“Johann.He said if I didn’t finish the job, he’d turn me in to the police.”
Ethan grunted.“Well it seems to have backfired, because you’re going to gaol anyway.Was Johann bribing you to approve his development?”
Leyton pressed his lips together.
“Bribery and arson.I’m guessing you’ll be in prison for a long time.”
Leyton swore as headlights turned onto the road and the police car pulled into the driveway.Josh and a female police officer got out of the car.
Josh shook his head.“Leyton, what are you doing here?”
“This guy kidnapped me, took me from my bed and brought me here.He’s trying to pin the fire on me,” Leyton shouted.
Ethan barked a laugh.“We’ve got surveillance of him coming into the garden.He poured petrol over the barn wall, but we stopped him from lighting the match.Noah has the jerry can.And before you arrived, he admitted to starting the fire yesterday.”
“You’d better show me the footage,” Josh said.“Julie, can you guard him out here?”
Rhys appeared from around the side of the house.He gave Julie a warm smile.“I’ll help.”
She smiled back and nodded.
Ethan shook his head at Rhys in amusement.
Julie was probably capable, but Ethan felt better with someone he knew guarding Leyton.He unlocked the front door and let Josh into the house.
His gaze fell on Chelsea, who still wore what she had been wearing when he left.Her eyes were heavy and she should have been in bed hours ago.“Did you wait up?”
She nodded and waved her hands.“I couldn’t sleep knowing you were out there, and I had work to do.”She smiled at Josh and then took the couple of steps across the room to hug Ethan.“It wasn’t Darren?”
He shook his head, holding her in his arms for a moment before letting her go.The fact she’d stayed up for him, and was worried about him, created an unfamiliar feeling in his chest.
Josh cleared his throat.“It was Leyton, the guy from the council planning office.Is that the surveillance?”he asked Connor, who still sat at the table in front of the laptop.
“Yeah.”Connor shifted so Josh could look at it.Mila moved next to him, wearing pyjamas and looking as if she’d just woken up.
Ethan held Chelsea’s hand as he watched the footage of Leyton sneaking across the garden carrying the jerry can and then pouring it over the barn.Ethan’s take down of the man took seconds and Josh let out a whistle.“Remind me not to get on the wrong side of you.”He took a card out of his pocket and handed it to Connor.“Can you send me a copy of the footage?”
Connor nodded.
Ethan smiled.“Leyton said Johann had evidence of him lighting yesterday’s fire and threatened to turn him in to the police if he didn’t light one tonight.”
“It’s time to question the man himself.”Josh glanced at Ethan and Chelsea.“I’m assuming you’re coming?”
“Yes,” Chelsea answered.
Outside, Josh read Leyton his rights as he arrested him for trespass and attempted arson.
“Johann’s gone crazy,” Lleyton blustered.“He wants the land, but Chelsea won’t sell.”
Chelsea stiffened next to him, and Ethan wrapped an arm around her shoulder, while concerned filled him.“How do you know the land is now Chelsea’s?”
Lleyton shrugged.“That’s what Johann said.He spoke to her dad yesterday.”
“Step-dad,” Ethan and Chelsea said at the same time.
Josh nodded.“Julie, do you want to gather evidence at the barn while I watch him?”
“Of course.”She got the evidence kit out of the car and Rhys showed her the way as Heath and Dobby returned.
