Against the Fire (29 page)

Inwardly he groaned, glad she couldn’t see what was happening to him beneath the table.

“How much damage was done to the Egyptian?” Mattie asked, slinging the strap of her purse over the back of a kitchen chair.

“The fire started in the back room. The man who witnessed the assault called 9-1-1, so the fire department got there in a hurry. The flames never reached the main part of the building.”

“That’s great, Gabe.”

“The bad news is Captain Daily says the arsonist is getting better every time. After he clobbered the night watchman, he took the key and used it to get in. He disabled the smoke alarms then broke out a couple of windows and knocked some holes in the ceiling. The place would have gone up like tinder if the fire department hadn’t gotten there so fast.”

“Maybe Daily put the local departments on notice, since this is the third fire on one of your projects.”

“Could be. Unfortunately, as soon as my insurance company found out, they cancelled my policy. I’ve had my secretary trying desperately to find another company to handle it, but so far nobody’s biting. Not after all the stuff that’s been in the media.”

“Then we’ll just have to stop the guy before he burns up something else.” She looked down at the sheets of paper she had left for him yesterday afternoon. “Have you had a chance to look at the names on the list?”

“I’ve gone over them twice. None of the names stand out.”

“Look at them again. Maybe there’s someone you missed, something that will jump out at you this time.”

Gabe picked up the list and studied the names again, but none of the forty entries seemed the least bit familiar. Men’s names, women’s names. He had no idea who might have had a family, or a roommate, or just a relative or friend living with them—someone who might be pissed enough to set his buildings on fire.

One thing he knew. If he hadn’t bought the place, sooner or later it would have been torn down. Because of the location near the Farmer’s Market and the beautiful old trees and shrubs on the lot, he had taken a chance and after some major repairs, been able to start remodeling the place into attractive apartments.

He set the sheets of paper back down on the table. “Sorry. Nothing.”

“When you talked to Captain Daily, did you tell him about the evictions?”

“I took him a copy of the list. He said he was short on manpower but he’d try to have some of his people look into it.”

A light knock sounded. Gabe heard the rustle of the key he had given his brother since he didn’t want his locks jimmied again, and Dev walked in.

“Hey, you two, how’s it going?” Dev shoved the key into the pocket of his perfectly creased blue jeans. His expensive burgundy polo shirt was equally pristine. Hard to believe he had once lived in poverty on the wrong side of the tracks in Wind Canyon, Wyoming.

“Things aren’t going so great,” Gabe confessed. “I’ve been going over the list. So far those names don’t mean a damned thing.”

“I didn’t really figure they would.” Dev walked toward them with an easy gait that reminded him of Jackson. “Would have been nice, though, if one of them had pushed a button.” For the first time Gabe noticed the dog-eared manila file tucked under his brother’s arm.

Dev set the file down on the table in front of him. “Fortunately, I managed to come up with something.”

Gabe sat up straighter in his chair. “Oh, yeah? What’d you find?”

“I told you I had an idea I wanted to try. It was a long shot, but it paid off. I talked to the landlord, the former owner—” he glanced down at the folder, read the name he had written on the front “—Harley Jones, right?”

“That’s him.”

“He was an old guy, the type whose house is full of yellowed magazines, old newspapers and crap. The kind who never throws anything away.”

“And?”

“And he had a file on the Greenwood Apartments— Harwood—before you changed the name. It took him a while to find it, but the guy’s folder contained every rental application he had taken in the years previous to the condemnation.” Dev held up the file, which was ragged on the edges and stained. “And guess what’s on each application?”

“I’d hate to venture a guess,” Gabe said darkly.

“Social security numbers, bro. All we’ve got to do is sort the old from the new, match the apps with the people on the eviction list, and we can find them. Track them down like dogs.”

Mattie cast him a glance.

Dev grinned. “Bloodhounds.”

She laughed, a soft, sweet sound, and the heat rushed back into his groin. “You never cease to amaze me,” he said to his brother, trying to ignore his untimely desire.

“Of course a few of the numbers may be false, or the person might have died or whatever, but it’s a helluva lot more than we had. And guess what else?”

Mattie brightened. “You’ve got a friend who works at the social security office?”

“Not exactly. I do, however, have a buddy who’s a computer whiz. He can tap into—” He paused, sliced Gabe a sideways glance. “At any rate, Chaz can be a big help to us.”

Gabe chuckled softly.

“I think I like your brother,” Mattie said. “He’s amazingly inventive.”

Gabe’s mouth curved into a wicked half smile. “I guess it runs in the family.”

Mattie’s cheeks colored as she followed his thoughts. Whatever happened between them, clearly the sexual attraction remained.

Not that it seemed to matter.

As the evening progressed, darkness fell outside the kitchen windows. Gabe ordered pizza and while they ate a half pepperoni, half Alonzo’s garden special, they talked about their plans. As soon as Dev’s friend, Chaz, came up with a list of current addresses for as many of the people on the list as he could find, they would start tracking them down.

Mattie helped Gabe clear the table, tossing the used paper plates into the trash.

“I need to get going,” she said as soon as they had finished. “Let me know when you get that list. I’ll be happy to run down some of the names.”

“Not a chance,” Gabe said, sliding the empty pizza box into the garbage container. “You’re not going to make house calls unless I go with you.”

“We can cover more ground if we’re all out knocking on doors.”

“Too dangerous. I’m not taking any chances. Besides,” he added because he needed a reason for her to come with him, “maybe with the two of us working together, one of us will pick up something the other missed.”

Mattie hesitated.

“You want to find the guy who assaulted Angel, here’s your chance.”

Mattie sighed. “All right. As soon as you’re ready, give me a call.”

“We might have something as soon as tomorrow,” Dev put in, casting his brother a glance, knowing him well enough to know exactly his intentions.

“That would be great. I start back to work on Monday. After that, I won’t have nearly as much time.”

“I’ll call and let you know,” Gabe said as he guided her toward the door. “It’s dark outside. I’ll walk you out to your car.”

For once she didn’t argue.

She wasn’t going to invite him home with her, Gabe could tell. And yet she wanted him. He wasn’t wrong about that. Maybe it wouldn’t take all that much to convince her.

On the other hand, Mattie had made her feelings clear from the start. He had pursued her against her wishes, seduced her into his bed. Whatever his feelings for her, he didn’t want a woman who didn’t want him.

The notion began to strengthen, settle deep in his bones. In the weeks since the fires had started, he had been forced to examine his life. With an arsonist breathing down his neck, anything could happen. The danger he faced had made him realize what he truly wanted.

A wife and family sat at the top of his list, which began with a relationship based on trust and love. If he couldn’t have that with Mattie, he needed to get over her and get on with his life.

There had to be someone out there, someone who would care about him as much as he cared about her.

Gabe wished the notion made him feel better.

Mattie let Gabe walk her to her car. Her heart felt heavy at the thought of going back to her empty condo and yet she knew it was for the best. Gabe waited while she dug through her purse for her keys, then bent his head and lightly kissed her, but the heat that was usually there was missing.

There was something remote in his manner, something that hadn’t been there before. Something that told her he had finally begun to pull away.

Her heart squeezed. She had known it would happen. The more she pulled back, so would he. The thought of losing him made her stomach feel queasy. Moisture blurred her vision. She knew she was going to lose him. Gabe wanted more and she simply couldn’t give it to him.

“I’ll call as soon as we hear from Chaz,” he said, but he wasn’t looking at her, not the way he usually did. Instead, his gaze moved off toward something across the parking lot.

Her glance followed his and she realized he was staring at his big white four-door pickup. Mattie caught the slight flicker of red and orange inside the cab the instant before Gabe started running.

The flames grew, suddenly blossomed. Mattie’s heart lurched, lodged tight in her throat. She dropped her keys as she frantically dug through her purse and pulled out her cell phone. She flipped it open and dialed 9-1-1.

Gabe had almost reached the truck when the vehicle exploded, rocking the ground beneath her feet, knocking both of them down. Sizzling pieces of metal sliced through the air, huge chunks of rubber crashed into cars, and shards of broken glass whirred by just inches away from her face.

“Gabe!” She saw him roll, taking shelter behind the tire of a shiny red Cadillac parked a few cars away.

Hands shaking, she came to her knees on the pavement still holding on to her phone. She heard the emergency dispatcher’s voice and tried to stay calm as she answered the woman’s questions.

“Yes, yes, that’s right… There’s been…been an explosion. A car was…blown up. It’s engulfed in flames.” She gave them the address of the Las Posas condominiums, then rushed over to where Gabe now stood staring at the blazing destruction of what had once been his truck.

“The fire department’s on the way,” she said shakily. “Oh, Gabe, are you all right?”

Instead of answering, he pulled her into his arms. She felt the tremor that ran through his big hard body.

He took a deep breath, released it slowly. “I’m okay. What about you?” He held her away to get a look at her, surveyed the torn knees of her khaki pants, the cuts and scrapes on her hands and the dirt on her turquoise blouse.

She shoved back her hair with a trembling hand. “Kind of shaky, but okay.”

Gabe’s face was cut and bleeding, his shirt hanging in tatters, part of it completely gone, exposing the six-pack ridges across his flat belly. There was a burn on his arm where a piece of hot metal had struck, and broken glass had sliced a neat line down his cheek.

Mattie’s stomach rolled. With an unsteady hand, she pulled a Kleenex out of her purse and pressed it against the blood oozing down his cheek. “Dear God, if you had…if you’d been any closer, you would have been killed.”

He reached up and wiped something off her forehead and bright crimson stained his fingers. “Dammit, you’re bleeding.”

She couldn’t feel any pain so she didn’t think it was too serious. “I don’t think it’s too bad.” She pulled another tissue out of her purse. Gabe took it from her hand and pressed it against her forehead. They stood there that way, each of them worried about the other. Mattie’s throat swelled. Her heart was hammering, beating with fear for Gabe.

Footsteps pounded on the pavement. She looked up to see Dev racing across the parking lot.

“Son of a bitch!” He looked over at the flaming truck. “Are you two all right?”

“More or less,” Gabe said darkly. The bleeding had stopped on her forehead. Mattie dabbed at the cut on Gabe’s cheek a few more times before the caught her hand. “I’m okay,” he said, though his burned arm had to be hurting like the devil.

“I heard the explosion,” Dev said. “What the hell happened?”

Gabe explained about the flames he had spotted inside the truck and that he’d been running toward the vehicle when it blew up.

“Shit, you’re lucky you weren’t killed.”

Gabe shook his head. “I don’t think that’s what he wanted.”

Mattie’s gaze snapped to his. “What do you mean?”

“I think he was watching. I think he rigged the truck so he could set it off whenever he wanted.”

She jerked her gaze around, frantically searched the parking lot and realized Dev was doing the same.

“I didn’t see anyone,” Gabe said. “I think he left a few seconds after the truck exploded.”

“Oh, God.”

Gabe eased her back into his arms and she didn’t resist.

“If he’d wanted me dead,” he said, “he could have done it. He’s playing this out. He likes the control.”

“That’s right,” Dev agreed. “He wants to show you how powerful he is.”

Mattie buried her face in Gabe’s shoulder. As hard as she had tried to tell herself she would get over him, that she could live without him, seeing how close he had come to dying, how close she had come to losing him forever, tied her insides into a knot.

As if he read her thoughts, his arms tightened around her. Then he let her go.

“You’re out of this, honey. I know you want to help, but I’m not going to let you risk your life. Not anymore.”

The distant shriek of fire engines cut off the argument they were about to have. Mattie trembled as Gabe’s cell phone started to chime.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the phone and flipped it open, read the text message running across the screen.

Did you like the pretty flames? Don’t worry, you’ll get to see more.

Gabe cursed.

A crowd gathered to watch the firemen put out what was left of the blazing vehicle. Mattie wondered if the man who had started the fire was among them. As the firemen sprayed water and foam onto the flaming truck, Mattie spotted Captain Daily walking toward them.

“Tell me what happened,” Daily said without preamble and she and Gabe relayed the entire story again.

“Whoever this is, he’s smart,” Daily said. “And he is determined.”