Scorched Secrets, page 9
part #1 of Finnegan First Responders Series
Even imagining her fire chief father standing over them wasn’t enough to shake the temptation. Man, he had it bad. Wrong place, wrong time, wrong—everything.
Faye was in danger from some jerk who not only thought it was fun to start fires, but whose desire for revenge or retribution was escalating rapidly. Colin needed to keep his head screwed on straight.
No more kissing Faye.
He found himself repeating that mantra as he searched the grove of trees behind the building. Maybe if he said the words often enough, he’d find the strength and willpower to heed them.
He didn’t find anything suspicious in the woods or around the motel. He walked to the front and used his key to head inside. Faye was in her room, hopefully getting some rest, so he decided to take a shower. A cold one.
When he emerged fifteen minutes later, he saw a missed call from his brother Rhy. Grabbing the phone, he called him back. “Hey, what’s up?”
“What’s this about a Molotov cocktail?” Rhy demanded. “And why am I hearing that from Miles Callahan rather than you?”
Figures the Callahan grapevine worked just as quickly as their Finnegan one. Miles was an MPD detective as well as being Mitch’s brother. Miles must have heard the news from Tarin. “I didn’t want to bother you. We’re fine. Mitch is doing his part.”
“I don’t like it,” Rhy muttered. “This guy is out of control.”
Since he agreed, there was no point in arguing. “We’re staying off-grid, Rhy. In a no-name motel room paid for with cash. No need for you to worry.”
“Yeah, well, I can’t help it. You’re not a cop. If this guy escalates from fires to bullets . . .”
“I’ll handle it.” He didn’t appreciate his brother’s dig about his not being a cop. “And he hasn’t resorted to bullets yet.”
“How are you going to stop him if you find him?” Rhy demanded. “Especially if he happens to be carrying?”
To be fair, he hadn’t thought that far ahead. Not that he’d give Rhy the satisfaction of hearing that. “Mitch will be here soon with a computer so we can dig into some possible suspects. And Mitch is armed.”
“I should have given you a weapon when you were here at the homestead,” Rhy grumbled. “You know we have a couple of handguns and ammo in the safe.”
Yeah, he knew that, but he hadn’t thought of grabbing one. He knew how to shoot; his older siblings had made sure of that. He’d been to the firing range often enough over the years. As much as he hated to admit it, Kyleigh had been a better shot than he was by a mile. Watching her nailing the center of her target only made him realize his choice to become a firefighter and paramedic had been the right one. He hated to admit he wouldn’t have made it as a cop. “Have faith, Rhy. We’ll be fine.”
“You’d better be fine.” It was a comical threat. “I don’t want to hear about you or Faye being hurt, understand?”
“I’ll do my best.” His older siblings had all been in danger over the past few months, and it made him wonder if Rhy had threatened them the same way. Even Rhy himself had put his life on the line to protect Devon. It was a little strange that Colin was in the center of danger now, despite his job not being involved in law enforcement.
“Keep me updated, Colin. No more hearing about dangerous situations through the family grapevine.”
“That’s the plan.” He shook his head at how his brother still played the role of their father, even ten years later. Since he’d appreciated what Rhy and Tarin had given up to hold things together, he let it go. “Later.”
“Any news?” Faye asked from the doorway.
“Not yet.” He gestured for her to come inside. “I was hoping you were getting some sleep.”
“Better to stay up in case we actually get to sleep tonight.” She offered a half smile. “I’m on days next week, so it would be nice to get back on a normal sleeping schedule.”
“I know how you feel. If we have a rough night, I try to stay awake as long as possible the next day.” He ran his fingers through his damp hair, hoping and praying the arsonist was caught by Monday morning. “Switching from nights to days back to nights again is tough.”
“Part of the job.” She sank down on the edge of the bed. “I’m not used to being idle. Normally I’d be working on all the chores I’d neglected while working five shifts straight. This sitting around is driving me batty.”
“I hear you.” He sat in the chair. “This isn’t usual for me either.”
“You live alone?” she asked.
“Yes, I do now. When I first moved out of the homestead, I shared a place with one of my colleagues.” He grimaced. “That was fine when we were in our early twenties. John liked to party, but that grew old after a while. John kept bugging me to go out, to be his wingman. I wasn’t that interested in the bar scene, so I saved up until I could buy a place of my own.”
“You’re not lonely? I mean, you grew up with eight siblings. It must be strange living alone.”
“I’m not lonely at all. I spend enough time at the firehouse with the rest of the team.” It dawned on him what she was really asking. “I had a girlfriend for a while, which was nice, but Luanne decided to move south. I didn’t want to leave my family, so we parted ways amicably.” He held her gaze. “What about you?”
“You know about my failed marriage. I don’t mind living alone. Now my house is gone . . .” Her voice trailed off.
“Hey, I’m sure your insurance company will come through for you. On both your house and your car.”
“I hope so.” She turned to glance out the window. He heard the car engine, too, and was silently relieved to know Mitch had arrived. He went over to peek through the curtains to verify his assumption, then opened the door for the arson investigator.
“Hey.” Mitch pulled a laptop carrying case from the front seat, then opened the back to remove a pack of bottled water. “I was able to get here sooner than I thought.”
“Perfect.” The less togetherness with Faye, the better. “Did you find anything new?”
“I got the list of terminated firefighters.” Mitch grinned. “I think Faye is onto something with this being an attempt to lash out at her father through her. The three of us need to review the names together.”
“Better than doing nothing. Come on.” He stepped back to give Mitch room to enter, then grabbed the water from him. “Make yourself at home.”
“I can’t wait to look at the list of terminated firefighters.” Faye’s eyes lit up with anticipation as she accepted a bottle of water from him. “I’m sure our guy is on that list.”
The three of them crowded around the small table. Mitch tapped his finger on the first name. “Jayson Sanders is the top suspect, of course. But there are six others who were let go over the past six months.”
“Only six, or rather seven?” Colin found that low number surprising. “For the entire city?”
“And the suburbs, too, since so many of us work for more than one station.” Mitch had once been a firefighter paramedic just like Colin. “Honestly, I expected more names as well. Then again, I’d like to believe firefighters are in general honorable men and women. If we go back further, say a year, there would likely be more. But the judge didn’t like that idea and only gave us permission to get the names of those who were let go in the past six months, that was all he approved for Faye’s patient complaints, too. If we can get evidence that indicates for sure this is the work of a former firefighter, he agreed to expand the subpoena.”
“Any women on the list?” Faye asked.
“No.” Mitch tilted his head. “Why, are you thinking the perp is a female?”
“Not necessarily.” She grimaced. “The camera footage in the parking structure wasn’t much help. It could have been a larger woman or a smaller man.”
“All six are men,” Mitch said. “And other than Jayson Sanders, the remaining five men are in their midtwenties, which is interesting as far as a firefighter turning arsonist. Jayson at thirty-four is a bit older than the usual firebug.”
“But he has the biggest motivation,” Colin argued. “A personal grudge against Chief Dorian Kimble.”
“Yep. But we should look at these other guys too.” Mitch pulled the computer out and opened it.
“Is there a reason attached to the termination?” Faye asked. “That may help.”
“No, unfortunately. Most are simply listed for cause,” Mitch explained. “We only know the reason for Jayson’s termination because your father filled us in.”
“Seems like we’re working blindfolded,” she muttered.
“This from a woman who didn’t want to breach patient privacy,” Colin teased.
“We already have the cops looking for Jayson,” Mitch said, getting back to the subject at hand. “If we search their social media sites, we may find a reason to move one of these other guys higher on the suspect list.”
“The glory of arson investigation,” Colin said with a sigh.
“Tell me about it.” Mitch shook his head. “The scene outside the courthouse didn’t give me anything useful. The restroom fire was interesting since the accelerant was paint thinner, not gasoline, which was the substance used in the Molotov cocktail.”
“What about my car fire? Which accelerant was used there?” Faye asked.
“Paint thinner as well. Could be that this guy is trying to switch things up to keep us off balance. Typical arsonists use the same signature for each fire, this perp isn’t doing that. Unfortunately, I don’t know enough about your house fire yet because the scene was still hot when I went by on my way here.” His expression darkened. “I know this much: an accelerant was used, and the fire was likely started in the basement. I think the perp must have chosen to place the blaze close to the gas line, hoping for an explosion.”
The explosion that had caused Larry’s death. If that was the goal, it certainly worked. In fact, it was nothing short of a miracle that the blast hadn’t killed more of them. Colin clenched his jaw, then tried to let go of the anger. They’d find this guy, and when they did? He’d spend the rest of his life in prison for murder.
Faye frowned. “I always lock my doors, so this guy must have broken a window to get inside.”
“Were your basement windows locked?” Colin asked. “We sometimes find those smaller windows are overlooked.”
“Yes, they’re always locked too. As an ED doctor and a woman living alone, I’m careful that way. Especially after my divorce.”
Colin sent her a sharp look. “You were afraid of your ex?”
“Not physically afraid, but I knew he was upset at the judge’s decision and didn’t want to come home to find him waiting for me.” She flushed, then added, “Since the arsonits broke my car window, it’s not a stretch to believe he broke one of the windows in my house. I’m surprised none of the neighbors noticed anything strange, though.”
Mitch shrugged. “Last I checked in, the local police were still canvassing the area. It’s possible someone could still come forward with information. Looking at the timeline, the perp was gone from the parking garage by the time you went to your vehicle. He was probably already on his way to your place while Colin’s crew was extinguishing that blaze. The hour was still early enough that many people wouldn’t have noticed his approaching your house, especially if he went in around back.”
“I’m sure the canvass will come up with something.” Colin lightly touched Faye’s hand. “We’ll get to the bottom of this.”
“I know.” She shifted her gaze from him toward the window. “I hope it’s soon.”
“Faye, you need to review these names first.” Mitch pushed the list toward her. “I’d like to know if any of these people sound familiar.”
She nodded and did what he asked. After a minute, she shook her head. “Sorry, they mean nothing to me.”
“No connection to your ex-husband?” Mitch asked.
“Not that I’m aware of.” She pursed her lips. “Rory didn’t have a lot of friends. Other than his former college roommates.”
“Will you write those names down for us?” Mitch stood and grabbed the pad of paper near the phone.
While Faye was writing down her ex-husband’s college roommates, Colin reached for the list of terminated firefighters. “Did any of these names ring a bell with you, Mitch?”
“No.” He shrugged. “I haven’t been on duty in a fire station for a while, though.”
Colin scanned the names, his gaze homing in on the last one. “Daniel Percy.”
“You know him?” Mitch leaned forward. “Did he work out of your house?”
Colin nodded. “He was only with us for a little over a year, though, before he transferred out.” He tried to remember more about the brash and cocky kid. “He was smart enough, knew his medical training inside and out. But when it came to firefighting, he didn’t take well to being told what to do. Not exactly what I’d call a team player.”
“That’s good insight.” Mitch opened a browser on the computer and began looking for Daniel Percy’s social media sites. “Sounds like he may have a grudge against authority if he ultimately lost his job over his attitude.”
“You know, I think Daniel mentioned having a brother on the job.” He drummed his fingers, trying to remember their brief interactions. “Something about how fighting fires runs in his blood.”
“Maybe his dad was also on the job.” Mitch looked excited to have a possible suspect.
“His dad may not have gotten along with my dad,” Faye added. She straightened and grabbed Colin’s arm. “My dad was given his promotion three years ago. It could be that one of the guys who was passed over is still angry over that.”
“That’s a really good point, Faye.” Mitch flashed a smile. “Here, I think I may have found one of Daniel’s sites.” He turned the computer so Colin could see the profile picture. “Is that the same guy you worked with?”
“Yep. That’s him.” He frowned. “I wish I could remember his brother’s name. I’m sure he mentioned it at some point.”
“Maybe we can find his brother here.” Mitch grinned. “It’s always nice when these guys don’t bother to make their sites private. I can see all his friends, here.”
Colin grimaced. “He has a lot. Start with his posts. From what I remember about Daniel, he’s the type to vent about losing his job, complaining that the upper brass had it out for him, rather than taking accountability for his actions.”
“Hang on a minute,” Mitch protested. Their gazes locked for a moment. “Are you seeing what I’m seeing?”
Colin nodded slowly. “Jayson Sanders is one of his friends.” Then it clicked. “Wait a minute, Daniel’s older brother.”
“They have different last names,” Faye pointed out.
“That’s because they have different fathers.” He stared at Mitch. “Daniel told me his mother had remarried after a divorce. Jayson and Daniel could be working together. Two half brothers determined to make Chief Kimble pay for the way they both lost their jobs.”
“This connection is impossible to ignore. And it would explain the different accelerants used in the fires.” Mitch tapped the screen. “As far as I’m concerned, Daniel and Jayson are both at the top of our suspect list.”
It was a good lead. These two men needed to be found before they had a chance to strike again.
Chapter Eight
Faye felt sick to her stomach. It was horrifying to think about the way these two former firefighter brothers had targeted her to lash back at her father. She sent up a quick prayer that God would keep Annie safe from harm. Better for her to be in danger than her younger half sister.
She watched as Mitch brought their photographs up on the screen. Both men were muscular, from what she could see while they wore their firefighter uniforms, but Daniel, the younger of the two, seemed heavier than the person she’d seen on the hospital video.
“I’m calling this in,” Mitch said. “I’d like proof that Jayson and Daniel are in fact half brothers. From there, maybe we can get a search warrant for their phones.”
“Sounds like a good plan,” Colin agreed. He flashed her a reassuring smile. “Your life will get back to normal once we have these two in custody.”
She nodded, even though her new normal meant having no house and no car. Obviously, her life was more important than those two things. Colin’s life was too. And she still had her career as a physician, so there was no reason to feel sorry for herself. That said, she truly hoped Mitch could get these guys’ phone records. If they had coordinated a planned attack, surely they’d have texted or called each other to pull this off.
Mitch stood and walked outside to make his call, leaving her and Colin alone. She gestured toward the computer screen. “What do you think? Should we update my dad on this latest information?”
Colin considered that for a moment. “Not yet. Let’s wait until we have something more concrete. It’s okay for us to jump to conclusions and investigate these two as our top suspects, but they are both innocent until proven guilty.”
“Yes, you’re right.” She understood his reluctance. It would be better for Colin to call her dad with a specific lead rather than supposition.
“Are you hungry?” Colin asked. “When we’re finished here, we can grab something to eat.”
“I’d like that.” She had enjoyed their lunch until the Molotov cocktail had nearly hit them. “As long as you think we’re safe.”
“I’m fairly confident we weren’t followed.” He jerked his thumb to the door where Mitch was still in deep conversation with whoever would be getting the subpoena for their suspects’ phone records. “He’s armed.”
Faye wasn’t a big fan of guns. Working in the ED meant having patients rolling through with various gunshot wounds on a regular basis. Sometimes they had several patients in one shift. Yet she had an appreciation for those who protected the public. Her father and Colin had taken the path of fighting fires, but she’d cared for enough police officers to have the utmost respect for them too.
