I assessed Josh, who was doing his usual pacing. If I knew him, his brain was working on overdrive, puzzling together the facts and sorting out how all of this was related. If anyone could make sense of it all, it would be him. With his steady, practical questions and calm demeanor.
The moment the door closed behind Frankie and Paul and Ruby, Josh stopped and spun to face us.
“Why?” he asked, the silence he was met with deafening. “Why set that fire? Especially in the afternoon when the building was full of people?”
“There’s more.” The chief tucked her chin, eyeing her boots. “He said he was trying to destroy records and evidence.”
“Evidence of what?”
She cleared her throat. “During questioning, he mentioned Will McManus.”
The room went still, and my heart thudded heavily.
“What about him?” Josh asked softly. Will’s death and the suspicions about our farm had consumed him for months. He wore the guilt like a noose around his neck.
“He confessed to that too,” Chief Ashburn said softly.
Evie gasped.
I staggered back. No. I couldn’t have heard correctly.
The walls closed in, the sterile hospital lights too bright and the machines too loud. I reached for Evie’s hand, needing an anchor.
“He’s at the station, but he’ll be transferred to the custody of the state police tonight.” She shook her head. “I’m just as confused as you all are.”
None of this made sense. Caleb and Will had been friends. Caleb had a loving family and a bright future ahead of him, and while he’d certainly struggled with his mental and physical health, he’d never been violent.
When Frankie heard the rest of this, she would be devastated.
“It doesn’t make sense,” Josh said.
“Violence never does,” Ashburn replied. “But the police will investigate. They’ll figure it out. But I wanted to tell you.” She eyed Evie, giving her a soft smile. “And I wanted to make sure you were all right.”
“Yes,” Evie said, her eyes welling with tears. “Thank God for Jasper.”
The chief wandered my way and clapped me on the shoulder. “Can’t wait to write you up for all of this, Lawrence. Your insubordination alone will make for gripping paperwork.”
I looked down at Evie’s hand, noting how small it was in comparison to mine, and squeezed. “Worth it.”
Chapter 41
Evie
Iwiped sweat from my brow as I admired the deep green canopy. As sunlight filtered through the trees, I was hit with the strange sadness that accompanied the end of summer. The feeling that I should grab it all with two hands before the leaves turned. Before fall and winter descended.
The air smelled like pine sap and river mist, a scent I didn’t know existed until a couple of years ago. I took a deep breath, willing my lungs to fill. They still didn’t work as well as they used to, but day by day, they were becoming better at sending oxygen into my bloodstream.
Hiking was one of my favorite pre-Vincent activities, though what we were doing today was more of a walk.
Jasper had Vincent in a carrier, a giant floppy sun hat shading our little guy’s head. While we’d both been discharged from the hospital after a day, neither of us was working for the moment. Jasper was on leave to recover from his smoke inhalation, and I was waiting for information about what the hell was happening at Sugar Moon.
Louisa had been released and was back at work the day after the fire, but she’d then headed to New York to talk to investors. Our offices were closed for now, and the manufacturing planthad paused operations, leaving the future of the company as well as the future of the hundreds of employees in jeopardy.
So Jasper and I were following the doctor’s orders. Fresh air, light exercise, and rest.
As Jasper navigated easily up the trail, I admired the flex of his calf muscles. The sound of the falls was faint, though with every step, it grew louder, like a heartbeat in the distance.
For what had to be the hundredth time, he turned around, checking on me.
