“I think they have coffee,” Laurel said in a near whisper.
“Get back!” Chase hollered at them, praying he wouldn’t be calling the ambulance down the street.
A yelp of a siren echoed as the flashing lights of a patrol car crawled along the road. He expected to see Ryder behind the wheel, but it was another officer, Murph. “She can handle this,” Chase said to Laurel, interlacing his fingers fully with hers. “I think we have a few things to talk about. Like when you’re moving back in. But we need to grab Zeus or he won’t forgive me. That poor sap has been miserable since you left us.”
“I didn’t—”
Chase cut her off with a kiss, right there on the corner of Mooseberry Lane and Forget-Me-Not Drive. It was the busiest intersection in town. All of Sunset Ridge would know they were back together by the end of the day, and he couldn’t be happier about that.
After a few hoots and whistles, Chase let Laurel come up for air. Her eyes were a shade darker, her evident happiness dancing in them. “C’mon, we have to get Zeus.”
Hand in hand, they strolled the three blocks to the fire hall where his truck was parked. “What ever happened with your case?”
“You mean since you and your brother turned into private investigators?”
“We were just being neighborly.” Laurel’s eyes twinkled with mischievous flirtation as they approached the fire hall. “By the way, no one in our house drinks white zinfandel.”
“So I’ve heard.” He helped her into the truck because he could, closing her door when she was comfortably seated. Once inside the cab, he added, “I submitted the report as inconclusive: possible arson.”
“Possible?”
“I don’t exactly have video footage or eyewitness accounts to the setting of either fire, and I have to wait on Ryder to get back from his Anchorage errand so Arnie can submit an official statement. But I have enough to provide reasonable doubt on either fire being an accident. Even came across some photos I took last summer of thatcabinthat prove it wasn’t habitable. I don’t think the insurance company will be too happy to see those.” He turned down a residential street, headed for their house. He sure liked the sound of that.Their house. “Even still, it’s not enough to call it arson outright, but it should be enough to keep that insurance claim from paying out. That’s obviously her goal—to get the money.”
“Crissy Davenport?”
“Yeah.” He reached across the center console for her hand, loving how they were working so effortlessly as a team. For five years, his life had been empty. Even when he tried to move on to someone new it only confirmed that Laurel was it for him. Fate had known as much and given him a few helpful nudges this past week.
“You think Henry is oblivious to what she’s up to?”
“Yeah, I do. I’ve looked him in the eye enough to believe he’s as confused as everyone else.”
“He’s such a nice guy. How did he end up with—” Laurel gasped so loudly Chase slammed on his brakes a few feet short of the driveway. It took him half a second to follow Laurel’s panicked gaze to the side of his house. Crissy Davenport held a square blue container he instantly recognized as kerosene.
Laurel shot out of the truck like a rocket while the truck was still in gear. “Get Zeus!”
Chapter Sixteen
Laurel
Laurel raced across the yard toward Crissy, determined to reach her before she could ignite the dumped kerosene, and driven even more when sunlight gleamed off a silver lighter. No one was setting fire to their house without suffering a few broken bones. She prayed Chase listened to her to get Zeus out of the house, in case she wasn’t quick enough to stop Crissy.
The flame flickered from the lighter, a crazed look in Crissy’s eyes. Laurel had half a second to take in her ratty hair and disheveled appearance before she tackled her. Crissy cried out when her body slammed into the ground.
“This is all your fault! You and your stupid boyfriend,” Crissy screeched.
“He’s myhusband!”
A string of obscenities followed from Crissy. Laurel was more focused on the lighter that flew out of Crissy’s hands than what spewed out of her filthy mouth.
The grass ignited in an uglywhoosh!
Laurel scrambled to her feet, but Crissy pulled her down by the ankle. Pain sliced across her knee. “I knew you were in on this too!” Crissy yelled at her, unconcerned about witnesses. It made Laurel question whether the woman had the discretion to set the other fires.
The crazed woman pushed Laurel onto her back and pulled back her fist.
Laurel kicked her away before Crissy’s swing connected with her jaw. The flames in the dry grass spread at an alarming rate, growing dangerously close to the kerosene-drenched siding of the house.
She stomped at the fire, the flames licking her toes through her sandals.
