Page 155 of Burning For You

But the emails. None of that lined up.

She had to be getting ahead of herself here.

Or maybe she just wanted to believe that.

When they got to the spare room, Sara pulled open the closet door. “There is a dresser in there with old clothes and stuff. I use it for storage. I hardly ever go in here and I guess it just stunned me to see this in the back under some of Sean’s shirts.”

The drawer was pulled open and the new TracFone in the package was put on top, then the one that had been opened.

Sara stared at it, as if willing this all to go away.

“This is silly. I feel ridiculous now,” Sara said. “I shouldn’t let my mind run away from me, but my ex cheated and I guess I’ve always looked for that.”

Skye took the phone out of Sara’s hand forcing herself to stay calm when every part of her body knew right away she was going to get answers.

None of the answers she wanted.

“I’ll do it for you. That way, if you’re asked, you don’t have to lie.”

“Good idea,” Sara said. “Thank you. You probably think I’m crazy, huh?”

“No,” she mumbled and watched while the screen on the phone lit up once it was powered on, no password required.

She took a deep breath, went to the messages and it was blank. “Anything?” Sara asked.

“No texts. All good.”

“Phew,” Sara said. “I feel so much better.” Sara walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. “It’s not like there are dick pics or anything in there either. Unless he deleted them, but still, I don’t want to think that.”

While Sara was sitting on the bed and trying to relax, Skye tapped the lone browser on the screen and navigated to the email section.

There it was. The last email sent to her.

The threats. The violence. The obsession.

All of it staring back at her with no explanation in sight. Like it’d just been waiting for this moment to come.

How could this be?

“What’s wrong?” Sara asked. “Your face just went completely white. Did you find something?”

Sara was at her side in an instant. Skye turned the phone around and let the message be read.

“What is that?”

“That’s an email from an arsonist who has been communicating with me.”

“Why would that be on a phone in my house?” Sara asked.

“Why, Sara? You tell me. Are you sending these messages?”

“No,” Sara said, shaking her head and backing up a step. “I swear I’m not. Oh my God, is it Sean? Is he the one setting these fires?”

“It looks it,” she said, her eyes searching around. “We need to get out of here now.”

But before they could take one step toward the doorway, smoke detectors went off.

“No, no,” Sara said. “He wouldn’t. But I smell it.”