Читать книгу Standoff At Christmas - Margaret Daley - Страница 12

FOUR

Jake paced the reception area of Max’s Garage while Max changed his second slashed tire and replaced it with a new one. He’d tried calling Rachel at Linda’s and then at Betty’s house but got no answer. He’d even called his grandfather to send him over to Betty’s, but he must still be outside plowing some of the roads for people near them. Why would anyone slash his tires unless they wanted him delayed in town?

The hairs on his nape stood up. Something was wrong, and the only thing he could think about was Rachel and Linda over at Betty’s. What if the intruders hadn’t found what they were looking for and came back?

He snatched up the receiver to call the police. When the dispatcher answered, he asked, “Is Chief Quay in?”

“No, he’s out on a call. In fact, everyone is busy. May I help you?”

“This is Jake Nichols. I was in there earlier. Ask him to go to Betty Marshal’s house as soon as possible.” Maybe he was overreacting. He hoped he was.

“That was so sad about her being killed yesterday. Is something wrong at her house?”

“Rachel Hart and Linda Thomas were going to Betty’s house to clean it up and see if they could discover if anything had been stolen. My tires were slashed when I was parked at the general store, and now no one is answering at Betty’s house. I think something could be wrong.” Jake looked toward the counter and saw Max with his keys. Jake rose. “I’ll be heading there now.”

“I’ll call the chief and let him know. In the meantime, Officer Bates is nearer. I’ll see if he can drive by.”

“Thanks.” Jake hung up and headed toward Max. “I appreciate the rush.”

“I put the new spare in the back. Someone wasn’t happy with you. Do you think it’s somehow connected to what happened at Betty’s?”

Jake shrugged and grabbed his keys. “I don’t know, but I don’t want to take the chance.” Then he started for the car in the bay area in the back.

He pushed his SUV as much as he could without ending up in a ditch. The unsettled feeling in his gut wouldn’t go away. In fact, it grew stronger the closer he got to Betty’s house.

His heartbeat kicked up several notches when he spied a plume of smoke billowing in the cloudy sky in the direction where he was heading. He pressed down the accelerator.

* * *

“Aunt Linda,” Rachel screamed over the crackling of the fire as she raced back to the second bedroom. “We’ve got to get out of here.”

Her aunt rushed out of the darkroom, her eyes round like the full moon a few nights ago. “Why?”

“The living room is on fire.”

Aunt Linda hurried past Rachel, and when she reached the end of the hallway, smoke invaded the corridor. Putting her hand over her mouth, her aunt stopped and peered into the living room, a thick gray cloud filling the whole area.

“We can’t get out the front door,” Rachel said as the fire consumed that part of the house. She swiveled her attention toward the kitchen and noticed smoke mushrooming through the doorway. Grabbing her aunt’s arm, she tugged her away. “We can’t get out that way, either. We’ll climb out a window.” But when she hastened into the first bedroom, her gaze fixed on the high windows that allowed sunlight inside but would be hard to climb out of.

“There’s a bigger one in the bathroom. The other bedroom is just like this—a set of high, narrow windows.” Aunt Linda pivoted and raced to the bathroom.

When Rachel rushed inside behind her, she nearly ran into her aunt, who stood still in front of the frosted pane. “It’s smaller than I thought, and the glass is thicker than normal.”

Aunt Linda whirled around, looking for anything to break the window. Nothing. Rachel hurried back to Betty’s bedroom to find something while her aunt checked the second one. In the midst of the clutter on the floor, Rachel didn’t see anything that would break the glass.

Smoke snaked into the room. Rachel pulled her turtleneck over her mouth and continued her search. Her gaze fell on a metal flashlight that might work. She had to try it. She snatched it up and raced back to the bathroom. After putting the toilet seat down, she climbed on top of it and swung the flashlight toward the thick, frosted glass. It bounced off, not even cracking the window.

* * *

Jake pulled into the long driveway to Betty’s house, spying Rachel’s Jeep. Flames mixed with blackened smoke shot up from the roof of the cabin. He pulled out his cell phone and prayed he had reception. A dead zone. His throat tightened with the thought of what Rachel and Linda must be going through—if they were even still alive. The idea of not seeing Rachel again stole his breath.

That’s not going to happen if I can help it.

He slammed his SUV into park and jumped from it. The front door blazed as fire ate at the wood around it. He raced to the side of the house, then the back entrance. The same sight greeted him as though someone started the fire at the points of entry. He hurried to the left where the bedrooms were. When his gaze latched on to the long, slender windows at the top of the bedroom, the thundering of his heartbeat vied with the roar of the fire. Then he remembered the other bedroom was the same.

He moved toward the bathroom, trying to imagine what the window was like. Frosted and thick, but he could see movement behind the pane. Someone was still alive. It would be hard, but he thought both Rachel and Linda could fit through the opening.

He swept around, trying to find something to break the glass with. He ran to the shed and found a sledgehammer in the tool closet. When he hurried back to the house, he stood near and shouted, “Get back. I’m going to break the glass.”

He lifted the sledgehammer onto his shoulder, praying that whoever was in the bathroom had moved back, but he had no choice. Getting cut was better than dying in a fire. He swung the tool toward the window with all the strength he could muster.

* * *

Rachel had tried several more times with the flashlight, then discarded it. Needing something else she climbed down from the toilet. Fingers of smoke crept into the room.

Coughing, her aunt scurried into the bathroom with a shotgun and gave it to Rachel. Then Aunt Linda closed the door and stuffed some towels under it. “We don’t have much time. Maybe we could use the gun like a bat or shoot at the glass.”

Rachel checked to see if the weapon was loaded. “If shooting doesn’t work, we can try the other way.” She lifted the shotgun and aimed. Her ears pounded with the beating of her heart. With the noise of the crackling fire coming down the hallway, she put her finger on the trigger.

“Wait. Listen.” Aunt Linda grabbed Rachel’s arm. “That sounds like Jake.”

Something slammed into the window. Her aunt shoved her into the bathtub as the glass exploded into the room. The backs of her legs hit the edge of the tub, and Rachel tumbled backward, her aunt following her. A few shards pierced Rachel’s arm as she put it up to block her face. Her body crashed against the hard white acrylic, knocking the breath from her.

“Rachel. Linda,” Jake shouted as he appeared in the smashed window.

Aunt Linda rolled off Rachel and replied, “We’re okay.”

With a sledgehammer, Jake began knocking the rest of the glass out of the frame. “Grab some towels to lay on the ledge. You need to hurry. The fire is working its way to this side.”

Her aunt scrambled from the bathtub and held her hand out for Rachel to take. Still trying to catch a decent breath, she gripped her aunt’s hand and let her haul her to her feet. Aunt Linda helped her out of the tub and removed the towels from under the door. Smoke poured into the room from every crack around the door seal. It tickled Rachel’s throat, and she coughed. She pulled her turtleneck over her month again, but the smoke stung her watering eyes.

“Ready?” Jake took the towels that Aunt Linda gave him and placed them on the ledge. “I’ll help you from this side.”

“You go first.” Rachel helped her aunt up onto the closed toilet seat. She couldn’t lose her other aunt. Please, Lord.

The cuts on Rachel’s arms hurt, and blood dripped onto the tile floor. She took a washcloth to help stem the flow while Aunt Linda leaned into the window. Rachel helped her out the hole. Her aunt was petite, and she barely made it.

A loud boom shook the house. Rachel glanced back at the door.

“Hurry, Rachel. The fire is spreading over the roof.” Urgency filled Jake’s voice.

The sound of his voice calmed the fear rising in her even as she climbed onto her perch, leaped to the window and grabbed Jake’s hands to hold tight. Her legs dangled in midair in the bathroom. She wriggled her body, trying to move forward, while Jake pulled her toward him. Her side rubbed against the frame, and something sharp scraped her.

She groaned.

“Okay?”

“There must be some glass on my right, but don’t stop.”

“Sorry, I thought I got all the glass out of the frame.”

“Pull harder. My shoulders are barely through, but my hips are bigger.”

“Scoot as much to the left as you can. I’ll find something to put between you and the frame on the right.”

Another crash sounded behind her. Time was running out.

Rachel managed to shift a tad bit while Jake said, “I’ll be right back. I remember a piece of flashing in the shed.” Jake raced toward the small building.

Without Jake to block the wind, it bombarded Rachel with cold and the scent of smoke and burning wood. Coughs racked her while Jake rushed back. He took the flashing and put it between her and the window frame.

“This should help you move easier.” Then he grabbed her arms and yanked.

“Just get me out.” She imagined the flames eating away at the door, any second bursting into the room.

He pulled slowly at first, and then the second her hips cleared, she slipped out easily, almost toppling into him.

After moving away from the house, he gathered her into his embrace and held her for a few seconds. “I thought I’d lost you when I saw the house on fire.”

She nestled against him, relishing the warmth of him and the sense of safety she felt. In that moment she never wanted to leave the shelter of his arms.

“Are you okay?” he murmured against the top of her head.

She nodded against his chest, then turned within his arms and looked at the cabin nearly consumed totally by the flames. “This was no accident. The fire was at the back and front exits. Even the windows we could have easily been able to escape through were consumed with flames.”

Her face ashen and wearing Jake’s coat, Aunt Linda stepped closer. “Someone wanted to destroy Betty’s house. Why?”

“Good question and one I intend to find out. No one goes after you two without answering to me.” Jake’s arms cuddled Rachel even closer. “I don’t want to go through that again.”

“Neither do I,” Rachel whispered, her throat raw.

“I’m taking you to town to report this to the police and see the doctor.”

Not wanting to leave his arms, Rachel glanced over her shoulder. “Take us home. We’ll call the police and report the fire.”

“Nope. You need to have Doc look at your injuries.” He released her and examined her right side. “You’re bleeding. Let’s get to Gramps’s car. He has some towels you can place over the wound.” Jake looked at her aunt. “Are you okay? I didn’t see bleeding.”

She nodded.

As flames engulfed the cabin, they hurried to the SUV, the sound of sirens filling the air.

A police car came down the long drive followed by the fire department. There wasn’t anything that could be done for the cabin. With only a light breeze and a snow-covered ground, hopefully the blaze wouldn’t spread.

“See? Now we don’t have to go to town.” Rachel took the clean towel from Jake and pressed it into her side.

“You’re still going to see Doc.” Jake started the car and turned the heater on, then he climbed from the vehicle.

“Wait,” Aunt Linda said. “Take this.” She shed his coat and tossed it toward him.

He caught it and walked toward Chief Quay as he got out of his cruiser.

Rachel watched the conversation between them with Jake gesturing toward the house, anger creasing his forehead as he spoke to the chief.

“Jake saved us,” her aunt murmured.

“I know.” Since he’d come home, she felt as though she’d been on a tilt-a-whirl, spinning out of control. And yet, seeing him again renewed feelings she’d kept buried—conflicting emotions from anger at him leaving to happiness he was here.

As Jake returned to the SUV, the firefighters hooked up their equipment. “Let’s go. Randall will come out to see you later after you’ve seen Doc.”

“How did he find out about the fire since we couldn’t call it in?”

“Gramps saw the black smoke when he returned from plowing the Andersons’ drive down the road. He went home, placed the call and then was going to come over. Randall told him that he just received a report from another neighbor and he would take care of it.” Jake backed up, then made a turn and headed for the highway.

* * *

Jake opened Linda’s door to greet his grandfather and Mitch. “Thanks for bringing him over. Randall should be here soon to interview Rachel and Linda.”

“The cabin must have gone up quickly.” Gramps entered while Jake petted Mitch.

“Probably an accelerant was used. One of the firefighters has experience in determining arson.”

“That makes sense.” Gramps sat on the couch. “Where are Linda and Rachel?”

“Changing. Doc had to sew up Rachel’s right side where some glass sliced her good. The rest of her cuts were small. Neither of them have smoke inhalation problems.” As Jake rattled off the list of injuries, a part of him was back at the cabin, frantically trying to get Rachel free. If something had happened to her, he would have blamed himself. He’d rescued many people while working for the Northern Frontier Search and Rescue Organization and the police, so he should be able to save someone he really cared about.

“That’s a relief. I should have gone with them this morning.”

“And what? From what they told me it happened fast, and there wasn’t anything that could be done, except to get out. Besides, you wouldn’t have fit through the window.”

“True. I never thought something like that would happen.”

“Neither did I or I would have been there.”

Gramps’s wrinkled face cracked a big grin. “Do I need to say if you had, you wouldn’t have gotten out? We have the same build. Most of the Nichols men are tall and have broad shoulders.”

Jake chuckled. “Touché.”

“It’s good to hear some laughter after the day I’ve had,” Rachel said as she walked slowly into the living room.

Jake turned toward her, remembering how close he’d come to losing her. That thought left his gut roiling, and he was even more determined to find out what was going on in Port Aurora. “Are you all right?” He took in her pale face and tired eyes—a beautiful sight to see. It could have gone so wrong today.

“My side hurts, but it felt great to take a shower and get that smoke smell out of my hair. I think I washed it three times.”

When Rachel moved past him to the chair across from Gramps, Jake drew in a deep breath of the apple-scented shampoo. She still used the same one from when she was a child. He associated apples with Rachel because of that.

She eased down, wincing once. “When is the chief arriving?”

“I see his car coming down the road.” Linda crossed the room and opened the door to the arctic entry.

After shaking Randall’s hand, Jake sat next to Rachel’s aunt on the couch while the chief took the last chair. His grim expression fit Jake’s mood. Every alarm bell was going off in his head. The fire only reinforced his belief that Betty’s death wasn’t due to a robbery gone bad. What had Betty gotten herself into?

“Are you two all right now?” the chief asked, withdrawing a pad and pen from his pocket.

“As well as could be expected.” Linda pressed her lips together.

Randall shifted his attention to Rachel. “I understand Doc had to see you.”

“I’ll be okay. Do you have any idea what happened?”

“No, other than there were footprints leading to the house from the woods on the left side. I followed them to tire tracks—probably a truck. I’m treating this fire as arson at this time. Did either of you see anything?”

Linda shook her head while Rachel said, “We were in the back bedroom, looking for Aunt Betty’s camera.”

“Why?”

“Although I don’t think it is worth much except to her, someone could have taken it,” Linda answered Randall.

“Did you find it?”

“No, but I didn’t check the darkroom thoroughly. It was trashed like the whole place was. The camera usually hangs on the peg by the door, but it wasn’t there.”

The chief wrote on his pad. “So it’s possible that a camera was stolen. Anything else you know of?”

“We found her few pieces of jewelry that were worth something, although not that much.” Rachel withdrew the ring and two sets of earrings still in the plastic bag. “And as you know, the television and small appliances like the food processor were still in the house, so truthfully I don’t think anything else was missing, but we’ll never know for sure.”

“I wonder if the camera might be the reason the cabin was torched.” Randall wrote something else on the paper, then glanced at Linda, then Rachel.

“It was a ten-year-old Kodak that was special to Betty, but I couldn’t see it bringing much money for anyone who stole it. It wasn’t even digital.” Linda combed her fingers through her wet, short blond hair.

“Anything else?” Randall asked.

Her gaze trained on Rachel, Linda furrowed her brow but remained quiet. Rachel shook her head slightly. Was there more that Rachel wasn’t saying? Randall didn’t seem to pick up the exchanged looks between them, but when he left, Jake would be asking them about it.

“If I think of anything, I’ll call you,” Rachel finally said. “Please let us know the progress on the case. Aunt Betty never had any enemies in town. She was always one of the first to help others.”

Randall stood and pocketed his pad and pen. “It’s most disturbing to me. She is the last person I would expect to be murdered.”

“So you’re ruling her death a murder for sure?” Jake rose to escort the police chief to the door.

“Yes, we are. And we’re taking the investigation very seriously.”

Jake opened the door for Randall. “I’d like to check the cabin site after it cools. Is that okay?”

“Sure, after the firefighters give the go-ahead.” Randall tipped his head toward the ladies. “I’m glad you’re both okay. Good day.”

At the window Jake watched Randall climb into his car before he swung around and asked, “What are you two keeping from the police chief?”