Ten minutes laterthey pulled onto Main Street.Emergency-vehicle lights blipped over the sky in a strobing of red, white, and blue, making the sleepy town square eerily vibrant.Orange flames licked up the top floor of the shop—if he wasn’t mistaken it was a vacant apartment unit—and black smoke billowed over the night sky.Firefighters hosed down the flames.
“Oh my god.”Dez’s choked moan cut through him.
He pulled up against the curb three stores away and she shoved open the door and ran.He hopped out and broke into a jog as well, ripping out his badge when police tried to push Dez away.
“It’s all right.She’s with me.”He circled his arm around her, pulling her to his side so she’d stay away from the fire but also so she didn’t have to get behind the barricades like the few onlookers.
The cop nodded and went back to business.In a minute, Aiden would find out what they knew.For now, Dez needed his comfort.
“I—I just can’t believe it.”
He winced at the damage.Even from where he stood, he could see into the store, thanks to the plastic that had been over the window that was now molten ash.Most of what he could see inside was black, and water had ruined what the flames hadn’t.
Turning his gaze to Dez, his heart melted like one of the books inside.Tears rolled down her cheeks.Her dream was demolished, her personal space violated.Goddamn.
Could have been a fire that started upstairs, or a freak accident from something left running in the shop.Numerous things could have started the blaze, but the inkling in Aiden’s gut told him this was an act of vandalism.
After all that had happened—the window, the attack, someone sneaking inside Dez’s home?No, it sure as shit wasn’t a coincidence.And the reckless perp was moving at breakneck speed, torching as much as they could in Dez’s life before they unavoidably got caught.
The attacker was here.In Whistlemore.Right now, and possibly watching the whole fucking fiasco just to get their jollies.He pulled Dez close.“You need to hold your head high, babe.Don’t give the person who did this the satisfaction of breaking you.”
Her throat moved and her lip trembled, but she hiked her chin.“I’m going to kill them.”
He gripped her waist, turning her to face him.“No, you’re not.But I will catch them.I fucking promise you.This has gone too far.I want you to stay with Louise or McKenna tonight while I get to the bottom of this.”The oral performance he had planned for the morning would have to wait.Not that she’d want him now that her store was ablaze anyway.
She nodded.
“Let me find out what happened, okay?Louise should be here.Why don’t you ask around and find her?”
Dez nodded, folding her arms under her breasts.His stomach constricted with unspent rage.She didn’t deserve this shit and he’d been too caught up falling for her to prevent the person from starting the fire.He’d been stupid.Missed something.
He strode over to Hank.The old sheriff’s face was grim and tense.“Any leads on how the fire started?”Aiden asked.
Hank blew a breath through his lips and shoved his hands in his pockets, watching the constant flow of firefighters on the scene.“It was arson.No doubt about it.They found the gas can in the back parking lot and signs of forced entry through the rear door.Looks like they doused the books in fuel, lit it, and ran.”
Aiden kicked a stone.“Fuck.”
“How about you?Any perps yet?”
“I brought her stepfather, Raymond Lester, in for questioning.Do you remember I put his file on your desk?”
Hank nodded, swiping his wrist over his forehead.“Yeah, yeah.He just got out of jail.Had an alibi, though.”
“Yeah, receipts.Kind of hard to fake, and they checked out with his bank.But we’re only three hours from Denver.He could make that drive in a night.”
“Not convenient, but yeah, it could be done.Especially to keep things on the up-and-up to hold an alibi.”
“I’ll bring him in again.He’s staying at the Peak’s Cove.”
“All right.Keep me posted,” Hank said, with a flick of his hand.
Aiden strode away from the scene.First, he needed to secure a place for Dez for the night.Then, he wasn’t going to stop working until the person tormenting her was behind bars.
***
Dez circled thescene.Still no sign of Louise.She had to be here.No way she would have gone home.Her phone buzzed in her cardigan pocket.She dug inside and stared at the screen.
Louise, thank goodness.
