Evie tried to focus on her breakfast, but she remembered how unhappy Max seemed at the comment Evan made regarding the fires. Was it possible that the suspicions about the fire were true? Worse still, was it possible Max knew something?
15
It wasn’t until the following Thursday that Max’s father finally paid him a visit. The Turners had insisted Max remain in their care, and to his pleasure, they had left Evie in charge of his needs. What a wonderful opportunity that presented. Together they had shared long discussions, played games of chess and checkers, and enjoyed meals together. Max found his time with her absolutely delightful, much more appealing than dealing with his father and wondering whatever part he played in the fire.
“I was certainly surprised to hear you had been injured,” his father said as he glanced around the sitting room. “More so that it was on Boom Island.”
Max had taken a stuffed chair near the unlit fireplace. One of the Turner servants had gone to his house earlier in the week for some of his clothes, and he was dressed very casually in nothing more than his trousers, cotton shirt, and slippers. For a moment he took note of his father’s impeccable suit and felt considerably underdressed.
Evie came into the room then. “Good morning, Mr. Garrison. It’s good to see you again, but I’m sorry it should be under these circumstances.”
“Good morning to you, Miss Turner. Yes, it is a pity to meet this way. I was grieved to hear that Max had been injured.”
“I’ll let him give you the details.” Evie looked at Max. “But he’s doing quite well, so long as he doesn’t have to deal with additional irritants.” She gave him a conspiratorial look that suggested she understood his feelings at the moment. “Max, do you need anything before I leave you to visit with your father? Do you need your sling adjusted?”
“No, I’m fine. Please close the door.” Evie nodded and left without questioning his request. Max had told her that things were tense between him and his father, but he hadn’t yet filled her in on all the details. How could he without putting his father in the path of possible legal troubles?
“Please sit, Father. We need to talk.”
He claimed the chintz chair to Max’s left. “That’s why I’m here. How are you feeling? What all is wrong with you, anyway?”
“I was on Boom Island when it caught fire and wounded in the collapse of a burning roof. I have a head injury. Five stitches under this bandage.” He pointed to the spot on his forehead. “I have a broken collarbone and burns on my neck and shoulder. I was trying to rescue a couple of our men, but they ended up rescuing me. I might have died in that fire.”
“Why were you even on the island?” His father undid the buttons on his suit coat. “It was Sunday.”
“Yes. I suppose you and your friends counted on that fact.”
“Just what is that supposed to mean?”
Max’s gaze narrowed. “What do you suppose it means, Father?”
“I have no idea. I’m sorry you were there but still don’t understandwhy you should have been. Last I knew, you were at church with us. I expected you might join us for Sunday dinner.”
“I was there to close down the mills. We agreed that there was no other choice, so I sent word to a few of our best workers to join me there. I wanted to speak to them personally rather than simply have them show up on Monday to a closed mill. Instead, we found ourselves nearly killed.”
“I’m eternally grateful to God that you weren’t. Still, I don’t understand your anger.”
“Do you not? After all, you and your friends were the ones who discussed the benefits of burning the mills and collecting insurance money.”
His father’s jaw dropped, eyes widening. “You can’t think that we had anything to do with it. Fire Chief Runge said it was caused by embers from the Nicollet Island fire.”
“Rather convenient, but hardly probable. The Nicollet fire was on the very southern tip of the island. Boom Island is to the north. It seems highly unlikely that embers caused such a massive and destructive fire in what seem to have been very specific locations.”
“But it did, and you cannot say otherwise.”
“I can and do. I intend to have the entire matter investigated thoroughly. I will hire my own detectives if need be.”
“There’s no reason to go to such efforts. Fire Chief Runge has already investigated the matter.”
“And if you’ll recall, there are those who have little trust in the man. He just managed to get out of formal charges, among which were concerns that he had arranged for or at least knew of plans to purposefully set fires.”
“The man was acquitted. Speak no slander against him. To defame his good name will only result in bringing trouble upon yourself.”
Max had reached the limit of his patience. “Father, I wantthe honest truth. Was the fire the result of your cronies’ plans to get insurance money?”
“Of course not!” His father sounded more than a little irritated, but Max couldn’t discern if he was lying or speaking the truth. “You must accept, Maxwell, that this was an accident and nothing more. The newspaper has already noted that the Nicollet fire was started by two young men who discarded cigarettes near flammable materials. Purely an accident brought on by carelessness.”
“I find it a very opportune accident.” Max hated the anger that surged inside him. He could barely stand the thought that the worst fire in the history of the state had been caused with his father’s approval. “Your friends were desperate. You said yourself that you thought it a victimless crime to set fire to the mills and collect the insurance money. There are hundreds of people without homes now. Those same people are without jobs because of all the lost businesses. This isn’t a victimless crime.”
