Page 125 of Burning For You

“It’s not when she’s been to the same fires as him,” Ford said. “I know that as well. Do I believe it? No, but he’s defensive.”

“That’s guilt,” Gale said.

“I don’t know,” Ash said, throwing his hands up. “I don’t know anything. Am I happy that they only questioned him and let it go? No. Just like he showed his ass up at the fire of the new house smirking like he’s not changing who he is.”

“Keegan told me,” Ford said. “Came with his father and uncle.”

“For support,” Clay said. “I did some digging on Alan.”

“What?” Skye asked, her head swinging toward Ash’s oldest brother. “Like what kind of digging?”

“We don’t ask those things,” Ash said. “What did you find out?”

“Why did Clay do it over Ford?”

“Because I have no cause,” Ford said, “and don’t want to get jammed up using county resources for that. Just like your brother couldn’t do it either.”

“Did Keegan ask you to do it, Clay?”

“I asked him to,” Ford said. “After talking to Keegan. Then after that article came out, I’m glad I had him do it. I would have anyway.”

“If I had known Alan was a suspect I would have done it long before now, but there isn’t anything on him. He’s a fucking choirboy,” Clay said.

“Seriously?” she asked. “Can’t you hide that stuff?”

“Sure, you can, but he’s never been in trouble. I found one speeding ticket when he was a kid and nothing more. Do firemen get let off with the police locally? Sure,” Clay said. “But the guy has been married nine years, two kids, ages seven and two. His wife works remotely and has a decent job. No credit or money issues. I don’t see it at all. Nothing.”

“He could be living a double life,” Rory said. “It happens.”

“It does,” Clay agreed, “but I’ve never met him to make that assessment.”

Everyone was looking at Ash. “I don’t see it. I could be wrong, but I never saw it. Is it all strange? Yep, it is. I’ll be the first to admit it, but starting fires? At first it was cars and no one was really in serious danger. People could have died with a few of the last ones.”

“This last one was a statement,” Skye said. “I know it. And that is why I called him out on it.”

“Ballsy,” Gale said again.

Clay shot his sister a glance. “Take Alan off the table. Take anyone off the table that you’re trying to see there. This person could be watching, but it’s from a distance. You’re not seeing him because they don’t want to be seen.”

“That makes it harder,” Skye argued.

“If it were easy, they would have been caught by now,” Ford said.

“Exactly,” Ash said. “So what are you saying, Clay?”

“I’m saying, has anyone had anything to gain by this?”

“They are getting attention,” she said. “That’s why they reached out to me. Why they keep doing it.”

“But they haven’t since?” Gale asked. “Not after yesterday’s article?”

“No. I don’t get it. Maybe I pissed him off.”

“Or he’s thinking of his next move,” Ash said. “Which is why you aren’t staying alone tonight.”

She growled. “I told you I’m fine. No one is going to come after me in an apartment building. They can’t even get in, nor can they throw anything through the windows. They won’t break easily.”

“It doesn’t matter,” he argued. “You’re staying with me tonight, or I’m staying with you and going to work in the morning.”