She shrugged and looked down to keep him from noticing her evasiveness. She’d had years of practice in subterfuge with her father, but that had been so long ago she might’ve lost her touch.
Russ drew in air through his nose and held his breath while looking at the ceiling. Letting out the air, his expression tightened. “You’re keeping something from me. It’d be easier on both of us if you’d cooperate.”
She would cooperate as far as she could and still keep the threats in the family. When she was released from the hospital, she would confront her father again and put an end to the mess. Then Russ wouldn’t have anything to investigate.
She nodded. “I’ll spend some time thinking about who might have started the fire and get back to you.”
A knock sounded on the door, and he turned to face it.
Mia’s dad? She planted her trembling hands on the arms of the chair. Sat motionless. Bit her lip. Held it.
Ryan pushed through the doorway, the suspenders of his firefighting gear hanging limp, a gray T-shirt snugged tight across his chest. He strolled into the space and beamed a confident smile in her direction.
He came to an abrupt stop and scrutinized them. “Looks like I’m interrupting something important.”
Russ’s foot hit the floor with a thud that echoed through the room, and Mia expected him to tell Ryan to take a hike.
“Actually, as a firefighter you can help,” Russ said. “I was just about to share arson statistics with Mia. Specifically, that it’s often committed by a property owner wanting to collect insurance money. You can confirm that.”
“Well, yeah.” Ryan crossed the room, regarding his brother with a skeptical look. “But if you’re intimating Mia torched the barn for insurance money, you’re way off base.”
Russ’s eyebrow shot up. “Are you sure about that?”
“Positive,” Ryan said without hesitating.
Russ’s eyes darkened and fixed on Mia’s face like a mighty lion eyeing up lunch. “On the surface, it doesn’t look like you’d benefit from the fire. Not when the property would be worth more with the barn standing. But maybe you can’t wait a year for the cash from selling the place. By destroying the barn, you’ll get a nice settlement from the insurance company right away.”
Her mouth fell open. “You’re seriously considering me?”
His frozen features said it all. He believed she was involved in setting the fire. “Got to check out all possibilities.”
“You’re wrong, bro,” Ryan said.
Mia crossed her arms, careful not to tangle her IV tube. “This is unbelievable. I was almost killed in the fire and you suspect me of starting it. Guess you don’t really believe your niece saw that man.”
“Sure I do. You could’ve hired him.”
“Right. I hired a man to burn the barn down then went inside and got stuck.”
“Accidents happen. You arranged to have the place torched but didn’t know Jessie would be in there.” He paused dramatically. “You couldn’t let her die, so you saved her. Got trapped. Wouldn’t be the first time someone got caught in their own fire.”
She wanted to sigh, but held it in. “Seriously, Russ, focusing on me is a waste of your valuable time.”
“Maybe.”
She lurched forward. “But you—”
He held up his hand. “Don’t worry. You’re not my only suspect.”
“Good, then you’ll find the guy Jessie saw and your case will be solved.”
“Or maybe Iwilldiscover that you had a part in it.” He let his hand drift to his weapon as if he was expecting a problem.
Ryan seared his brother with a heated look. “You should be thinking about how to protect Mia from the arsonist, not blame her for the fire.”
Russ stared at Ryan so long Mia thought the brothers might come to blows. Their behavior reminded her of the year in high school with Ryan. Russ insisting Ryan break up with her. Ryan passionately defending her. The pair nearly duking it out before parting angry and hurt.
Without breaking eye contact, Russ slipped his notepad into his pocket, his movements deliberate and slow. “I appreciate your wanting to protect Mia, but you’re overreacting. The fire wasn’t about physically hurting her. If it had been, the arsonist would have made sure she was in the barn before setting the fire.”
