An Inner Fire (15 page)

Steeling himself against his truculent boss’ inevitable harassment, Davis knocked on the assistant chief’s door. “Do you have a minute?” He took in the gold-framed pictures of Maclean’s wife and two children, filling a third of the polished desk; honorable commendations covered the wall behind.

“Does it look like it?” Maclean gestured at the neat stacks of paper in front of him.

He ignored the antagonism in Maclean’s question. He needed to play nice if he wanted to get the crane. “What’s the status on my crane?”

“What crane?” Just like Maclean to pretend he didn’t remember.

“I spoke with you at the fireground. I need a crane.”

“You’re kidding? No way. Do you have any idea how much a crane costs?”

“This fire was torched by a pro.”

Maclean laughed harshly. “Someone paid for one shed to be burned?”

“They knew what they were doing. Brake fluid and chlorine.”

Maclean stood from behind his desk. Even working alone, in his own office, the assistant chief always wore his uniform jacket, displaying his rank. “You found evidence of the brake fluid and chlorine?”

“I found the brake fluid bottle but haven’t gotten any results yet from the lab.”

“You need my job for a while. Then you wouldn’t have time to spin fantasies about a shed and spend the department’s money.”

Maclean walked around his desk. Davis stepped forward. He wouldn’t let Maclean try to intimidate him.

“I want to dig under the fallen roof.”

Maclean scowled. “I’m not going to spend department money on a fire that will never be determined.”

“Someone with skill and experience burned down that shed.” He withheld the mention of drug trafficking, since he knew Maclean would love nothing more than to take this case from him and hand it over to the Feds.

Maclean locked his eyes on him. “Any idiot could’ve burned a wooden structure.”

“Nah, the wood planks were thick—logs, in fact. It would take a hot explosion to start that fire. And someone knew how to do it, someone with experience. There can be only one type of person who has that kind of skill.”

“Come on, any dumb shit can read how to do it on the internet.”

“Nah, this was too good. I’m thinking it has to be one of us.”

He waited, expecting an eruption from Maclean. When nothing showed on Maclean’s face, he continued. “And you know who came to mind?”

“We’ve already gone over the list. There’s no one worth considering.”

“One stands out and I plan to find him.”

“Who?”

“Benson.”

“Benson?” Maclean scoffed.

“Benson was a damn good firefighter and I can’t find him. Personnel doesn’t have any information about him moving to Las Vegas. They gave me a local number that’s disconnected and an address for a motel on Aurora Avenue.”

Maclean leaned back against his desk and crossed his arms.

“You said he moved to Las Vegas. How did you know that?” Davis asked.

Maclean shrugged. “Hell, I don’t know. Office gossip.”

“Wasn’t Benson married? I thought I’d call his wife.”

Maclean straightened. “I don’t need you spending your time trying to embarrass this department. The chief is still taking flack in the press about that disgruntled woman who didn’t make the cut.” Maclean’s mouth twisted as he spat the word woman. “Just what he doesn’t need right now is an ex-firefighter lighting fires on the terminal. Can you see the media circus? You weren’t around when the Blackstock Lumber or the Mary Pang fires went down. Back off.”

Davis recognized the stubborn set of Maclean’s jaw. “How about my crane?”

“You never give up, Davis, do you?”

Maclean walked behind his desk and sat down. “Is the paper work in?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, you can have your damn crane, but give up on Benson. You got that?”

Davis walked down the hallway, trying to sort out the meeting. Maclean hadn’t meant that he shouldn’t pursue his investigation even if it included exposing Benson. Nah, Maclean was just trying to cover the chief’s ass.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Grayce made a wide U-turn and pulled the Subaru in front of her office. At yesterday’s visit in Los Angeles, she had declined Elizabeth Marley’s offer to foot the bill for a stay at Malibu’s Villa Constanza Hotel “or in the guest room here… It would be no imposition.” Poor Elizabeth—so starved for human interaction. But Grayce had been firm—she had to be on the 4pm flight to Seattle, she had plans—even though she couldn’t tell Elizabeth what those plans were. So now, instead of relaxing in style in a five star hotel, or playing gin rummy with one of America’s shiniest celebrities, she was in pursuit of clues to convince Davis he was in danger—a target for a hired killer.

She spotted her assistant, looking out of place in front of the slick development that had sprouted up next to her funky warehouse/office. Hollie was dressed in her World of Warfare guild T-shirt, wrist bands, torn blue jeans and jacket. Her hair hung around her face, shading her eyes.

“There’s Hollie.”

James jumped out of the car and opened the back door. With his forest green fedora, black wrap arounds and black suit, he looked like
The Green Hornet.
“Good Evening, I’m James, your escort for this evening of adventure and mayhem. Do you prefer the front or back position?”

Grayce leaned across the front seat. “James, stop.”

He tittered. “I didn’t mean anything. It slipped out.”

James hadn’t even met Hollie and he had already started his salacious banter. If James had his way, Grayce was convinced he’d turn the night into a farce.

Hollie stood on the sidewalk, arms at her side, motionless.

“Come on guys. Let’s go.” Grayce tried for her enthusiastic voice.

Apparently she’d hit the right note of animated optimism, because Hollie brushed past James and climbed into the back seat. James swooped low in a grand bow. “And good evening to you, too.”

Settled in the front seat, James twisted to talk with Hollie. “You really dressed the part. Where did you find those atrocious clothes?”

Grayce gripped the steering wheel, unable to think of anything to say to alleviate the awkward moment.

“Hollie, this is my good friend James Dewitt and I’m thinking of dropping him off at the next corner, if he doesn’t mind his manners.” She tried to sound teasing but heard brittleness in her voice.

“Grayce, I meant it as a compliment to Hollie. Honestly, I thought we were all trying to look…Okay, never mind. Let me apologize. I think you look fabulously homeless.”

Grayce looked in her rearview mirror to gauge Hollie’s reaction. The young woman’s face was hidden in the shadows.

“I included James because I felt we would be less conspicuous, you know…not stand out…if there were more of us.”

“I love it. James Dewitt, making two women look normal. Let’s face it girls, you need a man on this mission.”

The only response from the back seat was the sound of cracking knuckles. Not a good sign.

“Do I understand you ladies don’t believe I can be called upon to do the manly thing? Just because I’m wearing my Louis Vuitton shoes doesn’t mean I can’t protect you. I refuse to wear tennis shoes. My God, who deemed tennis shoes a fashion statement?”

Of course, James would see this evening’s attempt to get information about the person who tried to stab Davis as a fashion challenge.

“Hollie, he’s kidding.”

“Who’s kidding? Hollie dear, you didn’t get those piercings just for tonight?”

“James. Please.” She used the same voice as her mother. The night was deteriorating.

“Okay, okay. Hollie, is Grayce always this grim?”

No answer from the back seat.

“Ladies, you know what your problem is? You both lack a sense of
joie de vivre
. You don’t need me along for my karate training. You need me for entertainment. The idea of me standing in for Ewan Davis, the hulk, is amusing enough.”

Grayce needed to get control of the evening, but James, in his usual style, was turning this into a social event, as if they were all headed to a club. She used her rearview mirror to talk with Hollie. “It’s true. James has a black belt.”

A snort of derision came from the back seat.

“Right now, my only black belt is Armani.”

Grayce heard Hollie’s snort change into a loud laugh.

“Underneath this perfectly coiffed stud is a fighting machine.”

Hollie snickered. Her snorts became mixed with laughter.

James continued. “The woman is skeptical.”

Another answering snort from the back seat.

“I’m endowed with great
kokoro
.”

Grayce laughed aloud right along with Hollie. The tightness in her neck and shoulders began to loosen for the first time since she had decided on this attempt to help Davis.

“The ladies are contemplating my kokoro…I like where your minds are going but you’re wrong. In karate,
kokoro
is attitude, your dedication and perseverance. I did achieve a black belt in karate, but it was a long time ago. My father realized I wasn’t going to excel in the manly sports, you know, football, baseball. He decided on martial arts. It appealed to his sense of humor to have me trained as a finely-honed, aggression machine, when he knew I’d prefer reading fashion magazines.”

Grayce tried to stay focused on her driving. The traffic was backing up on Elliot Way.

“Also, I was slow in growing, slow in a lot of things, but I’ve made up for it.”

Grayce checked her rearview mirror again. Hollie was leaning against the far side of the car staring out the window.

Grayce reached over and squeezed James’ hand. “I’m not anticipating that you’ll need your karate skill tonight. The plan is only to talk.”

James coughed dramatically.

“I know, I know. You think tonight is going to be useless. That it’s totally illogical that we’re investigating on the behalf of an investigator.” She didn’t expect them to understand why she had to protect Davis.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You didn’t need to say anything. Your cough said it all. Thank you for coming, anyway.” She felt incredible gratitude for the two people who hadn’t questioned her plan and who willingly accompanied her.

James, always sensitive to her moods, filled in the silence. “Next time we go on a mission, I need more time to plan our clothes. I’ve almost given up on Grayce with North Face as her designer. But Hollie, with your dark eyes and hair, I could do so much. You’re a knockout.”

James was right. Hollie was a natural beauty. Grayce didn’t pay much attention to people’s outer appearance. To her, Hollie was a young woman who had suffered and was still in pain.

“Are we seeing some Italian in those almond eyes?”

“Part Navajo, at least that’s what my father said when he was sober.”

Seeking some relief from her tension, Grayce pushed the stereo button. Enya’s voice vibrated in the background.

“Sounds like you’ll fit right in, honey. Grayce and I didn’t have perfect childhoods either.”

From the backseat, Hollie muttered. “Yeah, life sucks.”

Grayce searched for a supportive, positive comeback. But true to form, James got there first.

“Join the club, honey.”

“Can you do the moves, like the Karate Kid?”

James had passed some sort of test with Hollie. Who could know what made people trust? James always said exactly what he thought. People never reacted indifferently to him. But surprisingly, children and animals loved him. He feigned disgust when around children, but “the little rug-rats” were always drawn to him.

“You’re joking right? I can do better than Jackie Chan.”

Modesty never inhibited James.

Stopping at a red light, Grayce turned toward her companions. “We’ve got to get serious. We need to go over our plan.”

“Grayce, we know. We’ll get serious right now.” James pretended to slap his face, sat up straight and squared his shoulders. “Is this better?”

Ignoring James, she continued. “I’ll decide if we talk with anyone.”

“Boss, we’ve got to see who’s around before we make plans.”

“Okay, but I’ll ask the questions. I want us to have a signal, a warning that it’s time to leave. If I sense danger, I’ll say that we need to meet Jesse and we’ll get the heck out of here, okay?”

“I promise, on my Boy Scout honor.” James raised his three fingers.

“Promise me you won’t make your usual risqué comments.”

“You’re going to muzzle me? Honey, you only want me for my brute strength, not my quick wit?”

Hollie was laughing again.

Grayce felt like a mother preparing to take her kids to the Puyallup fair, trying to warn them about too much cotton candy and scary rides, all the things that made the fair dangerous and thrilling.

“Okay, okay. I will not speak unless spoken to…” This brought another snort from the back seat.

“Hollie, I need the same promise from you.”