“I was told to swing by and pick you up.Y’all right?”
I get in the passenger seat.
“I’m fine.But I got released like five minutes ago and haven’t talked to anyone.How’d you know?”
The old man shrugs as he chuckles.“This is Silence; news travels.”
I’d hardly think my visit to the ER constitutes news, but he makes a point.I guess someone let either Savvy or Brenda, back at the office, know, and they must’ve kept tabs on me.
But when I walk into the station, Brenda looks surprised to see me.
“What the hell are you doing here?I just talked to Savvy, she’s still out there up to her eyeballs, and she said you were in the hospital.”
“Just to check me out, but I’m fine.”I turn to Randal, a little confused.“Then who the hell sent you?”
“Didn’t I tell ya?That gal at the coffee shop.Bess.Popped in there to grab a quick cuppa and she pulled me aside.Seemed like everyone was congregating there.Busy as all hell.Saw your boy too, slinging coffees like a pro.Anyway, she asked if I had time to fetch ya, and seeing as I was on break…” He shrugs before continuing, “Guess I should be heading back out there now though.Break’s over.”
With that, he turns and heads toward the exit, slightly stooped with the arthritis I know is plaguing him.
“Appreciate it, Randall,” I call after him.
He lifts a hand over his shoulder in response as he pushes through the door.
So…Bess, huh?Interesting.
“Don’t look so damn happy,” Brenda snaps.“The shit’s hit the fan today.The latests are a fender bender on Lincoln at Elm, a report of vandals spray-painting the bleachers at the ball park, and to top that off; Jack Fender’s bull escaped and is running wild in Mountainview Park.I’ve got no units left to send out, so, unless you are incapacitated—in which case, what the hell are you doing here—I’m gonna need you to put on a clean shirt and get your ass out there.We’re drowning in calls today.”
Anyone but Brenda taking that tone with me would get their ass handed to them.However, for her to break out in a rant like that, things must really be bad.I give her a thumbs-up and go in search of a clean shirt.
Three hours later we have the bull cornered and caught by the public washrooms at the park entrance, the vandals intercepted and cited, their paraphernalia seized, and the fender bender had already been resolved without my help.In the meantime, I’ve also taken a report from the gas station attendant at the Texaco, who had a fill-and-flee incident, and was waved down by Mrs.Dixon, our old librarian, who wasn’t able to get her garbage bin down to the curb for tomorrow’s pickup.
All in all, it was a busy afternoon, but none of it related to this morning’s fire and I feel out of the loop, despite the constant radio chatter on the subject.So, when I return to the station and notice Savvy’s cruiser parked out in front, I immediately go in search of her to get an update.
She’s in her office, her head down on her crossed arms on the desk when I walk in.
“You all right?”
She looks up and winces.“I should be asking you that.Brenda tells me you got the all clear.I’m sorry I didn’t follow up with you, but this day just?—”
“Got out of hand, I know.”I wave her off.“Fill me in on the fire at Clem’s place.I noticed we still have a part of Main Street blocked off.”
“Yeah.”She gestures for me to take a seat.“Wasn’t easy to get that fire down with all the flammable materials in the shop, and the fire department had a hard time making sure the neighboring buildings weren’t a total loss as well.As it is, they sustained a lot of damage.Nichols is still at the scene, waiting for the regional fire marshal to get there.He called them in, suspecting arson.”
“Seriously?”I’m surprised, and add, “I can’t imagine anyone having a beef with Clem, he runs a fair business and is generally well-liked.”
Arson would imply he or his shop were targeted and I’m finding that hard to believe.
“I know.I talked to Clem, who is understandably broken up about the whole thing; his great grandfather bought that building and started the business after WWII.He says he can’t think of anyone who might want to hurt it or him.Claims his bills were paid up, and he had no unhappy customers he could think of.”
“Simply a firebug then?”I wonder out loud.
Savvy shrugs.“I guess it’s always possible, although those usually start with smaller fires—dumpsters, sheds, maybe abandoned houses—building their way up, but we haven’t had any of those in years.”
“What about Chance Tanek?”I suggest.“I mean, Clem may not have any enemies, but his brother has made plenty over the years.You just said this was a family business.You and I know Chance no longer has any stake in Main Street Mechanics, but that’s not necessarily common knowledge.”
Four or five years ago, Chance Tanek was arrested after he lost control of the truck he was driving, hitting three parked vehicles in front of the Methodist church on a Sunday morning.Not only was he drunk out of his skull, and already lost his license as a result of multiple prior DUIs, but heborrowedthe truck he was driving from the shop.It belonged to a customer who was scheduled to pick it up Monday morning.
Clem about lost his shit when we notified him.He took a huge hit and ended up paying damages out of pocket to save his business; there was no way insurance would cover any of it.Then he turned around and had his brother sign over his share of Main Street Mechanics as repayment.
