A Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade 03 - In Hot Water (9 page)

S
tella realized as she turned around that the thing poking her in the back was a gun—a shotgun, in this case.

Bob’s usually florid face was pale. He had dark circles under his eyes, and his hands were shaking.

“Bob, you have to stop this.” She tried to stay calm. “I know there are other pieces of property around here that you could buy. You should get one of them.”

“I bought this piece. At least I thought I did. Then your grandfather’s hired gun stopped that, didn’t he? I’m not giving up. One way or another, this cabin is coming down, and the ghost of Chief Eric Gamlyn is going away forever.”

Stella was in a bad position. She could see Eric and Hero watching her from the front window in the cabin. She and Bob were too far away from Eric’s proximity to get any help from him. She hoped Eric wouldn’t let Hero out—she didn’t want Bob to shoot him.

Bob was sweating, despite the cold. His dark eyes were glassy. Clearly, he wasn’t in control of himself. She had to keep him talking until she could figure out what to do.

“What makes you think getting rid of the cabin will get rid of Eric’s ghost?” she asked him.

“Madam Emery told me so.”

“You mean the psychic reader who has that sign up in front of her house?” Stella had noticed it right away. The house was small, and not particularly eye-catching, except for the big sign in the front yard—“Madam Emery, Psychic Reader, Tarot, Palm Reading.”

“That’s right. I asked her what I should do when you threatened to send Eric after me.”

Stella sighed. She knew she’d been wrong to do that last year. She’d lost her temper. “I’m sorry about that, Bob. I shouldn’t have said that. I really can’t make Eric come after you. I don’t know what Madam Emery told you, but there’s really no ghost here.”

“We all know this place is haunted. And we all know Chief Gamlyn haunts it. Madam Emery told me all about the spirits. She told me Eric can’t live here without the cabin. I believe her.”

Eric was standing outside now. There was still nothing he could do to help Stella. Hero was inside, barking and jumping up and down at the door, trying to get out.

“Shooting me isn’t going to change that,” she reminded Bob. “Eric will still be here.”

“Maybe. But if you’re gone, your grandfather’s lawyer won’t care if I buy the property and destroy the cabin. He only cares because
you
do. I don’t see any other way now. I’m sorry. I wish I did.”

Me too.
Stella glanced around, trying to figure out what she could do. The shotgun wasn’t steady, but it was in her face. She couldn’t risk it going off while she tried to take it from him. On the other hand, she wasn’t going stand there and let him shoot her either.

“He’s got a trick right knee,” Eric told her. “When he tried out for the fire brigade, he couldn’t get up the stairs with the hose.”

Stella considered her target. She’d have to get out of the line of fire when she made her move. But at least she’d have a fighting chance.

It helped that Bob had started crying and asking God to forgive him. Stella took a deep breath and kicked him hard in the right knee, shifting away from the business end of the shotgun.

When the weapon went off, the buckshot flew harmlessly into the trees. A flurry of ice and snow fell from the branches as the sound echoed up and down the mountain.

She took the gun away from him and put it in the back of the Cherokee. Bob was writhing on the cold, wet blacktop. “You broke my knee,” he screamed at her.

“I’m going in to call an ambulance and the police.” Her voice was shaking. “Don’t get up. I wouldn’t want anything else to happen to you.”

She didn’t say what could happen to him. She left that to his imagination. Stella walked inside and dialed 911 on the phone. “I can’t believe this guy. He’s ruining his whole life over this.”

“He’s an idiot,” Eric said as she got off the phone with the 911 operator. “Sounds like Madam Emery might know a thing or two about ghosts, though.”

“We could pay her a visit and find out.”

That sign has been in the yard since I was a kid. My dad always said I shouldn’t look at it as we drove by. He said it had something to do with the devil.”

Stella whistled. “That’s
really
old if you remember it as a kid.”

“You’re good with the sass.”

“Is that the same ‘Devil’ that Tagger was talking about at the firehouse?”

“I was too afraid to ask.”

Stella went back outside to see how Bob was doing and wait for the ambulance and police. He was gone.

She checked around. There was no sign of him. She heard a faint buzzing noise off in the woods. That’s why she hadn’t seen a car or truck. He’d come up on a snowmobile.

“Where is he?” Eric asked from the porch.

“I guess he got away. Maybe his knee wasn’t that bad.”

“He’s slippery. I guess you should’ve waited out here with him. Did he take his shotgun?”

She looked in the back of the Cherokee. “Yep. I guess that means it will be my word against his that he was even here.”

Eric frowned as they heard a siren coming up Firehouse Road. “I’m sure they’ll take your word. He’s already been brought in by the police because of his obsession with the cabin. There won’t be any question. You’re the fire chief.”

Officer Frank Schneider drove the police car near the Cherokee and parked. He got out of the car, searching the area with his eyes as he came toward Stella.

“Chief Griffin.” He scratched his head as he surveyed the empty driveway. “I got a call from 911 that you needed help. What’s up?”

Stella explained what had happened. “He was gone when I came back out after calling it in. I think he left on a snowmobile. Maybe we can look around and find the tracks.”

She and Frank spent about twenty minutes shuffling through the snow. They finally found some snowmobile tracks.

“These look fresh,” he said. “Sounds like the ambulance. I hope they don’t charge the town for a false alarm.”

“Can they do that?”

He shrugged as they approached the ambulance drivers before they could leave their vehicle.

“Where’s the victim?” the driver asked.

“He got away,” Frank said. “Sorry you had to make the trip. We’ll take him to the hospital ourselves after he’s in custody.”

The paramedic on the passenger side wrote in his logbook. “Okay. We’re saying there was no victim when we arrived. Would you like to sign off on that?”

Frank signed his name and apologized again. “Next time you’re off duty, let me buy you a drink at Beau’s.”

The offer didn’t make the paramedics seem any less irritated by their fruitless effort and a long trip back home.

Stella and Frank watched them pull in a circle around the Cherokee and go back down the road.

“Think that helped?” she asked Frank.

“Probably not. I can at least say I offered when Chief Rogers is screaming in my face.”

“What now?”

“You file a complaint against Bob Floyd. I write it down and call it in. Then I go pick him up. The chief is going to love
that
too.”

“I’m sorry. I hope this is settled soon.”

Frank smiled at her. “It’s not your fault, Chief. Bob has gone off the deep end. Watch your back.”

I It was starting to get dark. An owl hooted as it flew from a one large pine tree to another closer to the house.

“We’d better get going if we’re meeting John to look at the boat,” Eric reminded her. “Take my badge with you until all of this is over with Bob. It was terrible not being able to help while you were standing out here with him.”

“This is crazy. I hope Ben’s lawyer finds an answer soon.”

Stella went inside and pocketed Eric’s badge. She opened the door to the backseat of the Cherokee, and Hero happily jumped in.

“I guess we’ll buy supplies at the convenience store,” she said as she started the Cherokee. “Pigeon Forge will have to wait.”

In Chicago, sometimes it was hard to tell that it was night because of the orange glow from the streetlights. There was no doubt in the mountains. The night came down like a sledgehammer. There were no streetlights except in the heart of Sweet Pepper. Stella had a large mercury vapor light put in at the cabin, and two similar outside lights at the firehouse. It was still really dark. She’d begun to appreciate how important the moon had been to people two hundred years ago.

She drove off the main road toward Nay Albert’s farm, the only lights she could see at his house and barn. The edges of the road, and the land that rolled away from it, were cloaked in complete blackness. It made the headlights on the Cherokee seem very bright.

“I think John is here,” Eric said.

“I can’t see his pickup.” She carefully glanced at him. He looked luminous in the light from the dashboard. “You can use your ghostly powers to sense that?”

“I guess so. I can feel he’s here.”

“Good thing he can’t see you,” she quipped. “You look
really
scary right now.”

He looked down at his torso, arms, and legs. “It’s this light. This light would’ve made it so much easier to scare people away years ago.”

“I think you did a good job keeping people away.” She turned the Cherokee in to the area where John’s pickup was parked. “Were you moaning and clanking things or just throwing things?”

“A little of both. Elvita Quick fainted once when she came inside the cabin with the town council.” He grinned as he remembered.

Stella laughed as she got out of the Cherokee. Eric was immediately beside her. Hero barked a little and then whined and sat down on the seat when he realized he wasn’t getting out.

“No wonder Elvita doesn’t like you.”

“I guess not many people do anymore.”

Stella didn’t have a chance to remark on the huge number of people who’d been at his memorial that day. Plenty of people loved him, or at least his legend. Bob, Elvita, and her sister, Theodora, weren’t in that group.

“Chief.” John walked out of an old garage to meet her. He had another man with him. “This is my friend, Rufus Palcomb. I told you about him. He and his family own a boat company.”

Rufus appeared to be in his late thirties. Like John, he was tall, maybe six-foot-two with a large body structure—broad shoulders and chest. It was hard to tell for sure in the dim light, but his hair might have been as red as Stella’s.

“Chief Griffin.” Rufus shook her hand. His voice was loud and hearty. “It’s good to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you from John.”

“Only the good stuff,” John promised with a slightly self-conscious smile. “Rufus and I went to school together. He was the captain of the Sweet Pepper Cougars during a year when we never lost a game.”

Rufus grinned. “It was a good year. Everything since pales in comparison.”

Stella smiled. Eric snorted but didn’t comment.

“So I hear you’re looking for a fireboat,” Rufus said. “I’ve taken a peek at what Nay has to offer. It’s not too bad. It’ll need a lot of work though.”

“Let’s check it out,” Stella replied.

They walked inside. Rufus pointed out the strengths and weaknesses of the old boat. “I’m sure she’d work for you,” he said as they walked around the
Geraldine
. “Someone did a good job putting her in dry dock.”

“That’s right,” Nay joined them. “Me and my son took care of her. She’ll float for sure. She’s strong too. I think she’ll make a fine fireboat.”

“I agree with Nay,” Rufus said. “The only thing I’m not sure about is her size. She’s kind of small for what you need. When John told me you were looking for a fireboat, I looked it up online. Most fireboats start at twenty-two feet.
Geraldine
is barely nineteen feet, not exactly standard size. Probably because she was homemade. I’m not sure about her holding a water cannon.”

“I suppose you have the
perfect
boat,” Nay said sarcastically. “Why am I not surprised?”

Rufus grinned at him. “Maybe because three generations of my family have built and sold boats? Your family has always been farmers. I don’t know anything about farming—just the food that I buy at the store. Makes sense, doesn’t it?”

John looked at Stella with almost the same expression that was on Eric’s face at that moment. It made her smile.

“I’m sure whatever boat Rufus wants to sell you will cost a lot more than I’m selling this one for,” Nay added.

“How much?” John asked.

Nay gave them his price.

Rufus whistled and shook his head. “This boat was
never
worth that much money. I can get the fire brigade into something better for less than that.”

“Do what you want.” Nay turned his back on them. “I can’t guarantee the council will approve the purchase.”

Stella nodded. She didn’t want to get into a fight about this too. “I’ll take a look at Rufus’s boat and get back with you. Thanks for taking the time to show me yours.”

Nay’s remark was something like “
Bah
.”

John was already heading out of the garage with Rufus. Stella thanked Nay again and followed them. Her cell phone went off in the quiet of the evening.

“Chief Griffin? This is Officer Frank Schneider. We’ve located Bob Floyd. It seems there may have been some mistake about what happened earlier at the cabin.”

S
tella stopped walking. She could tell by Frank’s voice that something was seriously wrong. “What do you mean? Have you arrested him?”

“No, ma’am. Can you come to the station? We need to clear up a few things.”

John and Rufus had waited for her to get off the phone.

“What’s wrong?” John asked.

She briefly sketched out what had happened at the cabin. “Now Frank says there may have been some mistake. He wants me to come to the station.”

“Darn little weasel.” John took out his truck keys. “I can’t see how he can get out of this after that little stunt he pulled yesterday at the cabin.”

“I don’t know either, but I’ll have to take a look at that boat another time, Rufus.” She shook his hand and thanked him for his help. His warm grasp lingered slightly longer than a friendly handshake.

John didn’t notice, but Eric did. “Not
another
admirer.”

“That’s okay.” Rufus gave her his card. “Call me when you can. We’ll go over everything.”

“I’ll follow you to town hall,” John said. “I’ve gotta hear this.”

Stella and Eric got back in the Cherokee. Hero was glad to see them, snuffling them and wagging his tail.

“Now John and his friend will be fighting over you,” Eric said as they pulled down the long driveway to the main road.

“Stop it. He shook my hand.”

“And you felt all
tingly
, right? I could tell.”

“Ghostly powers?”

“I don’t need to be dead to see something like that. Besides, I know you pretty well by now. You better slow down before you run out of eligible men. This is a small town.”

She laughed at his words. His point of view was odd since she could never keep up with her girlfriends in Chicago. They were always joking about her being a late bloomer.

In the time she’d been in Sweet Pepper, she and John had kissed a few times and argued a lot more. She’d dated Zane Mullis, who was a helicopter pilot for the forest service. He’d been fun to go out with but had moved to Colorado.

“You make me sound like one of the loose women Molly Whitehouse is always talking about.”

“If the floozy fits—”

“I’m not sure exactly what a ‘floozy’ is, but if it’s what I think it is, you’re lucky I can’t turn one of the hoses on you. I guess I’d have to content myself with dropping your badge into someone’s outhouse.”

Eric laughed at her. “Kidding. You get hot really easy. Must be that red hair. I can only imagine the conflagration you and Rufus could create. The fire brigade would need bigger hoses to put it out.”

“Yeah. Whatever. You’re jealous.”

“You’re right. I wish I’d met someone like you when I was alive.”

Stella stopped at the traffic light as she reached Sweet Pepper. Main Street was empty of cars and pedestrians. The only light she could see was at town hall.

“You think we would’ve gotten along?” she asked. “I mean, we’re both bossy types. We both like to have our way.”

Eric’s hand was solid when he touched her cheek. “I think we could’ve been a major fire together.”

Stella’s heart raced for a moment.
He’s a dead guy, stupid!
She kept her eyes glued on the road.

“I’d like to go with you inside,” he said. “I can’t wait to see Chief Rogers up close.”

It felt normal between them again after that. Stella’s mind still conjured a few images of her and Eric together. It was impossible. He’d been dead since before she was born. No matter how solid and lifelike he could appear sometimes, he was still a ghost.

“Looks like the gang’s all here.” Stella parked the Cherokee. “They must’ve decided to call a town council meeting at the same time.”

“I’m sure Bob has a good story cooked up. Like Officer Schneider said, you better watch your back. I could do it, but you told me to shut my mouth when we’re around other people.”

Stella got out of the Cherokee and locked it. “Like you’ve paid any attention to me asking you not to speak around anyone else.”

Eric passed through the doors into town hall as Stella opened one. Sandy Selvy was there to take her jacket and offer her a cup of coffee. John came in after her.

“They’re in the conference room,” Sandy whispered with a nervous eye on the group of men waiting in the hall. “Bob Floyd is there with his lawyer. Officer Schneider arrested him earlier. Mayor Wando is here too, along with Chief Rogers. Good luck, Stella.”

“Maybe you could get some pepper recipes from this group,” Eric said.

“I called Frank on the way here.” John took her arm as they walked to the conference room. It was odd because he was almost exactly where Eric was beside her.

After a minute, Eric shook himself and moved to the other side of her. “That’s kind of creepy.”

“He gave me a heads-up,” John continued, having no idea that he’d walked through a ghost. “Bob is claiming he was never at the cabin. Mayor Wando is backing him up. Chief Rogers is threatening to take Frank’s badge for arresting Bob.”

“I wish you wouldn’t have told me,” Stella muttered before they reached the group of men.

“Happy to do my job as police/fire department liaison.”

“Ms. Griffin.” Don Rogers greeted her with a big grin and a hearty handshake. “I’m glad you could make it. As you can see, everyone else is already here. Let’s step inside the conference room.”

The terrible part was that he was always at his most pleasant when he thought she’d done something wrong. She wondered, as she took her seat, if he’d ever accept her.

Everyone around the table was introduced. Bob was there with his lawyer. John sat beside Chief Rogers. Mayor Wando was biting his fingernails. Hugh Morton, the town attorney, was there with him.

Stella was the only one there alone—at least as far as anyone could tell. Eric was there beside her. It didn’t make her feel much better.

“Let’s get started,” Don Rogers said.

The door to the conference room opened, and Stella’s grandfather walked in. He sat next to her, as though he knew Eric was in the chair on her other side.

“Sorry I’m late,” Ben Carson said. “I almost didn’t find out about this meeting. Has something happened to the town notification system?”

Everyone around the table drew a deep breath. Ben Carson didn’t look like much—tall and thin, his shoulders stooped with age—yet they all knew this man held a great deal of power and influence.

“Sorry about that, Ben.” Chief Rogers cleared his throat and glanced away. “I guess I didn’t think to call you because I didn’t think you’d be interested.”

Ben folded his long hands on the table before him. He was seventy-five and his gray hair was thinning, but his brown eyes were as sharp as ever.

“You mean you didn’t
think
I’d be interested in you calling
my
granddaughter—the fire chief for this town that her great-great-grandfather built—a liar?”

There was more foot shuffling and throat clearing. Both lawyers took that moment to peruse the contents of their folders with more interest than they probably warranted.

“Come on.” Mayor Wando smiled and tried to smooth things over. “No one is here to call Chief Griffin a liar.”

“Then suppose you tell me, Erskine, exactly
why
we’re here.” Ben cast his steely gaze in his direction.

Stella didn’t like the way this was headed. While she appreciated her grandfather trying to run interference for her, she could take care of herself.

“If we could allow Chief Rogers to continue,” Stella said to the group. “I think he was about to explain why we’re all here.”

With Ben’s angry glare directed at his face, Chief Rogers thanked her for giving him the floor again. “As I was saying, we have a situation here that requires immediate attention. My officer, Frank Schneider, has a complaint against councilman Bob Floyd that he received from our fire chief. Councilman Floyd has told me that this is a misunderstanding. He wasn’t at Chief Griffin’s cabin at the specified time that she is charging him with assault.”

Ben tapped his fingers impatiently on the highly polished wood table. “So? Is that a reason to drag all of us out here tonight?”

Bob’s lawyer cleared his throat and organized his papers. “Because this charge would do terrible harm to my client’s reputation, Chief Rogers offered us the opportunity to present the facts here before the charges are permanently filed.”

“You mean the charges against Bob haven’t been
filed
yet?” Ben’s voice sounded like the knell of doom. “I think I should call my attorney. It might be worth his while to fly in tonight and correct this problem.”

Again, Stella stepped in. “I didn’t want to file charges against Mr. Floyd for what happened yesterday at the cabin. He left me no choice when he came to my home again today, this time waving a shotgun at me.”

“I think I sense a pattern developing,” Ben drawled. “He’s obsessed with the cabin.”

“Hey, for once, I agree with the old man,” Eric said.

Stella ignored him and focused on the living group around her.

“I was with Erskine the whole time Chief Griffin says I was at the cabin.” Bob was sweating profusely, despite the coolness of the room. He kept fiddling with his tie and glancing at Ben. “Ask him. He’ll tell you.”

“I was with Bob at my house during that time.” Mayor Wando’s voice was stiff and rehearsed.

“Was there anyone else with you?” Ben asked.

“You don’t have to answer that.” Bob’s lawyer scowled at Mayor Wando. “I’m sure the town attorney would tell you the same thing if he weren’t scared of Ben Carson.”

“You can tell he’s not from around here,” Eric added.

Stella frowned at him.

“What? You know it’s true.”

“I’m not afraid of Ben,” Hugh Morton said. “There hasn’t been an arrest as yet. You can say whatever you want.”

“Look,” Stella said. “I was there. So was Bob. Officer Schneider and I found the snowmobile tracks that were left behind. I don’t want to press charges, but I will if that’s my only recourse. We can let a jury figure out where the truth lies.”

“I want to caution Chief Griffin,” Bob’s lawyer threatened. “There could be a forthcoming lawsuit from this accusation.”

Eric and Ben shouted, “
What?
” at the same time. Ben stood up and pounded his fist on the table. Eric hovered above it.

“I’ll make sure you never practice law again in Tennessee,” Ben promised.

Bob’s lawyer began to appear unsure too. The two lawyers exchanged glances. They bent their heads close together and whispered a few words.

“My client would be willing to guarantee that nothing of this sort will ever happen again, if you don’t press charges, Chief Griffin,” Bob’s lawyer said carefully. “Not that he’s
admitting
to any wrongdoing in this matter. We simply want to make sure that his reputation in the community is not tarnished.”

Everyone looked at Stella.

It was a club—a boy’s club. She’d never be part of it. While it was appealing to try to fit in with them, Stella couldn’t let it go.

“Ms. Griffin?” Chief Rogers verbally nudged her.

She stood next to her grandfather. “I’m willing to give a little on this, gentlemen.”

“Stella!” Ben tried to stop her.

“But Mr. Floyd will have to meet my terms for me to drop the charges.”

Bob’s lawyer raised his head, pencil in hand. “Yes?”

“Mr. Floyd admits that he came to the cabin with the shotgun. He promises not to come to the cabin again,
ever
, for any reason, and he apologizes right now, in front of all of you. Afterward, you will all be my witnesses that this happened should the need arise.”

“Go get ’em.” Eric soundlessly applauded.

“My client will
not
admit to guilt in this matter,” Bob’s lawyer began.

Bob tugged on the man’s jacket and whispered something to him.

“My client has agreed to these terms.” The lawyer changed his tone quickly.

Stella sat down and waited.

“I apologize for losing my temper and coming up there today.” Bob sniffled as he spoke, tears running down his cheeks. “I was scared. I wanted to get rid of the cabin right away. Madam Emery said Chief Gamlyn will haunt me until I do. That’s why I bought the land.”

Mayor Wando patted Bob’s arm and convinced him to stop speaking.

“My client’s last words are not to be spoken outside this room,” Bob’s lawyer said.

“My granddaughter isn’t interested in your mewling apologies,” Ben countered.

“That was the deal.” Stella looked into each man’s face. “You’re my witnesses. You’re legally bound by his confession. I won’t press charges this time. If anything even remotely like this happens again, I’ll call on each of you to testify against Bob Floyd in court.”

Chief Rogers nodded as Bob broke down into anguished sobs. “I think that concludes our business tonight. Thank you all for coming out so late.”

As everyone began leaving, Stella thanked her grandfather. “I hope we can do something about the cabin. Bob’s not in his right mind. I don’t know if he’ll remember what happened if he starts thinking about coming up there again to get rid of the ghost.”

Ben took her hand as they walked out of the conference room. Outside, in the empty room of makeshift walls and telephones used by the Sweet Pepper police, he said, “You shouldn’t have let him off so easy.”

“Why? Now they owe me. Isn’t that the way it works?”

He smiled, a devil lurking in his dark eyes. “I believe it is.”