“That’s what happens when your wife tries to leave you.” Daddy said as he dragged him toward the old pickup truck. “She has to be punished.”
He swallowed back a sob as his daddy pushed him into the truck. Daddy would punish him if he cried like a baby. “What about Mommy?” he finally whispered.
“Don’t worry, son,” Daddy said. “She should have listened like I told her.”
Then his daddy started the engine and drove away without looking back.
He turned in the seat and watched the smoke float in the sky and the flames light the darkness.
He would miss Mama.
But the fire was so pretty he couldn’t take his eyes off it.
Chapter Six
Griff felt like a stalker as he watched Ginny visit the barber shop and pet-grooming spa.
She was definitely investigating Joy’s murder, not just a routine arson story. Could she have known Joy? If so, why not admit it?
His phone buzzed and he connected, hoping Jacob had more information.
“Where are you?” Jacob asked without preamble.
“I’ve been following Ginny,” Griff said. “She came to Joy’s Nail Salon, then went in and talked to people at the barber shop and pet-grooming spa.”
“Stay close to her,” Jacob said. “Liam said he couldn’t find anything on her either. She must be using a fake name.”
“The question is why,” Griff muttered.
“Good question,” Jacob said. “Meanwhile I talked to Riley. She’s really torn up about Joy’s death. Said a developer came in talking about buying up that entire row of businesses and wanted everyone to sell.”
Griff’s pulse jumped. “I take it Joy didn’t want to sell?”
“No, apparently she was the only holdout. Owner of the barber shop said he’d already found another spot if he sold. But Joy liked the location and didn’t want to have to start over. Besides, the apartment space above was a perfect fit for her.”
“Who is this developer?” Griff asked.
“Some guy from Asheville named Thad Rigden. Liam is running a background on him, and I’m going to have a talk with him when I locate him.”
According to Ginny’s business card, she was from Asheville. Was there a connection?
Jacob’s words echoed in his head. Stay close to her. She must be using a fake name.
Griff decided to try a new tactic with her. He’d play nice. Just like his mother used to say: you catch more flies with honey.
Hell, he’d drip honey if necessary to find out why that pretty little woman had come to town and tried to use him.
* * *
GINNY HAD A bad feeling that Joy’s match date might have led to her death. Then again, if Robert had dated her, he could have met her at a bar or even walked into the barber shop for a shave, seen her next door and made contact.
“Did Joy mention having problems with anyone?” Ginny asked. “Maybe an old boyfriend?”
“Her ex was definitely an issue.” Katie waved to a customer with a sheltie as she entered the store. “Oh, and she and that developer butted heads.”
“Developer?”
“Yeah, Thad Rigden. He’s a big real estate developer who wanted to buy up all our stores and build condos here. Joy refused to sell when he offered her a deal. She liked the location and said Whistler didn’t need fancy condos. They needed to support local small businesses.”
“Were you going to sell?” Ginny asked.
Katie shrugged. “The money was good, and I needed it, so yeah. He promised to help me find another location. In fact, everyone was on board except Joy. Even her business partner was in favor.”
“Joy had a business partner?”
“Yeah, a private investor,” she said. “Although she never told me who it was.”
Ginny’s instincts reared their ugly head. The real estate agent would know the name of this investor. “So, I guess this investor stood to gain if the place sold. Or if an insurance settlement came from it.”
Katie fidgeted. “You think someone killed Joy for money over her shop?”
“I don’t know, just exploring theories,” Ginny said.
Either way, she intended to talk to the developer. Her mind pieced together a scenario. Robert had been business savvy and could have posed as the real estate mogul.
“Do you have his contact information?” Ginny asked.
The woman with the sheltie was approaching with a cart full of items including a dog bed and chew toys. Katie reached inside the drawer behind the counter. “He left some business cards,” she said and handed Ginny one of them.
“Thanks.” Ginny laid her own card on the counter by the register. “Call me if you think of anything else.”
She left Katie to deal with her customer, stepped outside then called the number for the developer. The phone rang three times, then the voice mail kicked on, so she left a message saying she was interested in speaking with him about some property for a business start-up, and that Katie had recommended him.
Maybe he’d know if Joy’s silent partner was Robert, or he could give her another name.
* * *
GRIFF WANTED TO talk to Ginny, but his phone buzzed. His boss.
“Sorry, Griff, I know it’s your day off, but we need help. Another wildfire, up at Pigeon Creek this time.”
Dammit. He was only a mile from the firehouse, so he drove over and joined the backup team just as the first on-call squad peeled from the fire station. He geared up quickly, hoping for rain to help drown out the fire. Though the dark clouds were ominous and threatening, they hadn’t yet unleashed. Still, the wind had shifted and picked up, adding to the problem.
His buddy, Trey, the lead today, radioed the GPS coordinates from the first squad and suggested Griff’s team take the east area where they believed the fire had begun. Team one would hit the center. The wind was carrying it fast, catching dried leaves and trees and moving in the direction of the new cabins on the creek.
“We have a squad near the cabins, already wetting the area down to ward off the blaze from reaching the houses. If this builds up momentum, we’ll need to attack it from above,” Trey said.
“Copy that,” Griff responded into the mike clipped to his uniform.
Flames lit the sky as the truck screeched to a stop; the sound of wood crackling and timber falling rumbled. This one had gotten out of control quickly.