A midmorning crowd filled the café, a mixture of retirees, campers and hikers preparing to set out on the AT. She waved to Mitzi as she entered, then started to take a booth near the front, but Mitzi motioned for her to follow her.
“That real estate developer is back here,” Mitzi said as she led Ginny through the center of the café to a booth in the corner near the back.
Ginny’s stomach tightened as they approached. The man was facing the rear wall with his face away from her. He had short, neatly groomed brown hair, and a gold signet ring glittered from his hand as he lifted his coffee cup for a sip.
Robert had worn a gold signet ring with the letter R etched in the design. The imprint of it on her cheek had lingered for days after he’d hit her.
* * *
GRIFF WAITED FOR Jacob in the entrance of the school while Jacob questioned the two boys he’d identified as persons of interest. Memories of attending Whistler High flooded back.
Griff had played defense on the high school soccer team and helped them make it to the state championships. School shootings and drugs and violence had not been part of his experience. Boys had roughhoused, enjoyed off-roading and met girls behind the bleachers to make out. Not one for online social media, he’d attended high school pep rallies, football games, dances in the gym and he’d hung out by the river with friends.
On camping trips, his father had taught him and his brothers how to read maps, fish and kayak. He’d loved the fresh air, outdoors and endless miles of forests. Sure, he and his brothers had sneaked a few beers in their day, but they’d been harmless and respected the land and the people in town.
His father had run for sheriff to protect the residents and had instilled the same values in him and his brothers. Each of them had become first responders to honor him.
Then that fire had taken his life. Gone in a minute.
Griff should have insisted his father stay outside that horrible day. His father hadn’t been prepared to run into the fiery building. Hadn’t been wearing safety equipment. No oxygen mask or helmet or fireproof clothing.
But the fire had created such chaos, and with so many lives in danger, his father hadn’t thought once about joining the rescue attempts. Dozens of sick patients, disabled, people in wheelchairs and bedridden needed help. Mothers and children and babies were among the needy, too.
They’d tried to save them all. And even then, they’d failed.
Footsteps dragged him from the haunting memory. Jacob approached him, grim faced. Griff expected him to escort the boys to the jail, but he was alone. The teens’ parents were accompanying the boys through the exit.
Jacob paused to shake hands with the principal and counselor, then joined Griff.
“What happened? Aren’t you making arrests?” Griff asked.
Jacob motioned for them to go outside, and they left together, then walked over to Jacob’s squad car.
Jacob scrubbed a hand over his chin. “Both boys admitted to drinking in the woods, to smoking a couple of cigarettes and building a campfire on two occasions. But they claim they covered the fire with mounds of dirt before they left.”
“Could have accidentally started back up.”
Jacob shook his head. “That’s just it. Both kids have alibis for the nights of the wildfires that spread. Parents confirmed they were home studying for tests during the time of the first fire, and one of the teachers verified that the boys play baseball and had an away game during the time of that last one.”
Griff muttered a frustrated sound. “If they didn’t set the fires, maybe some other kids are responsible.”
“That’s possible, but I’m beginning to wonder if it was teens.”
“Why do you say that?”
“The boys mentioned seeing a man in a long coat and hat with binoculars on a hill near the locations of the fires. They both insisted they’d seen his footprints around before, up around Raven’s Ridge.”
“I’ll go back and search that area,” Griff said. “If whoever they saw is our arsonist, he may have left some evidence behind.”
* * *
GINNY SLID HER hand inside her purse and gripped her gun as she walked around the table. Her legs felt shaky, but anger heated her blood as she braced herself to face Robert once more.
The man stood and lifted his hand, the signet ring glittering beneath the overhead light. This man was the right height and build, but his eyes were set farther apart, his nose slightly longer, and his forehead not as high. Not Robert.
Relief mingled with frustration. Dammit, she wanted to get this over with. Make Robert confront her so she could...kill him? Could she really pull the trigger?
Tess’s sweet face taunted her, and she swallowed hard. Yes, hell, yes, she could.
But this man hadn’t killed her sister. She was wasting her time. Unless...he’d killed Joy and the similarities were coincidental.
The man extended his hand. “Thad Rigden. You’re Ginny Bagwell, the woman who called about looking for property in town?”
Ginny nodded and claimed the chair across from him. Mitzi appeared, and she ordered plain coffee while he ordered a latte.
“Tell me about yourself, Ginny,” Thad said. “Where are you from and what do you do?”
“I live in Asheville,” she said simply. “And actually, I’m a journalist.”
His eyebrow rose. “I thought you were looking for property for a business.” He sipped his coffee. “Or did I misunderstand your message?”
“I’m sorry to mislead you,” she said, deciding to opt for a half-truth. “I talked to Joy Norris’s neighbors and they said you offered to purchase her property. That you had plans to rebuild the entire block.”
His friendly smile faded. “That’s true. Everyone except Joy agreed to sell. But I thought I could convince her to do so in time.”
“Really?”
“Yes, I suspected she was holding out for more money, so I was working on securing a more lucrative deal for her.”
“I see. But now that she’s dead, it’ll probably be easier to take over.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Actually, that’s not how it works. If she didn’t have a specific will dictating who the property went to, it will go into probate. That could take months which will slow down the entire project.”
That was true. “Did she have a will?”
Irritation carved frown lines around his mouth. “I don’t know. Since the police ruled her death a homicide, nothing can happen until the investigation is complete.”
“One of the other store owners mentioned that Joy had a silent partner. Do you know who that was?”