The Truth Seeker (29 page)

“Two minutes.”

Rachel joined her a few minutes later, laughing. “Didn’t it turn out “Excellent.”

“Quinn said you’re part of the reception surprise.”

Lisa smiled. “He’s keeping the plans to himself. I’m just following

“come with me. It’s safe to slip away and change.”

Quinn thought it was the dress causing the threatened tears. She didn’t try to correct the assumption. The pain was an ache that flared with each breath.

aisles, but instead moved back through the choir doors and into a hallway.

“Watch your head.” He ducked under the hanging streamers to slip back into the hallway where classrooms had become dressing rooms. “You want me to get Rachel or Kate?”

wonderful?”

directions.”

Rachel helped her out of the dress. Lisa breathed easier for the first time in over an hour.

“Okay?”

She nodded at Rachel rather than try to answer. She’d brought over a blue cotton blouse and jeans for the reception. Very casual, but they were doing it intentionally so Jennifer could also be talked into truly relaxing during the reception. If the fatigue she felt was anything like Jennifer’s, her sister had to be exhausted. “Thanks, Rachel. Would you let Quinn know I’ll meet him after I get my shoes on?”

“Sure.”

Rachel slipped away. Relieved, Lisa pressed a hand against her ribs.

It was definitely time for another painkiller. She swallowed it dry, making a face at the chalky taste.

“Ready to go over to the reception?” She turned too swiftly and hit

the edge of the table with her hip. Quinn steadied her. “Lizzy?”

“I’m ready.”

His hands settled on either side of her face and he tipped her head back, frowning. “When we get down to the reception you are sitting down.” He slid his hands down to hold hers. “Between lack of sleep and painkillers, you’re going to give me a headache here.”

“You?” She rested her head against his chest, feeling the day catching up with her. “I’m really feeling it.”

“How bad are the ribs?”

She laughed, then groaned. “Please don’t make me laugh.”

He carefully folded his arms around her, took her weight. “You did good today, covering for Jennifer.”

“How many saw?”

“Marcus, Jack.”

“Good.”

“You were as beautiful up there as Jennifer was. The pictures will look lovely.”

“You’re being kind.”

“Get me one?”

“What?”

“A picture.”

“You really want one?”

“Yes. And you’re fishing for more compliments.” He eased back half a step. “Come on, I’ll get you a seat at the reception and some punch and you can orchestrate things from the sidelines.”

“My favorite job.”

“Now why did I figure that might be the case?” He laughed at the face she made. “Come on, Lizzy. And you have to behave at the reception or I’m going to disown you.”

Twenty

Iwish we had long weekends away like that more often.”

Lisa dropped her garment bag beside Kate’s couch. “I need a week’s vacation to recover from it. Weddings are exhausting.” She collapsed on the couch, letting the cushions absorb her weight and support her back. Lisa watched the strands of a new cobweb sway by the overhead light and idly thought about getting up to knock it down.

“It was fun.”

“I laughed more than I thought possible,” Lisa agreed. “Did you see Jen’s face when she realized the car keys were for her? I never knew someone could cry that much.”

Kate reappeared crunching on a carrot. “I noticed she gave the keys to Tom.”

“Best act of love I’ve ever seen. I don’t think I would have given them to my husband. He might get dust on it.”

“I noticed you and Quinn had a pretty good time together.”

Lisa was too relaxed to mind the question. “We did.”

Kate settled on the arm of the couch. “He’s a nice guy.”

“We haven’t exactly been dating,” Lisa qualified.

“Who said anything about dating?”

Lisa tucked her arm behind her head and smiled at her sister. “I know that tone of voice.”

“Want some advice?”

“Not really, but I think I’m going to hear it anyway.”

Kate smiled. “Don’t let him get away. He makes you happy, Lizzy.

That’s special.”

“Yes, it is.” Her smile faded and she pulled over the throw pillow to cover her face, wrapped her arm around it. “Kate, what if we can’t solve what happened to Quinn’s dad? Will he ever want to settle down?”

“Yes, he will. And work can wait until tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow is coming too soon.”

“You’re meeting with Lincoln in the morning?”

Lisa lowered the pillow. “Quinn was going to meet him for dinner tonight.” She made a face. “I want my own bed.”

“Maybe the analysis of the notes has revealed something.”

“Notes? There was only one.”

Kate bit her lip.

“There was more than one.”

“Sorry, Lizzy. So much for keeping my mouth shut. They found it tucked in the garage door, apparently left at the same time as the note you found.”

“What did it say?”

“Pretty innocuous. Something about pretzels.”

“So who decided to keep me in the dark?”

“Lizzy—”

“Don’t even try to weasel out of answering.”

“Marcus and Quinn. They would have told you had it changed either how much was known or what should be done.”

“Sure they would have.”

“Please don’t get mad at them.”

“I’m too tired and in too good a mood to get mad.” A beeper started to chirp. Lisa lifted her head. “Is that yours or mine?”

Kate went to check. “Mine. How did they know I just walked in the door?”

Lisa smiled. “Spies.”

Kate called in to the dispatcher. “Where?” She scrawled down an address. “Lizzy, I’ve got to go. You’ve got apartment keys if I end up being gone a while?”

“I’m set. Want me to call Dave for you?”

“He’d just worry. But I’ll call him if it looks like it will be a long deal.”

“Be careful.”

“Always.” Kate grabbed her phone and the bottle of water she’d just opened. “See you later.”

Lisa heard the door swing shut and Kate turn the dead bolt. Lisa debated whether to take a nap on the couch before she thought about dinner. She needed to unpack, and she had laundry to do if she was going to be here another week.

The wedding was over; Quinn’s vacation was up in another week.

The thought was depressing. She didn’t want a life that simply revolved around work again.

She set aside the pillow with a sigh. It was an impossible situation.

She didn’t want to do laundry. She could fix that by getting more clothes. Her new sod patch in the yard needed drenching. And she desperately wanted to see her pets.

She looked at her watch.

She’d go feed her pets. Twenty minutes at the house, she’d be back before it was dark.

She’d even leave a note for Kate.

Quinn rang the doorbell as he juggled the restaurant carryout sack.

Knowing Lisa and Kate, they had found the most convenient thing for dinner, even if that turned out to be ice cream.

“Lisa, what—” Kate pulled open the door and stopped short.

“Quinn.”

“What’s wrong?”

“She’s gone out,” Kate bit out. “She’s late. And I’m going to kill her.”

“Where?”

“I just got back from a page. She left me a note.”

“Dump this on the counter.” He handed over the sack and read the crumpled piece of paper. “Come on. I’ll drive.”

“She wanted more clothes. She could have raided my closet.” Kate slammed the door behind them.

Quinn tried to lighten her tension. “Only if she’s grown several inches in height since I saw her last.” He held the car door for Kate.

“I can’t believe she left behind my back.”

“She wanted to see her pets. I should have taken her by earlier.”

“Was it quiet here while we were gone?”

“Yes.” He pulled into traffic. “This is not your fault, Kate.”

She didn’t answer him.

“How’d the page go?”

“The guy shot himself before I got there.”

“I’m sorry, Kate.”

“Not your fault.”

“It’s one reason you’re angry.”

“Drive faster. She said she’d be home no later than six-thirty. It’s already seven.”

“There could be simple explanations.”

“And there could be bad ones.”

He was already breaking the speed limit. He maneuvered through traffic and broke it further.

They were pulling into Lisa’s subdivision twenty minutes later.

“Quinn.”

“I see it.” There was smoke rising in the air. He could hear the fire engines rolling somewhere ahead of him in the subdivision.

“No. Oh no!”

It was Lisa’s house, and there were two fire engines rolling to a stop

in front of the house, men pouring off of them.

Lisa’s car was in the drive. The house was fully engulfed.

“Lisa’s inside!”

Jack swung the ax with every ounce of energy in his body, the muscles in his legs through his back propelling the blow. He didn’t waste time on words. It was an accelerant fire unlike any he had ever seen; even the ground seemed to burn.

The shouts of men who fought the dragon were a noble chorus around him.

The second blow splintered the door at the lock; it swung open—

and a wall of fire slammed out with ferocious intent. For a horrifying instant Jack was inside the fire, his face mask taking the brunt of the beast’s breath; he was trapped by heat and light and angry flames.

Eighty pounds of water pressure per minute hit back; scalding steam roiled, and the flames slowly began to retreat.

One second.

Two.

Three.

They weren’t getting through it fast enough.

At seven Jack surged through the doorway, not caring anymore what it was going to be like inside, stealing through the opening in the wall of flames to the left and toward the hall.

There was no way to shout, to hear Lisa against the roaring noise.

She’d be down low to the floor trying to escape the smoke while trying to get toward a window

if she were able to still move. The smoke was too low, hugging near his knees. Her lungs would have already seared with the smoke, which made for an agonizing death. And the windows were the last place he wanted her moving toward—they had been laced and marked to burn. She’d reach safety only to have it denied her. And Jack knew from horrifying experience that once clothes caught fire

He wasn’t leaving her in this house.

A hand clamped down hard on his shoulder, squeezing twice, Cole signaling he’d search clockwise around the room while Jack moved counterclockwise. Jack reached up and tapped Cole’s hand in agreement.

Only another firefighter would understand why they were inside an inferno when hope was so slim. The fact it was his best friend and the head of the arson group at his side—Jack was grateful. Cole was the most experienced man in the company. If there was a chance, Cole would help create it.

Which room?

Kitchen? Living room? Bedroom?

Pets.

Jack knew exactly where Lizzy would have tried to go.

And knowing that, it might just save her life.

He moved forward with Cole down the hall, judging distance by the number of steps he took, and felt for the door frame of the guest bedroom, committing himself and Cole to searching this room first, and possibly last, if the fire had its way. It was terrifying, the knowledge Lizzy could literally be lying one foot farther down the hall, and in this smoke he couldn’t see her.

He was blind, and his sister was dying.

“Take out the window in the guest bedroom next!” Stephen shouted over the roaring flames. Quinn turned the long pike pole with its metal hook to break out the glass and latch around the burning windowsill.

He could feel the heat blistering his face as he strained to tear out the wood, grimly ignoring the pain.

Marcus latched his fire hook around the wood to help. “Pull!”

Stephen had wisely given them a job, for neither of them could handle standing by to watch. Jack and Cole had risked their lives going

He could feel it rush over her, could feel the shock break and the

inside to get Lisa. They needed a way to get her out. Quinn refused to accept the reality that he could feel, see, smell, and taste. The fire had already won. Water hissed around him as the flames roared and ate the water thrown against it.

“Lisa!” It was a shout from Kate behind him and to the right. Quinn risked seconds to look away and checked his movement midstroke.

Lisa, running hard across the sidewalk from the direction of the nearby park into the street without looking, falling forward and catching herself as her feet moved from sidewalk to asphalt. Quinn dropped the fire hook and swerved sharply to cut her off.

Her eyes were wide, bright, and focused past him. “No!”

Quinn caught her, steel arms wrapping around to stop her. The force of the contact drove a bruise deep into his side.

“Jack, get out of there! Lisa’s safe. She’s outside!” Kate screamed over the roaring fire.

The top of Lisa’s head caught Quinn under the chin sending sharp splinters of pain into his jaw and face. She was hard to hold. She’d learned to fight dirty and she wanted past him; in the adrenaline rush to reach her pets she wasn’t thinking, just reacting. Those were her pets dying.

He forced her to turn away from the fire, not to watch, and felt her chest heave as she tried at the same time to breathe and speak. “Don’t, Lizzy, please don’t. It’s already over.”

truth hit. Her body shuddered. She’d lost everything that mattered to her: the scrapbooks, the records, the art

and the pets. The pets she had loved were dead.

He held on because it was all he could do to help.

He could hear Jack coughing, Kate angry in her relief, and Cole ordering people back. The fire viciously roared as the roof collapsed.

It took Lisa minutes but Quinn felt the change. She stiffened as she took a deep breath. She braced and pushed herself a few inches back

from his chest, stumbled, and found her footing again. She was reeling and fighting it and her eyes— His hands tightened and she tried to shake him off. “I’m okay. Go help Jack. Someone needs to help Jack.”