“No, darling, it’s just a building. You’ll see. The fire department will put it out.”
“My orchard!”
“They’ll protect it,” I insisted. “And I’ll protectyou.” I pulled him tight against me and let Felix cry as we watched his place of business crumble to the ground.
PHIL THElandscaping guy was right: it was damn near impossible to get cell service in the parking lot of Snowy Ridge. I’d finally found a two-foot circle that seemed to align with the stars and gave me enough bars to call the high school. It hadn’t even occurred to me to ring and tell them I hadn’t mysteriously died that morning when I never showed for class. I was watching firemen hose down the last of the smoldering mess that was once the gift shop, while the fire chief and assistant patrolled the area.
“Hi, this is Bowen Merlin,” I said when the receptionist answered. “Is Mr. Cass there? … Oh. Yeah, I know I missed my classes. There was… well, early this morning, my boyfriend’s business caught on fire and I’ve been—Felix Hansen, that’s right. Snowy Ridge. … No, just the main building. It could have been much worse. … Please let him know that I’ll be at the school after three for rehearsals and I’ll discuss my absence with him. Thank you, I appreciate it.”
I hung up and went to join Felix when I saw the chief stomping through slushy snow toward him.
“Everything okay?” Felix asked quietly.
“Sure,” I answered. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll explain to Cass this afternoon why I missed class. He’ll understand.”
“Mr. Hansen?”
Felix looked up as the chief stopped in front of him, holding what appeared to be part of the sign post that directed visitors to different parts of the property. “How’re you holding up?”
“I’ve been better,” Felix admitted.
The chief nodded. “Yeah…. Look, Felix, based on a preliminary walkthrough, the color of the fire and smoke, and the word from my guys, we’re looking at an intentional fire.”
“Who would do that?” I asked, knowing how stupid that was to say out loud, but come the hell on.
The chief made a face. “I’m thinking someone who had a beef with Felix.”
“Withme?” Felix asked, surprised.
“Have you met him?” I asked, being rhetorical, as the chief clearly knew Felix, otherwise he’d have stuck to last name only. “No one is enemies with Felix.”
The chief raised his eyebrows. “Have you had any sort of issues here lately? A disgruntled customer or employee?”
“No, nothing like that,” Felix stated.
I looked between the two and finally pointed at the sign in the chief’s hands. “What’s that?”
The chief glanced down. “Likely the reason the fire was started.” He turned it around.
Spray-painted across each of the arrows marking different destinations were gay slurs.
Felix put a hand over his mouth, and his red-rimmed eyes started to get teary again. I put an arm around his shoulders and gently turned him away from the vandalized sign. He wrapped his arms around my neck and started crying again.
I looked at the fire chief as I rubbed Felix’s back. “What happens now?”
“We’ve got to do a thorough investigation of the area and confirm it was arson. And we’ll get the police involved.”
“Does Felix have to close the entire property? It’s forty acres.”
“Once it’s no longer a crime scene, if he wants to open for business again, he can. But I’d highly suggest keeping this area shut down for safety reasons.” The chief pointed in the direction of the Christmas trees. “I know he has a back entrance over that way—I’d open that gate in the meantime, until everything here is cleaned up.”
“Sure,” I answered, nodding. “I’m Bowen Merlin, by the way.”
“I know you,” the chief said.
“You do?”
“My girl plays flute at the high school.”
