Diana, page 12
"No. I don't want to do the job anymore. There's no need to be there now that they're gone."
"You mean your friends. The ones who died in the fire?” a woman's voice said.
"Yes."
"But you expressed in earlier sessions that you love the job. It's your life."
"I used to love it. The feel of the heat, the search and rescue. People respected firefighters, appreciated the fact that we put our lives on the line, sometimes for nothing but building structures."
"How do you feel about the arsonist?"
"He's getting more attention than those who lost their lives. What is this world coming to? Where are the ethics, the belief that hard work pays off? You can't even get good service when you go to the store anymore. There's lazy clerks, lazy waitresses—no one wants to earn their life, their living. The arsonist, I think he knows this. He's smarter than I am."
Diana swallowed hard, listening to Luke's words, his rough tone of voice. He was down on himself, the world. How the hell did someone get a copy of his therapy session? She thought about what he said. Her mind was in overdrive.
She clicked on the next email. There was a series of dates, fires, death investigations leading up to a little over a year ago. There was no identification, no picture, no personal information on Stewart Howard. However, the sender showed multiple connections indicating that Luke Fontella was in fact Stewart Howard.
Diana's heart felt as if it dropped into her stomach.
This was insane. She didn't believe it. There was an ulterior motive here. There had to be.
She stared at the information highlighted in yellow on the screen. She thought about Luke's words from the tapes, and his indication that the serial arsonist received more attention than the firefighters. Then she thought about how Luke expressed his thoughts on the lack of ethics, no belief in hard work. He'd said: “You can't even get good service when you go to the store anymore. Lazy clerks.” Instantly she thought of Barbara and Lee.
Her mind was in a frazzled state. She took a deep breath, focusing on the source of the information. Luke pissed a lot of people off with his accusation that a firefighter could be their suspect. Anyone could have sent this information to her with the hopes of influencing her investigation. She couldn't help but to think about Luke, what he went through, how that affected his judgment, and his words at the time of therapy. Then she thought about his physique, and the nausea set in.
Luke was a large, very strong man, well trained and more than capable of breaking bones. There was no doubt there. He had access to flares and other firefighting gear.
She covered her mouth with her hand, remembering all the boxes of supplies in his garage. The lab reports from the last fire weren't all back yet, but Diana recalled how the forensics team found remnants of an unknown substance embedded in the crease of Lee's neck. The medical examiner stated the cause of death was strangulation, and protective gloves were worn. Perhaps the unknown residue could be remnants of material from the gloves firefighters wore?
She'd have to wait to confirm this. Luke's report indicated there were numerous boot marks located around the crime scene, therefore contaminating possible evidence nearby. Maybe he planned it that way? Now, he was accusing other firefighters in an attempt to keep his own motives hidden.
Motive. What in the hell would be his motive for doing this?
She tried to organize her thoughts, frustration at the department, the media, perhaps society itself. Luke's statements about the lack of work ethics, the lazy clerk, the bad service, the glorification of the killer instead of the victims were clear. Diana easily sensed Luke's tone, the anxiety and stress in his voice. He was hurting inside.
She swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly dry. Her stomach ached. Laying her hands on either side of the keyboard, she sat still, staring at the screen in front of her.
He wasn't some kind of vigilante going after criminals. The victims were not the best of people, but they weren't criminals, either.
Luke was at the crime scene first in order to declare the structure safe for Diana and the forensics team to enter. Other firefighters may have entered the crime scene and contaminated evidence. He could've tried to destroy the indicator of where the source of the fire was. Or, in his sick, demented mind, if Luke were Howard Stewart, then he may have wanted to see the victim one final time. Perhaps to ensure himself that she died, that she suffered a horrible death.
Diana got the chills. She took a deep breath, then jumped in her seat at the sound of her doorbell ringing.
She quickly rose from her chair and walked barefoot toward the door.
As she peeked through the peephole, panic set in. Luke was there.
Oh, shit! What should I do? He doesn't know I know this stuff about him. I'm not certain any of it is true. I need to remain calm and keep an open mind.
She opened the door. “What are you doing here?"
"It's very rude not to return someone's phone messages. Especially once they've reached five or more.” He walked right by her, entering her apartment uninvited.
She stood near the door, still holding it open.
"Did I invite you in?"
"How does it feel, Detective Pellino?"
He scanned the apartment, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He gave her the once over from her bare feet to her eyes. She reached back to close the door but remained in front of it.
"What is so important that you decided to invade my home at 11:00 p.m.?"
"I hear you've been getting the same attitude and warnings that I've been getting."
"What do you mean?"
He took a step closer.
"You know damn well what I mean.” Luke raised his voice in obvious anger. Diana prepared for an attack.
Luke seemed to pick up on her body language, indicating her fear of him.
"They sent you something, too?"
"Who is they, and what are you referring to?"
She was careful not to divulge any information. For all she knew, the killer stood in her apartment. The thought made her sick. She didn't believe it. She couldn't believe it. She made love to him. It could ruin her judgment, her ability to investigate.
Luke ran a hand through his hair, then sat on the arm of the sofa.
Not noticing it before, Diana now saw the exhaustion in his expression.
"I got this email earlier. It brought up some crazy shit from my past."
He sighed, then glanced at her as if waiting for her to fill in the rest of his thoughts. She wasn't a fool. She played dumb, remained silent.
"There was this arsonist, Stewart Howard. He was responsible for multiple fires and the deaths of many people, including two of my buddies. He's why I left the job. Well, almost left it completely."
Diana held her position a few feet in front of him. She could tell he was genuinely upset. She thought about his words, the sadness in his voice at the loss of his friends.
"Someone is trying to say that Stewart Howard is our suspect."
Diana was shocked, to say the least. She wanted to tell him someone was accusing him of being Stewart Howard.
"What do you have on this guy Howard? What can you tell me about him?"
"I don't have much. I've worked hard to uncover very little about him. He's really good. He's evaded capture for years. Sometimes, I think he died in one of the last fires he set because they suddenly stopped. It was as if he disappeared off the face of the planet. Doesn't make sense he'd choose now to make a comeback."
"Why not now? If he knows that you are an arson investigator, then maybe he planned the fire in your honor?"
"Why kill Barbara and Lee? What does that mean?"
"Maybe he was angry at the lack of response to his mission.” Diana walked casually around the room but kept her gaze on Luke. “Perhaps he feels that the world is an ungrateful place. Maybe he thinks that work ethics have been lost, lazy people are all around him. Maybe he wants to rid society of the weak?"
Luke stood up and pointed at her. “Someone sent you the tapes? Someone is trying to pin this on me."
"Calm down.” She stepped back, and he took two steps toward her. He was inches from where she stood.
"I'm not the killer, Diana. I swear to you, I'm not the killer."
"Why did you go after Brian, Don, and the others from his company? Why did you have them reprimanded?"
"They fucked up. They probably stomped all over some potential evidence to find the real killer."
"You were there, too. You had to walk through to make sure the structure was safe."
"What?"
"You walked through first, Luke. It was your job as the fire marshal to ensure the structure was safe before I, or forensics, were allowed inside."
"I don't believe this. I'm not the killer."
He grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him. He stared at her. She tried to remain calm.
"Let go of me."
"Not until you hear me out and tell me that you believe me."
"Your actions right now are questionable."
He took a deep breath, then released his hold on her. He ran a shaky hand through his hair and took another breath.
"I'm sorry. Can't you see what this is doing to me? I put the past behind me, moved on with my life, and now someone is trying to mess with my mind, my career, and my life."."
"Who would want to do that besides half the firefighters in the FDNY right now?"
"That's the whole thing. I don't think this is a joke. I think the real killer got wind of my past. He's thorough, and he wants to set me up for his crimes. Think about it. I know the person sent you the files and the tapes. I could see it in your eyes the moment you opened the door. You have your doubts that I'm telling the truth."
"Can you blame me? It's feasible, yet it doesn't add up."
She watched Luke, saw the sadness, the hurt and pain. Her gut told her to believe him.
"I listened to the tapes. I heard your voice. I could hear the pain, the anger you felt."
"I could never commit murder, start a fire to injure innocent people. He got all the media attention instead of the firefighters and their families. Where is the justice in that?"
Diana moved toward him. She touched his hand. “I don't know what to say. My gut is telling me to believe you, but as the lead investigator on this case, I need solid proof, evidence that proves your innocence."
Luke glanced down at her hand, studying it as he gently caressed each tiny, wavy line. “You say your gut is telling you to believe me. What about your heart?"
She pulled her hand away and took a few steps to the door. “You accused my brother Brian of not doing his job. You refused to cooperate with me from the beginning of this investigation."
He stepped toward her. “I thought you were involved with my father. I was pissed off."
"You had no right to be. Even if I was involved with him, though I am not, you had no right to make such accusations."
"It pissed me off. My father and I aren't exactly on good terms."
"That's not my problem. From here on out, you are to confide in me any information you have on this case. I want to know everything about Stewart Howard, about any enemies you have, and about anything else you receive from our secret messenger. You got it?"
"Yes, ma'am.” He took her hands into his.
They were silent a few moments before he spoke. “I missed you."
She wanted to resist his charms, to resist the need to be in his arms, but she couldn't. Luke pulled her closer, he kissed her head, caressed her hair while her face lay flat against his chest. She thought about his pain.
"I'm sorry you have to go through this."
"I'm sorry I barged into your apartment all angry.” He put some space between them, but still held her around the waist.
"Things are going to get bad. I don't want you risking anything for me. This guy has pissed me off, which makes me even more determined to catch him."
"I'm worried about you, Luke. Don't do anything stupid. I'm sure he'll keep sending us stuff. Let's see where he leads us."
She held his hand and guided him to the couch. They sat down, and he put his arm around her shoulders.
"He's going to send us on a wild goose chase. One of us must've come pretty close to him. I say we look back, trace our steps, and see who we had contact with."
"What about Stewart Howard?"
"I don't know if I'll ever find out what happened to him."
Diana lifted her chin toward Luke and slightly pulled away from him. “I hate to say this, but I think we should stop—"
"No, don't say you want to forget about last night, about what we shared."
"What am I going to do when the information comes out about you, and the accusations about your innocence?"
"You do your job, Pellino. You worry about yourself, not me."
She attempted to stand up. He pulled her back. She straddled his hips, as he placed his hand behind her head, leading her lips to his.
A moment later, he stood up from the couch. Her legs remained locked in place around his hips, her arms embracing his shoulders.
His gaze seemed to shelter her, as he headed down the hallway in search of her bedroom.
* * * *
Diana awoke when her cell phone began vibrating on the bedside table. She flipped it open to answer the call.
"Yeah, Pellino, it's Jerry. We got another one. A fire down by the waterfront district. It's got our guy's name all over it."
"How so?” She turned over, expecting to see Luke still lying in her bed. His side was empty. Fear set in.
"The guy called it into 911 Dispatch, claiming his name was Stewart Howard."
Diana jumped out of the bed.
"I'll meet you there in fifteen.” She hung up the phone, her mind going over the series of events. Where the hell was Luke? She pulled on her dress pants. The fear, the uncertainty, made her hands shake as she tried to locate all her clothing.
"God damn it, Luke, where the fuck are you?"
"Right here."
She swung around with one leg in her dress pants and one leg out of them. Luke emerged from the bathroom.
She wanted to cry out a ‘halleluiah’ but didn't. Instead, she threw herself into his arms and kissed him.
"What's going on?"
She filled him in on the fire.
"You thought I left? You thought it was me?"
She couldn't hide the truth from him.
"Now do you believe me?"
"When this bastard tries to claim it was you, I'll be sure everyone knows the truth."
He grabbed her by the arm. “Don't."
Her eyes widened in shock. “What do you mean, don't? He just made a claim to starting the fire and he used your arson's name. I'm sure he's leaked the video and audio recordings to every media site, fire department, and police site out there. No way would I allow him to make you take the fall."
"We don't know who this is. Let him think he's gotten away with framing me. When the time comes, we'll reveal the truth. Remember what you promised me. You'll stay out of this part. You'll worry about yourself and your job."
He held her shoulders in place, obviously demanding an answer.
"I promise. I don't like this stupid plan one bit, but I promise."
Luke kissed her before she put on her shoes and hurried out the door.
"Wait for the call before you show up. Don't go there, Luke, unless they call you as the fire marshal."
"Yes, ma'am."
He gathered his things after she left, then headed back to his place.
* * * *
Diana and Jerry were talking about the fire when they noticed the chief of police, along with two lieutenants, enter their commander's office. She had a bad feeling.
Since they'd arrived on the scene of this third arson fire, she felt uneasy. A different fire marshal showed up instead of Luke. She knew that was a bad sign.
A few minutes later, they left and the commander called both Diana and Jerry in.
"You two take a seat. You've got some explaining to do, Pellino."
"What are you talking about?"
"Did you receive some files and audio tapes on my son, Luke Fontella?"
She remembered what she promised Luke. His safety meant everything. “No, sir. What are you talking about?"
The commander stood up straighter. “Now come on, Pellino. I'm asking you as your commander. Did you receive any information on my son?"
She glanced at Jerry, but she refused to make eye contact with him. He was her partner and he could read right through her bullshit.
"I'm sorry, sir, I don't know anything about any tapes or emails. What's going on?"
"I'm taking you both off the case.” He leaned against his desk.
"What? Why?” Diana stood up.
"Yeah, what the hell did we do wrong?” Jerry said.
"I think it's better if I pass this case along to a more neutral party, now that my son is a suspect."
"A suspect? Since when? We're the ones investigating this case. Your son is the marshal assigned to it. I'm confused."
The commander looked at Jerry. “You didn't tell her?"
Diana stared at her partner. “Tell me what?"
"His girlfriend was at his apartment when an email came through. She heard my son making some incriminating statements. Then she read the message from whoever got a hold of those tapes. She formed her own conclusions and called it in."
"Who was it, Jerry?"
Jerry remained silent.
"It doesn't matter, Diana. The media received the same email along with the attachments. They'll have my son tried and charged in a snap.” The commander bowed his head and walked around his desk.
She swallowed hard. All it would take were her words. She had an alibi for the commander's son. She couldn't, though. It was all Luke's plan.
Then it hit her. Only she and Luke knew about the real killer's intentions. The fire took place before Jerry's girlfriend saw the email and made the call. The killer was someone close to them. There was no other explanation.
