Lucy headed off immediately, and Tom turned to give Rad his orders for crowd control and perimeter security. As the detective moved away to coordinate with the forest rangers, Tom focused his attention on Willa.
“Any idea how this started?” he asked, his voice carrying the authority of someone who’d spent decades dealing with emergencies.
Willa glanced toward the origin point, where the flames were brightest. “My one lieutenant thinks it started from an unattended illegal campsite. Someone set up about two hundred yards off the main trail, probably thinking they were far enough from the designated camping areas to avoid notice.”
“Illegal camping?” Tom frowned, pulling out his notebook. “That’s been a growing problem this summer with the increased tourism.”
“The fire appears to have started from an improperly extinguished campfire,” Willa continued, her professional training taking over despite her personal anxiety. “With this drought and the wind conditions, it would have spread fast once it got into the understory.”
“Have you found whoever was camping there?” Tom asked her.
“That’s the problem,” Willa said, her voice tight with concern. “No one can locate the campers. We’ve accounted for all the registered guests at the official campground and cabins, but whoever was at that illegal site has vanished. They either evacuated on their own when they saw the fire spreading, or...”
“Or they’re still out there,” Tom finished grimly.
“Exactly. I’ve got teams doing search and rescue sweeps, but with the fire still active, there are areas we can’t safely access yet.” Willa’s jaw clenched, and she sucked in a breath.
Tom scanned the perimeter, then looked at her with sharp eyes that missed little. “We’ll get search and rescue teams from the county to help once the immediate fire threat is contained. In the meantime, I’ll have Rad coordinate with the park service to see if anyone matching unknown campers was spotted in the area today.”
It was then that he tilted his head slightly, and Willa caught sight of the bandage more clearly.
“Chief, what happened to your head?” she asked, genuine concern replacing her professional detachment for a moment.
Tom touched the bandage self-consciously. “A shelf collapsed in Rad’s office, and it caught me right on the side of the skull.”
Willa’s eyebrows shot up. “Really?”
“That’s the third accident involving Rad in the past two weeks,” Tom told her.
“Third?” Willa looked surprised.
Tom nodded. “One of my officers mentioned that a filing cabinet tipped over the other day and nearly crushed Rad. Then he gotlocked in the records room. The door handle had been removed and was nowhere to be seen. And a few other things.”
“Sounds like it’s time to renovate the precinct. That building’s been due for updates for years.” Willa’s eyebrows rose.
Tom nodded, and something uncomfortable settled in her chest. The pattern felt familiar in a way that made her skin crawl. Ten years ago, in the months leading up to the Ember Lake fire, there had been a series of similar “weird accidents” around town. Small things. Like door handles breaking at inconvenient moments, shelves falling, and equipment malfunctioning just enough to cause delays or injuries.
Shaun and the previous Sandpiper Shores detective had suspected someone was deliberately causing problems, trying to disrupt emergency response capabilities. They’d never been able to prove it, but the timing had been too coincidental to ignore.
“Mom!” Andy’s voice cut through her dark thoughts, and she turned to see her son running toward her, followed by Tyler and Holt Dillinger.
“Andy, what are you doing here?” Willa’s heart lurched with sudden fear. Her children were supposed to be at a safe distance from this fire.
“It’s my fault,” Holt said, reaching them slightly out of breath. “After I picked the boys up from the outdoor movie, we came to the campground restaurant for dinner. We were supposed to have s’mores by the fire pit for dessert. Then we were rounded up and moved out of the establishment.”
“Oh,” Willa said, understanding immediately. The campground restaurant was a popular spot for families, especially duringsummer evenings. “But you need to leave the area now. It’s not safe.”
“I know,” Holt replied, and she saw something in his eyes. A depth of understanding that suggested he knew exactly what this scene was costing her emotionally. “Andy just wanted to make sure you were okay before we left.”
The compassion in his voice caught her off guard. Most people saw her professional competence and assumed she was unaffected by the dangers of her job. But Holt seemed to recognize the fear that lived beneath her calm exterior.
“I’m fine, sweetheart,” Willa assured Andy, pulling him into a quick hug. “But I need you to go home and stay there until this is over.”
“I’ll make sure she stays safe,” Ace’s voice came from behind her, and Willa felt her heart do that familiar skip it always did when he appeared unexpectedly.
“Ace!” Andy broke away from his mother to give the pilot a quick hug. “I’m glad you’re here. Is there fire jumping to do?”
“Not yet, kiddo,” Ace said with a grin, lifting his head and looking into Willa’s eyes with a look that promised he meant what he’d said about keeping her safe.
