‘Come on, love,’ said her mother, grabbing a jumper and tugging it on over her clothing. ‘It beats sitting around drinking coffee. And Sarge is right, we do need to get onto the insurance company.’

  ‘Ah…dammit. All our files were in the office. They’ll have gone up in smoke too,’ Robert said, rubbing his jawline in frustration.

  ‘I’ve got back-ups here, darling, don’t worry so much.’ Lyn went over to Ruby’s dad and they embraced for a few long moments. ‘We’ll get through this.’

  Ruby watched her parents, knowing that whatever disaster they faced, they always did it together. A lump formed in her throat as she wondered if she’d ever find someone to share such a relationship with.

  O’Leary cleared his throat. ‘Hate to break up the party, but we should be getting a move on. Mike is going to start interviewing witnesses this morning and then I’ll have to interview you three. Standard procedure. Don’t look so horrified.’

  His phone rang and he swept it out of his pocket. He offered no greeting to the person on the other end of the line. ‘Please tell me you’ve got them,’ he practically shouted. A pause, then, ‘Well, hallelujah. I’m just taking the Joneses to have a look through the rubble and then I’ll be there. Don’t interview the louts without me.’

  He screwed up his face and pulled the phone away from his ear as a voice started shouting back.

  Ruby couldn’t decipher the exact words but her nerve endings stood to attention. Drew! He sounded furious but relief flooded through her that he hadn’t simply disappeared and was still somewhere working on the case. She found herself hoping their paths would cross at the station.

  ‘I think you’re forgetting your place, Constable,’ cut in O’Leary. ‘I’ve been on the job for forty years. I think I know what I’m doing.’ With that, he disconnected before Drew could get in another word.

  Feeling uneasy about the way this was all playing out, Ruby grabbed her denim jacket and handbag but declined a lift in the patrol car, choosing instead to drive herself to what was left of The Ag Store. She didn’t know what she’d been expecting but they weren’t the first people on the scene this morning.

  Ryan Forrester, head of the local volunteer fire brigade was already there, talking to three official-looking people in suits. Looking his usual handsome self, dressed in cargo pants, boots and a hoodie, he didn’t look like he’d been out all night fighting fires. She didn’t know Ryan that well, but he was Faith’s brother and it was nice to see a familiar face. As she got out of the car, he glanced over at her and waved.

  Sergeant O’Leary and her parents climbed out of the police car. O’Leary ducked under the barrier tape, then visibly puffed up his chest as he strode towards the little gathering. Ruby went to stand beside her folks. ‘My guess is we won’t be going in right away,’ she said, nodding to the suits.

  Her mother bit her lip. ‘They look like they mean business, don’t they?’

  ‘The sooner they do it, the sooner we can get to work fixing all this mess,’ replied her dad, a typical hands-on guy who hated standing around when there were things that needed to be done.

  ‘We want them to do a thorough job,’ Ruby said. ‘You know what insurance companies are like. They’ll do whatever they can to try to get out of paying.’

  ‘Oh, don’t say that, love.’ Lyn’s hand rushed to her chest and Ruby felt guilty for worrying her mother. The last few hours had already taken their toll, showing up in the form of dark circles under her eyes.

  While O’Leary spoke to the arson squad Ryan made his way over. ‘Really sorry about your loss, Mr and Mrs Jones,’ he gestured behind him, ‘but these guys know what they’re doing.’

  ‘Did they give you any idea how long they’ll take to investigate?’ Ruby asked.

  Ryan shook his head. ‘They’re going to ask a few questions and then suit up in safety gear and head in. As the building has lots of asbestos no one can go in without full protection and breathing apparatus. I’m going in with them.’

  Ruby tried but failed to swallow a snort. ‘I didn’t even think about the asbestos. Sergeant O’Leary just gave us all permission to take a look, thank God you were already here when we arrived.’

  Ryan didn’t look surprised. ‘Good thing the big wigs are here now.’ He glanced over his shoulder again. ‘I’d better join them. You lot hang in there, okay?’

  It was the longest conversation Ruby had ever had with Ryan without their other friends being around and it was easy to see what Simone found appealing about him. He was tall, had a muscular body honed from hard manual labour rather than long hours at the gym and was good-looking in a different kind of way than most of the other farmers. He wasn’t so rough around the edges.

  ‘Such a nice boy,’ said her mother, before yawning loudly. ‘Oh, I’m sorry.’

  ‘Are you all right, love?’ Her father turned his attention away from the burnt building and put a hand on his wife’s shoulder. ‘It’s been a long night. Do you need to go home and rest? I’ll clear it with the cops. Ruby and I can talk to them.’

  ‘I’m fine, Rob.’ Her mum half-smiled, half-glared at him. ‘Let’s just wait and see what they want us to do.’

  Semi-distracted by trying to hear any snippets of conversation from Ryan, O’Leary and the investigators, Ruby also scrutinised her mother closely. She guessed she was probably reading too much into a stressful situation but her dad seemed overly protective. He had always doted on his wife, but there was there something more than stress in his voice? And when Ruby thought about it her mum looked like she’d missed a week of sleep, not merely one night. She shook that thought away as another patrol car parked behind them. The urge to turn around and look was overwhelming, but the erratic beating of her heart at the thought that it might be Drew made her force herself not to do so. There was just something about him that sent her pulse racing and due to tiredness, she didn’t trust herself.

  After a few moments he came up behind them. ‘Good morning, everyone.’

  Ruby’s whole body trembled at the sound of his deep and sexy accent. She waited until he was beside them before smiling. ‘Morning, Drew.’

  ‘I’m guessing you all didn’t manage much sleep?’

  ‘You’re guessing right,’ she said.

  Her dad stood beside them, one arm wrapped around his wife and his foot tapping furiously against the ground. ‘Can’t sleep when I feel so damn helpless. Every time I closed my eyes I saw those flames.’

  Drew nodded, his lush lips pressed together grimly. ‘That’s normal. You’ve not been inside yet, then?’ There was an edge to his voice and he visibly relaxed when Robert answered, ‘No.’

  ‘Sergeant O’Leary was keen to let them,’ Ruby said in a hushed voice as she stepped away from her parents. ‘And quite aside from what you said about the investigation, there’s asbestos in there. Will he be in charge of the investigation?’

  ‘He’ll work together with the arson squad, but yes, he’ll head the case locally.’ Drew’s tone told her he didn’t have much faith in the sergeant either. ‘I’d better join them and see what I need to do next.’ He turned to go but paused at the last moment, reaching out his arm and touching her on the side of hers. Her heart jolted and her whole body reacted to his touch. She swallowed.

  ‘If you need anything, give me a call, all right?’

  Their gazes met and she felt something shift inside. She nodded. ‘Thank you.’ He had no idea she wasn’t only thanking him for his offer of support but also for the feelings he awakened by simply being around. It might not be the time to be rejoicing over such sensations, but she couldn’t help giving in to a small smile. Maybe there really was light at the end of the tunnel.

  Returning her smile with a brief but irresistible one of his own, Drew walked away to join his peers. He exchanged heated words with O’Leary and then strode to the cop car. His expression had turned from grim to simmering. Ruby watched as he yanked open the driver’s door and slid into the vehicle. It was then she noticed the teenage boys sitting in the back. Both of them looking down. It didn’t take a genius to know it was Jaxon Bird and Brad McDonald.

  If they had started this fire then they deserved whatever punishment the courts threw at them, but she couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for the boys. She’d served Jaxon a couple of times when he’d come into The Ag Store on an errand for his father and he didn’t seem a bad kid. Sure, he and Brad had admitted to a couple of misdemeanors recently but this…this seemed like a mammoth jump.

  ‘Morning folks,’ a loud voice, very Aussie compared to Drew’s, landed beside them. Ruby snapped her head up to look at Mike. She hadn’t even seen him arrive.

  ‘Hi Mike,’ she and her parents replied.

  ‘I need to take you down to the station.’ His direct statement startled Ruby a little. He was the first person not to offer commiserations about the fire. ‘The investigators are going to conduct preliminary interviews.’ He gestured behind them to another patrol car. ‘Let’s go. They’ll want to get started straightaway.’

  Chapter Five

  ‘Where were you when you were first notified about the fire?’

  Ruby swallowed at the investigator’s question, her stomach fluttering with nerves she shouldn’t be feeling. Somehow the man sitting in front of her, who’d already asked her a number of questions, had a knack for making her feel like a criminal. Maybe it was simply being questioned in a police station again that gave her the creeps, but the way his eyes bored into her as he fired question after question, made her feel guilty when she wasn’t.

  I wonder how Mum and Dad are going? How she wished they could do this together. It was hell not being able to support them, especially as she now understood that simply by their connection with the building, they were all suspects. The thought made her stomach churn and she fought the urge to tell the officer exactly what she thought of that fact.

  ‘Answer the question please, Miss Jones.’

  She straightened in her chair. ‘I’m sorry. I was at the town hall with a number of other locals. We were taking photos for a poster that is going to advertise an event coming up in town.’

  ‘What event?’ he asked sharply.

  ‘It’s called the Undies Run. Participants run around town in their underwear and get sponsors to donate money for the Auxilliary.’

  ‘I see. How many other people were there?’

  She did a mental head count. ‘Nine others.’

  ‘And did your parents call and tell you their shop was on fire?’

  ‘No. One of the men at the hall – Adam Burton,’ she clarified, ‘smelt smoke. We all went outside. The fire alarms had started blaring and then Drew, I mean, Constable Noble, got a call on his phone. He confirmed there was a fire and told me it was at my parents’ shop.’

  ‘Constable Noble was there?’ The investigator raised one eyebrow.

  ‘Yes. He’s going to do the run but wasn’t part of the photoshoot.’

  Another meaningful nod. Ruby wished she could read the thoughts going through this man’s head. ‘Do you know where your parents were prior to the fire?’

  Her heart walloped against her chest cavity for no good reason. ‘Yes, they were at home.’ And right now she wished she’d been there with them to give them an alibi.

  ‘Are you sure of that?’

  ‘Yes,’ she said emphatically. ‘They were already in their pajamas when I left and Mum never goes out on Tuesday nights. She watches The X Factor religiously.’

  ‘Did they call you when they found out about the fire?’

  ‘No.’ Ruby realised she had no idea how her parents discovered the fire. She guessed the security company had called them when the alarms went off. ‘I think they were too preoccupied with getting to the shop. They arrived just as I did.’

  The investigator said nothing for a few moments. He simply stared at her, making her more irrationally nervous. ‘Okay,’ he said after what seemed like an eternity, ‘I understand you are an employee at The Ag Store?’

  ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I began working for my parents earlier this year.’

  ‘And do you get along with the other employees?’

  ‘Of course. Everyone else has worked there for years and they were all very welcoming when I started.’

  ‘You lived in Perth before?’

  She nodded. ‘On the outskirts near Byford.’

  ‘Why did you return?’ he asked, leaning back in his chair.

  ‘I don’t see what that’s got to do with anything,’ Ruby snapped and immediately wished she hadn’t. ‘I broke up with my fiancé. Since I worked for his family and lived with him, I needed a place to stay that wouldn’t cost me an arm and a leg. Coming home seemed the logical thing to do.’

  He nodded, seemingly accepting this reason. She tried not to sigh in relief – happy he hadn’t delved deeper. She hated going over what had happened with anyone. That time in her life was something she wanted to move on from.

  His next few questions seemed more suited to her parents, but not wanting to get him offside, Ruby answered as best she could, telling him who else had keys to the building, how long her parents had owned the business, listing the other employees and as much as she knew about the customers and suppliers. She couldn’t tell him about insurance policies but hoped her parents had them up to date.

  ‘And what about anyone with a grudge against your mother or father?’ he asked, changing the direction of the conversation.

  ‘I can’t think of anyone,’ she said honestly. ‘They serve the community well, ordering in special products when people need them and always supporting local charities and events. Are you sure it’s arson?’

  The idea of anyone – even teenagers – in their community being capable of such horrible actions was hard to imagine. And if they didn’t catch the culprit, would it happen again?

  ‘We’ll know more once we’ve been inside.’ The investigator leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk, folding his hands together. ‘Did you notice anyone suspicious at the scene last night?’

  Ruby thought for a moment, pushing aside the memory of the familiar face, and then shook her head. That had been her brain playing nasty tricks. ‘No. I’d guess half the town was there, but they’re all just concerned.’

  He nodded. ‘What about this fiancé of yours? Any reason he might want to harm your family?’

  ‘Ex-fiancé,’ she said quickly and then paused to think. Had his image been an illusion last night? Could Jonas have set fire to her parents’ shop? He’d recently been released from prison due to expert lawyers getting him out on a suspended sentence… ‘No, I don’t think so. This is not his style.’ Reluctantly she explained the circumstances surrounding her and Jonas’s break-up. She hated reliving that horror but felt certain he wanted to put it behind him as much as she did. She simply couldn’t see how doing something like this would benefit him.

  ‘Hmm…’ The investigator seemed to be thinking over her information. ‘What was his name?’

  ‘Jonas Vanderbrek.’ She tried not to shiver as she said his name, not wanting the investigator to pick up on her discomfort. She convinced herself he wouldn’t do something like this – his anger issues were more spur-of-the-moment – and he was too smart to do something this serious, something that would threaten to bring bad publicity to his family’s horse stud again. The last thing she needed was policemen showing up at his place, refreshing his anger towards her.

  ‘Okay, I think we’re done for now. But we may need to speak to you again after we’ve been through the building. You’re not planning on going away in the next few days?’

  ‘No.’ Ruby tried to withhold the sigh of relief but she desperately needed to exhale.

  Once dismissed she went out into the waiting room at the police station. Her parents had been interviewed and were waiting with their arms wide open. She collapsed into her mum’s embrace and felt her dad’s big strong arms close around the two of them. ‘Are you okay?’ she sniffed, knowing how trying their interviews must have been.

  ‘We’re fine,’ her father replied, ‘but your mother is very tired. Do you mind going home with her? I want to go to the shop.’

  ‘Of course.’ While she hated the thought of not being there for both her parents, she could do with a shower, another coffee and something to eat. And then there were her horses. If her mother napped, she could go check on them. It was the first morning she could remember where they hadn’t been her first point of call after breakfast.

  Mike drove them to the site of the fire where the investigators had just returned and were suiting up to go inside the building with Ryan, O’Leary and another local firefighter. Ruby prayed they would find evidence that would help find the culprit quickly – or better still realise it was all a big accident so that they could all begin to get on with the process of rebuilding the shop.

  Not sure her father was doing any good hanging around waiting, but failing in convincing him to return home with them to try to rest, she eventually succeeded in drawing her mum away. They arrived home to a doorstep covered in casserole dishes, notes of commiseration and an answering machine overflowing with messages offering support and assistance. As she helped her mum pile the fridge up with the offerings, her heart felt like bursting at the love shown from the local community. Later, Ruby told herself, she’d have to make a list of all these people so they could thank them properly, but that task would have to wait. She made her mother a cup of English Breakfast, herself a strong coffee and then sat down at the kitchen table.

  ‘I can’t believe all this,’ Lyn said, lifting the mug to her lips. She took a sip and Ruby noticed her hands were shaking.

  ‘I know.’ She sighed. ‘Just when I think things are looking up, something like this happens.’

  ‘Oh honey, I’m so sorry you have to go through all this so soon after everything that…that he put you through.’ Lyn hadn’t been able to bring herself to say Jonas’s name for a long time. Her ex-fiancé was the He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in her family.

  ‘Mum. Stop apologising. It’s okay. None of this is your fault.’ She reached over and took one of her mum’s hands in hers. It felt cold and slightly clammy. ‘We just need to get through this together. But we’re good at that, aren’t we?’

 

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