Brody (Texas Boudreau Brotherhood Book 3) Page 15

  Noncommittal. Exactly how he’d have answered, if questioned by somebody you didn’t know well. “I’ve got a reason for asking. I’d like your gut instinct, just between you and me.”

  “As fast as the structure burned, my first thought would be deliberately set.” He held up a hand before he continued, “Now there are a lot of variables to take into account. Gas lines. Faulty equipment still inside the restaurant. Illegal electrical wiring. You know as well as I do, the list is endless. Without a thorough examination of the scene, I wouldn’t presume to toss out a definite cause.”

  “Understood. Appreciate your expertise and your opinion.”

  “You having a problem in Shiloh Springs? Anything I need to be concerned with, that might spill over into my county?”

  Brody hesitated for a heartbeat before answering. “We’ve had a couple of suspicious burns in the last few months. Just got back the findings from the state lab on the latest one. Confirmed as intentional. I doubt it’s anything y’all need to worry about, but it wouldn’t hurt to keep your eyes and ears open. I’ll update you if I find out anything concrete.”

  “Thinking you might have a firebug, huh? That sucks. Appreciate it if you’d keep us in the loop. Lemme know if there’s anything we can help with.”

  “I keep you updated. And thanks for the assist,” Brody added, gesturing toward the smoldering building. “Got this under control fast. Always a good thing.”

  As he started to walk away, back to his crew, his phone dinged. He snagged it out of his pocket, sorely tempted to toss it into the still smoldering building, but stopped cold when he spotted the e-mail sender’s name. Swiping right, he read the message, feeling the knot in the pit of his stomach growing. The Forensic Arson Crime Lab had found two fingerprints on the glass fragments collected at the Summers scene, one full and one partial.

  He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening the attached file. Skimming through the usual rigamarole, stuff the arson lab had already reported to him about the accelerant use, until he zeroed in on the one thing that mattered, the analysis of the fingerprint evidence. The Texas DPS had run the prints and had a match.

  He had a suspect, a flesh-and-blood villain to focus the blame on. Somebody who could be arrested and thrown in jail. But first, he had to finish dealing with the current blaze, and ensure the fire was out and not a danger to life or property. Focus on doing his job.

  Then he’d arrest the person who’d been behind torching the Summers’ property.

  Greg Summers.

  Evan bit down hard on the hamburger he’d grabbed from a drive-through fast-food place, one of those big chain ones where nobody paid attention to who moved past their congested drive-up window, as long as they paid and got moving, so they could attend to the next customer. Compared to the lousy food he’d eaten in the prison, this tasted like a gourmet steak.

  He’d driven out of town, over an hour away from Shiloh Springs, clear into the next county, staying on the backroads to avoid any patrol cars who might have spotted him. Pouring some of his previous bottled water onto the ground, he’d made enough mud to coat the back and front license plates, partially obscuring the letters and numbers. A cop probably wouldn’t pull somebody over for that, not unless they spotted another infraction, and he’d been careful to stay under the speed limit and do nothing to draw attention to himself.

  Now, with a full tank of gas and a full belly, he cruised by the cottage where one of Beth’s former neighbors at the apartment complex told him they’d moved to. It wasn’t much of a place. He’d have thought his ex would have splurged a little with all the money she’d gained from all his hard work. Even splitting the proceeds with her sister, she still should have had a couple of million bucks stashed away. Surely she could afford something better than this dump.

  He’d had the forethought to park a few houses down, because he didn’t want Beth to spot him too soon. The timing had to be perfect, because he’d only get one shot. Too bad it was Sunday, because even if she wired money to his account—one nobody but him knew about—it wouldn’t process until Monday at the earliest, maybe Tuesday, so he had to be patient.

  In the rearview mirror, he spotted a white sedan driving slowly toward him, and he scrunched down in the seat, obscuring him from immediate view. There was no disguising that white car as anything but a cop car, even in this backwater burb. They continued on past, and he waited, knowing if he got up too soon and blew it, he’d end up back in Huntsville, this time in solitary.

  Once he had the money, he’d leave. He had it all plotted out. There was a lovely seaside bungalow in Rio calling to him. With Beth’s share of the bond, he could live comfortably for many years, without encumbrances like a wife and a child. He felt a twinge of guilt thinking about Jamie. It was a shame she’d be dragged into this because her mother betrayed him.

  The white sedan pulled into the drive of Beth’s cottage, and a tall man in a tan shirt and dark pants stepped out, walking slowly around the side of the house, disappearing from view. Definitely a cop, from the way he walked and the way he carried himself. A thief wouldn’t have pulled right up into the drive and gotten out; he’d learned that much while incarcerated. Keeping his head low, he watched and waited. Long minutes passed before the cop came around the other side of the house, his long strides now purposeful as he walked to his car, climbed in and pulled away.

  Shifting to sit upright behind the wheel, he took another bite of his now cold burger, before wrapping it up and tossing it into the trash bag. He took a long drink of the milkshake he’d gotten to go with the burger and added it to the trash.

  Movement from the side caught his attention, and he watched an older woman carrying a black trash bag out of her house and head toward one of the bins standing at attention like soldiers at the side of her drive. Taking a quick glance in the mirror again, he made an attempt to smooth his hair, and scrubbed a hand across his scruff, and opened the car door.

  “Excuse me, ma’am. I’m hoping you can help me.”

  “Of course. What can I do for you?” She hesitated, watching him closely as he moved a few steps into her driveway.

  “I’m looking for a friend who recently moved into this area. I know she’s renting a place on this street, but I can’t for the life of me find the paper I wrote her address down on. Maybe you know her? Beth Stewart?”

  The woman’s face lit with a smile. “Oh, of course. Such a lovely lady, and sweet little girl, too. She hasn’t been here long, but she lives right over there.” She pointed to the cottage Evan had been staking out. “Although I heard there was a spot of trouble, and she’s been staying with the Boudreaus.”

  “Boudreaus?”

  “They own the big ranch outside town. Biggest one around for miles. Just follow Main Street through town, and keep heading north. You can’t miss it.”

  Evan seethed, gritting his teeth in a semblance of a smile. Looked like his wife had gotten further ensnared by the Boudreaus, the same way Tessa got pulled in. Good thing he planned on putting a stop to that, once and for all.

  “Thank you, ma’am. Appreciate your help. I’ll try and catch up with her later.”

  Giving the woman a final wave, Evan marched back to his stolen car and climbed behind the wheel. It wouldn’t be long before he had everything he wanted, and having a chance to get even with the Boudreaus was the cherry on top.

  With a wicked grin, he started the ignition and drove off, heading for Main Street.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Beth knew everyone wanted her to stay inside the house, but she was getting cabin fever, going stir-crazy, being cooped up inside. She hadn’t heard from Brody, and she missed him. Missed the cheeky half-grin he had, the right side of his lips curving slightly higher than the left. Missed feeling his arms wrapped around her. And she secretly missed his need to protect her. Not that she was a shrinking violet or anything, but his overprotectiveness made her feel cherished. Special. Something she hadn’t felt in a long time. />
  Jamie was upstairs taking a nap—finally. She’d been running around the ranch since she’d woken up. Beth had given in and let her have waffles for breakfast, and then they’d headed out to the barn to visit the kittens. Afterward, Jamie had insisted Beth meet Otto, the donkey. Her brave little girl had climbed up the wooden fence running beside the barn and called Otto to her side, laughing as she scratched him between the ears. Unfortunately, Otto hadn’t taken to Beth’s attempts to pet him, barring his yellowed teeth and braying in an ear-splitting sound that had her slamming her hands over her ears.

  They’d then spent time in Ms. Patti’s vegetable garden, behind the kitchen, watering the plants, and pulling the occasional weed, though Beth admitted there weren’t very many. This was a well-tended garden.

  She’d worked a little with Jamie on her lessons. Even pre-kindergarten classes had lessons and Mrs. Gleason had e-mailed her information of things she could work on with Jamie, so she didn’t fall even further behind. Between the move from North Carolina and now this enforced isolation at the Big House, Beth was afraid Jamie was going to have to repeat the school year.

  Nica had volunteered to keep an eye on Jamie to give Beth a break, and she’d decided to visit with Camilla, who’d set up a mini-office at Dane’s house. Working remotely wasn’t a problem for Camilla, who could do her job anywhere she had access to a computer and Wi-Fi. She’d figured as long as Evan was on the run, she’d stay close to Beth and Jamie.

  Since it was a beautiful day, if a little warm, Beth decided to walk to Dane’s house. Nica had given her directions, which seemed pretty straightforward. The walk shouldn’t take long, but getting out and getting some fresh air would be nice. Skirting around the back of the barn, she followed Nica’s directions, enjoying the bucolic scenery and peaceful contentment the ranch provided. She paused to watch the horses munching on the alfalfa, the mommas and babies frolicking in the grass. Having never been around farm animals before, observing them offered her a rare insight into Brody’s life growing up. Made her feel like she was getting a snapshot of where he’d come from.

  Tessa had explained to her about the Boudreaus when she first started seeing Rafe seriously. How each of the boys raised by the Boudreau family had come to them from horrible life situations or through the foster care system. She didn’t know any specific details, not even Rafe’s, though she knew Tessa did. It wasn’t her business, but she couldn’t help wondering about Brody’s story. What had his life been like before he’d moved in with Douglas and Ms. Patti?

  There was no doubt he adored his adoptive parents and they loved him. That wasn’t even an issue. She even know while most of the boys had been officially adopted, some of them hadn’t, whether because they couldn’t be, or because it was a mutual decision, there wasn’t a single doubt the love shared between not only Douglas and Ms. Patti, but with all of the brothers, was something unique and strong. They were the epitome of family.

  The Big House soon disappeared from view as she continued her walk to the foreman’s house. Birdsong filled the air, and Beth smiled at the peace she felt inside. Most likely it was the calm before the storm, because Evan didn’t allow her even a brief respite, but she’d take the small moments when and where she could. Once he was back in prison, she was cutting all ties with him, once and for all. No more phone calls, no letters. Nothing.

  In the distance, she could see a white two-story house, with blue shutters and a gingerbread trim. A wide front porch, complete with a swing and columns, decorated the structure. It reminded her of photos she’d seen from the turn of the twentieth century, lovely and reminiscent of a bygone era. She chuckled, thinking about Camilla living in a farmhouse. There was nobody more citified than Camilla Stewart. Now there was a woman who loved her creature comforts. Spa days, mani-pedis, good wine, and fancy restaurants were more her speed than homespun life with the white picket fence and a couple of kids. This had to be pure torture for her friend.

  Within a few minutes, she was standing on the porch, hand raised, when the front door was yanked inward, and a hand reached out, yanking her inside. She gasped at the sight in front of her. Camilla’s hair stood on end, spiking out away from her face. Her feet were bare, pink toes sticking out from the bottom of her dust-covered slacks. Glasses were perched on the end of her nose, a wild look on her face.

  “You’ve gotta get me out of here!”

  “Camilla, what in the world? What’s wrong?”

  “What’s wrong? What’s right! I’m sorry, Beth, I love you and Jamie to death, but I can’t stay here a second longer. This—this is torture!”

  “Okay, calm down. What happened?”

  “That gigantic, motorcycle-driving maniac happened. He makes me so mad! Ugh!”

  Beth bit her lip to keep from laughing. Apparently, Camilla had met Heath. “I take it Heath’s giving you trouble?”

  “Heath? Is that what he’s called? I figured his name was Neanderthal, since he’s such a caveman. What a jerk!”

  “Come on, Camilla. I’ve met him. He’s a perfectly nice—”

  “Are you kidding me? First, he used up all the hot water, so I couldn’t take a shower.” She started ticking items off on her fingers. “Then he drank the whole pot of coffee before I got up, leaving me caffeine deprived. You know I can’t function without at least two cups first thing in the morning. Then he confiscated my laptop, and won’t give it back!” Her voice rose with each infraction, until it reached a shrill screech. Beth barely kept for sticking her fingers in her ears.

  “Whoa, calm down. I’m sure there’s more hot water. You’ll be able to take a shower. As for the coffee, come on, let’s go to the kitchen and I’ll make you a fresh pot.”

  Camilla sniffled. “You can’t. Apparently, there’s no more until Dane can make a grocery run or his mother drops by with supplies. I mean, seriously, who allows themselves to run out of coffee?! And it’s not even the kind of coffeemaker with pods. You have to actually add the grounds. It’s archaic.”

  “No, you’re spoiled.”

  “Am not.” Camilla slumped down in a chair and stuck her tongue out at Beth. “I’m sorry. This trip has been an utter fiasco. Every single step, from the moment I got the call about Evan, up until today with Captain Caveman, has been an unmitigated disaster. Except for seeing you and Jamie. You are the bright spot in my nightmare.”

  Beth sat across from Camilla, watching her friend’s expression go from frantic to harried to finally calm. Camilla tended to be overly emotional, feeling things strongly and with no problem expressing her opinion. Apparently, she’d met her match in Heath Boudreau.

  “Morning, sunshine.” Heath ambled into the room, and tousled Beth’s hair, giving a heated glance to Camilla, before heading to the refrigerator and pulling out a bottle of water. “How’s Brody?”

  Beth leaned back against her chair, and crossed her arms over her chest. “I haven’t spoken with him today.”

  “He didn’t spend the night?” Heat crept into her cheeks, burning hotter at Heath’s chuckle. “Don’t worry, I’m teasing.” He pulled out another chair at the kitchen table and slid onto the seat. “I talked to him last night. He’s got a lot on his plate right now, dealing with some stuff at the firehouse.”

  “I know. He’s been working a lot of hours recently.”

  Camilla watched Heath, her expression guarded, but Beth knew her friend could see the spark of interest she did her best to hide. Oh, brother, if these two get together, talk about fireworks.

  “Any word on your ex?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing. I don’t understand why nobody’s caught him yet. He doesn’t know anything about surviving outside of the city.”

  Camilla gave an inelegant snort. “Got that right. Roughing it to Evan is staying any place with less than four stars. No way he’d be able to live off the land. He’s too spoiled.”

  Heath arched one brow at Camilla. “Pot, meet kettle.”

  “I’ll have you know I can take care of mysel
f.”

  “Sure you can, princess. As long as you have a fancy pants boy toy to wait on you hand and foot, I’m sure you’d survive just fine.”

  “I’m going to take a shower. Beth, I’ll see you in a few minutes.” She glared at Heath. “You don’t need to be here when I get back. And give me my computer, you big goob.” With that final word, she stormed from the room, her footsteps fading as she climbed the stair.

  “You really shouldn’t give her such a hard time.”

  Heath grinned. “But she makes it so easy.”

  “Be that as it may, she’s still reeling from her brother being sent to prison and having her life thrown into turmoil. She adored him, and it’s hard to find out somebody you care about has feet of clay.”

  Heath’s gaze shifted to the hallway where Camilla had disappeared, his expression guarded. “I’ll try.” He stood and tossed his plastic bottle into a bin under the sink. “You wouldn’t happen to have a picture of your ex handy?”

  She shook her head, starting to say no, but hesitated. “You have Camilla’s computer?” At his quick nod, she added, “Let’s look on her Facebook page. I’m sure there are lots of them on there.”

  “Lemme grab it, just a second.” He returned quickly with the state-of-the-art laptop, and Beth quickly logged in, easily navigating to Camilla’s page.

  “This is Evan. Probably taken about a year ago, maybe a little more.” She clicked on the photo, enlarging it. It showed a happy, smiling man, groomed and polished to perfection, the way she remembered him.

  “Can you e-mail me a copy of that?” He rattled off his e-mail address, and Beth shot the photo to his phone, wondering why he wanted a copy. She hadn’t realized she’d spoke her question aloud until he answered.

  “I’m going to head into town, see if I can spot him. I know some people who might help. At least I’ll feel like I’m doing something instead of simply sitting around, waiting for something to happen.”