Incandescent (12 page)

She paused and studied the tall, dark man,
her eyes moving down his torso, from his broad shoulders, to his
muscled ribs, to his hips where his pants hung loose. Her eyes
dropped to his bare feet, then back to his startled face. She
smirked at his chagrined expression and flushed cheeks.

“My, aren’t you a pretty one,” she said. She
looked around the living room. “I assume Anna is here, right?
Unless you’re waiting for me ….” She tapered off, winking
suggestively.

With the cell phone still at his ear, he
raised his free hand and pointed a thumb over his shoulder, in the
direction of the hallway.

Gretchen smirked. “Oh well. Goodnight, Big
Daddy,” she said, looking at his groin. She walked down the hallway
and went into her bedroom. She closed the door and turned on a
radio.

He replayed the voice message, before tucking
the phone in his pants pocket. He went to the small kitchen and
poured a cool glass of water from the tap. He shook his head at
Gretchen’s audacious manner and decided he liked her after all.
That would make interviewing her difficult.

Back in Anna’s room, he slipped into bed,
draping the sheet over her chilled body. Anna turned into his
embrace. “Mmm, you’re warm,” she murmured. “Sounds like Gretchen’s
home.”

Aaron heard music through the thin walls as
well as Gretchen moving around in the room, opening and closing
drawers. He recalled his first visit to the apartment and the
boisterous sounds of two people having sex. He made a mental note
to invite Anna to his place soon. Very soon.

Chapter Twenty-Two

The following morning, Anna poured white
sugar into the spoon, and dumped it into her coffee. She tipped the
small, silver-colored container of creamer and filled the cup to
the brim. Sitting at a small table at Frankie’s Diner, Aaron drank
his coffee black, watching as Anna stirred the brew.

“Here you go. Two breakfast messes.” With the
short statement, Frankie plunked two heavy ceramic plates onto the
table top. She pulled two sets of cutlery, rolled in napkins, from
her apron pocket. “Anything else I can get you?”

The short, squat waitress eyed the two with
interest. Aaron squinted as he raised his eyes, the bright sunlight
streaming through the diner window blinding him. “No thank you,
ma’am.”

Frankie studied the dark man appreciatively.
“You’re not from around here, are you?”

Aaron shook his head. “No ma’am. I’m from
Harrisburg.”

Frankie tilted her head. “Nah, I mean before
that. You’re a New Yorker, aren’t ya?”

He grinned. “Is it obvious?”

“I can tell. We got a couple other New
Yorkers in town.”

Aaron raised a brow. “You keep tabs on the
people visiting Eaton?”

Frankie smirked. “On the people who come into
my diner,” she said, glancing at Anna. “How’s your daddy
doing?”

“He’s fine,” Anna said. “He’s on a health
kick nowadays.”

“Yeah, I haven’t seen much of him recently,”
Frankie said. “Used to be here most mornings for his bacon and
eggs, but I guess he’s cutting back on the cholesterol.”

“All things in moderation,” Anna intoned,
quoting her father. Using her fork, she swirled the egg, cheese,
sausage, bacon, mushroom and onion mixture on her plate. “There’s
nothing moderate about your breakfast messes, Frankie.”

She chuckled as she walked away, heading for
the counter where a new customer sat studying the menu.

Aaron gave Anna a quizzical look. “She’s
quite a character, isn’t she?”

“Yes, she used to be the lunch lady at Eaton
Elementary. She knows everybody.”

Aaron studied the stout woman. She wore a
pastel shirt dress covered with a greasy white apron. Her neat,
steel-gray hair fit under her net, and her pencil rested behind her
right ear, within easy reach of her meaty paw. He could imagine her
slinging mashed potatoes and green beans onto hundreds of thousands
of lunch plates.

He scooped a mouthful of the mess and moaned.
“Oh wow, this is great,” he said, his mouth full as he wolfed down
more of the cheesy eggs. “I never had a school lunch that tasted
this good. Glad she retired,” he added.

As he ate, he surveyed Frankie’s Diner,
admiring the retro ambiance. The booths were covered in leather.
The tables were laminated with a spacey design and had names and
hearts etched into the surface. The diner belonged in a time
capsule.

He finished his eggs before Anna and eyed her
plate. She giggled and pulled it closer to her. “Are you coveting
my breakfast?”

Aaron leaned back against the leather seat.
“Nah, but if you’re not going to eat it all …”

Before he finished the sentence, Frankie
plunked another plate of breakfast mess in front of him. She winked
at Anna. “Good thing you ordered an extra or you’d be gnawing on
toast with this one around,” she said, tilting her head at
Aaron.

Anna wrinkled her nose at his puzzled
expression. “I figured you’d be extra hungry this morning,” she
teased.

She flushed at the lustful look in his eyes.
Something about Aaron put her at ease. Being with him made her feel
strong and full of bravado. She’d often wished she could toss
casual sexual innuendos around like Gretchen. She lacked the
confidence her friend had in excess.

Aaron’s forceful presence, his intimidating
personality didn’t affect her the way she expected. Instead of
being nervous or worried, she felt safe and desired. She felt
cocooned in his powerful aura.

She watched him select the pepper shaker and
sprinkle his food with the spice, and recalled the first time she’d
touched him. It was at Lacey’s house, when he helped her put her
suitcases in the car. She’d turned into his strong shoulder and
felt safe, free from the horror of the fire destroying everything
in its path.

Thinking about the burned shell made her
shiver. Aaron asked her to return to the house and help him
recreate the scene as it would have been before the fire. He
explained the investigation checklist he planned to use today was
different from the Eaton fire chief’s.

“This time, we’ll assume there was malicious
intent, that arson is the cause. If we take it step-by-step,
propose a new hypothesis, ask a different set of questions, we may
come up with new findings,” he said.

“You talk like a scientist,” she said.

“It is a science,” he replied, a slight frown
on his face. “The plan is to research and review with objectivity.
If we’ve missed anything, we may find it with a thorough sweep. The
key is to avoid any biases toward the victim. I mean, Lacey,” he
amended, giving her hand a light squeeze. “We owe her justice. We
owe her family the truth.”

Anna drew a shaky breath and closed her eyes
to the threatening tears. “You’re a good man, Aaron Tahir.”

He lifted her fingers to his lips. He
recalled a recent conversation with Cooper. If the fire had been
set by the Bronx Blazer, the man could be within his grasp.
Adrenaline raced through his veins at the thought, the anticipation
of the hunt, and it added to his hunger for Anna. He reached across
the table and stroked her hand. “You know, I could do with some
clean clothes. Why don’t you follow me to my place before we meet
Gretchen at the house?”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Judge James Braddock Johnson sat in his Lexus
at the red light at Canal Road and Third Street and drummed his
fingers on the steering wheel. His routine included shopping for
groceries on Sunday afternoons. His mind wasn’t on his menu, or his
date for the evening. Laura Piper would arrive after six and the
two planned to grill steaks and spend a relaxing evening in his
spa, sipping some of the fine Scotch whisky he’d brought home from
his last trip abroad.

The light changed to green and James moved
his foot from the brake pedal to the gas. He hesitated when he
heard a muffled “whomp” from beneath the car’s hood. Wisps of smoke
rose from the seams of the hood and James smelled the acrid burning
of electrical wires.

He slammed the gear shift into park and
jumped out of his car, thankful for the lack of traffic on Canal
Road. A car passed through the intersection, then pulled over when
the driver saw the smoke. James reached inside the car door and
released the hood latch. He moved to the front of the car to lift
the hood. The blast knocked it open and him off his feet. He
watched, in horror, as flames engulfed his car. They reached high,
singeing the stop light. James stood and backed away from the
inferno. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed 911.
He made a slow turn, looking around for help and noticed the driver
in the other car had stopped and was using a mobile phone to
capture video. He shook his head in disgust.

Anna stepped out of her second shower of the
day to hear her mobile phone ringing, its distinct chime
identifying her father as the caller. She raised a guilty finger to
her lips, indicating Aaron should be quiet. She pressed the answer
button.

“Hello Daddy,” she said.

Aaron went back into the motel bathroom, one
towel around his hips and the other in his hands as he dried his
thick, black hair. When he heard Anna’s yelp, he returned to the
bedroom.

She paced the room, frowning. “What do you
mean, it caught fire?”

Aaron’s ears perked at the word and he froze,
dropping the towel. He went into alert mode, leaning forward, his
fingers itching to take the phone from Anna.

She turned towards him, covered the phone
with one hand and whispered, “My father’s car exploded!”

She put the phone back to her ear. “Where are
you now, Daddy? I’ll be right there.”

She listened for several seconds while Aaron
pulled on a pair of jeans. He opened a drawer for clean socks. He
was buckling his shoulder holster as Anna disconnected the
phone.

“I can’t believe it. That’s a brand new
Lexus,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m so glad he’s not
hurt.”

She turned in a circle as if deciding what to
do. Aaron handed Anna her panties. She took them and grimaced.
“Sorry. I have to go.”

“No, I’m coming with you,” Aaron said.

Anna waved a hand. “Are you sure? He’ll need
a ride home. The tow truck is taking his car to Peachys
Garage.”

Aaron frowned, reaching for his cell phone on
the night stand. He pressed a series of buttons and waited. “This
is Marshal Tahir. Johnson’s car? Tell me about it. Uh huh, okay.
No, don’t release it yet. I’m on my way. We’ll have the tow truck
take it to the impound lot after I’ve had a chance to inspect it. I
don’t want anyone near the vehicle until I get there. Clear?” He
snapped the phone shut and put it in his back pocket.

Anna continued dressing, as she talked. “What
are you doing? Why are you impounding my Dad’s car?”

Aaron sat to put on his shoes. He bent to tie
the laces, his face shadowed. “In my business, there are no
coincidences,” he said. “I told you, we’re investigating this from
a new angle.”

Anna was confused. “My Dad’s car isn’t part
of the investigation.” She tapered off as he raised his head. “Is
it?”

He stood and slid his handgun into the
holster, before pulling on a cotton shirt. As he worked the buttons
through the holes, he said, “Maybe. Maybe not. I won’t know until I
look at the car.”

Anna finished dressing in a hurry, running a
brush through her long, dark hair. She paused, the brush in one
hand. “What are you not telling me?”

“Let’s go,” he said, not answering. “Get your
purse.”

He checked his wallet for the motel key card,
pocketed his truck keys, and moved to the door.

Anna wobbled as she put on her sandals. “Hold
on, I’m coming,” she said, dashing out the empty door behind
him.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Aaron floored the big truck, following Anna’s
clipped directions to Canal Road. He pulled behind the fire truck,
still flashing its lights. By now, a crowd had gathered around the
intersection, interested in the police cars, the fire truck, the
ambulance and the tow truck.

Eaton Police Officer Rand Murphy walked
toward Aaron, frowning. He stretched out his hand in greeting.

“Hello Marshal,” he said, shaking Aaron’s
hand. “Hello Anna,” he said, tipping his head. He glanced back and
forth between them, puzzled by their arrival together. His face
blanked and he nodded towards the Lexus, still steaming and
dripping water. The front end of the luxury car was black with soot
and its tires were melted and useless. “The fire’s out, of course,
but it’s a mess. Cindy Peachy is ready to tow it wherever you want.
I suppose you have a reason for wanting it at the impound lot.”

Aaron eyed the officer coolly. “It’s
secure.”

Rand blinked in surprise. He understood. He
spun around, retracing his path to Cindy Peachys tow truck. He
spoke with the woman, a slim giant who towered over him. She
reminded Aaron of an Olympic volleyball player.

Aaron found Anna standing next to a tall,
slender man with silver hair. Dressed in casual khakis and a blue
polo shirt, the man resembled a professional golfer. Aaron spotted
the similarities between the two. She was a miniature, feminine
version of her father.

He walked towards James Johnson and paused in
front him, waiting for Anna to acknowledge him. She turned towards
him, relief evident in her face. She reached out and Aaron clasped
her hand.

James raised a brow. He hadn’t missed the
fact the two arrived together, and their intimacy verified a
relationship of some sort. He assessed the large, dark man beside
Anna, recognizing the bulge of a holstered weapon beneath his shirt
and the arrogant stance of a lawman.