Outback Blaze (20 page)

People always said eventually the children became the parents but Ruby had never expected it to come around so quickly and she felt hugely unprepared.

Robert, awoken from a kind of trance at Ruby springing into action, scooped up Lyn's other hand. ‘Bloody hell, she's like a corpse.' His eyes widened and his face fell as he realised what he'd said. ‘I…I didn't mean…I'm sorry,' he said quickly.

Lyn smiled thinly. ‘It's okay, Rob. I am just a little chilly.'

‘I'm taking you home,' Ruby said, straightening up to a stand. ‘There's not much point us hanging around here.' She glanced towards the building where the men were still busily working. ‘Maybe you should come too, Dad?'

He sighed and glanced longingly in the direction she'd been looking. ‘Yeah, all right love, you're probably right.'

While Robert helped Lyn over to his car, Ruby rushed the chairs back to Sharon at the nursery, thanked her and escaped before anyone lured her into conversation. When she came out, a police car slowed alongside her dad's van and her stomach turned to stone. Unsure whether that was because she recognised Drew at the wheel or due to the fear that had been ticking like a time bomb inside her the last few days, she hurried back to her parents.

Drew and Mike got out of the vehicle, shoulders back, chests puffed out and twin expressions of determination on their faces as they walked towards her parents. Her dad, too consumed with helping his wife into the passenger seat, hadn't even noticed their arrival and was startled when Drew spoke.

‘Mr and Mrs Jones, we need to speak to you.'

Robert looked up as Ruby positioned herself in the space between her parents and the cops.

‘Do you have to do this here? Now?' She fought the urge to shove Drew backwards. Quite aside from the fact she could do without being arrested for assaulting a police officer, she didn't trust herself to touch him. It was like her hormones had a life of their own and refused to listen to reason telling them to stay the hell away.

‘Ruby, we're not trying to make a scene,' he said, leaning close and speaking low. Goosebumps erupted all over her skin at the almost intimate tone. His eyes met hers and she tried to ignore the heat that passed between them. ‘I just need to talk to your parents, go over a few things about the night of the fire.'

She wasn't stupid. That was code for get them down to the station and then trick them into making a confession. That thought snapped her out of the stupid bubble of lust.

‘Step aside, please, Miss Jones,' Mike piped up, surprising all of them. He tried to fix her with a commanding look but he would need a lot of practice to get anywhere near as good as Drew. Still, simply because he
wasn't
Drew and she'd rather take orders from anyone but him, she did as she was told, moving to stand next to her mum.

‘What's this about?' Robert asked, his forehead bunching with creases. ‘I need to get my wife home but you're welcome to come and have a cuppa with us.'

Drew shook his head. ‘I'd prefer to do this down at the station.'

Ruby saw the moment the penny dropped for her father. His eyes narrowed and he stood tall, which made him only a fraction shorter than Drew. It was like watching two wild animals eyeing each other off before battle, neither of them prepared to back down.

‘If that's the way you want to play it,' Rob said. ‘Ruby, do you mind taking your mother home?'

‘Actually,' Drew's deep voice sounded before she had the chance to answer. ‘We need to speak to both of you. If you cooperate, this shouldn't take too long.'

The hairs on the back of Ruby's neck spiked. ‘I'm coming with you,' she said.

Drew shrugged. ‘Suit yourself.'

Under the gaze of the onlookers, Ruby and her parents climbed into their cars and, with the police as escort, drove away. What must everyone be thinking? Ruby wondered as she followed her father's car to the police station. Her hands tightened on the steering wheel. Small towns were both a blessing and a curse. The blessing had come in the form of casseroles and offers to assist in any way possible, but the curse was the rapid spread of news – good and bad.

Within half an hour Chinese whispers would have swept through town and her parents would no doubt be blamed for the burning down of their business.

O'Leary couldn't believe the Joneses were responsible for the fire, but at the loss of any other suspects and under the direction of the arson investigators from Perth, he'd agreed that Drew should bring them in for questioning. Surprising Drew again, he'd opted out of the interviews, citing that he'd prefer someone who didn't know the persons of interest as well as he did to lead them.

Sitting in the small, sparsely furnished interview room, Drew sat opposite Robert Jones. Ruby's dad had insisted he didn't need a lawyer because he'd done nothing wrong. Mike and the recording device were the only other occupants in the room. A glass of cold water sat in front of Robert and an ancient electric fan heater directed lukewarm air at their feet.

‘Thank you for cooperating in the investigation pertaining to the fire on your property.' For the benefit of the tape Drew mentioned the date of the arson.

‘Not a problem.' Robert's arms were folded across his chest and his tone didn't match his words.

Before Drew went on he took a moment to scrutinise his suspect's facial expression and body language. He felt pretty confident he knew the signs of guilt and even without a lie detector had a good idea if someone was trying to pull the wool over his eyes. He'd have the tape to listen to the interview properly later, but right now, his main goal was to keep an eye out for other clues.

Beside him Mike cleared his throat and Drew decided he'd better get started. ‘Mr Jones, who first alerted you to the fire at your property?'

Their suspect folded his arms and frowned. ‘We've been through all this with the investigators.'

‘That may be,' Drew replied, ‘but I'm going to need you to run through it again. Sometimes new things come to you later.'

Robert sighed, unfolded his arms and leaned forward slightly. ‘My wife and I were getting ready for bed. She went to call the cats in from outside – we keep them both in at night for the sake of the local wildlife – and she smelt smoke.' He shrugged. ‘I told her not to worry because a lot of people have their wood fires on this time of year at night, but a couple of minutes later my phone rang.

‘It was the security company telling me that the shop's alarm was going off. I didn't worry too much because the alarm has been known to go off a number of times and I've never once had a break in but I told Lyn I'd better go check it out. I was about to get changed when Lynnie's mobile started ringing. It was Sharon who works at the nursery and lives behind it. She'd seen smoke in the shop and called the fire brigade.'

He paused, his breathing suddenly heavy as if he were recalling the night.

Drew frowned, trying to work out if it was a façade or real. ‘Go on,' he said, not ready yet to make a judgment.

‘Well, we got in the car after that, still in our pajamas and all. Lynnie and I were in shock when we arrived and saw smoke coming from the building. The local firefighters were already on the scene and other people, including our daughter Ruby, started arriving too. Pretty soon it seemed like the whole town was watching.'

‘Tell me about your insurance policy?' Drew asked, purposefully changing tack.

Robert's eyes darted from Drew to Mike and back again. He unfolded his arms and shifted in his seat. ‘It's up to date, if that's what you mean. And I know what you're thinking but I didn't burn down my own building to make a claim.'

Drew raised his eyebrows. ‘Word around town is you don't plan to rebuild?'

‘That's right, but…'

Drew cut him off. ‘And your wife is sick, I believe?'

Robert nodded, sadness creeping into his eyes. ‘She has motor neurone disease.'

Ignoring the jolt of sympathy that shot through him – there was no room for emotion in this job – Drew fired the next question. ‘How long ago did you find out?'

‘A couple of months.'

Resting his elbows on the desk, Drew folded his hands together and nodded. ‘That must have been quite a shock. Lyn appears a very active, healthy person.'

‘Yes, it was.'

‘And I imagine news like that makes you look very carefully at your life. Reassess what you want out of it.'

Robert opened his mouth but it was clear he didn't know the right thing to say and he shut it again.

‘Is that why you decided to sell your business?'

Robert blinked.

Drew went on. ‘I've been talking to real estate agent Mitch Bowers.' He paused and waited for Robert's recognition, but his expression when it came wasn't easy to interpret. ‘He says you approached him about selling The Ag Store.'

‘That is correct but…'

Again Drew interrupted. ‘He also mentioned the building was in such disrepair that it would take you a great deal of time and effort to fix it up. But that if you didn't, offers to buy the business would be at a disappointingly low price. Lower than your insurance I would say.'

The muscles in Robert's neck twitched. Drew could sense his suspect's temper rising and sat back waiting for an explosion that might give something away. But it didn't come. No one in the room said anything for a few long moments, the only noise was the tiny drone of the recording machine and the buzz of the heater. He realised Robert had chosen not to say anything and, for the first time in his life, Drew wouldn't like to make a call on whether it was due to guilt or not.

Trying not to let the uncertainty show on his face, he continued. ‘I know you've gone over this before with the Perth police, but I need you to think again. Is there anyone who might be angry at you or your wife and want to harm you?'

He shook his head. ‘We're simple people. Our business is established and I can't think of anyone who'd want to jeopardise that.'

‘What about your marriage, Mr Jones?'

Robert frowned. ‘What about it?'

‘Are you happy? Is your wife? Have either of you had an affair recently?'

Robert shot to a stand and for a second Drew wondered if the other man might be about to strike him, but he stopped short, his fists planted against the table as he towered over it. ‘I love my wife and she loves me. We were high school sweethearts and neither of us has ever looked at anyone else.'

Maintaining a blank expression, Drew asked, ‘Do you love her enough to burn down a building?'

Robert took a moment to reply, but when he did his voice was even and calm. ‘I love her enough to do
anything
for her, but I swear on her life that I did not do that.'

‘That's it for now, I think.' Drew looked to Mike. ‘Can you see Mr Jones out and bring in his wife?'

Mike stood but Robert made no move to leave. He looked at Drew, his eyes pleading. ‘Go easy on Lynnie, please. She's not well.'

Drew nodded. He couldn't quite tell whether Robert was genuinely concerned or worried something in their stories might not match. Trying to work this out, he tapped his boots on the floor as he waited for Mike to bring in Lyn Jones.

She was a small woman but today she looked gaunt. There were dark shadows under her eyes, her hair was limp and her skin sallow. It looked as if she hadn't slept for a month, but Drew knew there was more at play than simple insomnia.

‘Thanks for giving us your time, Mrs Jones,' Drew said as he gestured for Lyn to sit.

She did so and then took a sip of the water her husband hadn't touched. Her hand shook a little and she put the glass down quickly. Drew tried to ignore the tug of something inside him that was telling him to heed Mr Jones's words and give the lady a break. He had a job to do, a community to protect. For the first time since he arrived he was part of a serious investigation, but he didn't feel the old buzz in his blood. He'd arrested and interrogated a range of colourful characters in his time, but no one who looked as sweet, innocent and weak as Ruby's mother.

Still, he knew better than to let appearances lead him. Statistics had it that sweet old people were just as likely to be caught shoplifting as teenagers.

Despite her imperfect health, Lyn Jones answered each question with her chin held high and her shoulders back. ‘Neither Robert nor myself set fire to our business,' she said, in a tone that was similar to the one his mother had used when he was young and in trouble. He swallowed, remembering the taste of soap in his mouth when he'd used the Lord's name in vain in her presence.

Shaking his head free of those memories, because thinking about his family never ended well, he went on with the interview. When he'd finished he was less certain than when he'd started that they were heading down the right track. He didn't have any real evidence to charge Mr and Mrs Jones with arson, but neither of them had been able to offer any clues as to who might do such a thing to them.

While Mike went off to get some lunch, Drew stared at the notes he'd made while interviewing the Joneses. There had to be more to the fire than met the eye. The more he looked at the case the more he wondered if this was only the tip of the iceberg for something much more sinister. But what? He racked his brain for something. Anything.

The way he saw it, if no one had a grudge against the Joneses and they weren't responsible for the fire, then it was either a random act of vandalism or the grudge was against someone close to them. His chest tightened at the thought that maybe someone was trying to hurt Ruby.

He'd almost be happier with the third option; that the thugs whose psychotic threats had been responsible for his transfer to Australia had tracked him down.

His whole body stilled for a moment, but he quickly got over the paranoia. Because that's what it was. Unfounded fear. Although the British police hadn't yet made any arrests in relation to his case, they were watching all exits out of the country. And as far as the thugs knew Drew had vanished off the face of the earth and they'd assume witness protection, but had no reason to suspect he'd travelled down under.