take a break from
studying long enough to compose a nice lengthy email to my mom. I decided it would be easier than trying to explain everything over the phone. This way, I had time to think about what I wanted to say without being interrupted every three seconds by a barrage of questions. In the end, the only thing I left out was the minor detail of Rob’s living arrangements. That part could wait. Once Mom got to know him and saw what a sweet guy he was, maybe she’d be less likely to want to strangle my dad.

I was
busy trying to calculate whether Friday night’s babysitting fee would put me at enough to afford an Xbox when the door burst open, and the blast of frigid air literally sucked the air from my lungs. Gasping, I huddled into my coat and yanked up the hood.

“Hot damn, I’m freezing my pecker off out there!”
Snatching off his work gloves, Rob tossed them on the desk and rubbed his hands in front of the electric space heater.

“What kind of looney would come out looking for a Christmas tree in weather like this?” I
marveled between chattering teeth.

“No one. That’s why we’re
closing early.”

“
Yes!
Thank God.” Standing, I slammed the book shut and stuck it in my backpack just as the door banged open again and Mr. Crawford blew in with the wind.

“
Whew-
wee!
Good thing it’s not snowing - the snowmen would get frostbite on their fannies.” He waggled his bushy eyebrows and I grinned. With his white hair and roly-poly shape, he could have passed for Frosty himself. All he needed was a corncob pipe.

“Heard we might get some late tomorrow,”
Rob commented.

“Hope we don’t get too much.” Opening
one of the desk drawers next to me, the elderly man scrounged around until he located a partially crushed pack of cigarettes. Balancing one between his lips, he patted the pockets of his coveralls and jacket fruitlessly. “Got a light on you?”

“I don’t,” I
told him, even though I wasn’t sure which one of us he was asking. “I think Rob does.”

“Not anymore.
I lost mine. I think there’s a box of matches in the middle drawer.” He leaned over to switch off the space heater. “Anything else you need me to do before I leave?”

“No, you go on and take this young lady home. I don’t think we’ll get any more customers tonight.”

“All right. See you tomorrow then.” Shoving his hands back into his gloves, he picked up my backpack and ushered me outside into the biting cold.

Neither of us said anything for a while as we waited for the Tahoe’s interior to warm up.
There was only one thought running through my mind, and it was about as welcome as a case of botulism.

“You lost your lighter?” My
question was barely audible. Probably because I didn’t want to ask it.

“Not exactly.”
Glancing over his shoulder, he backed out onto the bumpy dirt road. “I got rid of it.”

“What
, you mean on purpose? You threw it away?”

“I
did.” He smiled at me, and I couldn’t help but notice how upbeat and confident he looked. “Finally figured it was time to let go of the past, once and for all. I have no reason to hold on to reminders. Some things, some people, don’t need to be remembered. They’re better off forgotten.”

Relaxing, I smiled back at him. “I think your therapist would be proud of you.”

“Considering this is the first time in my life I’ve ever been able to look to the future with any kind of optimism, I’d say you’re probably right.”

“You’re
sure in a good mood for someone who was just bitching about his wang being frozen off,” I joked, relieved to have the matter of the lighter cleared up. It never occurred to me to doubt his explanation. Not at the time.

“
I got some good news. Did you know Mr. Crawford’s son owns a computer repair shop in town?”

“C&T Computers - that’s his son?”

“Yep. He wants me to come to work for him after the holidays. Then full time during the summer, after graduation.”

“
Hey, that’s great!”

“Yeah…if I get into
FSU, hopefully he’ll let me keep working for him part time while I go to college.”

“
That would work out perfect. I really hope you get accepted. I hope we both do.”

“
I don’t see why we wouldn’t. We both have kickass GPA’s. Don’t know about you but personally I nailed my SAT’s...”

Hearing a faint buzz, I dug through
the pocket of my coat and checked the incoming text on my phone. It was from Dad:
Flight arrangements taken care of. Call you later. Love you!

I quickly responded:
YOU ROCK! <3 U2!

“
You’re not the only one with good news,” I announced. “Guess who’s gonna be traveling to the booming metropolis of Greenville, Illinois?”

“
Um…Larry Adams.”

“
Don’t make me barf. No - Dad managed to reserve you a seat!”

“
Cool. Now wait a second - you guys aren’t sticking me in the cargo hold in one of those pet carriers, are you?”

“How’d you guess?”

He laughed at my serious expression. “Let’s hope it’s a short flight then. So your mom OK’d this?”

“I
just emailed her a little while ago. It should be fine.” I couldn’t imagine either her or Stanley having an issue with it. Especially knowing Rob had recently lost his family and had nowhere else to go.

“Wonder if she’ll remember me.”

“She’ll never recognize you, that’s for sure!”

“Have I changed that much?”

“You filled out. You used to be skinny.”

“Yeah? Well, you used to be flat-chested. So there.”

“Hey! What happened to letting go of the past?”

Even in the dark, I could see his
mossy eyes twinkling. “There are a
few
things worth remembering.”

After we got home,
Rob went to hop in the shower and I headed for my own room with the intention of taking a bath. But while I slowly peeled off the layers of winter clothes, my mind began to wander off in a racy direction. I kept picturing him naked in the shower, scrubbing that hot body of his. And I began to toy with the notion of trying something I’d never had the nerve to do before.

The closer I got to his bathroom, the clearer I could hear his
raucous singing over the sound of running water. Giggling into my hand, I paused to listen. The lyrics, what I could make out of them, sounded familiar - something about washing something away. Oh wait, it was
Chalk Outline
. I had it on my iTunes playlist.

He was lathering a bar of soap between his hands when I
opened the shower door. The singing abruptly ceased as he jerked his head my way, surprised to see me standing there naked, watching him. Smiling innocently, I stepped into the hot sauna inside.

“Well. Hello.”

“Hi.” I brazenly looked him up and down, shaking my head at the virile sight of wet, soapy muscles. “Mm…have
mercy.
”

“Like what you see, baby
doll?” He cocked an eyebrow and grinned.

“Oh, yeah.
I do.” Sliding both arms around his waist, I rubbed my breasts against his hard, slick chest. The soap slipped from his grasp and bounced off the shower tiles, left to melt in the drain while he found something more appealing to hold. Namely, me.

“
Glad you could join me,” he said, turning me so I was directly underneath the soothing warm spray. Water streamed down my face as he kissed me and I wondered if anyone had ever drowned this way. Because I couldn’t breathe but I didn’t want to stop kissing him. He was already standing at full attention and I leaned forward, lifting one knee to grind myself against him while he balanced me with his hands.

Shoving
him backward a bit, I pushed a handful of drenched hair away from my face and looked up at him. “I believe someone here put in a request for a naughty girl.”

His eyes clouded over, dark with
desire. “Hell yes, baby,” he assured me in a husky voice. “Are you here to deliver? Because this is definitely the right address.”

“
I just have to know one thing first. Have you been a good boy?”

“Oh, sweetheart…good, bad - I’ll be anything you want me to be.”

With the jet of hot water beating down against my back, I knelt in front of him. His eyes fluttered shut and he threw his head back with a soft groan.

“Have
mercy!
”

It never fails.

The first dry run rehearsal is always a disaster. That’s the way it’s always been, no matter where you are or what the venue is. Very little gets accomplished. The younger students are more interested in chasing one another up and down the length of the auditorium than in paying attention to instructions. Inevitably some piece of scenery manages to either collapse, tip over or get plowed into by those same hyper kids. The music never works right. No one knows where they’re supposed to be. Chaos reigns. By the end of it all, the person in charge winds up looking like they’re desperate for a handful of Tylenol and a good stiff drink.

Today was no
exception.

René and I
assisted as much as we could by helping the little ones with their cues and finding their places onstage. Even so, by the time the mice, angels and soldiers were dismissed, Miss Andrews seemed about ready to throw her clipboard to the ground and jump up and down on it. Personally, I found the whole thing entertaining. I did feel a bit sorry for her though. With the performance only nine days away, she was under a lot of stress.

At least the snowflake
scene went fairly smoothly. We ran through it only twice before moving on to act two. After that I settled into one of the seats way in the back so I could get some homework done while waiting on René. She’d offered me a ride home if I didn’t mind waiting, which I didn’t. There was no point making Rob leave work if he didn’t have to.

Before getting started, I used my
iPhone to check my emails. Mom had responded to mine, confirming that she and Stanley would be delighted to have my “guest” come for Christmas. She also wanted to know what size he was. Guess she wanted to make sure he had something under the tree. I’d already planned to bring his gift from me along on the trip, but I was sure he’d appreciate some new clothes. Having to start from scratch after the fire wiped out his belongings, he didn’t exactly have an extensive wardrobe.

My attention was divided between the calculus book on my knees and the Arabian dance onstage when a voice
behind my head nearly gave me a heart attack.