She looked at Bekkett, who smirked down at her with a knowing grin.
“That’s my friend Bekkett,” she said.
Viking picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder.
She stifled a scream but kept hold of her phone. “I’ll be at the bar in twenty minutes. Will you be there?”
“Yeah, we’re gonna grab some brunch. We should be back by then. By the way, Frank is pretty upset. He was worried you were...were inside the rubble.”
She closed her eyes, imagining the horror they’d felt seeing her truck outside and thinking the worst. “I’ll call him.”
She and Viking pulled into the parking lot of Taps, navigating around several vehicles until they reached the back lot. Her truck, with its two flat tires,looked sad and lonely, sitting under the glaring midday sun. Viking backed his big truck in next to hers, keeping his focus on the people in front of them.
“This is a fucking circus. They need to clear all these people out of here, or any evidence is getting trampled.”
She jerked her head toward him, stunned at his words. “What do you mean, evidence?”
“Just saying. Allowing all these locals to be so close to a possible crime is dumb as shit. You work there. Can you think of a legitimate reason for a fire to have broken out? Were there old wiring or shortcuts that you could see that might’ve led to a blaze of that magnitude?”
When they’d driven up, the front, which had been glass-encased in brick and stone, didn’t have any glass. Smoke billowed from the open window, and the roof appeared to be gone, but she imagined it still rested somewhere inside the building. Her heart hurt for Frank and the rest of her team. Hell, she loved working at Taps, but she didn’t need the income.
A knock on the window next to her startled the crap out of her. “Shit, Fred,” she gasped. She openedthe door, enveloping her friend in a hug. The seatbelt kept her locked in place as he tried to pull her out, making her grunt.
“Holy shit. You’re with Mr. Sexy Grumpy Guy from the other night. How the hell did that happen? Girlfriend, you owe me deets.” Fred winked.
“Hey, Fred. How are you feeling?” Bekkett asked.
Cold wind blasted through the open door, making her shiver.
“Hold that thought. Can I climb in the back, and we talk while we all stay warm?”
Bekkett nodded. Jinx pulled her feet back inside and slammed her door shut once Fred cleared the space. Her friend hurried into the back, rocking the truck with his exuberance.
“You’re like a big kid,” she joked.
Fred held his hands over his face, blowing into the clasped fingers. He stared between the seats, eyes bouncing between the two of them. “So, what’s up with the two of you?”
“Never mind all that. What happened here?” Jinx waved toward the building behind them.
Fred sat back with a dejected sigh. “We don’t know yet. The Fire Marshal says it will take time, but they should be able to find where the fire started and work from there. The actual source can take anywhere from a few days to several months, depending on complexity. He said he could give Dad a quick assessment in a day or two. Still, a full, detailed report with forensic analysis can take months, especially if there is suspicious activity or extensive damage, which may require detailed examination of burn patterns, witness statements, and physical evidence. In this case, the only witnesses are you since you were the last one here.”
Jinx twisted in the seat, staring in dawning horror. “Do they think I had anything to do with that?”
Fear became a pit in her abdomen.
Fred’s eyes widened. “Oh, lord. No, never. We were scared at the thought that you might be a casualty. When I called you, it was after my dad phoned me asking if you’d stayed at the bar overnight. He sounded worried. I had to drag the reason out of him. Only after driving over to the bar myself did I understand his question. You know, Dadloves you like you were the daughter he never had. Oh, look, there’s him and the Fire Marshal.”
She shifted back around, taking in Frank's slumped shoulders and worn appearance. The man who’d hired her when she’d applied without references because he said he saw potential, paying her under the table, looked years older. “Poor Frank. He loves Taps.”
“He can rebuild. You could’ve been inside. It was a good thing he told you to go home.” Viking reached for her hand, giving it a squeeze.
“Oh fuck. Oh shit. I didn’t think about that. Fred, I need to know if that fire was an accident.” She moved to push the door open.
Viking reached over, grabbing her arm. “Wait. If someone set the place on fire, thinking you were there, we need to be thinking about your safety.”
“You think someone set the place on fire, hoping Jinx was inside?” Fred asked.
Viking glanced over his shoulder, meeting her best friend's gaze. “You said it yourself. The Fire Marshal and your father are asking questions. The fact that her rig was here all night means it’s possible that the blaze was set on purpose, then whoever isresponsible might have intended to hurt Blair, or they might consider her a witness. Either way, she needs to keep a low profile until the truth is known.”
