That Old Flame of Mine (25 page)

The pumper team was almost too exhausted to argue the point any further. Stella ignored their halfhearted protests, and, eventually, they were on the pumper and headed back to the firehouse.

Stella worked on her on-scene report while John, Ricky, and the others checked for hot spots one last time. They also looked for anything of Walt’s that hadn’t been destroyed in the fire, as well as any evidence that might have been left behind by the arsonist.

“We found an empty kerosene can like the one used at Tory’s.” Ricky held up the can. “They sell these at Potter’s Hardware and in Pigeon Forge at the big-box stores. They’re a dime a dozen.”

“Keep it anyway.” She was sitting in the engine and didn’t look up from her paperwork. “Get it into an evidence bag and label it. Let’s do this right in case we can figure out who’s responsible.”

There was yellow tape around the area, advising everyone to stay away until the investigation was complete.

John pulled himself up into the truck. “I think we could get some help from the forest service investigating this. There could be extra penalties involved for whoever set the fire since this is part of a national park.”

Stella smiled at him. There was a large white space where he’d touched the thick black soot that otherwise covered his face. “Really? What national park are we in?”

“The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, darlin’.” He leaned closer to her. “You’re laughing at my dirty face, aren’t you?” He took one of his fingers and cleared a section of her dirty face. “This is definitely a case of the pot calling the kettle black.”

She closed her eyes as his lips touched hers briefly. Then Ricky and the rest of the team returned from putting out the yellow warning tape.

John winked at her as they got back in the truck and Ricky got behind the wheel. Walt had decided to ride in back with his remaining kegs. The engine took off, leaving the blackened area of the forest behind them. It was like a deep wound cut into the side of the mountain, burnt trees like twigs barely standing.

Stella was too surprised by John’s display of affection to finish the last part of her paperwork. It hadn’t been a big kiss, but sweet and light. Maybe it was the beginning of something more between them. She’d been disappointed before when she’d had that thought. She hoped this time would be different. She really liked John, his common sense and dependability. He had to get over the Carson curse.

With the adrenaline from the fire gone, it was all the team could do to clean up and be ready for the next call. Stella hated to see them so depleted, and recognized the overwhelming exhaustion that was dragging them down. She felt much the same way. Her years of training and previous experience gave her more stamina.

The pumper team came back from filling the vehicle as the team from the engine was storing their gear. There was only one shower at the firehouse. Even though cleaning the soot and smoky odor out their personal vehicles would be a big job later, most of them opted to shower and change at home.

Stella offered a few words of praise before they all left. Walt added his thanks for their efforts as he worked his way through a third cup of coffee. He was calling friends, trying to find a place to stay for a while. Hero was back at the firehouse, to Kimmie and David’s amazement. They decided to take the puppy home with them for the day to make Sylvia feel better.

Stella had cleaned her gear and put it away. She showered and washed her hair but her jeans and T-shirt she’d worn under her bunker coat and pants still smelled like the fire and kerosene to her.

She rubbed her tired eyes and tried to concentrate on finishing her report.

“Glad you’re safe,” Eric whispered from somewhere immediately behind her, though her back was against the wall. “What now?”

Chapter 30

“I
don’t know,” she admitted as she tried to concentrate on her report. It was a lot easier to close the door on living people. Eric wasn’t very good at respecting privacy. “Got any ideas?”

“What does Walt know that made someone want to kill him?”

“He thinks whoever started the fire didn’t want to kill him. He thinks it was just to scare him off. As soon as everyone gets themselves together, we’re going to see Chief Rogers and find out if he can help.”

“I heard Walt telling one of the volunteers that he thinks the kerosene signature means Victor Lambert is responsible.”

“I don’t think anyone is that stupid. Victor got off on one murder charge. He’s a little strange, but I don’t think he’s crazy.”

“Who then?”

Stella watched an old baseball fly up and down in the air right off the edge of her desk. She kind of wondered how she’d gotten to this place where she could witness such a thing and not be totally freaked out by it.

“Someone wants us to think it’s Victor so we waste our time on him again.”

“What did Walt tell you earlier? Did it seem important?”

She shrugged. “We talked about Tory and Greg Lambert. What about
him
?”

“Greg? I guess it’s possible he could’ve killed Adam. Why would he kill Tory now?”

“Maybe he couldn’t stand it anymore?” She ran her hand through her hair. “I don’t know. Does he have a history with fire?”

“Not that I’m aware of. Tory was the one with that problem.”

“I’ve heard that. I’m almost too tired to think about it right now.”

“There’s one more thing, Stella. I saw Tagger take your folder with Adam’s information out to the trash while you were gone.”

“What?” She sat up, wide awake. “Why would he do that?”

“I don’t know,” Eric admitted. “I can’t believe Tagger would have had anything to do with killing Adam. Or Tory. He didn’t want you to look at it for some reason.”

John knocked on the door. He didn’t wait for her to tell him to come in. He entered the office and looked around. “Are you in here alone?”

She heard Eric’s soft chuckle. This was something she’d worried about happening. “Yes. Why?”

John inspected the tiny office again then shrugged. “Nothing. If you’re finished with the report, I think the three of us should head into town. I have the police car. I’ll meet you and Walt at town hall.”

“All right. I’ll see you there.” Stella pushed herself to her feet. She was going to have to make the meeting, smoky-smelling clothes and all.

When John left, Eric said, “Don’t forget you have an appointment at the pepper plant to follow up on your citation. That should give you a chance to size up Greg Lambert again.”

“Have you been looking at my computer? Can ghosts do that?”

“This ghost can. I love electronics. Talk to you later.”

Stella sighed and went to find Walt. He talked nonstop on the way into town. Maybe too much caffeine trying to get rid of the effects of too much cider.

She thought about Tagger, wondering if everyone had misjudged him. Even Eric had admitted there was something off about the other man taking her folder. Was he trying to cover something up?

John had apparently already given Chief Rogers a heads-up on the fire. By the time Stella and Walt walked into town hall, the chief had sent someone out to pick up Victor.

“Chief Rogers.” Walt shook his hand. “It’s good to see you again. You’re doing a decent job, like I knew you would.” Walt smiled at Stella. “Don here was the best officer I ever worked with. I was glad he was here when it was time for me to retire.”

“It’s because I had the best teacher in the world, Chief Fenway,” Don said. “I still ask myself, ‘What would Walt do?’”

Stella was already tired of their mutual admiration society. She had better things to do than listen to them congratulate each other. “I hear you brought in Victor Lambert.”

“You bet. John told me the house was torched with kerosene. I think that warrants a conversation with him, don’t you, Walt?” Chief Rogers smiled smugly at Stella as he said it. “Did you have someone else in mind?”

“No,” she admitted. “Don’t you think that’s a little obvious? Anyone can get kerosene, and everyone knows Victor used it on Tory’s house.”

Chief Rogers burst out laughing. “Walt, don’t you just love our fire chief? She’s got some spunk, I’ll say that for her.”

Walt was less condescending. “She did a bang-up job out there at my place last night, Don. I’ve heard she’s done a good job overall while she’s been here. That’s about all we can expect from a Yankee.”

They both laughed at that. Stella was definitely not in the mood for it. “I have an appointment at the pepper plant. I’m sure you gentlemen can interrogate Victor without me. Let me know if he cracks and tells you all the details. I’ll see you both later.”

She passed John on his way into the office. “Where are you going? I thought you wanted to be here for this.”

“Not really. I have to go out to the pepper plant and start checking on their progress in dealing with the citation. I don’t think I’m really needed here.”

John smiled. “Don’t let the chiefs get to you. You’re a chief too. You have a right to be here.”

She drew him away from the door and the empty town clerk’s desk. “I don’t believe Victor had anything to do with the fire last night. Chief Rogers seems sure of it. I think we’re missing the big picture. There’s something else going on.”

“Okay. I’ll fill you in when you get back. Not that you have to worry overly much about the old man not working with you to clean up the ducts. You seem to have him eating out of your hand. Do what you think is right, Stella.” He put his hand on her arm. “I know it’s still early—what about lunch?”

She searched his face, trying to decide if he was sincere. With the kiss from early that morning still fresh, she decided that he was. “Sure. Want to meet somewhere?”

“No. I’ll call you around that time. I don’t want to eat at the café. Maybe we can find someplace a little more private.”

She agreed and left town hall with a pleasant warmth filling her tired brain. She drove to the Sweet Pepper packing plant with her checklist on her clipboard, thinking again about what Walt had said about Greg and Tory.

They were seeing each other before Adam died. They were together long enough to produce a child who’d turned into a man most people didn’t like. Victor had torched his own house hoping it would scare his mother away.

She couldn’t add Victor’s poor judgment to the list of Greg’s sins.

It didn’t make much sense that Greg would suddenly want Tory dead. They’d been divorced for years. What would he gain by it now?

The same could be said about Tagger, she supposed. It had been forty years since Tory had rejected him. Why would he kill her now?

On the other hand, both men looked like good suspects for Adam Presley’s death.

Could Tory’s continued investigation into Adam’s death be the answer? Had she found out something that had suddenly made her the target? That could put Tagger and Greg back on the suspect list for Tory’s death.

The pepper plant parking lot was filled with hundreds of cars during the day shift. Trucks pulled in and out, delivering the jars of peppers that kept the town going. Stella parked near the front door of the old brick office building and found Greg waiting for her with a clipboard of his own.

“Good morning, Chief Griffin. I’m sorry we got off to such a bad start at the duct fire. I’ve been instructed to assist you in any way I can. Where would you like to start?”

Stella wanted to see the new connection to the plant water tower. Greg took her to a golf cart, and the two of them rode to the site. The grounds of the factory were much larger than she’d appreciated at night. The original red brick building was like a doorway to the huge metal buildings where most of the work went on.

“Have you started work on the ducts?” she asked Greg.

“We’ve contacted an engineering firm that is drawing up plans for the change. We want to make sure it gets done right so it’s all good for a long time into the future.”

Stella made a note of it and the date. “That sounds fine, Greg. I’d like to see those diagrams in the next few weeks. I need a timetable for the work to be done as well.”

His lips compressed a little. Clearly he wasn’t used to anyone except Ben Carson questioning his authority. He got through it, though, and made a note on his own clipboard when they reached the water tower.

True to his word, Ben had replaced the connection so that the fire brigade would be able to access what they needed in case of a fire at the facility.

Stella wondered, as she made a show of examining the connection, how she could ask Greg about Tory. She decided to approach it by bringing up the fire last night at Walt’s place, and his son’s possible involvement.

“I’m sorry about what happened with your son this morning.” She hoped she looked sympathetic and not just sooty and tired after the long night.

“What did Victor do now?” Greg demanded.

“Chief Rogers thinks he may have started the fire at Walt Fenway’s place. He picked him up for questioning. You didn’t know?”

“No. I didn’t know.” Greg scratched his head. “Fenway? Isn’t he the retired police chief? I didn’t even know he was still alive.”

“The fire was started with kerosene—similar to the fire started at your ex-wife’s home.” She watched his face for any sign of what he was thinking. If there was a change in his expression, she didn’t see it.

“I gave that boy my name, but I washed my hands of him many years ago. He was born evil, pure and simple. Tory and I broke up because of him. I couldn’t live with the devil any longer. I don’t know how she stood him for so long.”

“He’s still your son. Arson seems to run in the family.” She was tired of beating around the bush. She needed some real answers.

“It doesn’t run in
my
family.” His chin came up, and his mouth became a thin line. “It seemed to run in Tory’s life, what with her first husband’s tragic accident. It followed her after that when our car caught fire as we were leaving our wedding. It dogged us through our years of marriage.”

“Are you saying Tory was responsible for those fires?”

“No, of course not. She was terrified that she would die in a fire—like Adam. After a while, I was scared too. It seemed like there were hundreds of little fires popping up. The shed caught on fire. A fire started in the yard. The microwave blew up. It was always something.”

Stella was beginning to think that Greg might be what was wrong with his son. “Who do you think started all those fires?”

“Evil begets evil.” Greg’s face turned a livid shade of red. “Don’t you see? It wasn’t really the boy’s fault. I shouldn’t have married Tory knowing she’d been unfaithful to Adam.”

That was almost too pompous to be believed. “She was unfaithful to Adam with
you
, Greg. While that may not be a perfect way to live, it’s not evil to have a child out of wedlock. Besides, you got married as soon as Adam was dead. I guess you were lucky he died, huh?”

“You can call it luck if you want to, Chief Griffin. Tory was cursed for what happened to Adam. Did it occur to you that she might have killed him herself to get rid of him?”

That surprised her, but it gave her a chance to speak plainly. “No. It occurred to me that
you
might have killed him.”

He seemed dumbfounded, and spluttered before he could speak clearly. “I would never do such a thing! What Tory and I did was wrong. I know that now. I wouldn’t have killed Adam for her.”

His outrage was hard not to take sincerely. Or perhaps he was simply a very good liar.

“I’m sorry for how things turned out for you and Tory,” she said. “Were you angry enough about your marriage failing and Vic being different than you wanted to kill her now?”

He made a gurgling noise that sounded like muted laughter. “Take her life? I loved her, despite everything. God help me. I wish every day that the two of us were still together. When I heard that Victor killed her, a part of me died too. I would never have left her if she’d agreed to leave here and get away from him.”