Chapter 26
Tim wouldn’t let her drive herself there. It was probably a good idea because she didn’t remember the ride. Her mind was going a mile a minute, thinking of the worst and hoping that maybe it was only a little smoke damage and all she’d need to do was air out the store. But Elba wouldn’t have sounded the way she had on the phone if it was only a little smoke damage.
The fire department had the roads blocked at each end of the street. The only reason they were able to get around the barricades was because Tim flashed his badge and walked them in. Even then, they were stopped on the other side of the parking lot across from the stores.
Zoe pressed her hands over her mouth. The entire street was painted in an eerie orange glow and all four stores were engulfed in flames. The worst of the fire seemed to be concentrated on the cafe and the salon.
The tears in her eyes had nothing to do with the black, acrid smoke filling the air.
“Stay here,” Tim said. “I’m going to go see if I can find out anything. Okay?”
She nodded. Where else was she going to go?
Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she swiped to answer it.
“Where are you?” Elba asked.
Zoe had to press a finger to her opposite ear to hear Elba over the roar of the fire and water. “I’m on the other side of the parking lot. Tim went to see if he can find out anything.”
“I’ll be right there,” Elba said.
It could have been hours or it could have been seconds later when Elba wrapped her arms around her.
“I’m so sorry,” her friend whispered.
Zoe squeezed her eyes closed. Maybe it was all a dream. She was still stuck in the dream with the bees and it had morphed into a nightmare driven by her worst fears. Except she could hear the crackle of the fire and feel the heat on her face.
“What happened?”
Elba’s hair brushed Zoe’s cheek as she shook her head. “I don’t know. I got the call from the alarm company.”
Damn it, she hadn’t checked for any other missed calls after she answered Elba’s.
“Hey.” Tim returned and Zoe wiped her eyes and released Elba, but kept an arm around her waist.
“What did they say?” she asked.
“I talked to the on-scene commander. They’re working to keep it contained to your building and not let it jump to the adjacent buildings, but the chemicals in the hair salon are making it difficult to put out the fire.”
Zoe closed her eyes again and took a shaking breath.
“Do they know how it started?” Elba asked.
“They won’t know until they get the fire out and the investigator can go in, but….”
“But what?” Zoe asked.
Tim braced one hand on his hip and ran the other hand through his hair. “Based on how the fire spread, they think it started in either the salon or…the Cafe.”
“It wasn’t the Cafe.” Elba shook her head frantically and faced Zoe. “It can’t have been. We have a freaking checklist for closing. Everything gets turned off. Everything. I make sure both Rob and I check.”
“Elba, don’t. They don’t know where it started yet and even if it started in the restaurant, it could have been faulty wiring or…or anything.” She had a hard time thinking of anything else it could have been. All she knew was Elba was losing everything, just like she was.
“Oh my God, my store!” An older woman tried to run past them, but Tim grabbed her around the waist.
“Ma’am, you can’t go closer.”
She struggled against Tim’s hold as he tried to calm her down.
